Chapter 282: She Has a Bit of Heat Rash
Chapter 282: She Has a Bit of Heat Rash
In the room, Anran is still holding Doll, coaxing her. Doll keeps humming and refuses to sleep. As she grows, she stays awake for longer periods and cries at any time. When she cries, Anran has to hold her and walk around to soothe her. She feels that taking care of the three-month-old baby is becoming more and more difficult.
"Why is she still fussing? Is she hungry?"
Zhan Lian stands by the door and takes two steps toward Doll. He finally sees his daughter's face. Her small eyes and nose fill him with delight. How could there be such a cute child in the world? And this adorable child is his.
Noticing the rolls of baby fat on the back of her neck, he can tell that Anran has taken good care of her—far better than the skinny children in Tiesi Village.
Zhan Lian feels a deep sense of gratitude toward Anran. He thinks she is incredible—worthy of his utmost respect.
A woman raising a child in the apocalypse, keeping her so fair and plump—if it were him, he might not have managed it. This alone makes him admire her.
The baby's skin is indeed very fair, more like Anran's than his. But then, Zhan Lian suddenly freezes. He sees tiny red spots on the back of her neck.
"What's wrong? What's wrong with the back of her neck?" He panics at the sight of the dense red spots on such delicate, fair skin. It looks alarming, and his heart clenches in distress.
"Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just a bit of heat rash from the heat."
Following Zhan Lian’s gaze, Anran glances at the back of Doll's neck, then reaches out and adjusts her collar slightly. The weather is getting hotter, and since Doll is small and has poor sweating ability, it's normal for her to develop heat rash from lying in the car seat all day.
Zhan Lian breaks into a sweat from anxiety. "Then I'll find a doctor to check on her!"
"No need." Anran quickly stops him. "It's normal. Babies get heat rash. Just change her into clean clothes and wipe her down with clean water." Then, she asks, "Um, has Brother Tao been released?"
Zhan Lian's expression darkens instantly. Just a moment ago, his face had been fine, but now he looks even more sullen than a resentful stepmother. He turns away, staring out the window with a stiff tone.
"Come with me. Let's find a place to stay first."
"Has Brother Tao been released?" Anran takes two steps back, moving in the opposite direction.
Zhan Lian suddenly turns his head and steps toward her, his expression about to explode. He is on the verge of spitting out that he has just killed Yun Tao on the spot!
Just then, Doll waves her tiny hand and hits Zhan Lian. The three-month-old, whose head still wobbles unsteadily, turns her little face, glares at him for a moment, and then suddenly giggles.
Her expression makes it seem like she has found the most amusing toy in the world.
Zhan Lian’s tense face changes instantly, as if performing a Sichuan opera face-change. He can't help but laugh. Looking at Doll, he nods at Anran.
(Translator’s Notes: Sichuan Opera's face-changing (biàn liǎn) is a mesmerizing and closely guarded performance art where actors change their painted masks instantly with a quick wave of the hand, a shake of the head, or a turn of the body.)
"He’s been released. Now, will you come with me?"
Seeing that he's calmed down, Anran sighs in relief. She wants to talk to him about something else, but when she opens her mouth, she realizes there's nothing left to say. She frowns slightly, stays still, bites her lip, and looks at Zhan Lian.
"Thank you. Sorry to trouble you. Where are we going?"