Disabled Childhood Sweetheart: A Humble Puppy Begs for the Young Lady's Pity

In November, a sudden heavy snowfall blanketed Lin Shen, and the biting cold air swept across the entire city in an instant.

That day, Wenxi went to the hospital to visit his mother, Xiangqin.

The doctor said that if the recovery goes smoothly, the patient will be able to go home to recuperate next year, and will only need to come to the hospital for radiotherapy once every three months thereafter.

Xiang Qin could not hide her joy. She propped herself up and got out of bed to tend to the potted plants on the windowsill, and even peeled fruit for her daughter herself.

"Have you seen Jingchen recently?" she asked casually.

"No," Wenxi said, sitting to the side and looking down at the work schedule Jiang Qi had sent her on her phone. "Everyone's pretty busy with work."

"Daughter," Xiang Qin said earnestly, slowly turning the apple knife in her hand, "I know you've been blaming your father for his death. You didn't get to see him one last time, and you're punishing yourself and him for it."

Wenxi looked up, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

Xiang Qin lowered her head to peel the apple in her hand and said gently, "What don't I know? Every time you two come to see me, you deliberately avoid each other most of the time. Even if you bump into each other, you don't exchange more than a few words. Do you think I can't see you? You always give him a cold and sour face."

"Am I right?"

Wenxi opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

"What deep-seated hatred could there be between you two siblings? Why are you punishing them for something from the past? If your father knew, he would definitely give you a good scolding."

"He was already very ill then, and his passing was so sudden that no one expected it. I went downstairs to buy him a hot meal, and when I came back up, he was barely breathing."

At this point, Xiang Qin raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, her voice choking with emotion.

"Your dad used to love you and your brother the most. We originally planned to adopt Jingchen, but then his biological parents came looking for us."

She sighed softly, "If he saw you like this, he would feel so guilty."

Xiang Qin handed the peeled apple to Wen Xi, saying, "This isn't Jing Chen's fault. Listen to your mother, don't argue with your brother anymore."

Wenxi took the apple, took a bite, and found it to be sweet and sour, a taste that mirrored her own heart.

Shortly after, the phone rang, and the words "Mr. Liang" appeared on the screen.

She got up and walked outside the ward to answer the phone: "Hello, Mr. Liang."

"Where are you?" The voice on the other end of the phone was calm.

"I'm in the hospital."

Which floor?

Wenxi gave the specific floor number, and within minutes, Liang Yanting appeared before her.

He was dressed in a well-tailored wool suit, holding a bouquet of flowers and a fruit basket in his arms. He was tall and had a refined demeanor.

A hint of surprise flashed across Wenxi's face as she smiled and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"An elder is hospitalized here, and remembering that you mentioned your aunt is also here, I came to visit." He spoke slowly and deliberately.

Wenxi greeted him as he entered the ward. Xiangqin was resting on the hospital bed when she saw the visitor, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Mom, this is Liang Yanting, the boss of Jinxiufang, who was one of the judges in my dance competition before," Wenxi introduced softly.

"Hello, Auntie." Liang Yanting placed the fruit basket and bouquet on the table. "I heard from Wenxi that you were hospitalized here, so I came to see you."

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Liang. Please have a seat." Xiang Qin smiled warmly and was very courteous.

Liang Yanting smiled slightly: "You can just call me Yanting."

As they were chatting, the ward door was gently pushed open, and Zhou Jingchen walked in.

He was also dressed in a dark, well-tailored wool suit, with a tall and straight posture, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, bright and clear eyes, and a touch of aloofness in his handsome features.

Upon seeing the people inside, he paused slightly, his gaze meeting Wenxi's before quickly looking away.

"Jingchen is here." Xiang Qin smiled gently, her eyes crinkling.

This smile is different from the smile he gave Liang Yanting; one was a polite, perfunctory response, while the other was a genuine expression of joy.

When Wenxi saw him, she suddenly remembered the scene at her doorstep not long ago. A blush spread across her cheeks, and she unconsciously tugged at the hem of her clothes, deliberately shifting her gaze elsewhere.

"President Zhou?" Liang Yanting was clearly a little shocked when he saw him.

"Mr. Liang, this is..." Wenxi's tone was unnatural, "...he is my younger brother."

Zhou Jingchen stared at her intently for a few seconds with his dark eyes, his gaze filled with indescribable emotions. Wenxi felt a pang of guilt and quickly looked away.

"We know each other. Our company has collaborated with Xingyao before." Liang Yanting raised the corners of his lips slightly, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere.

"Oh," Wenxi responded softly.

Zhou Jingchen's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them. They had even followed them to the ward. Liang Yanting had indeed developed thoughts he shouldn't have.

"Mr. Liang, what brings you to the hospital today?" he asked.

"I've come to visit an elder," Liang Yanting said, turning his head and looking at Wenxi with gentle eyes. "I heard from Wenxi that your aunt is here too, so I came to check on her."

Zhou Jingchen's gaze lingered on the two of them for a few seconds. "You two seem to have a good relationship."

"Not bad," Liang Yanting said.

Xiang Qin carefully examined the General Manager Liang in front of her. He was indeed a handsome man, but he looked a few years older than her daughter.

She suddenly remembered what Zhou Jingchen had said about Liang Yanting's chaotic private life, and sighed softly in her heart, what a pity.

Zhou Jingchen sat down familiarly on the stool next to Xiang Qin's bed. Xiang Qin took his hand, which was icy cold, and frowned, clicking her tongue. "You child, you're dressed so thinly, you're freezing."

"It's okay, Auntie, I'm not cold."

Xiang Qin placed a hot water bottle in his hand: "Take this and warm yourself up."

Liang Yanting really had nothing to say. He was only here today to show up, say hello, and leave a good impression.

He got up from the sofa to say goodbye: "Auntie, please get some rest. I have some work to do, so I'll take my leave now. I'll come see you another day."

"Let me see you out." Wenxi immediately stood up and followed behind him.

Xiang Qin exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile and reminded him to drive carefully.

The two left the ward side by side. Zhou Jingchen sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on the two figures, which he found extremely irritating.

Wenxi escorted Liang Yanting to the elevator, and the two stood there together waiting for the elevator.

"I didn't expect you and CEO Zhou of Xingyao to be related." Liang Yanting spoke first.

"Hmm," Wenxi responded faintly, but her thoughts were still on the hospital room.

He turned his head to look at her, his gaze moving from her soft hair to her rosy lips and white teeth. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"What's wrong?" Wenxi looked up at him.

"A friend of mine is having his restaurant open, and I'd like to go and show my support. I wonder if I could invite the beautiful Ms. Wen to come along?" His tone was somewhat tentative, yet still gentlemanly.

Wenxi knew in her heart that if the previous interactions were just out of courtesy, then his visit to his mother's ward today and his invitation to dinner had clearly gone beyond the boundaries of ordinary interaction.

She shook her head decisively: "I'm afraid I can't tomorrow. I have an important event to attend."

"Okay, it's alright." Liang Yanting's tone was slightly regretful.

After a moment, he asked casually, "Are you and President Zhou really just siblings?"

Wenxi looked up at him in surprise: "Of course, why would you ask that?"

Liang Yanting chuckled and said frankly, "It's nothing, it's just that the way he looks at you doesn't seem like a younger brother looking at his older sister, but rather like a man looking at a woman."

"Is it obvious?" Wenxi's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously asked.

Liang Yanting nodded.

......

Wenxi stood outside the ward door for a moment, raised her hand to press her brow, took a deep breath, and then pushed the door open and went in.

"Did General Manager Liang leave?" Xiang Qin asked.

"Mmm," Wenxi replied softly, pursing her lips.

"Girl, is he pursuing you?"

"No," Wenxi denied outright.

"Don't lie to Mom, I'm not stupid," Xiang Qin said earnestly. "He looks to be in his mid-thirties, right? He's several years older than you."

"Besides, I've also seen some tabloids about him; he has quite a few scandals. He doesn't seem very reliable."

Wenxi glanced at Zhou Jingchen and said helplessly to Xiangqin, "Mom, those are all nonsense. He's not that kind of person."

Zhou Jingchen sat to the side, not daring to utter a sound the entire time.

"You can't judge a book by its cover." Xiang Qin frowned. "Even if he looks decent, if he's morally corrupt, then we absolutely cannot consider him, understand?"

Then she looked at Zhou Jingchen, her tone softening slightly: "Jingchen, and you too, you're at the age to settle down and start a family. How's it going with your girlfriend? Why isn't there any progress?"

Xiang Qin had previously asked him to bring his girlfriend to meet her, but he kept making excuses, so Xiang Qin guessed that the two of them weren't getting along well.

"Sigh, you two are both in your late twenties, it's really worrying me to death."

When Zhou Jingchen was called out, he glanced at Wen Xi with a complicated expression. Wen Xi glared at him fiercely, and Zhou Jingchen immediately lowered his head with a pitiful look.

Wenxi couldn't stand her mother's nagging any longer. After chatting for a few more minutes, she grabbed her bag and said she had to leave.

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator on the first floor, the elevator door opposite him opened, and Zhou Jingchen walked towards him.

She ignored him, walking forward in her high heels, the heels clicking crisply on the smooth floor. Her waist swayed gently, her graceful figure swaying in his sight.

Zhou Jingchen strode after her and grabbed her arm: "Why are you walking so fast?"

Wenxi frowned, slapping his hand away, her tone angry: "Let go! Let go now!"

"What did I do to offend you this time?" he asked urgently.

"You showing your face in front of me means you've offended me!" She glared at him fiercely. "Did you gossip about me to my mother? Otherwise, why would she say such things about Liang Yanting?"

"I don't!"

"You better not!" Wenxi gritted her teeth, glaring at him again. "And another thing, you're not allowed to look at me like that again!"

"What kind of look?"

Wenxi's face flushed red, her neck stiffened, and she said in embarrassment and anger, "It's...it's that kind of disgusting look!"

He gave a low chuckle, his gaze fixed intently on her: "You think the way I look at you disgusts you?"

"Yes!" She took two steps forward, then abruptly turned back. "And you better not mention a single word about all that mess between us! If my mom finds out, I'll beat you to death, you bastard!"

After saying that, she swayed her hips and left in a huff.

Zhou Jingchen stood there, watching her graceful figure gradually disappear into the distance, and sighed deeply in helplessness.