Coveted for a Long Time 16

Chapter 16

In her memory, not many people gave her candy, and only one person fit the connection to Beijing. She had left Jiang City six years ago and hadn’t been seen for a long time; Qiao Xi had almost forgotten what she looked like.

The call was still ongoing. In a daze, she didn’t know whether to speak first or pick up the candy scattered on the floor.

“What is it?” she asked, her tone somewhat stiff, as she squatted down to pick things up.

Fu Bei was silent for a moment before saying, “Just calling to confirm.”

Qiao Xi’s hand paused, then she quickly gathered all the candy into the box. The person on the phone added, “I got the number from Uncle Qiao.”

That counted as an explanation.

Qiao Xi could guess where she got the number. She wasn’t close with Tang Yi, so it could only be Qiao Jianliang. She gave a hum of acknowledgment, looking at the large box of snacks, her mind a bit chaotic.

Low, suppressed coughing came from the other end again. Perhaps it was too uncomfortable; the phone seemed to be moved away for a while to prevent the sound from transmitting. Qiao Xi knew what was going on—most likely a cold from getting caught in the rain. However, she didn’t ask a single question, waiting for the person to speak.

It was unknown how much time passed before the person said in a suppressed voice, “I’m downstairs.”

Hearing this, Qiao Xi didn’t react immediately. She walked to the window, pulled open the thick curtains, and looked down. Sure enough, the familiar Maybach was parked next to her car. Fu Bei was standing by the car, also looking up at this spot. From this distance, she couldn’t see clearly. The person stood motionless, dressed thinly, looking exceptionally simple and capable with a slender waist and long legs.

Qiao Xi’s throat suddenly felt a bit blocked. She asked dryly, “What are you doing here? Why haven’t you gone back yet, so late at night?”

“Passed by, so I came,” Fu Bei said. The excuse was clumsy. Jiang University was already on break, and the compound was so far from here; how could she possibly be passing by?

The moon and stars were boundless tonight, and the sky was actually quite nice. Qiao Xi didn’t go downstairs. With a rare gentle tone, she said, “Go back.”

The other party didn’t leave, remaining standing in the same spot.

Qiao Xi couldn’t understand her thoughts, what exactly she wanted to do, nor was she clear about what was wrong with herself. She watched from behind the window for a long time, eventually closing the curtains and hanging up the phone.

Perhaps the night was too oppressive, making her restless. She couldn’t help but care about downstairs, wanting to take a look at that person, but she controlled herself. After cleaning up the living room and getting ready to sleep, she secretly peeked outside. The Maybach had driven away. Time had slipped by, and it was the early hours of the morning again.

The residential complex was dark and heavy. Only a few households still had their lights on. Downstairs, only the dim, weak streetlights shone, blurry and hazy.

Qiao Xi lay in bed, her thoughts a mess, recalling the first year she arrived at the compound when she got sick with a low fever.

Unlike the current season, it was autumn in Jiang City back then. The temperature fluctuated greatly, making it the season most prone to colds and fevers. The Qiao couple neglected her care, and children, ignorant of the cold and warmth throughout the seasons, loved to show off their figures, wearing skirts out even in the windy teens-degree weather.

She had felt dizzy and unwell in the morning but didn’t take it to heart, nor did she tell anyone. In the afternoon, she ran to the Fu house as usual. The old lady was teaching her two senior disciples in the practice room. Qiao Xi mimicked them for more than half an hour, and once she had enough fun, she ran downstairs to find Fu Bei.

Fu Bei was facing the computer doing something unknown and had no time to pay attention to her.

Ignored on both sides, her head grew dizzier and dizzier, gradually becoming more uncomfortable. The last time she went upstairs, she actually fell asleep lying on the rocking chair.

Even at sunset, no one saw her come down again. Fu Bei finally put aside the work in her hands and went upstairs to see what was wrong, but she didn’t find anyone in the practice room.

“Maybe she went back. It’s so late, time for dinner,” one senior disciple said.

The other smiled: “I saw her going toward the balcony on the left earlier. Go check there. If she’s not there, she probably went home.”

Fu Bei gave a hum of acknowledgment and went to the balcony to look for her. As soon as she arrived, she saw Qiao Xi fast asleep, slumped in the reclining chair. The child’s face showed an unnatural flush, her lips were also crimson, and her breathing was heavy. It was windy on the balcony, yet she could fall asleep without any cover… Fu Bei frowned tightly and went over to touch Qiao Xi’s forehead. It was frighteningly hot.

Qiao Xi had a fever, burning so hot her consciousness was fuzzy. Feeling the coolness, she unconsciously rubbed towards it, leaning into Fu Bei.

She opened her eyes with difficulty and said haltingly, “Fu Bei, I have a bit of a headache…”

Burning up like this, Fu Bei hurriedly picked her up. The child was quite heavy; the flesh on her body hadn’t grown in vain, and Fu Bei almost couldn’t hold her.

No matter how uncomfortable she was, Qiao Xi still knew to hold onto the other person’s neck to avoid falling. Her two hands circled the back of Fu Bei’s neck, her face pressed into the crook of her neck, her whole body snuggled close.

Feeling the scorching heat against her neck, Fu Bei was stunned. With a rare gentleness, she patted her back soothingly and whispered, “I’ll get a doctor for you right away. It’s okay.”

“Don’t want to go to the hospital…” Qiao Xi hugged her tighter. Children fear injections and medicine, rejecting hospitals. In her impression, the few times she went to see a doctor were cold and unfeeling.

Fu Bei carried her to her own room and said softly, “We won’t go. I’ll call a doctor. You lie down for a while first.”

Only then did Qiao Xi relax, but she still wasn’t used to being treated so gently and couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. Especially being placed on this person’s bed, she felt even more uneasy. But helpless against the discomfort, she fell asleep again not long after lying down.

The Fu family had a dedicated doctor who arrived quickly after a phone call. Qiao Xi was groggy, only forcing her eyes open when taking medicine. The rest of the time, she lay sleeping, vaguely hearing the doctor instructing something.

The old lady’s heart ached for the child. She called Qiao Jianliang, but the couple was busy discussing business and couldn’t come back today, saying they would send the family helper to pick her up. This angered her so much she couldn’t help but mutter, “Don’t know what they’re busy with all day. How much less money would they earn if they delayed for a day? Not even caring about their own flesh and blood. Some virtue.”

The room door was still wide open. Fu Bei glanced inside and said in a low voice, “Don’t worry, I’ll watch over her.”

The old lady looked at Qiao Xi, whose small face was flushed red from the fever, and sighed helplessly. “I’ll have Nanny Chen cook some soup to moisten the lungs and stop the cough later. Let her drink it when she wakes up.”

Fu Bei agreed, closed the door, and went downstairs to find Nanny Chen.

When she woke up again, it was already past nine in the evening. Qiao Xi felt much better. There was a basin of water on the bedside table with a used cloth inside. Fu Bei was sitting beside her. Seeing her awake, she reached out to touch her forehead.

“Still dizzy?”

Qiao Xi wasn’t used to such thoughtfulness yet. Nervously twisting her fingers under the quilt, she curled herself into a ball and lay on her side. “Not dizzy anymore.”

After taking medicine and sleeping under the covers, her whole body was sticky with sweat from the fever. Her hair was matted into strands sticking to her fair, tender neck. Knowing she was in someone else’s bed and had sweated all over, she felt quite embarrassed. She shrank further into the quilt, her dark, round eyes staring unblinkingly at Fu Bei.

Fu Bei didn’t say anything. She found a set of clothes and pants she rarely wore and told the child to change into them quickly. Then she fetched fresh hot water to help wipe her body. At that time, they were both young, and there was nothing inappropriate about the older one taking care of the younger one. Besides, the old lady had repeatedly urged that she must change into dry clothes after sweating. Originally, she had wanted Nanny Chen to do these things, but in the end, Fu Bei took the initiative to do it herself.

Stripped bare, Qiao Xi’s face turned beet red. At seven years old, she was already sensible and did these things herself at home, so she felt incredibly shy right now.

Children are simple; shyness is just shyness, unmixed with any impurities.

Knowing she was sweaty, coupled with a hint of dependency and mindful of Fu Bei’s kindness towards her, she cooperated obediently. Although she felt a bit uncomfortable, she held it in and didn’t make a sound.

Qiao Xi’s reliance on Fu Bei had been cultivated since childhood. The Fu and Qiao families were neighbors, and the age gap between them wasn’t too significant. Even though Fu Bei always put on a cold front, she treated Qiao Xi increasingly differently, becoming more indulgent and caring. Falling for her happened step by step; subtle, deepening special treatment needed time to ferment before transforming. For Qiao Xi as a child, the person she interacted with most was Fu Bei, and the person she wanted to interact with most was also Fu Bei. Even the slightest bit of kindness from Fu Bei made her happy.

The child looked even chubbier than when dressed—soft and white, but not fat, just pleasantly fleshy to the touch. Smelling the sweat, Fu Bei pursed her lips, worried she might catch a chill again, and wiped her down quickly.

“Just make do with these for now. Go home and change later. It’s windy outside, so don’t run around.”

Qiao Xi responded in a milky voice, “Mmh, I know.”

After she changed, Fu Bei asked Nanny Chen to come up and change the sheets and quilt cover, telling Qiao Xi to stay nestled in the bed while she went downstairs to bring up the hot soup.

The clothes didn’t fit at all; Qiao Xi looked like she was wrapped in two pieces of cloth.

The old lady watched this, her eyes crinkling with smiles. She was gratified that Fu Bei could go to such lengths. The children of the Fu family were just too precocious and sensible, acting as if they had no emotions. Fu Bei, in particular, had been taught by the Fu family to be mature since childhood, lacking any childishness. Now that the lively and active Qiao Xi had arrived, the old lady was naturally delighted, hoping Fu Bei could spend more time with Qiao Xi and change her cool nature.

That night, Qiao Xi didn’t go back. When the auntie came to pick her up, she refused to leave, staying nestled in bed without moving. It was the old lady who made the decision to let her stay.

Fu Bei had no objections, showing a rare leniency.

“I’ll go back tomorrow morning,” Qiao Xi said deliberately, secretly observing the person’s expression. Finally, she explained with feigned seriousness, “My head is still a bit dizzy, uncomfortable.”

Fu Bei poured hot water for her to take her medicine and saw to it that she went to sleep early.

Taking medicine made one drowsy. Qiao Xi obediently washed up early and lay in bed. Knowing Fu Bei disliked others entering this space, she washed her feet twice in the bathroom, ensuring they were completely clean before getting in.

Her body was still a bit hot, her breathing heavy and somewhat labored. Long accustomed to sleeping alone, having someone suddenly beside her filled her with joy. No matter how sleepy she was, she scooted closer, leaning against Fu Bei’s arm as she lay down.

Sensing her little scheme, Fu Bei didn’t react much. Only when the person was almost nestled in her arms did she whisper, “Behave yourself. Don’t move around when you sleep.”

Qiao Xi nuzzled her body, taking the opportunity to press completely against her, and said softly, “Didn’t move.”

Not a word of truth; not well-behaved at all.

However, she was quiet enough. After snuggling close, she didn’t move around again until she was fast asleep. The child’s body was soft, unconsciously pressing against her, impossible to push away, sleeping deeply. Fu Bei lay on her side. After a long while, she tucked in the quilt, held the child, and closed her eyes.