Spoiled by Love – Sweetheart, Don’t Tempt Me

“Cough… cough…” He just liked to see her shy and charming look, didn’t he? Well, maybe it was just his wicked little hobby. “Alright, from now on, let me be the one you bully.”

“I don’t want to bully you.” Asking her to say those risqué words–wasn’t she the one losing out?

“Alright, alright, you won’t bully me, you won’t bully me.” Right now his wife had transformed into a little kindergartener, so naturally, he had to coax her patiently. Still, it’d be best to distract her by changing the subject. “Wife, let’s get some rest for a while!”

“If you’re tired, go ahead and rest!” Zhan Niantong automatically understood his “let’s” as “me,” excluding herself altogether.

“Zhou isn’t coming so soon. It’s uncomfortable to just wait around, so try to get some sleep first! That way, time will pass faster.” Most importantly, your body is actually very tired–look, those dark circles under your eyes have already betrayed you! It makes my heart ache.

“Alright then!” Because she had been in a state of worry and anxiety all along, no matter how exhausted her body was, she hadn’t felt tired at all. But now, hearing her darling husband say it like that, she really did start to feel a bit sleepy. Besides, what he said made so much sense–she didn’t want to suffer through the agony of waiting, either.

But, goodness, how did she end up reaching for that folding chair behind the door? Was she planning to sleep there or what?

Xia Zhennan’s face suddenly darkened, his brows furrowing so tightly you could pinch a fly between them. “Wife, there’s a bed here and you don’t want to sleep on it–why sleep in that chair? Is it more comfortable, or what?” As he spoke, he even made a conscious effort to move aside, making space for her.

Being yelled at with a hint of anger, Zhan Niantong pouted childishly, put down what she was doing, and looked at him, her eyes carrying a touch of accusation. “I was just afraid of squishing you!” Although the worst injury was on his left leg, his body was still covered in many wounds. Even if they were already scabbing over, she still wanted to be careful, not wanting to accidentally hurt him.

“But I want you to sleep next to me.” Not to do anything, just purely to sleep together. To be able to close his eyes and have the last thing he sees be her, and to open his eyes and have the first thing he sees be her.

His deep eyes were full of earnest expectation and pleading. Meeting that gaze, all the worry and caution in her heart melted away like a wisp of smoke, vanishing completely!

He simply wanted her to quietly sleep by his side–how could she not want that, too?

Carefully, she lay down on the bed, curling up on her side, her head on the same pillow as his. The scent filling her nostrils was his–pleasant and familiar. The face she saw was his, marred by a scar.

Her nose tingled with a faint sourness, and her eyes brimmed with a mist of tears.

He turned his head slightly, so their foreheads just touched. Lowering his eyelids, he saw at a glance the tears in his wife’s eyes, and immediately understood her thoughts.

His rough fingertips gently brushed her cheek, tucked a loose strand of hair by her temple behind her ear. Xia Zhennan’s gaze was deep and full of tender apology as he fixed on her tear-filled eyes, his heart feeling as if pressed down by a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe.

He slowly curled his lips, wanting to say something, but found all words powerless. All he could do was lean in, and with a tenderness that overflowed from the depths of his heart, press a kiss against her tearful eyes, swallowing all her bitterness. “Wife, don’t cry.”

His loving kiss on her eyes made her heart tremble. What she saw was his face, full of pity and reluctance. She felt a pang of regret for not controlling her emotions just now. “Mhm, I won’t, I’m going to sleep. I’m so sleepy!”

Not wanting to be sad anymore, she obediently closed her eyes.

She had thought that with so much on her mind, she wouldn’t be able to sleep. But with his pleasant minty scent in her nose, listening to his steady, even breathing, like a lullaby, her tangled heart gradually calmed, and before long, she drifted into a deep sleep.

Seeing her fall asleep in just about three minutes, this time Xia Zhennan didn’t keep his eyes open to watch her. Instead, he obediently closed his eyes as well.

It had to be said, sleeping really was the best way to pass the time. By the time she woke up again, it was already after three in the afternoon–less than two hours left until five.

Her darling husband hadn’t woken yet, so Zhan Niantong quietly slipped out of bed. Seeing that he was still well, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Picking up the set of already disinfected clothes that Miqi had bought for her, she grabbed a set and entered the bathroom.

By the time she came out, it was already four o’clock! Her darling husband had woken up too, looking quite refreshed. With a smile, he kindly reminded his wife, “Wife, you forgot to take down the Do Not Disturb sign at the door.”

Oh, right! Zhan Niantong was instantly startled awake! She hurried to take the sign down–not because she was afraid of being laughed at for napping so late, but because she was worried Dr. Zhou or Doctor Chen might come by and leave again because of it. She berated herself, “How could I be so forgetful?”

“No worries, Zhou hasn’t come over yet.” Xia Zhennan was clearly lying through his teeth, as he had just seen Zhou pacing outside through the window. After contemplating for a while, he chose to leave first.

His dear husband’s words were evidently not convincing, and the anxious Zhan Niantong was still uneasy. “Should I go to Doctor Chen’s office and check?”

“No need, Zhou is here.” Just as he finished speaking, there were two knocks on the door, and then someone entered–it was Dr. Zhou Yi returning.

With a mysterious smile on his lips, his eyes swept over the two of them before he got to the point, his expression suddenly serious: “The results are out. I’ve proposed two options for you to consider.”

The couple exchanged a glance, neither speaking, simply listening quietly to Dr. Zhou Yi.

“Zhennan’s ankle has a spot where the bone cells have necrotized. We need to perform surgery to remove it and use bone from his waist to replace it.”

This option was truly shocking and terrifying! Zhan Niantong’s brows furrowed tightly, her body feeling a chill. The ankle fracture could be repaired, but what about the waist? Would a piece of bone be missing?

Dr. Zhou Yi’s next words, however, offered a glimmer of hope.

“The waist bone contains hematopoietic stem cells, which can differentiate into bone cells, so the removed part of the waist bone will grow back.” It would just take time, perhaps a year or two.

That was reassuring! Zhan Niantong’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled slightly.

“As for the knee, we’ve proposed two options. Zhennan’s kneecap is shattered into over a dozen pieces, with one area completely pulverized and unable to be reconnected. If you choose conventional treatment, we can only reconnect the other fragments, leaving that area vacant. If you wait for the bone to heal naturally, the time varies from person to person, ranging from three to five years, or possibly as long as ten years.” Facing the remarkably resilient Zhennan, Dr. Zhou Yi spoke candidly, without any concealment, making things clear so they could make the best choice and avoid future regrets.

If it were three to five years, that would be fine, but if it took ten years, she feared her husband wouldn’t be able to bear it: “Can’t the waist bone be used to replace it here?”

Her eyes earnestly sought Dr. Zhou’s gaze, hoping for good news. However, Dr. Zhou Yi solemnly shook his head; the knee bone was special and couldn’t be replaced by other bones.

“What about the second option?” Xia Zhennan had already dismissed the first option in his mind; he didn’t have the patience for ten years! Zhou said the first was a conventional conservative method, so the second must be a treatment that involved both challenge and risk. At this moment, he was more interested in knowing the success rate of this treatment.

“As for the second option, it’s the first bone chip I researched, to replace your bone and embed it in the kneecap. If successful, with your recovery ability, you could be walking again in less than six months. If it fails, it might lead to…” Dr. Zhou Yi looked gravely at the anxious Zhennan, some words were left unsaid but understood!

Zhan Niantong’s heart sank, also realizing the cruel consequence–lifelong disability!

“What is the success rate?” That was his most pressing concern.

Dr. Zhou Yi extended a hand, five fingers waving in front of them.

The success rate was only fifty percent!

“I’ll leave now, giving you three days to consider. We’ll proceed with the surgery in three days.” After explaining clearly, Dr. Zhou Yi chose to leave, giving this small world back to the pair of star-crossed lovers.

With Dr. Zhou Yi’s departure, the heavy and worried expression on Zhan Niantong’s face also dissipated. It wasn’t that she wasn’t worried, but she had already decided that no matter what choice her husband made, she would unconditionally trust him! If he chose conventional treatment, she would stay by his side, even if it took ten years, she wouldn’t mind. If he chose the second option and it succeeded, it would be a great joy; if it failed, she would be his legs for life, supporting him as they walked together.

Having figured it out, there was naturally nothing to worry about.

Zhan Niantong’s expression relaxed, but her dear husband’s brows furrowed like towering mountains.

After a moment of silence, he beckoned to his wife: “Come here.”

Zhan Niantong sighed and carefully sat on the edge of his bed.

Xia Zhennan gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder, his soft voice falling at her ear: “Wife, you decide on this matter.” No matter what decision you make, I will support you, so that whatever the future holds, you won’t resent me.”

Zhan Niantong jumped up immediately: “No, it’s your body, I can’t decide for you.” Such a cruel choice, no matter which option she chose, there were great difficulties awaiting them, and she couldn’t decide.