After washing up and changing into a clean set of hospital loungewear, Elena returned to the private room and took a seat on the couch opposite Zhang Tengfei. The others had tactfully withdrawn, closing the door behind them and leaving the space to father and daughter alone.
Outside, the world continued to spin with quiet efficiency.
Jin Di instructed one of his subordinates to arrange food, then retreated to an empty private waiting room nearby to rest while keeping himself within reach.
Simon busied himself with phone calls, first informing Cai Jun of Elena's hospitalization and current condition, then calling ho to ask for clothes and toiletries for all three of them.
In the rush earlier, they had only brought their phones, wallets, and the clothes on their backs.
Cao Guang excused himself to take care of several urgent business calls, deliberately giving the pair inside as much uninterrupted ti as possible.
Inside the room, silence settled like a cautious truce.
Zhang Tengfei sat upright, hands resting on his knees, his gaze drifting toward his daughter and then away again. Elena, anwhile, studied him openly.
This was the man who had raised the original Elena Zhang, the man responsible for shaping a spoiled, unreasonable young woman who had lived her life desperate for attention and validation.
He had been a competent provider, generous with money and opportunities, yet distant in ways that mattered.
His reserved nature and lack of emotional presence had pushed his daughter toward extres, toward seeking affirmation from the public when she couldn't get it at ho.
To Elena of today, he was still little more than a stranger.
Yet he was also her father in this life.
Repairing this relationship wouldn't hurt. In fact, it might be necessary.
She broke the silence first.
"Hello, father. How have you been?"
Zhang Tengfei visibly startled. His mouth opened, then closed, as though the words had lodged themselves sowhere between his throat and his pride. He cleared his throat, trying again. "I'm… I'm alright. Thank you, Xiulan—my daughter." He paused, then added more carefully, "How are you feeling now? Are you still unwell?"
"I'm feeling much better," Elena replied evenly. "Thank you for asking."
Another pause followed.
Zhang Tengfei shifted slightly, clearly unsure how to continue. He wasn't used to conversations like this with his daughter, ones that weren't driven by demands, argunts, or ultimatums. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, at a loss.
Elena didn't feel awkward at all. She was calmly observing him, noting the tension in his shoulders, the restraint in his expression.
"Congratulations on your album, Rebirth," he finally said.
"Thank you."
Silence returned, softer this ti, less brittle.
He cleared his throat again. "I… bought a copy. Actually, I bought several copies of your album."
"That's very kind of you," she said. "Would you like to sign them?"
His eyes lit up instantly. "Of course! Yes, yes, that would be wonderful."
"Alright. Just have them delivered to my place, and I'll sign them for you."
He hesitated, then ventured carefully, "Or… if you'd like, you could co ho for dinner soti. You could sign them then. Only if you want to, of course. And only if you have the ti."
The mont the words left his mouth, doubt rushed in. What if she rejected him the way she used to? What if this fragile bridge collapsed before it was even built?
"Sure," Elena replied without hesitation. "When would be a good ti?"
He blinked, montarily stunned. "It's fine if you don't want to—ah?" He stared at her. "You… you want to co?"
She tilted her head, puzzled by his reaction. "Didn't you just invite ?"
"Yes. Yes, of course I did," he said quickly, joy surging through him despite his best efforts to remain composed. His eyes prickled, but he forced the emotion down. Be calm, Zhang Tengfei, he reminded himself.
When he married Yang Jiahui, his daughter had sworn never to return to the ancestral residence.
Every invitation his wife extended had been t with rejection, sotis outright hostility.
Yang Jiahui had genuinely tried to build a relationship with her stepdaughter, but after years of failed attempts, she had quietly given up.
And now—now his daughter had agreed to co ho for dinner.
It felt unreal.
"Anyti is fine," he said, carefully asured. "Just give a call when you're ready." After a brief hesitation, he added, "Your Aunt Jiahui would be very happy to see you."
Elena nodded thoughtfully. "What does she like? I'll bring sothing for her."
His throat tightened suddenly, emotion rising too fast for him to stop it. He turned his head slightly and cleared his throat. "You don't have to bring anything. Just… just bring yourself."
"Tell anyway," Elena insisted gently. "It's not a big deal, Father."
The way she said the word father—calm, respectful, unforced—made his chest ache.
"Your Aunt Jiahui likes good tea," he finally said.
"That's perfect," Elena replied. "I like good tea too. I'll bring so when I co over." She paused, then added, "What about you, father? What do you like?"
He blinked again, genuinely caught off guard. She was asking him?
"Father?" she prompted lightly.
"I… I suppose a bottle of liquor would be nice," he said, choosing carefully. Not too extravagant. Just sothing aningful.
"I don't know much about alcohol," she admitted. "I'll ask Jin Di. Alright, then. Tea for your wife, and liquor for you."
He nodded, a smile finally breaking through despite his attempts to suppress it. He was already imagining telling Yang Jiahui the news, picturing her reaction. Tomorrow night, perhaps. If the doctor allowed her discharge.
He wanted to ask when she would co, but restrained himself. Patience mattered now.
This was the happiest he had felt in a long ti.
"Xiulan," he said softly, "thank you."
She smiled, warm and sincere. "You are my father. That's only natural."
He swallowed hard, emotion threatening again. "Yes," he said quietly. "I'm your father."
"And you're my daughter."
For the first ti in years, the words felt real.
A soft knock sounded on the door while Elena and Zhang Tengfei were still talking.
A nurse and a dical aide entered, smiling politely as they inford Elena that it was ti for her scheduled morning tests.
Because she still hadn't eaten or drunk anything, everything had to be done before breakfast.
They brought a wheelchair with them. At first, Elena insisted on walking on her own.
She managed a few ters down the hallway before the world tilted abruptly, her vision dimming as a wave of dizziness crashed over her.
Her steps faltered, forcing her to grab the wall for balance. In the end, she had no choice but to sit in the wheelchair after all. Simon imdiately volunteered to accompany her, hovering anxiously by her side.
Cao Guang returned to the room to keep Zhang Tengfei company while they waited for Elena to co back from her tests.
Jin Di, completely exhausted, was fast asleep in a nearby private waiting room. One of his subordinates guarded him quietly, while the other followed Elena and Simon at a discreet distance, ensuring no one got too close.
*
Elsewhere in the hospital, a fifteen-year-old girl wandered through the corridors with earphones tucked into her ears.
Her mother had given birth earlier that morning to a baby boy. The room had been filled with joy, congratulations, and excited chatter. At first, she had been happy too, thrilled to have a little brother. But as the adults kept repeating how wonderful it was to finally have a son, a bitter feeling crept into her chest.
So… were they unhappy with her, then?
Was she suddenly less important now that a boy had arrived?
No one noticed when she slipped out of the room. No one called her phone to ask where she was. Everyone was too busy crowding around the newborn.
With her music playing, she walked aimlessly through the hospital. "Rebirth" by Elena Zhang filled her ears, and she humd softly along. The song wrapped around her heart, soothing the ache there.
She felt like the little bird in the lyrics. Young, powerless, easily pushed aside. Even her newborn brother had already taken her place in the spotlight. But one day, she swore, she would rise like a phoenix. She would beco soone amazing. Soone her family would be proud of. Soone they would never overlook again.
When the song ended, she put it on repeat.
After watching Elena Zhang's coback performance on Music Fest Tonight, she beca an instant fan. After the radio show with DJ Song, she was completely hooked. She joined the Black Stars fan club the mont she heard about it. She wanted desperately to attend the launch party, but it was a school day, the venue was far away, and her mother was about to give birth at any mont. Her parents had refused outright.
So she followed everything online instead. She watched livestreams, read posts, and spent her carefully saved allowance to buy the entire digital album the mont it was released.
Boss Elena was beautiful. Talented. Powerful.
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