The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

Hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

The security door was pushed open and slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

Lin Shuxian rushed into the house, covered in sweat.

There was no one in the living room.

Only the telephone, with its receiver hanging in mid-air, emitted a busy tone.

The sound of running water and suppressed sobs came from the kitchen.

Lin Shuxian rushed into the kitchen in three quick steps.

The sight before him made his heart clench.

The ground was in mess.

The stainless steel kettle was broken and deformed, leaving water stains all over the floor.

A faint smell of burning filled the air.

Lin Wanwan huddled in the corner, crying so hard her whole body was trembling, and her eyes were swollen like two walnuts.

"Daddy...waah..."

Upon seeing her savior, Lin Wanwan's cries instantly rose an octave.

Lin Shuxian had no time to comfort his daughter; his gaze was fixed on the small figure in front of the kitchen counter.

Chen Zhi stood on a stool, his left arm outstretched under the faucet, letting the strongest water flow wash over him.

That forearm, which was originally as white as a lotus root, was now frighteningly swollen and red, with a dense distribution of blisters of all sizes, and in some places the skin had even peeled off, revealing pink flesh.

shocking.

Lin Shuxian gasped, a chill running down his spine.

Such severe burns on a four-year-old child are painful to even look at.

But Chen Zhi didn't utter a sound.

The little guy's face was deathly pale, and his hair was soaked with cold sweat, clinging to his skin in strands.

His jaw clenched, and his cheeks bulged out in a hard ridge.

Hearing the noise, Chen Zhi turned his head with difficulty.

"Uncle Lin."

His voice was weak and hoarse, yet unusually calm.

"Take me to a hospital."

Lin Shuxian suddenly realized what was happening.

He picked Chen Zhi up in his arms, his hands feeling the burning heat emanating from the wound.

"Wanwan, keep up!"

Lin Shuxian yelled and turned to run outside.

Startled by the shout, Lin Wanwan trembled and, without even bothering to put on her shoes, stumbled and chased after him barefoot.

"I'm sorry... Waaah... It's all my fault..."

She ran and cried, her snot bubbles rising and falling with her breath.

The black sedan sped down the road, running two red lights.

In the back seat.

Lin Wanwan clung tightly to Chen Zhi's clothes, curling up into a ball.

"Zhizhi...does it hurt...?"

She wanted to touch Chen Zhi's hand, but was afraid of hurting him. Her little hands didn't know where to go, and in the end, she could only cover her face and cry.

"It's my fault. I won't eat instant noodles anymore, I won't eat them again..."

Chen Zhi leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed.

He didn't have the strength to respond to Lin Wanwan's confession.

Lin Wanwan looked at Chen Zhi's terrifying arm, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls.

That's why he became like this, to save her.

If Zhizhi hadn't pushed her away, the boiling water would have been splashed on her face.

Thinking of this, Lin Wanwan felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.

She carefully leaned closer and gently blew on Chen Zhi's wound.

"Whoosh...whoosh...the pain flies away..."

The warm, milky steam gently caressed the wound.

It's actually not very useful.

The car was parked in front of the emergency building of the city's central hospital.

Lin Shuxian carried Chen Zhi into the hall and shouted for a doctor.

Lin Wanwan followed behind, panting, her short legs carrying her.

The emergency room was a mess.

Who performed first aid?

The doctor examined the wound and looked up to ask.

"It was...it was the child himself."

Lin Shuxian's voice was somewhat hoarse.

The doctor pushed up his glasses in surprise and glanced at Chen Zhi, who was gritting his teeth and persevering.

"The situation was handled very promptly, and the rinsing time was long enough to remove most of the residual heat."

"If you don't rinse it with cold water for twenty minutes, the skin will be completely cooked, and you might need a skin graft, and your nerves might be damaged."

"Although it looks scary now, most of them are superficial second-degree burns. As long as they don't get infected, they won't leave any obvious scars in the future."

Lin Shuxian let out a long sigh of relief; his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Thank goodness.

If this child were to become disabled while saving his daughter, he would never be able to repay the debt in his lifetime.

Just then, the sound of hurried high heels came from the corridor.

"Zhizhi! My Zhizhi!"

Before Zhang Guifang even entered the door, the sound of crying could be heard first.

Chen Jun followed behind, his face ashen, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes clearly visible.

The couple were terrified when they received Lin Shuxian's call.

Upon entering the treatment room and seeing Chen Zhi's arm wrapped up like a rice dumpling, Zhang Guifang's legs went weak, and she almost knelt on the ground.

"Mom, I'm fine."

Chen Zhi leaned against the hospital bed, feeling slightly better after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection.

"How can it be alright! Such a large area!"

Zhang Guifang rushed over, wanting to hug him but not daring to, tears streaming down her face.

"That must hurt so much... You silly child, how could you be so foolish..."

Chen Jun stood to the side, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Looking at his son's pale face, he felt a pang of heartache, as if his heart was being stabbed.

But he's a man, and he can't act rashly at a time like this.

Lin Shuxian stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Old Chen, Guifang, I'm sorry."

"It's my fault for not disciplining Wanwan properly, which caused Zhizhi to suffer so much."

"I will cover all medical expenses, nutrition expenses, and all other costs."

"From now on, Zhizhi is my own son. You can ask me anything you want."

These words were extremely sincere.

Chen Jun looked at Lin Shuxian, whose face was full of guilt, and then glanced at Lin Wanwan, who was sleeping in the corner.

The little girl still had tear stains on her face.

She was clearly exhausted from crying, and once she relaxed, she fell into a deep sleep.

"Alright."

Chen Jun sighed and waved his hand.

"It's good that the child is alright; no one wants accidents to happen."

"Besides, Zhizhi did it to save Wanwan; it's what an older brother should do."

Although he felt sorry for him, Chen Jun also felt a sense of pride.

At the age of four, he remained calm in the face of danger and sacrificed himself to save others.

That kid's got guts.

After treating the wound, I got a whole bunch of medicine.

The doctor gave a few instructions and then allowed me to go home to rest.

After all, hospitals have a lot of germs, so home is actually safer for burn patients.

The group returned to the family compound.

Lin Shuxian parked the Audi downstairs and then busied himself carrying Chen Zhi upstairs.

As soon as they entered the house, Lin Wanwan, who was resting on Lin Shuxian's shoulder, woke up.

She rubbed her eyes and looked around groggily.

Upon discovering that it was Chen Zhi's house, he immediately regained consciousness.

"I'm not going home!"

Lin Wanwan struggled to get off her father and clung tightly to the sofa leg.

"I need to take care of Zhizhi!"

Zhang Guifang was making Chen Zhi's bed when she heard this and felt both annoyed and amused.

She looked at the little culprit who had caused her son so much suffering.

I was already harboring resentment.

But seeing Lin Wanwan's swollen eyes and pitiful appearance, his anger subsided considerably.

"What do you mean by 'take care of me'? You need someone to take care of you yourself."

Zhang Guifang deliberately put on a stern face and said in an annoyed tone.

"You think taking care of Zhizhi will be useful after harming her like this?"

Lin Wanwan was stunned.

She loosened the sofa legs, twisted her fingers, and looked flustered.

"Then, then I'll give all my piggy banks to Zhizhi..."

"That's only a few dollars?"

While covering Chen Zhi with a blanket, Zhang Guifang casually made a joke.

"What if Zhizhi gets a scar on his hand and can't find a wife in the future?"

"You can't afford to pay that much money."

"If you want compensation, you have to give you back to our family as our daughter."

"From now on, I'll do Zhizhi's laundry, cook for her, and serve her tea and water every day. That would be more like it."

This was just an adult joking with a child.

In those days, it was common for neighbors to make such jokes.

Chen Jun chimed in from the side, "That's right, you're now a member of the Chen family."

He does not mean that.

Lin Wanwan's brain, no bigger than a walnut, began to work at lightning speed.

The logical chain gradually becomes clear:

Zhizhi was burned -> She needed compensation -> There wasn't enough money -> She had to give herself away -> She became Chen's daughter.

Very reasonable.

Impeccable.

Lin Wanwan sniffed, her eyes gradually hardening.

That was a resolute decision, like a warrior cutting off his own arm.

She walked to Chen Zhi's bedside and looked at Chen Zhi, who was resting with his eyes closed.

"Zhizhi, wait for me."

After saying that, she turned and ran outside.

"Hey? Wanwan, where are you going?"

Lin Shuxian was about to give chase when he saw his daughter rush out the door as if she knew the way well, heading straight for her own house next door.

"This child is so energetic and impulsive."

Zhang Guifang shook her head, assuming the little girl had run away out of shyness.

The Lin family next door.

As soon as Lin Shuxian entered the door, he saw his wife, Lin Jing, greet him with a worried expression.

"How is it? Is Zhizhi serious?"

Lin Jing came home late from work today. As soon as she entered the door, she heard that something big had happened and was about to go over to see what was going on.

"It's all taken care of. Zhizhi did a good job with the first aid; thankfully, the child is alright."

Lin Shuxian took off his coat and hung it on the hanger, then let out a long sigh.

"Luckily, Zhizhi pulled Wanwan back; if that boiling water had splashed on Wanwan's face..."

He pointed to his face, still shaken.

"This kid saved Wanwan's life today."

Lin Shuxian used to think that the kid next door was trying to steal his pretty little cabbage.

But with what happened today...

His opinion completely changed.

That composure, that sense of responsibility.

Let alone a four-year-old, even a forty-year-old might not be able to remain calm under such intense pain.

"We need to treat Zhizhi better from now on."

Lin Jing nodded, her eyes red-rimmed: "That's for sure, he's my savior."

As they were talking.

The bedroom door opened.

A rumbling sound of wheels turning could be heard.

The couple turned around and were immediately stunned.

Lin Wanwan was seen dragging a pink Hello Kitty suitcase and carrying a small backpack full of snacks on her back.

She was also holding her favorite teddy bear, which had a bald patch.

Fully armed.

They seem poised to fly far away.

"Wanwan, what are you doing?"

Lin Shuxian frowned, his tone becoming serious.

"You've caused such a huge mess today, and we haven't even punished you yet. Are you trying to run away from home?"

Lin Wanwan walked to the center of the living room and stopped.

She put down her suitcase and placed the teddy bear on top of it.

then.

He bowed deeply to his stunned parents.

The movements were precise, even somewhat ritualistic.

"Dad, Mom."

Lin Wanwan raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back.

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years."

Lin Shu-hsien: "???"

Lin Jing: "???"

Why does this dialogue sound like something out of a TV drama?

"Aunt Zhang said so."

Lin Wanwan sniffed, her voice thick with nasal tone.

"I burned Zhizhi, and I'll have to pay a lot of money in compensation."

"I have no money."

"So I have to go and become their daughter as compensation."

At this point, she finally couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face.

"I will no longer be your daughter."

"I'm going to do the laundry and cook for Zhizhi."

"You all need to take good care of yourselves..."

"Waaah—"

Before she could finish the last sentence, her grief overwhelmed her, and the little girl opened her mouth wide and began to wail.

The living room was deathly silent.

Lin Jing covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking violently as she desperately tried to suppress her laughter.

Lin Shuxian's mouth was also twitching wildly.

Looking at his daughter's grief-stricken appearance, as if she were going to her execution, he felt both amused and heartbroken.

That silly girl.

They're being sold out and they're even helping the seller count the money.

but……

Lin Shuxian thought about it again.

This could be a good opportunity for education.

This girl is spoiled and acts rashly without considering the consequences.

Although today's incident was a close call, it should teach her a lesson.

Let her know that she has to take responsibility for her mistakes.

then.

Lin Shuxian cleared his throat, forcibly suppressing the smile on his lips, and put on a serious face.

"Well, since you caused this mess yourself, you should indeed take responsibility for it."

"If you've made a promise, you have to keep it."

Lin Jing pinched her husband and glared at him.

Lin Shuxian gave his wife a reassuring look and continued to deceive her.

"Go."

"When you get to Uncle Chen's house, you have to be obedient and diligent. You can't be waited on hand and foot like you are at home."

"If it performs poorly and gets returned, we won't accept it."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanwan cried even harder.

Her father really didn't want her anymore!

Indeed, children who make mistakes have no home.

She wiped away her tears, sobbing, and pulled the handle of her suitcase again.

"I see……"

"Goodbye, Mom and Dad..."

After saying that, she looked back every few steps, dragging her heavy suitcase toward the door.

That silhouette.

Desolate, bleak, and rounded.

Until the security door clicked shut.

A burst of laughter finally erupted inside the room.

Lin Shuxian laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up and had to lean on the sofa to catch his breath.

"This girl... is too easy to fool..."

"Really, how could you scare a child like that?"

Although Lin Jing complained, she laughed until tears streamed down her face.

"Let her go. It's right next door; it's unlikely to get lost."

Lin Shuxian walked to the window, lit a cigarette, and felt more complicated than ever before.

At this moment.

Chen Zhi, who was next door, almost rolled off the bed with a headache when he saw Lin Wanwan dragging her suitcase in with a look of grim determination.

This is...

Why are you actually sticking to this?