First, then, love.

The door closed.

Shu Yao pressed He Zheng down onto the sofa, then turned to get the first-aid kit. The doctor's prescription for bruises and sprains, along with ointments to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, filled the coffee table.

"Take off your clothes." Shu Yao said coldly, her eyes devoid of emotion.

He Zheng didn't dare to talk back as usual. He obediently used his right hand to pull up the hem of his black short-sleeved shirt. His left shoulder hurt so much that he couldn't use his strength, and the shirt got stuck around his neck.

Shu Yao sighed, walked over and helped him take off his clothes and throw them aside.

The purplish-black swelling looked even more frightening than when it was in the hospital; it was swollen to a great height.

She picked up the spray and sprayed it on the wound a few times, the pungent smell of medicine instantly filling the air.

The medicine was icy cold, and He Zheng's muscles involuntarily tensed up.

Shu Yao squeezed the ointment into her palm, rubbed it to warm it, and then pressed it onto the bump and rubbed it vigorously.

"If it hurts, just yell out, don't hold it in." She bit her lower lip, but didn't lessen the pressure in her hands. "The doctor said this medicine has to be massaged in, otherwise the bruising won't go away."

"It doesn't hurt." He Zheng looked at her downcast eyes, with most of her body weight leaning against the back of the sofa, letting her do as she pleased.

After massaging for a full twenty minutes, Shu Yao's wrists were sore.

She washed her hands and came back to look at He Zheng's left arm, which was in a sling.

"Dr. Chen said that your hand will be basically useless for the next two months. I can't control what you drink or eat, but you're not allowed to do any heavy work."

He Zheng scoffed, not taking it seriously: "Do you really think I'm crippled? I can still change magazines with my right hand."

Shu Yao glared at him: "Change your head my foot! You can't even lift a cat now."

As they were talking, the princess walked gracefully across the balcony, followed by four stumbling kittens, with the God of War trailing behind like a bodyguard. He Zheng looked at the little creatures crawling all over the place and rubbed his temples in exasperation.

The phone on the coffee table suddenly vibrated, and the screen lit up with a string of unsigned numbers, the last two digits of which were a special sequence of numbers.

He Zheng glanced at it, his gaze pausing slightly.

Shu Yao was wiping the table with a tissue when she casually asked, "Aren't you going to answer your phone?"

He Zheng didn't try to hide it; he picked up the phone with his right hand, pressed the answer button, and then turned on speakerphone.

"Feed." His voice was deep, with its usual coldness.

A crisp, clear female voice came from the other end of the phone, without any hesitation.

"Old He, I'm back in China."

The voice was crisp and clear, revealing the competence honed in the military.

He Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned back on the sofa.

"Lin Wei." He called out the other person's name in a flat tone.

Shu Yao stopped wiping the table, and her ears involuntarily perked up.

Lin Wei, a woman, calls him Lao He, a name that sounds very familiar.

"It's me. I just landed in Jiangcheng yesterday." Lin smiled on the other end of the phone, her voice carrying a hint of sassiness. "After three years of wandering abroad, the air in China still smells so good."

"Get to the point." He Zheng skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

Lin Wei didn't mind his bad temper: "If there's really something, I brought back a special fund this time, specifically for the rehabilitation and resettlement project for retired and disabled police officers and veterans. It's been approved and will be implemented in Jiangcheng."

Her tone became serious.

"You're the captain of the SWAT team. There are quite a few disabled veterans in your unit. The bureau has instructed me to meet directly with you regarding the project's list of personnel and resource allocation. Officially, we're working together to advance this project."

He Zheng glanced at his swollen left shoulder, and the image of Old Chen delivering takeout with his cane flashed through his mind.

"Send the information to the internal network, and I'll have Lao Li handle the coordination." He refused without hesitation.

"Old Li can't handle this. This funding includes several batches of the latest tactical rehabilitation exoskeletons from abroad. Only you know best how to allocate the data and combat parameters. That's the important thing."

Lin Wei paused for a moment, then softened her tone.

"Even setting aside official business, we were classmates for four years at military academy, and we were even partners in exercises back then. Now that I'm back in China, you won't even give me the courtesy of treating you to a meal?"

He Zheng subconsciously glanced at Shu Yao, who was standing next to the coffee table.

"My hand is broken, I can't go," he offered a dry excuse.

He didn't want to get into trouble by going out to dinner with another woman in front of his wife, regardless of whether she was a classmate or not.

Shu Yao threw the tissue in her hand into the trash can; she understood.

Lin Wei is here to deliver money and equipment for veterans like Lao Chen who were injured and forced to retire. This is a great thing.

She walked over and gently nudged He Zheng's calf with her toe.

He Zheng looked up at her.

Shu Yao mouthed silently, "Go, it's important."

He Zheng frowned as he looked at her.

Shu Yao rolled her eyes at him.

Is this man all muscle and no brain? They've already made it clear that the facilities for resettling retired veterans can't just be moved around like that.

He Zheng understood what she meant and spoke into the phone, his tone stiff.

"Send me the address at 7 PM, I'll bring my wife."

On the other end of the phone, Lin Wei seemed to pause for half a second before quickly returning to normal.

"Okay, it would be even better if my sister-in-law could come. See you tonight."

After hanging up the phone, Shu Yao turned around and went to the dressing room to pick out clothes. He Zheng followed behind her, leaning against the door frame and watching her pick through rows of haute couture dresses.

"Actually, there's no need to go. We can just leave this project to the deputy director and the others to deal with," he said in a low voice.

Shu Yao took out a neatly tailored black silk shirt and a pair of slim-fitting high-waisted trousers, turned around and held the shirt up in front of her: "Come on, I ran into your old squad leader at the hospital just now, and your eyes were practically red."

She paused.

"My classmate is coming back from abroad, it's just a meal, why should I fuss over it? This money is for those veterans, we have to get it."