Mr. He was almost in tears and laughter, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Xixi was satisfied, "That's right. What you need to do now is to take care of your health and absolutely not think about other things. Put all work aside. No matter how important work is, it's not as important as your body."
The little one spoke with such earnestness, his cowlick bobbing along, incredibly cute.
Mr. He could only say yes.
The butler, watching from the side, was thoroughly amused. Mr. He, who was always so stubborn, only showed this obedient side to this child.
The butler said to Xixi, "Little Xixi, I think you'll have to stay with us for a while longer."
"Why?"
"Because only you can cure Mr. He."
Mr. He was almost in tears and laughter, "Butler!"
This time, the butler showed no leniency to his master, speaking righteously, "Sir, I know you don't want to hear this, but what I'm saying is the truth. For you to stay home and properly recover, the child must stay to look after you."
Mr. He covered his forehead.
The butler had finally found his nemesis.
Xixi hesitated, having promised his mother he would return. If he didn't go back now, his mother might be unhappy...
But then he saw Mr. He and gritted his teeth, agreeing.
"Okay, I'll stay here until Uncle He recovers before I leave." Xixi glanced at Mr. He, "After all, if I leave, with Uncle He's stubbornness, who knows when his body will get better."
The butler chuckled.
Mr. He was also speechless, but at the same time, his heart felt warm. Was this child worrying about him like a child?
Even though he himself was just a child.
Mr. He was indeed weak. After talking for a short while, he fell asleep. Xixi and the butler tiptoed out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Xixi went to the kitchen to supervise the servants brewing the medicine.
A tiny figure stood at the kitchen door, looking more serious than anyone else. The butler, watching from the living room, couldn't help but smile.
He had never understood why his master doted on this child so much before, but now he understood. It was because this child was inherently kind.
With Xixi overseeing the servants brewing the medicine, the butler was naturally not worried and prepared to return to Mr. He's bedroom. His master had trouble sleeping, often waking up from nightmares.
As he entered the room, he saw that Mr. He had indeed woken up.
"Sir, how are you feeling?"
Mr. He rubbed his forehead, feeling groggy from his sleep. He hadn't heard that familiar, mature little voice. He looked around the room.
"Where is the child?"
The butler teased, "Sir, you can't be a minute away from this child now."
They had only been apart for an hour, and he was already asking about the child's whereabouts.
Mr. He rubbed his forehead with one hand and looked up, giving the butler a glare. "What nonsense are you talking? I'm just worried he'll run around alone as a child."
The butler smiled, "Yes."
He didn't expose Mr. He. In fact, in this vast villa, there were many servants and gardeners watching the child. As long as the child stayed within the villa, it was impossible for him to get lost.
Mr. He's pretense of saying one thing and meaning another was truly amusing.
"Where did the child go?" Mr. He asked again, impatiently.
The butler said, "He said he was worried about others brewing the medicine and wanted to watch personally, saying that traditional Chinese medicine requires strict control over heat."
Mr. He smiled, "Despite his young age, he knows quite a lot."
"This child is indeed remarkable."
The butler praised him from the bottom of his heart.
Before long, Xixi arrived. He was small, carrying a tray with a bowl of medicine on it. As soon as he entered, the aroma of the traditional Chinese medicine spread throughout the room.
The smell was truly unpleasant.
Especially for Mr. He and the butler, who disliked the taste of Chinese medicine.
Mr. He covered his nose and mouth, letting the butler take the medicine. He then began to negotiate with Xixi, "Little friend, can I not drink this medicine?"
He felt like vomiting just by smelling it, let alone drinking it.
Xixi shook his head, "No. The doctor said this is medicine to nourish your body. It might not taste good, but it's very beneficial for your current health. You cannot refuse to drink it."
Mr. He sighed.
The butler stifled a laugh.
Mr. He saw it and glared at him, "When you get sick, I will definitely make you drink more tonic medicine."
His tone was somewhat teeth-gritting.
The butler chuckled, "Don't worry, sir. If I get sick, I will take my medicine on time and listen to the doctor. I will not refuse treatment out of fear."
Mr. He: "..."
This old fellow knew exactly how to corner him with words.
Xixi stood on tiptoe to look at the medicine. The bowl of medicine had actually been brewed ten minutes ago, but it was too hot, so he had deliberately let it cool downstairs for a while.
"It's ready to be drunk now. The temperature is just right, and it's the best time for its efficacy. If it cools down further, the taste will be even worse."
Mr. He had no choice but to brace himself and take the bowl.
He looked at the bowl but hesitated to drink it.
Xixi became anxious, "What are you still hesitating about? The medicine will cool down if you wait any longer, and it tastes even worse when it's cold."
Mr. He gritted his teeth, held his breath, and drank the medicine.
When he put down the bowl, his mouth was filled with the taste of the Chinese medicine. He pursed his lips tightly, took a gentle breath, and suddenly a candy appeared before his eyes.
Xixi said, "Eating this candy will make it not feel so bitter."
"Thank you, little friend."
Mr. He had long known the child's name, but he still habitually called him this, feeling that this way of addressing him was a unique bond between them.
Xixi stood with his hands behind his back and said, "You still need to drink medicine for a few more days to fully recover. I'll always prepare delicious candy for you."
Mr. He felt another illusion: this child seemed to be coaxing him like a child. But he had to admit, this feeling was not unpleasant.
"Got it. I'll listen to you."
Mr. He looked at the empty bowl and tray on the bedside table and said to Xixi, "But you don't need to bring me medicine anymore in the future. Just let the servants bring it up."
"Why don't you let me? Are you afraid I'll spill your medicine?"
"Of course not." The tray on the table was made of solid wood and was quite large, weighing at least three to four catties. Seeing Xixi, with his small arms and legs, carrying the tray made him worried.
It wasn't that he was afraid the medicine would spill, but that the tray and bowl would fall on the ground and injure him.
Xixi understood his concern and obediently nodded, "I understand. The servants were supposed to bring it this time, but I was worried Uncle wouldn't take the medicine obediently, so I brought it myself."
The implication was that if he took the medicine obediently, Xixi wouldn't insist on bringing it himself.
Mr. He understood and nodded with a smile, "I'll listen to you then."