It was only one in the morning.
Lu Xiaoqiao was so angry that she could not calm down. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She opened her phone and watched short videos in the dark for half an hour. The more she watched, the more irritated she became. She was almost tempted to stab Xie Xun twice.
The child turned over in bed.
Lu Xiaoqiao turned off her phone and focused on him.
The room became quiet again.
A moment later, Lu Xiaoqiao frowned slightly. She noticed that Lutu’s breathing sounded heavier than usual. She reached out and touched his forehead.
He really had a fever.
The early spring weather was still cold, with a big difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. It was also a season when children and the elderly easily got sick.
Lutu was usually very healthy and had not been sick for half a year. Lu Xiaoqiao was worried, so she changed clothes, picked him up, and prepared to take him to the hospital.
As she was leaving, Lu Xue opened her bedroom door. She had probably heard the noise.
“What happened?”
“He has a fever.” Lu Xiaoqiao adjusted the child in her arms. “I’m taking him to the hospital for a blood test.”
Lu Xue put on her black-framed glasses. “I’ll drive.”
“Okay.”
By the time they reached the hospital, it was three in the morning. The emergency department was still crowded despite the late hour.
Lu Xiaoqiao held Lutu while waiting, while Lu Xue went to register and stand in line.
They went through the examination, listened to his lungs, had his blood drawn, and waited for the results.
It turned out to be just an ordinary bacterial infection. It was not serious, and they could leave after getting his medicine.
The child needed to use the bathroom. Lu Xiaoqiao looked around and happened to see a father coming out with his son.
She asked the man if he could watch Lutu for a moment.
The man looked kind and immediately handed his own son to Lu Xiaoqiao and Lu Xue.
“Then please help me keep an eye on my son.”
“Of course,” Lu Xiaoqiao quickly agreed.
Lu Xue crossed her arms. Her large black-framed glasses covered part of her beautiful face.
“Even if Xie Xun hadn’t cheated on you, I could understand why you wanted a divorce.”
Lu Xiaoqiao looked at her. “What do you mean?”
Lu Xue gave a cold laugh. “Lutu has to borrow another man’s father just to go to the bathroom.”
“……”
Lu Xiaoqiao pressed her lips together. “It’s only natural. He’s our family’s child.”
She had already been prepared for this when she decided to give Lutu the Lu family name.
She could not expect to have everything both ways.
There were only two daughters in the Lu family—Lu Xiaoqiao and Lu Xue.
Several years ago, Lu Xue had been pregnant with twins. Sadly, both babies died in the womb when she was five months pregnant. At that stage, giving birth to the babies was almost no different from going through a full delivery. The experience damaged Lu Xue’s health, and it was probably very difficult for her to become pregnant again.
Over the years, Lu Xue and Cai Junhao had not used contraception, but she had never become pregnant again.
Lu Xiaoqiao’s father had been depressed for a long time. He barely took care of the family’s small factory anymore, and the older couple had gradually lost their hope for the future.
It was not until Lu Xiaoqiao brought Lutu home that the Lu family finally regained some life and hope.
With Xie Yu in the picture, it was better for Lutu to carry the Lu family name. That way, no one would be able to interfere with Xie Yu’s path to inheriting the group.
That was what Lu Xiaoqiao had always believed.
So when she suggested to Xie Xun that Lutu take the Lu family name, she did not feel guilty about it.
Xie Xun had agreed immediately.
Since Lutu was her family’s child, there were some things she simply had no reason to complain about.
As long as Xie Xun did not force Lutu to tolerate Xie Yu the way she had been forced to tolerate Wan Bao’er, that was enough.
The child had no obligation to do that.
That was Lu Xiaoqiao’s bottom line.
The unfamiliar man came back carrying Lutu and had even helped him wash his hands. Lu Xiaoqiao was extremely grateful.
When children were sick, they always wanted to stay in their mother’s arms. Lu Xiaoqiao kissed the child’s hot little cheek.
Lu Xue carried the medical records and medicine as the three of them headed toward the exit.
As they passed the infusion hall, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind them.
“Xiaoqiao?”
Lu Xiaoqiao turned around.
Wan Bao’er was standing there.
And beside her was Xie Xun.
He was holding Xie Yu in his left arm, while his right hand held up the IV bottle that was slowly dripping medicine.
The child was probably unable to sit still, so Xie Xun had been carrying him around while walking through the hospital.
Wan Bao’er was carrying a blanket in her hand, apparently planning to cover Xie Yu with it.
Lutu looked at them in confusion. “Daddy.”
Xie Xun’s brows drew tightly together as he carried Xie Yu over. “What happened? He was fine when I left…”
“Nothing much.” The scene in front of her was painful for Lu Xiaoqiao to see. “What happened to you two?”
Wan Bao’er quickly spoke first. “Oh, Xiaoyu got food poisoning, so I had to ask A-Xun to help.”
Xie Xun set the IV stand down and reached out to touch Lutu’s forehead.
Just as his hand was about to touch him, Lu Xiaoqiao turned sideways and avoided him as if by accident.
“You two take care of your business. We’re going home first.”
Xie Xun’s expression immediately darkened. “What’s wrong with Lutu?”
Seeing the tension suddenly rise between them, Lu Xue clapped her hands. “Come to Auntie. Let Mommy rest for a while.”
Lutu obediently went into her arms.
Lu Xue glanced at Lu Xiaoqiao and leaned close to her ear, speaking so softly that only the two of them could hear.
“You can be angry about other things, but there’s no need to be angry about this. She’s a widow raising a child alone. If he doesn’t help take care of his late brother’s child, then what kind of person would he be?”
No one in the Lu family knew about the rumors involving Xie Xun and Wan Bao’er.
They had never suspected anything else.
After Xie Minghe died, the Lu family felt sympathy and pity for Wan Bao’er and Xie Yu. They also believed that Xie Xun should naturally take care of his late brother’s wife and child.
Lu Xue was advising her from the perspective that Wan Bao’er was simply Xie Xun’s late brother’s widow.
“He got chilled and has a slight fever,” Lu Xue calmly explained. “It’s nothing serious.”
Then she told Lu Xiaoqiao, “We’ll wait for you in the car.”
With that, she carried Lutu away.
Xie Xun’s eyes followed the child in her arms until they disappeared from sight.
“I’ll come over as soon as things are settled here,” he said.
Lu Xiaoqiao replied, “There’s no need. There are plenty of people in our family. We can take care of him ourselves.”
After all, there were even more people in the Xie and Wan families. When had they ever needed him so badly?
Xie Xun could hear the sarcasm in her words. He looked at her with a gloomy expression.
Lu Xiaoqiao could not be bothered to say or look at him any longer, so she quickly walked away.
Footsteps hurried after her.
Wan Bao’er caught up with her. “Xiaoqiao, please listen to me…”
Lu Xiaoqiao almost laughed from anger. She suddenly turned around.
“Explain what?” she asked coldly. Had she even asked for an explanation?
Xie Xun stood where he was, holding Xie Yu and watching the two women.
Lu Xiaoqiao’s expression was completely cold.
Why was Wan Bao’er making such a scene?
And why was she speaking so loudly?
It was as if she wanted everyone in the world to hear her.
“The golden Buddha statue in Grandma’s prayer room is missing,” Wan Bao’er said hurriedly, looking very anxious. “You know that I’m the one managing the Xie family now. If something goes missing, I’m naturally the one who has to take responsibility. Everyone there has been pressuring me to give Grandma an explanation. At the same time, Xiaoyu started vomiting and having diarrhea. I had no choice but to call A-Xun back…”
The “Grandma” Wan Bao’er referred to was Xie Xun’s grandmother.
The old lady had spent many years devoted to Buddhism, and the golden Buddha was extremely precious to her.
After Xie Minghe took over the group, Wan Bao’er became the woman in charge of the Xie household. The two of them lived in the old Xie family residence. Even after Xie Minghe’s death, Wan Bao’er’s position as the woman managing the household remained.
The awkward part was that Xie Xun had now become the person in charge of the group.
Their positions and relationships had become complicated.
From top to bottom, the people in the old residence were no longer willing to obey Wan Bao’er. Many of them openly or secretly refused to listen to her.
This was probably one of the reasons Wan Bao’er needed to keep Xie Xun firmly by her side.
“I suspect…” Wan Bao’er lowered her eyes as tears gathered in them. “Xiaoyu’s poisoning may have been deliberate. That’s why I had to ask A-Xun for help.”
Lu Xiaoqiao nodded. “Okay.”
Wan Bao’er was stunned.
For a moment, she did not move.
Then Wan Bao’er suddenly gave her a strange smile. Her voice remained loud, but there was a hint of fear in it.
“Please don’t blame A-Xun. This is all my fault. If you’re going to blame someone, then blame me.”