Can-Can’s voice was barely a whisper.
“Why isn’t Third Brother sleeping at home? Can-Can doesn’t like it here.”

Qi Sen held her close, gently coaxing her. Beside him, Tao-Tao stood frozen with a cup of soy milk in hand.

No, not frozen stiff like a log—more like frozen stiff like a peach.

Back when they lived in the Heavenly Realm, the High God was always an icy figure, face cold as winter frost, eyes full of wind and snow. No one dared to speak to him.

But now, that same High God was holding a tiny princess in his arms, softly comforting her. His snow-pine voice, once sharp and distant, now carried the warmth of melting ice, like spring’s first thaw.

Even his voice sounded… really nice.

Tao-Tao found herself watching, a little dazed.

After a whole morning of bustling around, the little princess in the High God’s arms finally drifted off, hugging her precious candy.

Qi Sen draped his school uniform jacket over her, eyes lifting faintly toward the hospital room across the hall.

Tao-Tao couldn’t help asking, “High God, how’s the Third Prince?”

Qi Sen didn’t even bother correcting her on the title. His voice was low.
“He’s fine.”

But his mind was still echoing the doctor’s words from earlier.

“Looking at his past records, his health’s always been poor. Where are your parents?”

“Not around? Sigh… Then he really shouldn’t be eating takeaway so often. With a body like that, he needs proper nutrition. Black-bone chicken soup, other nourishing things. He’s got low immunity. Lucky this time it’s just a fever—next time might not be so simple.”

Qi Sen tightened his grip around the bank card in his pocket, remembering how awkward it’d been paying the hospital fees. He lowered his head, silent.

—

Pei Shen finally woke up in the afternoon.

It was just in time for a nurse to come give him medicine and an injection. Can-Can, who’d been hugging her treasure trove of candy all day, hurriedly offered it up.

“Third Brother, here, you can have some.”

Pei Shen froze. A faint flush crept onto his cheeks as something clicked in his memory.
“I don’t need your candy. Take it back.”

Can-Can stood her ground at the bedside, her baby voice clear and bright.
“Third Brother hates bitter medicine the most. Every time Medicine Immortal brought medicine, you had to eat a whole box of candied plums before you could finish it.”

She was still holding out the candy with those chubby little hands.

Pei Shen finally understood—she was talking about their past life, back when he was a god.

His ears turned a little red.

He never imagined that even in his past life, he’d been such a wimp when it came to pain and bitterness.

The nurse was preparing the IV drip, and just the faint medicinal scent made Pei Shen’s heart clench.

He hated medicine. Hated needles. He’d been poked for over a decade, only getting a break recently—and now this again?!

But in front of Can-Can… he couldn’t chicken out. He had to be a brave Third Brother in her eyes!

As for that candy in her hand, Pei Shen didn’t even glance at it. He was terrified that one look and he might actually snatch away her beloved treasure.

It’s just a shot and some meds. No big deal!

…Until the needle actually pierced the back of his hand, and his fingers under the blanket squirmed like they’d been electrocuted.

Can-Can blinked as she watched her Third Brother obediently take his medicine and get his shot. Her big almond eyes slowly filled with confusion.

Eh?

Third Brother’s… not scared of medicine anymore?

“I’m done. You guys can go now. I want to rest.” Pei Shen tried to act cool.

Can-Can nodded obediently and held Qi Sen’s hand, walking out with a backward glance every three steps.

Pei Shen’s expression slowly shifted into something strange.

The moment the door clicked shut—he couldn’t hold it in anymore and lunged toward the bed, dry heaving.

Aaaah! What kind of terrible medicine was that?!

Before he could even gag twice, the hospital door suddenly creaked open.

Caught mid-gag, finger halfway down his throat, Pei Shen froze on the spot.

Can-Can and Qi Sen stood at the door, stunned.

Pei Shen awkwardly forced a smile and gave them a wave.
“…Hi~”

Qi Sen: …How do you even manage to hi in a moment like this?

“What are you two doing back?” Pei Shen asked, still trying to salvage his dignity.

Can-Can toddled over with a little stool from the corner and plopped it down by the bed, sitting like a well-behaved kitten.
“Second Brother’s treasure-hoarding royal parents are here. He told me to stay and keep you company.”

Pei Shen was still awkward and really didn’t want her sticking around. He frowned, pretending to be annoyed.
“You’re just a little sprout. What can you even say to keep me company?”

Can-Can, little princess that she was, had lived centuries being flattered with rainbow praises. No one had ever dared to look down on her. She huffed, got up, and declared with utmost seriousness:

“I’m the little princess with the number-one talking skills!”

“Oh really? How are your talking skills better than mine?”

Can-Can’s lips pouted, voice soft and proud.
“If you keep making Can-Can feel like she doesn’t know how to talk, then Can-Can won’t talk to you anymore. Hmph!”

With that, she turned her head sharply, eyes cast aside with a dramatic sulk.

Pei Shen burst out laughing.
“Great. Go ahead and leave.”

Can-Can’s tiny face slowly turned confused.

Eh…?

Did… did she just kick herself out?

Pei Shen couldn’t help it and laughed out loud.

—

As Pei Shen and Can-Can continued their little back-and-forth, Qi Sen quietly closed the door behind them.

“You can go in,” he said to Tao-Tao, who was still lurking in the hallway. Before she could respond, he turned and walked off toward the hospital’s stairwell.

Standing there waiting was Jiang Ying, face half-covered in sunglasses and a mask. Beside her, Qi Xiuming was already glancing impatiently at his watch.

Ten minutes. Still not here.

Just as his irritation peaked, the stairwell door creaked open.

“What do you want?”

Qi Sen was still wearing his school uniform. Clearly a high schooler in the prime of youth, yet his face held a calmness far beyond his age.

Jiang Ying smiled slightly.
“We waited all day for a response, but heard Pei Shen was hospitalized. So your father and I decided to drop by.”

Qi Sen’s eyebrows lifted faintly at the word “father.”

Jiang Ying still wore that same smile.

“You left a few hairs on your chair the other day. We had them tested.”

Qi Xiuming’s expression softened a bit.

“As long as you come home, we’ll cover Pei Shen’s medical bills. We’ll also help register your little sister’s household account. You wouldn’t want that adorable girl to remain undocumented, would you?”

That word—undocumented—stabbed hard.

Qi Sen’s body flinched slightly.

Seeing that, Jiang Ying struck while the iron was hot.
“If you return, we’ll give them a sum of money so they can live well. Your sister looks around three, right? She should be in preschool. You can’t keep putting that off forever, can you?