"Hysteria plus schizophrenia?" Huo Xiaozheng looked at Huo Ning lying on the bed with a complex expression. She was frowning tightly, seeming to endure great pain even in her sleep.
Shen Shiyan felt somewhat sympathetic: "Medically speaking, it's dissociative identity disorder. The individual switches between one or more identities, possibly accompanied by memory impairment."
Huo Xiaozheng raised his hand to smooth out Huo Ning's frown.
"When Huo Yueze came to play with her, the way she smiled almost made me forget what she was originally like," Huo Xiaozheng's voice sounded somewhat guilty.
Shen Shiyan hadn't heard him speak in this tone for a long time. The last time he heard it, wasn't Huo Xiaozheng still a young man?
"Don't feel too guilty," he comforted. "If there's anyone to blame, it's her cruel mother."
Huo Xiaozheng pressed his forehead against Huo Ning's hand.
Although that was said, the mistake made back then wasn't solely directed by Shi Lili.
If it weren't for his momentary carelessness, no one would have found a loophole.
As for Shi Lili...
Huo Xiaozheng's face darkened. He had originally been mindful that she was Huo Ning's birth mother and didn't want to go to extremes. But now it seemed...
A glint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
Shen Shiyan mistakenly thought he was deeply remorseful and said, "Don't worry too much. Ning Ning's condition is caused by external factors. With proper treatment, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Huo Xiaozheng met Shen Shiyan's gaze: "Help me find a doctor. I need someone to stay by Ning Ning's side."
Shen Shiyan certainly wouldn't object.
"When will she wake up?"
"Try talking to her about things she's interested in..." Shen Shiyan suggested.
Halfway through his sentence, he awkwardly realized that this father and daughter had only been together for half a month, far from being familiar enough with Ning Ning's preferences.
He scratched his head: "Anyway, try to say things she likes."
"It's okay if you really can't think of anything to say. If she doesn't wake up in two hours, I'll give her some medication," Shen Shiyan added.
"Isn't it harmful to her growth and development if those medications are used too often?"
Shen Shiyan teased: "Don't you remember the last time Ning Ning had an episode? You were quite liberal with the medication to quickly alleviate her symptoms."
Huo Xiaozheng, unexpectedly stung by this remark: speechless.
Seeing him at a loss, Shen Shiyan felt a sense of satisfaction as if avenging Ning Ning: "Don't worry, I'll manage the dosage properly."
Huo Xiaozheng responded with a simple "Mm."
Seeing his low spirits, Shen Shiyan left with Aunt Xu to give some instructions, leaving Huo Xiaozheng alone in the hospital room.
The last rays of sunset disappeared behind the mountains, and night fell. The hospital room was quiet, with medical equipment occasionally making sounds, their regular beeps reassuring.
Huo Xiaozheng sat by Huo Ning's bed, Shen Shiyan's words echoing in his mind.
'Talk to her about things she likes.'
Huo Xiaozheng looked at the sickly Huo Ning and thought self-mockingly, what could he possibly talk to her about? He didn't know her preferences at all.
She was only 5 years old.
Used as a bargaining chip by the mother she relied on for survival, and later discarded.
In just 5 short years, she had become as world-weary as an elderly person.
The night he first met her, the look in her eyes towards Shi Lili held a sense of desperate resolve, as if ready to perish together.
The glimpses he had uncovered of her life over the past 5 years showed that her happy memories stopped at age 3. After that, it was all suffering.
Because of trust, she had been continuously hurt.
Huo Xiaozheng clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, as if struggling to contain his emotions.
Huo Ning, deep in sleep, was oblivious to this.
She had her own nightmares.
She saw herself hiding in a building with half the sky burning red, everything collapsing around her, thick smoke everywhere. A little girl in tattered clothes cowered in a corner, shivering.
That person was her, yet not her.
She stood up and took a few steps, trying to find a way out.
At the end of the path appeared a firefighter with a face similar to Li Zhiyuan's.
She stopped, even retreating a few steps.
The smoke began to dissipate, ashes falling like winter snow all around.
She took a few steps outside, where there was a cherry blossom tree, its flowers almost white with just a hint of pink.
She reached out, wanting to touch that bit of color, but unexpectedly, the cherry blossom tree transformed into a huge bloody mouth, lunging towards her!
Huo Ning's heart jolted, and she instantly opened her eyes.
A dim yellow light greeted her, the beeping sounds in her ears and the smell of disinfectant at her nose indicating she was in a hospital room.
So it was all just a dream.
Huo Ning breathed a sigh of relief.
She slowly crawled up, her movement startling Huo Xiaozheng who had been dozing on the sofa.
"You're awake. Are you hungry?" Huo Xiaozheng turned on the bedside lamp, brightening the room considerably.
Huo Ning shook her head: "I'm thirsty."
Huo Xiaozheng brought water and helped her drink some: "Are you still feeling unwell?"
Huo Ning focused for a moment, sensing that the original consciousness was no longer there, and shook her head again: "I'm not feeling unwell anymore."
"It's still early." The wall clock showed 7:30 PM. Huo Xiaozheng said, "I'll ask Aunt Xu to heat up some abalone porridge for you. You can eat and then go back to sleep."
Though she had said she wasn't hungry, Huo Ning, who was actually craving food, certainly didn't refuse.
"I'm sorry," Huo Ning mumbled. "Did I cause you trouble?"
Huo Xiaozheng frowned: "Why do you say that?"
Huo Ning was somewhat surprised. Did this even need to be asked?
Previously, when she wanted him to raise her until she was 18, Huo Xiaozheng's first reaction was to suspect that Shi Lili and she had some scheme.
Now that there was trouble between Shi Lili and her, causing him problems, wasn't it normal for her to apologize?
Did this really need to be questioned?
The confusion in Huo Ning's eyes was almost tangible, and Huo Xiaozheng immediately realized what she was thinking.
"Before, I hadn't investigated thoroughly and mistakenly thought you were a tool Shi Lili was using to threaten me, so I was guarded against you," Huo Xiaozheng explained, which was rare for him.
After a pause, he added: "It won't be like that anymore."
Huo Ning was even more shocked, her little mouth agape: "Oh, I see~"
Her childish tone made Huo Xiaozheng smile involuntarily: "Yes, I'm the one who should be saying sorry."
Perhaps because the atmosphere in the hospital room had become too relaxed, Huo Ning didn't dwell on it too much and said with a bit of pride: "Then I forgive you. You should forgive me too!"
Huo Xiaozheng solemnly shook his head.
Huo Ning's little face fell. How could he be like this?
Huo Xiaozheng softened his expression: "Take your time forgiving Dad. I haven't done well, but I'll learn gradually."
This sudden tenderness truly touched Huo Ning's heart.
She thought of her previous life.
In her previous life, due to the nature of his work, her father always wore a cold expression. Plus, her father was often away on business trips, which further reduced their time together.
Although she had her mother by her side, for her, her father was more like a familiar stranger.
She often longed for her father to say some soft words to her, to hug her, to comfort her, but even when she was critically ill, this person who was as deep as a mountain in her heart only reddened his eyes.
Hearing Huo Xiaozheng speak like this, her eyes almost immediately reddened.
Although Huo Xiaozheng wasn't the father from her previous life, she seemed to be moved as well.
"Mm!" Huo Ning, with her big watery eyes, nodded heavily, then revealed a sweet smile.
Huo Ning recalled the events of today, and in some mysterious way, she sensed that the original consciousness hadn't completely dissipated, as if there were still unfinished business in this world.
"Dad, I want to see her one more time."
