Seeing him, Lu Mingzhe felt like he had found a savior.
He held Niannian up to the camera, "Don't rush to find a place to stay. Come to the hospital and look after the child for me!"
"Child?"
Looking at the doll, who looked like a carved jade, suddenly appearing in the lens, Lu Qingxu was utterly confused.
"Where are you now? Don't you have work? How did you end up taking care of someone else's child?"
Lu Mingzhe: "I'm in Hangcheng. This child isn't someone else's, she's your niece. Stop talking nonsense and just come over."
With that, he hung up the phone and sent the address to Lu Qingxu.
Lu Qingxu was still immersed in his earlier shock and hadn't fully processed it. It wasn't until his driver asked him where they were going that he relayed the address.
Melody sat beside him, wearing a mask, looking out the window with a haughty air.
The weather had been getting warmer recently, and Hangcheng's skies were always bright and sunny, with fluffy white clouds. It was beautiful during the day and just as lovely when night fell.
She couldn't help but raise her DSLR.
Lu Qingxu watched her take a few photos and quietly said to her.
"We might have to go somewhere else before heading back. Do you mind accompanying me on a little detour?"
Melody's health wasn't good, and naturally, her mood wasn't great either.
If Lu Qingxu hadn't used pictures and videos from netizens to entice her with how beautiful Hangcheng was, she would never have traveled all this way.
Since she was here, her intention was to sightsee, as long as the scenery was good.
"I won't go to places with bad scenery."
"Understood. You're interested in children, aren't you? I'll get you a child to play with later."
Melody was at an age where maternal instincts were strong, and because of her illness, she had to undergo a mastectomy, making her particularly sensitive to children.
She thought she was hiding her feelings well, so when Lu Qingxu said that, she turned and shot him an displeased glance.
Lu Qingxu, startled, quickly apologized.
"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant you might be better at looking after a child than I am."
They had a smooth drive, but even so, it took an hour to reach their destination.
Lu Mingzhe was sitting on the green belt by the hospital entrance, holding a sleeping Niannian, waiting with a weariness that made even flowers wilt.
As the car stopped and he saw Lu Qingxu, despite his urgency, he carefully protected his daughter in his arms until Lu Qingxu walked over.
It was the first time in his life he had seen his brother holding a baby. So small, so fair and pink. Lu Qingxu, while astonished, couldn't help but lean in to get a better look.
Upon closer inspection, "Hey. She's quite cute. How old is she? Whose child is she?"
As he spoke, he reached out to pinch her cheek, but Lu Mingzhe, protective of his child, pushed his hand away.
"Are you hard of hearing? I told you she's your niece, and you're asking whose child she is? How many older brothers do you have?"
Lu Qingxu was even more surprised.
"No way? Your child? You..."
He realized.
"No wonder she's so cute, did Xiang Wan give birth to her? Did you find her?"
Lu Mingzhe was a bit pleased, but unwilling to show it, pretending to be impatient and clicking his tongue.
"Stop with the nonsense. Stick out your arm, I'll teach you how to hold her."
During the hour it took for Lu Qingxu to arrive, Lu Mingzhe had called Xiang Wan countless times.
But her phone was silenced and stuffed into her bag, and no matter how many times he called, there was no response. Lu Mingzhe was extremely anxious now.
He was eager to find her and entrust Niannian to someone.
Seeing his brother lift the child, Lu Qingxu panicked. He hastily let go of his suitcase and raised his hands.
One arm above, one arm below, he struck a very awkward pose.
"Hold her like this?"
"How old is she? What if she wakes up and wants to be fed?"
"I'll be back as soon as possible. There's formula in the ward. If she wakes up and wants to eat, have the nurse prepare it for her."
"The ward? She's sick?"
"No. There's an elderly person in the ward, Xiang Wan's grandmother. Xiang Wan has run into some trouble, and I need to go find her."
"There's no time for more explanations. In short, go up and take good care of both the old lady and the child. Don't hold her like that, keep your arm flat. A child's neck bone is soft, the most important thing is not to strain her neck."
Lu Mingzhe's anxious tone made him even more apprehensive.
"I've never held a child before, this is my first time. You're really something to let me manage this... How do I do it? Is this right?"
Lu Mingzhe placed Niannian into his arms and held both of his arms, guiding him into a pose.
"Like this. When we get to the room, just put her on the bed. I'll be back as soon as I can."
As he spoke, a taxi approached by the roadside. He hailed it and ran towards it.
Lu Qingxu watched his brother sprint away, then looked at the little person in his arms, the suitcase at his feet, and Melody behind him.
He was speechless for two seconds.
"Excuse me, you'll probably have to come to the hospital with me first."
Melody suppressed her curiosity about the little person and walked forward with a cold expression, grabbing the suitcase.
"Let's go. Where are we going?"
Lu Qingxu's body was as stiff as if he were holding a priceless treasure.
"I don't know either. The location is in my phone's WeChat. You can open it and see."
Melody pulled his phone out of his pocket and swiped the screen.
"Password."
"Your birthday."
"Huh?"
"Heh heh. After I found out your birthday, I changed it immediately. I heard that if you like someone, you change all your passwords to their birthday."
Melody rolled her eyes, annoyed by his behavior, and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
"Don't keep saying you like me. I told you we have no future, aren't you tired of this?"
Ever since Lu Qingxu had pursued her to the United States, he had dismissed the caregiver, Aunt Zhong, and dedicated himself to taking care of her and their daughter. He vowed to take care of Melody until she recovered, even expressing his desire to marry her and have children.
This left Melody with a complex mix of emotions.
In the first twenty-odd years of her life, she had been in several relationships.
There were those who genuinely wanted to marry her, and those who were just impulsive flings.
She had encountered all sorts of men, but she had never met anyone like Lu Qingxu.
The way they met was absurd, and they had hardly spent any time together, yet he had become crazily fixated on her.
If she were healthy now, with a bright future, even with the age difference, she would have been willing to give it a try with him.
Alas.
He was in his prime, while she was terminally ill.
How could she possibly ruin the life of such a sincere young man?
Therefore, Melody had always treated him poorly.
But Lu Qingxu seemed to have no self-esteem, was shameless, and no matter what, she couldn't drive him away.
Actually, in the car, she had overheard the two brothers talking about the child.
She had also noticed when Lu Qingxu was looking at Niannian earlier.
Her fair, plump little hands, her chubby little arms like lotus roots, her primal maternal instincts urged her to come up and touch her, to hold her.
Even if she wasn't her own, it would provide brief psychological comfort.
However, she didn't want to appear so pathetic.
It was her choice to end her life this way, and even with regrets, she didn't want anyone to see through her.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. Don't be angry."