After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 22

Wen Jingzhi looked up in surprise, a flicker of regret passing through her eyes.

She always seemed to lose her composure around the child.

Her curiosity about Lin Li was too intense.

She needed to rein it in.

Suppressing her emotions, Wen Jingzhi responded with a calm “Mm,” not pressing further. Lin Li breathed a quiet sigh of relief and carried the puppy out to the lawn.

The following days were uneventful. Lin Li once again donned that gentle, soft mask, while Wen Jingzhi consciously restrained her urge to observe and probe, focusing only on the other’s physical well-being.

When Wen Xihe and Wen Xize returned home and learned about Xiao Xi’s presence, they offered no objections.

In their eyes, the puppy was simply a new playmate for the child at home. Since the child liked it, there was no reason to interfere.

By the end of September, the public discourse surrounding Lin Ye had been somewhat contained, though Chen Qing showed signs of “rekindling.”

Lin Ye and Wen Xihe joined forces to intensify and accelerate their efforts to dismantle the Chen family, but the results fell short of their expectations, leaving them dissatisfied.

At the end of the month, Lin Li’s check-up was accompanied by Old Master Wen. The results held no surprises they were as usual.

Only the medication dosage had increased, along with more frequent coughing and a higher incidence of coughing up blood.

As the calendar turned to October 1st, Wen Jingzhi received a call from a director she was on good terms with, asking her to step in and save the day.

An actor playing a major supporting role second only to the lead had met with an accident and could no longer participate. With the production schedule at risk of significant delays, the director had no choice but to reach out, knowing Wen Jingzhi wasn’t currently filming.

After briefly reviewing the script, Wen Jingzhi agreed to the director’s request, the role was one she hadn’t played before, and it piqued her interest.

That afternoon, she packed her bags and took the earliest flight to the set. Contracts and other arrangements were handled by her agent, to be signed on location.

The crew had already been filming for a month. The original actor for the role had injured their leg while attending an external event, an unforeseen circumstance. The sooner Wen Jingzhi arrived, the better, not only to catch up on progress but also to familiarize herself with the script and the team.

With Wen Jingzhi gone, the old residence felt even emptier.

Wen Xihe was busy dealing with the Chen family and handling a pile of other company matters, rarely finding time to return home. Wen Xize, with his year-end art exhibition approaching, was occupied selecting venues, overseeing renovations, choosing artworks, and creating new pieces. His schedule was erratic early mornings and late nights, his days and nights reversed making him appear even busier than Wen Xihe.

For a time, the old residence housed only Old Master Wen and Lin Li or rather, them and Xiao Xi.

The house had previously been quite lively, and the sudden quiet felt unfamiliar to Lin Li. Old Master Wen, however, long accustomed to such fluctuations, remained unfazed as always.

Perhaps because she always felt Xiao Xi belonged to Wen Jingzhi, Lin Li shifted from her previous habit of passively replying to messages. Now, every few days, she proactively sent her sister photos of the puppy though she never mentioned anything about herself.

Receiving the messages, Wen Jingzhi felt both warmed and exasperated by the other’s focus solely on the dog.

Time flew by in the midst of busyness. The calendar pages turned swiftly, bringing them to December.

Snow had begun falling in the capital last month, and now the roads were blanketed in white, the manor draped in silver.

It was Lin Li’s favorite season.

Over the past few months, Xiao Xi had grown considerably. His back now reached Lin Li’s thigh and was almost up to her waist. His fur was soft and sleek, with a silver-gray hue that made him look both handsome and imposing. His dark, bright eyes were full of spirit, and as he stood beside his frail young mistress, he already carried the demeanor of a guard dog.

Whenever Lin Li had time, she would train Xiao Xi. The dog was clever and learned quickly, already understanding some simple commands. Moreover, his perception was as sharp as his sense of smell, he could detect his young mistress’s physical weakness. Every time he went out for a walk with Lin Li, he obediently followed by her side, never pulling on the leash or running off.

During this period, both Wen Xize and Wen Xihe had returned to the old house a few times. They were pleasantly surprised by Xiao Xi’s intelligence and good behavior and casually praised him a few times.

Wen Xize’s art exhibition opened successfully and ran for a month, during which he was once again absent from the old house.

As the month drew to a close, Wen Xihe finally found time to return to the old house for a few days. In contrast, Wen Jingzhi had been conspicuously absent during this period.

By the end of November, the drama she had stepped in to save had wrapped up. During filming, she had even needed her assistant to fetch clothes from the old house after the weather turned cold and she hadn’t brought enough.

Immediately after, she joined Director Han’s crew to reshoot some scenes for the previous film. Despite rushing through the schedule, by the end of December, a few scenes still remained unfinished. It seemed unlikely she would make it back in time for Lin Li’s birthday.

The thought of this deepened her resentment toward Chen Qing.

If only she had agreed back when Wen Xihe suggested replacing her.

The day before Lin Li’s birthday.

It was a Friday. After school, Lin Li took Xiao Xi for a walk on the lawn before returning home for dinner.

Wen Xihe came downstairs just as dinner was being served. Xiao Xi was lying at the foot of the staircase, and she casually ruffled his head as she passed. After washing her hands, she sat down beside Lin Li and glanced at the two empty seats at the table. With a meaningful smile, she remarked, “Big Brother is busy with his exhibition, and Little Sister is busy filming.”

“Big Brother is fine, he’ll be back tomorrow. But our Little Sister is pitiful,” Wen Xihe pinched Lin Li’s cheek and said gleefully, “She’s going to miss our Xiao You’s birthday again.”

“She’ll probably hide under the covers and cry secretly.”

Wen Chende gave her an amused look.

So the second-born still hadn’t given up.

The year Wen Jingzhi was born, her eldest brother Wen Xize was already five, and her second sibling Wen Xihe was three. At age three, both had been tested and identified as Alphas. From then on, they had longed for an Omega sister.

When Wen Jingzhi was born and confirmed to be a girl, the two children were overjoyed. They would visit their little sister whenever they had time. At age three, Wen Jingzhi was confirmed to be an Omega. By then, Wen Xize had become more aware of gender differences and no longer clung to his little sister as much. But Wen Xihe didn’t mind and instead became even more diligent in teasing Wen Jingzhi.

However, Wen Jingzhi had always been quiet, rarely even crying. After turning three, she displayed intelligence and composure far beyond her older siblings. Wen Xihe spent years trying to provoke a reaction, but to no avail, the more she tried, the more her little sister seemed like an ice block. Wen Xihe had even cried in frustration several times in private.

Perhaps out of lingering resentment or regret, she never missed a chance to tease Wen Jingzhi. Even if there was no reaction, she didn’t care. She persisted in painting her sister as someone who “would be sad if she couldn’t see her sister,” “would ask for hugs when she missed her,” and “would cry under the covers if she couldn’t celebrate a family member’s birthday.” Over the years, Wen Jingzhi had shot her countless icy glares, but Wen Xihe never tired of it.

Everyone in the family knew better than to take her words seriously, as the likelihood of the youngest Wen hiding under the covers and crying was even lower than Wen Xihe giving up on teasing Wen Jingzhi.

However, the family’s newest member, Lin Li, was unaware of this. After hearing those words, she genuinely believed her sister would be upset about missing her birthday.

This left the little girl feeling somewhat at a loss.

After all, if anyone in this family held a special place in Lin Li’s heart, it was undoubtedly Wen Jingzhi, who had introduced her to the feeling of “freedom.”

Not to mention, Wen Jingzhi had also adopted Xiao Xi for her.

Though she never voiced it, Lin Li had her own reasons for keeping quiet, but deep down, she understood clearly.

Whether emotionally or out of gratitude, Lin Li couldn’t bring herself to casually brush off Wen Jingzhi.

Even with the other members of the Wen family, Lin Li would offer a few words of concern whenever she noticed they were visibly upset or unwell. Regardless of how sincere she was, at the very least, she knew she ought to be kind to them.

No matter how mature a child may seem, they always retain a certain innocence when it comes to emotions good is good, bad is bad.

If you treat me well, I’ll do my best to treat you well in return.

That was their logic.

This matter weighed so heavily on Lin Li’s mind that she couldn’t even focus on her meal. After taking her medicine, she sat on the sofa, absentmindedly playing ball with Xiao Xi all she had to do was gently toss the ball, which required little effort.

Wen Xihe came downstairs after her bath and noticed the little girl lost in thought. Curious, she sat beside her and asked, “What’s on your mind, Xiao You?”

Lin Li snapped out of her reverie, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Wen Xihe. She immediately leaned in to hug her, showering her with affection for a while. Only after Wen Xihe was clearly in a better mood did Lin Li whisper her thoughts into her ear.

Wen Xihe, after hearing the child’s idea: …

Feeling jealous, but saying nothing.

January 1st, Lin Li’s birthday, 2:00 PM.

At the film studio in City A, on the set of Director Han’s production, Wen Jingzhi had just finished a scene and was sitting in her chair, reviewing the remaining parts of the script.

That morning, she had sent birthday wishes to the little girl, the Wen family didn’t have a tradition of staying up until midnight for birthdays but the child hadn’t replied yet. Perhaps she had forgotten her phone again.

Wen Jingzhi calculated the time in her head. A couple of days earlier, she had taken three days off due to her heat cycle. According to the original schedule, she wouldn’t wrap up filming until tomorrow. However, she didn’t have many scenes left, and since they were shooting in the studio, there was no need to wait for location setups. If her remaining scenes were moved up and the young actress replacing Chen Qing could minimize her retakes, Wen Jingzhi might be able to make it home before midnight.

During the previous birthday, Wen Jingzhi hadn’t paid much attention to Lin Li, so missing it hadn’t stirred any emotions in her. But now, things were different.

Although the child often wore a mask of smiles, the hugs and companionship during her heat cycle, along with the subtle, gentle care she showed in daily life, had warmed Wen Jingzhi’s heart. Coupled with her growing curiosity about the child, it was hard for her to remain indifferent.

Her grandfather had once told her and her siblings that January 1st wasn’t Lin Li’s actual birthday, it was the day the elderly woman had found Lin Li in the snow, and it had since been designated as her new birthday.

Lin Li must have cherished that grandmother deeply and likely accepted and valued the birthday date she had chosen.

Missing such an important day for the child would inevitably leave Wen Jingzhi with a sense of regret.

With that thought, she made up her mind. She asked her assistant to book a flight for 10:00 PM that evening and stood up to find Director Han.

“Director Han.”

“Jingzhi?” Director Han exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the newcomer. “Is there a problem somewhere? With the script or the set?”

Wen Jingzhi was renowned for her exceptional acting intuition and possessed unique insights into filming. Every director she had worked with praised her extensively, often seeking her opinions on scene arrangements and positioning during subsequent collaborations.

“It’s not about the shoot just a personal matter.” Wen Jingzhi rarely interfered with the crew’s affairs and almost never adjusted filming schedules for private reasons. For a moment, she found it difficult to voice her request.

“Personal matter?” Director Han grew even more astonished. “We’ve worked together three times now, but this is the first time you’ve come to me about something personal.”

“What is it? As long as it’s not unreasonable, I can agree.”

Wen Jingzhi pressed her fingers to her temples and began, “The scenes I have left are…”

“Hey? Whose puppy is this?”

“Who let it in? Get it out quickly! What if it damages the equipment?”

“Shoo! Shoo!”

Wen Jingzhi’s words halted as she turned to look. Her gaze caught on the now noticeably larger grayish-white puppy, and her eyes trembled with unconcealed surprise. Hesitantly, she called out, “Xiao Xi?”

“Woof!”

The well-behaved puppy, who had only been dodging the crowd’s attempts to shoo it away, immediately recognized its name and spotted its long-absent primary owner. It dashed toward Wen Jingzhi, wagging its tail joyfully.

Wen Jingzhi watched the approaching puppy and raised an eyebrow.

It really was Xiao Xi.

How did it end up in City A, and at the film set no less?

Who brought it here?

Wen Xihe?

“Is this Teacher Wen’s dog?” the equipment technician who had been trying to chase the puppy away asked in surprise. “I’ve never seen you bring it to the set before.”

“Sorry, Teacher Wen. I didn’t know it was your dog.”

Wen Jingzhi waved it off dismissively, bending down to rub the head of the puppy now sitting obediently by her leg. A faint, inexplicable anticipation stirred within her.

Wen Xihe wouldn’t leave home to visit her on set on Lin Li’s birthday and even if she did, she wouldn’t bring Xiao Xi along.

So,

Could it be that the one who brought Xiao Xi was its little owner?

“Teacher Wen, you have a visitor!”

“Sis!”

The voice of the production assistant overlapped with the soft, childish call.

Wen Jingzhi looked up, a ripple of emotion stirring in her cool eyes.

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