Chapter 140
Guaizai was completely soaked, his messy hair stuck to his forehead, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
Zhao Ger went to the kitchen to heat water for him, had him sit by the stove to warm himself. It wasn't until he was giving him a bath that Zhao Ger noticed his body was ice-cold, and he kept sniffling, likely having caught a chill.
"Sorry," Zhao Ger said, his voice hoarse.
Guaizai sat in the tub, his eyes red and swollen. He stood up, kissed Zhao Ger, then tightly hugged Zhao Ger's neck, saying: "Daddy, don't talk nonsense, and don't cry anymore, okay?"
Zhao Ger held back the stinging sensation in his eyes: "Mhmm! Daddy won't talk nonsense anymore. Just now... Daddy shouldn't have yelled at you. Sorry. Can you forgive Daddy? Daddy... Daddy only has you now."
"Guaizai isn't angry," Guaizai said, cupping his father's face and pressing their foreheads together. "Daddy is saying the wrong thing again. You still have Father. Once Father finds his way, he'll come back."
He kept repeating this, insisting that Fang Zichen was just lost.
Zhao Ger stared at him fixedly.
Although Guaizai was only three years old, his mind was more mature and much more sensitive than children his age.
He must know it too.
But he didn't want to accept it, finding excuses to numb himself.
Zhao Ger hugged him and didn't speak again.
Neither of them had any appetite. After bathing, the father and son went to bed early, holding each other tightly for comfort just as they had huddled together for warmth the previous winter.
It was still raining outside.
Guaizai clutched Zhao Ger's clothes. Zhao Ger gently patted his back.
Guaizai lifted his head and said again: "Daddy, Father is just lost, right?"
He was seeking confirmation.
Zhao Ger's arm stiffened instantly. His bloodshot eyes held a torment that was barely contained, a fragile composure threatening to shatter at any moment. He remained silent, hesitated for a long moment, then finally said in a low voice: "...Right. Go to sleep now."
"Mhmm! Father said, children who stay up late don't grow tall. Guaizai is a good, obedient boy. Guaizai must sleep quickly. Father will be back tomorrow morning."
"What if he doesn't come back?" Zhao Ger suddenly asked.
Guaizai looked at him, his eyes turning red again: "How can Daddy talk nonsense again? Father is just lost. Why wouldn't he come back? If he doesn't come back, Guaizai will go find him. Daddy should also go to sleep quickly, stop talking nonsense, or else Guaizai will have to hit you again."
Zhao Ger's voice choked up: "...Okay."
In the middle of the night, Guaizai was suddenly woken by noise.
Zhao Ger had developed a fever, his forehead burning hot. He seemed to be having a nightmare, constantly calling Fang Zichen's name.
He used to be like this often, but he hadn't had nightmares for the last few months.
Guaizai called out to him but couldn't wake him. Anxious, he started crying, not knowing what to do.
Suddenly remembering something, he scrambled off the bed, put on his shoes, and ran out into the rain.
Old people, as they age, sleep lightly.
Aunt Liu faintly seemed to hear Guaizai's crying and shouting.
At first, she thought she misheard. Listening carefully, the crying stopped. Just as she turned over, about to sleep again, the crying started once more.
"Grandma Liu... Grandpa Liu... Uncle Zhou... Please open the door! Help Guaizai, please help Guaizai~"
This time, Aunt Liu heard it clearly. She pushed Uncle Liu: "Old man, old man."
Uncle Liu opened his eyes groggily, his voice heavy with sleep: "What is it?"
Aunt Liu said: "Listen, is that Guaizai calling?"
Uncle Liu glared at her, closed his eyes, and turned over: "Are you confused from sleep? It's raining outside! And it's the middle of the night. Gua..." As he spoke, Guaizai's voice came in again.
"...Wuwuwu, Grandma Liu, Grandpa Liu, open the door, open the door... wuwuwu... help Guaizai, help Guaizai~"
Uncle Liu immediately propped himself up: "What's going on? I really think I heard Guaizai's voice."
"I'll go check." Aunt Liu said, throwing on a coat and hurriedly getting out of bed. Reaching the courtyard, she was astonished to actually see Guaizai.
She hurriedly unlatched the gate. There stood Guaizai, his eyes were swollen from crying, his voice hoarse.
"Grandma Liu," he didn't enter, instead pulling Aunt Liu with his icy little hand, wanting to lead her outside: "Grandma Liu, hurry, go save Daddy."
"What happened?" Aunt Liu asked, pulling him to a stop. Seeing him drenched, she grabbed a dry garment from nearby and wrapped it tightly around his small, shivering frame. She then turned toward the house and called out urgently, "Old man, come quickly! Something's wrong!"
Zhou Ger was jolted from his sleep. The entire household, thrown into confusion and alarm, hurriedly made their way to Zhao Ger's home.
When they arrived, Zhao Ger was already delirious with fever. Aunt Liu told Zhou Ger to fetch some cold water to wipe him down and reduce the sweat, then sent Uncle Liu to fetch the village's barefoot physician.
It was the middle of the night. The city gates were locked, making it impossible to seek a proper physician in town. They could only find the barefoot physician.
After giving instructions, Aunt Liu gathered Guaizai into her arms, stripped off his wet clothes, and wrapped him snugly in the quilt. It was only after she had settled him that the troubling thought finally surfaced in her mind.
"Guaizai, where is your Father?"
Initially, seeing Guaizai and learning from him that Zhao Ger was sick, she had been so worried she didn't think much, just assumed that Fang Zichen, being young, didn't know how to handle the situation and had sent Guaizai. But now, Fang Zichen was surprisingly absent.
Guaizai snuggled next to Zhao Ger, holding his arm, sniffled, and said: "Father is lost. He... he hasn't come back yet."
Aunt Liu frowned: "Lost?"
"Mhmm!" Guaizai nodded: "He's just lost. It's not that he doesn't want Guaizai and Daddy."
Aunt Liu: "..."
She looked down at Zhao Ger, and from the broken pieces of Guaizai's story, she seemed to understand something.
"My poor, unfortunate child," she wept, clutching Zhao Ger's hand as tears streamed down her face.
Zhou Ger, overhearing from outside, also wiped away tears.
The barefoot physician arrived, checked his pulse, and after a moment announced, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious—just a fever from the cold. A dose of medicine will have him recovered in no time."
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