C26 Don't Tell Me That You Used a Voicechanging Device!

"Big brother, I'm feeling better now. Can I come over to play with you again sometime?" An An's eyes sparkled with hope as she blinked expectantly.

The little boy paused for a moment.

He had been so stern just before, and yet she was asking to remain friends. Could it be that she wasn't afraid of him at all?

When he didn't respond, the little girl's eyes fell in disappointment.

Was it possible that she wouldn't be able to see her big brother again after being discharged from the hospital?

Soong Ruanruan couldn't stand to see the children upset. It was time to discuss a specific treatment plan with Fu Jingchuan, so she turned her attention to the man sitting across from her.

"Mr. Fu, since you've allowed me to visit your home today, I assume you're considering my treatment proposal. Let me get straight to the point. In the coming weeks, please continue to let An An and Dear Sui be friends."

Fu Jingchuan set his utensils down and slowly reached for his napkin, his movements as graceful as a sophisticated baron savoring wine in an oil painting, a sight both delightful and breathtaking.

Soong Ruanruan was well aware of his charm.

She hadn't expected that after all these years, time hadn't etched a single mark on him; instead, it had bestowed upon him an even more elusive air of maturity.

The heavens' favoritism was indeed beyond reason.

Finally, the man replied coolly, "When have I ever prevented it?"

Soong Ruanruan was taken aback.

True, without Fu Jingchuan's tacit consent, Dear Sui wouldn't have been able to visit An An so frequently at the hospital.

A flicker of doubt crossed her mind as she studied him. When had he become so agreeable?

"Uncle is so nice!"

The little girl might not have grasped everything, but she caught the gist of the last remark and cheerfully expressed her gratitude to Fu Jingchuan.

Fu Sui was also taken aback. In his memory, while his father had never explicitly forbidden him from making friends, he was not one to easily welcome others.

As the little girl beamed at him, Fu Jingchuan averted his gaze with a detached air.

Her eyes were too much like Soong Ruanruan's. Each time he looked into them, something in the depths of his heart seemed to twinge.

Coincidentally, as he shifted his gaze, he locked eyes with Soong Ling.

Soong Ruanruan remained unfazed, composedly allowing the man to scrutinize her.

Her makeup skills were akin to a complete transformation; based solely on her appearance, she wouldn't give anything away.

The meal concluded amidst their silent standoff.

In the afternoon, the children were playing upstairs, showing no signs of leaving, which meant Soong Ruanruan had to stay as well. Thankfully, Fu Jingchuan was tied up with work at the company; otherwise, she would have felt overwhelmed.

The butler served Soong Ruanruan tea and snacks, observing her quietly. He had watched the Little Young Master grow up and had never seen him warm up to anyone the way he did with this mother-daughter duo. It was so remarkable that it had even caused a rift with Jingchuan.

"Mr. Butler, may I take a moment of your time to ask a few questions? It's for the Little Young Master's treatment," Soong Ruanruan said, addressing the butler's evident curiosity with a direct approach.

The butler nodded agreeably.

"Do you know that Dear Sui struggles with insomnia?"

The butler let out a deep sigh and nodded. "I'm aware. When the Little Young Master can't sleep, I sometimes keep him company. He's too young for sleeping medication, so we can only soothe him. But he's always been quiet, preferring to do things on his own."

"Isn't Mr. Fu concerned about this?" Soong Ruanruan's grip on her pen tightened, her heart aching.

"Of course, he's concerned," the butler replied, his sighs growing heavier as he discussed the father-son relationship. "But Jingchuan... he just doesn't know how to express love. Even though he spends time with Little Young Master when he can, their communication is minimal. It's hardly the companionship one would hope for."

A shiver ran through Soong Ruanruan.

Could it be that Fu Jingchuan truly cared for Dear Sui?

Deep down, she had always harbored doubts, wondering if his seemingly indifferent attitude was because he didn't genuinely love his son.

After all, he didn't have the same affection for a child not born of the woman he loved. It was understandable that he might show some favoritism, but now it seemed she had misjudged him.

"I understand. Thank you for sharing this with me." Soong Ruanruan tucked away the notebook she always carried.

It appeared that in the future she would need to not only guide Dear Sui but also gently remind Fu Jingchuan about certain behaviors.

Upon entering the upstairs playroom, Soong Ruanruan saw the two children building with blocks.

"Mommy, look!" An An, tugging at Fu Sui's hand, proudly showed off the block structure they had built together.

Soong Ruanruan stroked her daughter's hair, then turned to her son and whispered, "Dear Sui, it's getting late. Auntie and An An need to head home. Can we come visit you again next time?"

A flicker of sadness passed through Fu Sui's eyes, but he understood they couldn't stay indefinitely and nodded in agreement.

Concerned about her son's insomnia, Soong Ruanruan added, "If you can't sleep at night, you can text Auntie, call her, or... maybe Daddy can keep you company."

Fu Sui paused, taken aback.

The idea of his father's company had occurred to him before, but even though he enjoyed his father's presence, he wasn't sure what they would talk about.

After gently caressing her son's head, Soong Ruanruan picked up her daughter and bid a reluctant farewell.

That night, the butler stood watch outside Fu Sui's door, ready to keep him company if he couldn't sleep. Yet, the night passed without a sound from inside the room.

Puzzled, the butler's thoughts were interrupted by the approach of Fu Jingchuan's tall silhouette. "Young Master, the Little Young Master hasn't emerged yet."

Since learning of his son's insomnia, Fu Jingchuan had made it a nightly routine to check on him.

Sometimes the butler was there to assist, and sometimes the boy managed to fall asleep early, but it was unusual for him to be asleep so early as he was tonight.

Perhaps... he wasn't asleep but simply didn't want to come out?

With this thought, Fu Jingchuan's brow furrowed as he opened the door.

Inside, the room was quiet, the only sound being a gentle female voice emanating from the phone beside Fu Sui's pillow.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are..."

The soothing voice resonated clearly in the tranquil room, as comforting as a lullaby that brought peace to the soul.

Fu Jingchuan felt a jolt in his heart.

That familiar, pure, and melodious voice... Could it be Soong Ruanruan?

He abruptly stepped forward and picked up his phone, where the contact labeled "Ms Soong" stood out prominently.

Glancing down, he saw that the little one on the bed had already closed his eyes, seemingly in a deep and peaceful slumber.

The singing ceased, and the woman's voice on the other end reverted to its usual rough and raspy tone, her words barely above a whisper: "Dear Sui, have you fallen asleep?"

Receiving no reply, Soong Ruanruan's lips curved into a satisfied smile.

It appeared that singing a bedtime lullaby was quite effective. She had managed to lull the child to sleep so swiftly, which would surely be a boon for Dear Sui's insomnia in the future.

Before she could revel in her success, the deep, resonant voice that came through the phone made her jump.

"Soong Ling?"

Great, how did the phone end up in that man's hands?

She should be thankful for her habitual caution. Aside from the singing, she had maintained her usual hoarse voice.

"Mr. Fu, aren't you asleep yet?"

Fu Jingchuan's eyes narrowed slightly, his response sidestepping the question: "Don't tell me you were using a voice changer just now."

Soong Ruanruan: "..."

Truth be told, if he hadn't brought it up, she was fully prepared to use that excuse to deflect any further probing.