He subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound. If it were just a child crying or making a fuss, he probably would have just glanced at it and let it go.
But when Mr. Ruan followed the sound, he saw a trash can.
Ruan Bei: "..."
Qin Gu: "..."
However, I suddenly felt like laughing.
He turned his head away, suppressing the urge to curl his lips into a smile.
Ruan Bei's eyes were glazed over, incredulous: "Trash...trash can?"
Mr. Ruan nodded. There were large trash cans on each floor of the hospital, usually placed in secluded corners. He wouldn't have gone to such a quiet place unless he had just confirmed his child's death with the doctor and was in a bad mood.
Hearing a baby crying in the trash can, Mr. Ruan couldn't just ignore it. He went over, lifted the lid, and saw the baby thrown inside.
Ruan Bei: "..."
He'll hold a grudge! Once he catches the mastermind, he'll throw him in the trash!
“You were this small back then.” Mr. Ruan stretched out his arms to show how small you really were, not even as long as his forearm.
Mr. Ruan had just lost his own child and was going through a difficult time. Suddenly seeing someone treating the child so carelessly made him both angry and heartbroken.
He pulled Ruan Bei out of the trash can and carried her to the doctor, telling them he had found a child in the trash can.
The hospital doctors were startled and quickly called a doctor from the obstetrics and gynecology department to examine the child.
After examining the baby, the doctor said that the baby was only a few days old, but it was obviously not well cared for. The baby was hungry and had a low-grade fever. Fortunately, it was summer. If it were winter, and the baby had been left in the trash, it might have died by the time it was discovered.
They went to the obstetrics and gynecology department to ask if anyone had lost their child, but no one claimed the child.
In those days, surveillance wasn't as common, but the child was found in a trash can, so he was most likely abandoned.
In the end, they could only call the police, but after the police arrived and understood the situation, there was nothing they could do.
The child is so young and sick, so we can only keep him in the hospital for now, and then send him to an orphanage.
Fortunately, the child is still young, a boy, healthy, and good-looking, so he should be relatively easy to adopt.
Mr. Ruan was involved throughout this process. Not for any other reason than that the child would stop crying when he held him, but would start crying as soon as he let go, and no one else could take over.
Perhaps because he was sick, the child's cries were not as strong as other children's; his cries were weak and feeble.
Mr. Ruan, a loving father, was so moved by her crying that he couldn't bear to let go of her.
Hearing the police and doctor discussing sending the child to an orphanage, Mr. Ruan had a sudden thought: "How about... how about we raise this child?"
He was still holding his newborn child who had died in his arms. He was indeed impulsive when he said those words, but after he finished speaking, he looked at the little child who was loosely clutching his clothes and felt that he and this child had a connection.
He explained his situation to the doctors and police, then said with a wry smile, "My wife doesn't know the baby is gone. She's not in good health, and I don't dare to upset her. I don't know how to tell her."
I found this child. I lost one child and then found another; it's fate that brought us together. If possible, please let me take him home. I'll raise him as my own son.
Actually, according to regulations, the Ruan family does not meet the adoption requirements, as they already have a daughter.
But in reality, the child hadn't been sent to the welfare home yet, and all the procedures and formalities hadn't been completed. The doctors and police officers present discussed it and all felt that the child staying with Mr. Ruan was probably the best outcome.
Judging from his words, he was probably using this adopted child to replace his own child who died young.
In this way, as long as the doctors at the hospital don't say anything, only Mr. Ruan will know that the child is not his biological child, and he will grow up healthy and carefree just like the Ruan family's own child.
So they agreed to let Mr. Ruan take the child back to raise him first. On the one hand, the hospital could observe their attitude towards the child, and on the other hand, if the child's biological parents were found, then that would be another matter.
Even though Mr. Ruan's own child couldn't be held in his arms forever, the summer weather was hot, and no matter how reluctant he was to part with the child, he had to send him to the morgue first.
He carried little Ruan Bei back home, just as Ruan's mother woke up.
The delivery took a toll on her energy, and she fell into a deep sleep right after giving birth, without even having a chance to see her baby.
Ruan Bei was only a few days old and hadn't been properly cared for. He looked thin and weak, had a low-grade fever, and his face was flushed red, not much different from a newborn baby.
Of course, Ruan's mother had no idea that the child had been switched. She held little Ruan Bei in her arms and nursed him as if he were her own child.
The doctors at the hospital kept their mouths shut, unanimously concealing Ruan Bei's background.
They took the opportunity to visit, and the Ruan family treated the children very well. Ruan Xi, the older sister, also loved her younger brother very much.
Even after Mrs. Ruan was discharged from the hospital, the child's "biological mother" was never found, so Mr. Ruan simply took him home.
As for his youngest son who died young, Mr. Ruan built a small grave for him next to his parents' graves, so that his grandparents could keep the child company.
After Mr. Ruan finished speaking, Ruan Bei was silent for a moment, then suddenly opened her arms and hugged him: "Dad, thank you for taking me home. I am very happy to be your and Mom's child."
Mr. Ruan patted him gently and smiled, "I'm also very happy to be your father. We're father and son, we're bound by fate."
"You are my family, always will be, for a lifetime." Ruan Bei hugged her father and hummed a couple of times in a spoiled manner.
Mr. Ruan watched his youngest son act spoiled for a while, and only after the boy blushed and let go did he say, "Now you can tell me what happened, right?"
Ruan Bei's smile vanished, and he hesitated for a long time.
If I were to explain things to my father, I would inevitably have to talk about my past life, but to be honest, at this point, there's nothing left to hide.
So Ruan Bei told his father about his experiences in both lives in detail. Some of the more tragic experiences were difficult for him to describe, so Qin Gu spoke for him.
Mr. Ruan listened in a daze. If he hadn't raised Ruan Bei from childhood and knew his child's temperament well enough to know he wouldn't make such a joke, and if he hadn't personally witnessed the two ghosts, Niu Niu and Pudding, he simply couldn't believe everything Ruan Bei said.
What rebirth, what two lives?
As he listened, just like Qin Gu when he first heard Ruan Bei recount these experiences, Ruan's father felt an overwhelming heartache.
He wasn't too upset about his own accident, but he was a little scared and realized something was wrong. No wonder Xiao Bei insisted on sending them on a trip a while ago.
But when he heard that his wife had also gotten into trouble, and that his child, whom he had pampered since childhood, had been mistreated by that family, Mr. Ruan was furious, both angry and heartbroken.
“Aren’t they your biological parents? How could they treat you like this?” Mr. Ruan said, heartbroken.
"It's okay if they don't like me," Ruan Bei said frankly. "They favor the child they raised, but don't you, Dad, favor me too?"
"By the way, that kid you switched at birth... what's with the white one? Whose child is he?"
Mr. Ruan grasped the key point: according to Xiao Bei's words, they had initially agreed that the two families' children had been switched at birth, but his child was clearly no longer alive.
Ruan Bei's face was grim: "This is what I wanted to say, Dad. Kun Kun and I both think that the evil spirit that tried to harm you tonight, the two robbers before, and the incident that happened to you in your past life are all related to him."
"You said yourself that you picked me up, so I was deliberately abandoned there without the Lu family's knowledge. Who do you think would do such a thing?"
Mr. Ruan subconsciously said, "Are those the child's biological parents? Do they want their child to go to your biological parents' house to enjoy a life of luxury?"
As a father, although he didn't agree, he could understand.
Xiao Bei mentioned that the family was extremely wealthy, some kind of group. He had heard of them before; they were in the real estate business and were incredibly rich.
If the family that would be exchanging children is particularly poor, and they have the opportunity to exchange children, they might have malicious intentions and want to swap their own child with the child of a wealthy family.
But they shouldn't have abandoned the child. They took advantage of the child, so how could they not treat the child properly?
Ruan Bei suddenly realized: "That's right, his biological parents definitely have problems, but..."
He looked at Qin Gu: "Who are his biological parents?"
Qin Gu frowned and said, "It's not clear now, but if we follow the clue of the evil spirit, we'll eventually catch it."
"How could this child be so wicked?" Mr. Ruan sighed upon hearing that Lu Sibai might have harmed him.
Although he believed he had never mistreated Ruan Bei, it was an objective fact that there was a significant difference in the family circumstances between the Ruan and Lu families.
That child stole Xiao Bei's parents, lived a good life, and even wanted to harm others; his fundamental nature is crooked.
“I didn’t understand before. I thought he was my father’s child, so how could he have harmed you?” Ruan Bei said angrily. “Now that I know he’s not his biological son, I understand. It’s because he knew you knew he wasn’t his biological son that he wanted to kill you, afraid that you would expose his identity.”
Mr. Ruan was almost confused by his string of "I know," but he still understood the general meaning.
He said worriedly, "If that's the case, it won't be long before that family finds out the baby was switched at birth, and what will they do when they want to take you back?"
He couldn't bear to see his precious son suffer like that.
Ruan Bei grabbed his father's arm and said, "I don't want to go back! Dad, you have to be firm. Don't let them take me away, and don't take that Lu Sibai either. He's not your child, and he's a bad guy. He'll definitely bully my sister."
Mr. Ruan was happy. Even though his son wasn't his biological son, he still liked him more as his father.
He chuckled and said, "Okay, Dad will definitely stop him. Xiao Bei is my son."
He paused for a moment, then said, "This time, your father and mother are both fine. We will never let our Xiao Bei be bullied again."
Qin Gu said quietly, "And me too."
He still can't figure out where he died in his previous life. Just thinking about the suffering Xiao Bei endured makes him want to drag that version of himself out and beat him up.
When Mr. Ruan saw Qin Gu, he immediately remembered the talisman Qin Gu had just given him and asked cautiously, "Kunkun, your maternal grandfather is a fortune teller, what about you?"
Ruan Bei eagerly raised his hand: "Kun Kun is a celestial master, extremely powerful. If he were here tonight, that ghost wouldn't have hurt you."
He paused, then whispered, "I will become very powerful in the future."
It can protect my dad, mom, sister, and all my relatives and friends.
Qin Gu chuckled and patted Ruan Bei's head: "Little Bei is already very capable."
He was telling the truth. He had only been cultivating for half a year, yet he was able to kill an evil spirit all by himself. Even he himself might not have been able to do that back then.
Looking at his youngest son, who was beaming with joy after being praised, Mr. Ruan felt a pang of sadness and heartache.
How could he not understand his own child? He's so afraid of ghosts. When he was little, his cousin coaxed him into watching horror movies, and he was so scared that he didn't dare to go to the bathroom alone for a long time.
Now he can even fight ghosts all by himself. This child has endured so many hardships without his knowledge.
After being happy for a while, Ruan Bei told his father about what happened after his rebirth, including the ghosts he encountered.
Mr. Ruan was stunned. He had no idea that his son had such a connection with the Ran family. No wonder Mrs. Ran was so good to Xiao Bei and insisted on having him as her godfather.
What a pity about that child named Bufan. How could he have such parents?
He can't stand it when others bully his child, so how can his parents be so cruel to their own child?
Niu Niu is pitiful too. She's so young. Her grandma is no good. What's wrong with a girl? Ruan's father thinks boys and girls are the same. They're all his children. The gender isn't something the child chooses. How can he be biased because of this?
He believes he is fairly fair to his two children, always buying them two of everything and letting them choose what they like.
And then there's Pudding. Although he's a cook and has killed quite a few animals, he doesn't eat dog meat.
He has no problem with others eating it, but he won't eat it himself. However, he even kills guide dogs, which is utterly heartless.
Thinking back to the commotion when Xiao Bei came in, Mr. Ruan couldn't help but ask, "Were Niu Niu and Pudding protecting me just now?"
Ruan Bei nodded and said, "Yes, they came to bring flowers to Dad. Before that evil spirit broke in, I heard Niu Niu's cries for help. Before I came, they were trying to find a way to protect Dad."
Speaking of this, he felt very grateful. Luckily, the two little ones were there; otherwise, who knows what might have happened after he finished fetching water and went back.
"We must thank them properly," Mr. Ruan said hurriedly.
Ruan Bei smiled and said, "Niu Niu loves Daddy's steamed egg with milk the most, and Pudding loves to gnaw on bones. I'll make them something delicious when you get better."
"What's the problem?" Mr. Ruan wished his leg would heal right now. He would be happy to cook delicious food for his well-behaved little girl and dog.
We've been chatting for so long, it's already quite late.
Ruan Bei realized he hadn't told his mother about his father being moved to a different hospital room, but they were probably asleep by now, so he just sent her a message. They would see it first thing tomorrow morning.
Also, if the Lu family acknowledges their kinship, then Ruan Bei's true identity will inevitably be revealed, and he will have to explain things clearly to his mother and sister.
Seeing his dilemma, Mr. Ruan comforted him, "Don't be afraid. I'll talk to them. Don't you know your mother and Xixi? Which one of them would be willing to give you away?"
He thought for a moment and then said, "But what you told me, let's just leave it at home and not mention it to anyone else."
If he hadn't been worried that his wife would feel guilty for keeping the child with them because she thought the Lu family was well-off, he wouldn't have wanted to tell her about Xiao Bei's past life. Telling her would only make everyone sad.
Ruan Bei nodded emphatically: "I know, I'm only telling you guys and Kunkun."
Mr. Ruan recalled that when Xiao Bei was telling the story, Kun Kun had chimed in, clearly indicating that he already knew. He immediately said sourly, "Kun Kun should be put first; he's more trustworthy than Dad."
Qin Gu: "..."
I'm secretly happy.
Ruan Bei: "...Dad!"
You're jealous too? Could it be that you caught it from Kunkun?
Mr. Ruan chuckled and said, "I know, I know, you're afraid we'll be sad."
Ruan Bei was both annoyed and amused, but seeing that his father still had the leisure to be jealous, he figured he was in a good mood.
The father and son chatted for a few more minutes before preparing to lie down and rest, as it was indeed very late.
Although the single room is expensive, the conditions are much better. It's spacious, the bed is big, and even the bed for the caregiver is bigger. Ruan Bei and Qin Gu can squeeze in and sleep together.
They had already washed up, but Ruan Bei and Qin Gu, one had been fighting and the other had run a long way, were both sweating.
The bathroom attached to the ward had a shower, and the two of them planned to take a shower before going to sleep.
Ruan Bei went in first, and when he reached out to take off his clothes, he felt that he couldn't lift his arms, and his back was pulling and hurting.
He took off his shirt and looked in the mirror, and was immediately startled.
He knew that the impact might have been severe, but he didn't expect the injuries to be so obvious. Several red welts were slightly swollen, and the area where he was hit was reddish-purple and black, clearly indicating that there was bruising inside.
He reached out and touched it; the spot between his fingers was a little hot. It definitely hurt; even the slightest movement would hurt.
He couldn't even secretly apply medicine to his back.
Ruan Bei hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and softly called out Qin Gu's name.
Qin Gu walked over: "What's wrong?"
Ruan Bei wanted him to take a look, not only because of the injury on his back, but also because his tendons hurt, but she didn't dare leave her father there alone.
He thought for a moment, and since the bathroom door wasn't facing the hospital bed, his dad seemed to be asleep and couldn't see him anyway.
So he opened the bathroom door a little, turned his back to Qin Gu, and murmured in a coquettish voice, "Kunkun, I'm in pain. Can you go get me some medicine?"
Qin Gu's face darkened instantly.
He reached out, but didn't dare touch him. His fingers trembled slightly. Finally, he took the blanket from Ruan Bei's hand and carefully wrapped him up: "Don't catch a cold. Let's go see a doctor."
Ruan Bei dared not leave his father alone, and immediately refused, saying, "No need, I just bumped into something, some ointment will do."
Qin Gu's face was grim: "Then you wait here for me, I'll go and call the doctor."
Just as Ruan Bei was about to refuse, he heard his father say, "Go ahead, Kun Kun, go and call the doctor to take a look at him."
"Dad, you're not asleep?" Ruan Bei asked in surprise.
Mr. Ruan snorted coldly: "Do you think your father is so old and blind that he can't even see that you're injured?"
Ruan Bei: "..."
Two votes to one, no rebuttal. Qin Gu went to call the on-duty doctor. It just so happened that his father worked in orthopedics, so the doctor could also treat sprains and bruises.
After examining the injury, the doctor said it looked serious, but no bones were broken. He gave him a bottle of medicated oil and told him to apply it thoroughly.
After seeing the doctor off, Qin Gu volunteered to apply the medicated oil to Ruan Bei, who covered himself with a small blanket and said, "I haven't taken a shower yet."
Qin Gu put down the medicated oil, looking worried: "Are you sure you can manage by yourself? Or should I help you wash?"
Ruan Bei was speechless: "My back is injured, not my hand."
"How can you talk like that? Kunkun meant well." Ruan's father scolded him, still angry that he didn't tell anyone he was injured and kept it a secret.
Ruan Bei urged him, "I know, I know, Dad, you should go to sleep now. I'll feel at ease once you're asleep."
Mr. Ruan grunted twice, but didn't argue back. He closed his eyes and said, "Kunkun, keep an eye on him for me. This child is growing up and becoming disobedient."
Qin Gu smiled and said, "Alright."
After saying that, he rubbed his finger against Ruan Bei's cheek: "Did you hear that? Dad told me to keep an eye on you."
Ruan Beichong wrinkled his nose at him, wrapped himself in a small blanket and ran to take a shower, then came back and lay on the bed, letting Qin Gu apply medicine to him.
This kind of medicated oil can't just be applied; you have to rub it in. Since it's already an injured area, rubbing it in hard will hurt a lot.
Ruan Bei was in pain too, but he didn't dare to cry out for fear of disturbing his father. He hugged his pillow, tears welling up in his eyes, and the skin on his back was taut.
Qin Gu applied the medicine to him. Seeing the pain, his own hands trembled. He had to steel himself and pour a handful of medicated oil onto his wounds. Before long, he was so nervous that he broke out in a sweat.
After finally finishing, both of them were exhausted.
Ruan Bei had back pain, while Qin Gu had heart pain.
He put the medicated oil away and went to wash his hands.
Although there was air conditioning in the ward, it was still winter, so we didn't dare let Ruan Bei get cold. We found him a loose and soft outfit to wear first.
Throughout the entire process, he was never allowed to lift his arm; even when Qin Gu lifted his arm, Qin Gu held his wrist, just like taking care of a kindergarten toddler who couldn't even dress himself yet.
Ruan Bei was both amused and exasperated, but seeing Kun Kun's tense expression, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
By the time Qin Gu finished showering and came out, it was already late at night. Ruan's father was fast asleep, snoring softly.
He quietly climbed into bed, with Ruan Bei sleeping on the inside, making room for him on half of the bed.
Seeing him sleeping on his side on the edge of the bed, and fearing he might accidentally fall off, she whispered, "Come closer, there's still room here."
Normally, Qin Gu would love for the two of them to be closer, but now he was afraid of hurting Xiao Bei's back injury.
Seeing that he didn't move, Ruan Bei reached out and pulled him: "Can you take a look at me? My meridians hurt."
Upon hearing this, Qin Gu disregarded everything else and quickly moved closer, asking anxiously, "What's going on?"
Ruan Bei recounted his fight with the evil spirit in a very low voice, including the crisp sound he heard at the time.
Qin Gu frowned and reached down to probe his lower abdomen.
Ruan Bei felt a little ticklish from Qin Gu's touch and tried to move away, but Qin Gu pressed him down and said in a deep voice, "Don't move."
Ruan Bei felt a warm sensation in his lower abdomen, as if something had traveled along Kun Kun's hand into his body, circled around his dantian, and then wandered to his faintly throbbing meridians.
The familiar feeling made Ruan Bei gradually realize that it was Kunkun's spiritual energy.
That's amazing; it can even be manipulated when placed inside someone else's body.
The spiritual energy was warm and gentle, and when it passed through his injured meridians, the stinging sensation was barely noticeable.
But it only lasts for a short while, and the pain returns afterwards.
Qin Gu withdrew his hand: "The aftereffects of forcibly breaking through have damaged my meridians. I need to take good care of them."
Hearing him say that, Ruan Bei felt relieved and muttered, "How long will it take to recover?"
Qin Gu pinched his cheek in annoyance: "Eight out of ten people who force a breakthrough will fail, and it is very likely to affect their foundation, making it difficult to make progress in the future. You are already very lucky. It seems that you are not far from a breakthrough. With this kind of aftereffect, it is already the best situation."
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