Chapter 6

"Mira, don't be afraid. Mom will take you to the hospital," Zoey's voice, tinged with a sob as well, sounded in the dead of night. In an instant, Cyrus was wide awake. He quickly knocked on the door, and called out, "Zoey, let me see Mira." "Get lost!" Zoey shouted. "Mom, I want Dad to hold me. He has never hugged me before," Mira said pitifully. Zoey was forced to open the door. Then she hid behind the curtain to change her clothes. It was the first time Cyrus, since his rebirth, saw Mira personally and her pitiful state stunned him. Her small body was covered in cold sweat, with an unrelenting high fever, and she was convulsing in pain. Blood-red scratches covered her tender skin. The once cute and lovely face had lost all its color. For almost a thousand days and nights, Cyrus had never inquired about his daughter's illness or pain, either fooling around or finding it bothersome. Only Zoey had tirelessly stayed by Mira's side, the hardship of which could be imagined. Cyrus held Mira in his arms and checked her pulse. He comforted her gently, "Mira, don't be afraid. Daddy is here. Everything will be fine." Mira opened her eyes, slightly calmer. When she saw Cyrus before her, she really wanted to joyfully bounce up. However, she was in too much pain and just weakly asked, "Dad, you don't dislike Mira now?" "How could I dislike you? I'm your dad," Cyrus reassured. Behind the curtain, where Zoey was changing, she was utterly shocked. Cyrus's tone was as if he had become a different person. She had never seen Cyrus so calm and gentle towards their daughter. Zoey took out her thick coat, covering Mira, and said, "Let's quickly go to the hospital." However, Cyrus grabbed her hand, saying, "Let me try acupuncture on Mira." Zoey quickly pulled away, panicked. "What are you thinking? With your limited knowledge, how can you randomly use it on Mira?" "At least let me help her alleviate the pain," Cyrus suggested. "Are you daydreaming? How can acupuncture relieve pain?" Zoey strongly disagreed. Yet, Mira tightly hugged Cyrus's neck and said to Zoey, "Mom, let Dad give it a try. As long as he can be with me, it won't hurt so much." "Darling, your body is already not well..." "Mom, even if I die, I want to die in your and Dad's arms," Mira said resolutely, hugging Cyrus tighter, afraid that he would leave if he got angry. Hearing this, Cyrus felt a pang in his heart and silently vowed to cure the kid. He had become accustomed to witnessing life and death, maintaining a calm demeanor. However, being called Dad for the first time caused a small tug on his dormant heartstrings. Understanding Mira's yearning for fatherly love, Zoey could only hide on the side, secretly wiping away her tears. Cyrus took out a wooden box and asked Mira to lie down. The little girl, trembling in pain, tightly clenched her teeth. "Mira, you don't need to endure it. If it hurts, you can scream." "Dad, I'm fine. Mira is used to it." "It won't hurt for long." Cyrus picked up the thinnest silver needle. He found the acupuncture point and calmly inserted it slowly. Then, he inserted a second needle. A magical scene unfolded. Mira, who had clenched her teeth, slowly relaxed, and after a few seconds, her body stopped trembling. "Dad, you're amazing," Mira weakly smiled. "It's nothing. Mira just needs to rest. Dad will massage you," Cyrus said. Zoey, on the side, was completely bewildered. What kind of acupuncture technique could have such immediate effects? She hurried over and found that Mira's breathing had become much more regular. She asked, "Sweetheart, is it really not hurting anymore?" "Mom, there's no more feeling of ant bites." Zoey measured her temperature again. The fever that had risen to 103.1 degrees Fahrenheit, in a minute, dropped to 101.3 degrees. "It's okay. I'll give her a massage, and she should be able to sleep well," Cyrus remarked. "Doesn't she need to go to the hospital?" "Not tonight." Zoey nodded in confusion, saying, "Sweetheart, sleep well. You don't have to go to school tomorrow, okay?" "Mom, can Dad stay and accompany me?" Mira suddenly asked. Zoey looked at Cyrus and pleaded, "Can you stay with her until dawn? It's only about four hours." The previous Cyrus would never agree to such a request. However, now Cyrus straightforwardly nodded, showing no reluctance. "Then I'll go sleep outside." But Mira tugged at Zoey's clothes, pitifully saying, "Mom, when our classmates get sick, their parents are always with them." Zoey was stunned in place. Since their wedding day, she had never shared a bed with Cyrus, let alone the same room. Zoey naturally strongly disagreed but couldn't articulate it. Since birth, Mira had never coquettishly nestled in her parents' arms. Moreover, this child was smart and seemed to know that her biological parents had abandoned her. She was always cautious. Not only was Zoey in a dilemma, but Cyrus also felt quite awkward. Who could bear sharing a bed with such a stunning woman? Unexpectedly, Mira turned out to be a godsend for him. "How about having Mira sleep in the middle? Don't worry. I promise not to do anything inappropriate," Cyrus suggested. Seeing her daughter's eyes, full of her longing for affection, the kind-hearted Zoey could only nod. She wore a thick sweater and wrapped the blanket tightly around herself. 15 minutes later, Cyrus removed the acupuncture needles he'd used on Mira and also got into bed with them. Cyrus's heart thumped wildly when he smelled Zoey's refreshing and pleasant fragrance beside him. Cyrus hadn't felt anything when Rachel lay naked in his arms in the morning. The esteemed "great medical expert", having encountered countless wealthy heiresses from prestigious families vying to marry him, found his composure shaken by Zoey. Mira had already fallen asleep, turning to embrace Cyrus's neck, murmuring in her sleep, "Daddy, if I die, can you be nicer to Mommy?" Cyrus patted her back gently, reassuring her, "Don't worry, you'll be fine." Zoey couldn't sleep either. Her anxiety wasn't about any romantic feelings; it was fear and unease. Could this heartless prodigal son, who didn't even love his own daughter, suddenly turn over a new leaf? In the past, when he was attentive, there were generally only two motives: either money or lust. Thinking about what Rachel said in the morning, Zoey couldn't help but shudder. Was he truly squandering their assets in gambling, and was the three hundred and ninety thousand a sum earned through dubious means? Was everything now just an act? She considered confronting him but held back, thinking that this might be the only warmth Mira could experience in the final days of her life. "How did you do that just now?" Zoey inquired. If Cyrus really possessed such medical skills, would he have squandered a fortune of billions, accumulated a mountain of debt, and even contemplated selling his wife? "It's a long story. Get some rest. If she feels better tomorrow, I'll take her to kindergarten. You should place an order for the goods. After all, it's your dad's friend," Cyrus replied. He hadn't figured out how to reveal his true identity to Zoey yet. If Zoey were to discover that the man currently sharing the same bed wasn't her real husband but a stranger, it would likely shock her to the core.