Chapter 37
Shen Yin's hand was attracted by Xu Xiuhe's hand, and her hand involuntarily touched Xu Xiuhe's hand.
Xu Xiuhe retracted his hand and focused on driving, saying, "Rest if you're tired. I'll wake you up when we get to the hospital."
Shen Yin nodded. When she woke up again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed, with Xu Xiuhe peeling an apple next to her, but there was no Zhengzheng around.
The first sentence Shen Yin uttered upon waking up was, "Where is Zhengzheng?"
However, Xu Xiuhe did not answer this question, but said, “Do you still feel uncomfortable? With your high fever, how could you not know you were sick. Your temperature reached 39 degrees."
Shen Yin knew she was in the wrong, pursed her lips and asked again, "Where is Zhengzheng?"
When Shen Yin fell asleep in the car, Xu Xiuhe had messaged Chang Zhiyuan to come to the hospital to pick up Zhengzheng.
"Chang Zhiyuan took him home. You just started your IV drip, which will probably take three hours to finish."
Xu Xiuhe booked a VIP ward that had everything. It was just Shen Yin and Xu Xiuhe in the quiet hospital room. Knowing that Zhengzheng had gone home, Shen Yin felt at ease as she continued with her IV drip and fell asleep again.
Things were not quiet at Chang Zhiyuan's villa in Ziyueting. Earlier when he had watched Zhengzheng, Xu Xiuhe was also there. Now alone with a small child, the unmarried Chang Zhiyuan was distraught.
"I want Mommy," Zhengzheng said innocently, looking pleadingly at Chang Zhiyuan.
In recent days, Zhengzheng had become very attached to Shen Yin. Clearly she had accompanied him to eat lunch this afternoon, but now she was not coming back.
“Zhengzheng, Mommy is sick and needs to see the doctor. Can you play with Godfather?” Chang Zhiyuan patiently coaxed.
Seeing it was getting late, Zhengzheng started crying. Chang Zhiyuan was in a frenzy, he had tried everything — giving Zhengzheng water, reading to him, playing blocks, even telling him stories. But Zhengzheng showed no signs of stopping.
"Waa waa, I want Mommy."
Distraught, Chang Zhiyuan picked up the phone. “Brother, I can’t console Zhengzheng. He keeps crying."
When Xu Xiuhe saw Chang Zhiyuan's incoming call, he exited the hospital room and took the call. Then he heard Chang Zhiyuan's wailing voice.
“He probably misses her since it’s nighttime and he doesn’t know you well. Stay with him for two more hours. She'll come back after the IV drip.”
Two more hours? Chang Zhiyuan wanted to say more but Xu Xiuhe had already hung up. Doesn’t know his own Godfather well?
He couldn’t suffer this ordeal alone so he called Shu Yi. A few seconds later, the call connected. “Mr. Chang, hello, what can I do for you?”
This rubbed Chang Zhiyuan the wrong way. Can he not call her if he doesn’t need something? But there were more pressing matters, so Chang Zhiyuan didn’t pick a fight. He simply said, "Shen Yin is sick and currently getting an IV drip at the hospital. I’m at Xu Xiuhe’s house watching Zhengzheng by myself, he keeps crying. Can you come over and help console him?”
Getting straight to the point with a matter-of-fact tone wasn’t like him at all. Shu Yi was annoyed, but at that moment other thoughts flooded her mind — Was Shen Yin seriously ill? What will happen to Zhengzheng by himself at home? Before Shu Yi could think further...
She picked up her phone, put on a jacket. Fortunately when she first came, in order to easily visit Shen Yin, she had bought a small electric scooter. Shu Yi hopped on and arrived at Xu Xiuhe’s villa gate in five minutes.
As soon as she entered the living room, she saw an adult and a child on the sofa. One crying, the other also looking unwell.
“You’re finally here. Xu Xiuhe said he cries because he doesn’t know me well.”
Shu Yi rushed over to hold Zhengzheng. “Zhengzheng darling, don’t cry. Godmother will take you to find Mommy, okay?"
After Shu Yi spoke, Zhengzheng actually stopped crying, but tears were still flowing down his cheeks.
“Get some tissue.” Shu Yi put out her hand toward Chang Zhiyuan standing next to her. Chang Zhiyuan hurriedly grabbed the baby wet wipes from the table and handed them to Shu Yi.
Shu Yi took the wipes and lovingly wiped Zhengzheng’s tear-stained face, consoling him, “Good boy, Zhengzheng. Don’t cry or Mommy will cry too.”
Seeing Zhengzheng’s crying had ceased, Chang Zhiyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. “What should we do next?” he asked.
Looking at Zhengzheng, Shu Yi replied, “Let’s first feed Zhengzheng, then if his mom still isn’t back, I’ll bring him to find her. How’s that?”
Exhausted from crying, Zhengzheng was also hungry. Hearing about eating, he nodded slightly.
Looking at Shu Yi, Chang Zhiyuan asked, “Where’s the food?”
If Shu Yi remembered correctly, Shen Yin often prepared dumplings and wontons in the freezer for easy access when needed.
“Look in the freezer below the fridge.”
Chang Zhiyuan was puzzled. Could there be edible food in the fridge? He walked to the open kitchen and opened the freezer below. “There’s some shrimp here, should I cook?” Chang Zhiyuan was incredulous.
In all his years, seldom had he set foot in a kitchen, let alone cook.
“On the bottom shelf, see if there are any wontons.” Still holding Zhengzheng, Shu Yi headed over.
Chang Zhiyuan looked and surprisingly discovered that the bottommost rack in the freezer was full of wontons. “There really are some, but how do I cook them?”
Shu Yi was speechless. She should have expected that this pampered young master, always served hand and foot, would not even be able to boil wontons, the most basic cooking task.
“Fill the pot with some water and boil.” Shu Yi instructed, wishing she could make them herself if not for holding Zhengzheng.
After a few minutes, the water started boiling. Shu Yi continued advising, “Put in the wontons.”
“How many should I add?”
Looking at the amount, there should be enough for the three of them if all were cooked, Shu Yi said, “Put them all in, leave the dumplings for them.”
Chang Zhiyuan followed her directions. Seeing Chang Zhiyuan busying about in the kitchen, Zhengzheng actually stopped crying.
After a minute, the wontons started floating up. Shu Yi told Chang Zhiyuan to add some cool water, then after a few seconds to turn off the fire.
The wonton aroma had already permeated the air. Feeling hungry himself, Chang Zhiyuan asked “Can I eat now?”
“You have to dish them out first before you can eat them!” Though inexperienced at cooking, Shu Yi knew how to boil noodles and congee.
Chang Zhiyuan scooped the wontons onto three plates. Shu Yi wiped Zhengzheng’s little hands with a wet wipe before seating him in a high chair. After blowing on the wontons to cool them down, she began feeding Zhengzheng. Zhengzheng was indeed starving, the small wontons disappearing in two bites. Seeing Zhengzheng eating with relish, the shameless Chang Zhiyuan asked “Can I eat now?”
Shu Yi wanted to laugh. Did he need her permission? He was her boss after all, she certainly couldn’t let him starve.
Finally filled up, Zhengzheng's first words were “Find Mommy.”
Seeing this, Shu Yi prepared to carry Zhengzheng up. Chang Zhiyuan checked his phone, “They'll be back in an hour. Have your meal first, I’ll hold him.”
Worried about Shen Yin, Shu Yi had no appetite. She asked, “What happened to Shen Yin, is it serious?”
“Xu Xiuhe said she had a fever, getting an IV drip at the hospital. They’ll be back soon.”
Only then was Shu Yi relieved. She ate some wontons and saw Chang Zhiyuan awkwardly holding Zhengzheng, seemingly trying to find Shen Yin. Entering the kitchen, she tidied up the cooking utensils.
“Zhengzheng, we have to find Mommy. Should we dress nicely?” Chang Zhiyuan asked.
Zhengzheng nodded. Chang Zhiyuan continued placating, “Then let’s first wash our hands, use the bathroom, and change shoes, okay?”
Zhengzheng was reluctant and had a twisted expression on his face, but eventually agreed. Chang Zhiyuan dragged his feet through every next step - when washing Zhengzheng's hands, he cleaned each finger slowly, repeating the process two or three times. He also washed Zhengzheng's face in the same unhurried manner.
"Does Zhengzheng need to use the bathroom?" Without waiting for a reply, Chang Zhiyuan picked up Zhengzheng and brought him inside, directly taking off his pants.