The kiss came out of nowhere, carrying a hint of punishment.
Gu Lina Zha's mind went blank.
The hundred curses she had prepared were all stuck in her throat, not a single word could be uttered.
The surrounding sobs, the sound of the wind, and even Lu Mingyu's heartbeat seemed to disappear at that moment.
In her world, all that remained was the warm, soft touch on her lips and his unique masculine scent.
Time seemed to stand still.
After an unknown period, Lu Mingyu slowly released her.
Gu Lina Zha's cheeks were already as red as a ripe apple.
She stared at him blankly, even forgetting to breathe.
Lu Mingyu's Adam's apple bobbed, and he was the first to break the ambiguous silence.
"Did you injure this ankle before?"
"Huh?"
Gu Lina Zha was still immersed in the kiss and didn't react immediately.
Lu Mingyu patiently asked again.
"I asked if you had ever sprained your ankle before?"
"Mm..."
Gu Lina Zha finally came to her senses and nodded subconsciously.
"When I was filming a martial arts drama, I was suspended by wires and didn't land steadily, so I sprained it once."
"It wasn't serious at the time; the team doctor on set sprayed some medicine and iced it, and it was fine."
Lu Mingyu's brows furrowed even more.
It was just as he had thought.
"The team doctor on set handled it too carelessly."
"The previous injury didn't heal properly; the ligament was already fragile, which is why it swelled up so quickly this time."
After speaking, he no longer delayed, tightening his grip on Gu Lina Zha and noticeably quickening his pace.
"Hey... you..."
Gu Lina Zha was startled by his sudden acceleration and subconsciously tightened her grip around his neck.
After realizing what happened, a sense of shame surged through her again.
Although there weren't many people on this road, if any passing soldiers saw them, how would she ever show her face again?
"You can put me down; I can walk slowly by myself..."
She buried her face in his chest and protested in a muffled voice.
Lu Mingyu looked straight ahead, moving swiftly.
"Don't make a fuss; there are no cameras here."
"Besides, I can walk faster carrying you, and your foot needs immediate attention."
His reasons were simple, direct, and irrefutable.
Gu Lina Zha had no choice but to give up struggling, resigned to being an ostrich and burying her face deeply in his arms.
Soon, the two arrived at the Cheetah Special Forces Brigade's infirmary.
A female doctor in a white coat was organizing medicines.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
When she saw Lu Mingyu striding in with a girl in his arms, she was clearly stunned for a moment, then teased,
"Oh, Lu Team, what's this act you're putting on now?"
"It's been a long time since we've seen you so 'chivalrous' in our infirmary."
Lu Mingyu ignored her teasing, his expression still serious.
He carefully placed Gu Lina Zha on an examination bed near the door and said in a deep voice,
"Dr. Wang, no more jokes."
"She sprained her ankle during training; please take a look."
The woman, referred to as Dr. Wang, then put away her playful expression and walked to the bed.
"Let me see."
She squatted down and gently lifted Gu Lina Zha's already visibly swollen ankle.
"Hiss..."
With just a light touch, Gu Lina Zha gasped in pain.
Dr. Wang examined it carefully, then looked up at Lu Mingyu and asked,
"How did she get injured?"
Lu Mingyu concisely recounted the demonstration of combat techniques.
Dr. Wang nodded, then looked at Gu Lina Zha.
"Did you have a similar injury to this ankle before?"
Gu Lina Zha nodded honestly: "Yes, I sprained it once while filming, but the team doctor said it was nothing serious."
Upon hearing this, Dr. Wang immediately pursed her lips, her tone tinged with disdain.
"The team doctor on set? Their skill level is questionable."
"Many of them are half-baked, only good for treating scrapes and minor cuts."
"They can't handle bone and muscle issues at all, and if not treated properly, it's easy to leave behind chronic problems."
"Let's go, let's get an X-ray first to see if there's any bone damage."
...
The scan results came out quickly.
Fortunately, the bones were fine.
However, the ligament tear was quite severe, classified as a severe sprain.
While applying medicine and compression bandaging to Gu Lina Zha's ankle, Dr. Wang said to Lu Mingyu,
"But your initial presses were very well done, very professional; otherwise, it would definitely be swollen like a purple eggplant by now."
"It seems the first aid knowledge you learned in the military is quite useful."
Lu Mingyu responded with an expressionless "Mm."
Dr. Wang then turned to the nervous Gu Lina Zha and smiled, comforting her,
"Don't worry, little girl; it's a blessing that your bones are fine."
"For the next week, absolutely do not put weight on the injured foot, rest well, and come back on time for dressing changes and ice packs; it will heal quickly."
As she tidied up, she meaningfully glanced at Lu Mingyu and teased,
"Alright, now it's good; you can legitimately take 'work injury' leave."
"Lu Team, this is your wish come true; you can slack off due to injury and openly accompany your girlfriend."
Gu Lina Zha's cheeks immediately turned crimson.
She was so shy and embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
Dr. Wang looked at her adorable expression and smiled even more brightly.
"There's a small garden behind the infirmary; usually, not many people go there, and the environment is quite nice."
"If you two feel stuffy in the ward, you can go there to sit and bask in the sun; it's also good for recovery."
The two thanked Dr. Wang, and Lu Mingyu once again picked up Gu Lina Zha and walked out of the infirmary.
Rounding to the back, there was indeed a small garden, a hidden gem.
The garden was not large but was meticulously maintained.
In the center of the garden, there was also a wooden bench.
Lu Mingyu looked at the tranquil greenery before him, a hint of surprise on his face.
"I've been in this base for almost ten years, and I never knew there was a place like this behind the infirmary."
Gu Lina Zha was carefully placed on the bench by him, her injured foot gently resting to the side.
She endured the pain in her ankle, but her mood inexplicably brightened, and she even had the leisure to joke with him.
"This must have been made by the doctor sisters in the infirmary, right?"
"You special forces soldiers, all day long you only know how to fight and train; how could you have the leisure to appreciate flowers and plants?"
Lu Mingyu didn't retort and sat down beside her.
He turned his head, looked at her still somewhat pale face, and asked softly,
"Does your foot still hurt?"
"It hurts..."
Gu Lina Zha pouted, her voice soft and sweet, as she whined,
"It's also a little numb... and throbbing uncomfortably."
She reached out and pointed to her ankle, which was wrapped like a zongzi in bandages.
"Can you rub it for me again?"
Lu Mingyu looked at her, his eyes helpless yet doting.
He leaned down, his broad hand gently covering her injured area through the bandage, slowly kneading with very light pressure.
While rubbing, he admonished,
"You heard what Dr. Wang said."
"Don't move around these next few days, don't put any weight on your foot, and absolutely no strenuous activity."
"Otherwise, the injury will worsen, heal slower, and it'll be prone to becoming a habitual sprain later."