My Dongguan Love Story

When I caught a glimpse of that scenery out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly froze on the spot, my fingertips hovering in mid-air, completely at a loss.

Lin Guilian noticed my unease, a blush rising to her cheeks, and asked softly, "Dazhuang, why did you stop?"

Hearing the voice, my gaze involuntarily turned in that direction, my heart skipped a beat, pounding wildly as if it would burst from my chest. Lin Guilian, seeing my dazed expression, smiled faintly, the shyness in her eyes fading somewhat. She looked up at me, her voice soft and gentle: "Do you like it?"

"I like it, I like it!" I blurted out, only to suddenly realize what I'd said and my cheeks were burning. I quickly waved my hands and explained, "No... don't overthink it."

She saw through my embarrassment and said, feigning seriousness, "I didn't think much about it. Anyway, you can't go back on your word; you have to be my boyfriend."

She paused, then drew out her words, her eyes crinkling with a playful smile: "If you were my boyfriend, I would treat you well, cooking for you during the day and warming your bed at night."

I looked into her tender gaze, and my heart skipped a beat. Her words made my ears burn, and I hurriedly turned my head away, avoiding her eyes. Seeing my awkwardness, Lin Guilian covered her mouth and chuckled, gently lifting my chin with her index finger and turning my face back. She pouted slightly, looking charming:

"What are you hiding from? Hurry up and tidy up for me. I'm tired after sitting for so long."

As soon as the words were spoken, the ward fell silent. The slightly rapid heartbeats of the two were particularly distinct in the quiet space.

I suddenly remembered that she had just had surgery and her wound couldn't withstand any more stress, so I quickly gestured for her to take off her coat and hang it on the hanger next to her.

I snapped out of my daze and dared not let my mind wander. I brought her warm water, wrung out the towel until it was completely dry, and then carefully wiped the sweat from her neck, arms, back, and sides. I moved very gently, afraid that the slightest force would aggravate the wound on her abdomen.

Even though I was extremely careful, when I touched the area near the white bandage, her body stiffened slightly and her breathing became shallow. It took her a while to gradually relax.

"Are you alright? Just tell me if you hit me too hard," I asked in a low voice, my tone slightly reserved.

She replied softly, "It's okay, I'm just a little afraid of pain."

I nodded, trying to calm myself and continue. It was just routine care, but in this small ward, the two of us were so close, our breaths mingling, it was hard not to feel a bit disoriented.

A warm towel brushed against her skin, and her tense body gradually relaxed. She leaned back lazily in the chair and murmured softly, "Much more comfortable. I finally feel refreshed."

Seeing this, I picked up the basin, poured out the dirty water, filled it with warm water again, soaked a towel in the water, and said, "Gui Lian, you'll have to do the rest yourself."

After saying that, I got up and planned to walk to the door and close it. Seeing that I was deliberately avoiding the room and didn't even dare to open my eyes wide, Lin Guilian couldn't help but laugh and teased, "Dazhuang, I didn't expect you to be such a gentleman."

Her words left me so embarrassed that I didn't know how to respond. I just wanted to leave quickly, but she called out to me as soon as I took a step.

"Dazhuang, wait for me outside the door, don't go too far."

I was originally planning to go to the door for a smoke to calm myself down, but I paused when I heard her words. After thinking for a moment, I decided to stand at the door and wait for her. After all, she was still feeling quite unwell, and I needed to stay by her side so I could help if she needed anything or if anything happened.

As I was pondering this, the ringtone in my pocket abruptly broke the silence. I glanced at my phone and was so startled that my hand trembled, and I almost dropped it.

The caller ID was saved as Sister Zhao.

Receiving her call in the middle of the night was really unusual. She rarely calls me first. Could it be that she's already heard about what happened tonight?

Thinking about it this way, her premonition grew stronger. With such a big mess at Dingsheng Factory No. 2 tonight, even alarming the police, the factory must have reported the situation to her immediately.

A thought suddenly popped into my head: Could she be coming straight to the hospital?

I instinctively glanced at the closed bathroom door, my palms instantly breaking out in a cold sweat. If Sister Zhao really showed up, how would we control the current situation?

I was debating whether to answer the call when it suddenly dropped. Before I could even relax, the phone rang urgently again.

I took a deep breath and answered, "Hello, Sister Zhao."

Sister Zhao's voice was clearly urgent: "Dazhuang, why didn't you answer the phone just now?"

"My phone wasn't with me at the time," I casually replied.

Sister Zhao didn't press further, but changed the subject, her tone filled with concern: "Are you alright? The security guard on duty told me that you were patrolling the factory with your friend when you encountered a thief and were stabbed in the stomach. You're in the hospital now, and I don't know how you are."

Sister Zhao was very worried, and after hearing the news, she hurriedly dialed my number.

She was worried about my serious injuries, but also wary of the potential death toll that had occurred tonight. If that person really had an accident or suffered injuries at the Dingsheng factory, it would have a significant impact on the factory and on everyone involved.

I could hear the unease in her voice, so I quickly reassured her that I wasn't hurt.

She then pressed me for details about my friend's condition. I simply replied that he had come specifically to visit me, but an unexpected accident occurred, and he took the knife for me. Fortunately, the surgery has now been successfully completed.

I deliberately kept all the details vague, never mentioning my friend's gender or identity, only referring to him as a friend in general terms, and daring not to reveal any more information.

After hearing my explanation, Sister Zhao visibly breathed a sigh of relief, then her voice turned serious as she asked directly, "Dazhuang, which floor are you on? I'm already at the hospital entrance."

My heart skipped a beat, and I panicked instantly: "You...you're at the hospital entrance?"

I glanced at my phone screen instinctively; it was well past midnight. In the dead of night, she had actually come all this way in person. My heart tightened; I hadn't expected Sister Zhao to rush to the hospital in the middle of the night. What should I do now?

I was extremely reluctant to tell her the ward number, and even more reluctant to let her come upstairs, so I could only politely decline: "Mr. Zhao, it's the middle of the night, why bother making this special trip? My friend's surgery went smoothly, and his condition has stabilized. You should go back and rest early."

I tried to persuade her repeatedly, hoping she would turn back.

But Sister Zhao on the other end of the phone was adamant: "Your friend was injured at the factory, so I should come and visit him, both professionally and personally. Besides, I'm already downstairs. Tell me your room number."

Hearing the determination in her tone, I knew I couldn't stop her any longer, so I could only helplessly give her the ward number.

"Okay, I'm coming right up," Sister Zhao replied and hung up the phone.

My heart skipped a beat. Come up right away?

I abruptly turned my head and stared at the tightly closed bathroom door, my heart pounding with panic. Lin Guilian was still inside; she was probably almost done showering, and I would need to help her get dressed and tidied up in a bit.

If Sister Zhao were to walk in and witness me helping her to get dressed in such an intimate manner, everything would be impossible to explain. A man and a woman alone in a hospital room late at night—such intimate behavior, if seen, would only lead to utter embarrassment and endless trouble. I knocked on the door and asked, "Gui Lian, are you done?"

"Alright, come in." Lin Guilian's voice came from inside. I quickly stepped forward and pushed the door open. I saw that she was mostly dressed neatly, but there was a top on the shelf that was inconvenient for her to reach herself, so I quickly reached down and helped her put it on carefully.

After getting dressed, I reached out to help Lin Guilian out of the bathroom when the ward door opened. The moment our eyes met, we bumped right into Sister Zhao. Her gaze swept over the two of us, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry and scrutiny, and the air instantly froze.