"Little one, open your mouth. Let me check if your throat is red."
"Sweetie, let me listen to your heart and lungs..."
Duoduo cooperated perfectly.
The female doctor patted her head gently. "This is the first time I've seen such a beautiful and well-behaved child. Your parents must have raised you wonderfully."
Ji Zhouye: "...I'm her uncle."
Rong Yu: "..."
Never mind—it was too complicated to explain.
"The child has mild pneumonia," the doctor said, quickly writing a prescription. "It's not serious, but she needs to stay for an IV. We'll reassess in the morning."
The infusion room was right next to the outpatient area. While Ji Zhouye went to pay the bill, Rong Yu carried Duoduo to a small hospital bed to wait.
When the nurse arrived to administer the IV, the little girl turned pale with fear, shrinking into the corner of the bed.
"Duoduo, behave!" Ji Zhouye deliberately hardened his tone. "If you're sick, you need the shot. If you keep hiding, I’ll have to hold you down."
Duoduo burst into tears.
Rong Yu shot him a glare. "If you can’t speak nicely, then shut up."
Ji Zhouye rubbed his nose sheepishly.
Duoduo cried harder.
Rong Yu’s only parenting experience came from raising Ji Shunying.
Back then, if the boy misbehaved, she’d just grab him by the collar and give him a spanking—simple and effective.
A boy could take a little rough handling.
But how could anyone bear to be harsh with such a sweet, delicate little girl?
"Why are you shedding so many golden tears?" The same doctor from earlier walked in. She crouched beside the bed and smiled warmly. "Have you watched Peppa Pig? Remember when Peppa got her vaccine? She was so brave—after the shot, she went right back to playing with George! It might sting a little, but I promise I’ll be very gentle, okay?"
Duoduo, enchanted by her soothing voice, hesitantly offered her tiny hand.
The doctor inserted the needle with practiced ease.
Duoduo had braced for terrible pain, but it was just a slight pinch—like a tiny ant bite.
"Wow, what a brave girl! Here’s a little red flower for you."
The doctor pulled a sheet of stickers from her pocket, peeled one off, and pressed it onto Duoduo’s forehead. The little girl smiled shyly.
Finished with her task, the doctor stood and noticed Rong Yu staring at her with wide eyes. She chuckled awkwardly. "Working with kids all day means you have to keep little tricks up your sleeve to get them to cooperate."
Rong Yu glanced at her name tag—Wen Yan, Deputy Director of Pediatrics. No wonder she was so gentle.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Wen Yan waved it off. "Just doing my job. If she feels any discomfort, don’t hesitate to call me. I’m on duty all night."
Shortly after the IV started, Ji Zhiyuan rushed in, carrying a bowl of congee. He sat by the bed, patiently coaxing Duoduo to eat.
The little girl’s eyes reddened.
Her old dad had barely spent time with her—even when she was sick, he was never around.
But ever since he broke up with Auntie Lan, she finally felt like she was truly loved.
Once Duoduo fell asleep, Ji Zhiyuan turned to Rong Yu. "Great-Grandma has that physics competition in Beijing tomorrow. You should go home and rest—I’ll stay with her tonight."
Rong Yu thought it was good for him to learn how to care for his daughter. If he bonded with her now, no future woman like Lan Rouxue could ever come between them.
She called Ji Zhouye—who had been gaming in the corner—and left together.
Ji Zhiyuan tucked Duoduo in and began handling work emails.
Then his phone rang. He stepped out to take the call.
When he returned, he quietly pushed open the door—and froze.
A woman was sitting by the bed.
Her silhouette felt eerily familiar.
"Mommy..."
Duoduo murmured in her sleep, her small hand clutching Wen Yan’s fingers.
The doctor’s heart melted.
She didn’t know why she couldn’t stop thinking about this child. Even while treating other patients, the little girl’s face kept floating into her mind.
She hadn’t been able to resist checking on her.
And now, hearing her call out for her mother, Wen Yan couldn’t bring herself to pull away.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Assuming it was the mother returning, Wen Yan quickly let go and stood.
She turned—and met Ji Zhiyuan’s gaze.
"Ke Man?"
The name slipped from his lips, strained.
Wen Yan blinked. "What?"
Her voice was soft, unfamiliar.
Ji Zhiyuan snapped back to reality.
Ke Man—Duoduo’s mother—had died on the delivery table.
He hadn’t loved her, but her sudden death still haunted him...
This doctor looked so much like her.
But he wasn’t sure.
His memory of her was already blurred—just a pregnant woman, swollen from pregnancy, always staring at the ground in melancholy...
Wen Yan shifted under his stare. "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Ji Zhiyuan pressed his lips together. "Nothing."
Uncomfortable, Wen Yan hurried out.
The next morning, Rong Yu video-called Ji Zhiyuan the moment she woke up.
"Auntie, I feel much better!" Duoduo beamed. "Dr. Wen is telling me stories, and Daddy’s here too. Don’t worry!"
Wen Yan finally realized—the woman from last night wasn’t the mother.
So where was she?
Not that it was her business. But the father’s lingering presence unnerved her, so she focused on the story, ignoring him.
After freshening up, Rong Yu went downstairs.
Old Master Ji, knowing she was leaving for Beijing, was directing servants to pack—eight massive suitcases sat in the living room.
Rong Yu frowned. "It’s just two days. Why the fuss?"
"I-I’m coming too!" Old Master Ji grabbed her arm, swaying it like a child. "Mom, where you go, I go."
Rong Yu: "..."
What to do with an overly clingy son? Spanking wasn’t an option—he was too old. She might accidentally hospitalize him.
Ji Zhouye, toothbrush still in mouth, charged downstairs. "Great-Grandma! I’m coming to Beijing too! Wait for me!"
"Fine, fine, everyone’s coming," Rong Yu relented. "Bring Ji Zhiyuan and Duoduo too. Steward Yu and the staff—no one gets left behind. But arranging flights for this crowd will be a nightmare. Shunying, go buy a large private jet right now—"
As she spoke, Old Master Ji seemed to shrink.
Ji Zhouye, sensing danger, fled back upstairs to finish brushing his teeth.
Old Master Ji quietly removed his belongings from the suitcases, looking like a dejected puppy—or rather, an old, abandoned dog.
Rong Yu: "..."
