After Shi Yi stepped out, he greeted everyone with a beaming smile.
His cheerful mood was so infectious that even Shi Xiaohu couldn’t help but bounce over eagerly. "Boss, what’s the good news?"
To his surprise, Shi Yi immediately shooed him away. "Scram. Don’t go poking your nose into grown-up business."
*His young master is extraordinary, but the fewer people who know, the better. Envy and malice lurk everywhere—what if someone tries to harm him?* Protecting the young master was now his sacred duty!
Shi Xiaohu scratched his head, utterly bewildered. *Wasn’t the boss always eager to share good news before?*
Shi Yi: *Do I look like I don’t want to talk? I’m bursting here! Keeping secrets is torture!*
---
Dr. Yu Zheng arrived to remove Lan Qianqian’s surgical stitches. Initially, he’d estimated a few more days before removal, but...
*The boss’s woman is... exceptional.*
Most patients needed at least ten days to two weeks before stitches could come out. His gaze drifted to Lan Qianqian’s legs. *At this rate, she might even be able to walk soon. Should I test it?*
...No. One wrong glance, and the CEO’s glare alone could flay him alive. *Experiment on anyone but Miss Lan—unless you’ve got a death wish.*
Besides, "a hundred days to heal broken bones." Even if her injuries weren’t critical, recovery shouldn’t be *this* fast.
Yet Miss Lan’s constitution defied all medical logic. In his decades of practice, he’d never encountered such an anomaly. Recalling Dr. Mu’s warning stare before leaving...
*Best not to pry. This is beyond a doctor’s pay grade. Forget everything the moment you step out—or your life expectancy drops to zero.*
---
"If you space out again, those hands stay here permanently."
Xuan Mohan’s icy tone sliced through the room, his gaze sharp enough to flay skin.
Dr. Yu’s hand trembled. The CEO’s aura had just plunged to subarctic levels. *My poor heart can’t take this!*
Time crawled. To Yu Zheng, each passing minute felt like an eternity. He wiped sweat from his brow repeatedly, screaming internally: *Dr. Mu, hurry back!*
One slightly rough move, one accidental brush against the wrong area, and he’d be gasping for air—worse off than the patient herself!
When Dr. Mu had returned briefly days earlier, he’d secretly rejoiced. *Little did I know he’d vanish before lunch!* Now he was left tiptoeing through a minefield.
---
"Miss Lan, I’ll now remove all your tubes. Temporary shortness of breath and coughing are normal. But if breathing becomes impossible, call for help immediately."
Her thoracic and abdominal injuries had been catastrophic. Most families would’ve given up—treatment costs were exorbitant, and survival meant prolonged suffering.
But these days had hammered home Miss Lan’s importance to the CEO. She was coddled more meticulously than any child he’d ever seen.
Every medication, every meal—even the *water* was airlifted in! Custom nutritional regimens, allegedly designed by Dr. Mu himself. The costs? *My life savings wouldn’t cover a fraction.*
*Miss Lan is the true untouchable here. The CEO ranks second.*
---
When the tubes came out, Lan Qianqian didn’t cough—but her breathing seized. Clutching her chest, she turned crimson with strain.
Xuan Mohan roared instantly, "*Check her now!*"
Dr. Yu sighed inwardly. *This is standard, CEO. If you can’t bear to see her uncomfortable, how will she recover?* His future promised endless tightrope walks.
Still, he swiftly fitted her with an oxygen mask. Within minutes, her color normalized—yet she pushed it away.
Xuan Mohan’s heart ached. "Keep it on if you’re struggling, hm?"
*Wrong approach, CEO. Prolonged oxygen dependence hinders recovery.* But voicing that to a man this overprotective? *Suicide.*
Lan Qianqian’s lips curled mischievously. "I’d rather... have *you* pamper me. Don’t you agree?"
Xuan Mohan fell silent. He could stay by her side forever—but couldn’t shoulder her pain.
Unfazed by his quiet, she added airily, "Now that... the stitches are out... I want... a proper bath. Your assistance, *Mr. Xuan*?"
*Is this pillow talk I’m hearing? Will the CEO silence me permanently?*
"Ahem... Bathing is permissible, Miss Lan. But brief sessions only. Warm—not hot—water. No chills. Avoid straining the wounds."
*Miraculously, the CEO isn’t cutting me off!* One final warning teetered on his tongue—but surely the CEO wasn’t *that* lust-driven?
Lan Qianqian chuckled. "You heard him, *Mr. Xuan*?"
"Mn." Xuan Mohan committed every word to memory.
*The CEO, docile as a lamb around her. How does she do it?*
Realizing his third-wheel status, Dr. Yu fled. "Call if she feels unwell, CEO!"
---
"*Mr. Xuan*... Do you expect... this invalid... to bathe herself? The doctor said—"
Lan Qianqian smirked as Xuan Mohan approached—then stalled at the bedside.
His hesitation stemmed from pure terror. *What if I hurt her?* In his eyes, she might shatter like porcelain at the slightest mishap.
"Perhaps... wait a few more days?"
Her expression darkened instantly. "Slacking already? If *Mr. Xuan* finds nursing me too burdensome—"
Before she finished, he’d carefully peeled off her hospital gown.
The sight stole his breath. His gaze darkened, throat bobbing—until the mottled bruises covering her skin doused all desire.
Wrapping her in a plush towel, he carried her to the bathroom, adjusted the water temperature, and settled her in.
*At least I’ve bathed the kids before.* After a brief pause, he rolled up his sleeves. "Tell me if anything hurts."
His clinical focus irked her. *Is he no longer attracted to me? Or just sick of caretaking?*
Thus began her merciless demands:
"My shoulders ache. *Mr. Xuan*, massage them. Lighter... *Too* light—show some consideration!"
"I want an apple. Peel it for me."
"Now I’m thirsty—"
Xuan Mohan fulfilled every request without complaint. And truthfully? *Bathing her is... enjoyable.*
Initially diligent, his attention soon strayed.
He was, after all, a healthy man. The water amplified her luminous skin, smooth as satin under his fingers. Memories of *that night* resurfaced...
*Burning up...*
If this continued, restraint would crumble.
"The doctor said..." His voice roughened. "You can’t bathe for too long."