3:07 AM.
The dutiful old father, accompanied by his son and led by the butler, knocked on the door of a servant’s room.
The awakened servant looked utterly bewildered.
3:12 AM.
Father Pei, Pei Yu, the butler, and the servant gathered in the surveillance room to review footage from the afternoon two days prior.
The surveillance footage paused.
A group of people crowded around the monitor, carefully identifying the flavors of the candies the servant had given to Shen Lishu.
“One orange-flavored.”
“Three mango-flavored.”
“Two cranberry-flavored.”
“…”
After finally sorting it out, the servant retrieved the corresponding candies and handed them to Pei Yu.
Standing before the familiar wrought-iron gate, Father Pei sighed. “Can’t this really wait until tomorrow?”
Pei Yu remained silent.
“Trespassing without the owner’s permission is illegal. You could be arrested and sent to jail,” Father Pei added.
Pei Yu turned to look at him, his tone deadly serious. “Could the police wait until after I apologize to Sweetie before arresting me?”
Father Pei’s eyelid twitched. “…”
With Father Pei’s help, Pei Yu successfully climbed over the wall into the courtyard. The gate wasn’t locked, so Pei Yu easily pushed it open.
Various apology phrases he’d hastily learned swirled in Pei Yu’s mind.
If one were to question whether Pei Yu truly realized his mistake—
The answer would undoubtedly be no.
When it came to Shen Lishu, Pei Yu’s possessiveness was overwhelming. Whether it was Shen Lishu’s own belongings or gifts from others, it was all the same to him.
Pei Yu had even prepared himself for the possibility that Shen Lishu still wouldn’t forgive him.
“Sweetie, Sweetie…”
Standing outside Shen Lishu’s bedroom door, Pei Yu called out several times but heard no response from inside.
An inexplicable panic gripped him.
He called out a few more times, but there was still no movement from within. Unable to hold back any longer, Pei Yu pressed down on the door handle and pushed the door open.
Pei Yu had been to Shen Lishu’s bedroom many times before. He walked straight to the bedside with practiced ease.
Reaching out to touch her, he felt a burning heat.
“Sweetie!”
.
The entire Pei household was brightly lit.
The pediatrician from the Pei family’s private hospital was rushing over.
In Pei Yu’s bedroom.
Pei Yu sat by the bed, his face pale as he held Shen Lishu’s hand. His lips moved repeatedly, but no words came out.
The little girl lying in the center of the bed was flushed with fever, her entire body burning hot. Her dark bangs were damp and messy, clinging to her cheeks.
Her frail little body curled up uncontrollably, her breaths growing weaker with each passing moment.
“Xiao Yu, don’t worry. The doctor will be here soon,” Father Pei whispered in comfort.
The doctors regularly stationed at the Pei residence were primarily psychologists and weren’t well-versed in treating high fevers in children. They could only provide basic initial care.
Pei Yu hung his head in silence, his dark blue eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shen Lishu.
It was his fault.
Everything was his fault.
If he had hidden those candies better, if he had been more patient and coaxed Shen Lishu a little longer, would this have happened?
The doctor finally arrived.
They skillfully and efficiently utilized the medications and equipment they had brought. In no time, everything was properly handled.
The doctor’s tone carried a hint of relief. “Fortunately, it was discovered in time. If it had been left until tomorrow morning, the situation could have been much worse.”
A high fever lasting several hours—even if one is fortunate enough to survive without life-threatening danger—is something a child’s brain simply cannot withstand.
“During this season, children already wear thick clothing. It’s essential to promptly wipe away sweat after physical activity.”
Father Pei was also experiencing such an incident for the first time. Although Pei Yu had suffered from psychological disorders since childhood, his physical constitution was exceptionally robust, rarely troubled by minor illnesses or ailments.
The doctor couldn’t help but add, “Mr. Pei, if I’m not mistaken, this little girl is likely a premature baby.”
“And most likely, she was born prematurely at just over six months. To have grown up safely, her family elders must have invested considerable effort and care.”
“You must be extra cautious from now on.”
Hearing this, Father Pei’s brow furrowed deeply.
He couldn’t understand why Shen Lishu’s parents, after painstakingly nurturing her to grow up, would heartlessly abandon her at the age of four.
Could there be other hidden circumstances behind this?
It wasn’t until dawn that Shen Lishu’s high fever finally showed signs of subsiding.
Pei Yu had stubbornly stayed awake all night. He carefully held Shen Lishu’s body, his eyes reddening as he choked back tears and whispered, “Sweetie, I’m sorry.”
Shen Lishu suddenly stirred.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Pei Yu’s heart instantly tightened with anxiety as he asked urgently.
The next moment, Shen Lishu couldn’t hold back her sobs, her cries weak and fragile, like those of a newborn kitten.
“Mommy, Daddy, please don’t leave me, okay…?”
“Is it because I’m not good enough yet?”
“…”
As if finally finding an outlet for her emotions, tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.
Pei Yu gently wiped away her tears again and again. The scalding tears made his fingertips tremble, filling his heart with resentment and hatred toward Shen Lishu’s parents, whom he had never met.
Hearing the commotion, Father Pei hurried over. “Xiao Yu, give Lili to me.”
Pei Yu, filled with hostility, protectively encircled Shen Lishu and glared defensively at Father Pei.
Father Pei’s expression turned grave as he whispered, “I know how to comfort Lili.”
Only upon hearing this did Pei Yu release Shen Lishu, looking at Father Pei with pleading eyes.
Father Pei gently picked up Shen Lishu, blanket and all, and sat on the edge of the bed, patting her back rhythmically.
As if sensing the familiar comfort from her memories, Shen Lishu’s sobs gradually subsided.
Pei Yu pressed his lips together tightly. “Why did they abandon Sweetie?”
Father Pei replied softly, “Xiao Yu, humans are incredibly complex beings.”
Half an hour after her fever subsided, it seemed to flare up again.
It appeared that Shen Lishu wouldn’t be returning to kindergarten for the remainder of the semester. Father Pei had already requested leave for both of them.
It was now deep winter.
For over ten days in a row, Shen Lishu’s condition fluctuated, keeping Pei Yu in a constant state of high alert.
During these days, Shen Lishu had been staying at the Pei residence—more precisely, in Pei Yu’s room.
The moment Shen Lishu opened the window for just a short while, Pei Yu rushed over anxiously to close it.
“Are you cold?” he asked while reaching out to touch Shen Lishu’s forehead.
Shen Lishu coughed twice, looking at Pei Yu and shaking her head with a faint smile, her voice thick with nasal congestion. “The room feels stuffy. I wanted to open the window for some fresh air.”
“Let’s wait until you’re better before opening the window for fresh air, okay?” Pei Yu coaxed gently.
Although she really wanted to open the window for fresh air right now, Shen Lishu nodded obediently and replied, “Okay,” to avoid worrying Pei Yu.
Last week, the doctor had given Shen Lishu a full-body checkup and provided a comprehensive set of medical instructions covering everything from diet to daily activities.
That printed set of instructions was filled with pinyin and annotations, and Pei Yu would take it out to look at whenever he had a moment, afraid he might miss something.