Hard work after winning the lottery

What truly made Hua Yun lower her guard was his attitude towards Si An.

Si'an was the most sensitive of the three children, and also the one who was most resistant to his presence.

Zhou Yanjin was fully aware of this.

But he never forced Si'an to do anything.

He didn't force Si'an to call him "Dad," and he rarely even asked her to be called "Uncle."

He accepted the occasional scrutinizing and indifferent glances from Si'an, never avoiding them or questioning them.

He simply expressed a father's most silent concern through his actions.

If Si'an's backpack is crooked, he will walk over, say nothing, just squat down and gently straighten it for him.

If Si'an drops a grain of rice while eating, he will naturally pick up a tissue and wipe the rice off the table.

He gave Si'an enough space and respect, waiting for her to lower her guard and take the initiative to approach him.

Hua Yun thought that such days would flow quietly and slowly, like the stream in Baixi Village.

Until that late night arrived.

That night, a light drizzle fell in the mountains, and the night wind was particularly cool.

Hua Yun was fast asleep when she was suddenly awakened by a series of hurried but light footsteps.

She flung open the door and saw that the door to the children's room next door had been flung open.

Zhou Yanjin stood tall against the light at the doorway, his voice filled with unprecedented anxiety and hoarseness.

"Hua Yun, wake up! Si An has a high fever!"

Hua Yun's mind went blank for a moment, as if "buzzing".

She didn't even have time to put on shoes, and rushed over barefoot.

In the children's room, Si'an's face was flushed red, her lips were chapped, her brows were tightly furrowed, and she was making uncomfortable murmurs.

Zhou Yanjin has always been a light sleeper, especially in the past two weeks. He has almost made it a habit to get up once or twice every night to check if the children have kicked off their blankets.

Tonight, he heard Si'an's faint whimper, and when he touched her forehead, the burning heat almost scalded his palm.

"Don't worry, I'll take him to the hospital right away."

Zhou Yanjin did not hesitate at all.

He deftly pulled over a thin blanket and wrapped Si'an's small body tightly, then picked her up in his arms without saying a word.

His movements were large, yet they carried an extreme degree of caution.

"Follow me and take your ID and water bottle."

He left those words behind, then picked up Si'an and rushed out of the room without looking back.

Hua Yun followed behind him, her mind a jumble of thoughts. She could only act on instinct, grabbing her medical insurance card and water cup from the drawer and running out with him.

The cold night rain hit her face, sending a shiver down her spine.

In the courtyard, the headlights of the black Bentley were already on, like two sharp blades tearing through the darkness in the night.

She watched the man carrying her child, his back to her as he ran in the dim light, his broad shoulders taut with effort, each step so steady and so hurried.

In that instant, Hua Yun's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

A bittersweet feeling, panic, and a hint of dependence that she herself hadn't even noticed...

The mountain road to the city became exceptionally slippery and difficult to travel on a rainy night.

Zhou Yanjin drove the car fast and steadily, his hands gripping the steering wheel, veins bulging.

Hua Yun sat in the back seat, holding the unconscious Si An tightly in her arms, but her eyes could not leave the back of the man in the front seat for a moment.

He didn't speak, but the entire carriage was filled with his almost tangible worry.

Town hospital, emergency room.

The corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Zhou Yanjin carried Si'an as they ran all the way from the parking lot. His bangs were soaked with rain and sweat and stuck to his forehead in a disheveled state.

His usually stern face was now filled with anxiety, and his voice trembled almost imperceptibly as he spoke to the doctor.

"Doctor, quick! Take a look at him!"

After a series of examinations, the diagnosis was a high fever caused by an acute upper respiratory tract infection, which was almost 40 degrees Celsius.

Immediate intravenous infusion and physical cooling are needed.

In the ward, an IV was inserted into the back of Si'an's small hand, and the cool medicine dripped slowly into his body through the transparent tube.

The child, delirious with fever, tossed and turned in bed, feeling miserable.

Zhou Yanjin stood guard by the hospital bed, staring at him intently.

The nurse brought warm water and a towel.

He took it, rolled up his shirt sleeves, soaked the towel, wrung it out, and then gently wiped Si'an's forehead, neck, palms, and soles of her feet again and again.

The worry between his brows was even more intense than the darkness outside the window.

Hua Yun held Si An's hand, watching him occasionally reach out to check Si An's forehead temperature and adjust the position of the IV tube.

The bloodshot in his eyes and the weariness on his face were like a silent hammer, striking again and again the solid ice in Hua Yun's heart.

"Click—"

She seemed to hear a crisp sound.

The ice she had painstakingly built over five years to protect herself and her children had cracked open, a gaping fissure that could never be mended.

As dawn approached, Si'an's body temperature finally began to slowly decrease.

His long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes, black and white, were still somewhat bewildered, as if veiled by a layer of mist.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on Zhou Yanjin, who was lying on the edge of the bed, fast asleep due to extreme exhaustion.

This time, he didn't immediately look away as he usually did.

He just watched quietly, looking at the stubble on the man's face that hadn't been shaved, looking at his tightly furrowed brows, which seemed to carry an unyielding worry even in his sleep.

for a long time.

Si'an's lips moved, uttering an extremely faint yet crystal-clear sound.

"...I want to drink water."

Almost the instant he spoke, Zhou Yanjin suddenly woke up and raised his head.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse from not sleeping all night.

"Si'an, you're awake? Are you feeling unwell?"

When he met his son's clear eyes, all his weariness seemed to vanish in that instant.

Si'an looked at him and repeated it again, her voice still very soft.

"water……"

"Okay, okay, Dad will get you some water."

Zhou Yanjin jumped up from her chair almost immediately, her movements so fast they were almost frantic.

He picked up the water glass, poured in warm water, and even tested the temperature three or four times with the back of his hand to make sure it wasn't too hot or too cold before carefully bringing it to Si'an's lips.

He held Si'an's neck with one hand, letting him lean gently against his arm, and with the other hand he held a water glass, feeding him little by little.

The movements were so gentle, as if they were handling a rare treasure.

Hua Yun returned with breakfast and, upon seeing this scene, her eyes unexpectedly welled up with tears.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing everything in the ward in a warm, golden glow.

It also illuminated the huge crack in her heart.

It turns out that barriers are not insurmountable.

True feelings can indeed melt away the hardest barriers, just like water, drop by drop.

She looked down at her hands.

For the past five years, these hands have single-handedly held up the sky.

very tired.

I'm really tired.

Hua Yun took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, her gaze fell on Zhou Yanjin's profile.

She thought, perhaps, it was for the fatherly love that the children had longed for for five years.

Or perhaps, it's for that heart of his... that never truly died.

It's time to try and take a step forward.