Page 5

Shen Baili bore no grudge. "Mom, don't you come see me every night?"

She blinked playfully. "I know you do."

Shen Wan froze for a moment. Then her daughter patted the space beside her and invited her over. "Let's lie down and watch TV together."

The bed in the hospital's VIP suite was large, with plenty of comfortable space for two.

They lay together watching a drama, chatting now and then. Eventually, they talked about how Shen Baili had been brought to the hospital yesterday.

"...When you see Butler Lin and Chengyue again, remember to thank them."

Shen Baili made a mental note. "Okay."

"Your Uncle Xie is overseas and couldn't make it back. He called last night to ask how you were..." Shen Wan hesitated, worried her daughter would be upset.

Shen Baili didn't mind. "I know. Work comes first."

Everyone in the Xie Family was a workaholic, especially her big-shot stepfather. He wouldn't leave work even if his own son fell ill, much less for a stepdaughter who wasn't related to him by blood.

Shen Baili took it in stride. "As long as Mom is by my side, I'm the happiest little girl in the world!"

"So am I." Shen Wan drew her daughter into her arms and kissed her forehead tenderly.

"Who on earth is Xu Ruanruan's child's biological father? Gu **? Li **? Or He #?"

"Rule out He Zong first. His name only has two characters, while everyone else's has three. He can't compete."

The drama was ridiculous, but Shen Baili was hooked.

"Mom, what do you think?"

...Silence.

"Mom?" Shen Baili turned her head. Her mother had fallen asleep. The dark circles beneath her eyes looked like ink stains, stark against her fair skin.

Her mom must have been exhausted yesterday.

Shen Baili turned down the TV, tucked the blanket around her mother, and went back to watching quietly.

A light rain began to fall outside. She and her mother were the only ones in the room, while the drama's three male leads were dancing... er... fighting.

The heroine tried frantically to stop them. "Stop fighting! Stop fighting! You'll never kill anyone like that!"

What deranged genius of a screenwriter had come up with this? It was completely unhinged, and she still wanted to keep watching.

Shen Baili watched TV with her mother nestled gently in her arms. She felt wonderfully safe.

That sense of safety brought a curious feeling to her stomach.

Could it be...

Pfffft! The next second, Shen Baili let out a loud fart. At the same time, the ward door opened, and the doctor and Xie Chengyue walked in.

The gas... kept coming.

Shen Baili: !!! Help help help help!

Ahhhhh, how can my fart be this loud?

Ahhhhh, it's not thunder!

Though thunder would still be louder than my fart.

If I faint right now and pretend

I've lost my memory,

would it still work?

The few seconds it took to pass that noisy gas seemed to stretch across several lifetimes.

Color flooded Shen Baili's pale face, leaving it flushed.

No one said a word. This is so awkward.

As that thought crossed her mind, her brain short-circuited. She waved first. "Hi~ Have you eaten?"

Xie Zhiyu's brows lifted slightly. A hint of amusement flashed through his usually composed eyes, then vanished.

The doctor smiled kindly. "Your digestion seems to be working well, young lady. Now that you've passed gas, you can have some water. Once the bloating goes down, you can have a little watered-down millet porridge."

"Really?" Shen Baili swallowed without meaning to and looked at the doctor expectantly, afraid she had misheard him.

Her attending physician nodded. "Really. One Chinese person wouldn't lie to another."

Shen Baili clenched her fists in delight. "Thank you! You're such a good person."

Her attending physician said, "...What a lively young lady."

Shen Wan stirred awake. "Suìsuì, was that thunder just now? It was so loud!"

Mom! My own mother!

Shen Baili's flushed face turned as red as a ripe cherry tomato in an instant.

Xie Zhiyu heard her voice. His cool, stern expression finally gave way; the corners of his mouth rose before he restrained the smile.

This stepsister of his really was quite lively.

Interesting.

Shen Baili's eyes sparkled at the tempting bowl of millet porridge set before her. Nothing mattered more than a meal.

"Thank you for the food." Shen Baili looked utterly reverent.

Xie Zhiyu nodded. "Mm."

A man of few words.

Shen Baili didn't care. She scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and swallowed it.

Delicious~ After a whole day without food, she finally had rice. A world without rice was unthinkable! Shen Baili ate slowly, savoring every mouthful. She made the bland porridge look like a feast fit for an emperor.

Not far away, Xie Zhiyu ate his own dinner. While the porridge cooked, he had made himself a bowl of noodles.

Shen Wan had planned to cook for them both, but they stopped her together and convinced her to rest in the next room.

The VIP ward was a fully equipped suite.

Since Shen Baili would be staying in the hospital, Butler Lin had thoughtfully arranged for the fridge to be stocked with all kinds of ingredients and fruit.

Xie Zhiyu had made a simple pot of porridge and some noodles in the kitchen, and that became dinner for the two of them.

He had just gotten off work. As his car passed the hospital, he remembered Shen Baili was staying there and decided to drop in. He hadn't expected to walk in on a scene like that.

It had been rather amusing.

Xie Zhiyu glanced up at Shen Baili, who was eating with utter satisfaction. Her recovery from surgery seemed to be going well.

The one eating the porridge was happy, and the one who had cooked it was pleased.

Xie Zhiyu hadn't had much of an appetite, but suddenly found one and finished all his noodles.

"What is it?" Shen Baili looked up and met Xie Zhiyu's eyes. A grain of rice was stuck above her upper lip.

Xie Zhiyu pointed. "...You've got something here."

Shen Baili plucked off the grain of rice and popped it into her mouth.

"It's rice."

Xie Zhiyu's pupils quivered. Shen Baili looked puzzled. "Is there more rice on my face?"

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