Love So Sweet

Chapter 21: Bad News

Early in the morning, Bai Qi came out of his room and coughed. His face was slightly reddened and his body looked listless. He walked towards the dining room with a pitiful look on his face.

His family members were already seated in the dining area. However, his grandmother was nowhere to be seen.

His father was scrolling down his email on his phone and his mother was scooping some porridge for everyone else.

Bai Qi opened his mouth, wanting to act pitiful to everyone so that he could skip school for another day. He did not know whether the little fairy would be looking for him at school. All he knew was that he was too embarrassed to see her again.

Mu Zhen Yu should probably tell her what he had done previously. Bai Qi just did not want the little fairy to look at him in anger or disappointment.

For the past few months, they have been practicing basketball together and he was enjoying it very much. He wanted to keep the smiling Zhang Li Xue in his mind. Therefore, Bai Qi thought that it would be better if he avoided her for the past few days. The best way to do so was to pretend that he was unwell so that he could skip school.

Yesterday, he managed to trick the adults. Bai Qi was hoping that he could skip school for another day just so he could avoid the little fairy.

.....

As he was walking to the dining table, his grandmother walked into the room with a distressed look on her face. She let out a sigh before she sat down beside Bai’s Grandfather.

“What’s wrong with you?” Bai Grandpa asked when he noticed the look on his wife’s face. His gaze shifted to the phone in his wife’s hand. “Who called you early this morning?”

“Bad news, bad news. Old Man, haven’t you heard?” The Old Madam Bai, Chi Ning spoke.

“What?”

“Zhang Jing’s grandson, Yu Han had an accident yesterday,” Chi Ning said. “The operation has been successful, but I heard that he hasn’t woken up yet.”

Bai’s grandfather, Bai Yu’s expression changed as he heard the news. His brow furrowed and he seemed to be in deep thought. “Then, let’s go and visit Zhang Jing and his grandson at the hospital later.”

Bai Yu and Chi Ning were from the same generation as Zhang Jing. They have known each other for years and were quite close to each other. Hearing that something bad had happened to the Zhang family, of course, they wanted to visit their friends.

At the side, Bai Qi let out another soft cough, but the adults were too engrossed in this topic that they had not seen him. The little boy was about to speak again when his grandmother spoke again.

“I hope that nothing bad would happen to him. Their little princess, Li Xue is very young. She still needed her father very much.”

The familiar name made him pause. Bai Qi stood up straight. This time, he did not look as if he was sick.

Li Xue... wasn’t that the name of that little fairy?

“Mom, the Zhang family you were talking about... was it the one that Wu Xin and I had attended the wedding banquet previously?” Bai Qi’s mother, Jiang Yu Qing spoke.

Chi Ning recalled that she had let her son and daughter-in-law attend Zhang Jing’s granddaughter’s wedding banquet in their stead a few months ago.

“That’s right.” Chi Ning spoke.

Jiang Yu Qing’s expression changed as she recalled how her son had gotten into trouble with Zhang’s little princess. Even though it was her son who was at fault, Jiang Yu Qing’s impression of Zhang Yu Han and his wife was not very good. At the wedding banquet, she was scolded by Zhang Yu Han’s wife in front of a few other parents.

Later, she was too embarrassed to see her friends that she had chosen to hide in the house for a few weeks.

“Grandma!” Bai Qi walked over to his grandmother’s side with an anxious look on his face.

From the adult’s conversation, Bai Qi was able to guess that something had happened to the little fairy’s father. He was anxious and could not stop worrying about his friend.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Ning saw her grandson and remembered that he was a little unwell yesterday. She put her palm on the boy’s forehead and sighed in relief upon finding that the boy’s temperature was not as hot as she had expected.

At this time, Bai Qi was no longer in the mood to pretend that he was unwell anymore. The only thing in his mind was his little friend.

Bai Qi did not answer his grandmother’s question quickly. He tugged at his grandmother’s arms, motioning her to lower down so that he could whisper to her.

Old Madam Bai caught his meaning and leaned over.

“Grandma, are you talking about the little fairy?” Bai Qi whispered.

The others tried to listen to his words, but none of them could hear anything. As this was not the first time that Bai Qi had shared a secret with his grandmother, none of them mind that much.

Chi Ning was a little stunned upon hearing her grandson’s question. She recalled the secret they shared and how her grandson had mentioned practicing basketball with the little girl at the kindergarten.

Her face turned softer. Chi Ning caressed the boy’s cheek and nodded. “That’s right.”

His grandmother’s confirmation only made him anxious. Bai Qi overheard his grandparents talking that Li Xue’s father was at the hospital.

The image of the little girl crying while hiding in her father’s embrace appeared in his mind.

Bai Qi could guess that Li Xue would be anxious without her father. He wished that he could be by the little fairy’s side so that he could coax her. He wanted to be by her side so that he could see her with his eyes that she was alright.

“Mom!” Bai Qi turned to his mother. “Let’s go to the kindergarten earlier, alright?”

Jiang Yu Qing looked at her son. “I heard you coughing earlier. You’re still unwell, right? How about staying another day at home and rest?”

If he was unwell, it would be troublesome if he infected the other kids at the kindergarten.

“No, Mom, I’m alright, Bai Qi said. “I had enough sleep and rest yesterday. I think I am fit enough to return to the kindergarten.”