* * *
Jian Zhile was slightly stunned, then smiled gently at the child.
Not wanting to chill the child, Jian Zhile soon withdrew his hand and said, “Thank you, An An. I’m not cold anymore.”
An An beamed at the praise, his little face lighting up.
Jian Zhile asked, “Are you hungry? I bought breakfast.”
An An nodded, “I’m hungry!”
Jian Zhile raised the small table attached to the bed and placed the buns and porridge on it. He thought of feeding the child himself, but An An picked up a bun and said, “Daddy, you eat too!”
Even though he was hungry, the child still thought of him first.
Jian Zhile was touched, then smiled and said, “I’ve already eaten. You eat.”
An An nodded obediently, “Okay~”
While the child ate, Jian Zhile tidied up. Just as he was cleaning up, a nurse came in for rounds. The doctor, seeing Jian Zhile, said, “Can you come to my office for a moment?”
Jian Zhile knew the doctor had something to discuss and nodded immediately.
He was a bit worried about An An.
But the child on the bed, eating his meal, looked up and said, “Daddy, go ahead. An An can eat by himself.”
Jian Zhile said, “You eat first. I’ll be back soon.”
An An nodded, “Daddy, go quickly~”
Jian Zhile couldn’t help but smile and walked out, following the doctor to the office. It was early, so not many people were around. The doctor took out some scans and looked at them, saying, “The child’s test results are out. We can confirm he has congenital heart valve insufficiency.”
Despite being mentally prepared, Jian Zhile’s heart sank. He asked, “What’s the treatment?”
The doctor continued, “This condition is rare. The conservative approach is surgery, but the child is too young now. Surgery is not recommended at this age. The best suggestion is to wait until he’s older. If lucky, his heart valve might self-repair.”
Jian Zhile didn’t want to gamble on luck. He asked, “What if… what if he’s not lucky?”
The doctor was silent for a moment, then said, “Then surgery will be necessary.”
Jian Zhile asked, “Is the surgery highly successful?”
The doctor pushed her glasses and didn’t answer directly. After a pause, she said, “We will do our best.”
Jian Zhile’s heart sank but quickly recovered, asking, “At what age would surgery be appropriate, and what precautions should we take? Does he need medication?”
The doctor looked puzzled, “Normally, this condition should have been detected at birth. Are you not his father?”
Jian Zhile was momentarily at a loss. He had only been with An An for a few days but felt deeply for the child.
Honestly, he said, “I wasn’t the one raising him before.”
The doctor understood, probably thinking he was divorced, and said, “It’s recommended to wait until he’s five years old for a re-examination and surgery. No need for excessive medication, just avoid strenuous activities.”
Jian Zhile nodded.
An An was four years old now, so there were two more years to go.
Seeing his difficulty, the doctor, out of sympathy, advised, “Don’t bear this alone. Discuss it with the child’s father when you get home.”
Knowing further discussion was pointless, Jian Zhile said, “Thank you.”
Leaving the doctor’s office, Jian Zhile thought a lot.
Surgery would require money, and he didn’t have the financial means. He had previously thought this wasn’t urgent, but now, regardless of whether An An was his biological child, he needed to talk to him seriously.
Returning to the ward, he saw a few people moving around. An An’s bed was in the innermost part. Seeing him return, the white, tender child called out excitedly, “Daddy!”
Jian Zhile came over, “Finished eating?”
“Mm!” An An pointed to the empty bowl on the table and patted his small tummy, “An An ate it all.”
Jian Zhile smiled, his eyes soft. He cleaned up the empty dishes.
An An, sitting on the bed, asked, “Daddy, when can we go home?”
Jian Zhile paused, then calmly answered, “Soon. Once your fever is gone, we’ll go home.”
An An’s eyes lit up, happy, “I’m not hot now!”
Seeing the child’s joy at the thought of going home, Jian Zhile remembered the doctor’s words and felt a tinge of sadness. But he quickly composed himself, sat by the bed, and said, “An An, I… Daddy has something to ask you. Can you tell Daddy?”
An An nodded without hesitation, “Mm~”
Jian Zhile took a deep breath, holding An An’s small hand, “If I am your daddy, do you know where your father is?”
No matter what, even if
An An was truly his child, he must have a father somewhere.
An An softly replied, “I know!”
Jian Zhile’s heart raced, “Where is he?”
* * *
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Ty
Pero que niño