Neighbor Zhong Jia'nian

Xu Wei’s embrace was somewhat stiff as he placed the thermometer on the table, his warm palm once again touching her forehead.

Thirty-eight point three.

This temperature must be very uncomfortable for a child.

Wanwan, with a weak voice, said, “Big brother, I want some water.”

Xu Wei placed her on the sofa. “You sit here for a moment; I’ll go fetch some water. Shall we go to the hospital later?”

Wanwan obediently nodded. After Xu Wei went into the kitchen, she leaned on the corner of the sofa, surveying the spacious room, but her brother was nowhere to be seen.

Last night, Siming said that Xia Zhihuai was Little Azure Dragon.

Siming was afraid that after Little Azure Dragon went through his tribulations, he would come back to settle the score. So, he asked her to help guide her brother onto the right path as much as possible.

But what exactly was the right path? Wanwan couldn’t quite understand, and she anxiously scratched the back of her head, accidentally touching the scab on her scalp, causing her little face to contort in pain.

…

Xu Wei looked around and discovered that Xia Zhihuai’s home only had bottled mineral water. Not to mention a hot water kettle, there wasn’t even a pot or bowl.

He couldn’t understand, how Xia Zhihuai managed to survive until today.

Xu Wei stood in the kitchen, silent for a few seconds, gripping his phone and grabbing his keys, preparing to try his luck downstairs.

If all else failed, he would go to the security room to borrow some hot water.

“Big brother, do you know where my brother went?”

Xu Wei walked out of the kitchen. “He went to film a movie, to earn money to support Wanwan.”

Wanwan nodded, seemingly understanding.

“Wanwan, stay at home for a while. I’ll go to ask the neighbor for some hot water.”

“Okay.”

Wanwan leaned on the sofa, like a little chick, cutely nodding her head.

Xu Wei patted her head and left to find some hot water.

…

The house Xia Zhihuai bought was in Qingchuan Huating, a high-end residential area, with Building 9 being the most expensive.

Each building had one household per floor, and each apartment was a spacious four hundred square meters.

Xia Zhihuai’s house was on the top floor, with a small garden.

Xu Wei knocked on the door downstairs, luckily someone was home. The neighbor downstairs was also someone from the entertainment industry, and when they saw Xu Wei, they were momentarily stunned.

“Mr. Xu, what brings you here?”

Xu Wei put on a brave face. “I wanted to ask if you have hot water at home. A child has a slight fever, and I dare not give her cold water. Xia Zhihuai doesn’t even have a hot water kettle at home, so I had to come out and ask…”

Zhong Jia'nian was curious and stepped aside. “Come in first, I’ll boil some water. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

“How old is the child?” Xu Wei casually replied, “Three and a half years old, we just brought her back yesterday.”

Xu Wei sighed helplessly. Zhong Jia'nian filled the kettle with water and asked Xu Wei to wait in the living room for a moment. “Xia Zhihuai is only twenty years old, right? And he already has a three-and-a-half-year-old child?”

Although Zhong Jia'nian had a jaded expression, those who knew him well knew that besides making music, he loved to gossip.

Xu Wei’s mouth twitched twice. “She’s not his child, she’s his younger sister.”

“Her parents died in a car accident, and she was adopted by relatives. But that family is despicable, not only did they seize her inheritance, but they also abused the child. We only found out yesterday and brought the child back that night. However, Xia Zhihuai has been living a rough life, and there’s nothing in his house.”

Zhong Jia'nian sat on the sofa, his brows furrowing. “Did you report it to the police?”

“Of course we did.” Xu Wei sighed softly, his voice filled with worry. “But the custody of the child is still in the hands of that family. It’s definitely going to be a legal battle to fight for custody. We’re currently in a state of chaos, the child just woke up and now she has a fever again. I have to take her to the hospital later.”

Zhong Jia'nian sat up straight, retrieving his phone from under the table.

“Do you know any lawyers in this field? If you need, I can introduce you to someone.”

“When my aunt divorced, she also fought for custody of her child. That lawyer is quite skilled in this area and is well-known in the law field.”

Xu Wei certainly didn’t mind having more connections, immediately taking out his phone. “Come, give me his WeChat.” After Zhong Jia'nian sent his account to Xu Wei, he calmly said, “I quite like children. I’ve been resting at home recently, so if you have time, bring the little one downstairs to play.”

Xu Wei nodded. “All right, I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no trouble at all. We should gather evidence against those scum who abused the child as soon as possible and take them to court. If those scumbags are still free, then there’s no justice in this world.”

Finally, Xu Wei carried the kettle of hot water back upstairs.

Upon entering, he saw Wanwan with a mouth full of bubbles, staring blankly at him.

“Wanwan, drink some water.”

Xu Wei squatted beside her, watching her delicate wrist with bruises, unable to resist squeezing his phone.

With gentle sips, the water was consumed, and the eyes, dark and luminous, blinked, veiled by a faint mist. They resembled a delicate, kitten-like gaze.

“Big brother, I shall go wash my face first.”

Xu Wei opened the children’s breakfast he brought along, sitting on a chair as he lowered his head to reply to Xia Zhihuai’s message.

Xia Zhihuai: Is Wanwan running a fever?

Xia Zhihuai: How could she have a fever? I’ll rush over immediately!!

Xu Wei’s fingers were not as swift as Xia Zhihuai’s; before he could finish typing a message, several messages had already flooded in.

Pressing down on the keyboard, he stared at the last two exclamation marks, erasing all the typed words and directly dialing the phone.

“You focus on your acting; I will take Wanwan to the hospital. If you dare to skip work without reason, I’ll skin you alive when you return.”

Without waiting for Xia Zhihuai’s response, he decisively hung up the phone.

As Xu Wei lifted his head, he saw Wanwan with a mouth full of bubbles, gazing at him in a daze.

“Wanwan, spit out the foam in your mouth and rinse.”

Xu Wei crouched beside her, observing the faint marks on her delicate wrists, unable to resist squeezing his phone.

Wanwan was obedient, spitting out the foam and rinsing her mouth before returning to the living room with a clatter.

Originally lacking appetite, she slowly developed a slight craving upon seeing the beautiful little dumplings in the insulated lunchbox.

Xu Wei placed a soft cushion on the carpet, and Wanwan knelt by the coffee table, nibbling on the dumplings slowly. Although she finished a bowl, she only felt half-full.

“Is Wanwan full?”

Xu Wei looked surprised as she finished all the dumplings in her bowl.

Although he bought a children’s meal, the portion was particularly generous. When he bought breakfast at the restaurant in the morning, he saw a child dining in the restaurant who became full after eating only half.

Wanwan nodded, her gaze shifting to the lunchbox larger than her face, her heart filled with worry.

Did she eat too much?

What if her big brother thought she ate too much and didn’t want to take care of her anymore? What should she do?

But this was the first time she had tasted human food, and it was incredibly delicious!

She wanted to continue eating in the future.

What should she do???

…

After washing the lunchbox clean and changing Wanwan’s shoes, Xu Wei carried her and headed to the hospital for a check-up.

In the elevator, they happened to meet Zhong Jia'nian, who was taking out the trash.

Zhong Jia'nian looked at Wanwan, wearing a child’s mask, and reached out to touch her little head. “Little one, what’s your name?”

Wanwan leaned against Xu Wei’s shoulder, raising her round cat-like pupils as she stared quietly at Zhong Jia'nian.

“I’m Wanwan.”

Xu Wei introduced, “Wanwan, this is Brother Jia'nian, our neighbor who just lent us a kettle. He lives downstairs.”

Wanwan looked at Zhong Jia'nian with curiosity. He also wore a mask, and there was a pattern on the black mask—a cat wearing a hat.

She couldn’t help but tug at her own mask, her voice soft and gentle, “Thank you, Brother Jia'nian.”

Zhong Jia'nian’s eyes curved, looking at her big, round eyes, his heart melting. He lightly tapped her forehead with his finger, his voice gentle, “Wanwan is such a good girl. If you have time, come play at brother’s house.”

Wanwan didn’t nod in agreement, instead turning her head to look at Xu Wei.

Xu Wei nodded, and Wanwan grabbed onto his clothes before earnestly replying to Zhong Jia'nian, “When I get better, I will go and play with Brother Jia'nian.”

Zhong Jia'nian looked at her timid gaze, recalling what Xu Wei had said earlier, and an inexplicable anger surged within him. How could such a cute and well-behaved child be subjected to abuse? Those damn trash!

Sigh, he really wanted to steal the child and raise her at his own home!

Zhong Jia'nian looked at Wanwan with a slightly heated gaze, quietly restraining his restless fingers, sighing a thousand times in his heart.

After twenty-three years of being single, and suddenly, a ridiculous idea emerged in Zhong Jia'nian’s mind.

How could he bypass dating and marriage and directly have a well-behaved and tender daughter of his own?