Chapter 523 - 522: Xiaolang asks Yin Qin to take care (second update)

In the quiet hospital ward.

Luo Xiaolang looks at her son, the little tiger. Aunt Wu accompanies them, but due to her age, she falls asleep beside them.

She had spent the entire previous night taking care of the little tiger.

Yin Qin and Ji Baixing sit on the other side, quietly accompanying the little tiger as well.

Every now and then, they use a thermometer to measure the little tiger’s temperature.

Again and again.

Luo Xiaolang’s phone rings.

She looks at the caller and her face shows some restraint.

She answers, “Joe.”

Yin Qin glances at Luo Xiaolang, then immediately fixes his gaze back on the little tiger.

Ji Baixing does the same, taking a glance at Luo Xiaolang.

Luo Xiaolang continues the conversation, “Yes, he’s a bit better. His temperature has dropped to 38.6 degrees Celsius. The doctor said as long as it doesn’t go above 39 degrees, it’s not a problem.”

“Oh, that’s good. So, are you coming back now?”

“No, the doctor wants him to stay in the hospital. They worry that the fever will recur. The little tiger was born premature, he’s not like normal infants, he’s more fragile.”

“Do you need me to come and see him?”

“No, no need, the national competition is tomorrow.” Luo Xiaolang quickly refuses. “You focus on preparing for it.”

“Understood.” The person on the other end nods, seeming wanting to say more but then slowly continues, “Then, you take care of the little tiger. Don’t worry about the competition tomorrow.”

Luo Xiaolang actually feels a bit guilty.

She remains silent for a few seconds, then says, “Okay.”

Between work and her child.

She would still choose her child.

After hanging up the phone, Luo Xiaolang still feels somewhat guilty.

With the tournament finals imminent, she has participated in all the previous matches as a strong attacker, but now, without her, it is unclear who can replace her.

These thoughts linger in her mind.

Her phone rings again.

It’s one of her teammates, sounding a bit edgy, “Xiaolang, I heard from our leader that you’re not playing in the national competition tomorrow, is it true?”

“There is something come up that’s preventing me from participating.”

“How can you not participate? If you don’t play, how can we compete! We’ve built up such a good synergy. We’re aiming for international competitions after this national tournament. If we don’t qualify this time, we wouldn’t be able to continue onwards. Our leader has always dreamed of making it to the international stage and winning the world championship. That’s why he never retired.Despite his age. Now you’re not competing. What aspiration can we fulfill? We might as well all quit.”

“There’s truly something going on. I don’t have time to train.” Luo Xiaolang explains.

“Xiaolang, what could be so important? Unless it’s a life-threatening situation, can’t you at least play in tomorrow’s national competition? We really can’t do it without you. Because of your participation, the team’s morale is extremely high. If you don’t show up, our team will be devastated. Please, come back.” The excitement just now has turned into pleading.

Luo Xiaolang usually finds it hard to refuse others.

Especially those who treat her well.

She says, “Let me see what happens.”

“Don’t wait and see, please come back soon. We’re all waiting for you, and will always wait for you.” The person on the other end pleads.

Luo Xiaolang hangs up.

Just then, the doctor comes back to check on the little tiger.

He measures the little tiger’s temperature, which stays at 38.5 degrees Celsius. The nurse does a physical cooling for the little tiger, bringing his temperature down to 38.1 degrees Celsius. The doctor says, “The temperature is gradually dropping, there is no need to consider rehydration for now, but you must pay close attention to his temperature and his condition.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Yin Qin quickly answers.

Aunt Wu wakes up at this moment and swiftly gives her thanks as well.

The doctor leaves.

After he leaves, Luo Xiaolang looks at her son and says to Aunt Wu, “I have to leave for training now. If anything happens call me.”

“You’re going?” Aunt Wu looks at Luo Xiaolang in disbelief.

Luo Xiaolang has spent a lot of time training recently, which is tolerable during normal times, but now, the little tiger has a fever.

“Yes,” Luo Xiaolang confirms with a nod.

Yes.

She still can’t refuse.

Moreover, her teammate was right. The national competition is tomorrow. It’s a big deal. She can’t abandon her team halfway and drag them down.

Aunt Wu wants to say something but finally nods, “If anything happens, I’ll call you.”

Luo Xiaolang acknowledges and leaves immediately.

Ji Baixing watches Luo Xiaolang’s retreating figure and can’t help but speak out, “With the little tiger in such a serious condition, she could just leave like that. Does Luo Xiaolang even have the consciousness of being a mother? She probably doesn’t care about the little tiger at all.”

“That’s not the case, Miss Ji. Xiao Lang would only leave if she truly has something urgent. Last night, Xiaolang didn’t sleep a wink due to little tiger. When little tiger refused his milk powder, it was Xiaolang who patiently coaxed him. Miss Ji, if you don’t know the full story, don’t speak foolishly,” Aunt Wu is somewhat upset with Ji Baixing’s comment about Luo Xiaolang.

Ji Baixing looks a bit embarrassed, “I was just saying. Plus, with the little tiger falling ill, her leaving like that is irresponsible.”

“Hasn’t the situation been controlled? And, when the little tiger has a fever, there’s nothing Xiaolang can do. We’re in the hospital, if anything happens the doctors can handle it immediately,” Aunt Wu retorts indignantly.

Ji Baixing doesn’t want to argue with a servant.

She says coldly, “I’m simply expressing my view that Luo Xiaolang is doing wrong. If you all insist on thinking that everything she does is correct, I won’t say any more.”

Yin Qin actually dislikes Ji Baixing constantly criticizing Luo Xiaolang.

He can sense that Ji Baixing has a hostile attitude towards Luo Xiaolang.

Ji Baixing might speak carelessly towards others, but towards Luo Xiaolang that’s not the case.

Once again, the ward quiets down.

Yin Qin still routinely measures the little tiger’s temperature.

But on one such occasion, the temperature suddenly rises.

Reaching 39 degrees.

Yin Qin breaks into a sweat and quickly calls the doctor over.

In the minute that the doctor arrives, the little tiger’s temperature rockets to 39.2 degrees Celsius. He’s also becoming restless, continuously crying and fussing.

And every few moments, his temperature rises further.

The doctor says, “We have no choice but to start rehydration. The little tiger is a preemie. While other children can still be observed, we do not suggest conservative treatment for him.”

“Okay,” Yin Qin nods in agreement.

My heart truly ached as I nodded.

Premature baby.

Premature baby.

The little tiger seemed to have been suffering from illness since birth. I could still recall how he had looked at birth, wrinkled and pitiful, crying alone inside the incubator.

Being premature, his health was still much poorer compared to other children of his age…

All that happened then was my doing.

The doctor set up an IV drip for the little tiger, the nurse administered the injection.

Because he was still very small, the needle had to go into the vein on his head.

The little tiger cried out in pain, heart-rending.

Yin Qin held the little tiger still so that he couldn’t flail around.

The more frantically the little tiger cried, the harder it was to insert the needle.

No one could calm the little tiger down. That moment, it seemed like he was instinctively looking for his mother and wouldn’t cooperate, nor would he stop crying.

Wu Auntie quickly suggested, “Shall I call Luo Xiaolang to come back?”

Running out of options, Yin Qin nodded.

Wu Auntie immediately started dialing Luo Xiaolang’s number.

Luo Xiaolang was in the middle of a training match at the moment. She glanced at her phone and hesitated.

Joe was competing with them.

Joe suddenly asked everyone to pause and said to Xiaolang, “Take your call first.”

With a grateful look towards Joe, Luo Xiaolang quickly picked up her phone, “Wu Auntie.”

“The little tiger’s fever has spiked to 39 degrees again. The doctor said he needs fluid therapy, conservative treatments won’t do anymore. But the little tiger won’t let us administer the fluids, he’s crying his heart out. Are you busy? If not, could you come over? The little tiger is probably looking for you.”

“Alright, I’ll head over once I’m done. It may take some time to get there though, you should start the fluid therapy as suggested by the doctor in the meantime.”

“But the little tiger isn’t cooperating.”

Luo Xiaolang furrowed her brow and asked, “Are you alone there?”

“No, Master and Miss Ji are here too.”

“Give the phone to Yin Qin.”

Wu Auntie quickly handed the phone to Yin Qin.

Yin Qin was holding the little tiger at this time. He passed the little tiger to Wu Auntie. After taking him, Wu Auntie immediately started trying to soothe the crying little tiger.

“Yin Qin, I have a national match tomorrow. I can’t hold back the team. We need to work out our strategy for tomorrow’s match so I cannot come to the hospital at the moment. Can you please take care of the little tiger for me? If he’s too fussy, you could use a milk bottle to soothe him. If he can’t fall asleep without me, you can carry him outside for a short while, he’ll fall asleep when he’s worn out from looking and playing around. I’ll be back right after tomorrow’s match. Please help me look after him for one day.”

Yin Qin didn’t expect Luo Xiaolang to ask him to take care of the little tiger.

He had always thought that Luo Xiaolang didn’t trust him.

There must be a really important match huh?!

He knew perfectly well that Luo Xiaolang was a very responsible person. If she made a promise, she would definitely keep it.

He said, “You focus on your match, I’ll handle the little tiger.”

“Thank you.” Luo Xiaolang said sincerely.

After speaking, she ended the call.

Joe asked, “Is the little tiger okay?”

“I believe in Yin Qin’s ability to care for him.”

Joe felt somewhat torn, but thinking about the national match tomorrow, and how it was Xiaolang’s first opportunity to make a name for herself, he chose to remain silent.

Hospital.

As Xiaolang had instructed, Wu Auntie quickly prepared a bottle of formula milk.

The little tiger was probably hungry.

He stopped making a fuss once he began sucking on the bottle.

The nurse said, “Let’s insert the drip now. Dad, you must hold the little tiger steady, don’t let him move around.”

“Sure.” Yin Qin nodded.

Yin Qin cooperated with the nurse.

Once the nurse inserted the needle…

The little tiger cried out again.

He didn’t want to drink the milk anymore, and cried out as if his heart were being torn out.

The nurse quickly secured the IV catheter for the little tiger and then connected the drip bag.

Yin Qin picked up the little tiger, while Wu Auntie held up the drip bag.

Seeing the heartbroken little tiger, Ji Baixin couldn’t help but soften her heart. She suggested, “Didn’t Xiaolang just say to take the little tiger for a walk when he’s fussy? Let’s take him outside and see how he reacts.”

Yin Qin nodded.

The group then took the little tiger to the hospital’s backyard.

The little tiger enjoyed playing outside. As they walked around in the backyard, his cries gradually lessened.

Yin Qin gently comforted him.

The little tiger was only left with tiny sobs, and eventually fell asleep.

Yin Qin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The little tiger’s crying really made his back repeatedly break out in cold sweat.

One truly didn’t know the experience of having a sick child without being a parent. Yet Xiaolang had been bearing it all along. If not for her special circumstances today, if not for his unexpected visit, Xiaolang might have had to face this alone.

He carried the sleeping little tiger back into the room and placed him on the bed.

There were still tears at the corners of the little tiger’s eyes. Yin Qin gently wiped them away.

In the room, everyone was looking at the little tiger cautiously, fearing that his fever would rise again.

The room fell silent.

Ji Baixin couldn’t help but speak, “Yin Qin, I really don’t think it’s suitable for Xiaolang to take care of the little tiger on her own.”

“Baixin, I don’t want to continue this topic.”

“I know you feel that you owe Luo Xiaolang, so you don’t want to take the little tiger away. But you need to consider the situation from a rational perspective. How can Xiaolang, a single mother, take good care of a child? You’re right, all children get sick. If she’s not there every time he’s ill, is she a competent mother? This time was fine, we were free and could take care of the little tiger. But what about next time? If we take the little tiger back, we have so many people in our families, we can definitely take better care of him than Xiaolang alone! You need to consider the issue of his custody from his own perspective.”