When those words were spoken, everything around seemed to be paused, as if someone pressed the stop button.
Qin Haochen stood there in shock, his expression somewhat dazed. Did he just imagine that?
Old Mr. Ye seemed to have anticipated this moment. He first let out a sigh of relief, then a smile spread across his face as he quietly squeezed his wife’s hand.
After Old Mrs. Ye spoke, it was as if she had been set free. She turned her head away, casually wiping away the moisture from the corners of her eyes, and then led the way into the hospital, saying, "You all should head upstairs quickly; it’s chilly outside."
Old Mr. Ye followed closely, turning back to Qin Haochen and saying, "Haochen, if you need any clothes, have someone bring them over. We have all the daily necessities here."
Qin Haochen remained rooted to the spot, still processing what had just happened.
Ye Rongyuan lightly patted him on the shoulder, "Brother-in-law, don’t just stand there; come on, the elevator will be here soon."
Qin Sui’an looked up at him, her round eyes filled with disbelief, mirroring her father’s expression. She glanced between her grandparents’ retreating figures and her father, her previous disappointment evaporating, replaced by an indescribable joy.
With both arms wrapped around her father’s neck, Qin Sui’an joyfully exclaimed, "Ann can sleep with daddy and mommy tonight!"
After her excitement, she seemed to remember something important and anxiously asked, "Daddy, are you busy tonight?" If her father really was very busy, she might not be able to sleep with him.
Reality broke free from the illusion; yet, it felt surreal.
At that moment, Qin Haochen truly felt that what he had just heard was not a figment of his imagination, but a reality.
A smile slowly spread across his lips, emotions swelling within him, moistening his eyes. His voice, tinged with barely concealed choked emotions, answered little one’s question, "Not busy tonight."
"Yay~ That’s great!" Qin Sui’an cheered again, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.
Old Mrs. Qin sat in the car, watching the scene unfold, secretly wiping away tears, then cheerfully urged, "Haochen, what are you waiting for? Hurry and take Ann to rest."
"Okay." Qin Haochen turned back to the people in the car, saying, "Mom, Dad, drive carefully on your way home. Lvzheng, Niexun, take good care of your grandparents; I’ll take Ann inside."
Qin Lvzheng and Qin Niexun chorused, "Goodbye, Dad! Goodbye, Ann!"
With her little head resting on her father’s shoulder, Qin Sui’an waved her tiny hands, "Goodbye, Grandma~ Goodbye, Grandpa~ Goodbye, Third Brother~ Goodbye, Fourth Brother~"
After bidding farewell, Qin Haochen hugged little one and walked steadily yet lightly alongside Ye Rongyuan into the hospital.
Ye Rongyuan guided them past the hospital’s main hall to their family’s private elevator. The elevator was ascending, having taken Old Mrs and Mr Ye up first.
When they reached the top floor, the elevator returned to the ground floor and stopped in front of them.
Ye Rongyuan pressed his thumb against the fingerprint lock, and the elevator door opened for them.
As he stepped inside, he remarked, "It’s getting late. Haochen, when you go to work tomorrow, remember to record your fingerprint too."
Qin Haochen nodded slightly, still struggling to calm his emotions, "Okay."
Ye Rongyuan glanced at Ann and smiled, "We’ve recorded Ann’s fingerprint too."
Qin Sui’an immediately raised her thumb, looking up at her father, and in her baby voice said, "Daddy, recording fingerprints uses the thumb; it’ll be done quickly! It won’t take up your work time!"
Last time, when Qin Sui’an recorded her fingerprint, her little fingers had caused delays, but her thumb worked just fine.
Qin Haochen couldn’t help but smile, holding her thumb, "Okay, tomorrow Dad will use his thumb to record, just like Ann."
The elevator quickly reached the top floor, taking just a few seconds. When the door opened, the hallway was clean and quiet.
Ye Rongyuan continued leading the way, bringing his brother-in-law to his sister’s exclusive hospital room.
Upon reaching the door, Ye Rongyuan paused and lowered his voice a bit, "Brother-in-law, this is my sister’s room. Next door is my parents’ lounge, and there’s another lounge across the hall, which we reserved for us brothers, but we seldom use it. We usually just rest on the sofa in my sister’s room."
After the brief introduction, Ye Rongyuan opened the door to the hospital room.
Old Mrs and Mr Ye weren’t inside; the room was very quiet.
Ye Rongyuan pointed to the partially closed door and lowered his voice even further, "Brother-in-law, my sister is inside, and Ann’s crib is in there. What you do tonight... you can decide."
After saying this, Ye Rongyuan pretended to yawn, "I’ll go wash up in the lounge now."
Qin Haochen nodded, "Okay."
Qin Sui’an immediately waved her little hand, "Goodbye, Uncle~"
"Ann, goodnight! See you tomorrow," Ye Rongyuan smiled, reaching out to ruffle her little head before leaving and closing the door behind him.
He walked toward the lounge, standing at the door for a long moment before finally stepping inside.
Meanwhile, in the hospital room.
Qin Haochen held little one in his arms. The door to that room was so close, just a few steps away, yet he had walked that distance for three years.
In those three years, he had endured the pain of his daughter’s disappearance and the bitterness of being unable to see his wife.
He did not blame the Ye family for their strictness; he only blamed himself for not being able to protect his wife and daughter, leading to such consequences.
If he could, he would gladly trade his life for his wife and daughter’s peace and happiness.
With one hand holding little one, he extended the other to gently push open the door to the room.
The soundproofing was excellent; only the soft beeping of medical equipment could be heard.
Qin Sui’an looked at the person in the hospital bed, her round eyes brightening with joy as she exclaimed, "Mommy~ Ann is here with Daddy~"
Qin Haochen’s throat tightened, warmth surged in his eyes, and complex emotions engulfed him in that moment.
He couldn’t hold back the tears, which streamed down his face as his gentle voice trembled, "Zhaosi, I’m here with Ann."
Sitting by the bedside with little one in his arms, he reached out to gently stroke his wife’s brow, not making any effort to stop the tears in his eyes.
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