Chapter 59 "Coco has practiced!"

The little boy's mouth was pinched shut, but as long as there was even a sliver of a chance to break free, he would continue to cause trouble. The saying goes, "Adults don't hold grudges against children," but couldn't John tell who was the adult and who was the child?

Weng Zhaolin, with his hands in his pockets, paced around the ward a few times, his leather shoes making a "thump-thump" sound on the ground.

"What do you mean?"

"..." Zhu Qing helped explain, "Inspector Weng, he doesn't know what 'villain' means."

Shengfang seized the opportunity: "I know!"

No, he really didn't know.

Zhu Qing's collarbone pain had subsided, replaced by a headache. The more she explained, the more confused she became, so she simply stopped talking, covering the child's mouth with both hands, leaving him no gap whatsoever.

The uncle and nephew kept quiet.

Aunt Ping was pacing anxiously. Her boss seemed to really enjoy the fish maw and chicken soup, so she kept pouring more into the bowl from the thermos to see if she could get any more solids out. But as she patted the bottom of the thermos, she suddenly realized that her boss was too diligent; the thermos was spotless.

"Do you want to make up or not?" Fangfang gradually lost patience.

Zhu Qing: ...

She lay down silently, but still saw the two people facing off. Aunt Ping quickly went over and helped her turn the bed handles to help her lie flat.

The fight ended sometime later, I don't know. John, after all, was a senior inspector; arguing with a child was really beneath his dignity. Finally, he waved his hand and silently told himself—

There's no need to argue with children.

Only after the young master of the Sheng family saw John out of the ward did Zhu Qing sit up from the hospital bed.

Aunt Ping said worriedly, "Young master, you've offended Qingqing's boss. What if it hinders her promotion and salary increase in the future?"

A raise is fine; the uncle can pay his niece's salary.

But a promotion is a big deal.

“John isn’t such a petty person,” Sheng Fang said firmly.

Incidentally, he added one more thing—

Promotions aren't under the jurisdiction of senior inspectors; our Ching-jai is going to be a chief superintendent someday.

A caregiver from the next ward came over: "Do you need to borrow a wheelchair?"

Zhu Qing never expected that her minor clavicle fracture would land her in a wheelchair. As her caregiver, Fangfang devoted herself to taking care of Qingzai, following her closely like a little tail and helping her get out of bed.

The young master of the Sheng family is most fond of his niece; this seems to be something he learned without being taught.

Aunt Ping chimed in, "Be careful—"

The young master stood up straight, but was shorter than the headrest of the wheelchair. He had to stand on tiptoe to push the wheelchair. When Aunt Ping came closer to help, he was reluctant. The baby was practically Qingzai's most devoted little servant, always asking after her and turning back to get a small blanket to drape over her legs. He hopped and skipped around as if he were playing the most fun game in the world.

This private hospital features a landscaped courtyard with greenery, a fountain, and lounge chairs. While visiting the nurses' station, I overheard them saying that if a patient's condition is stable, they can push her around the courtyard for a walk.

No one's condition is more stable than their Qingzai's. Fangfang pushes the child behind her every step of the way, feeling the sunset and evening breeze, and even hums a song to accompany the music, her clear and bright eyes smiling.

Aunt Ping also looked up, feeling the cool breeze brushing against her cheek.

Halfway down the hill, Shengfang, the little boy, discovered a new way to play. He braced himself with both hands and slowly lifted off the ground. By the time Aunt Ping realized what was happening, the little rascal was already hanging on the backrest, pushing off the downhill section, his short legs dangling in mid-air.

"Charge!"

The little girl's voice was filled with excitement; it was so thrilling!

"Young master, don't rush! Qingqing, be careful!"

The wheelchair slid down rapidly, rolling faster and faster, until there was plenty of space ahead.

Aunt Ping chased after them for a few steps, then covered her eyes with one hand, her heart pounding in her chest. She counted down in her mind: three, two, one…

The expected loud bang did not come. Aunt Ping opened her eyes anxiously and broke out in a cold sweat despite the weather.

Sheng Fang's eyes lit up: "Qingzi, how did you stop?! You're so amazing, can you teach me?"

When Fangfang sees a master, he feels like he's met a legendary expert and is eager to become their apprentice.

His niece was indeed incredibly brave; she could even stop a wheelchair!

Aunt Ping's heart was still pounding, so she quickened her pace to catch up.

When she caught up, she heard the uncle and nephew arguing.

"I want to go home."

"No, you need a full body checkup!"

"The doctor said yesterday that I only need to stay one night."

"That won't do either—if we leave without permission now, how will the nurses explain it!"

Zhu Qing pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket: "The doctor's discharge slip."

Beneath the big tree, the autumn wind whistles, and withered leaves fall.

Even the young master of the Sheng family looked dejected, letting out a long, childish sigh.

How can elders have to listen to their nieces' judgments? Is there any justice in this world?

...

The children didn't want to go home, even though being hospitalized was clearly fun!

Unfortunately, you can't fight city hall, and a child can't fight an adult.

Qingzai even got her discharge papers ready from the doctor in advance, which shows that she is determined to go home!

As soon as Aunt Ping returned to the ward, she busied herself tidying up.

She'd only stayed one day, but she'd already packed a ton of stuff. The young guys from the police station had brought her soup when they came in the morning; she had to wash the soup bowl and thermos and return them. The flowers Zeng Yongshan had chosen were just starting to bloom, so of course she'd take them home and put them in a vase. Uncle Li and Inspector Mok had brought several cases of milk and calcium supplements. As for the young forensic scientists, they brought a thick stack of comic books… In short, all of this was a token of her colleagues' goodwill, and she couldn't let them down.

Aunt Ping was still racking her brains, wondering how to transport all this stuff home. At this moment, she couldn't help but sigh, "That boss is so much easier to deal with; he came empty-handed."

Although Zhu Qing got a discharge certificate from the doctor, the discharge procedures still had to be followed according to their hospital's process. Aunt Ping went in and out, finally getting it done. When she returned, she was looking at her packed "luggage" with worry when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

"Coming!" He waved vigorously.

"They're here."

Zhu Qing had no idea when this young master had stolen her cell phone and contacted Cheng Xinglang.

In short, Dr. Cheng is now doing the heavy lifting, truly becoming the baby's driver.

Aunt Ping was relieved of her immediate crisis and instantly beamed with joy.

"Qingqing." She helped Zhu Qing up and walked behind her. "Was this the colleague who came this evening? The one who came right after he left, and then the boss showed up—he's always there when called!"

Zhu Qing nodded.

I had just been there in the evening, and not long after I left, Fangfang called me back.

Dr. Cheng has so much free time.

Qingzai needs a spacious place to rest, while Fangfang needs to sit next to her the whole time as her little attendant.

Aunt Ping then sat in the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.

As driver Cheng started the car, he overheard the uncle and nephew in the back seat chatting about the comic book set he had given them.

Cheng Xinglang bought the comic book on a whim when he passed by a bookstore on his way out in the afternoon; he hadn't even read it himself. He originally intended it for the patient to pass the time, but unexpectedly, the little devil had already finished reading it.

"Qingzai, buy me another set."

Zhu Qing then opened the small comic book in the baby's pocket.

It's the most popular girls' comic right now, and it's always on the bestseller shelves in bookstores.

"Do you understand it?"

“Of course.” Sheng Fang pointed to the recommendation on the comic book cover, “Suitable for all ages!”

"So what's the story?"

Fangfang couldn't summarize it right away, so she pointed to the slogan again: "Sweeter than dating, spicier than heartbreak!"

Cheng Xinglang: "Which part of the story do you like?"

The children couldn't answer the question.

It turns out that the baby only looked at the pictures and made up his own stories, without paying attention to the plot.

Zhu Qing patted his little head.

You clearly don't understand, so why pretend to be mature!

...

Zhu Qing didn't get home until dark, and went back to sleep as soon as she fell asleep.

When I woke up the next day, the sunlight was already streaming in through the curtains, but the alarm clock on the bedside table did not go off.

She stretched groggily, only to realize that Shengfang had already gone to kindergarten.

Yesterday, Fangfang had to take care of his injured niece at the hospital and refused to go to school, so Aunt Ping had to ask for leave for him. But today, no matter how much he pleaded, acted spoiled, or rolled around on the floor, he couldn't stay at home anymore. Even if it offended this little boss, Aunt Ping had to carry his schoolbag and send him out the door.

The house feels empty without the chattering little one.

Before leaving, the young master gave Aunt Ping a task, which of course had to do with his niece. So, Zhu Qing spent most of the day resting in bed, recuperating under Aunt Ping's close supervision.

Breakfast and lunch must be eaten, and they must be good. The aroma of nourishing medicinal cuisine wafts through every corner of the house. There are also snacks before and after lunch. Aunt Ping said that she has been working tirelessly and staying up late for this recently concluded case, and she has lost a lot of energy, which she needs to recover.

That's not all. The refrigerator is covered with sticky notes that the kids have torn off crookedly. Horizontal lines are drawn on them to record Qingzai's daily meals.

The boss gave the order, and Aunt Ping naturally carried it out, writing densely packed words on it.

When Zhu Qing went to the refrigerator to get water, she leaned closer to look at the record on it—

Breakfast consisted of shrimp wonton noodles, crab roe soup dumplings, and a glass of milk. A snack at 10 AM included another glass of warm milk and calcium supplements. Lunch was chicken soup with cordyceps flowers. The afternoon was…

Fangfang is incredibly meticulous, like a little housekeeper.

Zhu Qing spent the whole day at home eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, until the back of her head was practically calloused from lying on the pillow.

The clock ticked away, and as it approached four in the afternoon, she felt a surge of joy.

Fangfang will be home from school soon.

Zhu Qing finally understood Fangfang's feelings.

He usually waits for her to come home from get off work, and they'll eat fries, play games, or just watch TV for a while and listen to a story... That's because the little girl misses her very much.

Aunt Ping calculated the time the school bus would arrive at her building and went downstairs ten minutes early to wait.

Zhu Qing was already sitting on the sofa, glancing at the direction of the door from time to time. Just like a child waiting by the door for the elevator to open, she also pricked up her ears, put her hands behind her back, and paced back and forth by the door.

A "ding" sounded, followed by the sound of light, quick footsteps.

Zhu Qing opened the door and leaned against it, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the little rocket baby.

However, from around the corner of the elevator lobby, a cacophony of childish voices could be heard.

Fangfang, is your house fun?

"Of course it's fun! They have tons of toys. A lot of them are limited editions. I played with them for ages last time I was here!"

"What toys are you playing with? Didn't you come to visit me in the hospital?"

Zhu Qing could clearly recognize the voices of all three of them.

In order, they are small coconut flakes, ginseng, and blooming.

Aunt Ping followed behind them, carrying three small schoolbags, and kept worrying, "Be careful, don't run, the stairwell entrance is the most slippery!"

"Don't fall!"

Shengfang not only went home by herself, but also brought her good friends Yesi and Jinbao back with her.

This time, he didn't abduct the children like before. Instead, he made them call their parents in advance to get their consent. Jinbao and Xiaoyesi's parents were very considerate. After school, they delivered a gift box of nutritional supplements to the kindergarten and also made arrangements with the school bus driver, specifically asking him to help look after the children.

Aunt Ping said, "Their parents will pick them up at eight o'clock in the evening..."

She held the small slips of paper handed to her by the school bus driver. The slips of paper had the home phone numbers of the two children written on them. She needed to call their parents to let them know they were safe.

When Yesi and Jinbao came to visit the patient, the gift box they were carrying was huge, almost as tall as them.

The children stood by the door, greeting Zhu Qing in their equally innocent voices.

"Hello, niece."

"My dear niece, I wish you a speedy recovery."

This was something the three babies had agreed upon.

In the game of seniority, Sheng Fang completely held the upper hand; at the police station, he was everyone's uncle. Correspondingly, at kindergarten, Zhu Qing was everyone's niece.

Zhu Qing felt that something was definitely wrong.

But what exactly is wrong?

The most considerate little coconut baby said softly, "Niece, don't stand up, lie down and rest."

Shengfang is very good at making friends. His two best friends are incredibly loyal to each other, and when they come to his house as guests, they don't even play with their toys.

They have a new toy—their niece.

In this pretend play activity, Zhu Qing was both the protagonist and the supporting character.

She lay on the sofa with her arms outstretched, and the caregiver, Coconut Baby, massaged her hands to relax them. Aunt Ping's reading glasses had a chain, so Sheng Fang borrowed them and pretended they were a stethoscope. Jin Bao played the role of the hospital chef, preparing meals and pushing a cart to hand out boxed lunches. The chef was also very kind, sitting next to her and helping to feed her.

"ah--"

Whenever Jinbao opened his mouth, Zhu Qing would also open her mouth.

Excitement shone in the eyes of the two good friends.

Fangfang's niece is so wonderful. At home, her parents don't want to play these kinds of games with her.

It's not childish at all. My niece is an adult, and she had a lot of fun.

"ah--"

Zhu Qing: "Ah—"

She cooperated throughout, while Fangfang wore a long face the whole time, grinning with satisfaction.

Jinbao kept pretending to feed Zhu Qing, dragging out the game for a very long time, as if it would never end.

Suddenly, Coconut asked, "Why don't we feed her real food? Let's feed our niece potato chips!"

This little dumpling is so cute; when she turns around, the hem of her tutu seems to dance.

Zhu Qing touched her braid, which was tied with colorful hair ties, a delicate little girl.

Coconut Flakes took potato chips from the coffee table and fed them to Zhu Qing one by one.

Seeing their niece's touched expression, the other two children immediately joined in.

Several times, before Zhu Qing had even finished chewing, a new potato chip had already been handed to her.

Looking from left to right, all three children have innocent expressions and naive eyes.

Who could she bear to refuse?

Zhu Qing accepted all comers and sprawled on the sofa.

I'm too full.

Her eyes seemed to be fixed on the clock on the living room wall.

Finally, at eight o'clock in the evening, Zhu Qing saw a glimmer of hope.

Aunt Ping escorted Jinbao and Yesi downstairs at the agreed time; their parents should have already arrived.

The sound of footsteps faded into the distance, and Zhu Qing lay flat on the sofa: "I want to go to work."

Fangfang shook his head.

What a silly niece! What's so great about having a job?

"I need to go to work—"

"I don't want to go to school at all."

...

As long as Qingzai is home, Fangfang doesn't want to go to school. He was very lucky this week; besides taking a day off to take care of his niece at the hospital, he was able to take another day off.

Because the uncle and nephew were going to a gathering at Zhaolin's house!

Weng Zhaolin specifically mentioned that the Peninsula Hotel's private chef was scheduled for the evening, and asked them to come later.

The children were eagerly anticipating their trip to Repulse Bay, and they woke up at seven in the morning, impatient to go out.

Aunt Ping coaxed the young master to the balcony and closed the glass door: "It's still so early, don't wake Qingqing."

Shengfang sat on the terrace, watching the cars coming and going below. So many people were already on the road, why couldn't he be included?

The kindergarten's arts performance is still in preparation. Shengfang raised her hand high when she signed up and finally got a performance opportunity. Jinbao is talented, and the nouveau riche kid can play the drums; he's been practicing for a while.

Fangfang can play the drums now, but his drumming skills, which he learned from Jinbao, are still a bit lacking, so his teacher only lets him sit in the corner of the orchestra.

For children, it doesn't matter whether they sit in the center or in a corner.

As long as Qingzai is willing to come, she can find her uncle even in a vast sea of ​​people!

When Qingzai woke up, Fangfang snuggled up to her and asked, "Can you come and participate in our performance?"

Zhu Qing has received the invitation personally made by Sheng Fang.

The sparkly flashcards still sit in the corner of her desk, with the child writing in as neat a hand as possible—

Welcome, Ms. Zhu Qing.

Fangfang recognizes most of the characters, but writing them is still a major challenge. Clearly, this sentence was a template provided by Teacher Ji, which he copied stroke by stroke onto the invitation.

Every step was taken with excessive force, almost tearing through the hard cardboard; his earnestness was so intense it softened one's heart.

"Can I come?"

Zhu Qing: "I'll try my best."

Shengfang shook her head vigorously: "Absolutely!"

Zhu Qing was unable to give him a definite answer.

There are no "certainties" when it comes to being a police officer; her promise could easily be voided by an unexpected emergency. But how could she explain this to this hopeful little one?

"If I really can't get away..." she considered.

Fangfang's little head drooped down, her chubby fingers put together, and her fingertips touched gently.

Zhu Qing knew that he had been rehearsing every day recently. Even before going to bed, he would use his short fingers to pretend to be drumsticks and rhythmically tap on the wall.

It's "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variations," and Fangfang really values ​​her first opportunity to perform on stage at kindergarten.

"If there really isn't time," Shengfang's expression turned fierce, and she declared in a threatening tone, "then—"

Zhu Qing raised her eyes.

"Then buy a DV camera, record my performance, and watch it a hundred times when you get home from get off work!"

"Aunt Ping, have the electronics store send over a DV camera!"

Buying a DV camera is completely useless; it will soon be left idle.

But even a well-off person like yourself will inevitably waste some money.

The little boy, Shengfang, was acting on impulse and had already dragged Aunt Ping to the drawer of the TV cabinet to look for the business card of the electronics store owner.

The young master quickly regained his energy, and Zhu Qing's smile deepened as she sat down at the dining table.

A newspaper was spread out on the dining table.

She noticed the front-page headline was about the suicide of a first-class scholarship student at Hurd High School.

The accompanying statement was the school's "zero tolerance" policy. The statement was clear and unambiguous, conveying a swift and decisive determination to handle the matter without any hint of perfunctoriness.

Zhu Qing recalled Zeng Yongshan's phone call last night.

Lin Xiyin finally received an apology, although compared to the harm she had suffered, those flimsy "sorry"s were nothing. But at least this time, someone caught her before she fell.

The swaying figure was pulled back.

"Young master, don't lie on the floor!"

"It's covered with a carpet!"

"The ground is cold..."

Zhu Qing's thoughts were interrupted by Aunt Ping's voice.

A couple of days ago, Shengfang and Aunt Ping went shopping and bought a fluffy, soft floor mat to put in the living room.

I originally thought that with this floor mat, my son wouldn't have to get cold from lying on the floor as autumn approached—

But now, in the huge living room, they deliberately found a spot without a carpet and happily rolled around.

"Young master, be careful not to catch a cold—"

"You little kid..."

...

The trip to Repulse Bay was finally arranged. This time, John spared no expense. When the police arrived, they saw the Peninsula Hotel's culinary team entering the villa in a grand procession, displaying exceptional professionalism.

The villa was so big that it was impossible to see it all.

The flower leans against the poolside, its little hand reaching out to explore the shimmering water under the sunlight.

"Let's go in," Zeng Yongshan said with a smile, "to visit Inspector Weng's house."

On their first visit to Inspector Ong's house, the Serious Crimes Unit colleagues unconsciously shuffled their feet. Mrs. Ong took the fruit platter from the maid and came out to greet the guests.

Her permed hair swayed gently with her movements, and her silk shirt shone with a soft sheen; even from a distance, one could still feel the drape of the shirt.

How elegant Mrs. Ong was, how rough Mr. Ong was.

"Please eat more, don't be shy," said Weng Zhaolin's wife. "Make yourselves at home."

Zeng Yongshan tugged at Zhu Qing's sleeve and lowered her voice.

"She's like a beautiful wife who's always ready to attend a charity gala!"

"The daughter of a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner is now..."

"At the time, I wondered why she was interested in Inspector Yung—but guess what happened!"

Zhu Qing: "Weng Sir was very powerful before?"

Zeng Yongshan nodded vigorously: "The robbery of Leiming Jewelry Store back then was a sensation! Who would have thought that the beautiful woman buying a wedding ring in the counter was the heiress of a famous bone-setting clinic? It was even reported in the news at the time. Her name was Zhou Baoxuan, but we were too young to remember it even though we were in school."

That was an old case from more than ten years ago. At the time, Sergeant Ong Siu-lun arrived at the scene after receiving a report and found that the criminals had kidnapped the seemingly frail Zhou Baoxuan.

In a split second, this seemingly quiet young lady struck the bandit's temple with the jade bracelet on her wrist, while Inspector Ong seized the opportunity to pounce—

"A hero saves the damsel in distress!"

As for what happened later, the young officers didn't know the details. It was only thanks to the senior officers, Uncle Lai and Inspector Mok, who relied on their memories to reconstruct this beautiful story for them.

Although Zhou Baoxuan only suffered minor injuries, Weng Zhaolin insisted on taking her to the hospital. During her hospitalization, the sergeant visited her daily, showing meticulous care. In contrast, her then-fiancé was not as attentive. Before long, her colleagues at the police station received Weng Sir's wedding invitation. As for her fiancé, he became Weng Sir's defeated fiancé, disappearing from the story in disappointment.

"Wow, there's this part too."

"Grandma Weng is quite impressive too."

"Back then, the Zhou family's bone-setting school collaborated with the Wing Chun martial arts school next door. Mrs. Weng was exposed to it from a young age and actually learned kung fu properly."

"On the day of their wedding banquet, an elder saw the newlyweds toasting and reminded Mr. Ong that when the couple quarreled in the future, he should give way to his wife."

The children were not interested in the gossip whispered by their colleagues.

He gazed at the beautiful scenery outside the villa: "Didn't Dr. Cheng come?"

On the way here by car, he had already decided to take a motorcycle ride around Repulse Bay, how cool that would be.

"What are you doing here, forensic doctor?" Weng Zhaolin glanced at him. "We're from the Major Crimes Unit."

"You're still so self-righteous!" Fangfang said in a childish voice.

What's wrong with the Major Crimes Unit again? Yau Ma Tei Police Station is one family!

On this point, the younger generation should say something about Zhaolin: he doesn't have a wide enough circle of friends.

"Aunt Chen, you can just put it here—"

Zhou Baoxuan's voice came through.

Fangfang turned around curiously and saw that John was already walking quickly to meet her.

"This is a bird's nest gift box specially prepared for you."

"One box per person, even for kids."

"Nannan, yours... and the little boy over there—"

Mrs. Ong was very generous, while Mr. Ong was sweating profusely and trying to pull at her clothes.

"That's too expensive, really not necessary. I'll just treat them to iced lemon tea tomorrow, these guys—"

Mrs. Weng glanced at him sideways.

As a result, everyone looked at each other, feeling embarrassed to accept such a generous gift.

It wasn't until Sheng Fang, the little girl, pulled Mo Sir's daughter Nannan and stood in front of Zhou Baoxuan that the situation changed.

"Thank you so much, Auntie Liangliang!" Fangfang said sweetly. "You've gone to so much trouble!"

The little girl thanked them and ran back to her parents with the bird's nest gift box in her arms.

Zhou Baoxuan insisted, and it was clear that Weng Sir wasn't in charge of the household. Seeing this, the other officers respectfully accepted the bird's nest gift box, but their eyes all showed the same confusion, unable to find an answer for a long time.

How exactly did Inspector Yung win over Mrs. Yung?

Weng Zhaolin clutched his chest, as if he could feel his heart shatter with a "thud".

After a day's work, two months' salary wouldn't be enough to cover the losses.

...

Everyone agreed that today we would only relax and no one was allowed to talk about work.

Fangfang, the little girl, wholeheartedly agreed and completely regarded John's house as her own.

Inside the kitchen, a professional team of chefs was busy preparing meals, and enticing aromas wafted out from time to time.

The children were more interested in the pool in the courtyard than the food.

Since there were no children's swimming equipment at home, the hospitable Zhou Baoxuan specially went to her neighbor's house to borrow a swimming ring and goggles.

What's even more thoughtful is that she specially requested brand new children's swimsuits and swim trunks.

“My neighbor bought it last year, but they found it was too small and haven’t worn it since,” Zhou Baoxuan said with a smile.

The temperature-controlled swimming pool in autumn is comfortable and pleasant, with no hint of coolness.

Zhu Qing sat on a wicker chair by the pool, the white bandage on her shoulder still in place, making her look like she was carrying a "backpack," which was particularly eye-catching. It was precisely because of this that Fang Fang could always spot her niece at a glance.

In the pool, little Fangfang and her older sister Nannan were splashing around in the water.

Weng Zhaolin put his arm around his wife's shoulder and said, "Why don't we have a child like that too?"

These words happened to reach Zhu Qing's ears.

A child like this... Can children be customized?

Zeng Yongshan listened silently.

This is the first time that I, as one of Inspector Yung's subordinates, have discovered that he has such a tender side.

"Will you take care of the child or will I?" Mrs. Weng raised an eyebrow. "Taking care of a child, do you think it's that simple?"

Suddenly, Fangfang popped up from the water: "Let me bring them for you!"

Weng Zhaolin clicked his tongue.

Before she could finish her sweet words, the child interrupted her.

"Didn't Madam from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau come?" Zeng Yongshan had already changed the subject and was asking around.

"Uncle Li, do you know?"

Mo Zhenbang laughed: "You've come to the right person. You should ask her ex-husband."

Last time, Ong Siu-lun mentioned that he would invite Madam Yu to a gathering at his home. However, the gathering had to be postponed because the Major Crimes Unit's case was still pending.

Madam had already come alone a few days earlier, but she deliberately avoided the time that Uncle Li was visiting.

"What a pity."

"I thought there was going to be a good show..."

Uncle Li pretended to be calm and walked towards the kitchen, feigning interest in the Peninsula chef's skills.

The other young people gathered together and joked around.

"Did you guys notice? Uncle Li looks especially energetic today. Did he get his hair done? It's obvious he went to the hair salon and got hair gel on!"

"The trousers are new too! When have we ever seen Uncle Li wear dress trousers? The creases are perfectly straight, they must be brand new."

The "divorce case" concerning Uncle Li was the appetizer before dinner.

I heard that when he was young, he "made a mistake by drinking," and his wife insisted on divorcing him. After that, Uncle Li stopped drinking and learned his lesson.

The group was still pondering just how much they had truly learned from their mistakes—

When the chef served the dishes, Uncle Li didn't even eat the drunken shrimp.

The children sat upright at the dining table, their chubby little hands pinching the shrimp whiskers, silently peeling the shrimp shells.

He secretly snatched the shrimp while the plate was spinning.

John just gave a very arrogant introduction.

This is the Peninsula Hotel's most famous drunken shrimp dish, which even Andy Lau made a special trip to try.

"Who is Andy Lau?" Fangfang asked, moving closer to Nannan.

Nannan hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

See? She's already a big girl, but she just can't find common ground with such a young child.

"This dish is very unique," Weng Zhaolin continued enthusiastically, "It uses live, wriggling shrimp, which are marinated in Shaoxing wine for a full six hours, along with more than a dozen kinds of spices—"

The child peeled several shrimp and approached Nannan again: "Want a bite?"

Nannan blinked: "Will I get drunk?"

Young Master: "You don't even dare to do this!"

The baby picked up the peeled shrimp and prepared to put it in his little mouth.

"Sister Qingqing!" Nannan exclaimed, "He's been drinking!"

All eyes immediately turned to the young master of the Sheng family.

In full view of everyone, Fangfang's drunken shrimp was confiscated by her niece.

"Didn't you hear the chef remind you when he served the food? Children can't eat this." Mo Sir said.

“Daddy, I heard you,” said Nannan.

The little girl stared at Nannan and said, "You look a lot like someone."

Who is it?

Shengfang feigned profundity and slowly uttered two words: "Ajuan".

...

Mo Zhenbang originally gave Zhu Qing a half-month vacation, but at her strong request, the vacation was shortened to seven days.

The niece repeatedly pleaded with her uncle not to bring any more friends to visit her at home.

Shengfang listened carefully and implemented the instructions strictly.

During such a long holiday, Zhu Qing had plenty of time to visit Sheng Peirong at the sanatorium.

Sometimes she would stay quietly in the ward by herself, and sometimes Fangfang would go, so she would pick him up from kindergarten during his lunch break and they would go together.

Zhu Qing liked to sit in the back seat of the car and mutter to herself.

"You need to remove the cast before you see your mom, otherwise she'll feel bad for you."

"Qingzai, don't think that your older sister can't see or knows anything! She's definitely listening, so don't make her worry."

In Sheng Fang's mind, Sheng Pei Rong was just temporarily closing her eyes to rest, and she could clearly perceive everything in the outside world.

Therefore, Zhu Qing learned to only report good news and never mention bad news, and she never spoke of her injury.

"But you have to tell your older sister about the rescue," Fangfang whispered in Qingzai's ear. "She'll be so proud."

This little kid is always telling adults what to do.

"I'll do it!"

Sheng Fang pulled up a stool and sat down properly in front of Sheng Peirong.

His small hand held his older sister's stiff but still warm hand.

"Big sister, big sister, it's your little brother. Do you remember me? Your little brother has come to see you again."

"Let me tell you, Coco is amazing! One of the older girls was about to fly downstairs like a balloon, and Qingzai pounced on her in no time. Even the Chief Superintendent praised Qingzai for her agility!"

"Wait a minute—you know Coco is Qingzai, right?"

"She grabbed the woman's wrist with one hand, like a superhero."

Zhu Qing squinted her eyes.

Just moments ago, he emphasized not to say anything that would worry "his older sister," but as soon as he turned around, Fangfang recounted the thrilling and exciting scene from beginning to end, afraid that she might miss any detail.

"But it's not dangerous, don't worry," he said. "Coco has been trained!"

"There's no silver buried here."

Fangfang, having been exposed by her niece, put her hands on her hips and said, "Qingzai?"

Shengfang, with her little nose wrinkled, approached Qingzai menacingly, looking quite imposing.

"How dare you speak to your uncle like that!"

His niece slapped his little face flat with one hand.

"Hello!"

"What do you mean, 'feed'?"

Just as the uncle and nephew were laughing and joking, they suddenly froze at the same time, their hearts pounding like drums.

They all, without prior arrangement, cautiously shifted their gaze toward the hospital bed.

"Qingzai, did you see that?"

Zhu Qing took a deep breath.

"I saw it."

They all saw it, saw Sheng Peirong's hand placed at her side—

His finger twitched almost imperceptibly.

That afternoon, Shengfang did not return to kindergarten to continue attending school.

He stayed at the sanatorium where his eldest sister lived, waiting with his niece.

The doctors hurried along, opening and closing the ward door repeatedly. Each time the door closed, Zhu Qing's heart skipped a beat.

They sat on plastic chairs in the corridor outside the ward. The window at the end of the corridor was open, and a strong wind blew in, carrying the smell of disinfectant.

Zhu Qing wanted to be happy, but she dared not be.

Fangfang, usually so active and talkative, was unusually quiet. Back in the Sheng family, he often saw his superstitious parents making wishes, praying for their business to prosper. Marissa also always wished to exchange twenty pounds of fat for her child back home recovering from a fever. And Aunt Ping, whenever he said something innocent and childish, she would put her hands together and mutter, "Don't be offended if you're upset."

Shengfang didn't know who they were praying to, but at that moment, he also made a wish in his heart.

I hope my older sister wakes up, and I hope that from now on, Qingzai will become a child loved by his mother.

Shengfang closed her eyes and put her two chubby little hands together.

The hurried footsteps of doctors and nurses echoed back and forth in the corridor, and they were eventually invited to Dean Luo's office.

The office was very quiet, so quiet that Fangfang could even hear Qingzai's uneven breathing.

"Doctor, how is my mother?"

Dean Luo laid out a stack of reports in front of them.

The report was a thick stack of documents, and every single one of them was filled with medical jargon that Zhu Qing couldn't understand.

"According to the latest EEG, Ms. Sheng showed some abnormal brain activity. However, this is not uncommon among patients in a long-term coma or vegetative state, and most of them are unconscious neural reflexes."

"There are indeed many misunderstandings, which may be due to the misleading nature of movies and TV dramas—people often think that a person in a vegetative state will wake up if they move a finger, but that's not the case. Such movements are often just spinal reflexes and have no necessary connection with whether consciousness is restored or whether the patient can wake up."

Shengfang's gaze dimmed as she looked at Qingzai.

He also lowered his little head and shoulders.

"Ms. Sheng has been in a coma for so many years, I know you are waiting for a miracle."

"As a doctor, I must tell you the truth: with current conventional treatment methods, the chances of her waking up are extremely slim."

Zhu Qing's hand was tightly gripping the report on brainwave fluctuations.

The doctor's words were practically telling them that the chances of Sheng Peirong waking up were extremely slim.

But just now, Zhu Qing clearly saw her mother's fingers twitching slightly.

Even though her life force was extremely weak, she truly existed.

"You now have two paths before you. The first is to maintain the status quo. Given Ms. Sheng's current health condition, she can hold on for a while longer. But you should understand the final outcome."

In the original storyline, after being in a coma for several years, Sheng Peirong died due to organ failure.

At this very moment, Dean Luo's words point to the same possibility.

"The second way—" Dean Luo paused, "There's a new experimental therapy being developed overseas that's currently recruiting volunteers."

"Based on preliminary data, the success rate is about 30%."

"The surgery is very risky; a 30% success rate means there's a 70% chance of failure."

The consequences of failure are obvious; in the worst-case scenario, we might not even be able to save the time we have left.

"This decision was difficult, I understand."

"You need to carefully consider whether to continue maintaining this arrangement—"

"Shall we take a gamble?"

The air in the dean's office was as still as if frozen.

Shengfang didn't hear Qingzai's reply and stared down at her ten fingers.

Fangfang clenched her little fist and solemnly raised three fingers.

There is a 30% chance.

My uncle is now the only elder in the family.

He has to hold things together and support the family!

The baby's heart pounded: "Should we take a chance?"