Chapter 444: Chapter 444

Ye Qian walked to the bedside, naturally opened the insulated lunch box, and poured out the chicken soup. She turned her head to look at Shen Bin and Shen Chun, who were still standing there. Her movements were natural, as if she had done this many times before, and she didn’t seem to feel anything inappropriate.

Watching her, Shen Bin didn’t move forward, "Ye Qian, leave the soup and go back first. I have something to discuss with Shen Chun."

The smile on Ye Qian’s face became stiff. She put down the bowl in her hand, "Alright, brother-in-law, I’ll head back then. Don’t forget to drink the soup."

She then picked up her bag from the bed, nodded with a smile, and left the ward. Once outside, the smile on Ye Qian’s face quickly disappeared, turning somewhat grim. As Liu Zhiyuan came around the corner, he saw his wife’s expression and stood there for quite a while, confirming he wasn’t mistaken, then walked over quickly. Newest update provided by n0velfire.net

"Why didn’t you go inside?" Liu Zhiyuan didn’t ask what had just happened.

Ye Qian hesitated for a moment upon seeing her husband, "Why are you here?"

"I heard from Mom that the brother-in-law is hospitalized, so I came to check on him. Weren’t you making soup at home? Is it done?" Liu Zhiyuan’s words showed that he understood the situation.

Then she explained, "Brother-in-law is talking to his sister in there, said something came up, so he asked me to go back first. Are you heading back to the barracks today?"

Liu Zhiyuan thought for a moment and nodded, "There’s still work at the company. I came here during a break. Since there’s something up, let’s leave together. I’ll come by again when I have time tomorrow."

Ye Qian nodded, walking out first, with Liu Zhiyuan following behind. The couple didn’t speak further until they reached the hospital entrance, where they would part ways. Liu Zhiyuan then asked, "When I arrived, you didn’t look well. Did someone upset you?"

"Marrying you, who would dare bully me? It’s nothing. You should hurry back to the barracks," Ye Qian’s tone unintentionally carried some irritation.

Liu Zhiyuan also picked up on the sarcasm in her words, "What’s wrong with you?"

He looked at her seriously.

Ye Qian found it all a bit pointless, shrugging, "Really, it’s nothing. I was just feeling envious seeing brother-in-law so concerned about his sister even while hospitalized."

This was an accusation that he wasn’t treating her well?

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan remained silent, although he glanced at her. Then he reminded her to be safe on her way home.

Having said that, he turned to leave.

He didn’t inquire further.

He thought he was doing fine; after getting married, he never demanded much from Ye Qian. He came home every weekend and never went out drinking with his comrades when at home. If this still wasn’t enough, he didn’t know what else to do.

Meanwhile, Ye Qian headed towards the residential compound, finding it dull being alone. Coincidentally, she bumped into Jiang Yan on the way. They exchanged a few words before Jiang Yan, seemingly having urgent matters, left, and Ye Qian returned to the compound alone.

In the hospital, after Ye Qian’s visit, Shen Bin felt dejected, "Chun’er, it’s getting late. You should head back. Mom and Dad live in the third alley at the end behind the hospital. You can find it if you ask around."

Shen Chun nodded, "Brother, don’t forget to drink the chicken soup."

Before leaving, she glanced at the chicken soup.

In the past, Shen Bin wouldn’t have overthought this, assuming his sister was just caring for him. But now, after realizing Shen Chun’s intentions and hearing her words and seeing such actions, he sensed it was something a jealous and oversensitive young wife might do, making him increasingly irritable.

After sending Shen Chun off, Shen Bin checked the time. It was too late to catch a train, so he could only wait for another opportunity tomorrow. He sat down for a short while when a house assistant brought food, essentials, and a set of new clothes, which turned out to be things Li Houguo had prepared, specifically tailored to fit Shen Bin.

During the day, not many people visited him in the hospital. He and Zhao Guodong arrived back at the train station together. After dropping Shen Bin off at the hospital, Zhao Guodong, seeing that he was fine, returned to the company first. In the evening, Zhang Linong and Wang Ping came to visit the hospital.

Zhang Linong, still composed and gentle, first inquired about Shen Bin’s injuries, advised him not to rush back but to recover first, and finally, asked about Ye Ling’s situation there—a perfectly normal sequence. Meanwhile, Zhao Guodong and Wang Ping exchanged knowing glances on the side, undoubtedly teasing Shen Bin about being so tough at work yet being defeated by a small-time ruffian.

Back when Shen Bin was in college, these two were often scolded by him, so now seeing him in this state brought them a sense of glee, almost as if they were enjoying his misfortune.

Shen Bin didn’t even glance at them, while the assistant, sent home in the evening, saw Zhao Guodong pull out liquor from who-knows-where and snacks, inviting Shen Bin for a drink, "You have injuries, better stick to water."

Shen Bin raised an eyebrow, handing over his glass, "Pour me some."

Clearly not taking Zhao Guodong’s childish act seriously, Zhao Guodong persisted, "I’m just telling you, you need to take care of yourself. If anything happens, Ye Ling will suffer with you."

"Seems you two have a good relationship," Shen Bin said, then changed the subject, "Thanks for caring about my wife."

That sentence clearly claimed ownership.

Zhao Guodong sneered, "It’s not like anyone said she’s not your wife."

Realizing this would lead nowhere, breaking into an argument, Zhang Linong intervened, "Alright, alright, pour the drink."

He took Shen Bin’s glass and only filled the bottom, "Your wounds aren’t healed yet. Today’s the first day, this much is enough."

Shen Bin didn’t argue further. The four sat and drank in the ward, away from prying eyes. Zhao Guodong, still fresh at the company, overly enthused, chattered about his training experiences as if he was pumped with adrenaline. Such a commotion inevitably attracts attention. When a nurse caught them drinking, she scolded them loudly, leaving the four grown men speechless, only packing up before ending the gathering.

Waving off Zhang Linong and Wang Ping, Zhao Guodong stayed behind for night duty. After seeing them off and heading to the bathroom, upon exiting, he bumped into someone coming straight at him. Having been in the company and university for quite some time, even if tipsy, his reflex was sharp, stepping aside quickly. The person, charging full force as if about to hit his chest, missed and collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud. Zhao Guodong watched, wincing—such a hard fall must have hurt a lot.