Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 25.2

Chapter 25.2 – Sunny Side Up Fairy Tale 04 – Part 2

At the hospital, he had Qiao Shan take the sunny-side-up egg up to see Wenwen first while he parked. Once she was gone, he parked and headed to the back street behind the hospital. He wandered a bit but didn’t see a vegetable market—plenty of flower shops, though.

He entered the largest flower supermarket at the end and saw a male clerk shoving an old lady out. The old woman lost her balance and fell, her vegetable basket spilling its contents everywhere.

Zuo Yi went over, squatted down to help her up, and patiently picked up every garlic clove from the ground. Then he turned to the clerk: “Do you have broccoli here?”

The clerk eyed Zuo Yi’s sharp suit and tie, annoyed: “From the psych ward? Go to the market for veggies. Why’s everyone coming to a flower shop for produce today?”

Zuo Yi glanced up at the sign, saying flatly: “Li’s Fresh Flowers—you work here?”

The clerk snapped impatiently: “So what? Pissed ’cause I called you nuts? Scram, I hate people who ask dumb questions and don’t buy flowers.”

Zuo Yi walked to the door and stopped, saying without turning: “In a month, this shop will definitely be selling broccoli.” Then he helped the old lady out and left.

He escorted her to the vegetable market and stopped, speaking gently: “Granny, buy veggies here, not at the flower shop, okay?”

The old lady looked at him with a childlike tilt of her head, her tone innocent: “But I wanted to buy veggies at the flower shop…”

Zuo Yi looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, took her hand to read it—it had her name, age, and condition. Alzheimer’s—no wonder. He sighed, holding her wrinkled hand: “Granny, come with me to buy some broccoli, then we’ll go back to the hospital together, alright?”

The old lady was obedient and nodded: “Okay, old man.”

Zuo Yi picked out a head of broccoli at the stall, put it in her basket, then got it lightly wrapped at a flower shop before taking her back to the hospital.

As soon as they entered, a nurse rushed over and grabbed the old lady: “Granny Liu, you scared us to death! How did you sneak out again? Where’d you get the basket?”

Zuo Yi handed her over to the nurse: “Instead of scolding the elderly, blame yourselves. If you don’t watch the patients properly and one gets lost, can you take responsibility? Hmm?”

The nurse looked up at Zuo Yi’s face, immediately lowering her head with a blush: “Understood, sir. It won’t happen again.”

Zuo Yi bid farewell to the old lady, holding his broccoli. Turning around, he found Qiao Shan standing right behind him. She walked over, looking at him in disbelief: “Wow, Zuo Stingy, I just saw you holding that granny’s hand coming in. I realize you’re really good to elders and kids, but super mean to us young folks!”

“Am I?” Zuo Yi handed her the broccoli. “Here.”

Qiao Shan took it, teasing: “What’d you buy broccoli for? And wrapped so nicely?”

Zuo Yi: “Not for eating—for viewing.” Worried she wouldn’t get it, he hinted: “A gift…”

Qiao Shan’s face lit up in realization: “Ohhh, for Wenwen? How’d you know she likes playing with broccoli? Nice, you’re a pro at coaxing kids.”

She couldn’t help but give him a thumbs-up.

Zuo Yi: “If I said I bought it specially for you, would you believe me?”

The elevator dinged just then, and Qiao Shan grabbed his arm, pulling him in: “Of course not… Quick, quick, elevator’s here.”

Once inside, Qiao Shan sighed: “If you were ever half as nice to me as a friend as you are to Wenwen, I’d cry from emotion.”

Zuo Yi: “…”

Entering the ward, Wenwen was sitting up in bed watching cartoons. She looked up at Zuo Yi and Qiao Shan, wiggling happily: “Mommy Qiao, Uncle Zuo!”

Qiao Shan dangled the food container in front of her: “Ta-da~ Wenwen, look what this is!” She opened it to reveal a sunny-side-up egg with a ketchup smiley face.

Wenwen rubbed her tummy, not very hungry: “I already ate. Uncle Idol brought me two sunny-side-up eggs earlier—two!”

Qiao Shan asked: “Huh, where’s your mom?”

Wenwen: “She went out with Uncle Jian. Mommy Qiao, I think Uncle Jian really likes my mom, but she hates him. What do I do? I really want them together.” The little girl sighed, tugging on Qiao Shan’s pinky: “Mommy Qiao, you’re a matchmaker—help Uncle Jian, please?”

Qiao Shan replied weakly: “How?”

Wenwen drooped her head: “Mommy Qiao, I know everything. Yesterday, they thought I was asleep and left the door open. I heard them say I have leukemia, a really bad disease. The brother next door has it too—he says we won’t live long, won’t grow up. I thought about it all night; Mom would be so pitiful alone. I want an uncle to take care of her, then have another daughter my age, so when I’m gone, she won’t be too sad.”

The little girl spoke seriously, seeming nonchalant on the surface. But last night, she hadn’t been so accepting—she’d hidden under the covers and cried all night. She was scared too, scared she’d never see her mom again, scared her mom would be all alone after she left.

Qiao Shan’s nose tingled, her eyes reddening. As tears threatened to fall, Zuo Yi pinched her, and she held them back. She said, “Okay, Mommy Qiao will complete the mission and get your mom successfully off the market!”

Wenwen’s eyes crinkled into a smile, just like the ketchup expression on the sunny-side-up egg—warm and gentle.

Qiao Shan placed the broccoli on her bedside: “Here, in case you’re bored—Uncle Zuo got you this broccoli to play with.”

Wenwen hugged the broccoli fondly, her voice soft and sweet: “Thanks, Uncle Zuo!”

Zuo Yi rubbed his forehead.

—As long as you’re happy.

Leaving the ward, Qiao Shan and Zuo Yi saw Guo Fei pulling Jian Shizhang into a lounge.

Qiao Shan grabbed Zuo Yi, dragging him sneakily over to hide around the corner and eavesdrop.

Guo Fei: “Jian Shi, Wenwen has nothing to do with you. Don’t come back.”

Jian Shizhang: “Feifei, Wenwen is my daughter. Her medical and surgery fees should be on me.”

Guo Fei’s tone was firm: “No need. I got an advance on my performance fees from the company—enough for her surgery. The person least qualified to call her your daughter is you, Jian Shi. All these years, I’ve raised Wenwen alone and never regretted having her, even with her illness now.”

After a few minutes of silence, Jian Shizhang spoke: “Feifei, I regret it. I’ve regretted it every day. If possible, can you give me a chance to make it up to you and her?”

Guo Fei: “Hypocrite.”

Jian Shizhang: “Wenwen is my daughter—my bl00d runs in her veins.”

Guo Fei snapped angrily: “No, the moment you said to abort her, you stopped being her father. Your only tie to her in this world is severed.”

The two eavesdroppers outside held their breath. To peek, they stacked up against the doorframe, one high, one low.

Qiao Shan was shorter, so Zuo Yi’s chin rested perfectly on her head, pressing down instinctively—hmm… comfy. Qiao Shan felt the weight and elbowed him occasionally, but he ignored it, lazily keeping his chin there.

Qiao Shan was fuming, wanting to punch him, but didn’t dare make a noise and alert the people inside.

After another quiet moment in the lounge, Guo Fei turned to leave. Jian Shizhang grabbed her wrist, his voice low: “Feifei, let’s talk properly. I know you’re hurting right now, you hate me, but I’m still her father.”

Guo Fei spun around, jabbing his chest hard: “You call yourself a father? You call yourself a man?”

Jian Shizhang’s eyelids drooped: “I’ve regretted my decision every moment these years. You were right to break up with me, but you shouldn’t have lied that she’d died.”

“Oh.” Guo Fei shot back sarcastically: “So you mean I should’ve told you, then waited for her to be born so you could strangle her? Sorry, I won’t grant your wish. Wenwen will grow up safe and sound—she’ll get the best treatment!”

The woman was bordering on hysteria, unreasonable, her eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night, emotions teetering on collapse.

Jian Shizhang ached seeing Guo Fei like this. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight.

The woman in his embrace was no longer the soft, obedient girl from before—she was now a strong, independent woman. He didn’t know what Guo Fei had gone through these years to become this way.

He knew even less that because of Wenwen, she’d been disowned by her family, with no one acknowledging her.

These years, she’d hidden her motherhood while studying abroad, enduring endless judgment. In the toughest times, she’d scavenged trash on the streets for money to buy Wenwen’s milk and food, but it was never enough—far from it.

From severe malnutrition back then, she’d developed chronic health issues. Those grueling days without this man by her side—so what was the point of him showing up now?

What love? All her love now was for Wenwen.

…

At noon, Qiao Shan and Zuo Yi ate in the cafeteria. She absentmindedly poked at the rice in her tray with her chopsticks, asking him: “You think there’s a way to get two people back together?”

Zuo Yi: “You’re the matchmaker—why ask me?”

Qiao Shan set down her chopsticks and sighed: “I’ve never done this kind of matchmaking, and Guo Fei’s grudge against Jian Shizhang is so deep—how could they reunite?”

Zuo Yi: “You’re smart enough to have hit the key point already, aren’t you?”

Qiao Shan paused, then said: “You mean… first resolve Guo Fei’s issues with Jian Shizhang, then…”

“Only way,” Zuo Yi said. “Jian Shizhang thought Guo Fei had aborted the child. All these years, he’s had countless nightmares about it. He believes in Buddhism, goes to Shengshui Temple every year to burn the first incense, and invites high monks to pray for the child. If he were irresponsible, how could he hold onto this for so long?”

Qiao Shan: “So, when Jian Shizhang urged Guo Fei to abort back then, it wasn’t for himself, but for her?”

Zuo Yi: “Obviously.”

Qiao Shan suddenly got curious and asked him: “If it were you in college, knocking up a girl, what would you do? Urge her to abort or…?”

Zuo Yi: “If you insist on hypotheticals, I’d say my big brother would sell everything to support the pregnant woman.”

Qiao Shan: “Having a brother is great. I wish I had one—someone to care for me, love me.”

Zuo Yi: “If you’re willing, Ying Shengnan can be your big brother from now on.”

Qiao Shan: “Really? But it’s not up to me—he has to agree? Should we do like in ancient times, swear brotherhood or something?”

Zuo Yi thought this girl was hopelessly dense. Wasn’t his meaning obvious?

If Ying Shengnan knew what Zuo Yi was thinking, he’d probably smile for a second, then freak out: “Bro, you’re not just dumb—you’re an idiot! If you don’t spell it out, how’s the girl supposed to know what you mean!!”