He desperately wanted to know how his daughter was doing.
The doctor shook his head helplessly, his tone tinged with regret.
'The situation is not optimistic. Due to chronic malnutrition, the patient's physical condition is too poor to undergo high-intensity measures.'
For a moment, his heart felt like it had stopped suddenly, and his brain was roaring.
Gu Chen stumbled and fell heavily onto the cold chair.
It's over.
It's over.
The doctor patted his shoulder.
'The patient is still conscious, go in and say your last few words to her.'
Yes, his daughter is still inside.
She is still lying in the cold ward waiting for him.
He cannot go down.
He has to accompany her on her journey.
Gu Chen wiped his bloodshot eyes hard and clenched his fists.
He took two sharp breaths of fresh air, gathered all his courage and then walked into the ward.
He forced himself to smile, even though the smile was hideous.
The room was full of cold equipment, and the girl lying on the bed looked even paler and more haggard, not even a hint of colour in her face.
Gu Chen saw her.
She struggled a few times, trying to sit up.
But obviously, she failed.
Gu Chen hurried over.
'Lie down. If you're tired, don't move. Daddy's here.'
Although he was holding back his tears, his voice trembled with desperation.
This was his daughter, his blood.
The girl looked at him with a heart full of pain. 'Daddy, I'm sorry, I've worried you.'
Her voice was weak.
Deep down in his heart, it felt like something had snapped.
Gu Chen finally broke down.
A hot tear fell and hit the girl's hand.
Then two, then three.
'It's Dad, Dad is sorry.'
It's all your fault, you bastard!
How could you be such a bastard!
Why couldn't you have discovered it sooner!
Why!!!
The girl's mouth was a little pale, but she tried to smile.
It was like a blooming lily, beautiful and clean.
She looked at Gu Chen calmly, her pure gaze free from any impurities.
'Dad, don't cry. In fact, Tang Tang doesn't blame you, and she never blamed Mom either. If there is a next life, I still want to be your daughter, but... don't ever leave me again, I don't want to be alone.'
The flood of emotions finally broke through the last line of defence.
Watching his daughter's slowly closing eyes in front of him, Gu Chen completely broke down.
He was forty years old.
But looking back on his life, what did he have?
He had lost his wife.
He had lost his child.
He had lost everything.
The sharp pain in his chest made it hard to breathe.
He reached out, trembling, to fix his daughter's hair one last time.
But the next second, it felt as if someone had grabbed his heart and squeezed hard.
His vision grew blurry, and his legs went numb.
The hand that was still in the air fell sharply.
'Doctor, doctor, come quickly, the patient's family member is also dying.'
Gu Chen was awakened by the pain.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a yellow and somewhat cracked ceiling, with cobwebs and thick grey threads hanging from the four corners.
Apart from a wardrobe and the dry wooden bed under his body, there was nothing else in the room.
He heard someone talking, with a soft, gentle and delicate voice.
'Tangtang, come inside quickly, it's cold outside. Mommy will finish washing the clothes and then come play with you, okay?'
'Hmph, mommy doesn't want to play with Tangtang anymore, Tangtang wants to go find daddy!'
The child's milk-fed voice made Gu Chen a little dazed.
He squinted.
Tangtang?
Gu Chen sat up abruptly.
It was Tangtang!!!
A small, old house with a broken old wardrobe.
The deep, dark eyes looked incredulously at a pair of knobby hands.
The same hands, but younger and full of vitality.
He clenched them tightly.
Then he suddenly realised a problem.
He... had been reborn?
With a creak, the thin wooden door was pushed open by the small, plump child's young hands.
She poked her head inside and looked around.
A pair of round eyes immediately narrowed in a smile upon seeing Gu Chen sitting on the bed, and she looked extremely cute.
The door was pushed open completely.
The little girl in front of him smiled at her with crinkled eyes, her voice innocent and childlike.
'Daddy, give me a hug!'
The girl opened her small hands and tottered towards him.
Memories returned.
Memories and reality quickly intertwined.
The girl on the hospital bed was as pale as snow, and her voice filled his ears.
'I really miss my mother.'
'I don't blame my mother, and I've never blamed you.'
'Dad, if there is a next life, I still want to be your daughter.'
'Don't leave me alone again.'
'I don't want to be alone.'
Memories swept along.
In an instant, Gu Chen's tears rolled down.
He leaned down and gave the little soft, delicate body in front of him a hug with a strong milk smell.
'Tantan, Daddy loves you, I'm sorry,'
he sobbed.
The little girl in his arms seemed startled by his huge reaction.
She pouted her little mouth, and the next second she cried out 'wow'.
Gu Chen was terrified and quickly let go of her, looking at the milk-covered girl in front of him with a heart full of pain.
'Daddy, Daddy didn't mean it,'
Gu Chen was a little panicked.
He held out his trembling hand and gently stroked the little girl's face to comfort her.
The girl's dark eyes blinked, and a small water bag quickly bulged in her eyes.
Then a big teardrop fell.
She sniffed and the little expression on her face was extremely pitiful.
However, the next second, unexpectedly, a small, white, tender hand reached out, awkwardly wiping the tears from Gu Chen's face.
'Daddy, don't cry. Sugar, sugar is scared.'
The little girl in front of him looked about two years old, with soft, light yellow hair and beautiful dark eyes.
She was wearing a small red cotton padded jacket that was a little too small on her thin body.
It looked like it had been worn by someone else's child.
It didn't quite fit, and the cuffs were still hugging the little chubby wrists.
Her hands were soft and tender, and still a little cold.
She carefully wiped away her tears.
At the moment, it seemed as if she was the only one in her eyes and in her heart.
Her heart beat more strongly, faster and faster.
Gu Chen was once again certain.
He had been reborn, truly reborn.
He gritted his teeth and secretly vowed that in this life, he would definitely live up to expectations.
He would never let his daughter suffer even a little.
The person outside the door seemed to have heard the commotion and dropped the washboard in her hands before running into the room.
'What's wrong? Did Dad bully you?'
The woman was wearing a blue coat that looked clean and neat, even though it had been washed until it was white.
Her long black hair was tied back low on her head, and her dark eyes were looking at her nervously.
Her red, cold hands hurriedly wiped her clothes.
The next second, she snatched the child from Gu Chen's hands.
'Tantan is still young, don't lose your temper with her, don't yell at the child.'
Her voice was tinged with an inexplicable indifference.
Gu Chen was taken aback, 'Ji Pianran?'
The woman was only 1.6 metres tall, and although she was a little thin, it didn't affect her beauty. Her dark almond-shaped eyes seemed to be glowing with a gentle morning light.
Her nose was small and her lips full and pretty.
However, her face was a little pale and she looked sickly.
Gu Chen knew that this was the result of her suffering for three whole years.
The woman glanced at Gu Chen, who had a complex expression on his face, and spoke indifferently.
'What did you call me for? It's three o'clock in the afternoon, aren't you going to play cards today?'