After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

The jeep crunched over the compacted snow and came to a steady stop in front of the Gu family compound.

The car headlights pierced the night, illuminating the two heavy, vermilion-lacquered doors. Before Gu Zheng could even turn off the engine, the doors were pulled open from the inside.

Warm yellow light poured out, accompanied by a puff of white breath.

"We're back! We've finally arrived!"

Grandma Gu, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, walked faster than anyone else. Grandpa Gu followed behind, his hands behind his back, trying to appear deep-seated, but his outstretched neck betrayed him.

As soon as the car door opened, before Ye Zhen's foot even touched the ground, her hand was grasped by a pair of warm, withered hands.

"Oh, my darling." Grandma Gu looked Ye Zhen up and down by the light from the doorway, her eyes instantly reddening. "You've lost weight, your chin is so sharp. What kind of hellish place is Qingyun County? How could they turn people like this?"

Ye Zhen felt a warmth in her heart and reached out to support the old woman: "Grandma, I'm fine, just a little busy, but I'm in good spirits."

"What's so good about it? Look at these hands, they're ice cold!"

Grandma Gu tenderly rubbed Ye Zhen's hands while turning to glare at Gu Zheng, who had just gotten out of the car: "Gu Zheng! What kind of husband are you? You just let Zhenzhen freeze like this?"

Gu Zheng, carrying two large suitcases, looked helpless: "Grandma, the car's heater's on, how could it be cold?"

"Still talking back!" Grandma Gu glared at him. "Aren't you going to help her inside? If my granddaughter-in-law gets cold, you'll be held responsible!"

After entering the room, Gu Zheng put down his luggage and walked to Ye Zhen's side.

At this moment, he no longer resembled the "King of Hell" at all. He squatted down naturally, grabbed Ye Zhen's ankle without saying a word, and helped her take off her boots covered in snow and mud, and put on warm cotton slippers that had been baked in the sun.

The movements were practiced skillfully, as if they had been done hundreds or thousands of times.

Ye Zhen felt a little embarrassed and tried to pull her foot back: "I can do it myself..."

"Don't move." Gu Zheng looked up and rubbed her insteps a couple of times with his large hands. "It's gotten colder these past few days. Cold starts from the feet. Warm up before you go."

Old Master Gu watched from the side, his mustache twitching, and he snorted coldly, "Pathetic."

He said that, but his eyes were full of smiles.

As soon as you enter the room, a wave of heat hits you.

The table was already laden with dishes. The copper hot pot was bubbling away, steam rising from the burning charcoal fire. Next to it were several exquisite plates of Beijing-style delicacies, as well as Ye Zhen's favorite sweet and sour spare ribs and braised lion's head meatballs.

"sister in law!"

As soon as Ye Zhen appeared, a figure sprang up from the chair.

Gu Linlin was wearing a pink cashmere sweater. The spoiled young lady who used to always have her nose in the air and say "country bumpkin" was now shining with eyes as bright as two 100-watt light bulbs.

She rushed over and took Ye Zhen's arm, as affectionately as a sister: "Sister-in-law, you're finally back! You have no idea, the whole compound has been buzzing about it these past few days!"

"What are you spreading?" Ye Zhen was a little uncomfortable with her enthusiasm.

"They say you're a miracle doctor!" Gu Linlin's face flushed with excitement. "I heard you stunned all those arrogant experts at our General Hospital? Even the vice president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital drove a Hongqi to deliver equipment to you? Now all my childhood friends are trying to find ways to ask me if they can pull some strings to see you! Sister-in-law, you've really brought honor to the Gu family!"

"Eat, eat, why so much talk?" Grandma Gu put a large piece of pork rib into Ye Zhen's bowl. "Zhenzhen, for this trip to Germany, Grandma prepared a leather coat for you. It's lined with real lamb's wool to keep out the wind. It's cold there, and the food is raw and cold, so we have to take good care of ourselves."

"Thank you, Grandma."

Ye Zhen lowered her head and ate her rice, the dishes in her bowl piled up like a small mountain.

Gu Zheng sat next to her without saying a word, but silently peeled shrimp and deboned them for her, picking out the best meat for her plate.

At this moment, Ye Zhen was neither the "national hero" wielding a scalpel and fighting on the line between life and death, nor the "troublemaker" who dared to slam his fist on the table with bureaucrats for the sake of the people.

She is just Ye Zhen.

She was a pampered junior who was always afraid of the cold and hunger and was endlessly indulged by her family.

In her past life, she was all alone. Behind every success and every promotion lay an untold loneliness.

And now.

Here you'll find the warmth of everyday life, the sound of nagging, and people who would cherish you even if your feet were covered in mud.

Ye Zhen sniffed, using the steam to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes. She turned her head and glanced at Gu Zheng, who was engrossed in peeling shrimp beside her, before placing the largest lion's head meatball into his bowl.

Gu Zheng paused, turned to look at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, smiling like a child who had received candy.

……

As night deepened, the snow fell heavier and heavier.

In the bedroom on the second floor, the curtains were not fully drawn, letting in a sliver of light from the snowy night.

Ye Zhen had just finished showering, and her body still carried a faint fragrance. She stood by the window, gazing absently at the swirling snow outside.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind.

Gu Zheng's hot chest pressed against her back, his chin rested on the crook of her neck, and his warm breath sprayed against her ear, causing a slight tickle.

"What are you thinking about?" Gu Zheng asked in a low voice.

"I'm thinking about tomorrow's flight." Ye Zhen leaned back, finding a comfortable position to snuggle in his arms. "This mission is important; Dean Zhang has pinned all the hopes of the entire hospital on us. The Germans will definitely ask for an exorbitant price for that batch of interventional equipment."

"Afraid you won't be able to get it?"

"It's not fear," Ye Zhen shook her head, her eyes clear. "It's about thinking of tactics. Technology is our trump card, but negotiation is psychological warfare. Klaus, that old fox, looks like a gentleman, but he's actually very shrewd."

Gu Zheng chuckled softly, tightening his arms around her as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

"Honey, don't push things too hard."

He turned his head and kissed her soft earlobe. "We're going for a technical exchange, not to fight to the death. If we can talk, we will; if not..."

Gu Zheng paused, his tone revealing a familiar, reassuring thuggishness: "At worst, I'll take a few men and raid the warehouse in the middle of the night. Since you're a miracle doctor, I'll be a master thief and steal it back as a betrothal gift for you."

Ye Zhen chuckled, then turned and punched his hard pectoral muscles: "Nonsense. That's an international dispute. Are you trying to cause a diplomatic incident?"

"Alright, alright, civilized people don't resort to violence." Gu Zheng grabbed her fist, kissed it, and his eyes suddenly became deep and tender. "I just wanted to tell you that when you get there, no matter what difficulties you encounter, don't try to tough it out. Your man may not understand those foreign languages ​​and machines, but his fists are still strong and his shoulders are still broad."

"If it collapses, I'll hold it up."

After saying that, Gu Zheng picked Ye Zhen up and carried her to the bed.

"Dr. Ye, tell me another bedtime story."

Outside the window, it was freezing cold, but inside, it was warm and cozy.