Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 524 - 508 Being Coveted, the Innocent Child

Zhao Chun woke up again, but this time, he was finally not in that damp and cold little dark room.

The sky outside had already darkened, but the room was brightly lit.

A white ceiling, freshly-painted white walls, and the furnishings in the room were very tidy.

This wasn’t his home. It looked more like a hospital room, with that distinctive smell of a hospital lingering in the air.

Wait, how did he end up here? He clearly remembered being tied up, beaten, rescued, then escaping, and finally seeing Tian Sangsang—right before embarrassingly passing out.

The last thing he saw was Tian Sangsang. Where was she?

Clutching his stomach with one hand and propping himself up with the other, Zhao Chun gritted his teeth, moving slowly and struggling to sit up. Such a simple move, one he’d normally complete with ease like a carp flipping, had now turned into a grueling one-minute ordeal.

He propped a pillow behind his back, grimaced, and wiped off a bit of cold sweat with his hand. Staying still wasn’t too bad, as the pain was bearable then, but the moment he moved, it tore through him. It wasn’t just internal pain; his muscles and skin hurt too—like a stretched-out muscle injury.

The door creaked open.

Zhao Chun quickly dropped his sour-faced expression, forcing himself to look calm and composed.

He immediately turned his head and let out a breath of relief. Warmly, he said, "Sangsang."

"You’re awake." Tian Sangsang walked in carrying ointment and a food box, pulled a chair over, and sat by his bedside.

Her movements were slow and awkward now, as heavy as a turtle’s crawl.

Zhao Chun hurriedly went to take the items from her hands and forced out a sentence, "I’ll handle it." He placed the food box and ointment on the bedside table.

"How are you feeling? Does it hurt any less?" Tian Sangsang asked, her movements slower than his.

Zhao Chun frowned slightly, replying nonchalantly, "It’s about the same." Who was he kidding? The pain came in waves, so sharp it made his insides tremble. He could still feel how much force the blows had behind them, whether it was with fists or feet—it was all delivered squarely onto his body. Damn it. Damn his goddamn luck.

The injuries were internal. Aside from the pain, there didn’t seem to be any other big issues. It was like a toothache—the pain seared into his senses bit by bit, clinging and refusing to be shaken off.

He’d rather take a quick hit and get it over with. A proper man, stuck enduring this endless petty torment—it was unbearable.

Like hell he was fine, Tian Sangsang thought skeptically as she pursed her lips and grabbed the ointment from the table.

Zhao Chun glanced toward the door. "Where’s Kunling? Is she back? Is she alright?"

"She’s back," Tian Sangsang replied. "Much better off than you. She’s completely fine. Right now, she’s at home looking after Yanyan. I told her to stay there and rest with him. I didn’t dare bring Yanyan here—little kids should be shielded from all this bloodshed and violence. Besides, if he came, the image he has of you would be completely ruined."

Zhao Chun sighed. Image? What image? Back in Tian Family Village, Yanyan had seen everything there was to see.

His mind wandered a bit before he suddenly had a flash of realization. "Oh right! You wouldn’t believe how amazing Kunling is. She used just one iron chain to bring several grown men to the ground. If it hadn’t been for her, I’d be toast."

"Truly, still waters run deep. Kunling never flaunts her abilities," Tian Sangsang chuckled. "Not like me, flaunting sharpness like a water caltrop—all edge and no subtlety."

"No, no." Zhao Chun didn’t move but his expression was animated, as though his features might collapse in disbelief. "You’re not a water caltrop anymore; you’ve transformed into a gold ingot. Your two sharp edges are rounded now, all smooth and plump."

Damn it, the last thing she wanted to hear was anything related to being fat, and Zhao Chun just had to use a perfectly poetic phrase to deliver the blow.

"Ha ha," Tian Sangsang laughed coldly, cracking her knuckles dramatically as she raised a hand to hit him.

"Zhao Chun, do you have a death wish? If you think I’m fat, just say it outright!"

"Aaargh!" Even before she hit him, Zhao Chun began to howl as if she actually had. She was the one who said it first! He’d never explicitly called her fat, not once! Women are terrifying!

Of course, Tian Sangsang wouldn’t actually hit him. Seeing how pale his handsome face had become, she sighed.

"Quit pretending to be pitiful. Let me apply the medicine," she said.

Zhao Chun meekly replied, "I’m not pretending—it really hurts."

"Then you deserve it for making trouble. See what happens when you act up." Tian Sangsang’s voice softened, gentler and sweeter than usual for reasons she couldn’t quite explain.

Zhao Chun froze for a moment. "...Oh."

Tian Sangsang pulled back the blanket covering him and lifted his shirt. His body didn’t show any open wounds, but there were plenty of horrifying bruises and clotted blood beneath the skin, the sight of which was almost shocking.

"Does it hurt?"

"Huh?" His body felt a sudden draft, and Zhao Chun jumped in surprise. His face flushed instantly as he blurted, "N-no, it doesn’t. Let me handle it myself."

"Stop moving, or do you want me to hit you again?" Tian Sangsang said while peeling open an adhesive ointment patch.

Had she just seen his upper body? Zhao Chun’s heart raced at the idea, but all he could do was sit still. He didn’t even dare move. Honestly, even if he wanted to move, he really couldn’t—the pain was killing him. The patch stuck to his skin, warming it, and her scent mixed with her breath hovered close. Zhao Chun only felt—hot.

Hot, so unbearably hot.

Her lowered gaze was calm and gentle, her long lashes like tiny fans. But the fan was too small, incapable of cooling the inexplicable heat he was feeling. Zhao Chun shifted anxiously. "Maybe I should... Ow! Ow! Could you be gentler?!"

Tearfully eyeing Tian Sangsang’s warning glare, Zhao Chun didn’t dare offer again to handle it himself.

As another patch was applied, the earlier pain weirdly dissipated that inexplicable heat he’d been feeling. After catching his breath for a moment, Zhao Chun asked pitifully, "Hey, Sangsang, how did I get back here?"

Tian Sangsang smirked slightly without looking up. "You were carried back—by this gold ingot, of course."

Zhao Chun’s eyes widened in utter shock. "...!!"

Tian Sangsang didn’t have to look to know his expression. It wasn’t the first time. After all, she had carried him before. She really missed those days when she acted like a tough girl—sure, she might’ve been a bit darker and heftier back then, but she could lift good-looking young men with ease!

When the final medicinal patch was applied, Tian Sangsang pulled his shirt back down and spoke solemnly, "Kunling already checked you, and the doctor did too. They both said your injuries are internal and will hurt for several days. You need to rest and avoid any intense activity during this time. Oh, and Kunling asked me to suggest that once you’re better, you should exercise more and work on your fitness. Otherwise, all you’ll be is a decorative pillow in a heroic body."

After all, the muscles he had weren’t bad—just a little on the softer side. They weren’t as rock-solid as Jiang Jinghuai’s, but hey, at least he had abs. She had half-expected he’d have none at all.

Zhao Chun’s face flushed deep red, and he nodded weakly. Even if Kunling hadn’t said anything, this experience alone was enough to make him seek out some self-defense training. Otherwise, he’d always be on the receiving end of punches.