90: Chapter 90 Doctors and Wounded Soldiers

This posture was too overwhelming.

Han Qing could smell his masculine scent, see the frostbite marks on his chest that hadn't fully faded, and feel the heat of his breath.

Her heart beat wildly, almost jumping out of her chest.

"You... you're crazy!"

She pushed him away forcefully, stood up, and retreated to the wall.

"Qin Lin, I'm a doctor and you're the patient. We... we can't..."

"Can't what?"

Qin Lin straightened up and looked at her flustered appearance, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

"Aunt Qing, what are you thinking? I only asked if you needed a bath; I didn't say we should bathe together."

Han Qing was stunned.

Was he... was he playing with her?

"You!"

Both ashamed and angry, she grabbed a book nearby and threw it at him.

Qin Lin caught the book and burst out laughing.

"Aunt Qing, you're too cute. I was just joking."

A joke?

Han Qing trembled with anger.

But just then, Qin Lin suddenly took a step forward.

Before she could react, he lowered his head and gave her a light peck on the lips.

It was a quick kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

But it was enough.

Han Qing froze in place as if struck by lightning.

Her eyes widened, her lips parted slightly, and her face was filled with an expression of disbelief.

Qin Lin took two steps back and walked toward the bathroom with a smile.

"I'm going to take a shower. Aunt Qing, sit for a while. Don't leave; I'll be quick."

The bathroom door closed.

Han Qing still stood in place, her hand gently touching her lips.

There... a warm sensation still remained.

Her mind was in a state of chaos.

What just happened?

He kissed her?

How could he... how dare he...

But in a corner of her heart, something was secretly and joyfully fluttering.

The sound of water came from the bathroom.

The pitter-patter was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Han Qing was still standing by the wall, her hand pressed against her chest, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.

Her face was so hot it felt like it was burning, and the sensation of that light kiss on her lips still lingered.

Warm and gentle, yet it felt as deep as a brand.

He kissed her.

That man who was seventeen years younger than her, that Junior she should have kept her distance from.

That "Brother Lin" whom her daughter adored...

...had kissed her.

And she... hadn't pushed him away immediately.

This realization made Han Qing feel even more ashamed.

She should be angry; she should leave immediately.

She should have slapped him.

But she just stood there, as if an Immobilization Spell had been cast on her.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped.

Han Qing suddenly snapped back to her senses and hurried over to sit on the chair.

She assumed her most serious posture, as if nothing had happened.

The door opened, and Qin Lin walked out.

He wasn't wearing any clothes, only a bath towel wrapped around his lower body, with water droplets still clinging to his upper body.

The droplets slid down his firm chest, over his abdominal muscles, and disappeared into the edge of the towel.

Han Qing took only one look before quickly averting her gaze, her face turning even redder.

"Finished washing?"

She tried to keep her voice calm.

"Yeah."

Qin Lin was drying his hair.

"But Aunt Qing, I have a question."

"...What?"

"I forgot to bring a change of clothes in."

"My pajamas are in the closet. Could you help me get them?"

Han Qing gritted her teeth. "Get them yourself."

"I'm a patient, I just finished bathing, and I'm dizzy."

Qin Lin spoke with full confidence in his reasoning.

"Besides, I'm wrapped in a towel; it's inconvenient to walk over. What if the towel falls off..."

"Stop talking!"

Han Qing interrupted him, her face as red as a tomato.

She stood up and walked toward the closet.

It was a built-in wardrobe; she opened the door to find a row of clothes hanging neatly inside.

She picked out a set of pajamas at random.

A light gray cotton long-sleeved set, a conservative style.

"Here."

She handed them over, looking elsewhere.

Qin Lin took them but didn't put them on immediately.

"Aunt Qing, do you remember that night?"

Han Qing's body stiffened.

"I drank too much that day, and many details are blurry."

Qin Lin's voice sounded from behind her, very close.

"I only remember you were very soft and very warm, but as for the specifics... I can't recall. Thinking about it now, it's really a pity."

"Qin Lin!"

Han Qing turned around abruptly, her eyes flashing with anger.

"If you say another word of this, I'm leaving right now!"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop."

Qin Lin raised his hands; the towel almost slipped, and he quickly held it in place.

Han Qing turned back, her back to him.

"Hurry up and get dressed."

Rustling sounds came from behind her.

Han Qing closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to return her heartbeat to normal.

But images uncontrollably surfaced in her mind:

Him taking off the towel, putting on the pajamas, the lines of his body...

Stop!

She shook her head vigorously.

"I'm dressed," Qin Lin's voice came.

Only then did Han Qing turn around.

He was indeed dressed; the light gray pajamas fit him well, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

His hair was still wet, with a few strands sticking to his forehead; he looked a few years younger than usual, like a college student.

"Then I'm going back."

Han Qing prepared to leave.

"Don't go."

Qin Lin grabbed her hand.

His hand was very warm because he had just bathed.

Han Qing's wrist felt as if it had been burned; she wanted to pull back, but he held on tightly.

"Aunt Qing, stay with me a little longer."

Qin Lin looked at her with a very serious gaze.

"I'm a bit lonely... being here by myself."

This reason was too clumsy.

The RV was only so big, and there were people in the other rooms; what loneliness was there to speak of?

But Han Qing's heart softened.

She looked at him, seeing the expectation in the young man's eyes and... a hint of imperceptible vulnerability.

Perhaps his previous dominance and roguishness were all an act; perhaps he actually needed company.

"Just for a little while."

She finally pulled her hand back and sat down on the chair again.

Qin Lin smiled and sat on the edge of the bed, the two of them separated by a distance of two meters.

Silence fell for a while.

"Aunt Qing," Qin Lin suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Actually, I'm quite scared."

Han Qing was taken aback. "Scared of what?"

"Scared of dying."

Qin Lin spoke very bluntly.

"That day at the power station, when the temperature dropped to minus ninety degrees and the protective suit started to crack, I was truly afraid. Afraid I wouldn't come back, afraid I'd never see you all again."

His voice was soft, carrying genuine emotion.

Han Qing's heart twinged.

"But do you know?"

"What I fear most isn't my own death, but what would happen to all of you if I died. Yuran is pregnant, Wanwan is so gentle, and then there's Yu Rou and you... your foot injury hasn't healed yet."

"If I'm gone, how long can this RV protect you?"

Han Qing fell silent.

She had actually thought about this question.

Although the RV was powerful, it required Qin Lin, the Host, to operate and upgrade it.

If Qin Lin really happened to have an accident, how long could the four of them survive?

"So I have to become stronger."

"I need to upgrade the RV, find more crystal stones, and ensure we can all survive. Even if... even if it means taking risks."

He spoke calmly, but Han Qing could hear the determination in his voice.

Looking at him, she truly understood the pressure on this young man for the first time.

He carried the lives of five people on his shoulders, the hope for the future, and all the possibilities of surviving in the apocalypse.

And she had been preoccupied with romantic entanglements.

"Qin Lin..."

She spoke, but didn't know what to say.

"Aunt Qing."

Qin Lin looked at her, his gaze tender.

"I don't regret what happened that night. Even if I had to do it all over again, I would still do the same. Not because I was drunk, but because... I want you."

These words were too direct.

Han Qing's face turned red again, but this time she didn't look away; instead, she met his gaze.

"I'm so much older than you, I..."

"None of that matters," Qin Lin interrupted her.

"What matters is that you are you. Strong, professional, gentle, and... very beautiful."

Han Qing turned her head and looked out the window.

After a long time, she finally said, "I'm going to the bathroom."