Chapter 67: Shanshan, Don’t Be Afraid, Dad Is Here
He cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. His tone was much gentler than before.
"Don’t sneak out again, you hear me? It’s not safe outside. What if you run into a bad person?"
Shanshan immediately lowered her head, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
"Don’t worry, Dad, Shanshan knows she was wrong! I’ll be good from now on! I won’t make you worry again!"
"Good. My Shanshan is the best-behaved."
Ling Anxun’s tone softened unconsciously.
The tense lines of his face relaxed, and he even subconsciously reached out to pat her head.
But he pulled his hand back midway and asked instead, "Do you want Grandma to come help you wash your hair and take a bath? Or should I have Aunt Zhang come in? You’re still little; you’ll catch a cold if you get wet."
"No need! Shanshan is a big girl now, I can wash myself!"
She tilted her little face up, blinking her big eyes, a hint of stubbornness in her voice.
With that, she hugged her little bear-patterned pajamas and small towel and skipped into the bathroom.
The door closed softly behind her with a CLICK.
Ling Anxun remained at the door, his back straight, hands in his pockets, completely still.
He stared at the closed door for a long time without leaving, finally letting out a long sigh.
’Raising a kid... is so exhausting.’
’Kids this age are so innocent and carefree. They have no concept of danger.’
’You think she’s being good, but the moment you turn your back, she could slip out onto the street...’
Just the thought sent a chill down his spine.
’Should I hire a more professional nanny?’
’Should we move to a house closer to her kindergarten?’
When Shanshan emerged in her pink bunny pajamas, her hair still dripping with water, Ling Anxun’s expression was even darker than before.
"Dad, what’s wrong?"
Shanshan noticed his silence and timidly drew closer, reaching out with a small hand to gently tug on his sleeve.
"I know I was wrong, please don’t be mad... Shanshan really won’t do it again..."
Ling Anxun’s heart suddenly softened, and all his anger crumbled to dust in that instant.
He bent down and pulled a dry towel from the towel rack.
"I’m not mad anymore. Come on, tilt your head up. Dad will help you dry it."
"Thank you, Dad!"
She immediately and obediently tilted her little face up, wet strands of hair sticking to her cheeks.
A warm, tender atmosphere filled the living room.
Who would have guessed that just an hour ago, this man had been so furious he looked ready to tear the roof off the living room?
Ling Anxun didn’t say it out loud, but he had already completely surrendered to her sweet, wheedling calls of "Dad."
’When a tiny, sweet-voiced little thing is hugging your leg and acting cute, what can you do?’
’Can you really bring yourself to punish her?’
’You can only spoil her again and again.’
But Shanshan didn’t even make it to the next day. That very night, disaster struck.
In the dead of night, only a small, warm yellow night-light was on in the bedroom.
Shanshan was sleeping soundly, her little mouth slightly agape.
She rolled over and kicked out a leg.
Without any warning, she rolled right off the inner side of the bed.
With a dull THUD, she landed face-down, squarely on the wooden floor.
The pain jolted her awake. She was stunned for a second.
Then her mouth crumpled, tears welled up, and an earth-shattering wail followed.
"WAH, it hurts! WAHHH... It hurts so much!"
Ordinarily, even if her own father had kicked her into a corner, leaving her curled up in pain, she had stubbornly gritted her teeth without shedding a single tear.
But this time, just from rolling off the bed and hitting the bed frame, how could it hurt so much?
She herself was dazed, her little mind a complete blank, unable to process what had just happened.
All she felt was a sharp pain in her nose as a warm liquid trickled down her face.
She let out a terrified cry.
Tears streamed down her face, impossible to stop.
Her little hands rubbed frantically at her eyes, and the blood smearing between her fingers only made her cry harder.
She looked up with a sob, staring pitifully at her father, Ling Anxun.
"Wah... wahhh... Dad, hold me... It hurts so much..."
The room was pitch-black, the curtains drawn tight.
But her tear-filled eyes were still sharp in the darkness, and she could see that Ling Anxun’s face was white with panic.
Seeing this made her feel even more wronged, and a trembling sob escaped her throat.
"Dad... it hurts... Shanshan wants Dad..."
Ling Anxun stumbled and fumbled his way toward the bed in the darkness.
He called out incessantly, "Shanshan, don’t be scared! Dad’s here! Don’t cry!"
But he tripped, nearly falling, and hastily grabbed the nightstand for support while his fingers fumbled blindly along the wall for the light switch.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally found it and flicked on the light with a CLICK.
The next second, his pupils contracted violently, and he froze on the spot.
His little daughter’s face was covered in blood. Her nosebleed had soaked her clothes and the pillow.
And his own hands were stained with the crimson liquid!
’To the hospital!’
He didn’t have time to think. He scooped up his sobbing daughter and charged out the door.
He didn’t even have time to put on shoes, his bare feet slapping against the cold floor as he strode out of the room.
He had no idea where his socks went, but he couldn’t have cared less. His mind was consumed by a single destination: the emergency room.
The entire house was jolted awake by the sudden commotion.
A door at the end of the hallway was thrown open with a BANG.
Ding Qin rushed out, a light gray cashmere coat thrown over her shoulders. Her pajama collar was askew and her hair was a mess.
The moment she saw Ling Anxun charging out with a blood-covered Shanshan in his arms, her hands trembled and her voice cracked in alarm.
"What... what’s going on? Who’s hurt? Shanshan?!"
At the same time, Ling Zhenkang also burst out of another room, shouting into his phone as he yelled, "Quick! Get the car ready! We’re leaving now!"
Before the words were even out of his mouth, he was already rushing to the entryway to put on his shoes, grabbing the car keys on his way out the door.
Hearing the noise, Ling Zhiyu also came out of his room. Though bleary-eyed, he didn’t dare hesitate and immediately turned and ran for the garage.
In less than a minute, the car was pulled up to the door, its engine roaring, ready to go.
Once the car was moving and the family had piled in, the old couple finally caught their breath, panting heavily in the back seat.
The two exchanged a look.
Ding Qin’s lips trembled.
"Just... just now... was that Anxun running out with Shanshan?"
Ling Zhenkang frowned and nodded.
"Yeah! Who else could it have been?"
He was about to snap at his wife for stating the obvious when he suddenly realized something. He stiffened, his eyes widening abruptly.
"Wait a minute..." he mumbled. "Isn’t his leg... still in rehabilitation? The doctor said it would be at least another two months before he could walk normally... He can barely even stand steadily!"
Ding Qin gasped, clutching her chest, her voice trembling.
"My god... just now... he... he was running faster than a rabbit, wasn’t he? He practically flew out of there!"
The couple’s hearts were POUNDING. They gripped each other’s hands, unable to say a word.
The dark scenery flew past the car windows.
Ling Anxun sat in the passenger seat, one hand gently patting his mother’s back.
"Don’t overthink it. Let’s wait and see what the doctor says."
But only he knew that in that moment, his leg not only didn’t hurt, but was filled with strength.
The moment the car stopped at the emergency entrance, he bolted out before the door was even closed, rushing inside with Shanshan in his arms.