Despicable Old Qian (2)

…Is this kid flirting with Tidal again?

When You Dong saw the two messages, that was his first thought.

After working together as magical girls for days, he could sense that his niece had developed feelings for Tidal that went far beyond a normal colleague relationship—something close to deep attachment.

This wasn’t part of You Dong’s original plan.

At first, he’d only meant to play the role of a cool, capable senior—guiding and training Raging Flame into a competent magical girl.

But through repeated interactions, he’d gradually lost control of the situation.

For You Xi, who had lost her mother at a young age, Tidal was both a magical girl senior and a maternal figure. These two roles overlapped, making You Xi develop strong affection for Tidal from the start.

Worse, she might have unconsciously projected her long-repressed longing for her mother onto Tidal… and that was the most problematic part.

If he outright rejected You Xi and crushed her fantasies about Tidal, it would be devastating—something You Dong desperately wanted to avoid.

But if he didn’t… could he really play the role of a “mother”? He had no confidence in that.

“Sis… I think I’ve messed up…”

You Dong sighed.

He remembered how often he used to cause trouble for You Huimei. Maybe karma was real—this was his payback. At the thought, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

That was You Dong’s strength. He could always comfort himself with humor when things got tough. It was proof of how, after losing his parents and sister in his twenties, his mental resilience had grown stronger through each blow.

As his thoughts swirled, the electronic screen in the waiting area displayed his name. He quickly grabbed his things and entered the examination room.

“…You haven’t been sleeping well lately?”

“How do you know?” You Dong asked, surprised.

He hadn’t even sat down when Dr. Liu, the attending physician, gave him a quick once-over and snorted.

“Your face screams sleep deprivation. What time do you usually go to bed? What time do you wake up?”

“Around one or two… up at eight sharp.”

“Be honest.”

“Three or four. Eight a.m.”

“How long’s this been going on?”

“Over two weeks.”

“You trying to die?” Dr. Liu raised an eyebrow, giving him a scolding look. “You think you’re still a teenager? Once in a while, fine. But doing this every day? You’ll drop dead from exhaustion.”

“Yes, you’re right. I’ve had a cold that won’t go away, so I came to check it out.”

“You’re run down. Your immunity’s shot. No wonder the cold won’t leave. I’ll prescribe some calming meds. Go home and rest. Once you’re well-rested and your energy’s back, the illness will clear up.”

With that, Dr. Liu scribbled the prescription and handed it to You Dong.

“Go get it filled.”

“Thanks, Dr. Liu.”

You Dong already knew it was just sleep deprivation. He came to get a legitimate prescription for sleep aids. Though he thought the diagnosis was a bit rushed, his goal was achieved. He took the slip and left.

After You Dong left, Dr. Liu checked the time. Nearly 11:30—lunchtime.

He stopped seeing patients and, while waiting for a colleague to go to the cafeteria, idly flipped through You Dong’s file. Suddenly, one line made his eyes widen.

“…Damn. History of heart disease and still pulling all-nighters? These damn kids today…”

“Hey Liu, what’re you yelling about? Another unreasonable patient?”

His colleague from surgery, Dr. Zhao, walked into the office.

“Hmm? Zhao, something weird…”

Dr. Liu was about to close the screen and head to lunch. But as he glanced back at You Dong’s file, fragmented memories resurfaced—something didn’t add up.

“What’s weird?”

“This condition… can it even be treated now?” He waved Dr. Zhao over, who leaned in with interest.

“Oh, this one.” Dr. Zhao’s mouth opened slightly, his brow furrowing as he thought.

“…Yeah, technically, it can be treated,” he said after a pause. “But in Shangjing? Unlikely.”

He clicked his tongue. “Globally, including other major ‘Cities,’ I’d guess fewer than five hospitals can perform this surgery. Who’s the patient? Either loaded or well-connected.”

“After surgery, is he normal again?”

“Normal? No way. Even if successful, heart function’s probably down to 40% of original. Five to six years max.”

“And he’s been pulling all-nighters for over ten days?”

“You joking?” Dr. Zhao shot his colleague a look. “A healthy person couldn’t handle that. Let alone someone with half a heart? He shouldn’t even be working.”

“Then what about the guy I just saw?” Dr. Liu frowned.

“Zhao, could he be some kind of special case?”

“Yeah, sure. Maybe he’s a superhero? Even with 1% heart function, he’s stronger than normal. Satisfied?” Dr. Zhao rolled his eyes. “Stop overthinking it. It’s probably a clerical error. I once had a male patient diagnosed with cervical cancer… Come on! Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Transformed, Tidal wore the same child-sized outfit she’d worn during her first meeting with You Xi. The rendezvous point was the same too—Sunlight Shopping Plaza.

The things You Xi wanted to talk about were no surprise—her recent troubles. Her friend being bullied, her police summons, and so on.

These issues weighed heavily on Tidal too. She hadn’t found a perfect solution yet. But when You Xi started pouring her heart out, Tidal planned to gently steer her toward listening more to her uncle’s advice.

Sure, it was a bit sneaky—like passing messages through himself. But now wasn’t the time to worry about ethics. If she did find a way to resolve everything later, and You Xi refused to cooperate, it’d all be for nothing. So planting that seed now—using Tidal’s authority—was necessary.

Lost in thought, Tidal arrived at Sunlight Shopping Plaza. At their usual spot, she spotted You Xi.

Before Tidal could greet her, a figure darted out from the side.

“—Whoa! You’re really here!”

…Chen Xi!?

Tidal recognized her instantly—and saw Chen Xi staring at her with a dreamy, lovesick grin.

“Hehe…”