MGASC -Chapter 189 Boundless Protective Instincts

Zhang Ling’s clothes were soaked—both her top and pants clinging wetly to her body, outlining her graceful figure completely in front of him, making it hard not to feel overwhelmed.

On top of that, she was bent over, one hand rubbing her ankle, letting out muffled groans whenever it hurt. Her brows furrowed slightly, her fragile appearance only making the man’s protective instincts swell uncontrollably.

“Change your clothes first.”

Jin Quan glanced at her a few times, suppressing his irritation as he looked away. Two bags were on the floor. Seeing her inconvenience, he went over to help her search through them.

“Are all your clothes in here?”

Zhang Ling suddenly remembered that her underwear was on the top layer—she had just washed and put it away yesterday.

“Don’t touch it!”

It was too late. Jin Quan yanked the white underwear from the top, gave it a quick shake in his hands, then casually tossed it to her, along with a set of clothes and pants.

He reminded her: “Change quickly, don’t catch a cold.”

Zhang Ling held the clothes, her face burning with embarrassment, glaring at him.

“What are you looking at me for? Want me to change them for you?” Jin Quan’s eyes were predatory as he appraised her from head to toe. “Not that I can’t, but I’m rough—might hurt you…”

“Just go out! You’re so annoying!”

Zhang Ling grabbed a rag and threw it at him. He caught it without a change in expression, then turned and carried the bucket of water outside.

Once he left, Zhang Ling quickly took the opportunity to change, wincing at the pain in her ankle.

When she finished, Jin Quan returned, carrying two full buckets of water, and poured them into the red bucket.

After setting it down, he looked at Zhang Ling and couldn’t help smiling again.

What was she so tense about? She had just changed clothes, and one button on her shirt was misaligned. A section under the hem stuck out, forming an asymmetric shape.

Jin Quan walked toward her.

Zhang Ling stepped back. “What do you want?”

A sharp pain in her ankle made her drop to the floor again.

Jin Quan crouched and grabbed her ankle with his large hand.

Zhang Ling instinctively recoiled, making him frown in irritation. “Be quick about it. With barely any meat on you, who would even want to touch you otherwise?”

Zhang Ling’s vision darkened with anger.

But he pressed on, placing her foot directly on his knee, rolling up her pants to expose her injured ankle.

In just a short time, it had already turned dark purple.

He pressed gently; she cried out in pain. Seeing him lift his eyes, those commanding, overwhelming eyes fixed on her, Zhang Ling covered her mouth in embarrassment.

“Hurts a lot?”

She nodded. Jin Quan then eased his grip and massaged the injury for a while. The calluses on his palm rubbed against her skin like sandpaper, warmth radiating from them.

By the end, Zhang Ling clenched her fingers tightly, trying to endure something she couldn’t even articulate.

“Alright, stop moving. Go find somewhere to sit and rest.”

Jin Quan set her foot down.

From experience, he judged that the bones were fine; it was just a tendon, some ointment and two days of rest would fix it.

Zhang Ling held onto nearby furniture, cautiously standing.

“Wait…”

As she turned, Jin Quan pulled her back by the shoulder.

His rough hand suddenly reached for her collar, scaring Zhang Ling into grabbing it immediately. “Don’t—”

“The button is wrong.”

Jin Quan half-smiled, looking at her like prey, then slowly withdrew his hand.

The instant her hands were free, Zhang Ling quickly looked away, turning around to hurriedly fix the button herself. “I can do it.”

Hobbling, she went into the room.

Sitting on the bed, her heart raced, frozen in place.

She felt a little overwhelmed—Jin Quan was like a shadow, impossible to predict.

Yet he worked for Lin Tianyue, so she couldn’t offend him, nor could she stay away.

Lost in her thoughts, Jin Quan returned, turning on the old color TV. Snowy static appeared for a moment, then images of people and scenes popped up—astonishingly vivid, even more lifelike than the open-air movies she had watched in the village.

He casually flipped the channel and left.

Zhang Ling was immediately absorbed in the drama, almost forgetting her pain.

After finishing one episode, she noticed Jin Quan was still in the kitchen, having not only carried the water but also started cooking.

The smell of chopped green onions hitting the hot oil wafted over. Zhang Ling hopped to the kitchen doorway on one leg, holding onto the frame as she watched him stir-fry the sliced meat.

“You… can cook?”

Jin Quan skillfully wielded the spatula. “What’s wrong? Your little pretty boy doesn’t know how?”

Her heart tightened. After all these years of marriage, Xu Liang had never stepped into the kitchen.

“Why are you doing this? Did my brother-in-law call you to deliver food?”

“No call.”

When the meat was nearly done, he threw in the sliced mushrooms and stir-fried them together. In minutes, a dish of mushroom and meat was ready.

He also made tomato and egg, and fried peanuts.

Dish after dish was placed on the table, with steaming buns filling a plate.

Jin Quan beckoned to the dazed Zhang Ling. “Foot feeling better? Wash your hands and come eat.”

Zhang Ling realized the meal was just for her and Jin Quan.

She washed her hands and sat down on the opposite side of the round table. A pair of chopsticks and a bun were already in front of her.

She picked up the chopsticks, tasting the mushrooms and the eggs—surprisingly good.

Her emotions stirred.

Then the man across from her spoke: “When I first enlisted, I was in the kitchen unit. Not long, just a year.”

Zhang Ling suddenly grew interested in his experience. “Then what? Why didn’t you stay?”

“What’s the point of cooking every day?” Jin Quan turned and, without hesitation, poured a glass of white liquor for himself and half a glass for her.

“I don’t—”

“You’re injured. This is for the pain. Try it.”

Zhang Ling: Wait, alcohol can do that?

Skeptical but not wanting to offend, she sipped it.

Spicy! Bitter and hot, making her stick out her tongue.

“Eat some food!”

“All right.”

She quickly stuffed a few bites in, feeling better.

Seeing she can’t handle much alcohol, Jin Quan didn’t push it, drinking heartily himself. “After a year in the kitchen, I went to the reconnaissance battalion. Gu Yu was in the first company, I was in the second. We often had competitions, gradually got familiar.”

“Oh, then? At your age, you must have served for quite some time. No promotion?”

Jin Quan frowned, seemingly unwilling to answer, and drained his cup, pouring another.

“You should drink less,” Zhang Ling advised. She ate peanuts while sipping the liquor, eventually feeling the room spin, the TV figures doubling in her vision.

Almost all the food was eaten. She sighed. “You know? I’ve grown up, but this is the first time I’ve had ready-made food.”

Feeling a bit emotional, her body went soft and she rested on the table.