After the Sickly Child Differentiates into A - Chapter 9

Without even looking up, Wen Jingzhi could guess what the two were talking about. With an impassive face, she scooped up a small bite of the pancake skin and cream from the mille crepe and fed it to Lin Li.

Wen Xihe watched with clicking tongue, impressive, truly impressive.

After swallowing the cream, Lin Li suddenly pushed Wen Jingzhi’s hand away and bent over. Before Wen Xihe could react, Wen Jingzhi had already cupped her palm beneath Lin Li’s mouth, catching the sticky cream as it was spat out.

“Cough, cough!” Lin Li wanted to apologize, but the moment she opened her mouth, she coughed violently. The taste of the cream made her extremely uncomfortable.

“Xiao Li!” Wen Xihe immediately stood up and rushed over, crouching in front of Lin Li and cupping her face to inspect her from all angles. “Are you okay?”

Wen Jingzhi frowned slightly, her left hand gently patting Lin Li’s back while her right hand rested on the table, palm filled with a puddle of cream. Wen Xihe glanced up, eyes widening, and quickly grabbed a few wet wipes to clean Wen Jingzhi’s hand.

Wen Jingzhi had intended to wipe it herself, but with her left hand occupied, she didn’t refuse.

As she wiped, Wen Xihe marveled inwardly damn, Xiao Li, you’re something else. The germaphobe actually went out of her way to catch vomit? Good lord, in the past, this would’ve been an unthinkable fantasy.

Once cleaned, she stole a glance at Wen Jingzhi, wondering if the woman was just suppressing her anger. Would she ignore Xiao Li after going back?

“What are you thinking?” Wen Jingzhi furrowed her brows, withdrawing her hand to pick Lin Li up and turn her around. Seeing that her complexion had returned to normal, she asked, “Still feel like throwing up?”

Lin Li rubbed her stomach no more discomfort. She shook her head. “No. Sorry, Jiejie.”

“No need to apologize.” Wen Jingzhi pushed the offending mille crepe away and pulled the mousse cake closer. “Still want to try this?”

“Xiao Li only has eyes for Jingzhi-jiejie and doesn’t care about me at all.” Wen Xihe pouted, clutching Lin Li’s small hand. The little girl giggled softly, turning to wrap her arms around Wen Xihe’s neck and pressing her cheek against hers. “I like Xihe-jiejie too.”

Wen Xihe’s heart melted. She hugged Lin Li tightly and planted two loud kisses on her cheeks, leaving two bright red lipstick marks on her pale face. Wen Jingzhi’s gaze locked onto those marks, her expression darkening as the air around her turned icy. “Wen Xihe!”

As expected, unreliable. Good thing she had come along.

The lipstick had a fruity scent, which Lin Li didn’t dislike, but the sticky feeling on her face was uncomfortable. She turned to look at Wen Jingzhi, who shot a glare at Wen Xihe before grabbing a wet wipe to gently clean Lin Li’s face.

Wen Xihe realized she had acted impulsively and messed up. Thankfully, Lin Li wasn’t allergic to lipstick. She gave an awkward laugh and retreated to her seat, the previously peacock-proud woman now thoroughly deflated.

Lin Ye chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Seems like you should avoid provoking your little sister.”

“At work, you’re decisive and sharp, scheming eight hundred plots a second. But around family, your IQ drops back to a ten-year-old’s.”

My IQ is just fine!

Wen Xihe rolled her eyes and shoveled a large spoonful of cake into her mouth, chewing viciously as if it were Wen Jingzhi and Lin Ye.

Once the lipstick was wiped off, Wen Jingzhi fed Lin Li a few bites of the mousse cake. After three small mouthfuls, the little girl shook her head, signaling she was done. Only then did Wen Jingzhi switch to a clean spoon and finish the rest herself.

The mille crepe that had triggered Lin Li’s nausea remained untouched.

Seeing Wen Jingzhi set down her spoon, Wen Xihe glanced at the barely-tasted dessert and asked, “Not eating anymore? I thought you liked sweets.”

“No, thanks.” Wen Jingzhi glanced at her watch, it was past five, time to head home. She stood up with Lin Li in her arms and said to the other two, “Let’s go.”

A masked server suddenly rushed over, carefully handing Wen Jingzhi a photo and a pen, whispering, “Goddess Zhizhi, could I get your autograph?”

She added in a hushed tone, “Don’t worry, Zhizhi! I’m the only staff member on the second floor. No one else knows.”

Wen Jingzhi pursed her lips, about to decline on the grounds of it being a private outing, when a small hand suddenly took the photo.

The photo showed Wen Jingzhi on a red carpet, wearing silver-studded high heels and a black off-the-shoulder evening gown. Her fair collarbones gleamed as she turned her head slightly, her light-colored eyes gazing coldly and arrogantly at the camera.

Like a deity from the snowy mountains.

Lin Li didn’t understand much, but she thought the Wen Jingzhi in the photo looked exceptionally beautiful.

She was radiant.

“Sister is so pretty,” Lin Li said with a smile, looking up at Wen Jingzhi. “So, so pretty.”

Wen Jingzhi pressed her lips together, turning her head slightly with a composed air, though her ears tinged pink. Clearing her throat, she took the pen and the photo from Lin Li’s hands, signed it, and handed it back to the server, her tone indifferent. “Private outing.”

“I understand, I understand! Thank you, Goddess Zhizhi!” The server nearly jumped with excitement, clutching the photo as she stepped aside.

Once they were back in the car, Wen Xihe couldn’t resist teasing, mimicking in a singsong voice, “Goddess Zhizhi~~”

Lin Yi laughed and swatted her. “Just drive.”

Half-expecting Wen Jingzhi to rip out her tongue any second.

Wen Xihe chuckled again and started the car.

Wen Jingzhi shot her a glance but said nothing, lowering her gaze instead. The little one in her arms let out a small yawn, hugging her neck as she closed her eyes.

The sharp edges of Wen Jingzhi’s expression softened as she gently adjusted Lin Li’s collar.

This tiny, soft child was like a little furry animal small, fragile, and utterly dependent on her.

Even the hardest heart couldn’t help but melt.

Wen Xihe dropped Lin Yi off first before heading back to the family estate.

They arrived home at exactly six. Lin Li woke up as they got out of the car. After taking her medicinal meal and medicine, she was still drowsy, so Wen Jingzhi carried her back to her room, where she slept until midnight when she was woken up for her next dose.

After taking the medicine, she wanted to go find Wen Jingzhi but held back, afraid of disturbing her.

Wen Jingzhi’s estrus lasted three days, during which she exuded an icy aura. Strangely, Lin Li was the only one who willingly clung to her.

Once the special period ended, Wen Jingzhi’s pheromones no longer leaked, receding entirely. Lin Li didn’t understand why, only noticing that the cool sensation around her sister had disappeared. Pressing close no longer eased her body’s pain, so she stopped sticking to her as much as before.

Lin Li’s clinginess was subtle so much so that Wen Jingzhi didn’t even notice. If asked, she might have responded with a puzzled, “She was clinging to me?”

During her time resting at home, Wen Jingzhi paid a bit more attention to Lin Li, occasionally checking in on her lessons. On good days, she even taught her how to read.

By mid-February, Wen Jingzhi was picked up early in the morning for a photoshoot. Wen Xihe had originally planned to tag along, but upon hearing that Wen Xize was taking Lin Li for a checkup, she immediately abandoned the “ice block” (Wen Jingzhi) and without hesitation chose sweet little Lin Li instead.

Wen Chende had also wanted to go, but he woke up with a slight cold and was promptly stopped by the Wen siblings.

Upon arriving at Military District One Hospital, Wen Xize carried Lin Li straight to the 13th floor.

Wen Xihe frowned at the sign that read “Endocrinology & Gland Specialized Department” and asked, “Why are we here? Shouldn’t we be in Pediatrics?”

“Ah! Dr. Su works here,” Wen Xize replied, his nervousness obvious as he forced a laugh. “This department isn’t just for patients with endocrine or gland issues, and the equipment here is more precise.”

Having lived with him for over twenty years, Wen Xihe instantly sensed he was hiding something. Just as she was about to press further, footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway, and she instinctively turned to look.

Today, Dr. Su wasn’t wearing a mask. Her sleek hair was pinned up, and her tailored dress pants accentuated her long legs as she strode toward them.

Young and elegant, her face wasn’t stunning at first glance, but the longer one looked, the more captivating it became.

Wen Xihe watched as Dr. Su put on her mask while walking, finishing just as she reached them. Then, to her astonishment, her towering 190cm-tall brother suddenly turned bashful and handed Lin Li over to Dr. Su.

Ohhh~

So that’s why.

Convinced she’d uncovered her brother’s little secret, Wen Xihe stifled a giggle and glanced at the nameplate on Dr. Su’s chest, Su Yue.

“I’ll take her for the examination. You two can wait outside,” Su Yue said before carrying Lin Li into the examination room.

Wen Xihe dragged Wen Xize to the chairs and smugly declared, “I know why you insisted on coming to this hospital.”

Wen Xize tensed. “What? How?”

“It’s because of Dr. Su, isn’t it?” Wen Xihe teased, wiggling her eyebrows toward the examination room door. “So the iron tree finally blooms, huh, big bro?”

Wen Xize: “……???”

Not explaining would mean tacitly accepting her ridiculous assumption, but he couldn’t tell her the truth either.

With a resigned sigh, Wen Xize chose silence.

Why couldn’t Grandpa be the one here instead?

Wen Xihe patted his shoulder with an “I get it” expression and even started giving him dating advice: “Did you add Dr. Su on Feishu? Don’t just hole up in your studio all the time show some care and concern. Doctors are busy, so when she’s free, ask her out for meals or shopping.”

“Wrap it up nicely!”

“Is Dr. Su an Omega or a Beta?”

“Not that it matters! Betas are great too as long as you like her, I’ve got no objections.”

Wen Xize covered his face, unwilling to speak. But after a while, with Wen Xihe still rambling, he finally relented. “She’s an Omega.”

Wen Xihe brightened. “An Omega? Perfect! Absolutely perfect!”

The task of continuing the Wen family legacy could now be handed over to her big brother!

She’d been dreaming of retirement for ages.

Wen Xize let out a heavy sigh.

An hour later, the examination room door opened. Su Yue gave Wen Xize a meaningful glance, and he immediately stood, blocking Wen Xihe from following him inside.

Normally, Wen Xihe would have already made a fuss by now. But this time, thinking she had deciphered her elder brother’s little secret, she suppressed a laugh and gave him an encouraging look before obediently sitting back down.

Wen Xize walked into the examination room under the scorching gaze from behind, feeling an urge to curse though he wasn’t sure at whom.

Lin Li lay on the bed, fast asleep.

“Sit.” Su Yue walked behind the desk, picked up the report, and gestured to the stool beside Lin Li. Once Wen Xize sat down, she frowned at the documents. “The situation isn’t great.”

Wen Xize tensed immediately, but Su Yue rustled the papers. “Don’t panic. Let me finish.”

She skimmed through the report quickly, analyzing internally.

The pain level section indicated a slight increase. Based on Lin Li’s own descriptions and comparisons, the pain was categorized as a mix of tearing and stabbing sensations not severe enough to exceed human tolerance, but for a ten-year-old child, it was no small matter.

Su Yue flipped to the second page, pausing to fold a corner in thought.

Lin Li hadn’t undergone differentiation and thus hadn’t produced her own pheromones. Her body was in a pseudo-balanced state, but precisely because of her lack of differentiation, her condition had failed to improve.

The illness was progressing steadily.

Painkillers were meaningless for Lin Li’s case they would only disrupt her internal balance. Moreover, modern painkillers carried some degree of addiction risk, making long-term use for a child this young impossible.

Fortunately, Lin Li had a high pain tolerance and could endure it.

She was far better than the one at the research institute who woke up crying and screaming in pain.

Only when her leg bumped against the chair did Su Yue realize she’d been standing the whole time. She pulled the chair over and sat down, turning to Wen Xize. “The previous medication was too mild. She’s developed resistance, it hasn’t provided relief in the past half-month. The condition has worsened, but not to a critical degree.”

“I’ll need to draw a blood sample to take back to the institute for further analysis.”

“Her physiology is too complex. We’re still researching, and it might take years possibly even three to five,” Su Yue frowned, sighing. “You’ll need to brace yourselves.”

Setting the report aside, she crossed her arms, tapping a finger lightly against her elbow as she weighed her words. “But that’s too far ahead. Let’s wait until she turns twelve first.”

Twelve was the age of differentiation.

Ninety percent of people underwent differentiation at twelve, experiencing their first rut or heat at eighteen. Those who didn’t differentiate by twelve were labeled as late bloomers they would still differentiate before eighteen. But if they failed to do so by then, differentiation would never occur.

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