Lu Qingxu dared not provoke her and used Niannian to elicit sympathy.
"Standing like this isn't ideal, she's still asleep. Let's go inside quickly."
Melody finally cast her gaze openly upon Niannian's face.
She was truly beautiful.
Her head was round, her cheeks plump, her hair sparse and a pale yellow, clinging thinly to her forehead, yet this sparse hair inexplicably suited her round head.
She looked so soft.
Her eyebrows were faint, and even in sleep, one could tell her upper eyelids were thin and wide; her eyes must be large.
Her eyelashes were like dense fans, so long and curled.
Her nose was so small it wasn't even as wide as Lu Qingxu's pinky finger, her two tiny nostrils gently exhaling.
Her mouth was as small as her nose, but her lips were a vibrant red.
Her upper lip was pressed against her lower lip, as if she hadn't eaten enough, and she kept sucking them back and forth.
Her little feet were splayed, her tiny hands clenched into pink fists.
Though it was cliché, after examining her from head to toe, Melody couldn't help but think of the word "angel."
"Give the child to me, and you lead the way."
She smoothly took Niannian.
Melody had experience caring for children before and expertly cradled Niannian's head in her arm, her little face resting against her chest.
With her other hand, she supported Niannian's bottom and gently patted her back.
Suppressing the urge to kiss her, she deliberately spoke in a detached tone.
"What's her name? Not bad, she's quite pretty."
"We don't know yet."
Lu Qingxu checked the address on his phone and pushed the luggage, leading her forward.
"My brother's story with his ex-girlfriend is long and complicated. I'll tell you later if you want to hear it."
"I really didn't expect him to be hospitalized, dying for me, when I went abroad, and to have a child by the time I returned. It wasn't in vain that he stabbed himself."
Melody raised an eyebrow at his words, "Is your whole family this crazy?"
"No, don't be scared. I'm not as crazy as he is. I'm very normal. Haven't you seen that after interacting with me for so long? I'm a good socialist youth!"
The two of them, like a young couple, matched in looks and with a child, drew considerable attention.
Melody felt a bit embarrassed by the stares and kicked him playfully, "Hurry up. I won't be able to hold her for much longer."
Lu Qingxu asked his way as they walked and finally found the building where his grandmother lived.
They waited at the elevator entrance, and an elegant, cultured elderly couple joined them for the ride.
While waiting for the elevator, the old grandmother kept casting concerned and curious glances at Melody. Once the four of them were inside and the doors closed, she could no longer contain herself.
"The baby is so beautiful. She looks about six months old. Is it a boy or a girl?"
Melody kept her gaze fixed on Niannian, finding her too captivating to look away from.
Having never owned a pet before, she suddenly understood why people were so fond of cats and dogs.
Having such a cute little creature by your side made it hard not to want to dote on them constantly.
Startled by the sudden conversation, she looked up, "A girl."
"She looks just like you. Very cute."
She thought it was Melody's child.
Melody couldn't be bothered to explain, "Thank you."
"Seeing you two reminds me of my husband and me when we were young."
Indeed, although the old grandfather's hair was white, it was neatly combed and immaculate.
He was tall and straight, his clothes clean. Standing beside the old grandmother, who, like a beauty past her prime, still possessed grace, they truly resembled themselves fifty years later.
The old grandmother sighed with emotion, "It's a shame I was willful back then and refused to have children. By the time we were older and wanted them, it was too late."
"It's better like you, having children at a young age. A life with children is a complete life."
Lu Qingxu never expected a stranger's casual remark to rub salt in Melody's wound.
He quickly clarified, "No, this isn't our child. It's my brother's. I don't particularly like children, and I don't want any."
Melody: "?"
"Besides. Age is just age, regret is regret. At worst, you can adopt. How can that make a life incomplete?"
The old grandmother was somewhat embarrassed by his words.
"You make a lot of sense. I can see you love your girlfriend very much. I apologize for my nosiness. I just hope you two are happy."
"It's alright, I know you meant no harm. I was just stating my opinion."
"I do like her quite a bit."
Exiting the elevator, the two looked for the ward. As they passed the nurses' station, a nurse couldn't help but look up.
She was instantly astonished.
Who was this now? Another pair of handsome man and beautiful woman?
This woman was so beautiful, with such great temperament.
And the baby in her arms was Niannian!
Could she be Mrs. Lu's friend or sister?
The nurse cast a curious glance, and just as Lu Mingzhe was about to ask her a question, their eyes met, and he walked over.
"Hello, excuse me, could you please tell me if this address is correct?"
The nurse looked at his phone, "Yes. May I ask who you two are?"
"Who handled the hospital admission? Was it a man named Lu Mingzhe?"
"Yes."
"I'm his younger brother. I'm temporarily here to look after the patient. May I go in?"
The nurse suddenly understood.
He resembled Mr. Lu a bit, both being top-tier handsome men, so he must be his brother.
What a shame. Ah, all the handsome men belong to other people.
"Yes, you may. I'm also going on rounds, so I'll take you there."
The nurse led them in, briefly explained the grandmother's condition, introduced them to the equipment in the room, and then withdrew.
Melody placed Niannian on the joined beds, covered her with a blanket, and picked up her DSLR to photograph the night view by the window.
Lu Qingxu put away the suitcase and went to ask her if she was tired, if anything was uncomfortable, or if she wanted something to eat.
Melody hadn't eaten the airplane meal and was indeed a bit hungry by now.
It was a countdown to the end of a life, and she didn't want to make things difficult for herself.
"Eat."
"Then I'll go buy something for you. What flavor do you feel like today?"
Her mood had improved a bit thanks to Niannian, so she said, "Something sweet."
"Wait for me. I'll be back soon."
Passing the nurses' station, worried that her Chinese wasn't good, he explained to the nurse again, asking her to look after Melody, before quickly leaving.
After ten minutes, the nurse began to feel a little concerned.
Fearing that Melody might not understand the Chinese characters in the room and couldn't express her needs, she pushed the door open and went in.
"Hello. I heard your Chinese isn't very good, that you can only understand but not write. I was worried you might not understand some characters, so I came in to ask. If you need any help, you can find me outside."
The Chinese people were all very polite, and everyone treated her courteously.
Melody put down her camera and nodded, "I understand, thank you."
She wore a bracelet on her hand that looked like a silver bangle. Its design was peculiar but surprisingly beautiful, and the nurse couldn't help but glance at it a few more times.