CHAPTER 369: CHAPTER 368: ENTERING THE REHABILITATION ROOM

Fang Shaonan looked at his dejected brother who wasn’t speaking, the anger was boiling in his heart.

While eating the food that Gu Xiaoqing had prepared for him, it was already noon.

He kept scolding Fang Shaohan constantly with fury.

"Look at yourself, it’s no wonder Feng Qingyang dares to be so arrogant, even I look down on you. Where’s that demeanor of the Tiger in the Army? Now you’re just a sick cat, a sick cat without claws, a cat that anyone can humiliate as they please.

Not eating? It’d be better if you starved to death, so you don’t burden others. Look at Gu Xiaoqing, she’s been taking care of you, yet you keep hurting her like this. She never complains, not because she has no grievances, but who is Gu Xiaoqing to you?

I can’t stand it anymore. Who was it that gave me a bloody nose back then? It’s because you liked her, because you seized love. Where is that courage now? Acting as if you’re half-alive, who are you trying to fool? Seeking who’s sympathy?

If you’ve got the guts, Fang Shaohan, stand up by yourself, protect your own woman, don’t let me, your younger brother, look down on you, don’t let Feng Qingyang succeed."

He turned his head and said carelessly to Gu Xiaoqing, "This noodle is really delicious, give me another serving, will you? I haven’t had such authentic soy sauce noodles for a long time, nobody at home has been cooking recently."

The parents were all at Fang Shaohan’s place, though the housemaid cooked, the soy sauce noodles weren’t tasty or authentic enough, Fang Shaonan had really been suffering.

This was also a complaint.

Gu Xiaoqing nodded, silently taking the empty lunchbox, ready to get more food.

"Get me a serving too, I want it with tomato and egg sauce."

Gu Xiaoqing looked incredulously at Fang Shaohan who was speaking while lying in bed. This was the most normal behavior Fang Shaohan had shown recently. Wanting to eat was a good sign, after all, he’d been eating irregularly, fasting between meals.

Eating would give him the strength for rehabilitation.

Gu Xiaoqing nodded with a smile, "Alright, wait here."

She returned with two large lunchboxes filled with noodles, handed one to Fang Shaonan, and placed one on the bedside. Gu Xiaoqing reached under Fang Shaohan’s armpits to try and lift him up so he could lean against the headboard and eat by himself.

Fang Shaonan glanced at Gu Xiaoqing, who was struggling a bit. Even though Fang Shaohan was much thinner, he was still a grown man with considerable weight. Fang Shaonan merely curled his lips, not stepping in to help.

Fang Shaohan sat up, a pillow propped behind him. He took the lunchbox from Gu Xiaoqing and started eating with big bites. The noodles tasted truly delicious.

His long-quiet stomach seemed to be cheering and celebrating this life-giving rain.

At first, he chewed slowly, but soon enough he couldn’t control himself and slurped it down hungrily.

Gu Xiaoqing’s eyes glistened briefly, joy in her heart. This was already a big first step forward, a sign of progress. It seemed that their stimulating method was right on target.

Fang Shaonan pouted, suddenly feeling like the noodles didn’t taste as good as before. Ah, his little mind.

After lunch, Fang Shaonan and Gu Xiaoqing helped lift Fang Shaohan into the wheelchair and pushed him to the rehab room.

Fortunately, there was an elevator, since the rehab room was on the top floor. Though it wasn’t too high, it was still challenging with a wheelchair.

Pushing Fang Shaohan into the rehab room, his expression turned grim upon seeing very few people but all with physical disabilities.

This forced Fang Shaohan to reflect on his own condition.

The simplest beginning, placing Fang Shaohan between parallel bars low enough for him to practice sitting support.

Fang Shaohan needed to use his arms to prop up his body, training arm and waist strength as part of rehabilitation. Everything needed to be done step by step, bite by bite, without rushing.

Though it was the simplest push-ups, it made Fang Shaohan sweat multiple times, even though it was just ten exercises in total. After finishing, he nearly collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

Though Fang Shaonan and Gu Xiaoqing felt heartache, it was something they couldn’t help with. Their pity would be harmful; only he could help himself.

The short set of ten rehabilitative parallel bars exercises consumed the whole afternoon.

Fang Shaonan and Gu Xiaoqing pushed Fang Shaohan back to the ward. Since Fang Shaonan was there, he lifted Fang Shaohan directly into the bathtub for a bath and changed him into clean clothes.

By the time everything was ready, night had fallen.

The three of them ate quite a bit for dinner, with Fang Shaohan wolfing down his meal due to the large amount of physical energy he had just expended. Fang Shaonan and Gu Xiaoqing, exhausted both physically and mentally, also relished their meal.

After feeding Fang Shaohan his medicine and putting him to sleep, Gu Xiaoqing and Fang Shaonan left.

Now the ward no longer required someone to stay with him overnight.

Fang Shaohan had left the danger zone; the rest was merely rehab, which didn’t necessitate constant care.

The call bell at the head of the bed was enough to summon help if needed.

Watching Fang Shaohan asleep, Gu Xiaoqing and Fang Shaonan left.

"Gu Xiaoqing, thank you."

Fang Shaonan said beside Gu Xiaoqing, preparing to escort her back to her room. Gu Xiaoqing stayed in a guest house outside the hospital, arranged by He Cui and others.

"No need to say that. I mean well too, after all, seeing Fang Shaohan like this makes everyone uncomfortable. Perhaps everyone needs a breakthrough excuse. I just happened to know what to do." Gu Xiaoqing didn’t consider it her achievement.

Fang Shaonan tilted his head, looking at Gu Xiaoqing, "Gu Xiaoqing, I think you might like my brother. Am I wrong?"

His straightforward words caught Gu Xiaoqing off guard.

A bit embarrassed and angry, she said, "Don’t talk nonsense, there’s nothing between me and your brother. At most, it’s your brother who has a crush on me."

As a woman, Gu Xiaoqing’s pride wouldn’t allow her to admit it.

She would deny it till the end.

Fang Shaonan sneered, "Still pretending? If you didn’t care for him, you wouldn’t take such good care of my brother, letting him hit and scold you yet refusing to abandon him. It’s true what they say about how daughters can’t be kept at home. Even if you admit you like him, what could I do?"

Though not impressed, Fang Shaonan still sought an answer.

Gu Xiaoqing sighed, "My brother and I are impossible. I’ve told your brother long ago that I’m friends with both of you. Both you and your brother pursued me; who knows what outsiders might think or assume about it. I don’t want to overreach given your family’s status; anyone would assume I’m marrying up.

I only want a quiet and simple life. My family issues are many, and I’ve gone through it for years, knowing how hard it is. I really don’t want to get involved with your family, given there won’t be few who fancy your brothers. I don’t want to drown in spit.