Chapter 27: Changing the Dressing, Ambiguity

Jiang Songwen and He Xiulan looked at Jiang Jingming simultaneously, their expressions laced with surprise. "What?"

Jiang Jingming replied, "Uncle, Aunt, you saw for yourselves how casually Sang Yu was dressed at our wedding. Furthermore, I wasn't initially in favor of this marriage, so even though I agreed to marry her, I didn't truly put my heart into it. But the moment I realized it was her I had married, I felt a sense of regret. I felt that wedding was not grand enough. In the final moments before I lost consciousness, my only wish was to be able to give her a much grander wedding."

Thinking of this, Jiang Jingming felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. "Sang Yu and I haven't even officially registered our marriage yet, so I want to give her a magnificent ceremony first, and then we will go to register."

As Jiang Songwen and He Xiulan listened, they recalled the scene from that day. Indeed, the bridal clothes Sang Yu had worn were undeniably plain—even more so than those of previous years.

He Xiulan exchanged a glance with Jiang Songwen before saying, "It is wonderful that you have this intention; Sang Yu was indeed wronged back then. Let us handle the arrangements."

Jiang Jingming shook his head. "No, Aunt, I would like to do it myself."

He Xiulan did not insist, feeling a sense of relief instead, as this signaled how much he valued Sang Yu. "Very well, I won't interfere then. Do let us know if you need any help."

"Thank you, Aunt," Jiang Jingming said.

After Jiang Songwen and He Xiulan departed, Jiang Jingming’s gaze fell upon Sang Yu’s drawings. "Is this the manga you were drawing?" Sang Yu had mentioned it to him before.

Sang Yu looked up, noticed him eyeing her manuscript, and said, "Yes, would you like to see it? You get exclusive advance access, you know." She playfully waved the pages in her hand.

Jiang Jingming’s lips curved into a smile. "I would." He liked the sound of "exclusive advance access."

Sang Yu smiled and handed the manuscript to him. Jiang Jingming was genuinely struck by her artistic talent. "This is very well done."

Caught off guard by his praise, Sang Yu felt a bit shy. "It’s not too bad, I suppose."

"It is truly excellent. The lines are fluid, and the characters you’ve drawn are incredibly charming and captivating. I am certain many people will love this work."

Sang Yu was slightly taken aback; she had only been modest, but she hadn't expected Jiang Jingming to praise her so earnestly. She smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied.

***

Just as Jiang Jingming had said, Sang Yu’s manga was indeed very popular. When she had delivered the manuscript to Liu Shumin a few days ago, Liu had already told her as much. She had mentioned that the reaction to the first chapter was fantastic, and people were already writing to the newspaper office, urging them to release the next chapter immediately. Liu Shumin had been incredibly excited that day.

However, all of this was within Sang Yu's expectations, as this animation would go on to be widely beloved.

Just then, a nurse walked in with medicine. "Time to change the dressing," she said, a hint of shyness on her face. This was an opportunity she had earned by successfully beating out five other nurses. She had heard that the man in this ward was exceptionally handsome and had a great physique. Today, she finally saw for herself. Looking at the man on the bed, even though his face was a bit pale, it did nothing to hide his striking features.

The nurse’s hand trembled as she held the medicine, her excitement causing her to subconsciously ignore Sang Yu’s presence.

Jiang Jingming’s expression stiffened for a moment. Seeing that the man wasn't moving, the nurse continued in a soft voice, "Comrade, it's time to change the dressing."

Jiang Jingming pressed his thin lips together, looking like a virtuous young man about to be forced into something against his will. He turned his head and cast a glance toward Sang Yu. For some reason, she caught a glimmer of helplessness and a plea for help in his eyes.

The nurse looked at the man in confusion, followed his gaze, and saw Sang Yu. She was startled. "Why is there a woman here?"

Seeing this, Sang Yu spoke up, "I’ll change it for him."

The nurse asked instinctively, "Who are you?"

Jiang Jingming frowned, his tone cold. "She is my wife!"

This was the second time Sang Yu had heard him say that, and the feeling was different from the last time. The nurse was stunned and, feeling a bit intimidated, quickly said, "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just worried this comrade wouldn't know how to do it."

Sang Yu could tell the nurse didn't have any ill intentions; she was likely just a girl admiring a handsome man. After all, everyone likes to look at handsome people. "It's fine, I've watched the doctor do it before. I know how."

Seeing that Sang Yu wasn't angry, the nurse breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly just come to see a handsome face and had no ulterior motives. "Right, right, then, I'll leave it to you. I... I'll be going now."

***

The nurse set down the medicine and hurried away. Seeing Jiang Jingming still frowning, Sang Yu laughed. "She was just asking, why were you so fierce?"

"I'm sorry," Jiang Jingming replied.

Sang Yu was slightly surprised; she could hear a deep sense of grievance in his voice. The man lowered his head slightly, his eyelashes veiling his eyes, making him look somewhat like a dejected, oversized dog.

"It’s alright, it's not that you did anything wrong, just try to be a bit gentler next time, don't be so stern."

Hearing the soothing tone in Sang Yu’s voice, Jiang Jingming’s mood improved significantly. "Alright."

"Let me change your dressing," Sang Yu said.

The tips of Jiang Jingming’s ears turned slightly red. "Hmm."

When it came time to change the dressing, Sang Yu finally understood why she had sensed his shyness earlier. To change the bandage, she had to unwrap the gauze, revealing his entire upper torso. It was the first time Sang Yu had been in such close contact with a man’s bare chest. She felt her face heating up, unsure if it was from the warmth of the room or her own bashfulness.

She carefully unwrapped the bandages, her cool fingers inevitably brushing against his skin. The man’s body tensed instantly.

"Did I hurt you?" Sang Yu looked up, her wide, watery eyes fixed on him.

The red lips before him parted slightly, appearing like a silent invitation. If he were to lean down, he could touch those petal-like, delicate lips. But he couldn't do that; it would be impolite and would surely frighten her.

Jiang Jingming’s expression became somewhat unnatural, and he stiffly averted his gaze. "No."

Sang Yu felt he was acting strangely, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She moved even more cautiously, afraid of causing him pain, but this only made it more agonizing for him. Because her movements were so slow, he could feel every breath she took against his chest. Her hands glided over his body, inch by inch, like a small kitten exploring its own territory.

He felt quite fortunate that the lower half of his body was covered by a quilt.

Otherwise...