Chapter 62: An Uncle Who Doesn't Want to Get a Shot

"Mr. Shen, it's done. I'll take the needle out for you."

"Mm."

"You can just take this slip to the window to pick up your medicine later."

The faint sound of voices drifted into her ears. An Ling frowned and slowly opened her eyes, met with an unfamiliar scene.

Remembering where she was, her eyes suddenly widened. The confusion on her face vanished in an instant as she bolted upright, causing the blanket to slip off her body.

She instinctively looked up at the IV bottle above, but saw nothing.

A man's chuckle sounded by her ear.

"Don't worry, the nurse just took the needle out."

"It's already out?"

An Ling looked down at her phone and realized it was already past midnight. "Why didn't my phone vibrate?"

She remembered setting a vibrating alarm.

"I saw it and turned it off," Shen Linyan said. He bent down to pick up the blanket, folded it, and put it back in the bag. His voice was gentle. "You're already so tired from coming to accompany me. I wanted to let you sleep a little longer."

An Ling nodded absentmindedly, her head full of thoughts about Shen Linyan's condition. She didn't even realize how ambiguous his words sounded.

She reached up to touch his forehead. "Did your temperature go down? How do you feel?"

The man lowered his head to make it easier for her. "The nurse came over to check just now. It's gone down, but I still have a slight low-grade fever."

An Ling's heart finally settled.

Thank goodness Shen Linyan hadn't burned his brain out.

She picked up her bag and stood up. "Are you going to get the medicine then? Let's go home after you get it."

Shen Linyan paused slightly, his lips curving into a gentle smile. "Alright. I'll go get the medicine. Wait for me here, and I'll take you back in a bit."

An Ling yawned and nodded in agreement. "Go ahead."

She let out a long breath and sat back down, rubbing her sore neck. "Sleeping with my head tilted really..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her voice came to a sudden halt, and her expression froze.

Wait... head tilted?

Had she been sleeping on Shen Linyan's shoulder the whole time?

When did that happen? Wasn't Shen Linyan asleep too?

An Ling couldn't really remember what she did after falling asleep.

She leaned back against the chair, closed her eyes, and speechlessly massaged her temples.

"I was supposed to be taking care of him, but I ended up falling asleep right on the patient's shoulder."

Earlier she had said Secretary Chen was unreliable, but it turned out she wasn't any better.

Shen Linyan wouldn't laugh at her, would he?

Crap, she was absolutely never going to see Shen Linyan again. This was too embarrassing.

An Ling awkwardly covered her face, sighed, and then opened her eyes.

Only to meet a pair of round, curious eyes.

A chubby little boy had appeared right in front of her at some point. He looked exceptionally adorable. Holding a toy, he blinked and stared at her. On the back of his hand was an IV bandage from where a needle had been removed.

An Ling paused and looked around the IV room. At this hour, she was the only one left in the room.

Certain that the little boy was looking at her, she bent down and smiled, her eyes curving.

"Little friend, are you alone? Where are your parents?"

The little boy blinked, his voice crisp. "Mommy went to the bathroom. I have to wait for her here."

The bathroom was just next door, not too far away.

An Ling nodded, her voice gentle. "Then don't run around, okay? Otherwise, Mommy will be worried if she can't find you."

The little boy nodded, but continued to stare intently at An Ling.

An Ling felt a bit self-conscious under his gaze. She awkwardly shifted her eyes away and touched her own face.

Did she have sleep marks on her face? Why was this kid staring at her the whole time?

Just as she was about to use her camera to check, she saw the little boy suddenly patter over to her.

His eyes were sparkling, and his crisp voice lowered in feigned mystery. "Big sister, I'll tell you a secret. Can you be my friend?"

Huh?

An Ling was a little surprised, but she still smiled and nodded, mimicking his hushed tone. "Sure, what's the secret?"

The little boy put his hand by his mouth, his expression mysterious, looking very much like he was whispering a secret.

"Before you came, that uncle told the nurse sister he didn't want his injection anymore. He's not a good boy."

Uncle?

...Shen Linyan??

An Ling was stunned at first, and then burst out laughing.

Realizing she was laughing a bit too much, she covered her mouth, but her eyes were still curved with amusement as she nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes, he's not a good boy! I'll scold him later!"

Hahaha, she was definitely going to tell Shen Linyan about this!

Seeing her pretty smile, the little boy's chubby cheeks flushed slightly. He giggled too, sheepishly scratching his forehead.

"Big sister, you're really pretty."

"You're such a sweet talker, little one."

An Ling looked left and right, feeling she didn't have anything suitable to give him. She had some candy in her bag that Sister Lin Ya had given her earlier, but since the kid was sick, giving him that was obviously inappropriate.

She could only take off the pendant from her bag. It was a yellow plush toy with big, round eyes, exceptionally cute.

"Big sister will give you this. Do you like it? It's just as cute as you are."

The little boy's eyes lit up. "I love it! Thank you, big sister!"

Having received the gift, he couldn't put it down and played with it in his hands.

Thinking of something, the little boy looked up again and whispered, "By the way, big sister, you need to be careful of that uncle."

She blinked in confusion. "Why?"

"Because while you were sleeping, the uncle kept touching your hand. Mommy says boys shouldn't just touch girls!" The expression on the little boy's chubby face was exceptionally serious and righteous.

An Ling was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

She instinctively looked down at her own hand. "Touched my hand?"

The little boy nodded frantically. "I saw it!"

Afraid that An Ling wouldn't believe him, he placed the toy on the chair, freed up one hand, and used his finger to gently hook hers, mimicking the action perfectly.

"Just like this!"

An Ling stared blankly at the little boy's action, unable to speak for a moment.

After a long while, her eyes curved gently, and she hooked the little boy's chubby little hand.

"Big sister understands."

Just then, the boy's mother called out from the doorway, "Xiaobao, let's go."

The little boy quickly grabbed the toy from the seat. "Mommy is calling me. Goodbye, big sister!"

"Bye-bye."

After the boy left, An Ling stared at her fingers, resting her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

After pondering for a while, she shifted her posture, leaning back against the chair with her arms crossed, her brows furrowed slightly.

When Shen Linyan walked in, he saw the woman sitting in the chair, frowning.

His footsteps paused slightly before he walked closer and asked gently, "What's wrong?"

An Ling snapped back to reality, picked up her bag, and stood up. "Nothing. I just met a little boy. He was super cute and wanted to be friends with me."

Her gaze couldn't help but secretly glance at the man's hand.

Was what the little kid said true or false?

Shen Linyan bent down to pick up the bag. "Let's go."

An Ling nodded and walked with him.

After reaching the elevator, she glanced at the man beside her from the corner of her eye, the corners of her lips turning up slightly.

Inside the elevator, the woman suddenly spoke, her tone slow and deliberate.

"Shen Linyan, I just heard some news."

"What is it?"

"A little friend told me that before I got here, a certain uncle didn't want to get his injection."

"..."

Shen Linyan instantly thought of the brat who had called him uncle earlier.