The current relationship between the two was such that the recent actions were indeed somewhat ambiguous.
Xiang Wan knew she had done something wrong and regretted it, but she feigned indifference, calmly took the milk bottle, and handed it to Nian Nian.
Nian Nian drank from the bottle with a gulping sound, while with her other hand, she opened her five little fingers and made a gesture of wanting something from Lu Mingzhe, opening and closing them.
Lu Mingzhe was now very familiar with his daughter's temperament. Knowing she wanted to be held, he picked her up again.
Seeing the two so affectionate, Xiang Wan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
What would happen to Nian Nian when he returned to Nancheng later?
It was better to foster less affection, which would do Nian Nian no harm.
"Since Grandma isn't awake yet and you have nothing to do, why don't you take this time to sleep? Don't worry about her, I'll take her out for a walk."
As soon as she heard about going out for a walk, Nian Nian immediately rubbed her eyes with her fingers, looking extremely sleepy.
Witnessing his daughter drink milk for the first time, with her cheeks puffed out like Shin-chan from the cartoon, she was incredibly cute. Lu Mingzhe was reluctant to give her to Xiang Wan.
He now completely understood Zhan Bei Jue's devotion to Ge'er, valuing her more than his own life.
He recalled that when Ge'er had just learned to walk, she had fallen because the floor was slippery, and he had immediately summoned people overnight to replace the flooring.
A daughter was a piece of a father's heart, and every move she made tugged at his nerves. How could anyone not love her?
"Nian Nian seems sleepy too. Why don't she sleep with me? We've never slept together before."
Nian Nian indeed had a habit of napping.
Before Lu Mingzhe arrived, she used to sleep every afternoon.
And she would drink milk while lying in bed, falling asleep as she drank.
So, Xiang Wan didn't argue with him.
"Alright then. I'll help you tidy up the bed."
Because Lu Mingzhe was quite tall, even though the accompanying hospital bed was not narrow, Xiang Wan pushed the two accompanying hospital beds together, worried about her daughter falling off.
After making the bed, when she looked back, Nian Nian, while drinking, was already leaning against Lu Mingzhe's shoulder and was about to fall asleep.
Lu Mingzhe tiptoed with his daughter to the bedside, took off his shoes first, sat on the bed, slowly lay down, and then gently placed her from his arms onto the bed.
Nian Nian, who had already closed her eyes and was drowsy, suddenly opened them the moment she touched the bed.
She looked at Lu Mingzhe, then at the empty bed beside him, and burst into tears.
Whether it was because she was unfamiliar with the bed or for some other reason, Lu Mingzhe quickly tried to soothe her.
"Baby, be good, be good, Daddy's here, don't be scared. Daddy is right beside you, don't cry, don't cry."
Nian Nian ignored him and continued to cry, letting go of the milk bottle. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she mumbled,
"Mama... Mama..."
So, she needed her mother beside her to sleep?
Lu Mingzhe quickly looked for Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan was speechless at this little drama queen.
Was it because she felt insecure in a new place?
She never asked for her mother to accompany her when she napped at home!
Of course, no mother could bear to see her daughter cry continuously. Despite her exasperation, Xiang Wan still walked over.
She sat by the bed and gently patted her, "Nian Nian, don't cry, be good, Mommy is here, Mommy will always be with you."
Nian Nian casually threw the milk bottle aside, wiggled her bottom, and crawled towards Xiang Wan.
Lu Mingzhe quickly righted the milk bottle, while Xiang Wan gently held her and patted her.
Soon, she was drowsy again and closed her eyes.
Lu Mingzhe lay on the bed, looking at them from the side, and suddenly felt a sense of domestic bliss, like having a wife, children, and a warm炕.
Although Grandma was still outside, he felt that the three of them together looked rather peculiar.
After being stared at by him for a while, Xiang Wan felt uneasy and stood up.
"You sleep, I'll take her outside to soothe her."
She stood up, but before she could take a step, Nian Nian in her arms trembled violently, her mouth turned down, and she started crying again.
"Daddy, Daddy..."
Xiang Wan quickly stopped, held her tighter, and gently patted her.
"Nian Nian, be good, Nian Nian, don't be scared, Daddy is here, he hasn't left, don't be scared, don't be scared."
Hearing his daughter call out to him in her sleep, Lu Mingzhe quickly leaned over.
He saw her sleeping with her eyes closed, her small mouth opening and closing as if murmuring.
He felt heartbroken.
But he couldn't snatch her from Xiang Wan's arms. With a sudden impulse, he got out of bed and pulled both Xiang Wan and Nian Nian into his embrace.
Sandwiched between them, Nian Nian listened to her father's heartbeat and her mother's heartbeat, and this time, she finally slept soundly.
The three stood there, leaning against each other. After a minute or two, Lu Mingzhe let go of her.
"Alright, give her to me, you rest for a while."
Xiang Wan dodged his hand.
"No need, you go back and lie down. Moving her back and forth will wake her up."
Lu Mingzhe quickly lay back down, and Xiang Wan placed Nian Nian on his chest.
Seeing their daughter sleeping sweetly nestled against her daddy, Xiang Wan felt relieved and turned to leave.
Lu Mingzhe softly called out to her, "Grandma isn't awake yet, and you have nothing to do outside. Why don't you sleep for a while? You look tired."
Xiang Wan was indeed tired. Recently, due to Nian Nian's illness, Grandma hadn't rested well, and naturally, she hadn't rested well either.
Coupled with working during the day and dealing with endless clients, she felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
But Xiang Wan would not sleep with him.
Not to mention that they were in the hospital, where people were coming and going, and everyone could see.
Even if no one could see, their current relationship was not appropriate.
Given their relationship, him saying this was simply foolish.
Xiang Wan ignored him and turned to leave the ward.
Sitting in the hospital corridor, she took out her phone to check if there were any work-related matters, when Tang Haichao called.
He asked which hospital her grandmother was in and said he wanted to visit.
"No need."
Because Lu Mingzhe was present, Xiang Wan instinctively refused.
Tang Haichao said righteously, "No need for what? At a time like this, you're still saying that? What do you take me for?"
"Let's not even talk about being friends for so long, even if we were just ordinary colleagues, if you're in trouble, wouldn't I come to see you?"
"With an elderly person and a child, you don't even tell me immediately when something happens. Do you think Tang Haichao is so unreliable?"
Xiang Wan knew that although his tone was harsh, every word was for her own good.
In the more than a year they had known each other, Tang Haichao was the one who had helped her most sincerely.
"Aren't you out of town? Even if I told you, you couldn't come back."
"Whether I can come back is my business, and whether you tell me is yours. I think you don't consider me a friend at all, always guarding against me like a thief!"
Xiang Wan was rendered speechless by his retort and could only tell him the hospital address and room number.
Tang Haichao happened to be passing nearby and came up soon after. They met in the corridor.