After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

I give up, it's been revised five or six times...

The review process keeps getting stuck.

Just take a look, I'll fill in the rest when I have some free time in a few days.

What stamps are still owed? If you guys remember, please QQ me!

---

The night felt endless.

The bamboo recliner creaked for an unknown amount of time, until finally, it seemed to give way under the strain and let out a mournful cry as if it were about to break.

Lin Qingqing felt as if she had died once and been reborn.

Her voice was hoarse, her eyes were swollen from crying, and her vision was so blurred that even the moon in the sky appeared as multiple double images. The shame made her wish she could faint immediately.

Looking at the little woman in his arms, who was completely broken, Gu Qiangying's madness gradually faded, replaced by a languid look of satisfaction.

He slowly and methodically wiped her disheveled body.

His movements were gentle and delicate, as if the beast who had just tormented her to death wasn't him at all.

"Okay, stop crying." He kissed her swollen eyelids, picked her up, and carried her to wash up.

Gu Qiangying filled a basin with warm water, dampened a towel, and carefully wiped her body, from head to toe, leaving no part untouched.

When the brush touched the area behind her, Lin Qingqing flinched, trying to dodge.

"Don't move, you need to apply medicine." Gu Qiangying held her down, took out a tube of ointment from the bedside table, squeezed a little onto her fingertip, and gently applied it to the wound.

Lin Qingqing looked at the man's lowered eyes. He put his gold-rimmed glasses back on, reverting to his former image of a refined scoundrel.

"Third Brother..." she called out weakly.

Gu Qiangying looked up and pulled the blanket up for her. "Go to sleep. You don't have to get up early to study tomorrow, so you can sleep in."

Lin Qingqing couldn't stay awake any longer, and her eyelids drooped as she fell asleep.

In my dream, all I see is that swaying bamboo recliner and Gu Qiangying's eyes, which seem capable of swallowing you whole.

Lin Qingqing didn't wake up until late the next day.

The room was quiet; Gu Qiangying was not there.

There was a glass of warm water and a note on the bedside table.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, revealing a sharp edge:

"There's porridge in the pot, heat it up before you eat. I'm going on a house call, I'll be back at noon. Don't wander off."

Lin Qingqing held the note, thinking about what had happened the night before.

Although it was outrageous, it was also incredibly exciting; she never knew it could be done like this.

She slowly got up, washed up, and went to the kitchen.

A clay pot on the stove was keeping lean meat porridge warm, and two peeled hard-boiled eggs were placed next to it.

Lin Qingqing took a sip of porridge, and the warmth flowed down her throat into her stomach.

This was her first day in town.

Although she was exhausted, she didn't rest after dinner. Even though Gu Qiangying told her to rest, she couldn't stay still.

She found a rag and carefully wiped the entire wall of medicine cabinets. As she wiped, she silently read the names of the medicines on the labels.

"Angelica sinensis, nourishes blood and promotes blood circulation..."

"Astragalus, replenishes qi and strengthens the exterior..."

Just as he was engrossed in reciting, the clinic door was pushed open.

A woman wearing a floral shirt and sporting large, wavy hair walked in. She looked to be in her thirties, with thick makeup on her face and bright red lips. She brought with her a pungent perfume scent as soon as she entered.

"Oh, so this is Dr. Gu's newly recruited nurse?" The woman looked Lin Qingqing up and down, her eyes filled with a hint of criticism and disdain.

Lin Qingqing put down the rag and wiped her hands somewhat awkwardly. "Big sister, are you here to see a doctor or to get medicine? Doctor Gu has gone on a house call and will be back in a little while."

"I'm not here for a doctor, I'm here to see Gu Qiangying." The woman pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing her legs and swaying her high heels. "I'm the owner of the tailor shop on the front street, just call me Sister Hong. I heard that Dr. Gu brought a pretty girl back, so I came to see her."

Lin Qingqing's heart skipped a beat. The woman's gaze made her very uncomfortable, as if she were looking at some worthless object.

"Hello, Sister Hong." Lin Qingqing greeted her politely and turned to pour water.

"Stop bothering."

Sister Hong waved her hand, her gaze falling on Lin Qingqing's face, which, though bare-faced, was still radiant and beautiful, and a pang of sadness welled up in her heart:

"Girl, listen to my advice. Gu Qiangying is arrogant and conceited. So many young women and wives are throwing themselves at her, but she doesn't even give them a second glance. Don't think that just because you moved in, you can become the landlady."

Lin Qingqing's water glass wobbled, and a few drops of water splashed out.

She turned around and straightened her back. Although she was a little flustered inside, she didn't show any fear on her face.

"Sister Hong, you've misunderstood. I'm Dr. Gu's cousin, here to learn from him."

"Cousin?" Sister Hong chuckled, her eyes sweeping suggestively over the red mark on the girl's neck. "These days, cousins ​​are the easiest to get into trouble. Girl, you'd better be careful."

Lin Qingqing's face flushed, and she instinctively covered her neck.

Just then, a cold voice came from the doorway.

"When did it become anyone else's business to meddle in my affairs?"

Gu Qiangying stood at the door with her medicine box on her back, her expression obscured by the light.

Hongjie's smile froze, and she quickly stood up. "Oh, Dr. Gu is back. I just thought my daughter was new here and worried she might not be used to it, so I came over to chat."

Gu Qiangying walked into the room, didn't even glance at Sister Hong, went straight to Lin Qingqing's side, took the water glass from her hand, and took a sip.

That was the cup Lin Qingqing had just drunk from.

"Are you done talking?" Gu Qiangying put down her cup and looked coldly at Sister Hong. "If you're done, please leave. This is a clinic, not a teahouse."

Sister Hong's face flushed red and then turned pale. She gave an awkward laugh and said, "Okay, then I won't bother you any longer. I'll come again another day."

After saying that, she picked up her bag and swayed away.