The hospital room was changed to a VVIP suite, with the entire layout resembling a home.
Ye Ziyu looked at the luxurious decorations, finding them excessively ostentatious. She only had superficial injuries, was mobile, and yet she was assigned such a high-class room?
Ye Qianzhi sat by the bed, personally peeling an apple for Ye Ziyu. "You'll stay in the hospital for these few days. You can be discharged and return home once it's confirmed there are no after-effects."
Before finishing peeling, Ye Qianzhi sliced off a small piece of the apple and offered it to Ye Ziyu's lips.
This was an apple filled with fatherly love.
Ye Ziyu lowered her gaze and opened her mouth slightly.
It was so sweet, the sweetest apple she had ever tasted, with a flavor she had never experienced before.
"Don't worry about the children. I can personally look after them at home. If you wish for them to stay with you in the hospital, I'll stay with them," Ye Qianzhi continued peeling, then offered another piece to Ye Ziyu's mouth.
Her mouth was already full of apple, and Ye Ziyu hadn't managed to reply, but Ye Chenhan had already laid out all the options for her.
"Di Mingjue will come over once he's finished with his work. You don't need to stay here specifically to accompany me," Ye Ziyu said.
In the past, surrounded by people of ill intent, she had never felt the warmth of family affection, and had always yearned for it. Now that she possessed it, she felt that the companionship and care of her family had become a burden. She even entertained thoughts of escaping.
Ye Chenhan, sensing Ye Ziyu's bewilderment, quickly stepped forward to ease the situation. "Dad, don't worry about Ziyu. Di Mingjue practically wants to give her his heart daily. Now that Ziyu is injured, wouldn't he take good care of her?"
Ye Qianzhi wasn't concerned about Di Mingjue's actions. He simply wanted to be by Ye Ziyu's side and fulfill his responsibility as a father when she was injured. After he left, and met with her mother, it would also bring her some comfort.
"Alright, no more talk. I will personally look after Ziyu during her hospitalization. You all should attend to your own matters and don't worry about me," Ye Qianzhi stated with a commanding tone.
Ye Chenhan realized that this was a settled matter, regardless of any objections.
"Dad, you really don't need to trouble yourself to take care of me," Ye Qianzhi said helplessly.
Her repeated rejections made Ye Qianzhi feel Ye Ziyu's distance from him; it seemed she didn't want the fatherly love he was showing.
Feeling a pang of disappointment, Ye Qianzhi couldn't help but believe that the years of absence had left Ye Ziyu harboring resentment. His expression of concern was replaced by disappointment as he lowered his head and continued to peel the apple with his knife.
Ye Ziyu noticed his absentmindedness, knowing her refusal had hurt him. Yet, when she moved her lips, they couldn't articulate words as their emotional connection had never deepened. They couldn't share their innermost thoughts like other father-daughter pairs.
"Ziyu, Dad," Ye Chenhan spoke up from the side. He looked helplessly at the two of them, both lost in their thoughts. "Why do you have to make the atmosphere so serious? Ziyu, it's your father's role to take care of you, so you shouldn't feel embarrassed. And Dad, if you want to show your fatherly love, just do it openly. Don't treat Ziyu like an employee under you, speaking to her with the attitude of a company CEO. How can you expect her to approach you with a normal mindset?"
Facing Ye Chenhan's criticism, both of them accepted it readily without any rebuttal.
Ye Qianzhi looked up at Ye Ziyu with a slightly embarrassed expression. "If you don't want me to stay and take care of you, I'll go back first. I can come and talk with you during the day when I'm free."
"It's fine, you can stay," Ye Ziyu replied. "The children are all here, and in my current condition, I can't look after them myself."
Ye Qianzhi could hardly believe his ears. "Really?"
"Mm," Ye Ziyu confirmed.