Translator: 549690339
Li Dabao waited in the car for a while without seeing Fang Xiu and her child coming out, so he got out of the car to look for them and saw Fang Xiu holding her child, crying from a distance.
Frightened, Li Dabao quickly walked up to them and approached Fang Xiu.
“Sister-in-law, what happened? Are you two alright?” Li Dabao wanted to take Jingtao from Fang Xiu, but Jingtao shrank back into his mother’s embrace in fear, looking timidly at Li Dabao.
Feeling her son’s movements, Fang Xiu’s heart ached. Her son used to be so lovely, but in just a few days, he had changed like this. It was all her fault as a mother for neglecting her child’s transformation.
“Taotao, don’t be afraid. He’s a good uncle, your dad’s friend. He won’t hurt Taotao. We’re not afraid, okay?” Fang Xiu softly coaxed her son, hoping to dispel his defenses.
Jingtao clutched his mother’s clothes tightly, hiding in her embrace. His big eyes stole a glance at Li Dabao. After hearing his mother’s words, he looked up at her and then at Li Dabao, but still did not reach out to be held by him.
“Sister-in-law, has the child been frightened?” Li Dabao looked at the fear in the child’s eyes and asked Fang Xiu.
“Mm, I’ll hold him. Let’s go back first,” Fang Xiu said, hoisting her son higher in her arms.
“Alright, let’s go. The car is parked outside,” Li Dabao pointed to the parking spot.
“Mm, let’s go to the hospital,” Fang Xiu thought of Taotao’s condition and wondered if Qin Xue would have a solution.
“Alright, get in the car, and we’ll go now.” Li Dabao opened the back door for Fang Xiu and her son to get in.
“Thank you,” Fang Xiu said, holding Taotao as they got in the car and sat down.
“No need to be so polite, sister-in-law.” Li Dabao closed the car door before returning to the driver’s seat and driving back to the hospital.
“Qin Xue, take a look at Taotao for me,” said Fang Xiu, rushing into the ward as soon as they arrived at the hospital. Seeing that Qin Xue was still there, she spoke anxiously.
“What happened?” Qin Xue asked, looking at the anxious Fang Xiu.
“It’s all my fault. Please check on Taotao,” Fang Xiu said as she cried, nearly consumed with guilt.
“Alright, let me take a look.” Qin Xue examined Taotao, sensing that something must have happened, but decided to examine the child first and talk about the rest later.
“Little Jingtao, can Auntie have a look? Is that okay?” Qin Xue noticed the change in Jingtao as soon as she saw him in Fang Xiu’s arms and asked softly, with a smile.
Jingtao raised his head timidly to look at Qin Xue, not making the usual happy babbling noises.
“Little Jingtao, don’t you recognize Auntie anymore? Auntie is so heartbroken. In just a few days, Taotao doesn’t want Auntie anymore.” Qin Xue pretended to cry sadly.
From the corner of her eye, she stole glances at Jingtao’s expression, noticing it change slightly.
“Little Jingtao, where’s your walker? Are you used to it? Do you like it?” Qin Xue continued to speak with Jingtao.
Qin Xue pulled Fang Xiu to the side, continuing to talk with Jingtao and tease him.
“Biya, waaaaaaaa.” Suddenly, Jingtao cried out, his mouth puckering, and his eyes reddening as he sobbed loudly.
“There, there, Auntie is here. Taotao, do you want Auntie to hold you?” Qin Xue tried to pick up Jingtao.
“Xue’er, you…” Chu Molin called out softly in worry.
Qin Xue turned around and shook her head gently at Chu Molin.
Ever since Fang Xiu and her child entered the room, Jing Xin had been stunned. Hearing Fang Xiu’s anxious voice, he sensed that something was wrong with the child. So he stayed quiet for fear of scaring Jingtao.
Seeing Qin Xue patiently coaxing Jingtao, his wife Fang Xiu weeping with reddened eyes, his heart ached terribly. He hated himself for being useless, for being unable to do anything but lie there and watch helplessly.
He suddenly realized that he was truly not up to the task. As a husband, he hadn’t given his wife the companionship and support she deserved, and as a father, he hadn’t fulfilled even the smallest of responsibilities.