Innocent Ex Is Hot Chapter 3

Controlled

Meow—

As the saying goes: where there is life, there is hope.

He Linzhou hummed a tune while carrying Shancha home. Zhu Qing realized he had forgotten to close his living room window. While annoyed with himself, he felt a bit lucky that Shancha had run into He Linzhou.

It was too coincidental.

Zhu Qing spoke gently to negotiate: Where is your place? I will come pick up Shancha. Her digestion hasn’t been great lately, and I got some medicine for her from the pet hospital.

The voice on the other end replied: It is fine. Let her stay with me for a few days. As her father, I will take good care of her.

Zhu Qing continued to lower his voice: Her favorite cat food is still at my place, and you probably do not have a place for her to sleep. I should really bring her back.

The other side continued to refuse: What brand? Send it to me, I will order it right now.

Zhu Qing massaged his temples. Didn’t he say he wouldn’t fight for custody? What was he doing now?

At this moment, He Linzhou was lying on the sofa petting the cat. His daughter was just too cute; he could not put her down.

No wonder your mother pets you every day. This time, Daddy truly understands. With you being this cute, your mother must have had such a good life every day.

The doorbell rang; it was the courier.

Half an hour ago, he had already ordered a cat bed, cat food, bowls, a litter box, a litter scoop, pet wipes, a brush, a teaser wand, pet shampoo, and a whole series of supplies.

Looking at the bottles and jars scattered across the floor, He Linzhou felt surrounded by happiness. Life with a kid was truly different.

Zhu Qing had enjoyed this kind of good life for four years, while his joy as a father had been completely stripped away.

At this moment, a hint of jealousy rose within him.

Holding his daughter, He Linzhou pinched her belly, attempting to brainwash her: Shancha, oh Shancha, Daddy actually loves you more than Mommy does.

Shancha lay obediently in his arms, shifting into a comfortable position.

He Linzhou picked up his phone and posted to his Moments two minutes later.

Glancing at his phone before bed, Zhu Qing wished he could poke his own eyes out.

He Linzhou: A happy and fulfilling day, eating, bathing, and sleeping with my daughter.

Beautiful calico daughter sleeping online J.P.G

My daughter is all grown up J.P.G

Daughter is the cutest in the world J.P.G

Daughter is super clingy to her old man J.P.G

You little ingrate. I raised you for four years, and yet you are so inseparable from your dad the very first time you meet him?

Truly heartless.

Zhu Qing deeply empathized with the feeling of being backstabbed by one’s children. No wonder experts said that while you raise a child, they are independent individuals with their own thoughts, so one should not invest too much emotion in them.

After comforting himself for a long time, Zhu Qing fell into a deep sleep.

He dreamed of many things: the school playground, camphor trees, camellias, and burning passion.

When he woke up, it was already three in the morning. A small portion of his pillow was wet. Most of his sleepiness had vanished, so he simply got up and staggered to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

He forced himself not to think about the past anymore. Let everything from before be reset to zero; there were not that many emotions in the world worth wasting.

The water temperature dropped. After he finished the last sip, the sky outside was beginning to brighten. A new day was about to begin.

Things were progressing so smoothly that He Linzhou could hardly believe it.

During his lunch break, he sent a message to Zhu Qing, stating he wanted to keep Shancha for two weeks. His reason was that he had been absent from her life for four years and wanted to make it up to his daughter.

Zhu Qing replied crisply: Okay.

He Linzhou stared at his phone for a long time, looking at the message over and over in disbelief.

He just agreed like that?

No refusal, no negotiation, no instructions—he just agreed that simply?!

It did not quite fit his personality. Had his ex-boyfriend changed his nature?

So quickly?

He kept twirling the pen in his hand. He Linzhou was utterly perplexed. His ex-boyfriend was changing too fast; he almost did not recognize him.

Did something happen?

In the Neurology Department, everything had been normal lately, with regular shifts and no anomalies.

On a certain Tuesday, He Linzhou took the elevator from the 15th floor to the 7th floor to find Zhu Qing.

Bai Xiaomeng was on duty that day and told him that Zhu Qing had taken a leave of absence.

He Linzhou’s first reaction was: What happened to him?

Bai Xiaomeng was busy printing documents. She suddenly remembered a woman had come looking for Dr. Zhu the day before yesterday. Xiao Shiqi said the two of them had talked alone for a long time, so she said casually: Maybe he went to go date someone.

The light in He Linzhou’s eyes instantly faded. He nodded. Thanks. I am leaving.

The food container in his hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. He had specifically woken up early to stew soup to share with Zhu Qing, only to find out the other man had taken leave to go on a date.

With heavy steps, he just ate a few bites of something to get by.

Afternoon brought another surgery. He Linzhou pushed his emotions aside and began his preparations.

Cen Xuewei sat at the entrance of the consultation room, her heart a whirlwind of emotions—nervousness, hesitation, resignation to fate, and a refusal to give up.

Time passed second by second. She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles; every day felt like a year.

She was waiting for a verdict.

Her body had been uncomfortable for half a year. She was always dizzy. Combined with the breakdown of her family issues and her busy work schedule, she had delayed going to the hospital for a long time. After getting an examination, the doctor told her it might be a tumor. Cen Xuewei collapsed on the spot. She was only twenty-nine; how could she have a tumor?

The doctor comforted her, saying it was not necessarily malignant, and hoped she would go to the Fengshi Oncology Hospital for an examination. Although Fengshi was not a large city, its Oncology Hospital was definitely top-tier.

Ultimately, Cen Xuewei decided to face her life head-on; escaping was useless.

Thinking that her high school classmate Zhu Qing worked at a hospital in Fengshi and might be able to help, she contacted him with a try and see attitude.

Actually, she was embarrassed to reach out because she felt guilty.

But as a single mother who did not want to die or leave her son behind, she thickened her skin and made the call.

The moment the call connected, Cen Xuewei’s heart pounded. She had not expected him to pick up so quickly.

After she voiced her request, the other party readily agreed.

Zhu Qing bid farewell to his colleague. It was a coincidence; when Cen Xuewei contacted him, his junior, Han Kang, had just been transferred to work at the Fengshi Oncology Hospital. The two of them talked for a long time and confirmed there were no major issues. Zhu Qing stood up to leave. Han Kang, when you are free, I will treat you to a meal.

Han Kang said, Sure, Senior. When you have time, let’s all get together. There are a few other old acquaintances working in nearby hospitals.

Zhu Qing said, Alright.

Cen Xuewei took a deep breath. Her fate was finally about to be revealed. She slowly rose from her seat.

Zhu Qing signaled for her to sit down. He walked over to her and said, I have confirmed it for you. There is no major problem. It is just a common hepatic hemangioma. The reason for your dizziness is likely a lack of rest combined with frequent anxiety. Your hemangioma is not large; it is just a small benign cluster of blood vessels, only a few centimeters. This does not require treatment. Just have regular annual checkups. As long as it does not expand, there won’t be any issues.

However, you must pay attention to your diet from now on, rest on time, and do not stay up late too often.

You can continue to care for your child with peace of mind. Your ex-husband cannot use this to threaten you into giving up custody. The law is on your side.

The tension on Cen Xuewei’s face gradually loosened, and color slowly returned to her pale lips.

Zhu Qing handed her the report. Cen Xuewei did not take it; instead, she suddenly hugged him. Zhu Qing was stunned for a moment before saying, It is okay, Xuewei. You can rest easy; your body is fine.

Cen Xuewei was moved to tears. It took a long while before she spoke tremulously, Thank you so much, Zhu Qing.

She thanked the heavens for not giving up on her, allowing her to continue raising her son. She was going to live well and raise him. She wanted to show that scumbag that she, Cen Xuewei, was perfectly capable of raising her son.

By the time He Linzhou finished a surgery, it was already dark. Several colleagues were exhausted to the point of vomiting, leaning against the walls and gulping down glucose.

He Linzhou stretched his muscles and shook his numbed waist, saying he would treat everyone to a late-night snack.

The first assistant waved his hand and refused immediately.

The second assistant finished a bottle of glucose and said, Not interested. What I need more right now is a bed to sleep in.

The anesthesiologist said, Keep the offer on file. Treat us next month.

The nurse added, Agreed. Keep the offer on file.

He Linzhou arrived home nearly at nine-thirty in the evening. Hearing the door open, Shancha ran toward him.

He Linzhou patted her round head and said, Sorry, daughter. I came home late today.

He glanced at the calendar on the wall. Shancha had already been at his house for nearly a month.

During this time, Zhu Qing had hardly shown any concern and had not mentioned taking Shancha back again.

Did he not want Shancha anymore?

Was he abandoning the child’s father and the child as well?

Thinking about what Bai Xiaomeng said at noon, He Linzhou’s heart sank to the bottom of the ocean.

He was truly tired, hungry, and sad.

He Linzhou sank into the sofa. He did not even turn off the lights. Too lazy to move a finger, he lay there holding Shancha all night.

Days passed quickly, and the Spring Festival was approaching. His sister, Zhu Yao, who worked on Wall Street in the US, called. Zhu Qing, when are you coming back? Luca misses you so much; he has been clamoring to see you.

Luca was Zhu Qing’s nephew, seven years old. After Zhu Yao’s divorce, she went to the US for her PhD. After graduating, she worked directly on Wall Street and later married an Italian man, giving birth to a mixed-race son.

Zhu Qing would go to his sister’s house to stay for a while every year to help her look after Luca. Consequently, Luca was particularly close to him and looked forward to his return every time.

Zhu Qing had prepared a gift for his nephew early on, but given the situation at the First Hospital this year, he was not sure if he could guarantee a vacation.

Zhu Yao handed the phone to Luca. A crisp, childish voice came through: Uncle, when are you coming to see me?

Zhu Qing’s heart softened. It was a natural blood connection; even though he was mixed-race, he felt like his own child.

Zhu Qing said, Uncle is waiting for notice. I have already bought your gift and will mail it to you tomorrow. It has your favorite snacks and toys inside.

Really? Thank you, Uncle! Luca jumped up happily. Uncle was still the best to him, unlike his mother who was always saying he could not eat this or that.

His bald Italian father would only say, Luca, you have to listen to your mother.

Uncle, I love you so much. You are much better than my bald daddy.

Zhu Qing: …

He could not blame Luca. His brother-in-law, Marco, was not that old—only in his early thirties—but he already showed a spectacular Mediterranean balding trend. He originally thought it was a water quality issue in Italy, but when he met his brother-in-law’s family and saw that every man over thirty was bald, Zhu Qing felt that genetics played a larger role.

He suddenly understood why his sister was unwilling to have a second child.

Zhu Yao was very worried and had privately asked him if Luca would also go bald in the future.

Zhu Qing remained silent for a long time before answering, I hope not. But it would likely be inherited to some extent. Thinking about how his cute nephew would also be bald in the future, Zhu Qing secretly prayed that Luca would inherit his sister’s Great Chinese genes.

Marco had also quietly approached Zhu Qing: Qing, I heard hair transplants are great over where you are. Can you arrange one for me? Whatever you want, I will buy it for you.

Marco was a top student from the Chinese department and had a firm grasp of Chinese social etiquette.

Thinking about the suffering involved in a hair transplant, Zhu Qing explained it to Marco in detail.

Marco immediately broke into a cold sweat and confirmed repeatedly, Is that true?

Zhu Qing nodded.

Marco said with lingering fear, Then forget it. I think your sister can accept my baldness.

Marco was four years younger than Zhu Yao. Although it was a relationship where the woman was older, he never expected Zhu Yao to give more because of it. Back then, after her divorce, Zhu Yao had completely lost all expectations for love and planned to spend the rest of her life alone.