After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 17

“Lin Li!”

Wen Jingzhi nearly broke into a sprint as she rushed over, crouching beside Lin Li. Her eyes locked onto the bloodstains, her breath tightening as if gripped by an invisible hand.

Suddenly, she recalled the first time she had seen this child, and Wen Xihe’s careless remark,”This kid looks like she won’t make it through the winter.”

“Let’s go to the hospital,” she said, staring at Lin Li. She wanted to lift her into her arms but hesitated, unsure of the exact nature of the injury or illness and not daring to act recklessly.

“It’s alright, sister.”

Unlike the slightly flustered Wen Jingzhi, the little one who had just coughed up a mouthful of blood sat composedly on the sofa, even managing to squint at her with a leisurely smile.

Blood smeared her lips, face, and hands, dripping from between her fingers onto the carpet. Seeing that covering her mouth was futile, Lin Li gave up, lowering her hand. Her deathly pale face, stained with blood, took on a morbid, almost eerie pallor, as if consumed by terminal illness.

The last time Wen Jingzhi had noticed Lin Li coughing up blood in the kitchen, she had taken comfort in the child’s reassurance that “a good night’s sleep will fix it.” The next day, there had indeed been no worsening symptoms. But this time.

She couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

The thought gave Wen Jingzhi pause. She was startled that such hesitation such fear could arise within her.

“To the hospital,” Wen Jingzhi insisted, rising slightly, her tone leaving no room for argument. “No, I’ll call an ambulance. Don’t move.”

Coughing up blood likely indicated internal injury. Moving her gently might not cause harm, but Wen Jingzhi never gambled. She wasn’t a medical professional and couldn’t assess Lin Li’s condition with certainty, so she refused to bet on the chance that it was “probably fine.”

“Really, I’m fine, sister. I feel much better now.” To prove her point, Lin Li stood up, spreading her arms and spinning in a circle. Wen Jingzhi’s expression turned icy. “Stop moving around.”

She had judged correctly this child was anything but obedient.

Just as Wen Jingzhi pulled out her phone to make the call, footsteps sounded from the staircase. She paused, remembering her elder brother was home. After a moment’s hesitation, she tucked her phone away. Soon, Wen Xize appeared at the top of the stairs, still in his work clothes, dotted with faint blue and purple paint. As he glanced over and noticed the two by the sofa, he was about to greet them when Wen Jingzhi’s cold, sharp voice cut through the air. “Elder Brother, Lin Li is coughing up blood.”

“What?” Wen Xize froze, his gaze shifting past Wen Jingzhi to take in the blood on Lin Li’s face and hands. His face paled as he hurried over. “Xiao You, where does it hurt?”

Lin Li remained her usual soft-spoken self, using her sleeve to wipe the blood from her lips as she smiled. “It doesn’t hurt. I just coughed a little.”

Wen Xize seemed on the verge of saying something but held back, eventually nodding. He took her bloodied hand and said, “Let me take you to wash up.”

Wen Jingzhi stepped forward, blocking his path. A chill emanated from her, pressing unintentionally toward him. “What’s really going on?”

She had long suspected that her elder brother and grandfather were hiding something about Lin Li’s health. Whenever she asked, they evaded the topic with vague, guarded responses.

Now, faced with this situation, she felt even more certain her suspicions were correct.

Sensing the frosty anger in her tone, Wen Xize stiffened. He glanced at the blood on Lin Li’s face, briefly closing his eyes as if pained. “It’s nothing, little sister. Please don’t ask.”

He couldn’t say.

Wen Jingzhi watched him in silence for a long moment before finally relenting and stepping aside.

She understood her eldest brother, if he could speak of it, he wouldn’t keep it from her like this.

Wen Xize immediately took Lin Li by the hand and walked past. As they passed Wen Jingzhi, Lin Li extended her clean hand and soothingly grasped Wen Jingzhi’s cold fingers, which hung limply at her side.

Only after Wen Xize had led Lin Li to the washroom did Wen Jingzhi, standing by the sofa, seem to snap out of her daze. She curled the fingers that the child had softly held, took a light breath, and turned to go upstairs.

“Brother, I’m done.” Lin Li emerged from the washroom with clean hands and face. Wen Xize, waiting by the door, studied her expression for a moment and hesitated before asking, “Are you really feeling okay, Xiao You?”

Having been asked this question multiple times, Lin Li showed no impatience. She understood they were worried about her and replied gently each time, “I’m fine, brother. Don’t worry.”

But Wen Xize couldn’t set his mind at ease.

During a previous check-up, Dr. Su had mentioned that Xiao You’s condition was steadily worsening, and occasional coughing or coughing up blood were normal symptoms.

Back then, he had asked, “What would be considered abnormal?” Dr. Su had replied with just two words: “Fainting.”

If Xiao You fainted after coughing up blood, she needed to be taken to the hospital immediately.

Yet, who wouldn’t panic upon seeing such a frail child coughing up blood? Even Wen Xize, who knew the details, couldn’t hide his unease, let alone Wen Jingzhi, who was completely in the dark.

After all, in the hearts of the siblings, ever since Grandpa Wen had introduced Lin Li to the family, she had become wholly and completely a part of the Wen family.

She was the “little sister” they had unexpectedly gained.

Even someone as reserved as Wen Jingzhi wouldn’t remain indifferent to family.

Wen Xize sighed deeply, his emotions complex, and led Lin Li to the sofa. Originally, he had come downstairs to grab a bite before returning to his painting, but now he had lost the appetite. Instead, he sat beside Lin Li, pulled a sketchbook from the drawer under the coffee table, and began teaching her how to draw.

At dinner, Wen Xihe didn’t return home, staying late at the office. Wen Jingzhi came down a bit later, her expression as cool and detached as usual, but Wen Xize secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed his younger sister wasn’t angry with him anymore.

After starting formal schooling, Grandpa Wen no longer hired a tutor for Lin Li, so she had more free time during holidays. However, she never went out to play with friends, seldom took the initiative to study at home, and rarely read extracurricular books. She preferred lying on the lawn to sunbathe or sitting by the window on the sofa, lost in thought.

A rather peculiar child.

Wen Jingzhi’s heat cycle ended after three days, as usual. Apart from the first day when Lin Li insisted on sleeping close to her, the following days Lin Li was quite “well-behaved.”

She no longer clung to others and showed little enthusiasm for anything.

In contrast, Wen Jingzhi had been paying more attention to Lin Li lately, spending time with her whenever possible. However, neither of them was particularly talkative, so they often stayed together quietly, each doing their own thing Lin Li lost in thought, Wen Jingzhi reading. Though it was perhaps too quiet, it still felt warm and cozy.

The school day arrived quickly. Coincidentally, Wen Jingzhi had some free time during this period, so the family coordinated their schedules and accompanied Lin Li to school early in the morning.

With the child off to school, Wen Jingzhi didn’t have much time to spend with her and set aside her observations, instead picking up a few scripts sent by directors to review.

If she found one she liked, she could join the crew soon.

A few uneventful days passed, and September arrived.

None of the scripts sent over had caught Wen Jingzhi’s interest, so she continued resting at the old family residence. Wen Xize was busy preparing for his art exhibition, working day and night with his schedule completely reversed. Wen Xihe, on the other hand, had been occupied with something lately, frequently working overtime and staying at her apartment near the company for a full week.

Those who used to be home often were now nowhere to be seen, while Wen Jingzhi, who was usually absent, had become a permanent resident of the old house.

By mid-September, another day had arrived for taking Lin Li to the hospital for a check-up. Coincidentally, it fell on a weekend, and Wen Jingzhi happened to have no schedule that day unlike the last check-up at the end of August, when she had been away for an event.

Wen Xize planned to take Lin Li to the hospital after lunch but had yet to bring it up. At the dining table, he glanced hesitantly at his younger sister several times.

With Wen Xihe and their grandfather not home, and considering Wen Jingzhi had been upset with him before for hiding the truth, he was worried she might find an excuse to tag along this time, especially since she had missed the last check-up.

After finishing the meal and taking his medicine, Wen Xize picked up Lin Li and prepared to leave. Just then, Wen Jingzhi walked over, and he froze instantly, his mind racing to figure out how to refuse her request to join without making her angry.

Wen Jingzhi glanced at her visibly tense older brother and immediately guessed what he was thinking. She replied coolly, “I’m not going.”

Since both her brother and grandfather were tight-lipped about Lin Li’s health, it was clear the matter was either complicated or had reasons that couldn’t be disclosed. Even if she went along, she wouldn’t get any answers, so there was no need to make things difficult for her brother.

Wen Xize breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. “Alright. I’ll take Xiao You out now.” He took a step forward but hesitated, as if wrestling with something. A few seconds later, he turned back to Wen Jingzhi and said, “If anything happens to Xiao You, I’ll let you know. You don’t need to worry too much.”

Hearing Wen Xize’s words, Lin Li, perched on his shoulder, gave Wen Jingzhi a soft, gentle smile. “Sister, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

Wen Jingzhi’s cold eyes swept over that pale, smiling face. She responded with a faint “Hmm,” then walked past them and went upstairs.

By three in the afternoon, Wen Xize had returned home with Lin Li after the check-up. The results showed no significant changes.

No change meant one thing Lin Li’s condition was still steadily worsening.

Wen Xize felt heavy-hearted but didn’t dare show it, afraid Wen Jingzhi would notice. He retreated to his studio to process his emotions alone.

The weekend passed, and on Monday evening, Wen Xihe, who had been busy for a long time, finally returned home just in time for dinner.

She took off her suit jacket and casually draped it over the back of the sofa before sitting down next to Lin Li. She hugged Lin Li, inhaling deeply as if savoring the scent of a cat, then straightened up and complained, “I’m exhausted.”

Wen Chende glanced at her, picked up some food with his chopsticks, and placed it in her bowl without asking any questions.

Lin Li, with her gentle temperament, didn’t even frown after having her cheeks pinched several times and remained smiling. Wen Jingzhi, however, couldn’t stand it any longer and pushed Wen Xihe’s face away. “Eat.”

“Alright!” Wen Xihe drawled, releasing Lin Li and picking up her bowl and chopsticks to eat.

After the meal, Wen Xihe carried Lin Li to the sofa. Wen Jingzhi had originally planned to return to her room to read, but upon seeing the two of them, she changed direction and joined them, sitting to the left of Lin Li.

“Has our youngest sister missed her big sister?” Wen Xihe teased with a laugh. “You didn’t go back to your room.”

Wen Jingzhi remained expressionless, shooting her a sidelong glance before asking, “What have you been busy with?”

“The Chen family matter.” Wen Xihe leaned back against the sofa and let out a weary sigh. “Lin Ye’s engagement was successfully called off, and we were already moving against the Chen family, but then something strange happened.”

“The Chen family shouldn’t have any backing from upper-class circles, yet they’ve turned out to be unexpectedly tough to deal with.”

“Some unknown force has been obstructing Lin Ye and me from acquiring their shares.”

Wen Jingzhi frowned slightly. “Even with the two of you working together, you couldn’t find out who it is?”

“Exactly.” The thought of it irritated Wen Xihe. “Not only could we not find out, but Lin Ye and I also lost several overseas projects. Those were all finalized just waiting for the contracts to be signed. Though they were small projects, it’s still frustrating.”

“It feels like a warning.”

“I’ve been running the company for so long, and I’ve never encountered such a tough opponent.”

Wen Jingzhi wasn’t heavily involved in the company’s affairs and didn’t understand the specifics, so she couldn’t offer much advice. She only reminded Wen Xihe, “Don’t dig too deep.”

“Don’t worry.” Wen Xihe understood the implication. “We’ve already gained enough from acquiring the Lin family’s shares in this collaboration. The Chen family doesn’t have much to offer anyway. If we really can’t get it, then so be it. I’ll be careful.”

“Mm.”

“Our youngest is so concerned about her sister, huh? Come here, give me a hug!” Once the serious discussion was over, Wen Xihe reverted to her playful self, stretching her arms out to hug Wen Jingzhi across Lin Li, only to be pushed away by a hand on her shoulder.

Wen Jingzhi withdrew her hand and stood up, intending to return to her room. Just then, Lin Li, who had been quiet all along, suddenly spoke up, “The school is holding a parent-child sports day tomorrow. The teacher said at least one, parent needs to attend.”

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