Chapter 2

In the author's original outline, there was no mention of Lizzy's birth mother. This woman didn't even warrant a name. It seemed the character was hastily introduced by the author without a preconceived name in mind. Given the context of the outline, Michelle deduced that her character should know who Lizzy's father was, yet the secondary male lead was unaware of Lizzy's existence. This discrepancy perplexed Michelle. The only explanation she could fathom was that she, within the story, intentionally kept Lizzy's existence a secret from him. Yet it puzzled her that she'd then so casually seek out the male protagonist later on.

Michelle typically refrained from critiquing the drafts provided by her superiors. Everyone has their own vision. She wouldn't impose her ideas onto her boss's work, so she simply let the inconsistency slide. As she rummaged through the house, Michelle couldn't find any fever-reducing medicine suitable for Lizzy, let alone basic cold medicine. Her mood grew complex, realizing the previous "Michelle" must have been truly destitute.

Unable to find medicine, she resorted to giving Lizzy warm water, wiping her down to reduce her fever. Only once the child's temperature had subsided a bit did she consider leaving the house. Even though Michelle, when ill herself, would stubbornly opt for coffee over medicine, she wasn't entirely devoid of common sense. She knew that children's fevers can be unpredictable. Thus, taking Lizzy to the hospital was the next step. The script dictated she'd have to approach the child's biological father due to a lack of money for treatment. She'd just have to accept that.

The secondary male lead was named "Alex Ye," a member of one of the most prestigious families in the Rivenhold city. Michelle knew finding Alex directly would be a challenge, but finding his family would be considerably easier. She gathered all the cash she could find from both her pockets and home. Realizing the sum wouldn't cover the hospital bill, she pondered if it would at least cover the taxi fare to the Ye's residence.

Upon seeing Michelle count the money, Lizzy, fearing an imminent injection at the hospital, promptly called out, "Mommy..."

Michelle glanced up at her, lips pressed into a thin line. The astute child quickly corrected herself, "...Sissy." She explained, "Lizzy doesn't want to go to the hospital. The medicine makes me feel even worse." Assuming the child was merely afraid of the medicine's taste, Michelle reassured her that it was for her own good. Lizzy's pout deepened as she confessed, "But when Lizzy takes medicine, I get itchy red spots."

Understanding dawned on Michelle; the child had a drug allergy. Her initial indecision, torn between getting fever medicine for Lizzy or rushing to the Ye's residence, now evaporated. A drug allergy wasn't something to be taken lightly. She hesitated to give Lizzy any fever-reducing medicine at all. It began to make sense why, in the narrative, Michelle would turn to the Ye's family in the face of her child's illness. Deciding against overthinking the situation, she filled her thermos with warm water and, cradling Lizzy in her arms, headed out.

---------------------

It had been an utterly ordinary day when Mrs. Eleanor Ye finally managed to send her son off for a rendezvous with the heiress of the Zhao family. She felt as though her day's tasks were accomplished, rendering the remaining hours rather dull. Perhaps, Eleanor mused, she should invite someone over for a game of mahjong to while away the time? As she absentmindedly stroked her cat, the butler approached her, a perplexed expression on his face.

"Madam," he began, but Eleanor didn't hear him. It wasn't until the third echoing "Madam" that she glanced up, a tad annoyed, and retorted, "I'm not deaf, just speak your mind."

The butler hesitated, searching for the right words. "There's a lady called Miss Xia outside, claiming she's here to see our young Master."

"To see young Master Ye? He's currently with the Zhao family heiress," Eleanor mused, adding, "Go on?"

Understanding her inquiry, the butler explained, "She says she's unable to contact him directly, so she felt it best to come to the Ye's residence."

Eleanor hummed in acknowledgment. Her fingers delicately caressed the plush toy cat on her lap.

Reading no directive in her silence, the butler pressed on, "Miss Xia is accompanied by a three or four-year-old girl, claiming she's our young Master's child. She wishes to meet with him or at least you, madam."

Eleanor's hands stilled momentarily before she resumed her absent strokes. She inquired, "Is this woman beautiful?"

The butler recalled Miss Xia's visage and truthfully responded, "Quite so."

She pressed, "Is she more beautiful than the Zhao heiress?"

With a survival instinct kicking in, the butler diplomatically remarked, "Both have their unique charm."

"And the child? Is she cute?" Eleanor probed.

The butler hesitated, "...Quite adorable."

"How adorable?"

"Very."

Eleanor cast a sidelong glance at the butler, growing weary of his evasive replies. In turn, the butler silently bemoaned the seemingly frivolous line of questioning from the madam.

After a moment's reflection, Eleanor instructed, "Very well, bring her in. Let me have a look." She was idle, after all, and seeing them couldn't hurt. Perhaps, she hoped, this woman might even outshine the Zhao heiress, and that the child truly bore a resemblance to Alex.

Upon hearing this, the butler acknowledged the instruction and then excused himself. In a short while, he returned, escorting Miss Xia into the room. The young lady looked remarkably youthful, almost unbelievably so for someone who had borne a child. Her features were delicate and refined, with a touch of warmth in her gaze that easily endeared her to others. Eleanor had half-expected her to be a flamboyant, thoughtless beauty like Zhao's daughter, but Miss Xia was nothing of the sort.

Eleanor gestured towards the seat across from her, succinctly saying, "Sit."

Taking her seat, Michelle clutched her daughter, Lizzy, portraying an air of restraint and nervousness. Her voice echoed that trepidation, "Good day, Mrs. Ye. I am Michelle, and this is Lizzy, my daughter."

Lifting her gaze briefly to meet Michelle's, Eleanor acknowledged her with a nonchalant hum, continuing to pet her cat and giving off an air of indifference, as if Michelle wasn't worth her time. Internally, Eleanor thought that Michelle was indeed quite attractive and she wouldn't mind if her son, Alex, had been involved with her. The child, Lizzy, was also adorable, so she wouldn't object if the child truly was Alex's. Yet, it was unfortunate that both mother and child looked so alike and bore little resemblance to Alex, making a paternity test inevitable.

Michelle, perhaps used to the indifference of the wealthy elite, wasn't perturbed by Eleanor's demeanor. Portraying the role of a reluctant visitor, she explained with evident worry, "Four years ago, Mr. Ye and I had an unfortunate encounter, after which I gave birth to Lizzy." Embracing her daughter tightly, she added, "A few days ago, she developed a fever. Due to her allergy to medication, I dare not give her any antipyretics, and her condition has been fluctuating."

Continuing, Michelle said, "As a single mother facing this situation, I'm at my wit's end and have turned to you for help." While she knew that her plea might not sound entirely appropriate, her intent wasn't to seek Eleanor's acknowledgment but rather to inform her: "Your son is the father, and the child is now ill; you need to act."

Eleanor's movements halted as she processed the details of the child's fever and allergic reaction. "An allergy to medication?" she questioned.

Nodding empathetically, Michelle said, "Yes, she develops rashes upon consuming certain medications. It's quite distressing."

With another nod, Eleanor contemplated inwardly: Why does this child have the same tendencies as Alex did as a child? Falling sick was one thing, but developing rashes from medications? Truly a little troublemaker.

Eleanor instructed the butler to summon Dr. Lu to tend to Lizzy's illness. Dr. Lu was the Ye family's trusted physician and lived nearby; he arrived promptly after the call. The butler had informed him that a child had taken ill in the mansion. Initially, Dr. Lu assumed it was one of the Ye children, but upon arrival, he was met with a child he had never seen before. Nonetheless, without further speculation, he began checking the child's temperature and inquiring about her condition. It was only when Michelle mentioned that the child would break out in rashes from fever medicine, did Dr. Lu's eyes instinctively shift to Eleanor. A revelation hit him: wasn't that the same peculiar condition that Mr. Alex Ye had?

However, Eleanor paid him no heed, her attention devoted to stroking her pet cat. Redirecting his focus, Dr. Lu began preparing some medicine and cooling patches for Lizzy. Drawing from his experience with Alex's medical history, he prescribed some mild cold and allergy medications for the child, advising Michelle to monitor her closely and ensure she drank plenty of warm water. With a physician's inherent compassion, Dr. Lu was concerned for the well-being of the little girl.

Before departing, Dr. Lu cast a glance at Eleanor, then left his contact details with Michelle, emphasizing that she should reach out if there were any complications, or immediately take the child to a hospital. Gratefully, Michelle accepted the information, contemplating whether it was time for her and Lizzy to take their leave. After all, the awkwardness that would ensue when Lizzy's biological father returned and confronted her previous "memory loss" would be unbearable.

She pondered on how to express her "gratitude" to Eleanor and deliberated if she could indeed leave with Lizzy that day. Eleanor glanced at Lizzy and then back at Michelle, obviously deep in thought as well. Lizzy was remarkably composed for a child in a strange environment, only pouting a bit when taking her medicine. As Lizzy caught Eleanor's gaze, she flashed a heart-melting smile that was impossible to resist.

A fleeting thought crossed Eleanor's mind: this truly was a child that endeared herself to others. Yet, as quickly as the sentiment arose, it dissipated. With a hint of detachment, Eleanor said to Michelle, "Let's do a paternity test."