Lu Qingxu did not dare to provoke her and used Niannian to gain sympathy.
"It's not a solution to stand here all the time. She's still sleeping. Let's go inside quickly."
Melody finally cast her gaze on Niannian openly.
She's really pretty.
Her head is round, her cheeks are chubby, and she doesn't have much hair, which is pale yellow and thinly plastered on her forehead. However, this sparse hair inexplicably suits her round head.
She looks so soft.
Her eyebrows are very faint, and even though she's asleep, one can tell that her upper eyelids are thin and wide, and her eyes must be large.
Her eyelashes are like dense fans, so long and curled.
Her nose is so small it's not even as wide as Lu Qingxu's pinky finger. Her two tiny nostrils exhale gently.
Her mouth is as small as her nose, but her lips are a beautiful red.
Her upper lip is sucking on her lower lip, as if she hasn't eaten enough, and she keeps sucking back and forth.
She spreads her little feet and gently clenches her two rosy fists.
Although it's cliché, after looking at her from head to toe, Melody couldn't help but think of the word angel.
"Give the baby to me, and you lead the way."
She smoothly snatched Niannian away.
Melody had experience taking care of children for others before, and she very adeptly rested Niannian's head in the crook of her arm, her little face against her chest.
With her other hand, she supported Niannian's bottom and gently patted her back.
Suppressing the urge to kiss her, she deliberately spoke in a detached tone.
"What's her name? I must say, she's quite good-looking."
"I don't know yet."
Lu Qingxu looked at the address on his phone and pushed the luggage, leading her forward.
"My brother's story with his ex-girlfriend is long and complicated. If you want to hear it, I'll tell you later."
"I really didn't expect that when I went abroad, he was in the hospital on the verge of death, and when he returned, he already had a child. It wasn't in vain that he stabbed himself."
Melody raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Is your whole family this crazy?"
"No, don't be scared. I'm not as crazy as him. I'm very normal. Haven't you realized that after interacting with me for so long? I'm a good socialist youth!"
The two of them looked like a young couple, both good-looking and with a child, attracting particular attention.
Melody felt embarrassed by the stares and kicked him with her foot, "Hurry up. I won't be able to hold her later."
Lu Qingxu asked questions as he walked and finally found the building where his grandmother lived.
The two waited at the elevator entrance for a while. An elegant and cultured elderly couple joined them for the ride.
While waiting for the elevator, the old grandmother kept casting concerned and curious glances at Melody. Once the four of them were inside and the doors closed, she couldn't help but lean closer.
"The baby is so beautiful. She looks about six months old. Is it a boy or a girl?"
Melody kept looking down at Niannian, finding her so beautiful she couldn't look away.
Having never owned a pet before, she suddenly understood why people loved "cat-sucking" and "dog-sucking."
Having a cute little creature by her side made her want to keep doting on it.
Startled by the sudden question, she looked up and replied, "Girl."
"She looks just like you. Very cute."
She thought it was her child.
Melody was too lazy to explain: "Thank you."
"Seeing you two, I'm reminded of when my husband and I were young."
Indeed, although the old grandfather's hair had turned white, it was neatly combed and meticulously styled.
He was tall and straight, and his clothes were clean and tidy. Standing next to the old grandmother, who was like a beauty in twilight but still charming, they indeed resembled themselves fifty years later.
The old grandmother smiled and sighed: "It's a pity that I was willful back then and refused to have children. By the time we wanted them when we were older, it was too late."
"It's better to be like you, having children at a young age. A life with children is a fulfilling one."
Lu Qingxu never expected that a passerby's casual remark would rub salt into Melody's wound.
He hurriedly stated: "No, this isn't our child. It's my brother's. I don't particularly like children, and I don't want any."
Melody: "?"
"Besides. It's not too late when you're older, and if you regret it, you can always adopt. How can that make a life unfulfilled?"
The old grandmother felt a bit awkward at his words.
"What you said makes a lot of sense. I can tell you love your girlfriend very much. I apologize for being nosy. I just hope you'll be happy."
"It's alright. I know you meant no harm. I was just expressing my own views."
"I do like her quite a lot."
Upon exiting the elevator, the two looked for the room. As they passed the nurse's station, a nurse couldn't help but look up.
She was instantly surprised.
Who was this again? Another pair of handsome man and beautiful woman?
This woman is so beautiful and has such great temperament.
Crucially, wasn't that Niannian in her arms?
Could she be Mrs. Lu's friend or sister?
The nurse cast a curious glance. Lu Mingzhe was about to ask her a question when their eyes met, and he walked over.
"Hello, excuse me, could you please tell me if this is the correct address?"
The nurse looked at his phone: "Yes. May I ask who you two are?"
"Who handled the admission procedures? Was it a gentleman named Lu Mingzhe?"
"Yes."
"I am his brother. I've been temporarily asked to take care of the patient due to some circumstances. May I go in?"
The nurse suddenly understood.
He looks a bit like Mr. Lu, both being top-tier handsome men. So he's his brother.
What a shame. Oh well, handsome men always belong to other people.
"You may. I'm also going to do my rounds, so I'll take you there."
The nurse led them in, briefly explained the grandmother's condition, introduced them to the equipment in the room, and then withdrew.
Melody placed Niannian on the folded-down bed, covered her with a quilt, picked up her DSLR, and went to the window to photograph the night view.
Lu Qingxu put away the suitcase and walked over to ask her if she was tired, if she felt uncomfortable anywhere, or if she wanted to eat something.
Melody hadn't eaten the airplane meal on the plane and was indeed a bit hungry now.
Thinking of the countdown of time in her life, she didn't want to make things difficult for herself.
"Eat."
"Then I'll go buy something for you. What flavor do you want today?"
Her mood had improved a bit thanks to Niannian, so she said, "Something sweet."
"Wait here. I'll be back soon."
Passing by the nurse's station, he worried that her Chinese wasn't good, so he went to explain to the nurse again, asking her to look after Melody, before quickly leaving.
Ten minutes later, the nurse started to feel a little worried.
Fearing that Melody couldn't understand the Chinese characters in the room and thus couldn't get her needs met, she pushed the door open and went back in.
"Hello. I heard your Chinese isn't very good, and you can only understand but not write. I was worried you might not be able to read some characters, so I came in to ask. If you need any help, you can find me outside."
The people here are all very well-mannered, and everyone is very polite to her.
Melody put down her camera and nodded: "I understand, thank you."
On her hand, she wore a bracelet that looked like a silver bangle. Its design was peculiar but surprisingly beautiful, and the nurse couldn't help but take a second look.