"All right, all right, don't cry anymore, and you don't get angry either. She's just a child and doesn't know any better. If she doesn't want you to hold her, you can let her rest for a while."
"She's not heavy anyway, I can carry her to complete the procedures."
This ungrateful white-eyed wolf!
Since she likes being a Lu family descendant so much, let her be!
Xiang Wan sat back in her chair in a huff.
Lu Mingzhe patted Niannian again, then leaned close to her ear to coax her. Only when she stopped crying did he hold her little hand and wave goodbye to Xiang Wan.
"We have to be separated from Mommy for a while, goodbye Mommy."
"Say, I'll miss you, we'll be back soon, don't be angry anymore."
Niannian acted like a little adult, babbling and waving along with Lu Mingzhe.
Looking at her innocent yet infuriating appearance, Xiang Wan felt both amused and annoyed.
This child changes her mood quickly and is very outgoing. She would be a real handful when she grew up.
With his daughter by his side, Lu Mingzhe found the process of going through procedures at various departments to be remarkably more interesting.
After some time, they returned, and Grandma had been pushed out of the emergency room.
The doctor was speaking to Xiang Wan by the bedside. Upon seeing Lu Mingzhe enter, he repeated the information to him.
"Cerebellar infarction with stroke. After waking up, she may have residual effects such as facial paralysis and uncoordinated limbs."
"This condition is very common among middle-aged and elderly people over 40. Because the medical attention was not timely enough, the residual effects are almost irreversible. The family should be mentally prepared."
Upon hearing the word "stroke," Xiang Wan's heart sank instantly.
When she was young, she had seen two neighbors on her street suffer strokes.
They sat in wheelchairs every day, their mouths crooked, their hands deformed, staring blankly day after day, waiting to die.
Those who were slightly better off could still walk with a cane, but their speech was unclear.
She never expected that such a thing would happen to her grandmother.
Looking at her grandmother's graying hair and frail body, and thinking that she had never been able to provide her with a day of comfort, but instead had always been a burden, Xiang Wan's nose felt sore.
After the doctor finished speaking, Lu Mingzhe couldn't help but ask about the cause of the illness.
"Generally, it's caused by weakened and narrowed cerebral blood vessels due to old age, leading to blockages and infarction."
"Most male patients develop this due to years of smoking, drinking, irregular sleep, and poor lifestyle habits."
"However, since the old lady doesn't smoke or drink, it's likely due to excessive worry recently. Although she has trouble sleeping due to her age, the body's basic sleep requirement must be met. Think about it, she's almost 80 and stays up late every day. What can happen if this continues for a long time?"
Lu Mingzhe felt ashamed.
It must be because she had been helping to take care of the child every day that she couldn't sleep well.
The doctor instructed them to have her undergo further examinations in other departments once she woke up and then left the ward.
For the first time in front of Lu Mingzhe, Xiang Wan shed big, round tears.
Drip, drip, one after another. Although her back was to him, the tears were too overwhelming and unstoppable.
Lu Mingzhe could see her clearly from the side.
Lu Mingzhe knew how important Grandma was to Xiang Wan.
He bore an undeniable responsibility for her current situation, and he felt deeply ashamed.
He wanted to apologize to Xiang Wan again about their breakup, but then he thought that she was definitely not in the mood to listen now, so he decided against it.
Xiang Wan cried silently for a while, her slender shoulders still trembling, showing no signs of stopping.
Lu Mingzhe really wanted to comfort her and hug her. He held back, then took a step forward.
He shifted his daughter to his left arm and placed his right hand on the back of her head, pressing her head onto his shoulder.
The familiar feeling came over them, as if they had returned to Nan Cheng, and both were startled.
Lu Mingzhe's limbs were filled with a sense of satisfaction and numbness. It wasn't until the feeling gradually subsided that he had the strength to speak to Xiang Wan.
As he opened his mouth, his voice was as gentle as water.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. I'll always be here. Grandma will be alright."
Xiang Wan leaned on his shoulder, feeling the strength of his arm supporting her head and his warmth against her heart.
With their beloved daughter beside them, all the things Lu Mingzhe had done in the past, and whether he had a newlywed wife at home, seemed less important.
She was simply enjoying this moment.
When she needed comfort and warmth, there was a shoulder to lean on.
She didn't want to force herself to be strong and calm all the time.
So, she closed her eyes, buried her head into his neck, relaxed her whole body, and gently wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Okay."
It seemed she was not as scared anymore.
The family of three stood in this position for several minutes until a nurse came in to check the data on Grandma's instruments, and they separated.
"Everything is quite normal. For a stroke patient, all her indicators are very stable, so you don't need to worry too much."
"Our ward has limited beds, and only one person can stay overnight. With such a young child with you, it's not good to stay in the ward for too long."
"It's getting late. Discuss who will stay behind. The other person should go back quickly."
Since Xiang Wan had to take care of Niannian at night, Lu Mingzhe decided to stay without much discussion.
But Xiang Wan disagreed.
A man taking care of an elderly woman. What if Grandma woke up and needed to use the restroom?
Besides, she hadn't told Grandma about reuniting with Lu Mingzhe yet. Grandma was full of resentment towards Lu Mingzhe. What if she got emotional after waking up…
"But the environment here is not good, and I don't want you to stay here."
Most importantly, although Lu Mingzhe liked Niannian and wanted to be with her all the time, he had never had experience taking care of a young child.
He had never prepared formula, nor changed diapers. If Niannian cried for her mother in the middle of the night, he would have no idea what to do.
After much discussion, Lu Mingzhe decided to book a room at a hotel near the hospital for Xiang Wan and the child to stay. If Grandma needed anything urgently, he would call Xiang Wan, and she could come over.
Xiang Wan was indeed worried about Lu Mingzhe taking care of Niannian alone, so she agreed.
As they were discussing, Niannian suddenly squirmed restlessly in Lu Mingzhe's arms.
Xiang Wan then remembered that she had rushed out in too much haste and forgotten to bring formula and diapers.
She probably needed to poop now.
When she went to the restroom, she found that was indeed the case.
Now, the only diaper she had was also used up, and she had to go home.
"Don't go back. It's so late, it's inconvenient and unsafe for you to take a taxi back and forth alone."
"Wait here with the child. Tell me what you need, and I'll go buy it."
Lu Mingzhe, with his sweet talk and handsome appearance, chatted with the nurses at the nurses' station. They quickly told him where to find a maternal and infant store nearby.
He hurried downstairs and arrived at a decent maternal and infant store within ten minutes.
Judging by his attire and demeanor, it was clear he was accustomed to a high standard of living, so the sales assistant enthusiastically recommended the most expensive items.