Big Eater
Su Su handed out the steamed buns, giving one to each of the men, then opened the lunch boxes and said, “I’m not sure if it’s enough. If it’s not, I’ll go get more.”
Both men nodded and began eating. However, Su Su, who had only eaten half of her steamed bun, quickly realized a problem: they were already onto their second buns and didn’t look remotely full. Glancing at the buns, which were as big as her palm, she was once again amazed at how much men could eat.
She quickly tossed her remaining bun onto Lin Donghe’s lunchbox lid and smiled, “I can’t finish it anyway.” It was true—half a bun and a bit of vegetables were enough for her. She then broke off half of another bun for Lin Chuan.
Lin Chuan frowned and asked, “Why are you eating so little?”
“I don’t want to gain weight. It doesn’t look good,” she replied cheekily.
“That’s nonsense. Health is more important,” Lin Chuan said, attempting to return the half bun to her.
But Su Su, with a slightly stern expression, retorted, “Don’t give it back. If I eat more, I won’t have room for any fruit later. I want to eat fruit.” Her tone carried a hint of playful poutiness, as if she were about to get upset.
Lin Chuan sighed and relented, touched by her thoughtfulness despite her teasing. He quickly finished the half bun and wiped his mouth before saying, “Alright, make sure you eat enough fruit later. If it’s not enough, I’ll ask Chang Yuejin to get more.”
“Good. I love fruit the most,” Su Su replied, though she was already full and doubted she could eat more than one piece. Seeing Lin Chuan’s slightly red eyes filled with gratitude, she felt a little guilty, as if she had done something overly dramatic. To avoid lingering on it, she took the lunchboxes to wash and chatted briefly with other family members she met there.
Back in the ward, Lin Donghe remarked, “Su Su may be young, but she truly understands and supports you.”
Lin Chuan nodded and said, “I didn’t want to bring this up, but since you came all this way, let me just say it. That Qin Yueyue isn’t a good match for you. Her heart isn’t in the village.”
“I don’t think anyone wants to stay in the mountains forever. If they have the opportunity to leave, they should take it. She didn’t do anything wrong,” Lin Donghe replied.
“In that case, let’s pretend I didn’t say anything,” Lin Chuan said, ending the conversation. He knew his younger brother was an idealist, always dreaming of escaping village life, though he hadn’t found a way out yet. It was no wonder he sympathized with someone like Qin Yueyue, who shared similar aspirations.
With their disagreement hanging in the air, neither spoke further. When Su Su returned, she immediately noticed the tension between them. Smiling, she suggested, “Why don’t you take a walk outside, Lin Donghe? The city is lively, and Lin Chuan doesn’t need much care right now.”
“Alright,” Lin Donghe said, grateful for the graceful way Su Su diffused the situation. Though Lin Chuan wasn’t much older than him, discussing such matters always made him feel guilty. After all, his clandestine affection for Qin Yueyue, even though nothing had happened between them, still felt like a betrayal.
Once Lin Donghe left, Su Su turned to Lin Chuan and whispered, “What did you say to him? He looked a little upset.”
“Nothing much. Here, eat some fruit. I’ve already peeled it for you,” Lin Chuan replied, handing her an apple he had carefully peeled.
Su Su took the apple, divided it in half with a knife, and said, “Let’s share it.”
Lin Chuan hesitated. A grown man sitting in bed eating an apple with his wife? He felt a bit embarrassed. But when Su Su held a piece up to his mouth, he had no choice but to eat with her.
To his surprise, the apple was sweet—just like the moment they were sharing.
Halfway through, a nurse called Su Su out to sign a form. When she returned, she noticed her remaining apple half had been eaten by Lin Chuan, who had peeled and sliced a new one into small, seedless pieces for her.
This level of attentiveness from a large, stoic man like Lin Chuan surprised her. She had always thought of him as rough around the edges, but he was unexpectedly meticulous.
Su Su sat down next to him, nibbling on a slice while feeding him another. “Should I help you walk a little?” she asked.
“No, I don’t want to walk.”
“I just saw you moving your foot. The doctor said you could take a few steps,” she pressed.
Reluctantly, Lin Chuan let her help him stand. Though hesitant about burdening her, he found himself enjoying the excuse to lean on her. As they walked, an unspoken tension grew between them—an inexplicable warmth that made their faces flush.
Why did even a simple walk feel so intimate?
By the time Lin Chuan was back in bed, Su Su’s heart was pounding so fast she could barely stand it. Fanning her face, she stammered, “I-I’m going to wash my face.” That man was definitely up to something! His hand had lingered too long, and she couldn’t shake the sensation of his subtle but unmistakable flirtation.
Young couples, it seemed, couldn’t help but get carried away when together. Thankfully, Lin Donghe soon returned, breaking the spell.
Later that evening, Lin Chuan urged Su Su to head back to rest. Instead, she took the opportunity to negotiate the bulk purchase of shoes. Though it was challenging to haggle, the vendor eventually agreed to sell her the entire stock at 1.2 yuan per pair. Overjoyed, Su Su carried the shoes back to the guesthouse in multiple trips.
Though exhausted, she was thrilled about the prospect of helping the villagers save money. After soaking her sore feet in hot water, she was ready to go again by morning.
However, when she arrived at the hospital, she learned that Lin Chuan was insisting on being discharged. Walking into the ward, she found him pacing with the help of a cane.
Chang Yuejin frowned and said, “Lin Chuan, even though you can walk, traveling by car could worsen your injury. Headquarters doesn’t approve of your discharge yet.”
“If I can walk, why stay in bed? It’s a waste of resources,” Lin Chuan argued, clearly irritated. He wasn’t happy about Su Su and Lin Donghe spending unnecessary time in the city just for his sake.
“That car ride is going to be long and bumpy. Your injury is too close to your… you know, *that area.* It could get worse,” Chang Yuejin started to explain but faltered when he noticed Su Su entering the room.
Su Su ignored the awkwardness and glared at Lin Chuan. “You just got out of bed yesterday, and now you think you can fly?” she scolded. While she didn’t particularly enjoy staying in a hospital, she couldn’t allow him to risk worsening his injury by insisting on a premature discharge.
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