Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

She had gone back to her workplace to retrieve the doll because she knew Rainy could not sleep without her doll.

She placed the doll in her daughter’s arms, and immediately, Rainy hugged it tightly. Then, she reached out with one small hand and held onto Xia Ruoxin’s finger.

“Mommy, are you cold? Let me blow your hand,” she said. At the same time, she kept blowing at Xia Ruoxin. Sometimes, during the winter, she could remember her mother doing the same to her, and her hands would become warmer.

As she watched her daughter trying hard to blow into her hands, the tiny act of warmth caused Xia Ruoxin’s eyes to redden again. She hugged her daughter’s small frame and choked with a sob. “Mommy is not cold. Not a bit.” She kept repeating that she was not cold, and yet her whole body was shaking.

How could such an obedient child contract this disease?

She closed her eyes and touched her daughter’s face with her slightly cool hands. “Rainy, Mommy will be very busy from now on. You must listen to the aunties here and be good. Okay?”

Rainy bit her lower lip, puzzled. “Mummy, why must I stay here? I can also wait for you at home.” She lowered her eyes and pouted. Her eyes were redder than earlier. She did not like it here. She liked home; she wanted to go home.

Xia Ruoxin’s hands had remained on her daughter’s face. She smiled brightly. “Because you are sick. You need to stay here for treatment. Then, you will get better soon.” Actually, she did not know how she should explain to her daughter. After all, she was still young. What could she possibly know?

Would she know sickness or death?

Rainy leaned her head against Xia Ruoxin’s shoulder and nodded gently.

“Rainy knows. Rainy will get better and take care of Dolly. Mommy, don’t worry.” Indeed, she was so obedient that it made her ache.

It pained Xia Ruoxin as she held her daughter. She swore that no matter the price, she would get her daughter well again.

After her daughter was asleep, she went out of the hospital once more. The sunlight outside was glaring, and she couldn’t open her eyes. She wished she could stand there, but she knew she couldn’t.

She wished time would stop. That this was all a dream.

The glare hurt her eyes.

There was some suffering which she wished she wouldn’t have to go through. However, there was some pain which she had to bear.

Her hand went to her left arm. It was vaguely aching from the cold or the rain.

She bit her lip and thought of her child. Once again, she started walking.

At the glass entrance outside the high-tech building of Chu Enterprise, Xia Ruoxin seemed so little like a speck of dust as she looked up. Like four years ago, the security guards’ eyes were on her every step. With each step she took, their expression turned more serious.

She came closer right in front of them. They stretched their hands out at the same time.

“Sorry, miss. This is not the place for anyone who is dressed inappropriately.”

Xia Ruoxin looked at her own clothes. There was nothing inappropriate with her clothes besides being a bit worn-out. Her clothes may be old, but they were clean. She was not a beggar.

“I’m sorry. I wish… to look for Chu Lui.” There was no color on her cracked lips.