Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

The little girl's eyes were red and filled with tears. The moment she stared at him and called him "Dad," Fu Jingting felt a ringing in his ears.

He just stood there, frozen, looking at this pretty and cute little girl, with bright eyes and white teeth, a true beauty in the making.

So cute it's almost unfair, making you want to kidnap her. Fu Jingting is quite familiar with this extremely beautiful little girl, even though they met by chance a few months ago.

It's just because the child is so beautiful, and I know she needs a hearing aid in one ear, that I remember her so vividly.

But he never thought, never dared to think, that this child might have some kind of relationship with her or with him.

He still remembers how pale she was when she came out of the abortion operating room, unable to stand up.

Fu Jingting's gaze lingered between Xu Qingcheng and her. Looking at their similar features, one big and one small, and both with red eyes, he wanted to hold them both in his arms.

Xu Qingcheng only saw him when she heard Xu Yuan call out "Dad." Her face stiffened, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.

Until Xu Yuan's voice was soft and gentle, she quietly asked, "Mommy, is that Yuan Yuan's daddy?"

He remained motionless and silent, making Xiao Xuyuan feel a little aggrieved.

Fu Jingting's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyes suddenly reddened. He reached out and touched the little guy's face. His chubby, soft little face felt real only when he touched it.

Xu Yuan rubbed her cheeks against his palm, her tearful eyes filled with laughter, and she stretched out her arms for a hug.

Fu Jingting glanced at Xu Qingcheng, and seeing that she didn't seem particularly resistant, he reached out and picked up the little one.

The man's hand gripped her armpit, raised it high, and held it in front of his eyes as he looked at her.

He just wanted to see her properly, and he couldn't understand how a little thing had suddenly appeared, calling Qingcheng "Mom" and him "Dad."

But the little one thought she was playing a game with him, and he stopped crying and started laughing, giggling with joy.

He stretched out his little arms to reach for him.

"What's your name?"

"Yuanyuan's name is Xuyuan, and I'm going to be two years old."

She's almost two years old.

Fu Jingting's lips moved slightly, and he suddenly smiled. He controlled his reddened eyes and withdrew his arm.

The man buried his handsome face in Xiao Xuyuan's chest, and the little guy giggled and thumped his head with his arms.

With her soft little body and adorable voice, she wanted to hug him with her little arms. The shy little baby showed no sense of unfamiliarity with him.

"Ms. Xu, has the surgical consent form been signed?" the nurse asked, coming over to urge her.

Dr. Pang had just explained the risks and procedures of the surgery in detail, but Xu Qingcheng still checked each point one by one before signing.

But actually, you can't look at this thing too closely; the more you look at the signature, the more frightened you become.

Give the surgical consent form to the nurse.

"Come on, let me take the little one." One of the nurses took Xu Yuan from Fu Jingting's arms. Little Xu Yuan still had a smile on her face. The nurse glanced at Fu Jingting and smiled, "As expected, it only works when Dad coaxes you. Little Yuan Yuan is so brave, even braver than Dad. Look, Dad's eyes are red."

Upon hearing the nurse's words, Fu Jingting felt so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole right there.

Xu Yuan wriggled out of the nurse's arms and snuggled closer to Fu Jingting, patting his face soothingly with her little hands, just like her mother would comfort her, "Don't cry, don't cry, Yuan Yuan isn't afraid."

"Yuanyuan is so great! Come in and play with Auntie. Come out and find your mom and dad in a little while."

The little baby, not even two years old, was both amusing and heartbreaking as she imitated the way adults talked. She didn't understand anything yet, and didn't know that going in wasn't just for playing or taking a nap, but that she would soon be anesthetized and have surgery.

There may be unpredictable risks; it may be very painful after the anesthesia wears off.

Xu Qingcheng felt a mix of emotions. The moment Xu Yuan was embraced by Fu Jingting, her nose suddenly stung with tears.

No matter what, blood ties cannot be changed.

It's like having a natural magnetic field.

Xu Yuan had only seen his photos. She was so small then, and the album was so big that she couldn't even turn the pages by herself. She crawled over little by little, lay on it, kissed his face, and pointed to Xu Qingcheng with a smile, saying, "Dad, Dad."

That was the first time she called him "Dad".

Xu Qingcheng still remembers that when she shouted it out, she couldn't help but cry.

At that time, I really thought, if he were still alive, I would hear Yuan Yuan call his name and hug little Xu Yuan.

Although Xu Yuan has a hearing impairment in one ear, she is still very lovely. That is their child, her closest connection to him in this world.

But later, when he so clearly rejected her, she had too many selfish motives and didn't want Xu Yuan to see him anymore.

"Yuanyuan, good luck!" Seeing her being carried away by the nurse, Xu Qingcheng stepped forward and pinched Xu Yuan's little face.

Dr. Pang had already entered the operating room to prepare, and Xu Qingcheng's heart jumped.

Everyone waited outside. The two elderly people sat on the bench outside the operating room. The old man rested his hands on his cane and waited without saying a word.

The atmosphere was inexplicably oppressive.

The others were either sitting or standing, and no one spoke.

Xu Qingcheng couldn't sit still and paced back and forth. Song Chang walked up to her and said, "It's okay. Xu Yuan is so cute, God will take good care of her."

Xu Qingcheng hummed in agreement, pressing her hand to her chest. "I'm just feeling anxious."

It's an indescribable feeling; it's very uncomfortable.

Song Chang patted her shoulder. When she saw Fu Jingting coming over, Song Chang glared at him. After all, it wasn't a noisy place, and with elders present, she couldn't scold him. So she pretended not to see him and walked to the side.

Fu Jingting was also restless; he had too many questions, too many things he wanted to ask.

Why is he the last to know when both the old man and the old woman have arrived?

He walked up to her and saw that her eyes were red and she looked uneasy. He put his hand on her shoulder and really wanted to hug her.

Xu Qingcheng dodged away from him, but Fu Jingting calmly stepped aside, blocking her path. "Her name is Xu Yuan? Xu as in Xu Qingcheng? Yuan as in wish?"

The man's voice was very low; those two words rolled straight into his heart, burning intensely.

Not even two years old.

It was the child he thought didn't exist.

"Why did you lie to me about aborting? Why did you secretly give birth?" He blocked her there, grabbing her wrist with one hand and refusing to let go, disregarding the fact that her mother and younger brother were also present and had a lot of complaints about him.

Xu Qingcheng didn't want to talk about these things; she was only worried about Xu Yuan right now.

He had a strong grip and pulled her so tightly she couldn't escape. He braced himself against the wall beside her with one arm, bending slightly to make it easier to talk to her, his forehead almost touching hers. His gaze was deep, and his approach was full of dominance, completely disregarding the fact that their elders and relatives were present.

Xu Qingcheng pushed him, her voice even lower, "Let go of me."

Like a mosquito buzzing, Fu Jingting's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He didn't know which word had suddenly caused a pang of pain in his heart, and his hand couldn't help but reach out to touch her face.

Xu Qingcheng was startled, thinking he was about to do something, and quickly pushed him away forcefully, "What are you doing?"

The sound was a bit louder, and everyone's gaze, which was already glancing in that direction, became even more focused now.

The old lady coughed and looked at Fu Jingting, "If you have any questions, keep them to yourself until after the child's surgery."

Fu Jingting: "I don't know what kind of surgery it is."

No one ignored him.

Fu Jingting, "..."

He had no choice but to look at Xu Qingcheng again.

She pursed her lips and reached out to touch her left ear. "Left ear hearing restoration surgery."

Xu Qingcheng didn't know what was wrong with her. It wasn't that she only found out about Xu Yuan's problem now; it was discovered during the physical examination after he was born. But at this moment, when he asked her, she couldn't control herself, and tears streamed down her face.

Fu Jingting panicked immediately, his voice low and menacing, "What's wrong? Don't cry!"

He reached out to wipe her tears, but Xu Qingcheng turned her head away.

The operating room door suddenly opened, and a nurse came out shouting, "Where's the baby's mother? Come here for a moment."

"I...I am." Xu Qingcheng's heart tightened, and she hurried over. "What's wrong?"

The others waiting outside also suddenly stood up and gathered around.

"This is a supplementary signature; an additional surgery is required."

"What, there's an additional bonus..." Xu Qingcheng was almost unable to stand, and Fu Jingting supported her from behind.

The nurse didn't have time to explain in detail, only saying, "Dr. Pang said you should trust her, the child will be fine. However, various unexpected situations can occur during the surgery, which is unavoidable. Sign the papers quickly, don't waste time."

Xu Qingcheng's hand holding the pen was trembling; she didn't know the specifics but still had to sign.

"At this point, we can only trust the doctor," the old man said.

Xu Qingcheng subconsciously looked at Fu Jingting. The man's face was ashen, but his expression was exceptionally firm. He took the form that needed to be signed, glanced at it, and handed it to Xu Qingcheng. "Sign it."

A large hand silently grasped her hand and, together with her, signed the three characters "Xu Qingcheng".

The nurse waited until the signature was completed before turning and entering the operating room.

The operating room door slammed shut again, and the red operating light above remained on.

Xu Qingcheng's legs went weak, and Fu Jingting put his arm around her to steady her.

Qingcheng grabbed his arm tightly, her voice trembling as she asked, "Xu Yuan, will you be alright?"

"Won't."

The man gave her a firm and affirmative answer.

Xu Qingcheng suddenly burst into tears.

Zhao Lan quickly came over and patted her, "Why are you crying? The baby is holding on inside, so you, as the mother, need to be even stronger."

"Mom." Xu Qingcheng turned around and hugged Zhao Lan, her voice muffled on Zhao Lan's shoulder, "I'm scared."

Zhao Lan didn't say anything, she just patted her back.

The surgery took half an hour longer than expected.

You can imagine how agonizing that half hour must have been.

In particular, a nurse ran out in the middle, and it was unclear what she was doing. Later, several people who looked like doctors went into the observation platform next to the operating room.

Fu Jingting stared at him without saying a word.

Everyone present was well-mannered; even those who were so anxious their hair was practically standing on end didn't yell or cause a scene.

But Xu Qingcheng was flustered and could barely stand. She sat on a stool without saying a word, and Song Chang handed her a bottle of mineral water.

Xu Qingcheng was taking small sips of water when she suddenly rushed out to the trash can outside the operating room waiting area and vomited up all the water she had drunk.

Song Chang was startled. "What's wrong?"

Xu Qingcheng rested her hands on the windowsill beside her, shoved the mineral water bottle back at Song Chang, and shook her head, "I'm nervous."

"Don't worry, everything will be alright."

Xu Qingcheng nodded. She felt panicked, as if her heart wasn't her own, pounding so hard it made her nauseous. She felt like the food she ate that morning was stuck in her esophagus, but she couldn't vomit it up.

Seeing everyone looking at her, Xu Qingcheng quickly said, "I'm fine, I'm just nervous."

Who isn't nervous? Mothers are even more nervous.

Everyone understands.

Fu Jingting walked over and said, "Go outside for some fresh air. I'll call you when the surgery is over."

The atmosphere outside the operating room was anything but relaxed; it was so oppressive that it made your heart race.

If Xu Qingcheng doesn't go, how can she leave? She wants to stay here with Xu Yuan.

As the last stitch was put in place, Pang Shenghua swayed slightly and quickly grabbed the operating table beside her.

"Dr. Pang!"

Her assistant rushed over to support her, asking, "Are you alright?"

Pang Shenghua shook his head. "I need to retrieve all of Xu Yuan's medical records from our hospital and review them again later."

"OK."

Pang Shenghua took a moment to calm down before going out.

The whole family gathered around, asking about the child's condition.

Pang Shenghua took off her mask. "The surgery was very successful. The child is still too young, and this is an important observation period. Once she wakes up, there will be no problem at all. As for her hearing, we will conduct a hearing test after she recovers. Normally, there shouldn't be any problems."

Pang Shenghua ignored the dangers of the surgery. Her assistant listened without interrupting, but looked up at Dr. Pang.

Pang Shenghua is a top expert both domestically and internationally. Her surgical case videos have been made into teaching materials for later generations to observe and learn from. Anyone who becomes a doctor and enters this department and has any ideas admires Dr. Pang and wishes they could follow her around and learn from her.

Those who can win Pang Shenghua's favor must have some real talent and learning.

Pang Shenghua from South China Hospital brought three people with him: an assistant, Wen Fei, and another person who had gone out for exchange and study.

The assistant knew the surgical procedure best. She watched as Dr. Pang calmly directed everyone to take the next step, her hands never trembling for a moment. The assistant wiped the sweat from her forehead several times.

If it weren't for Dr. Pang's extensive experience, the surgery would have been extremely risky. Even if the child's life were saved, the trauma would have lasted a lifetime.

In other words, if it were any other doctor, the outcome would not be the same.

"Shenghua, why did you need to sign something again?" Zhong Wanxiu grabbed Pang Shenghua's hand. "I was so scared."

"It's alright, don't worry." Pang Shenghua withdrew his hand and comforted Zhong Wanxiu.

Zhong Wanxiu breathed a sigh of relief and then said, "Why are your hands so cold?"

"That's right, human life is at stake, every surgery is nerve-wracking." Pang Shenghua smiled.

The nurse wheeled the child out of the operating room.

The child was wheeled out, and she lay down on it and fell asleep. She felt no pain at all, and slept soundly with her eyes closed, her eyelashes like tiny brushes.

Xu Qingcheng rushed over, and the moment she saw Xu Yuan, her heart, which had been hanging in her throat, finally settled down a little.

I was so worried. It wasn't until I became a mother that I understood what parents were thinking. No one can take away that kind of worry and anxiety from you.

Fu Jingting rubbed his finger against Xu Yuan's face. Xu Qingcheng looked up at him, and he happened to look over as well.

After a brief eye contact, Xu Qingcheng abruptly turned her face away.

Fu Jingting, "..."

The child was taken back to the ward, and Xu Qingcheng hurriedly followed.

Fu Jingting didn't follow immediately. He caught up with Pang Shenghua and asked, "Aunt Pang, did anything go wrong during the surgery?"

When he called her "Auntie," he wasn't asking her questions as a patient's family member.

The man had sharp eyes, and his mere presence exuded a natural sense of pressure.

He has invested in multiple medical institutions and understands hospital emergency response procedures better than the average person.

Pang Shenghua did not answer him directly, but only said, "Go check on the child. She will wake up in about an hour. After waking up, she will feel nauseous and vomit. We need to wait for her to metabolize the anesthesia and observe her closely."

"Was it medical malpractice?"

Pang Shenghua pursed her lips and said after a long while, "I believe in my abilities. There will be no problem with making a wish, and there will be no aftereffects from the surgery."

Pang Shenghua refused to say another word.

Fu Jingting didn't ask any more questions. He turned around and walked back, and saw Xu Qingyao standing next to him.

The two looked at each other, and neither of them spoke again.

An hour later, the child regained consciousness. Just as Dr. Pang had said, she felt nauseous and had little energy.

The anesthesia wore off, and the incision hurt. Yan'er was listless and whimpering, refusing to lie still in the hospital bed and wanting to be held.

She doesn't want Xu Qingcheng to hold her, she wants her dad to hold her.

Looking at the man sitting by the hospital bed holding Xu Yuan, Xu Qingcheng felt a surge of jealousy.