I felt a flush of embarrassment and wanted to hurry back to help her up, but then she walked over herself.

I thought to myself, how impossible it is to read this woman’s mind. What was going on now?

I quickly opened the car door for her, and she hopped right into the passenger seat.

Without a word, I got in, turned the key, and started the engine.

But as I let out the clutch while pressing the accelerator, the car bucked once and stalled.

I felt a pang of awkwardness, thinking, That’s not right. Even if I’m rusty from being isolated from the world for so long, I shouldn't mess up something as basic as starting the car.

I tried a few more times, but the car still wouldn't start. Only then did I glance at the fuel gauge and realize: we were out of gas.

This was truly a case of bad luck following me everywhere.

After hesitating for a long moment, I said to Liang Qian, "How about we get out and hail a cab? The car's out of gas."

Liang Qian didn't turn to look at me; instead, she calmly got out of the car.

I let out a breath of relief and jumped out as well.

We waited by the roadside for ten minutes, watching only a sparse scattering of private cars pass by; there were no taxis in sight.

That’s when I remembered: this was a remote little town; there wouldn't be any official taxis here. Even if there were, with it being so late and so few people on the street, they wouldn't be looking for fares.

"Let’s walk... it’s not that far, I’m sure," Liang Qian said from beside me.

I froze for a second and replied, "Maybe not. You’re injured..."

Before I could finish, Liang Qian was already starting to walk ahead.

I truly didn't know what to do with her, so I had no choice but to trot along behind her like a devoted puppy.

We walked side by side like that, neither of us speaking, the street lined with tightly shut businesses and dim, yellowish streetlights.

It was fine at first; Liang Qian walked quite briskly. Later on, however, I noticed her gait was becoming uneven, and her fists were clenched tightly.

I knew the wounds must be causing her a lot of pain, especially the injury on her leg.

As a man, shouldn't I step up now and offer to carry her on my back?

I wrestled with the thought, considering her personality—if I offered to carry her now, she would surely assume I was making a pass, which would earn me a sharp scolding.

As I was hesitating, Liang Qian, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned back to me, saying, "Squat down!"

I instantly felt an imposing, queenly aura radiating from her.

But as a real man, how could I let a woman order me around like that? So, I stammered, "Wh-what for?"

Liang Qian didn't waste words; she reached out to press down on my shoulders, urging me to crouch.

Feeling completely helpless against her insistence, I said, "No, don't push, I’ll squat down myself."

I tried to appear calm, but inside, my heart was racing like a startled fawn. She wants me to carry her on my back!

Sure enough, once I squatted down, Liang Qian leaped onto my back.

The moment I felt her slight warmth against me, my face instantly flushed crimson.

This was a different feeling from when I carried her while she was unconscious. Back then, it was a moment of crisis; I hadn't thought about anything else. But now, Liang Qian was awake, capable of thinking and speaking, and yet she was willing to let me carry her—that meant she wasn't resistant to me.

Her soft breaths drifted past my ear, making it hard for me to walk properly. I took stiff, measured steps forward.

It must be known that I, since childhood, had never even held a girl’s hand.

I walked incredibly slowly, my eyes fixed straight ahead, daring not to turn my head to look at Liang Qian.

Slowly, my heart rate stabilized, and the heat in my face subsided.

When we reached the crossroad at the end of the street, I started to feel that perhaps this was all meant to be; me carrying her seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

This was because neither of us had spoken.

Someone wise once said that silence is the best understanding between two people.

To be honest, I didn't want this journey to end so quickly, but the town was just too small. After turning that corner, we hadn't walked a hundred meters before I saw the small hospital next to the farmers' market.

The hospital was old, a standalone two-story building. Besides the ground-floor entrance, the inpatient rooms upstairs probably numbered less than twenty.

Luckily, no matter where you are, hospitals stay open late.

So, I carried Liang Qian into the ground-floor lobby.

The night nurse was dozing off. I gently tapped the reception desk, and she slowly woke up, registering our visit.

There were no specialties like internal medicine, surgery, or dentistry here; only one doctor was on duty for the night shift.

I carried Liang Qian into the emergency room. The doctor, wearing a white round cap, a lab coat, and sporting a neat little mustache, was listening to the radio.

Seeing us enter, he smiled courteously and said to me, "Oh dear, what happened to your girlfriend? Quickly set her down."

Hearing his thick Xinjiang accent, I was reminded of the guide, Old Ni, from before.

I smiled sheepishly and shook my head. "She’s not my girlfriend, just a regular friend. Earlier today, she accidentally fell down a flight of stairs, and someone had just broken a goldfish bowl on the steps, so she ended up covered in injuries. Could you disinfect and bandage her up? Also, please prescribe some blood-replenishing medicine and a tetanus shot."

As I finished speaking, Liang Qian glared at me with a look of venom.

Firstly, what I said was completely exaggerated and fabricated. Secondly, she had explicitly told me beforehand that she wouldn't take any medication, and now I was asking for prescriptions—she was clearly furious, her gaze threatening to kill me.

Internally, however, I was thrilled. Managing to trick her into coming here was an accomplishment in itself.

So, I smiled back at her cheerfully.

At that point, the doctor said, "How could she be so careless? Bring her down quickly, let me have a look."

I asked with feigned concern, "Is there no female doctor here, or perhaps the nurse could examine her? She’s covered in injuries all over; it might be inconvenient."

Hearing that, most male doctors would take offense, but this doctor was older and quite amiable. He chuckled and said, "Young man, rest assured. To a doctor, the human body is just the body. You should step outside now; since you’re just friends, it’s more appropriate for you to wait out there."

His words caught me off guard so badly I nearly spat blood. I had no choice but to slink out sheepishly.

I sat down on a bench outside the door. The doctor closed it, but I remained uneasy, occasionally sneaking glances at the door.

If Liang Qian had cried out for help, I would have burst in immediately.

Thankfully, only two minutes passed before the doctor poked his head out and called to the night nurse at the front desk, "Xiao Li, come in and help dress the patient, then take them to get the medicine."

Only then did I give the doctor a relieved smile.

The little-mustachioed doctor, however, ignored me.

Not long after the nurse named Xiao Li went in, Liang Qian was helped out, entirely wrapped in bandages.

Seeing her waiting for me stubbornly, I deliberately looked away, motioning for her to sit down first while I went to fetch the medicine.

After collecting the prescriptions, I helped Liang Qian out of the hospital.

This time, I picked her up onto my back quite naturally, heading back toward the dimly lit street.

After walking for quite a while, I finally asked her, "What did the doctor say? Did he find any damage to the tendons or bones?"

Liang Qian was silent for a moment before replying, "Nothing serious. He said they were just surface wounds, maybe a slight infection. With my recovery rate, three days should do it."

I quickly followed up, acting like a devoted lackey, "Yes, and if you take some of the medicine, you’ll heal even faster."

Liang Qian, still on my back, raised her voice: "Don't mention that to me again. Throw those pills away, or I swear I will find a way to force you to swallow every last one."

I was speechless for a moment, managing only an awkward chuckle.

We continued walking forward. After a good while, Liang Qian spoke again, "I honestly thought you were an idiot, but it turns out you can be quite caring."

I knew she was referring to the prescription medicine, so I just smiled without saying anything.

A little later, Liang Qian added, "I really don't understand. You and your grandfather are both surnamed Nie, the same blood runs in your veins, yet you are so different."

Hearing her mention my grandfather again sparked my curiosity, so I asked, "Right, since I got hurt last time, what exactly happened when you went down into the underground tunnels with Boss Wu and the others?"

Liang Qian didn't answer immediately, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, she said, "It’s a long story, but it doesn't really concern you much, so there’s no point in you knowing right now. I’ll tell you everything when I have free time later."

I knew she was tight-lipped, and pressing further wouldn't yield anything, so I dropped the subject.

Soon, we were back downstairs at the hotel on the second floor.

To avoid gossip, Liang Qian jumped off my back, and I supported her as we walked up the stairs.

However, when we reached our room door, I was stunned. Da Xiong was a man of his word—they were gone, and the door was locked tight.

Liang Qian looked equally dismayed and suggested I ask the landlord for the key.

But the landlord was someone I’d rather avoid entirely; I’d rather sleep in the hallway than deal with his scrutiny.

Bored and aimless, we both sat down on the corridor floor, illuminated only by a single dim yellow lightbulb overhead.

We sat in silence for a long time, both turning our heads away, lost in our own thoughts.

Time crept by, and I felt the atmosphere becoming slightly awkward. I was about to turn and ask her if she wanted anything to eat.

But I found that, somehow, she had turned and was staring directly at me.

When our eyes met, my heart gave a violent leap.

Then, we just stared at each other—one second, two seconds, one minute...

My heart hammered faster, and I struggled to swallow.

She kept looking at me fixedly, and her gaze slowly began to soften...