Chapter 4

At the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nan Yue University, the largest hospital in the Shaping district of Yangcheng, despite the early hour, it had already begun its busy day. The hospital was bustling with people, the noise chaotic, and it inevitably made people feel anxious.

In the corridor, the hurried figures of doctors and nurses in white coats further intensified Yang Yan's inner worries.

Yang Yan solemnly retracted his gaze from the distant end of the corridor and turned to look at the pediatric clinic behind him—where the baby he and the policewoman had brought was being examined by a doctor.

Due to hygiene concerns, the dirty and smelly Yang Yan could not enter the clinic. Of course, he was also confused, and he wouldn't know how to answer the doctor's questions, so entering would probably not be helpful.

So he could only sit outside, waiting with a heavy heart.

The pediatrician's serious expression and the words, "I'm not afraid of anything else, but I'm afraid it's a fever caused by meningitis," made Yang Yan's heart race with worry!

Yang Yan knew nothing about medicine and didn't know what meningitis was, but any illness related to the brain couldn't be a minor one, could it?

Thinking of the baby's pitiful, wrinkled little face, and her pale, weak little mouth, as if telling of her helplessness and longing... Yang Yan, though he knew he had no connection with the baby, couldn't help but worry about her.

"It should be fine..." Yang Yan silently prayed.

Waiting always seemed to take forever. After an unknown amount of time, the door of the clinic behind him opened, and Yang Yan turned to see the policewoman walking out.

"Comrade Policeman, how is the child?" Yang Yan quickly stood up, his hands fidgeting, a bit awkwardly asking.

The policewoman's eyes, though beautiful, were sharp, like a scalpel that could dissect Yang Yan's inner secrets. She stared at Yang Yan for a moment before slowly saying, "The doctor's initial diagnosis says it's not a fever caused by meningitis..."

"That's good!" Yang Yan let out a huge sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his tense face.

"But the situation is not optimistic!" The policewoman did not smile, interrupting Yang Yan's words, and said coolly, "The doctor says it's a fever caused by pediatric gastroenteritis, and the child's physical condition is very poor, with malnutrition..."

The policewoman repeated the doctor's diagnosis and treatment plan, which left the medically ignorant Yang Yan feeling lost.

However, as he listened, Yang Yan couldn't help but ask the policewoman in surprise, "What? You mean an IV? Such a small child, who is even smaller than a kitten, how can you give her an IV?"

Yang Yan couldn't even imagine the scene of a large needle being inserted into such a small child!

"It's not us, it's the doctor!" The policewoman glared, a bit unhappy, and countered, "I also asked why, and why the doctor didn't give the child medicine, but the current situation is that she urgently needs to reduce her fever and get nutrients, so... no matter what we think, we have to follow the doctor's arrangements! Okay? They are the professionals! They know how to make the child better!"

The policewoman was right, and Yang Yan had no grounds to argue, so both of them fell silent.

This gave the policewoman another chance to scrutinize Yang Yan. She frowned slightly, carefully examining him, making Yang Yan feel a bit uncomfortable.

From head to toe, from toe to head, until the policewoman's gaze met Yang Yan's again, she crossed her arms and raised one hand to gently touch her chin, like Conan in deep thought, but she was looking at Yang Yan and asked seriously, "You really aren't this girl's father?"

She stared intently at Yang Yan's eyes, trying to find a hint of deceit.

"Girl baby?" Yang Yan was surprised; he hadn't noticed before, but it made sense, as it was hard to tell the gender of a newborn just by looking at the face.

"But I really am not her father!" Yang Yan quickly explained, his eyes honest but a bit helpless, "Comrade Policeman, didn't I tell you in the car? I went to the internet cafe with some classmates last night to play a competition, and after celebrating with a late-night snack, I drank too much and somehow ended up sleeping... in the garbage pile."

At this point, Yang Yan was so embarrassed he couldn't even look at the policewoman. He paused, then said with a bitter smile, "As you know, you woke me up, and I found a child in my arms. In the car, you saw my ID and student card!"

"But you are very concerned about this child..." The policewoman took out Yang Yan's ID and student card from her pocket, looked at Yang Yan again, and actually already believed him because his demeanor and eyes were genuine. She just felt the situation was getting a bit complicated and said, a bit reluctantly, "Because she is a child, and so young! Anyone would be worried about her safety."

Yang Yan suddenly had an idea and suggested, "Right, Comrade Policeman, why don't you check the surveillance footage of that street? You should be able to see the images of me and my classmates passing by. I was barely able to walk, let alone carry a child."

Thinking along this line, Yang Yan continued excitedly, "And, Comrade Policeman, you can also find the child's parents from the footage. They must have left the child in the garbage pile! And it's probably not a kidnapper, because..."

Yang Yan suddenly fell silent, the excitement of feeling his name could be cleared gradually fading from his face.

The policewoman silently watched Yang Yan's expression, her beautiful eyes like a clear moonlit spring, reflecting his troubles.

How could she not think of what Yang Yan was thinking?

Even what Yang Yan couldn't say, the policewoman had already thought of. She couldn't help but say it for him, "Because kidnappers wouldn't abandon a child. Only the biological parents who don't want to raise their child would abandon them... right?"

Since they have already abandoned... would finding them change the outcome?

Yang Yan nodded lightly, smiling bitterly and meeting the policewoman's eyes, seeing the helplessness in hers.

However, the policewoman quickly composed herself and said seriously, "But I will check the footage. No matter what, I will find the child's biological parents and persuade them not to abandon their own flesh and blood!"

"Right! We have to find them!" Yang Yan nodded in agreement, "I think they might have just made a hasty decision that they will regret for life! Maybe they will take the child back! And you can persuade them, see if it's due to economic difficulties. If the child's parents are poor, I can help. I know the student council president at Nan Yue University, and we can organize a fundraiser at our school to help them through this tough time!"

For a moment, the two seemed to reach a consensus. Yang Yan felt the policewoman's gaze on him had become warmer, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. He felt a hint of admiration in her eyes, at least not like she was scrutinizing a criminal!

"Cough, cough!" The atmosphere eased a bit, and Yang Yan pointed to the policewoman's hand, smiling awkwardly, "Comrade Policeman, can you return my ID and student card? It's also my campus card, and I need it to get back to school..."

The policewoman didn't smile as Yang Yan expected. Instead, she felt a bit down because of more practical considerations, though she didn't show it on her face. Now, hearing Yang Yan's words, she felt a bit annoyed, her tone becoming a bit sharp, "What? You want to go back to school now?"

Of course, this annoyance was just a momentary emotional reaction, and she quickly became rational.

It seemed she had no reason to require Yang Yan to stay at the hospital... or she could ask him to stay temporarily, but she couldn't make any more unreasonable demands!

Because Yang Yan wasn't the child's father!

He was just a college student... a complete stranger to the child!

But what about the child?

The policewoman was troubled by this question.

Yang Yan didn't think as much as the policewoman, but her question woke him from his muddled thoughts. He patted his messy hair, which looked like a bird's nest, and said apologetically, "Right, I can't go back now. I don't know how the child is doing. If I go back like this, I won't feel good, and I won't be at ease..."

Yang Yan sat back down on the chair, sighing softly to himself, "I hope the child is fine. She's so young, I'm afraid... well, I won't say more. I hope she gets better soon!"

This time, the policewoman's gaze on Yang Yan truly showed a hint of admiration.

She hesitated for a moment, a bit conflicted, and said, "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant you need to make a statement. No problem, when the child is better, you can come with me to the police station!"

"No problem, Comrade Policeman, it's the Shaping district police station, right?" Yang Yan readily agreed, his memory being good, he remembered the first thing the policewoman said to him.

The policewoman nodded, "Right, and you don't have to call me Comrade Policeman. It sounds a bit awkward. My name is Xia Yu, you can call me Xia..."

Xia Yu paused, realizing she didn't know how to address Yang Yan!

Generally, when dealing with the residents in her jurisdiction, she would have the uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas call her Xia, which made her seem more approachable. The petty thieves at the police station, whom she had disciplined, would call her Officer Xia with fear.

But Xia Yu knew Yang Yan was younger than her, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to call her Xia. And Yang Yan wasn't a petty thief, not an object of governance, so it wouldn't make sense for him to call her Officer Xia...

So, how should he address her?

Yang Yan saw Xia Yu's dilemma and said with a smile, "How about I call you Sister Xia? I guess you're older than me, but not by much. You seem like a new police officer, and I'm already in my fourth year of college."

Xia Yu's bold eyebrows couldn't help but rise, and she asked, a bit不服气 (unconvinced), "I am older than you, but what do you mean? I look like a new police officer? How do I look like one?"

New police officers hated being called rookies the most!