Spoiled Sparrow

Ruan Qing looked at the IV catheter on the back of his hand and her heart softened: "Come in..."

I never expected Fu Chen to be with Youyou. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really wouldn't have believed it.

No, Uncle Fu?

Ruan Qing patted Youyou's back: "Youyou, do you know this uncle?"

Youyou nodded: "Yes, I've seen it on my aunt's phone before, and also on my dad's computer."

On her phone... that must have been back in China.

Ruan Qing carried her inside and washed her face with a hot towel.

Then she turned to look at Fu Chen, who was sitting alone in a wheelchair in the living room. The light overhead just happened to avoid him, and he looked... a bit pitiful.

"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

She walked over to him, pushed his wheelchair, and walked to Youyou's side.

"Is Youyou hungry?"

Youyou regained her energy and raised her hand: "Yes!"

"Okay, I'll order takeout for you two. Wait here."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Chen looked up at her and said, "Waiting for the takeout to arrive will probably take forever, I don't mind being hungry—"

He paused, then turned to look at Youyou: "She's so young, her stomach can't handle being hungry."

Youyou clutched her stomach with both hands, as if she really couldn't take it anymore.

After all, food delivery here isn't like the half-hour delivery service in China.

Ruan Qing: "Then I'll go downstairs and buy it for you. What would you like to eat?"

Just as Youyou was about to say "okay," the uncle next to her interrupted her.

"No, what time is it? It's not safe outside, and all we have here is fast food from the convenience store, which isn't healthy and not suitable for a child's growth."

Looking at this strange uncle, Youyou silently thought to herself: "Hey, I just want to eat convenience store food! I have to beg Daddy for a reward before I can eat these things, waaaaaah..."

Ruan Qing was touched by Fu Chen's words. She didn't expect Fu Chen to be so thoughtful. Could it be that he has become more careful about his life after escaping death?

"Then I'll have to make it for you, but it seems like all we have at home is instant noodles, which doesn't seem... very healthy, does it?"

Fu Chen immediately agreed: "Okay."

Finally able to eat junk food, Youyou chimed in, "Great!"

Ruan Qing rubbed her hands together and took out three packs of spicy and sour instant noodles from the snack cabinet: "Then you guys wait, I'm pretty good at cooking instant noodles."

She went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a few eggs, and began to cook...

The two people in the living room looked at each other.

The innocent child pointed at his legs and said, "Uncle, will you never be able to stand up again?"

Seeing that he ignored her, she walked to the side, pointed at his hand, and asked, "Does it hurt?"

Fu Chen didn't want to talk to her, but then he remembered that Ruan Qing had treated the child quite well, so he gave a token reply: "Yeah, it hurts."

After he finished speaking, Youyou reached out and grabbed his fingers; her two hands were not even as big as his palms.

Before he could react, she leaned in and blew on the back of his hand, which was covered in needle marks, and innocently said, "Blowing on it will make it stop hurting~"

She continued in her childish voice, "Grandma said that blowing on it will make it heal faster, and Uncle will definitely get better."

Fu Chen froze, letting her hand touch him.

He paused, looking at her innocent smile, and felt a pang of heartache.

If she knew that her father would kill her grandparents whom she lived with day and night, could she still retain her innocence?

Fu Chen gently closed his eyes, trying to stop thinking about it. The matter was almost over; he shouldn't soften his heart now.

He recalled what Youyou had said outside the door, glanced at Ruan Qing's retreating figure as she cooked, and asked her in a low voice, "Youyou, why did you say your aunt likes me? Did she tell you?"

Youyou let go of his hand, propping her chubby little face up with both hands: "Why should I tell you?"

He's so young yet so precocious; he can already negotiate at just four years old. It seems he's been influenced by He Xun Nan's company.

Fu Chen teased her, "What do you want? Tell me."

Her eyes immediately lit up: "Really?"

Fu Chen: "Mm."

"I want ice cream, all kinds of flavors!"

Fu Chen laughed and said, "That's it? Your dad won't even let you eat this?"

"Dad says kids shouldn't eat sweets, or they'll lose all their teeth."

"Deal! Just tell me, and I'll buy you ice cream from all over the world."

Youyou stood up straight, like a little adult.

She said slowly, "I found out from my dad."

Fu Chen hadn't expected this answer.

"Your dad?"

Youyou nodded: "Yes, when Dad and Auntie were arguing at home, she said she liked you, but..."

"Why is the child breathing so heavily?" Fu Chen couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed her shoulder tightly: "Just what? Tell me quickly."

Youyou was startled by his sudden increase in volume, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably: "I didn't hear the rest clearly, and I don't know what my aunt said, waaaaah, Uncle Fu is so fierce..."

Ruan Qing, who was rinsing noodles in the kitchen, heard Youyou's crying and rushed to the living room with a strainer in her hand.

Seeing Youyou crying in front of Fu Chen, he immediately went over and hugged her: "Baby, what's wrong? Don't cry, don't cry."

Fu Chen sneered, his fingertips digging into his flesh.

Baby? First it was Lin Yun'en, and now it's a little kid. Is this a term that can be used so casually?!

A nameless anger flared within him, and he said to Youyou, "Stop crying! Shut up!"

Youyou, who had just been comforted by Ruan Qing, started crying again when she heard his voice.

Ruan Qing was instantly enraged by his appearance and shoved a strainer into his mouth: "Are you crazy? What are you saying? Shut up!"

"You're thirty years old, and she's only a few years old. Do you think she'd cry for no reason? I haven't even asked you yet, and you're already getting angry."

Fu Chen's face darkened; he didn't think he had been fierce at all.

Ruan Qing turned her head and looked at the noodles that were still not finished being scooped out of the pot, and became even angrier.

She pointed at the two of them and said, "Are you going to eat this or not? If you want some, come and get it yourself."