Chapter Three

The next afternoon at two-thirty, Dong Zhenghao came to the appraisal center again. The results were as he expected: Liu Mumu was indeed the daughter he had lost years ago.

Suddenly having such an older daughter, Dong Zhenghao hadn't figured out how to settle her yet.

After thinking for a while, he said to Liu Mumu, "Your grandmother has been sick lately, and things at home are a bit chaotic. You should stay in a hotel for now."

Liu Mumu blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like little fans. "Can I go see Grandma?"

"You still remember your grandmother?"

"Of course," Liu Mumu smiled, revealing a dimple on her right cheek. "I remember very clearly."

"That's fine too." Dong Zhenghao didn't refuse Liu Mumu's suggestion, thinking of what the doctor had told him a few days prior.

His mother's condition wasn't good; she likely wouldn't make it through the month. The old lady had always been thinking about Little Mutou. Letting her see her one last time would fulfill her wish.

As for how Jiang Li would react upon seeing Little Mutou, Dong Zhenghao could roughly guess, but he also knew clearly that she wouldn't make a scene in front of others.

After the two got into the car, the driver headed towards Qing City Second Hospital.

Dong Zhenghao kept his eyes closed, pretending to nap after getting in the car. In reality, he occasionally glanced at Liu Mumu sitting beside him.

She probably hadn't seen a driver hired specifically to drive them and kept stealing glances.

Dong Zhenghao couldn't help but compare her to his younger daughter, Dong Yue, feeling that this elder daughter was somewhat small-minded. It seemed the child hadn't been taught well outside. Jiang Li was qualified in terms of raising children.

Thinking about the information Secretary Wang had sent him late last night, Dong Zhenghao frowned slightly. His daughter hadn't been sold to a family by traffickers but was adopted by an old man.

The old man's profession, according to the information, was a fortune teller, or more crudely put, a swindler.

For several years, Little Mutou had lived in the north with the old man. Later, she got into Qing City University, and they moved together. Not long ago, the old man had passed away.

Due to the short timeframe, Secretary Wang hadn't been able to find much information about the old man, only confirming that Liu Mumu's reappearance wasn't instigated by anyone.

For him, that was enough.

He thought that once the child was officially recognized, he could bring her home for Jiang Li to teach her properly and correct her unseemly little habits. After all, she was his daughter, Dong Zhenghao's daughter, and she couldn't embarrass him.

Soon, the car stopped in a parking lot near the Second Hospital.

Dong Zhenghao led Liu Mumu towards Qing City Second Hospital. As they passed the emergency hall, they happened to encounter an ambulance pulling up in a hurry. A blood-covered injured person was being carried out.

Following behind, a middle-aged woman got out of the car, also stained with blood, her expression dazed. She was clearly a relative of the injured person.

Liu Mumu only had time for a quick glance before the injured person was rushed inside by the arriving medical staff, leaving behind only a strong smell of blood.

Dong Zhenghao, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped. He hurriedly instructed, "Wait for me here, I'm going to take a look."

Without looking back, he walked into the emergency hall.

Liu Mumu didn't feel much curiosity about his actions. The injured person being carried in was probably someone he knew.

She walked to a flower bed nearby and sat down. After a while, as if remembering something, she took three coins from her pocket, clasped her hands together, shook them, and then spread them out.

She idly fiddled with the three coins in her palm, arranging them in a line. After looking for a moment, she muttered to herself, "1414? This number isn't very auspicious. It seems my dear grandmother won't make it through tonight."

After waiting for about half an hour, Dong Zhenghao came out of the emergency hall and immediately spotted Liu Mumu huddled by the flower bed.

The young girl was playing with the coins in her hand, as if counting money. He thought for a moment, took out his wallet, and found a few hundred yuan.

A stack of bills was suddenly thrust before her eyes. Liu Mumu looked up blankly, seeing the pity in Dong Zhenghao's eyes. He also said to her, "It's too hot, take this and buy some ice cream."

Liu Mumu suddenly understood. She took the money and gave Dong Zhenghao a sweet smile. "Thank you, Dad."

She went to a roadside shop and bought a bottle of ice water and an ice pop. She handed the water to Dong Zhenghao and gnawed on the ice pop herself.

The two walked towards the inpatient building, one after the other. As the elevator ascended, it finally stopped on the 14th floor.

As Dong Zhenghao led Liu Mumu towards room 1414, Wang Guixiang had just woken from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and didn't see her son, but instead saw her daughter-in-law sitting stiffly by the wall, which immediately angered her.

She struggled to raise her hand and swept a thermos from the nearby cabinet to the floor.

With a "thump" and the old lady's groans, Jiang Li, who had been dozing, instantly woke up.

Just as she stood up, she saw the hospital room door being pushed open, and Dong Zhenghao appeared outside.

She inwardly cried out, "This is bad."

"Mom, what's wrong?" Dong Zhenghao rushed over upon seeing the cup on the floor, the water everywhere, and his mother groaning incessantly.

Wang Guixiang whimpered and complained to her son, "Mom was just thirsty and wanted a drink of water. Seeing your wife sleeping, I didn't want to bother her, so don't scold her."

The words were circuitous. In the past, Dong Zhenghao would have surely scolded Jiang Li a little to appease his mother, but now he had more important matters and didn't engage with that.

Instead, he smiled at his mother and said, "Mom, I have good news for you."

"What good news?" Wang Guixiang asked weakly.

"Little Mutou, come in and let Grandma see you." Dong Zhenghao called out to the outside. Liu Mumu, who had been waiting outside, pushed the door open and walked in.

Dong Zhenghao turned to look in the direction of the door at this moment and didn't notice that his mother's expression held no surprise, but rather a hint of panic.

Hearing the name "Little Mutou," Jiang Li's heart clenched. When she saw the young girl standing at the doorway, her heart sank to the bottom.

Liu Mumu didn't look at Jiang Li. She walked into the hospital room and went to Wang Guixiang's bedside.

Dong Zhenghao only then noticed that she was still holding the half-eaten ice pop. He frowned slightly, displeased, but still said nothing.

Liu Mumu bent down and gave the old woman lying in bed a sweet smile. "Dad said Grandma has always been thinking of me. Little Mutou is back to see Grandma. Surprised? Unexpected?"

Joy was unknown, but shock was likely real.

Upon seeing a face so similar to his former daughter-in-law, Wang Guixiang was so stunned she nearly fainted, her eyes rolling back.

As Dong Zhenghao and Jiang Li rushed out to call a doctor, Liu Mumu straightened up and looked at the old woman on the bed, her breath faint.

When she arrived, her father had told her that her grandmother had told everyone she couldn't rest in peace if she didn't find her granddaughter. Now, she should be able to close her eyes peacefully.

Soon, doctors and nurses rushed in, pushing the old woman towards the emergency room.

Outside the emergency room, Jiang Li and Liu Mumu sat at opposite ends of a row of chairs, while Dong Zhenghao paced back and forth with a grim expression.

Every time he saw Liu Mumu still eating an ice pop, a fire burned within him, making him restless.

He worried about his mother's life and death, yet also felt angry at himself for bringing Little Mumu here, knowing the old lady couldn't handle such a shock.

He couldn't help but blame Liu Mumu, wondering why she chose to show up now, not earlier or later. His mother always called her a jinx, and now it seemed true!

Jiang Li had initially worried that Dong Zhenghao's sudden discovery of his daughter might affect her. Now, she realized she had worried too much.

Given her husband's personality, if this girl nearly "scared to death" the old lady upon meeting her, she'd likely be sent away from then on, let alone any talk of recognition.

A moment later, a doctor emerged from the emergency room, and Dong Zhenghao hurried to meet him.

Before he could speak, the doctor shook his head at him.

Dong Zhenghao faltered, his footing unsteady, nearly falling backward. Fortunately, the doctor caught him in time.

Jiang Li quickly went to support him, also looking distressed. Dong Zhenghao stood for a moment, then suddenly burst into tears.

Liu Mumu simply sat nearby, watching them cry as if it had nothing to do with her.

"Don't be too sad, Mom had a good long life," Jiang Li said, patting Dong Zhenghao's back as she comforted him.

It was better not to mention it, but as soon as it was brought up, Dong Zhenghao thought of Liu Mumu.

How could a daughter he had just recognized be closer to him than his own mother, with whom he had lived his whole life? Regardless of what had stimulated the old lady, in his eyes, it was all Liu Mumu's fault!

He turned his head and glared fiercely at Liu Mumu.

Liu Mumu was not intimidated by his fierce gaze. Instead, she looked at him with an innocent expression.

Dong Zhenghao still had a shred of reason left and didn't say anything harsh. He simply said coldly to Liu Mumu, "You should go back now."

Unexpectedly, Liu Mumu shook her head and refused. She said, "Since Grandma is gone, I, as her granddaughter, should see her off on her final journey."

This statement made Jiang Li glance at Liu Mumu more closely, scoffing inwardly. This girl was thick-skinned, but her brain wasn't sharp enough.

Dong Zhenghao's attitude was already so clear, and she still wanted to stay here and make herself uncomfortable? Perhaps she knew her biological father was rich and refused to leave, but she had tried too hard.

"You don't need to see her off!" Dong Zhenghao's anger finally erupted, and his voice rose. "You get out of here right now."

Liu Mumu remained seated, shaking her head at him.

Her attitude finally infuriated Dong Zhenghao completely. Disregarding the others present, he pointed at Liu Mumu and shouted, "If it weren't for you, my mother wouldn't have died! I shouldn't have listened to her and insisted on bringing you back to see her! You are a jinx."

Being cursed at, Liu Mumu didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled. "Dad, instead of blaming me for scaring Grandma to death, why don't you ask Grandma if she had nightmares when she sold me for a thousand yuan, and if she knew I'd come back one day?"

"Wh-what?" Dong Zhenghao's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He looked like a mute frog, a rather comical sight.