There was a mixture of joy and sorrow in Zheng Wei's heart, which churned his emotions, leaving him unsure how to coax Ruan Ruan to take her medicine.
"Mama..."
Ruan Ruan's usually soft voice was now hoarse from crying. Tears continuously fell from her flushed little face. It was enough to make anyone's heart ache and anyone who saw her weep.
Zheng Wei, barely suppressing his own surging emotions, choked out, "Ruan Ruan, be good. Your Mama is ill. When she recovers, she will come to hug you. Will you be good and take your medicine now?"
Ruan Ruan didn't understand a word Zheng Wei was saying. She simply watched his lips move, her large eyes wide open, staring at him motionlessly.
Seeing Ruan Ruan like this, Zheng Wei felt both heartbroken and a little amused.
"Good Ruan Ruan, let's take the medicine."
Zheng Wei said gently, reaching for the medicine bowl on the table. As he brought the bowl to Ruan Ruan's lips again, an ear-splitting wail erupted from her, as expected. Children always resisted bitter tastes. Even a sip of bitter medicine was a great hardship for them, something they couldn't accept. Though young and untaught, every child had an innate way of refusing what they didn't want. And their method was always the same... crying.
Huo Fen stood behind Zheng Wei, observing his actions and hearing every word of his coaxing. Seeing the situation, Huo Fen knew that reasoning with the young lady would be futile. The medicine was cooling, and if Ruan Ruan didn't take it soon, it would be too late. Huo Fen could wait no longer.
She hurried forward and knelt before Zheng Wei with a thud. "Master, the medicine is cooling. Cold medicine will harm her. Please force the young lady to take it." Huo Fen uttered the last few words with great difficulty. However, having spoken them, the rest flowed out smoothly, "Although the young lady will suffer a bit when we force her, it's for her own good, isn't it?"
After speaking, Huo Fen looked at Zheng Wei, awaiting his reaction. Her words were indeed for the young lady's benefit, but with her master present, she, a mere servant, had no right to comment on any decision. Even if she dared to offer her suggestion, the rest was up to Zheng Wei to decide.
Zheng Wei was in a quandary. After considering both options, he said, "Force her."
Upon receiving Zheng Wei's consent, Huo Fen quickly stood up and beckoned to the wet nurse standing aside. "Come and help." The wet nurse stepped forward and reached out to take Ruan Ruan from Zheng Wei's arms.
Zheng Wei frowned. "What are you doing? I can hold her. You can administer the medicine."
The wet nurse hesitated, seeming to want to speak. It wasn't that they didn't trust Zheng Wei, but rather...
"Master, it's not that we don't want you to hold her. It's good that you want to hold her while feeding her. We're just afraid that if you soften and let go later, the medicine might spill. Then we'd have to feed her again."
Zheng Wei's eyebrows furrowed even more. He disliked being questioned. Yet, looking at Ruan Ruan, who was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath, he couldn't help but feel a pang of concern. If he softened and let go later, wouldn't Ruan Ruan suffer for nothing?
With this thought, Zheng Wei wasted no more time. He handed Ruan Ruan over to the wet nurse and stood up, asking the wet nurse to sit down. Zheng Wei did not leave; he stood to the side, watching intently.
Finally, through the efforts of the wet nurse and Huo Fen, Ruan Ruan managed to swallow a mouthful of medicine. With that mouthful, Ruan Ruan's breathing became shallow, her face turned a reddish-purple from holding her breath, and while her hands were restrained, her legs kicked frantically. Zheng Wei felt as if his heart was being squeezed, making it difficult to breathe.
"Ruan Ruan..."
Zheng Wei first murmured softly, then moved forward to snatch Ruan Ruan back. Fan Yong, who had been waiting, quickly stepped forward and restrained Zheng Wei, saying urgently, "Master, you cannot. The young lady will soon recover her breath. She is just furious."
Hearing this, Zheng Wei turned his head sharply, his gaze piercing. Instantly, Fan Yong was covered in cold sweat and trembled. This side of Master Zheng was truly terrifying!
Just as Fan Yong was about to buckle under the intense stare, Ruan Ruan finally caught her breath and let out a sob. Hearing her cry, Fan Yong breathed a sigh of relief. "Master, Master, listen, look, the young lady has recovered her breath. If we don't finish feeding her now, all her previous suffering will have been in vain."
The moment he heard Ruan Ruan cry, Zheng Wei's heart also eased. However, his heart was still pounding like a drum, making him appear somewhat distressed. He watched sternly as Ruan Ruan tearfully finished the medicine, and in an instant, he scooped her into his arms.
"Waaah!"
This time, Ruan Ruan's cry was exceptionally loud, completely unrestrained, and without calling out to anyone. She felt only the torment and cried with all her might. Ruan Ruan's cries were so loud that they not only echoed from the west wing but also faintly reached the main house.
In the east wing bedroom of the main house, Shen Xiaoyan's eyes were still closed, her face as pale as if she had no life. Although she couldn't control her body and soul, she could hear sounds from outside. She didn't know how many days had passed, but hearing intermittent sounds of fireworks, Shen Xiaoyan guessed it was New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. Thinking that she hadn't heard any firecrackers before, Shen Xiaoyan was certain it was New Year's Eve. The room was silent, with no one speaking. Shen Xiaoyan knew without thinking that they must be celebrating the New Year with the servants; they had discussed this before.
Understanding this, Shen Xiaoyan prepared to block out the external sounds and focus on receiving the "big gift package" that Yue Hua had given her before leaving. However, at this moment, Shen Xiaoyan seemed to faintly hear crying. Shen Xiaoyan was initially stunned, wondering who was crying. But after listening for a while, she realized it was Ruan Ruan's cry.
Knowing it was Ruan Ruan, Shen Xiaoyan's entire being felt unsettled. Why was Ruan Ruan crying so late at night? Why was she crying so painfully? Where was Zheng Wei? Why was Ruan Ruan crying alone like this? In that instant, a myriad of questions flashed through Shen Xiaoyan's mind. But now, she was powerless, and besides these speculations, she could do nothing. The more this was the case, the more agitated Shen Xiaoyan became, pushing her to the brink of collapse. What Shen Xiaoyan wanted to know most was where Zheng Wei was. Ruan Ruan was crying, so why wasn't Zheng Wei comforting her? Or had something happened to Zheng Wei?
The more Shen Xiaoyan thought, the more chaotic her thoughts became. She was afraid to continue thinking, yet she couldn't control her thoughts. She now understood that because she couldn't see, she was so anxious and imagined the worst, when in reality, things might not be as she thought. But even so, she couldn't help herself, couldn't control it.
Time passed, and Shen Xiaoyan was tormented by Ruan Ruan's continuous cries, pushing her to the verge of collapse. Just as she was about to break, a sudden wave of coolness washed over her entire body, making her incredibly clear-headed in an instant. However, this clarity was short-lived. In no time, Shen Xiaoyan was once again affected by Ruan Ruan's incessant cries. This time, the situation was even more severe than before. Shen Xiaoyan didn't know how to react or what to do. All she yearned for was to leave this place, to escape this space.
"If you wish to leave, you must first repair your soul completely."
Shen Xiaoyan froze, then exclaimed in surprise. Who was speaking?
"Only when you confidently repair your soul can you leave this space and return to the outside."
The voice spoke again. Shen Xiaoyan then noticed that it was a very young, childish voice. Due to its extreme youth, it was impossible to discern its gender. But who was speaking? Why could she hear it? And what did "repairing the soul" mean?
"Who are you? What did you mean by that?" Shen Xiaoyan asked sternly. She was desperate and had no time for anyone's nonsense or guessing games.
The space fell silent for a moment, then the childish voice spoke again, "I am Yue Hua's Xiao Rongrong."
Shen Xiaoyan: ... What kind of name was that? Why didn't he call himself Xiao Yanyan? Perhaps sensing Shen Xiaoyan's long silence, Xiao Rongrong spoke again, "Why aren't you talking? Do you dislike me? But Yue Hua said you would treat me very well."
Shen Xiaoyan was surprised. Yue Hua said that to him? But how could Yue Hua be so sure she would treat Xiao Hehe well? After pondering for a moment, Shen Xiaoyan said, "Then what exactly are you?"
Perhaps feeling that Shen Xiaoyan's words were unpleasant, Xiao Rongrong's voice became a little aggrieved when he spoke again, "I am not a thing... *sniffle*..."
Hearing Xiao Rongrong's words, Shen Xiaoyan felt a wave of emotion. It wasn't her fault; it was the first time she had heard someone say they weren't a thing. While it might be true, it always felt a little awkward and amusing. However, after the previous incident, she already knew that "Xiao Hehe" had a slightly temperamental personality, and if she laughed now, she would surely hurt his pride. Therefore, after a long moment, Shen Xiaoyan managed to suppress her laughter and asked very seriously, "If you are not a thing, then what are you?"
Hearing Shen Xiaoyan's serious tone, Xiao Rongrong felt inexplicably strange, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why. As a well-bred Xiao Rongrong, and to avoid shaming Yue Hua, Xiao Rongrong replied very earnestly, "I am Yue Hua's plant pet, meaning, the giant lotus leaf you saw earlier. I am Xiao Rongrong."
Hearing Xiao Rongrong's explanation, Shen Xiaoyan finally understood. So, she had misunderstood all along. She had been wondering what kind of name "Xiao Hehe" was, but it turned out she had misinterpreted it.
"Ahem." To cover her embarrassment, Shen Xiaoyan coughed lightly. It was only then that Shen Xiaoyan realized she didn't need to be embarrassed. This Xiao Rongrong didn't know her previous thoughts, did he? With that thought, Shen Xiaoyan felt relieved. That was for the best.
"Where is Yue Hua? Why are you here?" Suddenly remembering that she needed to get out and had to find Yue Hua, Shen Xiaoyan quickly asked.
"Yue Hua, she's gone." Xiao Rongrong's voice was muffled, clearly indicating his unhappiness. Shen Xiaoyan found it strange. What happened? When Xiao Rongrong mentioned Yue Hua earlier, he had spoken with pride, but now he was like this? Feeling puzzled, Shen Xiaoyan asked, "Where did Yue Hua go? She hasn't told me how I can leave this space." After saying this, Shen Xiaoyan suddenly remembered another important matter and continued, "Am I not in the space now? Why can't I see anything? Is it my fault, or the space's fault?"
Shen Xiaoyan's string of questions went unanswered. Xiao Rongrong seemed to have vanished, and the surroundings returned to their previous silence. Shen Xiaoyan waited for a long time, still hearing no one speak, which made her feel a little panicked. It wasn't that she was afraid, but rather, not knowing one's circumstances always caused unease. "Xiao Rongrong, are you still there?" Shen Xiaoyan asked tentatively.