Pampered By My Fake Boyfriend's Brother
Chapter 171 Replacement for Fatherly Love

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Replacement for Fatherly Love

Early the next morning, before dawn, An Ying got out of bed, washed up, and headed out with a small bag.

She had walked through the dark stairwell so many times that even without any light, her steps were steady.

As soon as she got downstairs, the cold outside hit her, causing An Ying to shiver. She looked up and noticed a familiar figure standing under a tree not far away, pacing back and forth. He was holding quite a few items, seemingly groceries.

"Doctor Huang." An Ying slowly approached and greeted him.

Doctor Huang turned around with delight when he heard An Ying’s voice and with a genuine smile, he said hesitantly, "An Yin is back, isn’t she? I, I bought some groceries, not sure if she likes them. You can take them upstairs."

Last night, during a walk with An Ying, An Yin happened to call, and Doctor Huang learned about An Yin’s return home.

An Ying looked at him intently, her eyes flickering, ready to refuse. But remembering her daughter’s excitement when mentioning Doctor Huang yesterday, she hesitated and with difficulty said, "Thank you. There are too many things, I’m afraid they might spoil. How about I just pick a few items?"

When An Ying spoke, it was like a clear spring, gently flowing and striking the man’s heart.

"Sure, see what An Yin likes to eat." Doctor Huang excitedly raised the shopping bag in his hand to An Ying, trying to give her a better look.

When he brought these things over, Doctor Huang was quite anxious, afraid that An Ying would politely decline his gesture. But now that An Ying accepted his items, as adults, they both understood the implication.

An Ying glanced around. It was still early and most of the residents here were still asleep.

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Doctor Huang’s initial joy gradually faded. He realized that as a woman, she would naturally care about the opinions of neighbors, which put his mind at ease.

Eventually, An Ying picked out some fresh prawns, spare ribs, beef, and bok choy...

"These are enough." An Ying took the bag from his hand.

Seeing he still had quite a few groceries, Doctor Huang decided on his own to hand the bag on his left to An Ying, "I had the butcher fresh kill this chicken. Take it home for soup; it’s rare for your daughter to visit."

Seeing his sincere face, a pang of guilt flashed in An Ying’s heart. But ultimately, she took the bag, "I have to work later, you should head back early too." An Ying didn’t know how long he’d been standing downstairs, and she feared that if she asked, she’d feel even more guilty!

The man before her was good—considerate, attentive, and even with a stable job. For family life, he would make a good husband!

An Ying was trying her best to interact with him, thinking that while feelings can’t be forced, once she got used to his presence, she wouldn’t mind as much and could make a go of it!

Perhaps Doctor Huang could fill the void left by her daughter’s missing father?

In winter, opening the window presented a misty view outside.

An Yin got up to use the bathroom, feeling the bedroom stuffy, she moved to the window. Half asleep, she opened the window and carelessly glanced outside. Just as she was about to look away, the graceful figure downstairs caught her attention.

Isn’t that Mrs. An?

And isn’t that Doctor Huang standing next to Mrs. An?

An Yin’s drowsiness vanished. She widened her eyes and leaned against the railing, staring intently downstairs. She saw Mrs. An taking groceries from Doctor Huang’s hands, and the two seemed to be chatting before Doctor Huang left with some items, and Mrs. An returned to the building.

An Yin rested her chin on one hand, making a thoughtful gesture.

The sky outside wasn’t fully bright yet, and with a belly full of questions, An Yin slipped back under her covers and quickly drifted back to sleep.

When she woke up again and walked out of the bedroom, she saw a sumptuous meal on the dining table. She momentarily forgot about the scene she witnessed earlier, running quickly to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

An Ying came out holding a bowl of chicken soup, noticing the bathroom door closed, she urged, "Hurry up, the food won’t taste as good if it gets cold."

"I know."

An Yin’s voice came from the bathroom.

An Ying first served her daughter a bowl of soup, cooling it until the temperature was just right when her daughter sat at the table.

Then, she started to peel prawns, placing them into her daughter’s bowl. As she did these things, a gentle expression flickered in her eyes, showing that doing them brought her joy.

After An Yin came out, she rushed to the dining table and seeing the spread of dishes, her eyes curved with delight.

"Have some soup first to warm your stomach." An Ying pushed the slightly cooled chicken soup in front of her daughter.

Seeing that the swelling on her daughter’s forehead had gone down overnight, An Ying felt much relieved.

An Yin didn’t notice her mother’s scrutiny, touching the porcelain bowl and finding it not hot, she took a small sip, "It’s delicious!"

"Then have some more." Looking at her daughter’s frail body, An Ying was filled with worry.

Her daughter had been weak since childhood, and compared to her peers, was quite skinny. An Ying never scrimped on her daughter’s food, even feeding her large amounts of meat for a while. But no matter how nutritious the food was, her weight never increased, eventually making An Ying give up.

She thought, perhaps her daughter took after her, able to eat without gaining weight, something that those wanting to lose weight would envy, yet it was a headache for An Ying!

In her eyes, if her daughter could be a bit sturdier, it would be easier to care for her and she wouldn’t be so frail!

Seeing Mrs. An’s worried face, An Yin quickly put down her bowl, "Mom, is there something on your mind?" An Yin immediately thought back to what she saw that morning, causing many thoughts to surface.

Is Mrs. An dating Doctor Huang but too embarrassed to tell her, hence her anxious expression?

Is Mrs. An worried I won’t approve of her relationship with Doctor Huang, causing her distraction?

These thoughts kept popping into An Yin’s mind as she stared at her mother with bright eyes, waiting for her response.

"No." Snapping back to reality, An Ying finished peeling the last prawn and placed it into her daughter’s bowl, "Hurry up, the dishes are getting cold."

An Yin thought Mrs. An was simply shy to mention Doctor Huang, hiding her inner delight. After finishing her bowl of chicken soup, she looked at her meal bowl, which was now full of peeled prawn meat.

"Mom, you should eat too!" An Yin picked up her chopsticks, about to share half with her mother.

"I’m watching my diet recently, can’t eat seafood." An Ying reached out to stop the prawn her daughter was offering.

An Yin frowned, recalling her mother’s previous illness, and asked nervously, "Are the follow-up results okay?"

An Ying had previously suffered from breast cancer. The doctor said this illness requires regular follow-ups. Fortunately, the condition was in its early stage, with a high cure rate and a successful surgery. But An Ying needed to constantly monitor her physical condition and pay close attention to her diet, avoiding stimulants!

Hearing Mrs. An mention dietary restrictions again brought a tightness to An Yin’s heart!

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