A voice neither too loud nor too soft.
Yet it was enough for everyone in the bedroom to hear.
The others wished they could shut their ears off.
Was this something they were supposed to hear?
"Miss Lin, perhaps you should just sing instead!"
The girl's voice was delicate and weak, unlike her usual tone.
A light hum from her was especially charming and alluring!
Even though her finger only tapped the tip of his nose,
Xie Guanyan's ears turned red first, crimson as blood.
Then his nose flushed slightly, like ripples spreading across water, until his entire face was tinted.
"Shanshan likes this mole of his!"
Such a slightly vulgar phrase wasn’t something she’d usually say, but he loved hearing it.
In fact, he adored it.
Suppressing the excitement rising in his eyes, he gently laid the girl on the bed.
Yet the moment she touched the mattress, she bounced back up.
"I’m going to march straight to Lhasa—right now!"
Xie Guanyan: "..."
The private doctor stepped forward. "Mr. Xie, please calm her down. I need to administer another injection."
Xie Guanyan’s eyes grew warm as he noticed the red needle mark on the back of her hand. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stroked her head and coaxed softly, "Lin Mo, don’t move."
The girl quieted slightly at his words, blinking up at him with teary, peach-blossom eyes, red at the corners—pitiful yet adorable.
Xie Guanyan drowned in that gaze, his voice impossibly tender. "Be good."
"Be good."
Those words seemed to trigger something.
Tears suddenly streamed down the girl’s face as she buried herself in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Xie Guanyan froze, his mind blank.
The butler and two maids were internally screaming, barely holding back their excitement.
Until they heard Lin Mo’s thick, tearful voice cry out—
"Mom!"
Butler: "..."
Maids: "..."
Private doctor: "..."
Xie Guanyan: "..."
The three struggled not to burst into laughter, thinking of the saddest moments of their lives.
The doctor, fighting hardest, stammered, "M-Mr. Xie—ha—don’t move—haha—just hold her like this. I’ll—hahaha—give her the injection!"
Xie Guanyan had no intention of pushing her away but silently questioned if this position would work.
The doctor lifted his chin proudly. "Most couldn’t do it, but I can!"
Seizing the moment, he swiftly tied the tourniquet and inserted the needle with lightning speed.
Once done, he exhaled in relief. "Mr. Xie, keep her hand still and take care of her. We’ll step out now!"
They couldn’t stay—another second and they’d laugh out loud.
The butler and maids scurried out, closing the door behind them.
Lin Mo didn’t even feel the slight sting in her hand.
All she sensed was the warmth of a large hand holding hers.
Buried in Xie Guanyan’s embrace, her heart ached. "Mom, I miss you so much. My body hurts, and my head is throbbing."
Her soft, pleading voice would melt anyone’s heart.
Even mistaken for her mother, who could resist comforting her?
Xie Guanyan gently held her hand flat while stroking her back. "Be good, sweetheart."
"Waaah!"
Him calling her "sweetheart" made her cry harder.
No one but her mom had ever called her that.
Her dad never did—because his "sweetheart" was her mom.
She clung tighter to Xie Guanyan’s waist. "Mom, you came to see me? It’s been so long... Did you forget me? Don’t forget me, Mom!"
She used to dream of her parents often, but lately, those dreams had faded.
They must have forgotten her.
Even in her feverish haze, she knew they were gone.
Xie Guanyan’s eyes reddened.
His heart ached for Shanshan.
Feeling her grip, he carefully adjusted her hand. "Sweetheart, don’t strain yourself. Your hand needs to stay still."
Lin Mo refused to listen, clinging as if she could merge into him.
She wanted more of her mother’s warmth—just a little longer.
Xie Guanyan frowned, spotting blood backing up into the IV tube.
He couldn’t raise his voice, so he softened it further. "Shanshan, listen to me."
At those words, her grip loosened.
She lifted her head.
A sudden emptiness filled Xie Guanyan’s chest.
Had he slipped up by using her nickname?
Did she realize?
Holding his breath, he looked down—
Only to see her pick up her phone, tilt her head, and sing,
"Listen to Mom’s words~ Don’t let her get hurt~~"
Xie Guanyan: "..."
He couldn’t help but laugh, kneeling on the bed to hold her hand steady.
He listened intently, not finding her singing the least bit unpleasant.
After finishing, the radiant girl seemed exhausted.
She lay back, a tear still glistening at the corner of her eye.
Xie Guanyan watched, his gaze darkening behind silver-framed glasses.
He wanted so badly to kiss that tear away...
Her phone buzzed on the bed.
Lin Mo immediately reached for it.
Too dazed to read the screen, she handed it to him.
"Mom, check who messaged me on QQ."
Xie Guanyan rubbed his temples but took it. "I don’t know your password."
Her voice was drowsy. "It’s always 3333."
He’d never snooped into her phone, restraining himself all this time.
Who knew it was that simple?
Unlocking it, he saw a WeChat message from her fourth brother, Shen Ji'an:
[Sis, I’m at the villa gate.]
Xie Guanyan glanced at the girl. "It’s Shen Ji'an. He’s asking you to go to school. But you have a fever—should I tell him to help you take the day off?"
Lin Mo nodded obediently. "Mm. Tell him my brain got wrecked by a fart, so I can’t go."
Xie Guanyan chuckled. "Shanshan, how can you be this adorable?"
He typed back: [Please ask for leave on my behalf. I stayed up too late last night.]
This way, her brother wouldn’t worry.
"Adorable? So am I the cutest baby in the world?"
The girl suddenly turned, eyes wide.
Xie Guanyan stroked her hair, his voice dripping with fondness. "Of course."
Her peach-blossom eyes curved proudly, like a smug little swan. "I knew it!"
Watching her radiant smile,
Xie Guanyan suddenly burned to ask one question.
"Shanshan, why don’t you like Xie Guanyan?"
