186 - I Don’t Want to Be Turned Into the Female Protagonist by the System

Chapter 186: A Mother's Taste Lu Ran gazed at Su Qi, who lay in the hospital bed like a sleeping beauty. She looked so serene and lovely, possibly due to the exhaustion from the recent tumultuous journey, that she was now sleeping soundly and even let out gentle snores. Fufufu— This was her daughter. Lu Ran felt as if her heart was turning into a puddle at this very moment. She gently caressed Su Qi's cheek, soft and tender, though a bit lacking in color, giving her a paler appearance. She didn't want to know why Su Qi, who was once a boy, had transformed into a girl. From her son to her daughter. All she knew was that the current Su Qi was her daughter, a genuine, tangible, soft daughter. Outside the private hospital room, Su Lu Jun was eagerly peering through the glass window. In his fifties, his eyesight was no longer sharp, and from afar, he couldn't make out Su Qi's expression, only seeing her asleep while on an IV drip. He yearned to go inside and see his daughter. Just like Lu Ran, he wanted to sit by Su Qi's side. Even if he didn't touch her, just watching her sleep would suffice. But recalling the female doctor's advice, Su Lu Jun ultimately chose to watch from a distance. He didn’t want to hurt his daughter again. His behavior of lurking near the door, along with his middle-aged stature, soon caught the attention of some neighboring family members, who reported him. Seeing a burly man like him, the nurses even called security. As a group approached him, Su Lu Jun felt bewildered. "What are you doing lurking around?" the security guard asked. "My daughter is injured and inside," Su Lu Jun replied. His answer received puzzled looks from the onlookers, as if he were a fool. Realizing their expressions, Su Lu Jun understood that his explanation seemed unlikely, but it was the truth! "Call the police, who would've thought there'd be a thief in the hospital!" an old lady exclaimed, causing an uproar among the crowd. Seeing people actually reaching for their phones to call, Su Lu Jun didn't know how to explain himself any further. Just then, Lu Ran emerged from the private room, glanced at the crowd, and asked with some irritation, "What's going on? Shouldn't hospitals be quiet? Why so noisy?" After a few rounds of explanations, Lu Ran finally understood the situation, looking at Su Lu Jun’s embarrassed face. She couldn't help but feel it was amusing. Since when did her husband become so awkward? However, she quickly stifled her laughter. After all, Su Lu Jun was still in a period of atonement. Until their daughter forgave him, she, as the mother, had to stand by her daughter's side. "You should hurry home and get a change of clothes for Su Qi and me," Lu Ran instructed. "Did Xiao Qi bring any clothes?" Mentioning Su Qi, Su Lu Jun felt a bit guilty, his voice much quieter. Seeing her husband's sudden meekness, Lu Ran was slightly taken aback. "If she doesn't have any, can't you buy some? Are you really hoarding your pension?" Hearing this, Su Lu Jun was almost speechless with frustration. Was he reluctant to spend money? At this moment, he just wanted the best for Su Qi. "Isn’t it just getting a couple of outfits? Anything else?” Lu Ran thought for a moment and suddenly recalled something important: "Oh, we also need two packs of sanitary pads!" Hearing this, Su Lu Jun’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe his ears. You want a man in his 50s to buy sanitary pads??? Lu Ran didn’t bother checking whether Su Lu Jun had understood or not, and turned to re-enter the single room. The young nurses had already given her a bag of sanitary pads, so there was actually no shortage. At this point, Lu Ran just wanted to test something. She wanted to see if, in Su Lu Jun’s heart, she or their daughter was more important. After all, she had been urging him to buy these for half a lifetime, and he never had! Meanwhile, Su Lu Jun, driving home, was unaware that he had embarked on a path where every choice seemed to lead to a dead end. Awakening from her sleep, Su Qi suddenly heard the system's voice. "Ding, congratulations to the host on discovering a special task—Teaching Dad!" Looking at the task name, Su Qi was utterly baffled. What’s this about, Dad? Teaching? Remembering her earlier beating, Su Qi shuddered instinctively. With that movement, her lower body felt unexpectedly warm. What’s happening? The system explained: "The host is now a qualified girl, and this is a monthly experience you must endure. However, with a proper diet, the pain can decrease significantly!" Clutching her sore stomach, Su Qi curled up like a shrimp. This hurts so much! "Host, I did remind you not to walk barefoot, eat too many cold fruits, or eat only one meal a day," the system's voice continued listing her mistakes. Su Qi just wanted to say how could she have known it would hurt this much at the time? But the current problem was how to endure this, so she asked the system, "Is there any way to relieve the pain?" The system pondered for two seconds before replying, "Yes, and it’s free!" Su Qi sensed that since she allowed it to play games, the system had become increasingly adorable. Adorable to the point where she just wanted to give it a hug. Then she heard the system, mimicking her voice: "Mommy, it hurts—" Su Qi’s eyes widened in shock, the system could speak in the real world now? Doesn’t that mean it might take on a form one day? This realization excited Su Qi, though the excitement didn’t lessen the pain. She remained curled up like a shrimp. Lu Ran became animated upon hearing Su Qi’s soft voice call her "Mommy." And the subsequent "it hurts"—this was too cute! As expected of her daughter. She quickly walked over to Su Qi’s chair, seeing her curled up like a shrimp, and her heart ached. Lu Ran carefully took out her hand from the IV drip. Seeing no swelling, she sighed in relief. Gently, she whispered into Su Qi’s ear, "Let Mommy rub your tummy a bit, it’ll feel better soon!" Su Qi was a bit shy, being so old and still needing her mom's comfort. But she craved the feeling of her mother's presence. "Mm." Su Qi's soft voice was very clear in the small room. Lu Ran looked at Su Qi's deliberate avoidance of eye contact, finding this coyness equally adorable. Half an hour later, Su Qi’s IV drip finally finished, and Lu Ran pressed the nurse call button. A nurse arrived shortly. Su Qi recognized her immediately, wasn't this the young nurse? The young nurse, seeing this adorable little girl, felt happy. Noticing her resting on Lu Ran’s lap, the nurse teased, "With mommy here, you're not scared, right?" It was only then that Su Qi realized she had slowly inched closer onto her mother’s lap over the past half hour, a blush spreading across her pale cheeks. Watching Su Qi’s face turn red from embarrassment, the young nurse found it amusing. How nice would it be to have such a shy younger sister? She gently removed the needle, giving a quick reminder, "Don't rub the needle hole, okay?" With that, she left the room. Once she was gone, "Xiao Qi, does your stomach still hurt?" Lu Ran asked softly. Actually, by now, Su Qi’s stomach didn’t hurt as much. But thinking it over, she nodded against her better judgment. Because she realized, she was truly indulged in the feeling of her mother's presence!