Lu Mingzhe had no ill intentions. He even carried full regret and apologies as he wanted to see the child.
As a result, Xiang Wan was as wary as if he were a thief.
The most distant distance in the world is to stand at her doorstep and be denied entry.
His heart was practically aching, but he could only endure it.
"Don't be scared. I won't hurt the child, nor will I frighten Grandma. I promise I won't go upstairs, but you shouldn't play any tricks either."
Xiang Wan nodded and quickly headed upstairs.
Grandma was old, and living in a big city was inconvenient. She couldn't hail a taxi online, take the subway, or use the hospital's appointment system.
So, she had to wait until Xiang Wan was free to take the child to the hospital together.
As soon as she reached the door, she heard the sound of crying from within.
Xiang Wan hastily pushed open the door. Seeing her return, Grandma picked up the bag she had prepared and immediately took Niannian into her arms.
"Don't cry, don't cry. Mommy's back, Mommy's back. We're going out to play."
"Be good, Niannian, don't cry."
The apartment was only a little over 60 square meters, with two bedrooms and a living room. There was no garden downstairs.
When the weather was good, Grandma could push Niannian around the neighborhood in a stroller for some fresh air.
But on rainy days, it became troublesome, and they could only stay home all day.
They hadn't gone out for more than half a month, and coupled with Niannian's recent indisposition, she had been particularly fussy these past few days.
A five-month-old child, when crying, thrashed around in one's arms like a slippery loach, making it quite a handful for Grandma.
Seeing the old and young waiting for her in such an environment, Xiang Wan's nose stung as soon as she entered.
"Did she drink the formula I prepared when I left?"
Grandma said, "She drank a little. I think her stomach is upset; she's been pooping a lot and doesn't want to drink."
"It's too stuffy in the house. She keeps looking out the window, wanting to go out. I'm afraid of her catching a cold, so I didn't dare take her."
Xiang Wan took the crying Niannian from Grandma's arms.
"It'll be troublesome to mix formula at the hospital later. Let's feed her until she's full at home first before we go. I'll coax her downstairs. Once she's calmed down, you can rest first."
Grandma felt she made sense and didn't suspect anything.
"Then wrap her up well. Don't let her choke on the wind if she cries downstairs; that would be trouble."
Xiang Wan, wrapped in a pink blanket, carried Niannian downstairs.
Lu Mingzhe stood by the staircase. As he heard the footsteps approaching, he finally saw Xiang Wan emerge from the corner of the stairs, holding a tiny pink swaddle.
As if it were a light piece of cotton candy, he rushed forward to reach for it.
"Is she asleep? Let me see."
"She's not asleep. She's crying. Don't move yet."
Both of them unconsciously lowered their voices and walked slowly downstairs.
Xiang Wan lifted a corner of the blanket covering the child's head to let him see.
"She has bronchitis, and the doctor said there are signs of it turning into pneumonia. She's been running a fever lately, and she can't be allowed to cry. If she chokes on cold air, it'll be troublesome."
The implication was that she was not familiar with you, and you didn't know how to hold her. It was enough to look; don't make her cry.
Lu Mingzhe understood her meaning and dared not reach for the child rashly. He only carefully peeked inside the blanket.
Such a tiny little being, not even half his forearm long.
But her hair was dark, and her eyes were like two ripe purple grapes, large and round.
Her nose was small, and her mouth, like Xiang Wan's, was small and red.
Adorning her fair skin, she looked exactly like a doll pulled from a television advertisement.
She was exactly as Lu Mingzhe had imagined.
This was his daughter, his Lu Mingzhe's daughter!
His heart instantly softened into a pool of water!
"So beautiful, just like you."
He carefully curved his fingers and wiped away the tears from the corner of Niannian's eyes, cooing at her in a hushed voice.
"Be good, my baby, don't cry. Daddy is here."
"You're not feeling well, are you? Daddy knows. I'll take you to the doctor now."
Niannian seemed to understand what he was saying, and also seemed unusually interested in this stranger. She really stopped crying.
Blinking her large, watery eyes, she stared intently at him. The small hands within the blanket moved, wanting to reach out.
Xiang Wan gently stopped her, "What do you want to do? It's cold outside. Let's not stick our hands out, okay, Niannian?"
She's called Niannian?
Lu Mingzhe looked at the child with satisfaction. "I thought she was called Guo Guo. But Niannian is nice too."
"Niannian."
He reached his hand in and touched Niannian's small hand. Niannian cleverly grabbed his finger, then her mouth curved, and she smiled silently.
"She's smiling. Look, she's smiling at me."
Lu Mingzhe acted as if he had discovered a new continent, wishing he could invite the whole world to see his daughter.
"She's so cute. She likes me. She wants me to hold her. Let me hold her."
The girl who had been crying and squirming in Grandma's arms like a loach and was impossible to hold, was incredibly well-behaved when meeting Lu Mingzhe for the first time and even smiled at him!
Xiang Wan was also impressed by this damn blood tie.
"Do you know how to hold her? Babies' bones are soft; you need to support the back of her head..."
"I know. I've been tracking your due date. I watched countless baby videos by myself at home; I learned it long ago."
As he spoke, Lu Mingzhe reached behind Niannian's head, supporting the back of her head with one hand and her bottom with the other, and gently lifted her into his arms.
"Niannian, I'm Daddy. Call me Daddy."
Just moments ago, the two had been at each other's throats. Suddenly, surrounding the child like a couple, they were speaking softly and laughing.
The two police officers also gathered around.
The child was indeed cute, and they were a handsome couple. The officers couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
One of them, already a father, saw Lu Mingzhe awkwardly rocking the child and teaching her to call him Daddy. He felt compelled to correct him.
"How can a baby of a few months call out 'Daddy'? 'Papa' would be more appropriate. Come, say Papa!"
As the words fell, Niannian in Lu Mingzhe's arms blinked her large eyes, opened her small mouth, and actually uttered a soft sound.
"Aba—"
Everyone was stunned into silence. The surroundings were quiet.
Lu Mingzhe looked at Xiang Wan, then at the police officers.
"Am I hallucinating? Did she just call me Papa?"
"It seemed like she did."
"She can call me Papa now?" Lu Mingzhe asked Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan felt unconvinced. Impossible. She was only five months old; she wouldn't even call her mother, so how could she call her father?
Just as she was about to retort, Niannian, giving them much face, called out twice more.
"Pa! Pa!"
His nose twitched, and Lu Mingzhe's eyes welled up, almost shedding tears.
This was truly his biological daughter. She knew to call him Daddy the moment they met. How could he bear to abandon them here?
He discussed with the police officers, "You go back first. I'll call my lawyer to handle the bail immediately. I was wrong today. I've realized my mistake."
"The child is sick; I can't just ignore her. Consider this a chance for me to start anew. Can I take her to the hospital first?"