Chapter 359 Going for an appraisal
When Han Lingcui pushed open the door of the ward, the smell of disinfectant mixed with Shen Qianxun’s suppressed sobs hit her face.
The little guy curled up on the hospital bed, with the quilt covering only up to his chest. His shoulders, which were exposed, twitched. The gauze on his forehead was slightly red, making his little face look even paler.
"Xunxun, I'm back." She walked closer with light footsteps, her voice as soft as a ball of cotton.
Shen Qianxun raised his head suddenly, his eyes red like ripe cherries, and when he saw it was her, his lips trembled, but he did not rush over as usual, he just shrank back into the bed.
"Auntie, auntie... I'm scared..." The voice was crying, and the ending tone was trembling, like a thin string blown by the wind.
Han Lingcui's heart seemed to be tugged by something.
When she first took over the care of Shen Qianxun, she only thought it was a task assigned by her boss Shen Hanxing.
After all, Mr. Shen is very busy, and the child needs help occasionally.
She fulfilled her professional duties by feeding, telling stories and playing with the child, but as time went on, the child started calling her "Auntie" with his black eyes blinking.
He would put the first bite of candy into her mouth, and wait by her side with a small blanket while she worked overtime. Those trivial dependencies gradually formed a web, which made her heart warm.
"Don't be afraid," she sat down beside the bed and patted his back gently. "I just bumped into it accidentally. The doctor said Xunxun is the bravest, right?"
Shen Qianxun shook her head, her little hands tightly grasping the corner of the quilt: “That little kid pushed me…it hurts…”
"Yeah, I know Xunxun is in pain," Han Lingcui's voice became softer. She thought for a moment and suddenly hummed a simple tune.
"'Little duck, quack, quack, waddle back home...'" This was a vague fragment deep in her memory, as if her mother had sung it to coax her to sleep when she was a child.
Shen Qianxun paused in sobbing, and looked at her with tearful eyes.
Han Lingcui continued singing and changed the story, telling how a little bear got lost and was helped by a kind squirrel to find his home.
She spoke slowly, her fingertips gently combing the sweaty hair on the child's forehead.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Qianxun's breathing gradually evened out, tears still hanging on her eyelashes, but her little face relaxed.
Just when Han Lingcui thought he was asleep, he suddenly hugged her arms and murmured, "Auntie... is as warm as mother..."
"Like mother..." These three words were like three hot sparks, hitting Han Lingcui's heart.
Her fingers froze instantly, her heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, and then began to tremble violently.
The blood seemed to rush to the top of the head in an instant, and then chill the limbs in the next second.
She always felt that some of Xunxun's subtle habits were very similar to her own when she was young.
She had attributed this to coincidence, to the illusion created by her growing affection for her child.
But at this moment, the child's unconscious murmur was like a key, unexpectedly opening the door in her heart that had been closed for many years.
Hidden behind the door is her lost past that she almost dares not touch.
She looked at the profile of Shen Qianxun's sleeping face. Her eyebrows and the curve of her nose looked very much like a shadow that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.
Is it him? Is it really him?
Once this thought came to her mind, it took root and sprouted wildly, stirring up chaos in her chest.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
While Shen Qianxun was sleeping soundly, she reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly, and picked up a few fallen hairs from the side of his pillow, carefully wrapped them in a tissue, and put them in her pocket.
When her fingertips touched the softness of her hair, her heart beat faster. It was a violent throbbing mixed with fear, anticipation, and a hint of disbelief.
She needed an answer, one that would give her certainty, or perhaps even make her completely devastated.
At this moment, the door of the ward was gently pushed open, and Shen Hanxing appeared at the door.
Her clothes were a little loose and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. It was obvious that she had come in a hurry.
Seeing Shen Qianxun sleeping soundly on the hospital bed, her tense jawline softened, she quickly walked to the bedside, leaned over and checked the child's wound and gauze.
"Lingcui, thank you for your hard work. How is Xunxun?" Her voice was filled with a hint of imperceptible fatigue and concern.
"Boss Shen, Xunxun is fine. She was just a little frightened and is asleep now."
Han Lingcui subconsciously clenched the tissue in his pocket and tried to sound calm. "I was pushed down by a kid. Over at the playground."
Shen Hanxing's eyes darkened. Her child had suffered an unexpected disaster, so she naturally couldn't just let it go like this.
Fortunately, Shen Qianxun is fine now.
Otherwise she would have gone crazy long ago.
After calming down, she looked at Han Lingcui: "Where are the other party's parents?"
"I just went to deal with it. They..." Han Lingcui paused, "seemed uncooperative..."
"I'll go take a look." Chen Hanxing didn't ask any more questions and patted Han Lingcui's shoulder.
"You take care of Xunxun, I'll be back soon." She turned and left, her steps moving with her usual decisiveness.
Han Lingcui watched his back disappear outside the door before slowly loosening his clenched hands, with a thin layer of sweat on his palms.
She knew Shen Hanxing’s method of handling things, but this time it might not be simple.
Just now, the people in the welfare home kept hoping that she could resolve the issue privately.
She didn't agree, but just carefully went to see the parents of the naughty child.
Although the parents were dressed in ordinary clothes, there was an inexplicable arrogance in their words.
Sure enough, not long after, sounds of arguing were heard in the corridor.
Han Lingcui walked to the door and looked out quietly.
I saw Chen Hanxing standing in the middle of the corridor, opposite him stood the parents of the naughty child. At this moment, their backs were straight, with a kind of smugness on their faces.
Beside them stood several men in black suits with an intimidating aura. The one in the lead had a stern expression and was whispering something to Shen Hanxing.
"Miss Chen, it's inevitable for children to fight," the father of the naughty child stiffened his neck, but his tone was much tougher than before.
"Besides, we are relatives of the Xuanyuan family, so we should give them some face, right? Didn't Xuanyuan Pavilion come here just after a phone call?"
Xuanyuan Pavilion!
Han Lingcui's heart was shocked again.
The lights in the corridor were pale, illuminating the figures of two groups confronting each other.
Han Lingcui leaned against the door, his hand unconsciously touching the tissue in his pocket.
The child's body temperature seemed to still remain on her hair, and the sudden storm before her was like a larger net, slowly drawing her, Shen Qianxun, and even Shen Hanxing into it.
She looked down at the sleeping child in the ward. The child's eyes, so similar to hers, were closed tightly, oblivious to the conflict outside.
The question in her heart became heavier and more complicated with the appearance of the Xuanyuan family.
Is all this just a coincidence, or is it a foreshadowing of fate?
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