?Chapter 20: Twenty He felt sorry for her!_1 Chapter 20: Twenty He felt sorry for her!_1 Her scent filled his nostrils, and as he lowered his head, Ji Pianran’s stunningly beautiful face greeted him.


    A great sense of protectiveness surged within him.


    Gu Chen’s throat felt somewhat dry.


    He swallowed, his voice strained.


    “Your foot is bleeding. If you don’t bandage it properly, an infection could become serious,” he said.


    As he spoke, Gu Chen had already walked over to the side of his bed.


    Their bodies touched, their hearts’ pounding uncontrollably accelerating.


    Gently, Gu Chen laid Ji Pianran down on the bed.


    Looking at her with concern, “Don’t move, I’m going to find the first-aid box.”


    Having said that, he turned and walked out.


    Tangtang had been standing on Gu Chen’s bed the whole time. Seeing her mother’s foot bleeding, the sensible child helped Ji Pianran lie down.


    The little girl’s voice was soft and milky.


    “Mommy, lie down quickly. Wait for Daddy to come and treat you,” she said.


    Ji Pianran looked at the plain white sheets on Gu Chen’s bed.


    She blinked, her expression seeming a bit embarrassed.


    This was Gu Chen’s bed, after all.


    Although they had been married for three years, that kind of thing had only happened once, when Gu Chen was drunk.


    Afterwards, he’d found excuses to work in the city, neglecting both her and their daughter.


    Each time he returned, the two of them lived separately.


    Now, she was being asked to lie down on his bed.


    Ji Pianran felt awkward about it no matter what.


    She spoke faintly.


    “It’s nothing, I won’t lie down; just sitting for a while will do.”


    Hearing her mother wouldn’t lie down, the little girl became anxious and aggrieved.


    She pursed her little lips.


    Tears rapidly accumulated in her eyes, soon forming a small bulge.


    “Mommy is sick, how can you not lie down?”


    Tangtang was only two years old, unaware of the complexities of adult relationships and unable to understand why her mother didn’t want to lie on her father’s bed.


    All she knew was that her mother was unwell.


    She simply wanted her mother to feel better. Sёar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The more the little girl thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.


    Her little mouth turned down, on the verge of crying.


    Ji Pianran patiently explained.


    “Tangtang, Mommy is a woman and Daddy is a man, so Mommy cannot lie on Daddy’s bed, understand?” she said.


    At her words, a flicker of confusion crossed Tangtang’s dark eyes.


    The little girl just couldn’t figure it out.


    She too was a girl, so why could she sleep with Daddy every night, whereas Mommy didn’t sleep with Daddy?


    What could the reason be for that?


    Tangtang pouted, as if she had suddenly understood something.


    She looked at Ji Pianran.


    “Mommy, do you dislike Daddy?”


    Small as she was, she wasn’t foolish.


    If she could sleep with Daddy, but Mommy couldn’t, it must be because Mommy disliked Daddy!


    Definitely!


    No doubt about it!


    Now that she thought she knew the truth, Tangtang felt even more wronged.


    So Mommy disliked Daddy!


    Tangtang liked Daddy, but why did Mommy dislike him?


    Tangtang wasn’t happy.


    Being a little child, she couldn’t help but cry when she felt uncomfortable inside.


    Ji Pianran looked at Tangtang, and seeing the tears about to fall from her eyes again, she was at her wits’ end.


    “Tangtang, be good, Mommy doesn’t dislike Daddy, how could Mommy dislike Daddy?”


    She had never disliked Gu Chen. If she truly had, Tangtang wouldn’t exist.


    It was just the repeated disappointments and hardships of life that had gradually encased her once warm and passionate heart in ice.


    She had just become accustomed to living indifferently side by side.


    “Then, lie down!”


    Tangtang was getting anxious now.


    With feigned ferocity, she looked at Ji Pianran, reminiscent of an angry little kitten.


    She was extremely cute.


    Out of options, Ji Pianran could only nod her head.


    “Alright, alright, Mommy will lie down now, Tangtang, don’t cry.”


    The little girl, seeing her mom had given in, finally broke into a smile through her tears.


    She busily extended her little pudgy hand to help Ji Pianran lie down on Gu Chen’s pillow.


    Then she even pulled Gu Chen’s quilt over Ji Pianran.


    Mommy was hurt.


    Lying in bed with the quilt on should be a lot more comfortable, right?


    The little girl wasn’t very strong, struggling to pull Gu Chen’s quilt over, bit by bit covering her mother.


    Ji Pianran lay on Gu Chen’s pillow.


    Covered with Gu Chen’s quilt.


    It was all that warm, dry scent she had just smelled before.


    The tension and throbbing in her heart that had just subsided quietly surged back.


    She felt somewhat flustered.


    What exactly was her relationship with Gu Chen now?


    In these few days,


    She distinctly felt Gu Chen’s concern for her.


    But, did his actions mean he liked her?


    Or was it that he simply wanted to make up to the child?


    Simply being kind to Tiantian, and since she was Tiantian’s mother after all,


    was she just being included by association?


    …


    Gu Chen, flustered in the living room, found the medicine box, which was nothing more than a small wooden box that had seen better days.


    Inside were some gauze and tape, also ointments for burns and medicinal liquor for bruises and more.


    He carried the box into his room.


    Seeing Ji Pianran lying on his bed,


    his heart couldn’t help but flutter.


    Upon hearing the noise, Ji Pianran knew Gu Chen was back and hurriedly struggled to get up.


    Gu Chen quickly spoke up to stop her.


    “Don’t move, just lie there, I’ll bandage you up, it’ll be quick.”


    Where could Ji Pianran lie still?


    She struggled up, leaning against the headboard.


    It was either the snugness of the bed or some other sensation in her heart


    that made her delicate face involuntarily flush a shade of rose.


    Under the dim yellow light, she was extremely beautiful.


    “I’ll just sit up,” she said.


    “Okay,” Gu Chen didn’t stop her.


    He took the iodine out of the box.


    Worrying about causing Ji Pianran pain,


    he looked at her anxiously, “It’s going to hurt a bit, so brace yourself.”


    Ji Pianran nodded, “Okay!”


    Gu Chen poured iodine onto cotton wool and reached for Ji Pianran’s foot with his other hand.


    Her foot was slim, but the skin was tender and fair.


    Having stood barefoot on the floor for a while, the chill of her feet was distressing.


    Feeling the warmth from Gu Chen’s palm, Ji Pianran’s body tensed.


    She bit her lip embarrassingly,


    her calf involuntarily shivered.


    After all, it was her foot, and although they were married in name and she was the mother of the child,


    it was still the first time Gu Chen had held her foot.


    And it was the first time a man had stared at her foot so intently.


    To say she wasn’t nervous would be lying.


    Gu Chen assumed Ji Pianran’s reaction was due to fear of pain and gently reassured her,


    “Relax, I’ll be gentle.”


    Having said that, he dabbed the cotton wool soaked in iodine gently and carefully on Ji Pianran’s wound.


    After a few wipes, still unable to restrain his worry about hurting Ji Pianran, he leaned down and blew gently on her ankle,


    hoping to ease her discomfort.


    Ji Pianran watched as Gu Chen’s face came closer to her ankle, even closer.


    Her heartbeat sped up instantly, nearly leaping out of her throat.


    Her body tensed up, and she quickly said, “Stop! I—I’m fine.”


    This was also too intimate, wasn’t it!!!


    He was actually blowing on her foot!


    Gu Chen chuckled.


    “It’s okay, just relax.”