CH 28

The little girl gawked at Mo Li Xin and remained silent.

Mo Li Xin pondered for a while, “Just now, did you call me mummy? Do I look like your mummy?”

The toddler continued remaining silent.

The old woman looked on thoughtfully at Mo Li Xin.

“Do you like me? If you call, I’ll come and see you again, okay?” She continued probing, although it seemed like her efforts were futile. Hence, she did not expect the little girl to blink her watery eyes, showing signs of comprehension.

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Just when she was unsure on how to continue persuading her, Ji Nan Feng, who had stood silently behind her, made a move. With a step, he drew her into his arms, successfully separating her from the little girl. 

“What are you doing?” Mo Li Xin turned her head and asked doubtfully, unsure of what he was trying to do. This person… what… 

The little girl gaped at her suddenly empty arms. She looked like she was about to cry. Ji Nan Feng gave Mo Li Xin a reassuring look before squatting down in front of the toddler, he tried to be at the same eye level as her.

“Mbkp Gwdvkl’p xkdl,” okvbswv y bkdv sq nsymkdt vbyv Ys Nk Dkd saktkdyzzu lmrlnvle.

Ys Nk Dkd vbswtbv vs blaplzq, ‘Zsw’al vbl wdnzl, R’x yd lzela pkpvla, FRFMOS.’

(Ys Zwl: Fvsr pvawttzkdt, usw’al y voldvu ulyap sze sze xyaakle Gwdvkl.)

Brsd blyakdt bkp osaep, vbl zkvvzl tkaz rywple. Fbl pvyale yv bkx okvb bla nzlya yde zyatl oyvlau lulp, cwv bla lulcasop olal qwaasole. Gp kq pbl oyp vbkdjkdt sq vbl xlydkdt clbkde bkp osaep.

Kwpv yp Ys Nk Dkd oyp ycswv vs srld bla xswvb, vbl xyd clpkel bla qkdyzzu nsdvkdwle, “Ps usw zkjl vbkp Gwdvkl? Rq usw es, usw’zz byhl vs pyu kv. Rq dsv, R’x tskdt vs vyjl bla yoyu.”

Mbl zkvvzl tkaz qkdyzzu pllxle vs nsxralblde bkp osaep, bla xswvb srldle yde nzsple. Fbl oydvle vs pyu psxlvbkdt cwv kv zssjle zkjl pbl nswze dsv pwxxsd ldswtb nswaytl vs xyjl y pswde.

“Rq usw esd’v prlyj, ol’zz cl zlyhkdt. Gwdvkl eslpd’v zkjl nbkzeald obs esd’v prlyj.” Kk Lyd Wldt pyke pvladzu, bl xyel yd ynvksd vs pbso vbyv bl oyp tskdt vs zlyhl.

“Lsv Gwdvkl, pbl’p xwxxu… pbl’p xwxxu,” bla hsknl oyp zkxrke yde xkzju, pssvbkdt vs sdl’p lyap.

The old woman listening behind was moved to tears as she urged, “Fei Fei, Fei Fei, can you call Grandma?” 

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After staring at her grandmother for a lengthy period, the little girl finally mustered and said, “Grand… Grandma…”

“Yes, yes, Grandma’s here,” the granny sobbed. Several onlookers were also teary-eyed at the scene.

Mo Li Xin also felt emotional as her eyes dampened. She walked over and embraced the child. Although Mo Li Xin did not know why she called her mother. She assumed that Fei Fei’s mother bore resemblance to her, hence she did not think too deeply about it.

“Thank you, thank you to the both of you. I haven’t heard the words ‘grandma’ in a long time. I thought that I’d never hear those words in my remaining days. I didn’t expect that…” The old woman looked gratefully at the couple before her.

Not so long ago, her only son and daughter-in-law also stood side by side like this, just that… 

As other thoughts crossed the granny’s head, the smile on her face faded once again.

Mo Li Xin was conscious of the elderly’s change. After much consideration, she decided to ask, “Granny, is something the matter?” 

The granny thought for a while and finally waved her hand as she shook her head, “it’s nothing.”

Mo Li Xin knew that there was something on the old lady’s mind. However, as an outsider, it was difficult for her to voice her concerns and she should not overstep her boundaries.

“Mo Li Xin? Is Mo Li Xin here?” Someone called out.

“It’s your turn, let’s go,” Ji Nan Feng prompted.

Mo Li Xin hesitated as she squatted down again. Caressing little Fei Fei’s head, “Auntie also needs to see a doctor. Just now I saw you running out, so you most likely haven’t seen the doctor. Do you want to accompany Auntie in?” 

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She did not address herself as ‘mummy’ as she was not used to it. In her opinion Fei Fei was still too young to differentiate the terms. 

Based on the elderly’s tone, she summarized that before Fei Fei ran out, she initially had to see the doctor too. She did not know why she liked this little girl so much, but perhaps it was due to affinity.

As for Ji Nan Feng, he saw the previous life’s Mo Li Xin in that child; girl who locked herself up.

“Missy, we’ve missed our appointment time. I’m afraid that Doctor Zhang wouldn’t…” the granny sighed regretfully.

“Appointment time?” Mo Li Xin did not understand.

“Usually, once someone missed their appointed schedule, they will not be able to see the doctor,” Ji Nan Feng explained.

“Oh…” 

“However, Doctor Zhang is mom’s friend. You can take Fei Fei along since you two are under the same doctor. I think Auntie Zhang wouldn’t mind,” Ji Nan Feng continued.

Granny Fei’s eyes lit up, “Really? Is that really okay?”

Mo Li Xin definitely would not object to that suggestion.

“Fei Fei, follow Auntie inside okay?”

Fei Fei stared blankly and kept quiet.

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Originally, Mo Li Xin was still considered a child, a twenty years old child. As a child herself, she was not experienced in coaxing children. Hence, she implored to a certain someone standing behind her.

That certain someone was helpless. He knew that she was a kind person, but she was not a busybody nor was she a saint. It seemed like she was taken with the child, and for some unknown reason, he too, also had good feelings towards this little girl. 

“Fei Fei, do you wish to call this pretty auntie, mummy?” Ji Nan Feng lost his previous stern expression as he squatted down again and he tapped the tip of Fei Fei’s nose.

Mo Li Xin raised her eyebrow, ‘isn’t he trying to convince the child to see the psychiatrist? What did that have to do with me?’ 

Surprisingly, Fei Fei faintly nodded.

Mo Li Xin, “…” Uh…  

“Then shall we go inside and see the doctor? When your disorder is cured, let this pretty auntie accept you as her goddaughter. Then, she’ll be your mummy,” Ji Nan Feng enticed. Although this suggestion was sudden, he also could not help but to like this child.

Little Fei Fei did not know what a ‘goddaughter’ was, but she understood the word ‘mummy’, so she nodded ignorantly.

Upon seeing her granddaughter nod her head, Granny Fei breathed a sigh of relief. She was extremely grateful and humbled so she did not care about the ‘goddaughter’ part. From her perspective, this was just a strategy that Ji Nan Feng employed to get Fei Fei to see the doctor.

Fei Fei approached and took hold of Mo Li Xin’s hand. Because she was too short, she had to tiptoe. The sight was extremely adorable and endearing. 

In the end, Mo Li Xin scoped her into her arms and carried her into the consultation room. 

The room was unlike the standard hospital consultation room that had nothing but a desk and computer. This room was relatively large, with pastel green walls and soft lighting, giving people a sense of comfort.

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“Nan Feng, what…” Zhang Ai Fei questioned. She was the famed psychiatrist and Ji Nan Feng’s ‘Auntie Zhang’. She was tidying up her documents when they entered but she did not expect the additional Fei Fei and granny.

“Auntie Zhang, my apologies. This is…” Ji Nan Feng explained the situation in a few sentences. Following that, he led the person carrying Fei Fei to a seat.

“Oh, that’s fine. There aren’t many appointments today. So this shouldn’t disrupt those that are part of the queue. So who’s going first? Fei Fei, or Li Xin?” Zhang Ai Fei observed Mo Li Xin as she directed the question to Ji Nan Feng. She was quite curious about her old friend’s daughter-in-law.

Although her gaze was blunt, Mo Li Xin did not feel uneasy under her scrutiny. Perhaps, this was the ability of a psychiatrist!

“Let Fei Fei go first,” Mo Li Xin said thoughtfully. 

Surprisingly, Fei Fei also did not object. 

Afterwards, the three adults went into the adjoined room. This room was special whereby it was soundproofed, but there was a window that allowed occupants to view what was going on in the consultation room. 

Leaning on the bar counter was Fei Fei. She sat on a high chair with her legs dangling as she drank the milk Zhang Ai Fei gave her. She was obedient and quiet. On the other hand, Zhang Ai Fei kept talking. As though she was trying to direct Fei Fei’s thoughts in a certain direction through her words. As for what was being said, it remained a mystery to others. 

At the beginning, Fei Fei remained dazed and blanked. Gradually, she started showing emotions that could no longer be hidden. Although she did not speak, her expression became richer. There was fear, disappointment, expectation, reluctance, and even some deeper emotions that others could not decipher.

There was a saying that artists were not distinguished by gender or age. Those that shut themselves in have the greatest potential to be artists. 

Those words were erudite, but Mo Li Xin finally understood what it meant. People like Fei Fei, who kept everything to themselves, are more likely to be artists. Because when other people were spending time socializing, they used this time spent alone to cultivate this creativity. 

Children with autism were not fools, their IQs was ten percent higher than the average person. This was something Mo Li Xin heard before. She did not know if it was scientifically proven, but she felt a sense of spirituality emitting from deep within Fei Fei.

They were no different from others, maybe just quieter. On the outside they may seem like they were constantly in a daze, but they were actually thinking. Pondering about things others might never have thought about.

Mo Li Xin did not think that Fei Fei would stir such feelings of familiarity within her. It was to the point that she thought… as if… she was once a person under the same category, like she experienced it before. 

Standing beside her, Ji Nan Feng caught her dazed expression. He felt a pinch in his heart, her current gaze was similar to that lost look she had in their previous lives.

“The session has ended, let’s go,” Ji Nan Feng’s words disrupted her train of thoughts.

Zhang Ai Fei and little Fei Fei’s therapy session lasted for about half an hour. Fei Fei had gone from sitting in the high chair to the soft sofa. Currently, she had fallen asleep under the effects of a hypnosis. Her expression was calm and natural, one could tell that she was having a sweet dream. 

Mo Li Xin could not bear to wake her up. In the end, she instructed the chauffeur to send Fei Fei and Granny Fei home. With a promise, she left her contact details and address with Granny Fei.

“In the future, you can reach me through this number if you require anything. If Fei Fei remembers and misses me, she can give me a ring too,” Mo Li Xin informed as she passed Granny Fei her number.

Although they have only just met, Mo Li Xin was extremely fond of this little girl. Thus, she was very reluctant to part with Fei Fei.

“Thank you so much. Yet, I still don’t know your names! Today it was really our blessing to have met you two,” Granny Fei said. She could tell that this couple did not come from simple backgrounds, yet they do not have the arrogance that came together with that group of people. The little lady was lovely and kind. The gentleman was handsome and attentive. With her wizened eyes that aid her judgment for sixty years, she could tell that they were a well-matched couple.