Late night in the emergency room. Qiao Xiangsi was rushed into the resuscitation room, but Qiao Yu, drenched to the bone, was stopped at the door by a nurse. “Ma’am, you can’t go any further.” Qiao Yu’s eyes remained fixed on the room beyond, desperate for a glimpse of her daughter. Overwhelmed by helplessness, she seized the nurse’s arm, her own hands trembling uncontrollably. “Save my daughter, please!” she pleaded, her voice raw, weak, and cracking with a sob. “We’ll do everything we can,” the nurse said gently. “Please, try to stay calm.” Qiao Yu could only nod. The adrenaline that had fueled her journey to the hospital finally drained away, leaving her utterly spent. Her legs gave out, and she slid down the wall, collapsing into a crouch. The feeling of Xiangsi going limp in her arms, the sensation of impending loss… it was like the world collapsing into an endless, dark void. A tremor wracked her entire body. She’d felt this once before, six years ago, when Bo Hanshi had severed all ties with her from his prison cell. Every breath was a fresh stab of pain. When grief becomes absolute, the body goes numb. She pressed a hand against the wall, trying to push herself up, but her legs felt like they were sinking in quicksand, refusing to obey. A strong hand gripped her arm, steadying her. “Careful.” Qiao Yu looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. “Dr. Xie?” It was Xie Jun, an attending physician in the respiratory department at First Hospital. He had treated Xiangsi for a high fever three years ago. Seeing that Qiao Yu was a single mother struggling to raise a child on her own, Xie Jun had taken a special interest in them, and over time, a friendship had formed. “I just saw them wheeling Xiangsi in. What happened?” “When I got home, she was pale, struggling to breathe… I don’t know what happened, she just said she felt awful…” “Don’t panic, I’m sure she’ll be alright. It’s most likely her old condition. I told you before to bring Xiangsi in for the interventional procedure to close her patent ductus arteriosus. Why have you been putting it off?” Qiao Xiangsi had a congenital heart defect, a simple patent ductus arteriosus. All it would take was a single procedure and a period of rest, and she could be just like any other child. It wasn't a major illness, but Qiao Yu had kept delaying. A look of shame crossed Qiao Yu’s face. “I… I was scared.” She lowered her head, twisting her hands together so tightly her knuckles turned white. Qiao Xiangsi was her entire world. When you stake your everything on one person, you become incapable of taking even the smallest risk. The fear of loss was just too great. The other reason was that she hadn’t saved up enough for the procedure. And so, it was pushed back, again and again. Xie Jun patted her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s not a major illness, so don’t worry. Plenty of kids live with it their whole lives without surgery and are perfectly fine. But now that she’s showing symptoms, it’s best to get it done.” Qiao Yu nodded emphatically. “Yes. We’ll do it this time.” Half an hour later, Xiangsi was wheeled out. Qiao Yu rushed over. “Doctor, how is my daughter?” “She’s out of danger. But she has a patent ductus arteriosus. You were aware of this, right?” “Yes, I know.” “Well, you should discuss it with your husband and decide whether you want to do the closure procedure. The child is stable now, so it’s not extremely urgent. You can go home and think it over with your husband. The procedure has a better recovery rate the younger the child is.” At the mention of a husband, a shadow passed over Qiao Yu’s face, but she said nothing, only nodding. “Okay.” Qiao Xiangsi was moved to a regular ward and put on an IV drip. Sometime after midnight, she woke up. “Mommy…” Qiao Yu’s voice was gentle. “Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? Mommy will go buy it for you.” Little Xiangsi leaned back against the pillow and shook her head. “Mommy, am I sick?” “The doctor said you’ll be better very soon. Haven’t you been wanting a break from school? Mommy will call your teacher and tell her we’re taking a few days off to rest at the hospital. How does that sound?” “Okay. Mommy, I didn’t get to ask, why do you smell like alcohol? Did you go drinking?” Afraid of worrying her, Qiao Yu stroked her head. “Mommy had a work dinner with colleagues from the station and had a little wine. It’s nothing. When you’re all better, how about I take you to KFC? Haven’t you been wanting fried chicken?” A small smile spread across Qiao Xiangsi’s face. “I want mashed potatoes too.” Just as she finished speaking, a man’s voice called out, “Mashed potatoes coming right up!” Xie Jun walked in, carrying food. “I bought some mild congee and mashed potatoes. You and Xiangsi should both have some.” “Uncle Xie.” Xie Jun ruffled Qiao Xiangsi’s hair. “You need to rest up and get better, Xiangsi. Don’t make your mommy worry.” “Okay!” “Good girl.” Qiao Yu scooped up some mashed potatoes with a spoon and fed them to Xiangsi. Xie Jun noticed the rash on the back of her hand. “Is that an allergic reaction? I stopped by the pharmacy and got some anti-allergy cream. You should put some on later.” Qiao Yu froze for a moment. “Thank you. Every time we come to the hospital, I end up troubling you.” “It’s no trouble at all. It’s not easy for you to raise Xiangsi on your own. I’m just helping out where I can, it’s nothing. Qiao Yu, you don’t have to carry everything by yourself. If you ever need anything, you can always call me. If I can help, I’ll do my best.” Qiao Yu knew Xie Jun was kind-hearted, but she didn’t want to take advantage of his pity. She understood what he was implying, but she had no way of repaying his kindness. Besides, there were some things he couldn't help her with. She was already stuck in the mud; she couldn’t drag him down into the mire with her. After Xie Jun left, little Xiangsi, propped up against the pillows, said something startling. “Mommy, Uncle Xie likes you.” Qiao Yu’s lips twitched, but her expression didn’t change. “Such a little know-it-all.” “It’s true! Mommy, are you still thinking about Daddy, just like me?” Qiao Yu’s hand, holding the spoon, paused. Her lashes cast a small shadow over her eyes, giving her a forlorn look. “No. Mommy’s favorite person is Xiangsi now. I’m not thinking about anyone else.” Xiangsi looked troubled. “Mommy, Daddy’s been gone for so many years. You can’t just mope around forever!” Qiao Yu laughed. “Where did you learn a phrase like that? Can you even write it?” “I learned it from TV! Godmother is right, Mommy. You need to date more handsome men so you can be happy!” Qiao Yu tweaked her small nose. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll find you a new dad?” But little Xiangsi’s expression turned serious. She furrowed her brow and said, “Mommy, I just want you to be happy.” Qiao Yu sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her daughter. “Mommy is already so, so happy just having you, Xiangsi.” Little Xiangsi sighed. “I wish Daddy were still here…” Xiangsi had always believed her father was dead. When she was three, she pestered Qiao Yu about where her daddy was, and Qiao Yu told her he was flying a spaceship in the sky. By the time Xiangsi was five, Qiao Yu couldn’t maintain the lie and told her that her father had passed away from an illness. “Mommy, was Daddy even more handsome than Uncle Xie?” Otherwise, why wouldn’t her mommy like Uncle Xie? He was so nice. An image of Bo Hanshi’s face surfaced in Qiao Yu’s mind. That man… was impossible to ignore, even in a crowd. In terms of looks, Bo Hanshi was breathtakingly handsome. Back at Capital University, there was a saying: passing all your exams and sleeping with the brilliant Bo Hanshi were the two greatest achievements in life. “Yes,” she said softly. “Your father… was very handsome.” Little Xiangsi puffed up with pride, secretly vowing to find her mommy a new boyfriend just as handsome as her daddy. After she coaxed Xiangsi to sleep, Qiao Yu opened her banking app and checked her balance. The thirty-five thousand she had earned from Bo Hanshi tonight was now in, but her account only held ten thousand, and a quarter’s rent was due at the end of the month. Xiangsi’s procedure would cost a hundred thousand. She was still about seventy thousand short. Qiao Yu was at a loss. She suddenly felt a strange sense of gratitude that Bo Hanshi had given her the chance to earn that money. She even found herself hoping for another chance to drink for cash. What did a rash from an allergic reaction matter? If a hundred thousand meant Xiangsi could have the surgery, then right now, her daughter was all that mattered.