Chapter 230

Xiao Xueyi's voice was a little choked up. Although he was often away from home on official business, he had a relatively long period of rest. In order to spend more time with his children, he never refused.

But in the end, the stone was left scarred and battered.

“Every time I came back, Shi Tou was all smiles. Although Lü Jie was struggling, she would still hold him in her arms. I really thought she treated him like her own child. The meals on the table were all Shi Tou’s favorite dishes. I thought they got along very well.”

He even secretly rejoiced that he had found a wonderful mother for his child.

Over the years, he had never realized how poorly he had behaved as a father. He couldn't even see the fear or the reluctance in Shi Tou's eyes.

He was foolish enough to think that a child could get along harmoniously with a strange woman; his arrogance ultimately dealt him a fatal blow.

Shu Ying put Shi Tou's clothes down and softened her voice, "This isn't the first or second time this has happened."

Children are often held back by various reasons and cannot express the grievances they endure. However, over time, the hurt children will only feel more aggrieved.

Xie Zhiyan carefully adjusted the IV drip rate for the child. The boy always seemed preoccupied, and the people in the compound didn't know why and couldn't help him.

Shu Ying's voice trembled slightly. She couldn't imagine how heartbroken she would be if her own child had suffered the same fate.

“The injuries on Shi Tou’s body didn’t happen overnight. Children’s skin is more delicate, and it takes a long time for scars to heal. The number of new and old injuries on his body may not be less than yours.”

Xiao Xueyi was a good soldier, but not necessarily a good father.

His heart ached, and he knelt down beside the bed. Xiao Xueyi held the stone in one hand, and his tears fell to the ground.

"It was all because I was too arrogant. I shouldn't have trusted others. I'm sorry to my child and I'm sorry to Afang."

Xie Zhiyan patted his shoulder, "Now is not the time to talk about these things. When the child wakes up, the first person he should want to see is you, his father."

During his coma, Shi Tou kept calling for his mother, which probably indicates that he felt only his mother could bring him a sense of security.

Xiao Xueyi's situation is complicated, and no one wanted to see this outcome, but since it has already happened, we must pay attention to Shi Tou's mental health in the future.

Shi Tou lay on the hospital bed with his eyes closed, in pain. The child who was just a lively boy was now quiet and still. Xiao Xueyi felt as if his heart was being torn apart.

"Mommy, it hurts so much, and I'm so cold..."

The stone's low murmur struck Xiao Xueyi's heart like a stone, causing him unbearable pain.

Xiao Xueyi lowered his head and replied softly, "Dad is here. It's all Dad's fault. Dad will never let you suffer such injustice again."

Stone was still unconscious. The little boy was curled up on the bed in pain, coughing every now and then. He was too weak to even cough.

Even in his dreams, he dared not call out "Dad," because Lü Jie had said that if he dared to say anything out of line, she would beat him to death.

Those things hurt terribly when they hit him, and he didn't want to be hit anymore. The only person he could call out to was his mother.

After all the pediatricians finished their consultation, Dr. Yang came over. Shu Ying glanced at Xie Zhiyan and was about to follow Dr. Yang out when Xie Zhiyan grabbed her hand and said, "Dr. Yang, this is the child's father. Please speak frankly. We will cooperate with whatever treatment the child needs."

Dr. Yang was followed by Liu Guo, the director of pediatrics. He lifted the child's eyelids with one hand and took his temperature. Shi Tou's temperature was still too high, and the focus should still be on reducing the fever.

"Chief Xie, it's like this. Considering the child's young age, the treatment plan is relatively conservative. The child has been malnourished for a long time, and the persistent high fever is mainly caused by these wounds that have not fully healed. There is an inevitable possibility of infection. Even if the child recovers, there will be some sequelae, and he may have a chronic cough."

They wanted to explain everything about the child clearly. Dr. Yang recounted every detail, which made Shu Ying feel even more heartbroken.

Xie Zhiyan glanced at the stone, feeling a pang of pity. "Can we think of another way? The child is still so young, and his constant coughing will affect his quality of life."

Liu Guo hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth, "The child's condition was not optimistic to begin with, and this is the best result we can get. Let alone a child who is only a few years old, even an adult might not be able to handle it. The main problem is that pneumonia comes on fiercely and is contagious. But don't worry, Chief Xie, our hospital will do its best."

If it had been discovered earlier, there might have been other options, but now it has developed into pneumonia, and it is truly remarkable that the child has survived.

Xie Zhiyan was about to say something more when Shu Ying grabbed his arm and shook her head. "Thank you, doctor. I'll have to trouble you from now on. Please take good care of the child."

She knew that what Dr. Liu said was already the best possible outcome; Shi Tou was receiving treatment, and there was no need to make things difficult for the doctor.

The group nodded and left, but Xiao Xueyi was filled with resentment. He stood up without a word and was about to leave aggressively when Xie Zhiyan stopped him.

"How sad would Stone be if he woke up and there wasn't a single family member by his side? What are you going to do?"

Xiao Xueyi glanced at Shi Tou with some difficulty, his voice choked with emotion, "Commander, I will risk my life today to get justice for Shi Tou. Why did Lü Jie do this? This is my son. She said she would treat Shi Tou as her own child, and I trusted her unconditionally. Yet she did such a heinous thing!"

Shu Ying glanced at Xie Zhiyan, who understood immediately. Xie Zhiyan stepped forward and closed the ward door. Only then did Shu Ying slowly speak, "What's the use of you fighting desperately with Lü Jie? She is certainly wrong, but your mother's instigation played a significant role in all of this. You don't know what kind of person she is, but don't you understand your mother?"

“Lu Jie did something utterly immoral, but isn’t your mother even more hateful? You naturally blame all of this on one person because, after weighing the pros and cons, you find that you can only feel at ease by venting your anger on Lu Jie. Do you want to fight her to the death to seek justice for Shi Tou, or to make your conscience feel better?”

Shu Ying mercilessly exposed Xiao Xueyi's last shred of pretense, and his straight back instantly bent over.

Xiao Xueyi's voice trembled, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head. He gripped the stone in his hand and confessed, "I should have discovered it a long time ago. How could I not see that Lü Jie was also forced into this by my mother?"