Nan Yu panicked all of a sudden. She immediately rushed to the bedside and softly called out to her, "Nian Nian, open your eyes."
It took a long while for Nian Nian to slowly and laboriously open her eyes. The moment she saw Nan Yu, a glimmer of light flashed across her eyes. "… Nan Yu?"
"It's me." Nan Yu held her little hand and couldn't help but feel like crying. "Nian Nian, I've come to see you."
"Am I already starved to death?" Nian Nian asked blankly. "How come I can see you…"
Nian Nian was a bit weak from hunger, but fortunately, her spirit was still good. Nan Yu let out a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile. "Don't say such discouraging words. You're alive and well."
The little girl was innocent and her words were extremely cute. "… Mom won't let me see you. I thought I could only see you when I got to heaven."
"Aren't I standing right in front of you?" Nan Yu ruffled her hair. "As for you, why don't you eat properly?"
Nian Nian didn't say a word.
"Why don't you learn to be good? Why are you on a hunger strike with your mom?"
"I wanted to see Nan Yu, but she wouldn't let me. I had no choice but to fight her this way."
Seeing Nan Yu, Nian Nian was extremely happy. "It seems that not eating is still useful. It's only the third day and I've already seen you."
Nan Yu sighed and said helplessly yet gently, "Don't do this again in the future. The hunger - strike trick only works on your mom."
When she was a child, wasn't she just like this when she was angry with her parents?
But it was only when she grew up that she realized that only parents cared whether you ate properly.
Nian Nian told Nan Yu that she had received the CD and listened to the piano piece on it.
"After I received the CD Uncle gave me, I would listen to it once every night. I know this is the piano piece you played yourself, right?"
Nan Yu nodded. "I wanted to give it to you as a souvenir."
"I think music is so amazing." Nian Nian's voice was soft. "It can be recorded on a CD and played, and it can also be performed at a concert."
"I also want to be like you, participate in competitions and perform music in front of the public. I also want to record my own pieces on a CD and give them away as gifts."
"I want to continue learning to play the piano, perform outside, meet more people, and experience a broader world…"
As Nan Yu listened, her eyes grew more and more sore.
This was her childhood dream, and she had already achieved it.
After Nian Nian finished speaking, she suddenly tightened her grip on Nan Yu's hand. "Nan Yu, can you help me? Convince Mom for me?"
"I don't want to spend my whole life in this villa. I don't want to be taken care of forever."
She looked at Nan Yu seriously and said, "I can still go shopping, travel, and go to school even in a wheelchair, right?"
Nan Yu looked at Nian Nian and was almost moved to tears.
She took a deep breath and showed a big smile. "Of course. You can do anything you want."
She said to Nian Nian, "Are you hungry now?"
Nian Nian was very honest with Nan Yu. "I'm super hungry. I'm so hungry that I could eat a whole cow."
Nan Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Then you eat first. I'll go talk to your mom now."
Her tone was very determined. Nian Nian trusted her very much. "Then I'll eat now. I'm counting on you!"
When Nan Yu came out of Nian Nian's room, the first thing she did was to find Aunt Li and ask her to send the cooked porridge to Nian Nian.
Back in the living room, when Wen Ruoyi saw her, she immediately rushed over anxiously. "Has Nian Nian eaten?"
Nan Yu could see the worry on Wen Ruoyi's face. She showed a smile and comforted her, "I've already asked someone to send the food in. She should be eating obediently now. You can rest assured."
Hearing this, the anxiety in Wen Ruoyi's heart finally subsided.
"Thank goodness. Nian Nian must be okay. Nian Nian…"
As Wen Ruoyi was speaking, suddenly her vision went black and she fainted.
---
At the hospital, the doctor examined Wen Ruoyi and said that there was nothing seriously wrong with her body, but she was overly nervous and anxious. She might need to be hospitalized for another week for observation.
When Wen Ruoyi woke up, the first thing she wanted to do was to find Nian Nian.
She threw off the quilt and was about to get out of bed. "Nian Nian is not safe at home alone. I have to go back and accompany…"
"Sister - in - law, you should rest well." Tan Linyuan directly stopped her. His tone was calm. "Aunt Li is at home taking care of Nian Nian."
"That won't do!" Wen Ruoyi raised her voice. "Nian Nian has trouble walking. There's only Aunt Li at home…"
"Nian Nian is already twelve years old this year." Tan Linyuan's tone was serious. "Apart from being disabled in both legs, she's no different from other children."
His gaze was extremely calm. "Adults can be trapped in the past forever, but children can't."
Wen Ruoyi was stunned.
She had been covering up this fact, but Tan Linyuan still pointed it out mercilessly.
"Sorry, Linyuan." Wen Ruoyi ran her hand through her hair. Her tone was full of guilt. "I just can't accept it yet. I don't mean to blame you…"
"Okay." Tan Linyuan responded and didn't want to continue this topic.
The one trapped in the past was not only Wen Ruoyi.
It was him.
Wen Ruoyi looked at the young man in front of her. Her gaze didn't move for a long time. It was a long while before she let out a sigh.
Even though she was his elder, Wen Ruoyi had never been able to peek into this junior's heart.
Amidst all the gossips and rumors, he had closed off his heart and chosen to seek enlightenment.
Wasn't this an equally lonely path?
…
In the end, Wen Ruoyi compromised and said that she was willing to stay in the hospital for a week to rest.
She even apologized to Nan Yu in person, saying that she had no ill - intention. She was just too worried about Nian Nian and had acted impulsively in a moment of desperation.
Nan Yu could understand a mother's painstaking efforts. She comforted Wen Ruoyi instead, telling her not to be too guilty and to recuperate well.
She also promised Wen Ruoyi that she would take good care of Nian Nian in the next few days.
Wen Ruoyi was touched to tears.
…
So, in the next seven days, Nan Yu would accompany Nian Nian during the day, and Tan Linyuan would drive her back at night.
She asked for leave from Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu didn't care at all and told her to take good care of the little girl first and come back when she was done.
Zhou Yu said, "Let me make it clear first. I'll deduct your salary for these days you're absent."
Nan Yu agreed with a smile.
Nian Nian volunteered to go out. Nan Yu said hello to Aunt Li. The two of them dressed up neatly and got ready.
Nan Yu tucked Nian Nian's scarf in properly. "Are you ready?"
Nian Nian made a fist and looked confident. "I'm ready!"
The two of them, one big and one small, looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Nan Yu specifically chose a time in the afternoon when there were few people and cars and took Nian Nian for a walk in the nearest park.
At first, Nian Nian was a bit scared and always held Nan Yu's hand tightly. But soon she was attracted by the golden fallen leaves all over the trees in the park.
She asked Nan Yu to help her pick up the fallen leaves. Before she knew it, she had a whole armful.
"I want to take these leaves back to make bookmarks." Nian Nian was overjoyed. "Because each of them is different."
"Just like people. Everyone is different." Nian Nian sighed with emotion about life. "Everyone is living their lives to the fullest in their own way."
Nan Yu nodded in agreement. Considering her emotional outburst, she agreed to let her take these leaves home.
Even though the fallen leaves in Nian Nian's yard were no different from these.