I Won't Be Your Daughter Anymore

Hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door.

The security door was pushed open with a violent shove, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.

Lin Shuxian rushed into the house, his head covered in sweat.

The living room was empty.

Only the telephone receiver, dangling in mid-air, let out a continuous busy tone.

The sound of rushing water and muffled sobbing came from the kitchen.

Lin Shuxian dashed into the kitchen, taking the steps two at a time.

The sight before him made his heart clench.

The floor was a complete mess.

A deformed stainless steel kettle lay on the ground, surrounded by a large puddle of water.

A faint burnt smell lingered in the air.

Lin Wanwan was huddled in the corner, trembling as she cried, her eyes swollen like two walnuts.

Daddy... Waaah...

Seeing her savior, Lin Wanwan's crying instantly went up an octave.

Lin Shuxian didn't have time to comfort his daughter; his eyes were locked on the small figure standing in front of the kitchen counter.

Chen Zhi was standing on a stool, his left arm stretched out under the faucet, letting the water run over it at maximum flow.

That once pale and tender forearm was now terrifyingly red and swollen. Blisters of varying sizes were densely packed across the skin, and in some places, the skin had peeled away to reveal pink flesh.

It was a shocking sight.

Lin Shuxian gasped, a wave of numbness washing over his scalp.

Such a severe burn on a four-year-old child... just looking at it made him feel the pain.

Yet Chen Zhi didn't utter a single sound.

The little guy's face was deathly pale. The hair on his forehead was soaked with cold sweat, sticking to his skin in clumps.

His jaw was clenched tight, the muscles in his cheeks bulging into hard lines.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Zhi turned his head with effort.

Uncle Lin.

His voice was weak and hoarse, yet unusually calm.

Take me to the hospital.

Lin Shuxian snapped out of his daze.

He scooped Chen Zhi up in his arms. The boy felt burning hot to the touch, the heat radiating from his wound.

Wanwan, follow me!

Lin Shuxian roared and turned to run outside.

Lin Wanwan shuddered at the shout. Not even bothering to put on her shoes, she stumbled after them barefoot.

I'm sorry... boohoo... it's all my fault...

She cried as she ran, snot bubbles expanding and shrinking with her breaths.

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

In the backseat.

Lin Wanwan gripped the corner of Chen Zhi's shirt tightly, curled up into a tight ball.

Zhizhi... does it hurt...

She wanted to touch Chen Zhi's hand but was afraid of hurting him. With nowhere to put her little hands, she ended up covering her face and crying bitterly.

It's my fault. I won't eat instant noodles anymore. I'll never eat them again...

Chen Zhi leaned back against the seat, his eyes closed.

He didn't have the energy to respond to Lin Wanwan's repentance.

Looking at Chen Zhi's horrifying arm, Lin Wanwan's tears fell like pearls from a broken string.

It had ended up like this because he tried to save her.

If Zhizhi hadn't pushed her away, all that boiling water would have splashed right onto her face.

At this thought, the guilt in Lin Wanwan's heart practically overflowed.

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

Phew... phew... pain, pain, go away...

The warm breath, carrying a milky scent, brushed over the burn.

It didn't really help at all.

The car pulled up to the entrance of the emergency building at the downtown hospital.

Lin Shuxian dashed into the lobby carrying Chen Zhi, shouting for a doctor.

Lin Wanwan followed behind him on her short little legs, panting heavily.

The emergency room was chaotic.

Who did the first aid?

The doctor asked, looking up while examining the wound.

It... it was the child himself.

Lin Shuxian's voice was a bit dry.

The doctor, somewhat surprised, pushed up his glasses and glanced at Chen Zhi, who was gritting his teeth and enduring.

It was handled very promptly. The rinsing time was long enough to take away most of the residual heat.

If he hadn't rinsed it with cold water for twenty minutes, this layer of skin would have been completely cooked. He might have needed a skin graft, and his nerves would have been damaged.

Although it looks scary now, most of it is a superficial second-degree burn. As long as it doesn't get infected, it won't leave a very noticeable scar later on.

Lin Shuxian let out a long sigh of relief, his back already drenched in cold sweat.

Thank goodness.

If this child really ended up disabled from saving his daughter, he would never be able to repay that debt in his lifetime.

Just then, the rapid clicking of high heels echoed down the hallway.

Zhizhi! My Zhizhi!

Zhang Guifang's cries preceded her into the room.

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

The couple had been scared half to death when they received Lin Shuxian's call.

As soon as they entered the treatment room and saw Chen Zhi's arm wrapped up like a dumpling, Zhang Guifang's legs gave out, and she nearly fell to her knees.

Mom, I'm fine.

Chen Zhi leaned against the hospital bed. Having just received an anti-inflammatory injection, his spirits were slightly better.

How can you be fine! It's such a large patch!

Zhang Guifang threw herself forward. She wanted to hug him but didn't dare to, tears streaming down her face.

How much must this hurt... You child, how could you be so silly...

Chen Jun stood to the side, his fists clenched tight enough to crack.

Looking at his son's pale face, his heart ached as if it were being twisted by a knife.

But he was a man, and he couldn't lose his composure at a time like this.

Lin Shuxian stepped forward and bowed deeply.

Lao Chen, Guifang, I'm sorry.

It's my fault for not disciplining Wanwan properly, making Zhizhi suffer such a terrible ordeal.

Medical bills, nutrition fees, I will cover all the expenses.

From now on, Zhizhi is like my own son. If you have any requests, please don't hesitate to ask.

These words were incredibly sincere.

Chen Jun looked at the guilt-ridden Lin Shuxian, then glanced at Lin Wanwan, who had fallen asleep curled up in the corner.

Tear stains still marked the little girl's face.

She had clearly cried herself out, and once her mind relaxed, she had fallen fast asleep.

That's enough.

Chen Jun sighed and waved his hand.

As long as the child is okay. No one wants an accident to happen.

Besides, Zhizhi did it to save Wanwan. It's what he should do as an older brother.

Although his heart ached, Chen Jun also felt a trace of pride.

At four years old, he remained calm in the face of danger and sacrificed himself to save someone else.

This kid had guts.

After the wound was treated and a large pile of medication was collected.

The doctor gave a few instructions on what to watch out for and then permitted them to go home to rest.

After all, hospitals are full of germs; for burn patients, recovering at home is actually safer.

The group returned to the family residential compound.

Lin Shuxian parked his Audi downstairs and busied himself carrying Chen Zhi upstairs on his back.

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

She rubbed her eyes and groggily looked around.

Realizing they were at Chen Zhi's house, she instantly sobered up.

I'm not going home!

Lin Wanwan struggled down from her father and tightly hugged the leg of the sofa.

I want to take care of Zhizhi!

Zhang Guifang, who was making the bed for Chen Zhi, felt both exasperated and amused upon hearing this.

She looked at the little culprit who had caused her son to suffer so miserably.

Originally, she did hold some resentment in her heart.

But seeing Lin Wanwan's swollen eyes and pitiful appearance, most of her anger dissipated.

Take care of what? You need someone to take care of you yourself.

Zhang Guifang deliberately put on a stern face and said grumpily.

You've hurt Zhizhi like this; will taking care of him fix it?

Lin Wanwan froze.

She let go of the sofa leg, twisting her fingers together with an awkward, flustered expression.

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

How much money could that possibly be?

Zhang Guifang casually cracked a joke as she tucked Chen Zhi into bed.

If Zhizhi's hand is left with a scar, what if he can't find a wife in the future?

"The little money you have wouldn't be nearly enough to pay for this."

"If you want to compensate us, you'll have to give yourself to our family as our daughter."

"From now on, you'll wash clothes, cook, and serve tea and water for Zhizhi every day. That should about cover it."

This was purely a joke adults made to tease children.

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

Chen Jun chimed in from the side, "That's right, you belong to Lao Chen's family from now on."

The speaker had no real intention, but the listener took it to heart.

Lin Wanwan's walnut-sized brain began to spin rapidly.

The logical chain gradually became clear:

Scalded Zhizhi -> Need to pay compensation -> Not enough money -> Only option is to give herself away -> Become the Chen family's daughter.

Very reasonable.

Flawless.

Lin Wanwan sniffled, her eyes gradually becoming resolute.

It was a heroic, sacrificial resolve.

She walked up to Chen Zhi's bed and looked at him as he rested with his eyes closed.

"Zhizhi, wait for me."

With that, she turned and ran outside.

"Hey? Wanwan, where are you going?"

Lin Shuxian was about to chase after her, but saw his daughter had already rushed out the door with practiced ease, heading straight for their own home next door.

"This child, always in such a rush."

Zhang Guifang shook her head, assuming the little girl ran off because she was shy.

Next door at the Lin house.

As soon as Lin Shuxian walked in, he saw his wife, Lin Jing, coming to greet him with a worried look.

"How is it? Is Zhizhi hurt badly?"

Lin Jing had worked overtime and come home late today. The moment she walked in, she heard a major accident had happened and was just about to go over and check.

"It's all taken care of. That kid Zhizhi did a great job with the first aid. Luckily, it's nothing serious."

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

"Thank goodness Zhizhi pulled Wanwan back. If that boiling water had splashed onto Wanwan's face..."

He pointed to his own face, still having lingering fears.

"That boy saved Wanwan's life today."

In the past, Lin Shuxian always felt that the boy next door was trying to steal his precious little daughter.

But after what happened today,

his view completely changed.

That calmness, that sense of responsibility.

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

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

Lin Jing nodded with red eyes. "That's for sure. He's her lifesaver."

Just as they were talking,

the bedroom door opened.

The rumbling sound of rolling wheels could be heard.

The couple turned around and were instantly stunned.

They saw Lin Wanwan dragging her little pink Hello Kitty suitcase, wearing a small backpack stuffed full of snacks.

In her arms, she was holding her favorite teddy bear, which was missing a patch of fur.

Fully armed and geared up.

Looking like she was ready to run far away from home.

"Wanwan, what are you doing?"

Lin Shuxian frowned, his tone turning serious.

"You caused such a huge disaster today and haven't even been punished yet, and now you want to run away from home?"

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

She let go of the suitcase and placed the teddy bear on top of it.

Then,

she gave a deep bow to her dumbfounded parents.

Her posture was perfect, even carrying a sense of ceremony.

"Daddy, Mommy."

Lin Wanwan looked up, tears swirling in her eyes, but she held them back from falling.

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

Lin Shuxian: "???"

Lin Jing: "???"

Why did these lines sound like something out of a TV drama?

"Auntie Zhang said,"

Lin Wanwan sniffled, her voice thick and nasal.

"I cooked Zhizhi with hot water, and I have to pay a lot, lot of money."

"I don't have any money."

"So I have to go be their family's daughter to pay them back."

At this point, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore, and tears began to fall drop by drop.

"I'm not your daughter anymore."

"I have to go wash clothes and cook for Zhizhi."

"You... you guys have to take good care of yourselves..."

"Waaah—"

Before she could even finish her last sentence, her sorrow completely burst its banks, and the little girl opened her mouth wide and started wailing.

The living room fell dead silent.

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

Lin Shuxian's mouth was also twitching madly.

Looking at his daughter's devastated expression, as if she were marching off to the execution grounds, he found it both hilarious and heartbreaking.

This silly girl.

She'd help count the money even if someone sold her.

However...

Lin Shuxian had a second thought.

This might be a good educational opportunity.

This girl was usually too spoiled. She acted recklessly and never thought about the consequences.

Although today's incident was a near miss, she still needed to learn a lesson.

She needed to know that doing something wrong meant taking responsibility.

Therefore,

Lin Shuxian cleared his throat, forcefully suppressed the smile at the corners of his lips, and put on a stern face.

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

"Since you promised them, you have to do what you said."

Lin Jing pinched her husband from the side and glared at him.

Lin Shuxian gave his wife a "don't worry" look and continued to bluff.

"Go on."

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

"If you behave badly and get returned, we won't take you back."

Hearing this, Lin Wanwan cried even harder.

Her dad actually really didn't want her anymore!

Sure enough, children who make mistakes don't have a home.

She wiped away her tears while sobbing and grabbed the handle of her suitcase again.

"I know..."

"Goodbye, Daddy and Mommy..."

With that, she shuffled toward the door, dragging her heavy suitcase and looking back with every step.

That silhouette from behind.

Desolate, bleak, and chubby.

It wasn't until the security door shut with a "click"

that a burst of uproarious laughter finally erupted inside the house.

Lin Shuxian laughed so hard he couldn't stand straight, leaning against the sofa while gasping for air.

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

"Honestly, how could you scare the child like that?"

Although Lin Jing complained verbally, she was laughing so hard that tears came to her eyes too.

"Let her go. It's just next door, it's not like she'll get lost."

Lin Shuxian walked over to the window and lit a cigarette, his mood more complex than ever before.

At this very moment.

Next door, Chen Zhi looked at Lin Wanwan, who was dragging her suitcase through the door with a face that looked ready to face death. His head ached so badly he almost rolled out of bed.

What the hell...

How did she actually latch onto him for real?