A series of targeted examinations and treatments were slowly underway.
Suddenly surrounded by so many strangers, Shen Lishu couldn’t deny that she was afraid.
Especially the one standing in the corner.
Shen Lishu stole a glance at him, and upon meeting his overly intense gaze, she instinctively shrank further into Pei Yu’s embrace.
Sensing Shen Lishu’s unease, Pei Yu tightened his arm around her, his dark blue eyes glaring fiercely at the man.
That man was actually Pei Yu’s psychologist. As a highly respected figure in the field, he had repeatedly hit a wall with Pei Yu. Now, seeing hope for Pei Yu’s recovery in Shen Lishu, how could he not be excited?
The examination results came out quickly—it was just a fever caused by prolonged exposure to the cold outdoors. Lowering her body temperature with timely medication would suffice.
The IV fluid hanging from the bedside stand flowed through the tube into the back of Pei Yu’s hand.
The medication contained a small amount of sedative to induce sleep. Unable to resist its effects, Pei Yu’s eyelids drooped reluctantly.
But Pei Yu slept restlessly. The moment Shen Lishu in his arms showed the slightest intention to struggle, he would force himself awake, scanning the surroundings with vigilance and wariness.
Father Pei, who had once again tried and failed to rescue Shen Lishu from Pei Yu’s embrace: “…”
Pei Yu tightened his hold on Shen Lishu once more before gently closing his eyes.
Since childhood, Shen Lishu had been frail and extremely sensitive to the cold. Now, tightly embraced by a furnace-like warmth, she felt warmth spreading through every limb and joint.
The only downside was that Pei Yu held her a bit too tightly.
Father Pei could only cast an apologetic glance at Shen Lishu.
Shen Lishu shook her head gently.
The blanket covering her was light, and the bed beneath her was soft. Unconsciously, Shen Lishu also gently closed her eyes.
Watching the two small figures nestled closely together as they drifted off to sleep, Father Pei secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quietly left the room.
The psychologist had been waiting outside the door for a long time.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Father Pei spoke first, his voice low. “What are the chances?”
The psychologist answered truthfully, “Before that little girl appeared, I had at most a ten percent chance of success.”
“But based on what I witnessed just now, the likelihood of curing the young master’s psychological condition has risen to seventy percent.”
Seventy percent!
Father Pei’s eyes lit up, a flicker of excitement stirring within him.
But before that, the psychologist had a question: “Has the young master met this girl before?”
This was also a point of confusion for Father Pei: “They have never met before.”
That was truly strange.
If they had never met before, could one person suddenly develop such a strong possessiveness and dependency toward another?
The psychologist joked with a smile, “It couldn’t possibly be a connection from a past life, could it?”
.
By the time Shen Lishu slowly woke up, the sun outside had already begun to set.
She had actually been awakened by the gnawing hunger in her stomach.
The moment she opened her eyes, Shen Lishu met a pair of dark blue eyes that held an inorganic, detached quality.
It seemed he had been staring at her for a long time.
After gathering her thoughts, Shen Lishu asked softly, “Are you feeling better now?”
In response to Shen Lishu’s concerned inquiry, Pei Yu showed no particular reaction.
Seeing him remain silent, Shen Lishu wasn’t annoyed. Instead, she spoke softly like a little adult, “Your mom and dad love you very much. You need to be good and get treatment.”
“I want to go home.”
With that, Shen Lishu tried to break free from Pei Yu’s grip.
But she couldn’t pull away.
Shen Lishu blinked, still not angry, and patiently coaxed in her soft, childlike voice, “I’ll come play hide-and-seek with you again next time.”
Pei Yu stubbornly stared at Shen Lishu, unmoved. He spoke again, his tone still slightly unusual.
“Don’t go.”
“We… stay together forever.”
As he spoke, Pei Yu tightened his arms around Shen Lishu even more.
The pain became unbearable, and finally Shen Lishu couldn’t hold back her tears, crying pitifully, “Mom, Dad, I want to go home, take me home…”
By the time Father Pei received the news and hurried upstairs, several minutes had passed.
With the advantage of an adult’s strength, he firmly pulled Shen Lishu out of Pei Yu’s embrace.
Pei Yu glared fiercely at Father Pei, enunciating each word, “Mine! That’s mine!”
Due to Pei Yu’s psychological condition, Father Pei rarely lost his temper with him. “She only belongs to herself.”
Father Pei also firmly believed that a seven-year-old child already had the ability to distinguish right from wrong and shouldn’t be indulged unconditionally.
Shen Lishu obediently rested her head on Father Pei’s shoulder as he carried her out of the room and downstairs.
Her eyes and nose were red, her long, curled lashes damp and clumped together from tears, her face streaked with tear tracks. Yet her crying was as faint as a newborn kitten’s, looking utterly heartbreaking.
“Uncle apologizes on Pei Yu’s behalf, okay?” Father Pei patted her back gently as he comforted her.
Shen Lishu shook her head slightly, her voice choked with sobs, “Uncle, I want to go home.”
Father Pei hadn’t expected things to turn out this way.
That afternoon, he had sent someone to keep watch near where Shen Lishu lived and knew that the nanny surnamed Xu hadn’t returned.
If Shen Lishu went back now, she would be alone in the empty villa, with only some snacks to fill her stomach.
So Father Pei suggested, “How about eating something first? After you finish, I’ll take you home right away.”
Having only eaten a few cookies and half a glass of milk all day, Shen Lishu was naturally very hungry.
Father Pei gently placed Shen Lishu on a custom high chair at the dining table.
The table, kept at a constant warm temperature, was filled with various dishes.
Shen Lishu glanced briefly before looking away, shaking her head dejectedly.
No matter how much Father Pei tried to persuade her afterward, Shen Lishu insisted on going home.
Unable to change her mind, Father Pei personally drove her back and instructed the kitchen to pack a meal.
After dropping Shen Lishu off, Father Pei wasn’t surprised to see the small figure frowning deeply at the doorway.
“You scared her.”
Pei Yu’s frown deepened, but he didn’t understand why.
Everything had been fine earlier.
Father Pei crouched down to meet Pei Yu’s gaze and said slowly, “I know you’re very smart. So until you learn to control yourself, I don’t recommend you see her again.”
Impossible!
When Pei Yu first laid eyes on Shen Lishu yesterday, it was as if a voice had been urgently tempting him from the depths of his consciousness.
—Seize her!
—Watch her closely!
Pei Yu lowered his gaze, his slender figure standing still in place, lost in thought.