Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

The man outside the door collapsed onto Jiahe's shoulder as soon as she opened the door.

Jiahe exclaimed, "Xinghe!"

The man who fell on her shoulder appeared frail and pale. He had passed out. Jiahe quickly stated in

English to the receptionist, "He's my friend, not a bad guy!"

The receptionist scowled, indicating that she was still feeling a little uneasy. The woman retorted, "He

pointed a gun at me!"

When Jiahe learned that the man had a gun, she was shocked, but she quickly made up a lie, "He is

an elite of the international anti-terrorism organization! What occurred earlier was an unexpected

incident. Since there are so many terrorists out there, he must be worried that you might draw them

here."

Although that receptionist was not entirely sure of the motive, she no longer dared to say anything else.

She could not get to the police because all of them were busy dealing with terrorists outside.

Jiahe immediately closed the door and carried Xinghe inside the room. She called out to Tongrui with

much difficulty, "Tongrui, come over and lend me a hand!"

Tongrui quickly ran over. She was astounded when she saw Xinghe covered in blood. She said, "Jiahe,

this won't do. He needs to be taken right away to the hospital. He could be in danger from excessive

blood loss!"

"What if he belongs to the terrorist group? Wouldn't we be sending him into the lion's den if we took him

to the hospital?"

Tongrui's mouth twitched. She was not in the mood to laugh at the moment, but Jiahe's justification

sounded pretty absurd.

"Seriously? Xinghe is a terrorist?"

In Tongrui's impression, Xinghe always wore a spotless white coat and radiated an ethereal aura. A

man like him did not seem to have anything to do with the vicious terrorists.

After much effort, the girls succeeded in placing Xinghe on the bed. Xinghe was quite bulky, and

because neither of them had much strength, when they laid him down, his body slammed into the bed.

The injury had been torn open by that.

The pain woke him up and caused him to frown.

He did not completely pass out. He overheard Jiahe and Tongrui talking in the background. He said in a

weak and hoarse voice, "I'm not a terrorist."

Jiahe quickly ran over and knelt by the bed after hearing him speak. She said as she looked at his pale

and handsome face, "In this case, we'll take you to the hospital. You've lost too much blood."

Unexpectedly, Xinghe immediotely objected, soying, "No, you con't."

Jiohe become onxious ond soid, "You've been shot. You might experience excessive blood loss if we

don't get you to the hospitol."

Xinghe roised his hond ond grobbed Jiohe's soft ond worm hond. He ossured her, "Don't be ofroid. I

won't die."

Jiohe's repressed emotions suddenly erupted. She chided, "Didn't you soy you come to Itoly to conduct

ocodemic reseorch? How did you end up getting shot? Who the hell ore you? I just ogreed to be your

girlfriend. Wouldn't it be bod luck for me if you died?"

She hurled o series of questions ot him.

"Girly, I reolly don't hove the strength to onswer oll your questions ot this time," Xinghe soid with o soft

chuckle.

The hotel's white sheets were stoined by the blood thot hod leoked from his obdomen.

Jiohe's eyes reddened. As o medicol intern, she hod seen plenty of deod bodies ond horrifying

wounds, but the bright red blood still terrified her.

Tongrui soid, "Jiohe, we con't stoy here. Thot receptionist might coll the police. We need to get out of

here quickly ond tend to Dr. Jiong's injury."

Jiohe quickly ogreed while wiping owoy her teors.

…

They relocoted to o humble Airbnb.

Once they entered the room, Xinghe suggested Jiohe help him to remove the bullet. Jiohe wos terrified.

She hod no procticol experience. She hod done nothing but dissect deod bodies during her internship.

She dored not operote on o live potient.

"Are you sure you wont me to help you remove the bullet? I…I've never done thot before…"

"I will help you. Simply follow my instructions. Don't be ofroid. I hove foith in you."

…

He wos gutsy to entrust his life to Jiohe, but she locked confidence in herself!

Jiohe took notes os Xinghe listed the equipment ond medicotions they required, then honded the list to

Tongrui.

Tongrui quickly left the house to get the supplies. She wos unoble to hondle the bloody scene becouse

she wos pregnont. She soid, "If you need my help, just shout. I'll be sitting outside wotching the door."

Jiohe storted sonitizing the instruments ond the wound ofter Tongrui hod left.

Jiohe wos extremely scored. She osked with o trembling voice, "Whot if it gets infected ond you get

tetonus?"

She did not wont Xinghe to kick the bucket so soon.

Unexpectedly, Xinghe immediately objected, saying, "No, you can't."

Jiahe became anxious and said, "You've been shot. You might experience excessive blood loss if we

don't get you to the hospital."

Xinghe raised his hand and grabbed Jiahe's soft and warm hand. He assured her, "Don't be afraid. I

won't die."

Jiahe's repressed emotions suddenly erupted. She chided, "Didn't you say you came to Italy to conduct

academic research? How did you end up getting shot? Who the hell are you? I just agreed to be your

girlfriend. Wouldn't it be bad luck for me if you died?"

She hurled a series of questions at him.

"Girly, I really don't have the strength to answer all your questions at this time," Xinghe said with a soft

chuckle.

The hotel's white sheets were stained by the blood that had leaked from his abdomen.

Jiahe's eyes reddened. As a medical intern, she had seen plenty of dead bodies and horrifying

wounds, but the bright red blood still terrified her.

Tongrui said, "Jiahe, we can't stay here. That receptionist might call the police. We need to get out of

here quickly and tend to Dr. Jiang's injury."

Jiahe quickly agreed while wiping away her tears.

…

They relocated to a humble Airbnb.

Once they entered the room, Xinghe suggested Jiahe help him to remove the bullet. Jiahe was terrified.

She had no practical experience. She had done nothing but dissect dead bodies during her internship.

She dared not operate on a live patient.

"Are you sure you want me to help you remove the bullet? I…I've never done that before…"

"I will help you. Simply follow my instructions. Don't be afraid. I have faith in you."

…

He was gutsy to entrust his life to Jiahe, but she lacked confidence in herself!

Jiahe took notes as Xinghe listed the equipment and medications they required, then handed the list to

Tongrui.

Tongrui quickly left the house to get the supplies. She was unable to handle the bloody scene because

she was pregnant. She said, "If you need my help, just shout. I'll be sitting outside watching the door."

Jiahe started sanitizing the instruments and the wound after Tongrui had left.

Jiahe was extremely scared. She asked with a trembling voice, "What if it gets infected and you get

tetanus?"

She did not want Xinghe to kick the bucket so soon.

Xinghe looked at her pale and fearful face and chuckled lightly, "My luck isn't that bad."

Jiahe glared at him and scolded, "How could you laugh? Doesn't it hurt?"

Did this man even realize the seriousness of his wound? It's still a gunshot wound even if no vital organ

was struck. It could be fatal if we did not treat it properly. He is a doctor, right? Didn't he have basic

medical knowledge?

Jiahe's hands trembled uncontrollably as she held the blade. Tears flowed down from her anxious eyes

and she stammered, "I…I…master…I can't do it!"

She even referred to him as "master" due to her anxiousness.

The man's slender and beautiful hand grasped her shaking hand. He said, "Since you called me

Master, you should trust me and listen to me. I'll guide you."

Would he be able to endure the pain without anesthesia?

"If it hurts, you must tell me," Jiahe urged and tried to remain calm.

"It will definitely hurt."

Jiahe was at a loss for words.

Jiahe was unable to recall how the procedure ended. She obediently carried out Xinghe's instructions

at each stage. Her heart was pounding wildly, but her solid medical training had paid off. She

completed each task precisely.

Xinghe did not suffer much, but when the bullet was taken out, his body was covered in sweat.

Jiahe was devastated to see him in this condition. She applied medication to stop the bleeding while

quickly bandaging his wound.

Xinghe did not pass out from the pain. Instead, he gave her a faint but reassuring pat on the head and

a smile. He complimented, "You did well. It appears that my strict demands and high standards for you

weren't in vain."

Jiahe bit her lower lip. She helped him sit up and looked at him tearfully, "I'm glad you’re alive. If you

died during my surgery, I would have ended up in jail."

Xinghe's smile grew even more radiant. He teased, "Are you afraid of me dying or facing legal

consequences?"

"I'm afraid of both. I fear both of them. I would lose my boyfriend and go to jail if you died. That would

be too tragic. Moreover, I'm the only child in my family. My parents would be devastated."

She had a point.

Xinghe stared into her tear-streaked eyes. His expression turned serious and he asked solemnly, "Girly,

why did you come to Italy?"

"Because…I'm worried about you."