“Ruan Ning…” The man’s voice was hoarse.
Song Ruannin hated his indecisive demeanor the most.
“Fine, stay there if you want. I’ll handle my father’s matter myself.”
“I will definitely get justice for my dad.”
After saying that, she hung up.
Ruan Ning didn’t go to the company the next day either.
Shen Yi had given her a long leave, saying she could return once she had rested properly.
Another week passed, and Shen Yi still called to tell her to take it easy.
“Ruan Ning, I’m sorry you had to go through that. You can continue resting, and I’ll make sure your salary is paid on time.”
Song Ruannin replied calmly, “Right, keep this up, and soon enough, rumors will spread in the company that you’re keeping me.”
Shen Yi: “…”
“I’ll come this Saturday, not to work, but to discuss something else with you.”
“Then come.”
On Saturday, Ruan Ning didn’t wear her work uniform and took her daughter to Yunmeng.
She had originally planned to leave her daughter with Zhou Ying for a while, but Zhou Ying had taken the day off.
She had no choice but to leave Song Ziyan at the daycare center in the mall downstairs.
Song Ziyan had been coughing a bit these past two days, so before leaving, Ruan Ning reminded her to dress warmly and not catch a cold.
Back at the company, she went straight to Shen Yi’s office.
It was drizzling outside that day. Shen Yi poured her a cup of hot cocoa and said, “Go ahead, what is it?”
Song Ruannin got straight to the point. “If I invest 6 million in Yunmeng, how much dividend can I get in a year?”
Shen Yi widened his eyes. “Where did you get that much money?”
“Zhai Yu gave it to me.” Song Ruannin took a sip of hot cocoa, unfazed. “He said it was compensation for emotional distress after I deleted the video of Bai Yuwei from that day.”
Shen Yi fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking. “Zhai Yu wouldn’t… still like you, would he?”
Song Ruannin let out a scoff, as if she had heard the biggest joke. “He never liked me.”
Shen Yi shut his mouth.
“Just tell me, if I invest 6 million, how much money can I make in a year?”
Over the years working here, Ruan Ning had figured out that Shen Yi had many ways of making money. Investing in Yunmeng would definitely be a good move.
Seeing that she was serious, Shen Yi carefully explained the company’s situation.
By the time Ruan Ning left the company, it was already dark outside.
Only then did she realize her phone had died. She hurried to the mall.
In the daycare room, Song Ziyan was sitting alone in a corner, her cheeks flushed red.
The child had a fever, her entire body burning hot.
Ruan Ning was immediately overwhelmed with guilt. She strode over, picked up her daughter, wrapped her in a cotton-padded jacket, and headed out.
Outside the daycare center, the light rain had turned into a downpour.
The cold was so intense that Ruan Ning felt her breath could freeze.
After waiting for a long time, she finally managed to hail an empty taxi.
Just as she was about to get in, a middle-aged woman behind her pushed ahead and took the cab. Ruan Ning was about to lose her temper, but the car had already driven away.
Holding her daughter, she took shelter under a roadside pavilion. Song Ziyan’s body grew hotter and hotter, so Ruan Ning took off her own scarf and wrapped it around her daughter.
A silver-gray Koenigsegg drove past on the road.
The car passed the two of them but soon slowly reversed back.
The window rolled down, and Song Ruannin immediately recognized the familiar face.
Zhai Yu’s voice was calm. “Get in.”
Ruan Ning bit her lip, hesitating.
Zhai Yu’s frown deepened. “Freeze to death here with your daughter, or get in the car. Choose one.”
Ruan Ning walked over and opened the car door.
The interior was warm, filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance.
“Thank you.” She hugged her daughter tightly, her voice hoarse and broken. “To First Hospital, quickly.”
During this season, most of those coming to the hospital were young children.
After registering, Song Ruannin didn’t stand on ceremony with Zhai Yu.
She handed the child to Zhai Yu, covering Song Ziyan with a scarf.
“I’ll go pay the fees. You hold her here and wait.” With that, she jogged off.
Zhai Yu sat on a bench in the lobby.
A man in a suit, holding a little boy, struck up a conversation with him.
“Buddy, your wife is just like mine—impatient. I just got off work and was dragged here by my wife.”
“Actually, kids often get sick this season. They just worry too much. It’ll be fine.”
Though the man said it was fine, the red veins in his eyes were clearly visible.
Zhai Yu didn’t argue, just hummed in agreement.
“Your wife is so young, and your daughter is already this big. You must have started dating in college, right?”
Zhai Yu’s gaze flickered slightly as he looked at the sleeping girl in his arms.
“Yeah, we got together in college.”
“That’s nice. My wife and I also met in college. We dated for a while, but I was a bit of a jerk back then, so we broke up. A few years later, she was the one I ended up meeting on a blind date. What a coincidence, huh?”
Zhai Yu looked at the man’s happy smile. “Quite a coincidence. Congratulations.”
The man chatted a bit more before being called away by a middle-aged woman with an anxious expression.
Not long after, Song Ruannin returned with the paperwork.
The two of them went to the infusion room, which was filled with children around Song Ziyan’s age.
The infusion room was incredibly noisy, and Zhai Yu frowned.
Ruan Ning took the child from his arms and held her close.
“Thank you. Sorry for troubling you today.”
Regardless of their past grievances, Zhai Yu had genuinely helped her today, and she felt she should thank him.
The man didn’t reply, staring intently at the woman’s face.
The small wound from where Bai Yuwei had hit her last time had scabbed over, standing out starkly on her fair, delicate skin.
Song Ruannin said, “I’ve taken up your time. You can leave now.”
Zhai Yu raised an eyebrow in displeasure. “Use someone and then send them away.”
“Song Ruannin, you still have that spoiled young lady temper.”
His sudden sarcastic remark didn’t anger Song Ruannin. She took out her wallet and handed Zhai Yu 900 yuan.
“This is all the cash I have. Thank you for bringing us here today.”
Looking at the bills, Zhai Yu scoffed and pushed Song Ruannin’s hand away.
“Who wants your money?”
For a moment, Song Ruannin was lost in thought.
When she and Zhai Yu were dating, he was poor—not yet the young master of the Zhai family. A white shirt could be worn until it was old.
She would give him money to buy new ones, and Zhai Yu would always say, “Who wants your money?”
Back when they were together, Zhai Yu had never accepted a single cent from her.
Even the money for their hotel stays came from his tutoring jobs.
But now, their roles were completely reversed.
No one could have imagined that Zhai Yu would turn out to be the youngest son of the Zhai family, one of Yan City’s top wealthy families.
Zhai Yu left, and Song Ruannin sat there, lost in thought for a long time.
Song Ziyan had three bottles of IV to finish, and Ruan Ning, holding the child, grew drowsy.
She was later awakened by a nurse.
The nurse led them to a private room, said a few words, and left.
Song Ruannin stood there, confused about what the nurse meant.
Just as she turned to leave, she saw a man in a windbreaker striding toward her from a distance.
Zhai Yu’s appearance and physique have always been favored by the heavens.
His skin is cool and fair, his eyes are narrow and long with deep double eyelids, the curves of his nose bridge and lips are just right, and his figure is exceptional—all combined, he is the epitome of a cold and elegant heartthrob.
Song Ruannin fell in love with him at first sight precisely because she felt his extraordinary aura, as if he were no ordinary person.
Zhai Yu picked up the child in her arms, pushed the IV stand, and gently placed her on the bed.
Song Ziyan opened her eyes groggily, grabbed his collar, and whispered softly in his ear: “Father.”
Zhai Yu froze, paused for a moment, then stood up and said to Song Ruannin, “If you don’t mind your daughter burning up with fever, take her home into the cold wind.”
Song Ruannin was left speechless. She entered the hospital room and stood before Zhai Yu.
The two locked eyes, and she spoke: “How much is the hospital room? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Zhai Yu didn’t respond. After a long silence, he let out a cold laugh.
“Your daughter is burning up like this—where is her father? Is he dead?”