Peter clearly remembered that he was still discussing Weyne's gossip with his friends yesterday. Although Rania was very active, Peter knew very well that she was just curious about the celebrity, not concerned about her family.
But it was completely understandable.
Like Rania, Peter was also an orphan. His parents left him when he was a child and disappeared, leaving him to his uncle and aunt's family.
After his uncle passed away, he and Aunt Mei were the only ones left.
Just like Rania had imagined that her biological parents would come looking for her, Peter had also imagined such a scene. He just hadn't thought about how he would face it if it really happened.
Too many emotions lingered in his heart, tangling into a mess that he couldn't cut and sort out. Sometimes, Peter didn't know if he should be happy or angry, resentful or expectant. He didn't know if he could forgive the two blurred figures, and whether they would live up to the entangled yearning that had haunted his dreams for countless nights.
But Rania wasn't like that.
Only when you lose something will you miss it, and only when you don't have it will you yearn for it. When it came to dealing with her parents, whom she had never met, Rania's behavior was closer to that of a child who had never lacked love and care. She was calm and open when it came to talking about it, as if it wasn't a wound that couldn't be healed. It even made Peter a little envious and jealous.
He didn't know why, but his friend didn't seem to desire or envy them. Her way of thinking on this matter was beyond her age, as if she was a species that didn't need parents to raise her. After she was born, she needed to work hard to survive alone, unlike humans who needed the care of blood relatives.
So in Peter's eyes, he didn't see any complicated inner struggle. He only saw that his friend was very into it …
After sending Dick away, Rania breathed a sigh of relief, and her straight back relaxed a little. Then, she heard Peter's slightly hesitant voice.
"So, you've decided to go back?" His tone was a little strange. "You said no yesterday, but in the end … Forget it, it's not important. But Rania, Rania, that's Gotham! Yes, New York used to be called Gotham, but it's different. "
Peter said seriously, "Very, very different."
He said, "Are you sure that Mr. Grésen is a good person? He wanted to trick you into going to Gotham with a cup of Starbucks! Do you really believe him? Well, I've checked, and he's indeed Bruce Wayne's adopted son, and he's also a police officer … "
Rania was really surprised this time. "Is he a policeman?"
Peter: "… Yes, I know he's different from the NYPD officers. He's a bit too handsome for a police officer … But that's not the point!"
He said in a heavy tone as if he was announcing the end of the world, "Think about the list of the least livable cities in America last year."
Without a doubt, Gotham was number one.
Faced with her friend's worry, Rania: "…"
"… Wait," she said, a little confused. "I only said to go to Gotham to take a look."
Peter: "…?"
…
Rania's leg did not disappoint and healed very quickly. However, Rania felt that this was probably because she had been looking at her leg with the kind eyes of a farmer looking forward to the growth of wheat …
In short, her calf did not disappoint. It had grown into a strong bone, which pleased Rania's mother.
After a few days of hospitalization, she was finally allowed to leave the hospital, although she would still have to use crutches for a few months.
The day she was discharged happened to be the weekend. Dick wanted to take Rania to Gotham on the weekend as a vacation.
He seemed to be quite busy. These days, he did not visit Rania every day. On the day he came to persuade her to go home, he came and went in a hurry. Although Rania could not see his expression, she could still hear the well-hidden absent-mindedness in Dick's words, as if there were more important things occupying his mind.
However, Rania did not care about this.
She was packing her luggage.
After Mister was exposed in front of Dick, Rania simply gave up. When she was discharged from the hospital, she released Mister in advance. After that, he lay on her body like a corpse the whole time. She used Mister's body to carry her delicate human body to Dick's car. After that, she basically let Mister do all the things that were inconvenient for her.
Naturally, Rania did not know how touched and satisfied Dick looked when he saw her curling up in Mister's arms, unwilling to move.
If there was a word to describe the way Dick looked at their interaction, it was probably the way a cute couple looked at each other …
"By the way," when he stopped the car, Dick suddenly remembered something. He turned to Rania and said, "Rania, I have paid off your gambling debt. Don't be in a hurry to refuse. It's just that the creditor has changed. After all, I am just a poor little police officer."
He made a joke and then said, "But I don't charge interest, how about it?"
He originally thought that Rania would refuse his kindness, or at least seriously thank him after some hesitation. However, Rania's reaction was beyond Dick's expectations.
The little girl was a little stunned at first, and there was a faint hint of confusion in her eyes. It was as if there was a sudden emptiness in the deep blue. She looked a little caught off guard, and people could not help but want to touch her head.
It was just for a moment. After a moment, Rania bowed her head and thanked him seriously, just like Dick had planned.
Dick glanced at her and did not continue to ask.
Dick sent them to the apartment. Rania lay like a corpse all the way home. She put herself on the sofa and manipulated Mister to wash the grapes that Dick brought. She held them in her arms and peeled them to eat. She then went to pack her clothes. She felt that eating grapes and packing her luggage was a smart move.
Rania did not pack much. After she was done, she only packed a backpack, which was probably equivalent to going on a trip. After she finished packing, she exhaled and looked at her results with satisfaction. She suddenly remembered that she seemed to have only carried a backpack when she came to New York.
Before that, Rania had been traveling all over the world with her former guardian. She rarely stayed in one place for more than a few months. The most exciting time was in the morning when she had just found a hotel. Rania took a nap, and when she opened her eyes … No, she didn't open her eyes. It was little Mister who had a bunch of gunmen chasing after him. He rushed back to the small rundown hotel and packed the sleeping soft ball together with the luggage. He simply and violently carried it, jumped out of the window, and ran under the rain of bullets …
So it was no wonder that Rania did not have a concept of "home" …
In her eyes, this world was her home. Every corner was a place to rest. She could pick up her backpack at any time, even if she was alone, even if she was going to the end of the world.
When passing by the fridge, Rania paused for a moment. She stared at the empty spot for a long time and suddenly put down her backpack.
She reached out her hand and touched the cold surface with her fingertips. Then, a blackboard jumped out from the blank space and suddenly appeared in her vision.
Rania pinched a corner of the blackboard and looked down at the crooked chalk words on the blackboard.
The blackboard was divided into two halves by a vertical line. Her name was written at the top on the right, and below it was a list of funds. The names of the funds were not very serious, and were basically a mix of jokes and jokes. At the bottom was a sum of money, which seemed to have been modified many times. She could see that the length of the stamp was getting shorter and shorter. The left side was blank, with vague white handwriting, as if someone had hurriedly erased it, leaving only some messy marks, like some kind of glaring flaw.
The little girl looked at it for a while and finally sighed as if she had lost her temper. She casually erased the chalk words on the right side.
She put down the blank blackboard, picked up her backpack and threw it on her back. She carried herself on the sofa and closed the apartment door.
…
When he saw Mister slowly walking out of the apartment with a backpack, Dick was a little surprised.
He looked up and down. "You only brought these things?"
Before Rania could speak, Mister explained for her, "If you're only staying for a few days, you don't have to bring a lot of things."
What he meant was that he was probably just going there as a guest.
Dick looked like he wanted to sigh. "Rania, since you chose to come back, we won't just kick you out, okay?"
Before he finished, Rania raised her head, looking obviously surprised.
Dick thought that Rania was a friend who was reluctant to leave New York. He looked at Mister and thought for a moment before saying, "If you're willing, we can help you find a new place to live and a new job in Gotham, or …"
Rania snapped out of her daze and interrupted him. "Wait."
There was obvious hesitation on the little girl's face. After hesitating for a moment, she raised her head to look at Dick and said, "I don't think … this is something that I can decide alone."
Dick: "?"
Rania felt that there was a misunderstanding between them. She just wanted to see her father, not to become a member of the Weyne family. But from what Dick said, he thought that the two could be equated.
She thought for a moment and said, "If it's to visit Mr. Weyne, I'm willing to see him, but …"
From the beginning, Rania's idea was very simple.
When they first met, Dick only asked her if she wanted to see her father. From the beginning to the end, he didn't mention Bruce Wayne's attitude. Naturally, Rania wouldn't disturb him. When she saw the news, she just wanted Mister to go to Gotham.
But joining a family was different.
Rania asked, "I'm willing to choose you. Are you willing to choose to accept me?"
…
Alfred placed a cup of coffee next to Batman's hand and glanced at the screen in front of him.
"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Young Master. I have been preparing a girl's room for more than ten years," he said.
"It's not what you think." In the face of the butler's teasing, Batman said without changing his expression.
Alfred: "I thought after bringing home four children, you wouldn't think about raising another child for so long. I'm just afraid that Young Master Damien will be unhappy … "
"She's different," Bruce said.
"Because Miss Rania doesn't want to come back?"
Bruce stared at the screen.
"Because she has already chosen," he said.
"If she chooses to come back, that is her choice. She chose me, not me."
Life was not a battle, and it was not a novel published by Random House. Bruce knew very well that this time was different from the past. Rania was not Dick, not Jason, not Tim, not Damien. She had her own thoughts and rights. He would not interfere with the little girl's choice. No matter what she chose, whether his blood flowed in her body, what kind of feelings she had for him.
This choice was only related to herself.
For a moment, Alfred felt that his young master's back seemed old and lonely.
Batman said calmly, "I can't choose her. She can only make the choice herself."
…
Are you willing to accept a daughter who has been wandering for fifteen years, accept her deformity, her inadequacy, her abnormality, and accept the responsibility that comes with it and the price to pay to protect her?
Rania did not say the rest of the words, but her eyes were staring at Dick. Her eyes were blue and pure, like the flames burning in an incinerator, pure, passionate, and intolerable. No lies were allowed to survive as impurities.
After a long silence, Dick spoke.
"I can't speak for the rest of them," he said, "but if it's me, I think I'm willing."
It was clearly impossible to see his face, and there was no way to judge the credibility of his words. But the little girl quietly looked at him for a few seconds, and slowly reached out her hand.
She solemnly put her hand in his palm.
…
The next day.
Rania stood on the steps, looked back down, and sighed.
She really did not have much experience in jumping with crutches. If there were not people around, she would have immediately called out that Mister was leaning on her, and it would be best if she could hold her. Rania had always been very smart about how to be lazy, and she was not lazy. It was still herself who was holding her, wasn't it?
A few steps were a bit high for her, especially when she refused to be supported. Rania thought that she would have to limp for a few months, going up and down the steps, and suddenly felt desperate.
But that was all in the future. Rania decided not to think about it now. Instead, she looked up at the blank space in front of her, and her fingers bent into a knocking posture. But before touching the door, she suddenly stopped, hesitating whether to knock or not.
"Rania." Dick gently urged her.
Rania nodded and closed her eyes.
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