After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 30

The remote village lay beneath snow-capped mountains, with sparse households separated by vast expanses of white snow.

On that snowy ground, a small figure pinned down a grown man, gripping a wooden stick with a fierceness in her eyes that seemed unnatural for a five or six-year-old girl.

A man nearby tried to intervene and pull the girl away but couldn’t find an opening. The stick whistled through the air as it swung, and the man beneath her, attempting to push her off, had to focus on blocking the blows.

“This kid’s gone mad! Go get her grandma, quick!”

The man, struck squarely on the forehead by the stick, felt dizzy and shouted. The other man immediately sprinted toward the village.

The pinned man touched his forehead and found it bleeding. Enraged, he shielded his head with his arm, shoved the girl away, and tried to wrest the stick from her grasp. But the girl held on too tightly and didn’t stop swinging, forcing him to defend himself while fighting back.

Soon, the two were wrestling fiercely in the snow.

The girl, still young, quickly exhausted her strength. The man picked up the stick that had fallen into the snow, his eyes red with fury. “Damn it! So what if I ate it? It’s just a damn animal they should’ve tied it up properly!”

“Fck you! You bstard! I’ll kill you!” The girl’s hair was disheveled, her face bruised purple and blue. Pinned in the snow, her eyes blazed with undisguised ferocity.

“I’ll kill you first!” The man raised the stick and swung it down toward the girl’s head.

Suddenly, a brown-lacquered cane intervened, blocking the wooden stick. With an upward flick, it deflected the blow, then swung down onto the man’s arm. As he cried out in pain, the cane whistled through the air again, striking his shoulder and jabbing his abdomen.

Blow after blow rained down, sending the man rolling and howling in the snow.

The man who had gone to fetch help came panting back. “Stop! Grandma Linli, stop! You’ll kill him!”

The grandmother, holding the cane, paused and turned sideways, raising the cane to point at the man, pressing its tip against his throat. “Did you eat it too?”

Lying in the snow, the girl exhaled a white breath, her eyes reddening as she gazed at the cane-wielding figure. Yet her eyes shone with joy.

Grandma was here!

Her vision blurred. In the child’s eyes, the grandmother’s towering figure gradually faded, transforming into a tall, slender silhouette.

The cane turned into a black long umbrella, the snowy scene drenched by a downpour.

Sister?

“Hey, did Xiao You just say something?”

In the single-patient room, a frail figure lay on the hospital bed, eyes tightly shut. Wen Xihe, dressed in a red dress, stood by the bed and glanced at Wen Jingzhi leaning against the door, insisting confidently, “I really heard it.”

“She called out ‘sister’, definitely calling for me!”

Wen Jingzhi shot her a look, straightened slightly, and said coolly, “The doctor said she won’t wake up until this afternoon.”

“Tch, I really heard it,” Wen Xihe sighed helplessly. “Could I be hallucinating after just one sleepless night?”

Yesterday, after Linli was brought to the hospital, she underwent examinations and emergency treatment. Her condition was stabilized, and aside from a fever from being caught in the heavy rain, there were no serious issues.

But the child was weak and somewhat exhausted, so she would remain unconscious for a while.

Last night, Wen Xihe and Wen Xize rushed to the hospital upon receiving the news. Wen Xihe and Wen Jingzhi kept watch during the first half of the night, while Wen Xize took over for the second half. Old Master Wen also wanted to stay, but the three siblings refused his offer.

It was now past seven in the morning on the second day. Wen Xize had returned to rest at six o’clock, replaced by his two younger sisters.

After lunch, Wen Xihe had some company matters to attend to and went downstairs to take a call. Wen Jingzhi sat on the stool beside the bed, her gaze drifting aimlessly.

Her thoughts had never been so chaotic.

One moment, she saw the fragile image of the child coughing up blood; the next, she recalled the desperate yet fierce eyes in the pouring rain. The shockingly violent, pale little face was hard to reconcile with the gentle, smiling expression she usually wore.

Was this the child’s “true” self?

“You’re awake, why aren’t you opening your eyes?” The eyelids had clearly fluttered several times.

Pretending to be asleep?

After a long while, the closed eyes finally opened slowly. The dark pupils were deep and devoid of any emotion.

There was no gentleness, nor any trace of ferocity.

When her gaze landed on Wen Jingzhi, her eyes trembled noticeably. “Sister?”

“Mm.” Wen Jingzhi pressed the call button, stood up, and helped the child sit up, leaning against the bed. “Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Not at all.” Though her body had been aching and uncomfortable all along.

As Wen Jingzhi moved to withdraw her hand, the child wrapped her arms around her neck, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

“Thank you, Sister! You’re so amazing!”

Just as amazing as Grandma!

The eyes that had once been fierce and desperate were now filled with trust and admiration, glowing with an unprecedented light and genuine closeness.

Wen Jingzhi lowered her gaze slightly, remained silent for a moment, then gently withdrew her hand and softly ruffled the child’s hair. “Didn’t you promise Sister that you’d tell me where you’re going?”

“I did! I told Uncle Driver.” As Lin Li spoke, memories of the storm flashed through her mind. Her smile stiffened, and she cautiously glanced at her sister, testing the waters. “Sister, when did you find me?”

Testing whether I heard those curse words?

Wen Jingzhi straightened up, raised an eyebrow, and said nothing.

Lin Li bit her lip. Did Sister hear and see everything?

Would she think I’m not well-behaved and send me away?

Would I have to go live at the research institute?

Wen Jingzhi could guess what she was thinking just by her expression.

What kind of impression had the Wen family left on this child, that the first thing she thought of in a crisis was being “kicked out”?

“Don’t overthink it.” Wen Jingzhi sighed inwardly and ruffled her hair again. “But you have to be obedient.”

If you’re not feeling well, don’t run off all the time.

“Mm!” Lin Li grabbed Wen Jingzhi’s retreating hand and nodded emphatically, promising, “I’ll be obedient!”

I’ll listen to my super, amazing sister!

Seeing the child’s eyes filled with affection and trust, Wen Jingzhi’s heart softened, and she curled her lips into a smile. “You’ll be obedient from now on?”

“Mm!”

“You’ll be good from now on?”

“Mm, mm!” I’ll be good for the rest of my time!

“Heh.” Wen Jingzhi let out a soft chuckle, unable to resist ruffling the child’s incredibly soft hair once more.

The door opened after a light knock Dr. Su had arrived.

After a brief examination, she nodded to Wen Jingzhi. “She can be discharged.”

“Oh, Xiao Li is awake!” Wen Xihe, who had just reached the doorway, spotted the child sitting up against the headboard. She walked over with a smile and gently pinched the child’s cheek, clicking her tongue. “You’ve lost weight again. It was so hard to put a little meat on you.”

The complete closeness she had felt when facing Wen Jingzhi faded by more than half. Lin Li narrowed her eyes and called out softly, “Sister Xihe.”

The two sisters saw Dr. Su out, but there were many details Dr. Su couldn’t share with them. She only handed them a chart listing nutritious foods that Lin Li could eat.

After discussing some daily precautions, Dr. Su left.

Not long after, Wen Xize and Old Master Wen, having received the news, rushed to the hospital. After completing the discharge procedures, the whole family took the little one to a nearby restaurant for a hearty lunch.

Upon returning to the old mansion, Xiao Xi, who was being walked by the butler, spotted her little master right away. She whimpered and urged the butler to hurry over, nearly dragging him along in her excitement.

When she reached her little master, Xiao Xi immediately sat down, wagging her tail and panting with her tongue out.

“Xiao Xi!” Lin Li was also delighted to see the dog. She patted its head, took the leash from the butler, and then, remembering something, turned to ask Wen Jingzhi, “Sister, where’s my backpack?”

“In your room,” Wen Jingzhi walked over to her side, glanced coldly at Xiao Xi, who was rubbing against the little one, and said indifferently, “Xiao Xi’s felt toy is on your desk.”

That was exactly what Lin Li was concerned about. She narrowed her eyes and smiled brightly. “Thank you, Sister!”

Once home, Lin Li took Xiao Xi straight to her room. Seeing the blue-gray felt toy hanging from her phone case on the desk, she felt completely at ease.

After tidying up the textbooks that had been airing on the windowsill, she took Xiao Xi back downstairs.

Her sister wasn’t in the living room only Sister Xihe was there. Lin Li led Xiao Xi over and sat down beside Wen Xihe. Remembering something, she leaned in close and asked curiously, “Sister Xihe, are you really amazing too?”

“What?” Wen Xihe was in the middle of sending a message and didn’t quite understand what the little one was asking. “Your sister is amazing in lots of ways. Which one are you talking about, Xiao You?”

“I mean, like fighting.” No, that didn’t sound right. Lin Li thought for a moment. “I mean, like Sister Jingzhi, who can chase bad guys away in just a few moves!”

Oh, that.

Wen Xihe coughed awkwardly. “I’m not amazing at that.”

Back when they were learning martial arts, both her older brother and she had given up.

Old Master Wen didn’t force them. If they were willing to learn, he would teach; if not, he let it be. Back then, Wen Xize and his sister had only lasted a few days before running off, unable to take it. Only Wen Jingzhi had persisted.

And so, the situation had become a bit awkward, the two Alphas in the Wen family didn’t know martial arts, while the only Omega in the house did.

Lin Li’s eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled. “It’s okay, Sister Xihe, you’re amazing too!”

Being comforted by the little one.

Wen Xihe chuckled and pinched the child’s thin cheek. “Your sister doesn’t need comforting.”

She didn’t care about that anyway.

For generations, the Wen family had been military personnel, including her parents. Logically, the upbringing should have been strict, but Old Master Wen didn’t believe in “controlling” the younger generation. He practiced an independent, free-range style of education.

Do whatever you want, as long as you don’t break the law or commit crimes, and as long as you can bear the consequences yourself, he wouldn’t say a word.

Fortunately, the family tradition was strong, and none of the three Wen siblings had gone astray. Each shone brilliantly in the fields they loved and excelled in.

In the Wen family, there was never any dispute over inheritance rights between Alphas and Omegas. Whoever was willing to take over the company could do so, regardless of whether they were an Alpha, Omega, or Beta it made no difference to the Wens.

However, compared to other wealthy families, the Wen family stood out as rather unconventional.

In a military family, the Alpha heir neither honed his combat skills nor enlisted in the military. Instead, the eldest son pursued art. In an affluent household, the Omega heir did not seek an arranged marriage but spent over a decade learning martial arts from the family patriarch, only to later step into the entertainment industry and become a public figure.

It was all far too “peculiar.”

But the Wen family never paid it any mind, especially the three siblings. In their view, if one wanted to do something, they should simply do it. There was no need to cling to rigid traditions or heed gender biases.

They had the backing of their family, and their path in life was smoother than that of many others. Yet, they were neither arrogant about it nor plagued by self-doubt. They shared an unspoken understanding everything they had came not only from their upbringing but also from their innate talents and hard work.

They took pride in their family, and they took pride in themselves.

The day after Lin Li was discharged from the hospital, Dr. Su arrived at the Wen family’s ancestral home with his team to inquire about Lin Li’s specific situation, including the identities of the man in black and Wu Tang. Lin Li did not recognize the man in black and only recounted what he had witnessed.

After questioning Lin Li, Su Yue’s team went to speak with Wen Jingzhi to gather more details. Once they had the information they needed, they left.

For nearly a week after that day, Wen Xize personally droves Lin Li to and from school. It was only after Su Yue notified them that the immediate danger had passed that they resumed having the chauffeur handle the pick-up and drop-off, though two bodyguards were now assigned to accompany them.

During this time, Wen Jingzhi noticed that the child had grown noticeably closer to her, and his smiles seemed more genuine. Pleased with this development, she took advantage of a free weekend in October and, along with Wen Xihe, brought the child back to the amusement park for another visit.

By November, the child’s complexion had improved significantly, and under the family’s attentive care, he had even gained a little weight. Feeling somewhat reassured, Wen Jingzhi accepted the script Director Han had sent her two months prior and joined the film crew.

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