President Cha and Zhenxiu hugged each other. Tears streamed down his wrinkled face, and he couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
Zhenxiu's eyes were also red from crying. She murmured "Grandma" as if she wanted to pour out all the grievances she had suffered outside and how much she missed her family.
"Principal, is this the child you mentioned who hasn't come back for a long time?" the woman asked with a sad tone.
Principal Cha seemed to be very respectful towards this woman, but she couldn't say anything as she cried. She could only hug Zhenxiu's petite body and nod.
The woman smiled and said, "It's good that you're back. You must have suffered a lot outside. You can be considered a sensible child."
Principal Cha stroked Zhenxiu's black hair and comforted Zhenxiu, but she couldn't care about anything else.
The woman turned around and smiled apologetically at Yang Cheng. "Young man, I'm sorry. These two children were just worried about my safety. Actually, they didn't mean any harm. Don't take it to heart. How could someone who is willing to come here to see the children be a malicious person? You won't hold a grudge against them, right? "
Yang Cheng looked at the face that was like a spring breeze in front of him. The few traces of dissatisfaction in his heart unknowingly disappeared. He couldn't help but sigh that this woman was really amazing. Her words and demeanor were extremely gentle, making it impossible for people to get angry. It was like a huge force had fallen on a sponge ball, and it disappeared without a trace.
If it wasn't because she was born this way, then it was because she had been cultivating herself for many years.
"Forget it. I'm just accompanying Zhenxiu back to see the principal and the children. I don't want to cause any trouble," Yang Cheng said lightly.
"Do you think we're afraid of you!?" Little Li's eyes widened.
The woman frowned and lowered her voice. "Isn't that enough!?"
Little Wen and Little Li saw that the woman seemed to be really angry, so they calmed down and lowered their heads angrily.
The woman shook her head and sighed helplessly. She turned around and said to Director Cha, "Director Cha, I won't stay here and delay your reunion with your child. You two must have a lot to talk about. I still have to go to the orphanage in the neighboring city, so I'll be leaving first."
When Principal Cha heard that the woman wanted to leave, he quickly let go of Zhenxiu and urged her to stay. "Madam, please eat before you leave. The children are very grateful for the gifts you sent."
"No, my schedule is very tight. I really can't delay it. Please tell the children that I'll be back after the New Year," the woman said kindly.
President Cha seemed to know that the woman was telling the truth, so he did not try to persuade her to stay. He bowed respectfully and said, "Madam, I hope that your family will be healthy in the coming year."
"How can I accept this?" The woman smiled as she helped President Cha up. "I'm a junior. It's more appropriate for me to bow to you, President."
"I'm doing this on behalf of the children," President Cha said with a smile.
The woman smiled as she looked at the entire courtyard. She then turned around and nodded at Yang Cheng as a sign of farewell. She then brought the two female bodyguards, Little Wen and Little Li, out of the courtyard.
Yang Cheng also nodded at the woman. As for the warning glances that Little Wen and Little Li gave Yang Cheng, Yang Cheng treated it as sand entering his eyes and didn't see it.
"Sir, I didn't expect it to be you again. Every time you come, there's always good news. I didn't expect that girl Zhenxiu would come back with you," President Cha said emotionally.
Yang Cheng picked up two bags of sweets and snacks and said with a smile, "President, let's put aside the matter of why I brought Zhenxiu back first. I think we should give the children gifts first."
"Sigh, alright, it must be tiring for you to carry them," President Cha's wrinkles seemed to have widened from her smile as she led Yang Cheng and Zhenxiu into the courtyard.
Outside the orphanage, beside a quiet parking space.
The woman who was about to enter a white Infiniti stopped in her tracks. She seemed to be thinking about something as she asked the two female bodyguards, Little Wen and Little Li, who were following behind her.
"Did you guys ask the name of that young man just now?"
Little Wen shook her head. "We didn't ask. Why, Madam? Is it important? If Madam wants to know, I can ask him now. "
A trace of doubt flashed across the woman's eyes. Then, she laughed as if she was mocking herself. "Maybe I'm thinking too much. How could something like that be possible … Sigh, you guys didn't even ask who he was before you made a move and pulled out your gun. Do you think you can pull out a gun so casually?"
"Madam, the chief told us to protect you, especially with the election at the beginning of next year. Your safety can't be compromised at such an important juncture," Little Li said, feeling wronged.
The woman looked disappointed, as if she wasn't interested in the 'election'. She didn't say anything else and slowly entered the car.
At the same time, Yang Cheng, who was following President Cha into the courtyard, finally understood who that woman was. Wasn't she the portrait hanging in the largest corridor of the orphanage, the founder of the orphanage, the woman named Guo Xuehua?!
No wonder the president was so respectful towards her. She looked familiar to him.
She must have been inspecting the orphanage that she founded since it was the end of the year. Coincidentally, she came here today.
After seeing her in person, Yang Cheng realized that the portrait really couldn't express her true temperament. That kind of heartwarming smile couldn't be felt through the cold oil painting at all.
Since it was lunchtime, President Cha let Zhenxiu and Yang Cheng have lunch together with the children. Everyone had lunch in a big dining hall.
Afterward, President Cha naturally pulled Zhenxiu back to her office and talked for a while. Knowing that Zhenxiu was running a small business outside and didn't have to sleep on the streets without food or warm clothes, she felt a little better. She also asked Zhenxiu how she knew Yang Cheng and so on. As for Zhenxiu becoming a delinquent girl, playing with motorcycles, and becoming a pickpocket, Zhenxiu obviously didn't say anything.
This wasn't a matter of honesty, but she was worried that the president wouldn't be able to bear it.
Yang Cheng dozed off alone in the orphanage in the afternoon, but he wasn't bored. Naughty children often came to tease Yang Cheng. They either wanted to draw a turtle on Yang Cheng's face or wanted to tie a rope between Yang Cheng's feet, which made Yang Cheng dumbfounded.
When the sun was setting, the children had to go to their evening classes. President Cha had to take care of the children, so she reluctantly said goodbye to Zhenxiu and reminded Zhenxiu to remember to come back often.
Zhenxiu ran back to Yang Cheng. Although she had talked for the whole afternoon, her little face didn't show any fatigue. Instead, it was full of joy.
"You had a good talk. Wouldn't it be better if you came back earlier?" Yang Cheng said with a smile.
Zhenxiu pouted. "I was afraid of being scolded by my grandmother, and I also felt ashamed to come back here. If it weren't for Brother Yang, I would probably have to wait until next year."
"Come back often, the president is an elder." Yang Cheng didn't say anything more.
Zhenxiu nodded knowingly, with a bit of sadness in her eyes.
"Brother Yang, can you accompany me to a place?" Zhenxiu suddenly raised her head and asked.
Yang Cheng thought that Zhenxiu was going to go back, but he didn't expect that there was a place she wanted to go. But since he accompanied her out, there was no reason not to satisfy her little request.
The place that Zhenxiu wanted to go to was not a special place. It was just a small playground behind the orphanage. There were some slides, climbing poles, swings, and other large toys. It was a place where the children in the orphanage played and played on a daily basis.
Zhenxiu's eyes were full of nostalgia as she touched the various equipment in the courtyard. Finally, she sat on a swing and swung it leisurely.
Yang Cheng followed her and sat on another swing side by side. The gate of the orphanage could be seen directly opposite the swing.
"When I was a child, I would sit here almost every day, watching the sun go down in the sky, waiting for my grandmother to call us for dinner …" Zhenxiu seemed to be muttering to herself. "When I dream, I often dream of this scene, as if it happened yesterday …"
Yang Cheng listened quietly. At this moment, Zhenxiu didn't look like an 18-year-old girl at all. The sadness and vicissitudes between her eyebrows were not something that children under the love of their parents could have. It was not a very good thing, but it made people dare not ignore this girl's strong heart.
Zhenxiu turned her head and asked Yang Cheng with a sweet smile, "Brother Yang, do you know what I thought about every day when I sat here when I was a child?"
Yang Cheng pondered for a moment. "You're not thinking about what to eat for dinner, are you?"
Zhenxiu pouted. "I'm not that greedy …"
"Then what are you thinking about?"
Zhenxiu smiled bitterly. Her eyes were full of nostalgia. "I was thinking whether a couple, or a man, or a woman, would walk in from the gate … Then, they would turn to look at me and smile at me … When that person walked in front of me, he would say, 'Little girl, will you be my daughter' … At that time, I thought that I would definitely say 'Yes'. No matter what kind of person he was, as long as he was willing to adopt me, I would go with him … Because that was the only way I could have my parents again …"
Seeing that Yang Cheng was looking at her, Zhenxiu bit her thin lips. "However, most of my friends around me were adopted, and no one came to adopt me, so I didn't think about it anymore …"
Yang Cheng was silent. In his mind, the scene of a little girl sitting alone on a swing under the setting sun, looking at the empty gate appeared. Day after day, year after year, that kind of heart-wrenching days must be very hard to bear.
"Brother Yang, do you know why I don't want to study or repeat my studies?" Zhenxiu said faintly, "When I was in school, other people knew that I was from an orphanage. The children would laugh at me for being born out of a rock and not having parents. After I grew up, my classmates in junior high were not willing to be with me. Some boys were unwilling to do their homework and asked me to do it for them. If I refused, they would bully me and even beat me … They would hide my lunch box and not let me eat …
To me, reading was not so much a study as a torment, a torture.
Brother Yang, in fact, I used to ride motorcycles with those people, fight, and be a thief … It was during junior high that I became like that, because if I didn't fight back, they would bully me even more. I know that I can only rely on myself because I don't have parents to help me. If I want to survive in this world, I can only rely on my own fists … "
"Zhenxiu." Yang Cheng turned his head and looked at Zhenxiu. "Sit on the swing and don't move."
"Huh?" Zhenxiu wondered what Yang Cheng was going to do, but she still sat on the swing obediently and didn't move.
Yang Cheng got up and walked out of the courtyard. He walked all the way out of the orphanage.
Just when Zhenxiu was confused, Yang Cheng walked in again.
She saw that Yang Cheng looked around for a while, as if he didn't know this place. Then, he saw Zhenxiu sitting on the swing …
Yang Cheng showed a slightly surprised smile and walked step by step towards Zhenxiu. He gradually approached Zhenxiu until he was in front of her.
Yang Cheng squatted down, reached out a hand, and held Zhenxiu's white hand that was calloused from hard work.
Zhenxiu's cheeks were pink, but she didn't know why Yang Cheng held her hand.
Yang Cheng seemed to see Zhenxiu for the first time. His appreciative eyes lingered on Zhenxiu's face for a long time.
"Ah … What a beautiful little girl. I can't bear to let you go when I see you. Little girl, come home with me, okay? Although I'm a bit too young to be your father, can you be my sister? "
Zhenxiu's heart seemed to be covered by a wave of sweetness. She wanted to laugh because of the sudden happiness and touching, but when her emotions reached the peak, it all turned into tears of joy. She couldn't help but drop her tears on the snow like a broken string, and the hot tears melted the snow …
"Why are you crying? You won't look good if you cry." Yang Cheng said softly, "Answer me. Are you willing?"
Zhenxiu nodded vigorously, "En, I'm willing."
"To be my sister, it's not enough to just be beautiful. You also have to have good grades. If I send you to study, you have to study hard. Can you do that?" Yang Cheng asked seriously.
Zhenxiu held back her laughter and said in a childish voice, "But brother, what if someone bullies your sister?"
"If anyone dares to bully my sister, I'll beat him to death." Yang Cheng said methodically.
Zhenxiu finally couldn't control her emotions that were on the verge of collapse. With a cry, she threw herself into Yang Cheng's arms. Her tears instantly soaked Yang Cheng's chest …
Yang Cheng gently patted Zhenxiu's back and said softly and solemnly in Zhenxiu's ear, "Zhenxiu, if you think that in this world, everyone has wronged you, then you must remember that there is such a person who will let the whole world down for you …"
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