Once again, an awkward silence filled the ward.
Xiao Mu Yu sat indifferently in the corner, his cold gaze fixed on the shy little girl who had lowered her head.
This silence lingered for about three minutes, and upon sensing that the little girl would not speak again, Xiao Mu Yu coldly closed his eyes and leaned slightly against the frigid wall to rest.
If it were an ordinary girl of Annie's age, she would likely be playing in the sand with her peers, and even a more precocious child would not possess such a rich imagination.
However, having been raised in a family of considerable prestige, the little girl received an elite education, and coupled with her above-average intelligence—after all, one could not achieve a seventh-tier profession at the tender age of eight without it—she was far more mature than her contemporaries.
While martial arts emphasized talent and hard work, magic placed greater importance on intellect and mental acuity.
The vast and intricate knowledge of arcane magic meant that successfully casting a spell was no simple matter of reciting a few incantations; the factors that needed to be considered were exceedingly complex, and those with slightly lower intelligence could not hope to traverse far down the path of arcane magic.
Annie, having received an elite education from a young age, was inherently more mature than her peers. Additionally, her extensive reading had contributed to her precociousness. Although she appeared to be merely an eight-year-old girl, her upbringing left her somewhat naïve regarding ordinary societal experiences, lending her an endearing innocence. Yet, her mental acuity was undoubtedly far beyond that of her contemporaries—though not by a great margin.
In summary, little Annie's feelings mirrored those of most adolescent girls who encounter admirers; while the notion of being liked brought her joy, it also stirred a sense of confusion.
After all, she had only recently met this older brother, and not only did she lack any romantic feelings for him, but she had never seen him before. What would she do if he suddenly confessed his feelings?
Should she reject him outright?
But he had just saved her life; would it not seem heartless to dismiss him so bluntly?
Yet, how could she agree when she felt nothing for him? Oh, how perplexing! What was she to do?
The little girl leaned back against her hospital bed, lost in a tangle of troubling thoughts.
At that moment, she noticed a small dress hanging on the balcony—oh? Wasn't that my dress? Surprised, she realized she was currently wearing a small hospital gown.
"Um... Big Brother, did you help me change into this outfit?" she timidly inquired.
"I washed your clothes, but it was the hospital nurse who changed you," Xiao Mu Yu replied, his eyes still closed, his tone indifferent.
The little girl sighed in relief; although she had guessed the answer, it was reassuring to confirm it.
With her worries alleviated, she fell silent once more, unable to find a topic to discuss with this unfamiliar older brother. Given Xiao Mu Yu's cold demeanor, it was unlikely that many strangers could engage him in conversation.
As silence enveloped her, the little girl's thoughts began to drift chaotically. She pondered her parents at home, recalled the events of the past few days, and occasionally smiled at amusing memories that surfaced.
However, she soon realized that figuring out how to respond if this older brother confessed to her was not her most pressing dilemma; a more immediate concern began to trouble her—she needed to use the restroom.
After all, considering the duration of her unconsciousness, which had lasted approximately a day and a night, and the fact that she had consumed a bowl of meat porridge after waking, it was only natural that she felt the urge to relieve herself.
Yet, the little girl was disheartened to discover that she felt utterly weak. She had barely been able to lift a bowl of porridge, and she doubted she could even stand if she got out of bed. Thus, the simple act of going to the restroom became a source of embarrassment.
There was no way she could ask Xiao Mu Yu to carry her to the restroom; after all, even though he was her savior, he was still a relatively unfamiliar man to her.
"Um... Big Brother, could you please call the nurse for me?" After much contemplation, the little girl felt compelled to seek the nurse's assistance. Although it was somewhat embarrassing to request help for such a matter, at least they were both women, and upon reflection, it didn't seem so daunting.
"Do you require something?" Xiao Mu Yu opened his eyes with indifference and coldly inquired, "If you need anything, just tell me. I can assist you without bothering the nurse. Do you want something to eat? Just let me know, and I will fetch it for you."
"N-no... that's not it," the little girl stammered, her face flushing from the man's unsolicited offer. "Just have the nurse come, please."
"..." After a moment of impassive contemplation, Xiao Mu Yu coldly stood up, saying, "Very well, wait here; I will call the nurse."
With that, he turned and exited the hospital room. Watching him leave, the little girl let out a sigh of relief.
She had genuinely worried that Xiao Mu Yu might question her reason for summoning the nurse, which would have been quite embarrassing. After all, as a "grown-up," she couldn't very well tell him, "I need to use the restroom, so I'm asking the nurse for help," could she?
Nor could she fabricate a lie to deceive him. If Xiao Mu Yu pressed for details, the situation would undoubtedly become awkward.
"Meow..."
Just then, a sound akin to a newborn animal's cry echoed in the ward, startling little Annie.
Curiously, she searched for the source of the sound and suddenly noticed a small, warm creature crawling over her legs beneath the covers. She let out a startled scream, instinctively attempting to struggle, only to find herself utterly powerless.
Yet, in the next moment, little Annie fell silent.
A cute little fox poked its fuzzy white head out from the covers on her chest, blinking its adorable eyes in confusion as it surveyed the ward, seemingly in search of something.
The little girl was instantly captivated by the charming creature.
"Meow... meow..."
"Hey? A little fox?" she exclaimed in surprise and delight. "Where did such an adorable little fox come from? Is it raised by you, Big Brother?"
When Xiao Mu Yu re-entered the room, he found the scene of the little girl smiling as she gently stroked the little creature's beautiful white fur, while the fox lay pitifully on her chest, bound by invisible magical chains, unable to escape.
Noticing Xiao Mu Yu's arrival, the little girl beamed, "Big Brother, you're back! Hehe... this little fox that suddenly appeared is so cute! Is it yours?"
"Ah, yes, it's mine," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly.
"Hehe... where did you get it, Big Brother? Can you take me to buy one too?" the little girl asked, her eyes sparkling with joy.
"I caught it myself; you probably won't find one in the market," Xiao Mu Yu said coldly.
"Oh... I see. That's unfortunate," the little girl sighed, feeling a bit dejected. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something and hurriedly asked, "Hey? Big Brother, weren't you going to call the nurse? Why hasn't she come yet?"
"The on-duty doctor said that the nurse scheduled for today had a family matter and has taken two days off. She won't return until the day after tomorrow," Xiao Mu Yu replied coldly.
"What?" The little girl was struck as if by lightning, her small face filled with disbelief. "How... how could this happen?"
As the little girl became distracted, the magical chains binding the little fox vanished, and the creature promptly leaped onto Xiao Mu Yu's shoulder, hiding behind his mixed gray and white hair, cautiously watching the little girl on the bed as if afraid she might pounce on it.
At that moment, however, the little girl was too shocked and disappointed to pursue the fox. Little Annie leaned against the bed, her small, adorable face filled with distress.
With the nurse absent, what was she to do?
As if sensing her gloomy self-questioning, Xiao Mu Yu coldly inquired, "What exactly do you need? You can tell me directly, and I will assist you."
The little girl smiled awkwardly, "N-no... it's fine, thank you, Big Brother. There's really nothing urgent; we can just forget about it."
Suddenly, the little girl seemed to have an idea, and a flicker of excitement crossed her face as she eagerly asked, "Then, Big Brother, there must be female doctors in this hospital, right?"
"..." Looking at the little girl's face filled with anticipation, Xiao Mu Yu paused before coldly replying, "Unfortunately, I don't have much money left, so this hospital isn't very large. It has only two small floors and nine wards, with a total of three male doctors and two female nurses. If you need a woman to assist you, it will likely be impossible for now. If you insist on doing this, you will have to wait for the nurse on duty to come in tonight."
"..." The little girl felt darkness descend before her eyes, nearly fainting.
While revising yesterday, I noticed that the ending of the first volume seemed to be lacking something, so before going to bed last night, I spent some time crafting an epilogue, which I am sharing today. Brothers, feel free to take a look.