Sour Candy (Part 2)

The nurse drew three vials of blood from Ban Xia. The little girl's face gradually turned as pale as wax, beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, and her entire body trembled.

But she still couldn't eat or drink anything, as she needed to undergo a B-ultrasound.

The nurse carried her, and Hu Jie jogged alongside them all the way.

Halfway through the B-ultrasound, Ban Xia's head began to sweat profusely. This was a sign of severe malnutrition, made worse by drawing blood on an empty stomach. Hu Jie quickly took a carton of milk from her handbag, inserted the straw, and handed it to her.

The child took two sips, and only then did she stop trembling.

After the ultrasound, she had to get an X-ray, have yesterday's bandages removed, get her medicine changed, and be bandaged up again.

Before the bandages were even fully removed, the child was in so much pain she could barely breathe. She asked, "Auntie Hu, where is my brother?"

Hu Jie turned around and didn't see Gu Fadian. She said, "He's just a brat. Helping you was only a momentary whim. He's probably gone to an internet cafe or a billiard hall by now. Don't worry about him. You'll come home with me in a bit."

Ban Xia didn't believe her and insisted stubbornly, "Brother must be waiting for me. I want to see him."

Suddenly, the nurse stopped. "Head Nurse, Gu Fadian is in your office. He isn't stealing something, is he?"

Hu Jie's gaze turned sharp. "Really?" With that, she turned and walked out.

The door to the dressing room was slightly ajar. As the nurse changed the dressing, she peeked out, and Ban Xia pursed her lips, peeking out as well.

Worried about her brother, she suddenly forgot the pain. Of course, she didn't believe her brother would steal anything.

Walking through the door, she saw Gu Fadian's hand on a drawer. Hu Jie immediately flared up. "Fadian, you take Xiao Shuai out to loiter all day. I felt sorry for you because you have no one to guide you, so I never said anything. But if you've picked up the bad habit of stealing, I might have to call the police to teach you a lesson."

Gu Fadian patted the book *Genetics and Biology* on the desk and said, "I was just putting the book away and tidying up the desk for you. Is that not allowed?"

Only then did Hu Jie remember that she had indeed been reading *Genetics and Biology* earlier, and Gu Fadian had picked it up for her.

Sure enough, the boy had neatly organized her cluttered desk.

Gu Fadian wasn't angry at all. He asked, "Auntie, when will the test results be ready?"

Having misunderstood the boy, Hu Jie felt guilty and softened her voice. "It will take three days. Right, Officer Zhao will definitely settle Ban Xia's matter today. Let me take Ban Xia. I'll treat her to lunch, tidy up her hair a bit, and then return her to Qin Xiu."

Gu Fadian's face was filled with confidence. "No way. She is my younger sister. From now on, she will stay with me forever."