The nurse, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, nodded as she glanced at the chart. "She's stable for now, but her condition is still critical. We're closely monitoring her vitals and IV lines."
"Thank you for the update," Li Xiyan said, nodding.
She glanced at the chart briefly before adding, "I'll reassess her vitals and review her treatment plan in detail."
She moved to the bedside, her hands instinctively going to check the IV lines and monitor the equipment readings.
Shen Rui's small chest rose and fell with a labored, uneven rhythm.
A respiratory support system assisted her breathing, but her condition remained critical.
Her white blood cell count was dangerously low.
Li Xiyan glanced at the chart, reading the interventions done so far.
As she was checking the IV, Shen Rui's eyes fluttered open, her gaze sharp and unfocused, before locking onto Li Xiyan.
She narrowed her eyes, as if sizing her up, a stubborn frown pulling at the corners of her lips.
Li Xiyan, taken aback by the intensity of the gaze, softened her expression.
"Hello, Shen Rui," she said gently, keeping her tone calm. "I'm here to help you. You're going to get better, I promise."
Shen Rui's sharp eyes flickered with skepticism, as if questioning whether the people around her really understood.
"You're not going to tell me to stay still again, are you?" her voice was raspy, but there was an unmistakable sharpness to it.
Li Xiyan smiled softly at the child's feisty demeanor, recalling the description Wei Shu had shared—a stubborn, sharp-tongued little tyrant.
But now, seeing the vulnerability in Shen Rui's eyes, she recognized the softer side of her.
"No, I won't tell you that," Li Xiyan said, her voice warm and reassuring. "I know how tough you are. I just need to make sure everything's working properly, okay? We'll take good care of you."
Shen Rui's frown softened slightly, and her gaze shifted back to the ceiling.
Li Xiyan continued her checks, glancing at the vital signs monitor.
The fever was still high, and the shallow breaths were concerning.
She reviewed the latest blood work and the prescribed medications, then after doing so, she adjusted the flow rate of the IV fluids, careful not to disturb the fragile balance.
"Could you keep an eye on her oxygen saturation?" Li Xiyan asked the nurse, her tone polite but steady. "And if possible, please double-check the lab results in an hour."
The nurse nodded, her expression serious as she gave a small, reassuring smile. "Of course, I'll monitor her closely."
Li Xiyan turned back to Shen Rui, who was still lying still, her breathing slightly more even now, but the signs of distress were still apparent.
She made a note in her chart, adjusting her plan of action for the next steps.
As she reviewed the medications again, she double-checked the prescribed antibiotics and antifungals for Shen Rui's sepsis, ensuring no mistakes had been made.
She also mentally calculated how to proceed with a potential corticosteroid treatment for any potential inflammation exacerbating the pneumonia.
Li Xiyan glanced once more at Shen Rui, her face softening as she spoke again, keeping her tone quiet, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "You're a tough little one, I can see that."
Shen Rui didn't respond, but her eyes were focused on her, silently watching every movement. Though she didn't speak, her sharp gaze seemed to be judging Li Xiyan.
Suddenly, her voice raspy but still sharp, broke the silence.
"I like your eyes," Shen Rui muttered, her gaze still fixed on Li Xiyan's face.
Li Xiyan blinked in surprise, her hands pausing for a moment.
"Thank you," she said, her tone gentle, though inside, she was a little taken aback.
The kid wasn't so bad after all.
Shen Rui added, her voice laced with a hint of mischief, "They look like the eyes of a cat. Pointy and kind of... sneaky."
Li Xiyan froze for a second.
Cat eyes?
She didn't know whether to laugh or be offended.
It was true, her eyes did have a slightly almond shape, and the points at the ends were subtle but noticeable, a characteristic she'd always thought was one of her unique features.
But hearing it from a five-year-old?
It sounded entirely different.
She stared at Shen Rui, speechless for a moment, before her lips curved into a smile despite herself.
She heard the door open but kept talking to the girl.
"A cat, huh?" she repeated softly, a bit amused. "Well, I guess cats are pretty good at sneaking around. But, if you think about it, they're also really good at taking care of themselves."
Shen Rui's eyes narrowed slightly, considering the answer.
Li Xiyan returned the compliment.
"You know," Li Xiyan continued, her voice light, "I like your eyes too. They remind me of a stormy sky—gray and mysterious, like you're hiding a secret or two."
Shen Rui blinked, a mix of confusion and curiosity in her gaze.
For a moment, she seemed to take the compliment seriously, as if trying to figure out if Li Xiyan was teasing her.
Her lips twitched into a small smile, though the skepticism in her eyes remained. "Stormy sky, huh? Guess that's better than cat eyes," she muttered.
Li Xiyan smiled softly, not missing the playful spark in Shen Rui's words. "Well, cat eyes are nice too," she said, her tone gentle but teasing. "But stormy skies... they're a bit more interesting, don't you think? A little mystery goes a long way."
Suddenly, the little girl's gaze went past Li Xiyan, looking at something or someone behind her, her expression softening in a second.
Her voice, though weak, carried a hint of joy as she called out, "Father."
Li Xiyan's body went rigid.
And then, the familiar voice—one she had not heard for a long time—reached her ears.
"How are you feeling?"
Her heart skipped a beat.
She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.