“It’s not that far and I am already back . If you don’t want to eat porridge, then what do you want to eat?”

“Are you really asking me this question? Of course, I want to eat you!”

I was sorely tempted to kill him over the phone . In my indignation, I forgot to keep my voice low, “ Do you want to go to the PLA general hospital?”

“ Are you ok with that?” Ye Zhengchen asked me with audacity .

“ I am going to ask Dr Lin to send you right now…”

“ Ah, suddenly I feel like eating the porridge . ”

I snickered . “ Ok, by the way, are you familiar with Dr Lin?”

“ Yes, he was my cla.s.smate at college . ”

“ Cla.s.smate ? So he is a military doctor as well ?”

The old man was looking at me closely now . His eyes were contemplative, as if he had suddenly learnt something new .

“ He was just recently transferred to Nanzhou . ”

The elevator arrived and everyone went in except the couple I had spotted earlier . They seemed to be waiting patiently for me to get in . I quickly apologised to then with a slight bow and said, “Please go ahead . I will take the stairs . ”

As I moved to the stairs, I continued talking, “ Why did he come to Nanzhou?”

“ I have’nt seen it for myself  but he says there are many beauties in Nanzhou . ”

“ You don’t know?” I fumed, “ Wait for me to come there and smash your torture you slowly!”

“ I have already broken three ribs, I can’t undergo any more torture . ”

Even though I knew he was playing on my sympathies, I could not help feel a bit distressed . I quickly disconnected the line and rushed towards his ward . As I walked in, I said loudly, “ Now you see if I don’t break the rest of your ribs…”

I swallowed back the rest of the words . Apart from him, there were two other people in the ward, the elderly couple I had notced earlier .

When they heard me, they turned to look at me .

Immediately, I could guess the real ident.i.ty of the couple . I wanted to pour the porridge over my head in utter embarra.s.sment .

I tried to recall what I had said earlier, if there was anything particularly inappropriate . All I remembered was “ Let me get upstairs and torture you slowly . ”

I was actually a very gentle soul, I swear to G.o.d!

In this situation, the best way would probably be to pretend that I had walked into the wrong room, apologise and leave .

Just as I was putting the plan in action, Ye Zhengchen cleared his throat ad introduced me , “ Dad, Mom, this is Bo Bing, my girlfriend . ”

Then he turned to me, “ Girl, meet my parents . ”

“ Uncle, Aunty, how are you ?”

I realised it was too late now to escape .

Ye Zhengchen’s father nodded indifferently . There was no change of expression on his face . But somehow his compelling presence seemed even more powerful .

He just glanced at me and I immediately felt my breath hitch in fear .

He just glanced at me and I immediately felt my breath hitch in fear .

I didn’t dare to say anything more . I put down the breakfast and poured two gla.s.ses of warm water, “ Uncle, Aunty, please have some water . ”

“Thank you” . Ye Zengchen’s mother politely smiled at me as she took the gla.s.s .

His father, on the other hand, just looked at the disposable cup and didn’t deign to pick it up .

Ye Zhengchen sat up on the bed, “ Dad, you must have rushed to nanzhou in the early morning flight . I’m sure you are tired . Please have a cup of tea, moisten your throat, and then we can start arguing again . ”

His father’s face hardened . It looked like it was a common occurrence for the father and son to quarrel .

His mother pulled his father’s sleeve, subtly signalling him to keep his calm .

“ Where did you get injured? How did it happen?”

“ Just a surface wound”, Ye Zhengchen pulled his sleeves and revealed the bruises on his elbow . “ It’s almost healed . ”

Although his father stood a bit far, he leaned over to take a look . He raised his eyebrow when he saw the dark and b.l.o.o.d.y bruise

His mother was even more distressed . “ When you are injured to sucj a degree, why didn’t the doctor bandage you ? What if you get infected?”

She gently oulled his sleeves down .

“ Let’s go back to Beijing . We have arranged for you to get admitted at the PLA General Hospital . I’m sure you can recover there . ”

“I’m fine here . ”

Ye Zhengchen’s father turned a deaf ear and looked at the door, calling out to someone, “ Xiao Chen, go to the doctor and start the transfer procedures . ”

Ye Zhengchen’s father turned a deaf ear and looked at the door, calling out to someone, “ Xiao Chen, go to the doctor and start the transfer procedures . ”

Immediately there was an answer ‘ Yes, Sir!”

It was only then that I noticed there was a young man standing outside the door . He wasn’t very tall, but he looked very smart . Although he said this, he did not leave immediately .

“ The doctor said that transferring now may actually harm me more because of the nature of my injury”

His father glanced at me and snorted, “ I can see you are very reluctant to leave Nanzhou . ”

“ Yes, I can’t bear to go back . ”

“ You !” Ye Zhengchen’s father could no longer hold back his anger, “ Don’t forget you are a soldier . You can’t allow a woman to drive your decisions . . ”

Ye Zhengchen was in no mood to retreat, “ I will never forget that Commander Ye!”

The commander was more infuriated . “ In that case, get yourself discharged from the hospital and get back to the army!”

“Ok, I will get myself discharged”

Saying this, Ye Zhengchen quickly got out of bed . But he has moved too fast . The sudden pain made his face turn pale .

“ What happened?” I rushed to his side and hugged him to support his body, “ is the wound bleeding again?”

“ I’m fine…”, he pressed his chest, and his voice trembled .

His parents were surprised by his abrupt behaviour . His mother became anxious as well, “ Where are you injured? Why are you not telling us the truth?”

I had never seen such a pained expression on his face and I panicked .

“ Just hold on, I am going to call Dr Lin . ”

I had never seen such a pained expression on his face and I panicked .

“ Just hold on, I am going to call Dr Lin . ”

Ye Zhengchen grabbed my hand, “ No . ”

“Brother, please go back to Beijing with Uncle and Aunt . They are right . Nanzhou is a small place after all . The medical facilities here are not as advanced as what you would get in Beijing…”

He looked at me and suddenly smiled, “ Will you come with me?”

“ Me?”

Ye Zhengchen grabbed my hand . His face was so earnest I was reluctant to investigate any deeper motives . “ If you don’t come with me, I wont go . ”

I was really in a quandary

While I was wondering how to answer , Mrs Ye chipped in , “ Miss Bo, if it convenient, you can accompany us back to Beijing . His grandparents would like to see you as well . ”

I looked at his father . His face was still expressionless . He just turned his face and looked at Xiao Chen outside . “ Xiao Chen, go start the transfer procedures . ”

“ Yes, Sir!”

I turned and looked at Ye Zhengchen again . He winked at me with a smile on his lips .

Much later, one day, while chatting, Mrs Ye revealed that earlier, she had never understood why Ye Zhengchen was h.e.l.lbent on having me in his life . He had had numerous quarrels with his father on this issue and had even left home a couple of times .

That day, when he grabbed my hand and begged me to accompany him, she finally understood how deep his feelings were .

At that time, I suddenly realised that he had staged all this!