The phone was dialed for a long time, but no one answered.
Qiu Li's face flushed red, and she stamped her feet anxiously. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She muttered, "Big brother, why aren't you answering the phone..."
Just as Qiu Li was extremely anxious, Qiu Mang's phone suddenly rang. The little girl couldn't read and had no idea whose name was on the caller ID. She didn't care and just picked it up.
"Qiu Mang, you finally answered the phone. I... this is Ji Lun. I found your number in the alumni group. I heard you also came to Guangcheng..."
On the other end of the phone, a young man's voice, filled with surprise and urgency, was interrupted by a burst of loud crying.
Ji Lun was visibly taken aback. The sound of crying on the other end of the line made his heart clench. He tentatively asked, "Excuse me, is this Qiu Mang's call? I didn't dial the wrong number, did I?"
Qiu Li stopped sobbing, her voice thick with emotion, and choked out, "It's...it's Qiu Mang on the phone, but...my sister is sick! Waaah..."
The little girl broke down again at the mention of her older sister.
"Don't be nervous, young lady. What's your relationship to Qiu Mang? Are you saying Qiu Mang is sick? Can you tell me what's going on?"
Ji Lun tried to keep his voice soft and gentle, attempting to soothe the panicked little girl on the other end of the phone.
Qiu Li cried and gasped for breath. After finally catching her breath, she choked out, "I'm her sister. My sister has a fever now, and I don't know what to do. I'm so worried about her..."
"Can you tell me, brother, where you live?" Jilun tried to make his voice sound gentle.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Li shook her head vigorously, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
She was illiterate and had only been in Guangcheng for a few days. Her older sister usually took her around, so she had no idea where her home was.
Ji Lun seemed to realize this as well, and his mind raced. He continued, "Little friend, I'll make a video call to your sister now. You answer it, then stand by the window and point the camera at the street outside, okay? That way, your brother can find you."
Qiu Li nodded hastily, as if grasping at a lifeline.
Following this method, Ji Lun quickly located several landmark buildings and successfully found Qiu Mang's residence.
What surprised Ji Lun was that he had heard Qiu Mang had only come to Guangcheng during the Chinese New Year, and now, not long after, Qiu Mang was living in such a high-end residential area.
Ji Lun drove to Qiu Shui Ya Ju, bought a thermometer and some fever reducers at a nearby pharmacy, and thinking that the two sisters probably hadn't eaten anything yet, he hurriedly went to buy breakfast before arriving at Qiu Mang's house.
Qiu Mang was delirious with fever and didn't even have the strength to open her eyes. After taking the medicine in a daze, she fell asleep again like a tired kitten.
Ji Lun was afraid that the phone ringing would disturb her sleep, so he carefully reached out and silenced her phone. Then he gently took Qiu Li's small hand and led her out of the room.
Upon entering the living room, Ji Lun laid out the breakfast he had bought on the table. Qiu Li was indeed starving, and upon seeing the food in front of her, she wolfed it down.
On the other side, Lu Yanting was about to fly to Australia for a business trip early in the morning. He only saw Qiu Li's call after he got off the plane.
The man's heart tightened; a bad premonition washed over him. He quickly turned on the monitoring device on his phone, and what he saw made his heart sink to the bottom.
Early this morning, a strange man walked into Qiu Mang's house, and two hours have passed, but the man still hasn't come out.
Lu Yanting unconsciously tightened his grip on his phone, and then quickly dialed Yan Kai's number.
Half an hour later, Yan Kai appeared in front of Qiushui Yaju right on time.
He raised his hand and pressed the doorbell. The crisp sound echoed twice inside the house. After a moment, Qiu Li hurriedly ran to open the door.
"Brother Yan Kai!" As soon as Xiao Qiuli saw the person outside the door, her eyes lit up instantly. She took short steps and ran over happily.
Yan Kai leaned down slightly, gently patted Qiu Li's head, and asked with a hint of urgency, "Where's your sister?"
Qiu Li quickly took Yan Kai's hand and pulled him into the house, saying, "Sister is sick. Brother Ji Lun bought medicine and brought it over. Sister just took the medicine and went to sleep."
As soon as Yan Kai entered the room, he saw Ji Lun walking towards him. Ji Lun wore a pair of exquisite gold-rimmed glasses, and the eyes behind the lenses revealed a refined and scholarly air. He looked very polite and cultured.
"Hello, my name is Ji Lun. I was Qiu Mang's senior in college. May I ask who you are?" Ji Lun said with a friendly smile, politely extending his hand.
Yan Kai calmly sized up the man in front of him, paused briefly, then extended his hand and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Yan Kai, Qiu Mang's friend."
They gently clasped hands, then separated. Yan Kai then inquired about Qiu Mang's condition, and Ji Lun recounted in detail how Qiu Mang had developed a fever.
“Mr. Yan, Qiu Mang is a young woman all alone in Guangcheng, it’s really not easy for her. She hasn’t been here long, she’s a stranger in this place, doesn’t have many friends, and has a child to support. Now that she’s sick, she doesn’t even have anyone she can rely on or trust. As her senior from school, it’s only right and proper for me to stay and take care of the two sisters. If you have other things to do, why don’t you go back first?” Ji Lun frowned slightly, his words full of concern.
Yan Kai's gaze swept across the man's face, his eyes cold and his tone authoritative: "Sir, although you mean well, you are, after all, a grown man. It's not appropriate for you to stay in a single woman's home for an extended period of time. Of course, it's not suitable for me to stay here either. How about this, I'll arrange for a caregiver with medical knowledge to look after her. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Lun was taken aback, scratched his head, and hesitated, "But... hiring a nanny costs a lot of money, so how about..."
"Don't worry, I'll cover the cost. But on the condition that you leave here." Yan Kai's voice was deep and firm, and the imposing aura he usually concealed was now fully revealed.
“But…” Ji Lun wanted to try again, but when he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn’t find a better reason.
In the end, he nodded helplessly.
Yan Kai quickly made a phone call, and after a brief conversation, a woman who looked experienced and quick-witted arrived shortly afterward.
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