Chapter 4: Apologies must say sorry

Chapter 4: An Apology Requires Saying "I'm Sorry"

The doctor had already delivered the diagnosis: Fu Cheng would never regain consciousness.

Yet, Fu Jingyi had a premonition.

His father’s car accident was no mere accident.

Zhi Zhi’s appearance was equally extraordinary.

The scene from last night, of his father’s fingers twitching, flashed through his mind.

Ignoring the clamor of his younger brothers behind him, Fu Jingyi carried the little dumpling in his arms and ascended the stairs.

The little dumpling was still captivated by the castle’s grandeur.

Carried into the bedroom, she saw her father lying on the bed. Her arms stretched out, and her whole body leaned forward.

"Daddy! Zhi Zhi’s home!"

She behaved just like a child returning from playing outside with her brother, now searching for her father.

Fu Jingyi smiled and gently placed the little dumpling on the bed.

As soon as her feet touched the sheets, the little dumpling crawled toward the motionless figure on the bed.

Wrapping her arms around her father’s neck, Zhi Zhi nestled her small face into his neck, rubbing gently.

"Why hasn’t Daddy woken up yet? Did Zhi Zhi not heal him?"

She puffed soft breaths onto the bandaged wound on his neck, her small face flushed crimson from the effort.

Fu Jingyi stood by, watching with a hint of amusement.

However, he had no time to linger by his little sister’s side.

After instructing the servants outside to attend to the father and daughter in the master bedroom, Fu Jingyi entered his study to tackle the chaos of the Fu Corporation.

A profound silence settled over the bedroom.

Only the low hum of the ventilator broke the stillness.

Zhi Zhi lay on the soft bed, her face no longer flushed.

Instead, a shimmering, golden, scale-like glow emerged on her cheeks.

So tired.

Mama said Daddy was gravely ill.

But Mama didn't say how much Fortune Zhi Zhi needed to expend to awaken Daddy.

Her lower lip trembled, and large, golden tears, like precious pearls, rolled down her cheeks and soaked into the pillow.

"Mama lied to Zhi Zhi. Mama said if Zhi Zhi came to save Daddy, Daddy would wake up."

Zhi Zhi was so weary.

She had used so much Fortune—Fortune she had accumulated for years in the pond.

But Daddy still hadn’t stirred.

Zhi Zhi felt so wronged!

And she was so hungry.

Mama said there were lots of delicious things near Daddy.

But since last night, she had only eaten a boiled egg and drunk some milk.

Mama was a fibber!

Sniffling, her nose red, just as the little dumpling reached the peak of her distress, a faint creak of the door opening interrupted her thoughts.

Remembering Mama’s warning not to reveal her true identity,

Zhi Zhi quickly reverted to her normal appearance, burrowing against her father’s neck.

The next moment, a slender figure slipped into the room.

Fu Siyuan, arms laden with snacks, had barely entered when he saw the little dumpling he had just met, now curled up in their father’s arms, weeping.

With a dismissive snort, Fu Siyuan sat down nearby, still clutching his snacks.

"Still crying at your age? How embarrassing."

As he spoke, he even made a "crybaby" gesture.

Peering through her fingers, Zhi Zhi saw this, and her already tear-streaked face burned even hotter.

"You’re the embarrassing one! You’re so rude!"

Fu Siyuan only laughed harder. "Still denying it? Look at you, crying so hard you’ve got snot bubbles."

He had never encountered such an adorable little dumpling.

Even when she was indignant, she remained incredibly cute.

He wondered what she looked like when she smiled.

He had originally intended to use the snacks to coax the little girl into befriending him.

But after just a few words, the little dumpling was already upset again.

As Fu Siyuan approached, the little dumpling immediately sprang up from the bed, her bare feet scrambling to get down.

"Bad guy! Brother, a bad guy is bullying Zhi Zhi!"

Fu Siyuan, the "bad guy": ...

"Oh, you little rascal, your brother is right here. Who are you going to tattle to?"

Zhi Zhi’s short arms and legs made even getting off the bed difficult.

Let alone running out to find her eldest brother to complain.

As a pair of large hands loomed closer,

Zhi Zhi’s cheeks stung, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears.

"Mean man, let go of Zhi Zhi!"

Fu Siyuan saw she was on the verge of tears and hastily released his grip on her cheeks.

"I didn’t even squeeze hard, why are you crying?"

The young master had never comforted anyone before. No sooner had he spoken than he saw the little dumpling’s golden tears falling even more profusely.

Instinctively glancing toward the door and finding no one there, Fu Siyuan frantically tried to soothe her.

He rushed to the sofa, gathered all the snacks, and brought them onto the bed.

Fu Siyuan extended his hand again, "Don’t cry, okay? I’ll give you all these snacks."

"Here, there’s candy. If you eat this, you mustn't cry anymore."

He tentatively reached out, trying to emulate his eldest brother by holding her in his arms.

But Zhi Zhi, whose face still smarted from being pinched, saw his hand approaching again. She kicked out with her legs and scurried back to her father’s side.

"Daddy, the bad guy bullied Zhi Zhi! Daddy, wake up and beat the bad guy for Zhi Zhi!"

Clutching the man’s arm, Zhi Zhi tried to rouse her still-sleeping father.

Fu Siyuan was unaware of the events of the previous night.

Seeing the little dumpling seek help from her father, his brows furrowed tightly.

"The doctor said Father can’t wake up right now. Be good, Zhi Zhi. Third Brother apologizes to you."

"Third Brother will unwrap candy for you, okay? Third Brother didn’t mean to bully you..."

His voice gradually trailed off.

From the moment he first laid eyes on the little dumpling, he had been utterly smitten.

The Fu household was vast, populated almost entirely by men.

As the youngest, with a father and brothers who excelled in every way, he often felt stifled. Now that his eldest brother had brought home this little dumpling, he couldn’t resist coming to see her.

Seeing his apology, Zhi Zhi turned her tear-stained face toward him.

"When you apologize, you have to say 'I’m sorry.'"

Fu Siyuan, "I’m sorry!"

Zhi Zhi wiped away her tears, "Zhi Zhi will heal Daddy. Daddy will wake up soon. You mustn’t say things like that about Daddy."

Though young, Fu Siyuan knew that a comatose patient rarely recovered.

But to appease the little dumpling, his usually contrary tongue immediately agreed with her words.

"Zhi Zhi is so sweet, Father will definitely wake up soon."

Zhi Zhi then broke into a smile, "Zhi Zhi forgives you!"

Finally seeing the little dumpling’s joyful face, Fu Siyuan’s heart swelled with delight.

He still remembered how soft and cuddly she was in his eldest brother’s arms, and the sweet, milky fragrance that emanated from her.

Rubbing his palms together, Fu Siyuan extended his arms again, "Then... can Third Brother hold you?"

Zhi Zhi was still clinging to her father’s arm.

Seeing the hopeful glint in the older boy’s eyes, she hesitated before letting go and slowly shuffled toward him.

"Zhi Zhi wants to find Big Brother. Third Brother, carry Zhi Zhi there."

Having finally held the little dumpling, Fu Siyuan was utterly content. At this point, he would give her anything, even all his prized possessions, if she asked.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek, a goofy smile spreading across his face.

"Okay, Third Brother will take you to find Big Brother."

The siblings left the master bedroom.

The moment the door closed, the man lying on the bed, his eyelids fluttered violently.

The next second, his eyes briefly flickered open before closing again.

As if nothing had happened in the bedroom.