Chapter 451: Reconciliation

Chapter 451 Making Up

Xiao Xiao's eyes grew misty, the corners tinged with a faint red.

Lu Hanchuan closed in on her, leaving her almost no chance to catch her breath.

Ye Xiaoxiao felt he was way too worked up today.

She should've told him earlier in the day.

She had no idea when the dim light in the room had been turned off. In a daze, Xiao Xiao felt someone gently pat her.

"Sleep."

...

Xiao Xiao slept soundly and woke to find Lu Hanchuan still hadn’t left for the military base.

"Are you off duty today?"

Lu Hanchuan propped his chin on his hand, gazing at her. "Baby, were you serious about what you said yesterday?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

He was really laying it on thick.

Before, he had acted indifferent, but now he clearly cared about the idea of having a child.

Ye Xiaoxiao pushed Lu Hanchuan away from the chair by the bed. "If you don’t want me to regret it, you’d better back off."

Though she acted annoyed with him, her ears secretly burned red.

Lu Hanchuan kissed her and stood up. "Breakfast is ready. Get up and eat."

He didn’t press further, but he was clearly still worked up.

While Lu Hanchuan was riding high from the good news, things weren’t as smooth next door at Deputy Regimental Commander Li’s place.

After the typhoon passed, Teacher Xu Li from the island was still on leave to visit family, so the school wanted Teacher Kong to fill in.

But Kong Xuelan’s illness had been coming and going, and she wasn't completely better yet.

Li Linghui wanted her to rest a few more days, but Kong Xuelan insisted on going.

They'd gotten into it again that morning, and Lu Hanchuan could hear them going at it as he left.

Ye Xiaoxiao stood in the yard. "Teacher Kong and her husband next door are arguing."

Lu Hanchuan nodded but wasn't about to get involved.

It was their private matter, and arguments were a way for both to vent. Butting in would just make it worse.

Lu Hanchuan left for the base first, telling Xiao Xiao not to disturb the couple while they were arguing.

Of course, Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t foolish. "Then I’ll go to the clinic first and check on Teacher Kong at noon."

Perhaps because of the morning argument, Kong Xuelan didn’t come to the clinic for her IV drip that day.

"Did Teacher Kong not come today?"

"You mean Deputy Regimental Commander Li's wife? She really didn't come today. Maybe she thinks she’s recovered. But she’s frail—even if she feels better, she still needs a couple more days of rest."

Dr. Yang, who had already returned to work, explained when Xiao Xiao asked.

Xiao Xiao: "Then I'll go check on her."

Dr. Yang: "Go ahead. There haven’t been many patients today, and the clinic isn’t busy. You can even skip this afternoon."

Since others had covered for her the past few days, Dr. Yang felt bad and was now willing to take on extra duty.

Xiao Xiao: "I’ll go check on Teacher Kong and come back in the afternoon."

Xiao Xiao first had a meal and then went home to visit Kong Xuelan.

Before she even stepped inside, she could hear Kong Xuelan coughing.

Illness hits hard, but recovery drags on. Kong Xuelan was already frail, and now, with her condition not fully recovered and her emotions in turmoil, her illness had worsened.

"Xuelan, why didn’t you come to the clinic for your IV today?"

Just hearing her voice, Xiao Xiao could tell she wasn’t better yet.

Kong Xuelan was down but stood up to make tea for Xiao Xiao.

"Xuelan, don’t bother. Sit down and rest first."

Kong Xuelan told Xiao Xiao, "I got into a little spat with Lao Li this morning and was upset until noon. I forgot all about the IV."

Xiao Xiao: "You can’t skip that. Come with me to the clinic later."

Kong Xuelan also knew that in her current state, she couldn’t return to teaching at the school.

"Don’t worry, I’ll make it this afternoon."

Kong Xuelan promised Xiao Xiao.

"You and... Deputy Regimental Commander Li—are you okay?"

Kong Xuelan smiled. "We’ve been married for so many years. It was just a few complaints because of the change in environment. It’s not like I’d walk out on him over this."

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao understood it was just their usual squabbles and nothing serious.

"Xuelan, the island’s a bit rough. If you’re not used to it, you can discuss it with Deputy Regimental Commander Li and work it out together."

Kong Xuelan: "I know. Thank you for caring about me."

After saying her piece, Xiao Xiao returned to the clinic to work.

In the afternoon, Kong Xuelan seemed much better and came to the clinic herself for the IV.

She had a little chat with the doctors and nurses there.

Seeing everyone else so motivated, Kong Xuelan did some soul-searching.

On her way home, she dropped by a little store to buy some groceries.

Since arriving on the island, she’d barely cooked at home.

Kong Xuelan could cook, and she was decent at it—she just couldn’t handle the big country stoves.

After struggling for quite a while, she finally managed to get the fire going at home.

The rest was easier, though she couldn’t quite control the heat, so the food came out a little charred.

Even so, Deputy Commander Li was startled when he came home to a table full of food.

He was still holding the meal he’d brought back from the canteen, intending to patch things up after the morning’s quarrel with his wife.

But seeing her not angry but instead, cooking for once, made him uneasy.

“Honey, I was wrong.”

Whatever the reason, it was best to apologize first.

Kong Xuelan shot him an eye-roll. “You weren’t wrong—I was. I was too impulsive before. Coming to the island was my choice, and now it’s me who can’t deal with the hardships…”

Before she could finish, Li Linghui hastily set down the food container and took her hands.

“Honey, I really was wrong. Please don’t divorce me.”

Kong Xuelan: “Who said anything about divorcing you?”

Li Linghui looked flustered and muttered, “Isn’t this a last meal together, honey?”

Kong Xuelan shook off his hand. “If we were splitting up, why would I cook for you? I swear, I should crack your head open to see if it’s just full of mush.”

It finally dawned on Li Linghui—his wife was trying to make up, not divorce.

“No divorce is good, no divorce is good. Honey, sit down. You’re not fully recovered—you shouldn’t be working so hard to cook.”

Kong Xuelan: “Since I’ve decided to stay, I’ll try harder to push through the difficulties. I’ll cook at home more often when I have time.”

Hearing this, Li Linghui grinned. “Honey, you’re amazing.”

“Look at you, so pathetically grateful. Sit down and eat already.”

“You got it!”

After days of giving each other the silent treatment, the couple finally sat down peacefully for a meal.

Because Kong Xuelan had cooked it herself, Li Linghui kept stuffing himself even after he was full.

In the end, Kong Xuelan finally pulled the plug, not letting him continue to eat.

After dinner, Li Linghui wandered over to the neighbor Lu Hanchuan’s yard.