Volume One, Chapter 16: Qianqian

But what else could she do? She had already offended Second Uncle, and Jianxi was still in their household. She absolutely could not afford to offend Second Aunt, who held the purse strings.

So, reluctantly, she forced herself to have Eldest Sister-in-law take the blame, and with difficulty, she spoke up, watching Dong Ercheng’s dark and unsettled expression.

“Second Uncle, I apologize on behalf of Eldest Sister-in-law, and also to Third Sister. It must have been a misunderstanding—surely the one who went to the countryside wasn’t Third Sister. With a father like you, how could she have gone to endure hardship in the countryside?”

Dong Ercheng looked at Lin Xi, whose smile was strained and insincere.

Finally, Dong Ercheng had no choice but to accept Zhao Chunfang as the culprit. Since Lin Xuehua was pregnant, she couldn’t be touched at this time.

Qianqian had shown no signs of illness in childhood, but now the symptoms were manifesting.

Xiaobei was also Zhao Yunlei’s child and shared the Zhao bloodline; perhaps he would be the same.

So the child Lin Xuehua was carrying might very well be the only healthy one.

Dong Ercheng nodded perfunctorily, looking at Lin Xi, who bowed before him on account of Dong Jianxi.

She had only one thing right—that with a father like him, Dong Qianqian would never have gone to the countryside.

Seeing Dong Ercheng’s expression soften somewhat, Lin Xi dared not bring up any desire to see her son, Dong Jianxi.

Instead, she hurriedly laid out her original intention. “Second Uncle, here’s the situation: Third Sister fell ill and came to the hospital on her own; we didn’t even know. The family went mad looking for her, and by afternoon, Shuanghuan disappeared too. Do you think she might have gone home? Have you seen her?”

Faced with losing another daughter from the old home, Dong Ercheng was already unmoved.

His parents still had the nerve to accuse him of being heartless and cold for not returning home during holidays—both sides were equally blameworthy, so what could he say?

He only thanked his stars that the lost one wasn’t his biological daughter, and at least his son wasn’t missing.

Noticing Lin Xi’s eager expression, Dong Ercheng waved his hand dismissively.

“She might have gone home, but I’ve been busy at the hospital these past days and haven’t had time to go back. Maybe Shuanghuan went home on her own. But, Third Sister-in-law, I’ve said it many times—my children don’t go by the old home’s nicknames. ‘Third Sister’—she has a proper name. Her mother searched through the Book of Songs to find it. It means she will grow and thrive like wild grass, strong and flourishing. That nickname is rustic nonsense; it must never be used again.”

Lin Xi, caught under the eaves, had no choice but to bow her head and nod repeatedly.

Inwardly, she resented Dong Ercheng for daring to reprimand her so bluntly while never confronting Eldest Sister-in-law or her grandmother in the same way.

If it weren’t for Jianxi still being under his roof, and her son’s bright future depending on his plans, she would have long since turned her back on him.

***

After sending off the sorrowful Lin Xi, Dong Ercheng turned and saw his eldest daughter standing quietly in the corner, dressed in a thin hospital gown and holding her youngest son.

Her small frame looked frail, the loose hospital gown hanging off her.

The shadow in the corner cloaked her figure in loneliness.

In her arms, Dong Jianbei’s round, pale face with his tiny green bean-like eyes looked at him curiously.

Dong Qianqian gazed at the man she remembered as a despicable father with an extremely complicated expression.

She had overheard most of their conversation.

She truly hadn’t expected Dong Ercheng to stand up for his daughter so firmly.

He wasn’t as indifferent to her as she had imagined.

Back then, the original self should have fought harder; perhaps she wouldn’t have ended up so badly.

Dong Ercheng looked at the four pairs of eyes—two sets strikingly similar and the other two picking up only flaws—and couldn’t help but smile.

One was the perfect model of him and Zhao Yunlei, and the other... how did it manage to inherit only faults?

He reached out and pinched Dong Jianbei’s chubby face; the texture felt good. Maybe if he slimmed down, he’d be fine.

“Why aren’t you waiting for me in the room? It’s so cold outside!”

Dong Qianqian thought: How else could I keep track of the situation? But she still needed a strong excuse.

So she raised her chin, glanced sideways at Dong Jianbei, and said, “He said he’s hungry!”

“Hungry! Hungry!” Dong Jianbei waved his little hands to cooperate with his sister, clearly enunciating the last syllable.

He was three years old this year, just at the stage of learning to talk like a person.

Especially when Dong Qianqian realized that no matter what she said, Dong Jianbei only mechanically repeated the last word, she had found her perfect excuse.

“All right, let’s go eat, I’m hungry too. I wonder how the cafeteria at the First People’s General Hospital is?”

He reached for Dong Jianbei and, like a father in a normal family, took his child to eat.

This scene was common in a normal household, but it was the first time for Dong Ercheng.

Since his wife Zhao Yunlei passed away, he had always been busy—very busy—but no one knew with what.

All household matters were left to Lin Xuehua; if things didn’t come to his attention, he never interfered.

This was why he had never taken Dong Jianbei out himself; the most he had seen was his sleeping face late at night.

***

Just as Dong Jianbei pressed his face against the cafeteria window, drooling uncontrollably at the sight of braised pork and garlic ribs inside, unable to hold back, Dong Ercheng hurriedly lifted him down and wiped the drool off with his sleeve, apologizing profusely to the kitchen staff.

“Xiaobei, what’s wrong with you? Don’t you have plenty here? Isn’t this enough?”

Dong Ercheng carried Dong Jianbei back to the table, feeling a pang of sadness and embarrassment as he looked at the spread: braised pork, garlic ribs, sticky rice balls, and the tiger’s paw bread Dong Qianqian loved.

Everything was there, yet the boy wanted to reach for others’ food. Was there something wrong with his brain?

“Eat!” Dong Jianbei turned his head away stubbornly, staring at Dong Qianqian and softly humming, still only repeating the last word.

Dong Qianqian was happily munching on the so-called tiger’s paw bread, fooled by its name.

She had thought it was real tiger paws, but it wasn’t bad—tasteless, but not unpleasant. It would be even better with some sugar.

Just as she was imagining how delicious it would be with sugar, she met Dong Jianbei’s tiny green bean eyes.

Silently, she turned Dong Jianbei’s head back, facing their father.

She knew what Dong Jianbei meant: The original self stayed at school all day, and as soon as school ended, she’d rush home, never more than half a step away from Dong Jianbei.

Whenever they ate at home, the first thing was to feed him, worried that Lin Xuehua might treat him harshly.

Only after he was full would she eat.

Though that meant only leftovers remained, the original self never minded.

Over time, this little chubby boy developed the habit of being fed.

Accustomed to being waited on, he never picked up a spoon himself. But the transplanted Dong Qianqian would never indulge him like the original self.

She had already cared for the seventh prince enough in her past life; such an adorable child, she could still be ruthless.

But with this not-so-adorable, clingy Dong Jianbei—despite the blood ties—she had no desire to be a thankless nanny.

She mercilessly turned Dong Jianbei’s head back, but for some reason, she could still see this fierce uncle.

Feeling scared, Dong Jianbei stubbornly tried to turn his head back toward his cold, unyielding sister.

But at that moment, Dong Ercheng had already stuffed a piece of braised pork into his mouth.

The glossy meat melted instantly, rich in flavor; his eyes instantly lit up.

His tiny green bean eyes widened before turning into the size of peanuts.

By the end of the meal, he could fluently say “Dad.”

Dong Ercheng felt an inexplicable rush of emotion as his youngest son finally warmed to him.