She didn't even consider Qi Yan in her considerations—after all, the probability of him agreeing was too small. But he volunteered...?
"On Saturday afternoon?" His gaze was deep, but he didn't show any extra emotions.
Cassie hesitated, "Um..."
In fact, Qi Yan had long sensed that something was off with her mood. Although she usually didn't speak in the car, today she seemed particularly down. When she spoke with the nanny earlier, her tone also seemed a bit embarrassed.
Sure enough, he heard her whisper, "I didn't do well in the exams."
He heard a soft laugh.
The man in the wheelchair remained silent, just extending his hand to gently touch her head.
Cassie hesitated before lifting her head. His expression had returned to calm, as if the previous tenderness was just an illusion.
Her earlobes felt warm.
"Be more confident," he whispered softly. "Hmm?"
He wasn't worried at all that the little girl would perform poorly. With her intelligence, falling behind was only temporary. One day, she would shine.
On Saturday, Qi Yan fulfilled his promise.
The math test was scheduled for the afternoon, so the parent-teacher meeting was held in the administrative building instead of the regular classroom. The school's administrative building had an elevator that was rarely used and mostly kept closed.
Hearing that Qi Yan was coming, the head of the academic affairs personally received him, escorting him from the elevator to the hall where the parent-teacher meeting was being held.
School ended at 17:35, and with the time spent collecting and handing in papers, it was almost 18:00 when they came out of the classroom.
Annie grabbed Cassie's sleeve, feeling very uneasy. "I, I, I want to go home directly. I don't want to face my mom,..."
Her grades were not good, and everyone in her family had already become indifferent to them. It was just that every parent-teacher meeting felt like an execution scene, and she feared her mother's nagging the most.
Cassie comforted her, "Hold on a bit; it'll be over soon. You'll do better next time."
Annie was moved to tears, "Darling Cassie, I've decided. I'll study hard with you from now on!"
The little girl smiled, "Okay."
Annie suddenly felt that the math paper she had just finished wasn't that terrifying. She could do ten more!
The two of them arrived at the administrative building together.
Coincidentally, the parent-teacher meeting had just ended, and a crowd of parents poured into the corridor. Seeing so many people, Cassie hesitated in her heart, feeling that Qi Yan's decision to come might not be the right one.
How could he come out with so many people around?
Annie's mother soon appeared. She was an elegant and luxurious lady. As soon as she saw Annie, a dark cloud covered her face. She spoke with an iron-and-steel tone, "Look at what you've become!"
But one couldn't deny that the mother and daughter had the same personality, unable to refuse a charming girl like Cassie.
Not only did she voluntarily accompany her home, but she also invited her to their house for dinner.
"So, you are Annie's friend," she said happily. "Thank you for taking care of our Annie! Annie, look at your friends. All of them are excellent students."
Annie snorted.
Cassie interjected, "No, it's her taking care of me."
She spoke the truth. She wasn't very good at dealing with people, and usually, it was Jiang Yutong who helped her understand the school.
Annie's mother was even more pleased.
Beautiful, sensible, and excellent in her studies. Whose daughter was this charming girl? Why wasn't it her daughter?
Today, she was jealous of someone else's child.
After the two left, Cassie waited in the corridor for a long time.
When the crowd dispersed and there was no sign of parents in the corridor, the elevator door at the end slowly opened.
Qi Yan pushed the wheelchair out of the elevator. The young girl, dressed in a thin school uniform, stood at the corridor, shivering in the cold wind. Subconsciously, she tugged at the collar of her uniform, looking like a pitiful girl abandoned by the roadside.
His heart trembled sharply. She had been waiting for him all along. Realizing this, Qi Yan's gaze became somber. His eyes fell on the girl's profile.
Today, she had her hair tied in a low ponytail, the long strands neatly secured at the back of her head, as black as ink. Truly... an obedient, endearing girl who knew how to win hearts.
He maneuvered the wheelchair, gradually approaching her, and spoke in a gentle tone, "Cassie."
Perhaps, he had never addressed her like this before. When the girl turned her head, her eyes still carried a hint of surprise. However, upon seeing him, joy returned to her expression.
Those beautiful almond eyes were exceptionally clear, like a mountain spring, cool and transparent when scooped up in the hands.
She walked quickly to his side.
Qi Yan subconsciously reached out his hand but withdrew it immediately. A hint of melancholy lingered between his eyebrows.
This disabled body couldn't even manage to hold her on his lap.
His eyes, deep and impenetrable, subtly lowered the surrounding air pressure, but he forcefully suppressed any clues to his emotions.
"Let's go home," he said.
He needed to reassess his relationship with this young girl—perhaps, raising a girl was not only about watching her grow.
Cassie looked at him blankly, but he held her hand and led her forward slowly.
His grip was tight, as if he wanted to keep her in the palm of his hand.
Due to an upcoming heavy rainstorm, Qi Grandfather changed his flight. When Cassie and Qi Yan returned to the villa, Grandfather Qi was already sitting in the living room.
Across from him sat a foreigner with golden hair, around forty years old, slightly plump but very friendly in demeanor.
As they exchanged greetings, he spoke in Chinese, "Mr. Qi, hello. I am your attending physician."
Qi Yan nodded indifferently.
Cassie raised her eyebrows in surprise. Qi Yan's doctor... Qi Grandfather found a doctor? Was there hope for Qi Yan's legs to be healed?
She didn't want to see Qi Yan confined to a wheelchair, immersed in constant melancholy and darkness. Losing both legs was too painful for a normal person. Now that there was a chance to restore a normal life, why wouldn't it bring joy?
The doctor didn't stay long. After greeting Qi Yan and making an appointment to return next Monday, he hurriedly left. It seemed that staying here was just to meet Qi Yan.
Before leaving, he checked Qi Yan's legs and maintained a calm expression, "Mr. Qi, rest assured. I can cure your legs."
Qi Grandfather watched him leave, his eyes almost welling up with tears. He had searched for many renowned doctors, all of whom ended with Qi Yan driving them away. Over time, even if he found a doctor, he dared not tell Qi Yan about it.
Only this time, not only did he find a confident doctor, but Qi Yan also cooperated with the treatment.
After seeing off the doctor, Qi Grandfather noticed that Qi Yan and Cassie had come together.
As Cassie's steps were small, Qi Yan slowed down the wheelchair's speed, accompanying her over.
The two arrived at the dining table, and Qi Yan sat next to Cassie.