Chapter 62: Foul Play?
It was Ding Qin who couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into tears.
Her sobs caught all of Shanshan’s words in her throat.
She didn’t want to say the wrong thing out of youthful ignorance and add to her family’s pain.
So, she chose to stay by their side in silence.
The family waited outside the emergency room for over five hours.
Finally, Ling Zhenkang was wheeled out.
An oxygen mask covered his face, and his body was connected to all sorts of machines.
Wires crisscrossed over him, and the monitor emitted a rhythmic BEEP.
"He’s stable for now, but tonight will be the most critical."
The attending doctor said grimly, pulling down his mask.
He reminded the family that although the resuscitation was successful, the patient was elderly and could go into cardiac arrest or organ failure again at any moment.
The next six to eight hours, in particular, were a life-or-death window.
Ding Qin insisted on staying by Ling Zhenkang’s side.
But the entire family objected, and even the doctor advised her to look after her own health.
With Ling Zhenkang’s collapse, the whole family was already on the verge of falling apart.
If Ding Qin collapsed as well, the family truly might not be able to bear it.
For the sake of everyone, they all agreed that she had to go home and rest.
Jiao Qin gently wrapped an arm around Ding Qin’s shoulders, persuading her in a soft voice.
"Mom, please go home and get a few hours of sleep. We’ll keep watch here and call you immediately if anything happens. If your health fails, Dad won’t be able to recover with peace of mind."
Jiao Qin’s words brought fresh tears to Ding Qin’s eyes, and she could only nod in agreement.
As per hospital rules, only two people could stay to keep watch.
In the end, it was decided that Ling Zhiwei and the second son would take turns.
Ling Anxun’s leg hadn’t fully healed yet.
He really shouldn’t have been staying for long in a bustling place like a hospital.
But he absolutely refused to leave, no matter who tried to persuade him.
If he wasn’t leaving, Shanshan certainly wasn’t either.
She quietly sidled up to Ling Anxun and whispered.
"I’ll stay with you, Dad."
The hospital room Ling Anxun had previously stayed in was still being held for him by his older brother, Ling Antao.
He had efficiently handled the paperwork to check Ling Anxun back in.
That way, the father and daughter at least had a place to rest for the night.
With Shanshan there, Ling Anxun didn’t spend the entire night at his father’s bedside.
Just as dusk fell, he took Shanshan’s small hand and walked back to their room.
That night, as they lay in bed, Shanshan’s tiny body was curled up in his arms.
Ling Anxun stared at the ceiling, his gaze distant and his thoughts a tangled mess.
He listened to the sound of Shanshan’s breathing, trying to calm his frayed nerves.
After a moment, Shanshan opened her eyes.
By the light of the moon, she looked at her father’s profile and whispered.
"Dad, don’t worry too much."
"Yeah. It’ll be fine."
Ling Anxun repeated in a low voice.
"Go to sleep now. It’s late."
He sighed softly and raised a hand to gently pat Shanshan’s back.
Shanshan closed her eyes and obediently buried her face in the crook of his arm.
She quietly bit her lower lip, focused her mind, and pressed her palm against the inside of her father’s wrist.
Then, she carefully drew a warm current from within her body.
Before long, Ling Anxun’s breathing grew deep and steady.
Shanshan waited a little longer. Once she was sure her father was asleep, she gently wriggled free.
She tiptoed to the small cabinet by the bed, took out her outerwear, and got dressed.
Outside, the world was pitch-black.
The clock on the wall showed it was already past two in the morning.
Shanshan crept to the door, pulled it open just a crack, and slipped out.
She followed the familiar route to her grandfather’s room.
The moment she pushed the door open, a blast of cold air hit her.
She stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to her grandfather on the bed, and stared at his pale face.
She then gently lifted a corner of the blanket, took one of her grandfather’s hands, and examined the lines on his palm.
Her little mind raced, silently calculating the time and the trajectory of his vital energy’s flow.
A moment later, her brow furrowed deeply.
’This isn’t right. Grandpa shouldn’t have collapsed this fast.’
’Logically, even if it was a relapse of an old illness, it wouldn’t have progressed this rapidly. Unless... there was foul play?’
Unconvinced, she continued her examination.
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, her gaze locking onto her grandfather’s left shoulder.
It was wrapped in a bandage.
But upon closer inspection, a layer of greyish mist swirled beneath the bandage.
’This is bad!’
Her heart lurched as she suddenly understood.
’This isn’t a normal illness! Someone secretly used a sinister toxin to attack Grandpa’s Primordial Energy! No wonder his condition deteriorated so suddenly!’
This was her grandpa, who had always been so good to her.
She couldn’t just stand by and watch him be overcome by this malevolent force.
Without hesitation, she stretched out her small hand, gathering the Spiritual Power within her body to disperse the foul energy.
But she had forgotten—in this life, she was only a five-year-old child.
Her Spirit Root existed, but it was far from stable.
Acting rashly would only cause the power to backfire on her.
The moment her hand touched the grey mist, a wave of Yin Cold Power surged back at her.
She let out a muffled grunt, her little face instantly turning deathly pale.
Her body swayed, and she nearly fell, but she forced herself to hold on, refusing to let go.
Only when the grey mist had receded slightly did she collapse to the floor.
Meanwhile, Ling Anxun awoke with a start.
When he saw Shanshan wasn’t in the room, his heart sank.
He scrambled out of bed and rushed to the door.
Just as he pushed the door open, he saw Shanshan stumbling out of Ling Zhenkang’s room.
"Shanshan!"
He practically shouted her name.
The little girl looked up at him, managing a weak smile.
She raised her small hands, her voice soft.
"Dad... hold me."
The night-duty security guard standing nearby stared, dumbfounded.
Ling Anxun had no time to explain.
He rushed forward and swept Shanshan into his arms.
The moment he held her, his heart clenched.
Her little face, rosy just a short while ago, was now cold and pale.
But even so, she was still smiling at him.
"Don’t be scared, Dad..."
She leaned her head lightly on his shoulder and murmured in his ear.
"Grandpa’s going to be okay..."
Before she could finish, her head lolled to the side, and she passed out.
Ling Anxun’s mind went blank.
He looked down at his daughter in his arms, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
A thought instantly shot through his mind.
’Did she do something?’
’But she’s just a child. How could she possibly know how to diagnose an illness?’
He didn’t dare to believe it, nor did he dare to let himself think about it.
Clutching Shanshan tightly, he strode back to their room.
"The kid couldn’t sleep and was just running around. Act like you saw nothing. Don’t go spreading this around, you hear me?"
"Yes, sir!"
The guard replied in a hushed voice.
There was something too strange about Shanshan. Ling Anxun didn’t even dare call a doctor.
He was afraid that the slightest misstep would attract unwanted attention.
He could only watch over her, never leaving her side.
Shanshan lay unconscious the entire night, her small face pale and her brow slightly furrowed.
And Ling Anxun thought for the entire night.
All the strange and bizarre things that had happened since they’d met replayed over and over in his mind.
The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became.
’How is it that everything about this little girl is so strange?’
But his first instinct wasn’t shock. It was to erase any and all evidence.
He had to come up with a plausible explanation for all the details he couldn’t speak of.
That way, he could handle any questions that might come his way.
Just as the first light of dawn broke, Shanshan finally began to stir.