NOVEL NEXT Sui Yan licked her lips, looking slightly unsatisfied. She glanced at Qi Linhan: "Then you don't need to drink all of those."
Qi Linhan moved all the alcohol to his side: "Don't even think about it."
Sui Yan pouted, leisurely sipping her drink with half-closed eyes.
Qi Linhan mimicked her, drinking slowly: "Yan, is there anything else you like?"
Sui Yan's gaze was momentarily blank: "Nothing in particular."
Qi Linhan ruffled her hair and suddenly said, "Let me take you to see Bai Heng and the others tomorrow."
Before Sui Yan could refuse, he continued, "The Bai family won't be here forever."
Sui Yan hesitated, but her resolve solidified: "Okay."
She said softly, "I'll just take a quick look, then leave."
Qi Linhan patted her shoulder and poured her another drink.
Qi Linhan had intended to take Sui Yan to see Bai Heng and the others early, so he was well-prepared.
Sui Yan sat in the passenger seat, watching Qi Linhan drive: "Does Bai Heng and the others not know we're going back?"
Qi Linhan kept his eyes on the road: "Yeah, I mentioned it to them before, but they didn't want me to take you to see them."
Sui Yan was a little dazed: "How did they know I'm staying with you?"
Qi Linhan gave Sui Yan a helpless glance: "The Bai family told him. But after I talked to him, he said it's up to you since you're staying with me, and he feels better about that. Plus, since his mission isn't complete yet, he can't go out and play with you anyway."
Sui Yan found it hard to believe: "They were so badly hurt! Why would they continue that mission? Don't they know how dangerous it is?"
Qi Linhan remained unfazed: "You should know how capable they are. If they can't complete this mission, no one else can."
Sui Yan's eyes darkened for a moment: "I'm a selfish person; I'd rather they just stay safe."
Qi Linhan reached over and patted the back of Sui Yan's head: "Don't overthink it; they know what they're doing."
Sui Yan fell silent for a long while until they neared the military general hospital, when Qi Linhan heard her softly acknowledge, "Mm."
For people like Bai Heng and the military doctor, there were soldiers guarding outside their hospital rooms.
Sui Yan looked at Qi Linhan, whispering, "Can we go in?"
Qi Linhan smiled: "Without Bai Heng's permission, I can't get in...but you're here now."
Sui Yan was confused: "Huh?"
Qi Linhan couldn't help but smirk: "Do you not know how powerful you are?" Sui Yan was even more confused: "Powerful? I was just doing an experiment in the lab."
If Qi Linhan didn't have some prior understanding of Sui Yan, he might have thought she was feigning modesty.
He tapped her forehead helplessly: "Such a silly child...you can just show your face to get in."
Sui Yan vaguely understood and followed Qi Linhan forward while still bewildered.
The soldier guarding the door eyed them suspiciously at first, then seemed to recognize them and saluted: "Are you Miss Sui Yan? Are you here to see Commander Bai?"
Sui Yan was a little nervous, but she knew it couldn't have been Bai Heng who forewarned these soldiers, so her expression turned serious: "Yes, I'm here to see how Commander Bai is recovering from his injuries and if my medicine has had any effect."
Upon hearing this, the soldier's eyes reddened. He saluted again: "Miss Sui Yan, it's thanks to your medicine! Otherwise..."
Sui Yan didn't want to hear the rest and cut him off: "It's okay, please let me see them first."
The soldier quickly stepped aside: "Yes, ma'am."
Qi Linhan had been silently following behind Sui Yan and couldn't help but want to laugh at her unexpected acting skills.
As soon as Sui Yan entered the room, she saw Bai Heng sleeping in standard position on his bed, and the military doctor on the adjacent bed.
The doctor wasn't sleeping and furrowed his brow when he heard the noise at the door. But upon seeing who it was, he was almost startled: "Yan, what are you doing here?"
His voice was loud enough to make Bai Heng's brow furrow before he opened his eyes.
"Yan?" He propped himself up, utterly shocked to see her at the door.
Sui Yan thought she could hold it in, but the moment she saw them, she couldn't help but rush to Bai Heng's bedside, crying with a muffled voice.
"You two! Not telling me anything..."
Bai Heng was dumbfounded for a while before the military doctor finally scrambled out of bed and rushed over, flustered as he tried to comfort her: "Don't cry, Yan, don't cry. We're sorry, okay?"
Bai Heng also snapped out of it and patted Sui Yan's back clumsily: "Don't cry, Yan, don't cry."
But Sui Yan couldn't hold back her tears, softly reprimanding the two men as she cried.
Bai Heng couldn't make out what the silly girl was mumbling through her sobs. As he gently wiped her tears, he asked, "Yan, did Qi Linhan bring you here?"
Sui Yan's eyes welled up with tears as she shouted, "I'm talking to you!"
Bai Heng: "..." Someone save me!
Seeing the situation getting worse, the military doctor suddenly flopped onto the floor: "Oh no! I think my wound has opened up."
Sui Yan: "?" Faking an injury?
She immediately stopped crying: "I-I'll go call a doctor, don't move!"
As the girl tearfully turned to run out, Qi Linhan saw he had to intervene and reached out to stop her: "Yan."
Sui Yan started crying again: "His wound opened up, let me go!"
Qi Linhan sighed and rubbed his forehead: "They're fine."
Sui Yan tearfully turned back to see Bai Heng sitting on the bed and the military doctor on the floor, both looking guilty.
Sui Yan was relieved but also felt even more aggrieved. Her pout was about to trigger another wave of tears when Qi Linhan stopped her again: "If you keep crying, the soldiers outside will come in."
Sui Yan swallowed her tears with a sob and plopped down across from the military doctor, aggrieved: "I was so worried about you two."
The military doctor felt both sympathetic and helpless: "Sui Yan, we didn't tell you because we were afraid you would worry too much."
Sui Yan wiped away a tear: "But if you don't tell me anything, I'll worry even more."
Bai Heng finally spoke up: "We're also very worried about you, you know. Look at yourself, you've lost so much weight recently."
Sui Yan wasn't concerned about herself. She looked at Bai Heng with a grievance: "We're talking about the two of you right now. Can you not change the subject, please?"