Chen Bin had seen many children, but he had never encountered a child like this one before, first refusing to eat, then crazedly slamming doors, staying awake at night with bloodshot eyes wide open, and mumbling under her breath, "Grandpa...".
The auntie watching over the child couldn't bear it, "If this continues, I fear someone may lose their life."
Chen Bin's expression grew dark as he looked at the child through the glass; the child hung her head, clearly exhausted, yet she was desperately trying to keep her eyes open, filled with blood vessels.
"Let's watch a bit longer, don't interfere with her for now."
That night, Chen Bin received an urgent phone call—the child was in critical condition.
In the hospital room, the thin child had her eyes tightly shut, her face flushed red, her lips cracked and dry, with a needle in her head supplying IV fluids.
"She's not getting over the fever; at this rate, she'll either go mad or..." The auntie didn't want to utter the word "death," letting out a sigh.
Chen Bin kept a stern face and dialed Zhang Cuilian's number.
Zhang Cuilian was in a frantic state; the old man had not died but remained unresponsive, like a vegetative person.
She felt relieved he hadn't woken up, fearing he would accuse her of pushing him.
But with the old man not waking up, staying in the hospital was costlier every day, something her family simply couldn't afford!
She wanted to suggest euthanasia for the old man but didn't dare to.
Her mobile phone rang with an unfamiliar number, so she immediately dismissed the call.
But before long, the phone rang again.
Her ringtone was one of those loud square dance tunes; a nurse walked by and, in a low voice, said, "This is a hospital, can you set it to silent mode?"
Zhang Cuilian was about to put her phone on silent when it rang again; under the nurse's gaze, she had no choice but to answer.
"Who is it, you're so annoying!" she snapped impatiently.
The voice on the other end was grim, "It's me."
Zhang Cuilian, remembering the snake-like man, turned away from the nurse and whispered, "Why are you calling now?"
"Has the old man died?"
Worried the nurse might hear the conversation, Zhang Cuilian quickly stepped away, lowering her voice, "No, he's become a vegetative person now, with medical expenses flowing like water every day."
Upon hearing this, the person on the other end let out a long sigh of relief, "How much money? I'll pay for it on my end, but don't let him die."
"But what if..." What if he wakes up and exposes me!
Chen Bin chuckled coldly, "Also, don't let him wake up; it's pretty good if he just stays a vegetative person."
After hanging up, Chen Bin's gaze fell on the child, and he coldly instructed the auntie beside him, "When she wakes up, tell her that her grandfather is still alive, now staying in the hospital, and that she needs to pay for daily hospital and medical expenses. If she doesn't earn money properly, her grandfather will be kicked out by the hospital."
The auntie frowned, "Isn't this... a bit too much?"
Chen Bin glared at her, "You've already done so many cruel things, and now you want to pick up your conscience? Can you even put it back in?"
The auntie's face reddened, and she bowed her head without making a sound.
Tao Ti fell into a dream on the hospital bed...
In the dream, she was a little white beast, bouncing and frolicking in a dreamlike fairyland.
She was the child of the imprisoned Taotie, a fierce beast, and a Princess of the Lion Tribe who was guarding the Taotie. She possessed the immense strength of the Taotie along with the Lion Tribe's bloodline and was adored by the whole Lion Tribe.
Every day, piles of delicious food were laid before her to eat as she pleased.
As she grew older, the bloodline from her father gradually strengthened, and she inherited the power to devour Evil Spirits.
One day, the Great Elder of the Lion Tribe approached her, saying the War God was going to battle and needed a brave mount. Having chosen for a long time within the Lion Tribe without success, they were now looking toward other Beast Tribes.
The Great Elder didn't want the Lion Tribe to miss this opportunity, so he thought of her and wanted her to try, although she was still young. But because she carried the Taotie's blood, there might be a chance of being selected.
She was the hope for the Lion Tribe's glory; with her short little legs, she walked step by step towards the War God.
The War God, fully armed and wearing armor with a helmet on his head, had determined and deep eyes like the ocean.
His hand gently rested on her head, very comforting, and she couldn't help but rub against his palm.
He chuckled softly, a pleasant laughter, and then he spoke, "She will be the war companion of the War God from the Divine Tribe."
She was chosen to be the War God's mount.
The dream that followed was very chaotic, like a glitched machine, filled with scrambled codes, and she couldn't see clearly.
Amidst the confused voices, she heard someone say that the War God's mount took a fatal hit from the Demon God to protect the War God, and perished.