Chapter 35 — Ranran Has a Fever

After that frightening little episode, Xu Ningning was adamant—she wouldn’t let Lin Xiaowen and Ranran spend another minute in the mall. She didn’t care about anything else, personally taking the wheel to drive them home.

The car moved smoothly along the road, but the driver’s mind was adrift, lost in thought.

“Xiaowen, are you angry with me?” Xu Ningning finally spoke.

Originally, Lin Xiaowen and Ranran sat quietly in the back seat, a silence that revealed heavy hearts—not only Xu Ningning, but all three of them were troubled. Ranran, however, suddenly murmured softly,

“How could I be?” Lin Xiaowen tightened her embrace around Ranran and continued in a gentle voice, “Today was really too dangerous. Both Mommy and Aunt Ning were terrified... In the future, you must never go off on your own, understand?”

Ranran nodded firmly, her little mouth opening again, “I didn’t sneak out on purpose. I saw Brother Yishu!”

“What?” Lin Xiaowen was stunned for a moment, puzzled. “Cheng Yishu?”

“Yes!” Ranran nodded again, her face serious. “I saw Brother Yishu and ran out to find him, but there were so many people. He disappeared and I couldn’t find him…”

“Silly Ranran…” Lin Xiaowen’s heart tightened, unable to speak for a while. When she finally did, her voice was soft and earnest, “No matter what happens, you must never leave Mommy’s sight, okay?”

“I understand!” Ranran lowered her head, a little disappointed, but then quickly looked up, raising her voice, “Why doesn’t Brother Yishu come to see me? I haven’t seen him for so long… Xiaowen, did you and he have a fight and stop being friends?”

Xu Ningning was brought back to reality by the little girl’s words. She smiled, looking at Ranran through the rearview mirror, “What’s this? Ranran, do you really, really like Brother Yishu being friends with Mommy? Why?”

“Because Brother Yishu is handsome and gentle… I want to see him every day!” Ranran beamed, her smile sweet. But in Lin Xiaowen’s eyes, her daughter looked a bit silly.

“He’s a big star and very busy! Where would he find time to visit us every day?” Lin Xiaowen’s words seemed meant for Ranran, but perhaps also for herself.

Lin Xiaowen pouted and stroked her daughter’s hair, feeling a bit deflated herself.

“What’s wrong? You miss him too?” Xu Ningning teased with a laugh.

“You’re crazy. Who would miss him? It’s better if he never comes, best if he never appears again!” Lin Xiaowen shot Xu Ningning a glare, speaking in a muffled voice.

“I knew it! Brother Yishu and Xiaowen must have fallen out,” Ranran sat upright like a little grown-up, sighing.

“Don’t worry, Ranran. Your Brother Yishu is busy with work. People like him are always flying everywhere—it can’t be helped. When he gets back, he’ll come see you first thing.” Xu Ningning continued to comfort Ranran through the rearview mirror, though it wasn’t clear whom the words were really meant for.

“Really?” Ranran immediately perked up, leaning toward Xu Ningning, pressing further, “Aunt Ning, do you know when Brother Yishu will come back to see me? I love the ‘Little Princess’ he gave me… I haven’t thanked him in person yet!”

“‘Little Princess’?” Xu Ningning, hands on the wheel, asked, confused. “What’s this ‘Little Princess’?”

Lin Xiaowen replied with resignation, “It’s that custom-made doll Cheng Yishu brought back from the Forbidden City in Beijing last time.”

“Oh, I know, I’ve heard of those! The Palace Museum makes those dolls in Manchu dress, right?” Xu Ningning suddenly understood. “I hear they’re not cheap. Cheng Yishu’s pretty good, already learning how to bribe our Ranran!”

Xu Ningning’s eyebrows danced with teasing, but Lin Xiaowen didn’t bother responding to her nonsense, while Ranran, curious, asked,

“What does ‘bribe’ mean? Brother Yishu didn’t give me any bribe!”

“Don’t listen to Aunt Ning’s nonsense, that’s not true.”

“Oh!” Ranran nodded, confused, and didn’t ask further. Lin Xiaowen made an angry face in the rearview mirror and added a gesture to signal Xu Ningning to zip it, which made her finally fall silent.

Xu Ningning didn’t go upstairs. Before leaving, she whispered something in Ranran’s ear, and the little one immediately snapped out of her gloomy state with newfound energy. Lin Xiaowen didn’t bother asking what new secret they had—those two had so many secrets, even they probably couldn’t remember them all.

After a simple meal, Lin Xiaowen bathed Ranran, changed her into pajamas, and urged her to sleep early. Ranran insisted she couldn’t sleep and wanted to watch television for a while. Lin Xiaowen could only let her be and went off to attend to her own chores.

When the laundry was done and she returned to the living room, the streetlights outside had been glowing for a long while. The television was still chattering away, but little Ranran was fast asleep on the sofa.

Lin Xiaowen shook her head with resignation. She approached to carry Ranran back to her room, but noticed the child’s cheeks were unusually flushed, her breathing slightly heavier than usual.

She reached out to touch Ranran’s forehead—it was burning hot.

“Ranran… Ranran?” Lin Xiaowen gently patted Ranran’s feverish face, but Ranran only frowned, pushing away her mother’s hand impatiently.

“Ranran… you have a bit of a fever. Let Mommy check your temperature and then take some medicine, okay?” Lin Xiaowen coaxed softly.

“Mama… I don’t want the bitter one…” Ranran half-opened her eyes, her voice as soft as a kitten’s.

“Ranran, be good! Mommy will fetch the thermometer… wait for me just a moment!”

Lin Xiaowen hurried to the bedroom to find the thermometer, not noticing her phone lying silent on the dining table, set to mute at some point. Its screen had flickered on and off for ages, but in the end, remained quietly dark.

Ranran was bundled tightly in a little blanket, but after a moment, Lin Xiaowen thought that wasn’t quite right and gently opened a small gap in it. She turned to fetch the cold remedy she’d prepared and softly called to Ranran, who was half asleep,

“Ranran, sweetheart, wake up and take your medicine before sleeping, okay? After the medicine and some rest, you’ll feel better.”

Ranran’s face remained red as she opened her eyes and murmured, “Mommy, can I just drink more water instead? I don’t want this…”

Her round eyes were wet and pitiful. Lin Xiaowen knew her daughter had grown fearful of medicine—ever since she was little, every flu seemed to find her, and she’d had more than enough of the medicine.

So Lin Xiaowen soothed her patiently, “Ranran, darling, how will you get better without medicine? We’re big kids now, about to start first grade, so we can’t be stubborn, okay?”

Ranran pursed her lips, tears sliding down her cheeks as she sniffled and whimpered, “Then will you hold me while you feed it to me?”

“Of course, Mommy will hold you.” Lin Xiaowen’s heart ached with sorrow, but her face showed only tender affection.

Suddenly, a rapid knocking startled Ranran. Lin Xiaowen quickly put down her cup and patted Ranran gently.

“It’s nothing, maybe the neighbor grandma needs Mommy. I’ll go answer the door, okay?”

Ranran nodded obediently, watching Lin Xiaowen go to the door.

As soon as the door opened, Cheng Yishu burst in without warning, immediately launching into a furious tirade,

“You! Do you ever check your phone? Are you trying to drive me mad?”