Chapter 37: I Want Her to Stay
"I remember!"
Shanshan nodded emphatically.
She broke into a grin, revealing two little fangs.
"That mister is handsome, and a really good person!"
Ling Zhiyu chuckled, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
"So being handsome makes you a good person?"
Zhang Yunhua opened her mouth to chime in, but Yang Dapeng grabbed her by the sleeve.
Shanshan, however, shook her head, her expression earnest.
"That’s not it..."
She pointed a small finger at her heart.
"He has a lot of golden light around him, and only good people have that. I even saw it in a dream last night. The golden light was swirling around him. It was so beautiful."
"Golden light?"
Ling Zhiyu was taken aback, his brow furrowing slightly.
He assumed the child was just spouting nonsense and didn’t take her seriously.
"He’s a good person, but he’s unhappy right now. Would you be willing to go in and keep him company for a little while?"
He asked tentatively, his tone gentle.
"Of course!"
Shanshan agreed at once.
"I want to keep the handsome mister company so he can get better quickly!"
"Is he unhappy because his leg hurts?"
She tilted her small face up, her eyes full of concern.
Ling Zhiyu didn’t hide anything and gave her a simple explanation of Ling Anxun’s condition.
"He suffered a severe leg injury and can’t walk right now."
"He used to run faster than anyone, but now he can’t even stand. It’s only natural for him to be upset."
"So... is he sad because he can’t walk?"
Shanshan tilted her head, looking thoughtful.
"That’s right."
Ling Zhiyu nodded lightly, a shadow of sorrow flickering in his eyes.
"He was incredible back then."
He said in a low voice, his tone filled with reverence.
"He was the sharpest blade in the entire district. No one could beat him in a hundred-meter dash, and he took first place in the combat competitions year after year. But then, an accident happened on a mission. A bullet damaged a nerve, and he was never able to stand up again. From that day on, he was like a different person. He’d stay cooped up in his room all day, refusing to even open the windows. He barely ate and wouldn’t say a word."
"Wow, how awful for him."
Shanshan’s eyes widened, and her little hand unconsciously clutched the hem of her shirt.
"Don’t worry, leave it to me!"
She suddenly puffed out her small chest, her tone exceptionally determined.
"I’ll definitely make him smile! And not just smile—I’ll get him to stand up and walk again! I’ll have him put his uniform back on and stand tall and proud in the sun!"
Zhang Yunhua shot her husband a worried glance.
She was afraid the child would say too much and upset Ling Anxun.
She was even more afraid that the girl, in her childish innocence, would make empty promises and only hurt him more.
Yang Dapeng shook his head but didn’t speak.
’Shanshan might be young, but she has incredible resilience. When she was three, she had a high fever that wouldn’t break, and the doctors all said she would likely be left disabled. But with pure grit, she had somehow worked her leg back to health. If she could even heal her own leg, who was to say she couldn’t help Mr. Ling?’
Yang Dapeng mused to himself.
’What kind of person is Ling Anxun? He’s known for being tough as nails. He’s fiercely loyal and knows how to repay a kindness and settle a score. If Shanshan can truly help him out of this darkness, he’ll be sure to reward the child handsomely.’
Ling Zhiyu nodded at him, his eyes showing both gratitude and relief.
He bent down, gently took Shanshan’s little hand, and pushed open the door to the room.
The man on the bed’s legs were bare.
The area around his knees was sunken in, the muscles so atrophied they seemed to cling to the bone.
His skin was covered with crisscrossing scars.
A doctor was crouching by the bed, vigorously massaging his legs.
The door let out a CREAK, but Ling Anxun didn’t move.
He clenched his jaw, enduring the pain that seemed to drill up from the marrow of his bones.
The room was eerily silent.
After what felt like an eternity, sweat beaded on his forehead and rolled down his temples.
He finally snapped his eyes open and looked towards the door.
He was met with the sight of Shanshan’s small, concerned face.
He froze, his breath catching for a moment.
He snatched the blanket and hastily covered his legs.
"Get out! Who let you in? Out!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
’He shouldn’t have been so harsh with her.’
But to his surprise, Shanshan wasn’t scared away. Instead, she rushed to his bedside.
Her small hand gently tugged at the corner of the blanket, her voice soft.
"Mister, does it hurt a lot? Let me blow on it for you. It’ll stop hurting if I do!"
She actually puckered her lips and began to blow softly on his legs.
Ling Anxun instantly sat bolt upright, his hands gripping the edges of the blanket tightly.
He was terrified she might suddenly decide to throw back the blanket and look at his injured legs.
Whether it was the cool wisp of her breath on his skin or the gentle way she had touched his heart, the piercing pain actually seemed to ease a little.
"Good girl, Shanshan. It doesn’t hurt anymore, really."
His voice was slightly hoarse, with a hint of tenderness.
"Thank you for coming to see me. I appreciate the thought. But I need you to be a good girl and leave for now, okay? Let me get some rest."
"I’m not leaving!"
It was the first time Shanshan had talked back.
"You’re in pain, so I have to be here. Wherever you hurt, that’s where I’ll stay."
She tilted her little face up, her eyes shining as she stared at him without blinking.
"Don’t try to send me away. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I just want to be with you."
"You’re a good person, and good people shouldn’t have to suffer this much. Don’t worry, Shanshan will definitely make you better!"
"Look at my uncle! His leg was broken, his bones were shattered, but he can walk now, can’t he? It just takes time. You have to believe me! You must!"
Hearing her words, Ling Anxun found himself nodding.
In that instant, it was as if a tiny speck of light had quietly ignited in his cold, hard heart.
’Maybe...’
’This child... she’s truly the last hope I have in this life.’
He suddenly wanted to keep her, to have her by his side every day.
But as soon as he brought up the idea, the family was in an uproar.
His nephews were all against it.
"A three-year-old? What could she possibly know about medicine? This is ridiculous!"
Even his usually calm parents shook their heads, thinking it was utterly absurd.
But no one expected that Ling Anxun, who was usually so quiet and reserved, would be so exceptionally stubborn this time.
No matter what anyone said or how they tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t budge.
He even lost his temper, a rare occurrence.
"I want her to stay. That’s final."
In the end, his family couldn’t change his mind and had no choice but to give in.
They cleared out a small room next to Yang Dapeng’s house, and he simply settled in there.
The room was laid out with new bedding and a small stool was brought in.
A cabinet was also placed in the corner, specifically to give Shanshan a place for her small medicine bag.
The new place was ready in just a few days.
The moment Shanshan stepped into the little room that was now hers, she was so happy she spun in circles.
On the day Ling Anxun moved in, she was incredibly busy.
Her short little legs ran back and forth, and she nearly tripped while carrying a blanket.
When she couldn’t lift the kettle, she hugged it to her chest and shuffled step by step to the bedside.
The adults were all captivated by the little tyke.
Even Ding Qin felt her eyes well up as she watched. She couldn’t help but pick Shanshan up and plant two big kisses on her cheeks.
She ruffled her hair and murmured,
"This little girl... she has such a tender heart."
She was surrounded by people who doted on her and protected her.
Every gentle reminder, every pat on the head, made Shanshan feel that her days were as sweet as honey.
But her task of gathering herbs was now several times greater than before.
Every day, Shanshan would sling her small medicine basket over her back before dawn and follow the village elders up the mountain.