Chapter 25 - 2#

At this moment, Auntie Zhang came over. Seeing the little girl’s bulging pocket, she smiled and said, “She is good friends with a little girl on the 5th floor; she wants to save it for her.”

Yan Heqing’s eyes softened a bit. He gave the little girl another portion of bread and yogurt. “One for you, one for your good friend. You can eat now.”

The little girl blinked happily and signed, “Thank you, brother!”

All of this fell into Xu Qiaoyin’s eyes.

The rain was getting heavier. When Yan Heqing returned to the second floor, it was past five in the afternoon. The sky was completely dark, and the lights were all turned on.

“You’ve finished the tour,” the man asked Yan Heqing. “Now tell me your answer again, do you still want to come long-term?”

“Yes.” Yan Heqing nodded. “I can come once a week.”

The man was quite surprised and even more delighted. The welfare institute was really short on supplies and manpower. He extended his hand. “Welcome to join us.”

The phone rang. The man picked up the landline. After listening for a few seconds, his excitement was visible to the naked eye. “Director, you’re not joking with me, are you?”

“Haha, no, I’m just too happy.”

“No problem, I’ll compile the statistics and send them to you immediately.”

Hanging up the phone, the man sat down and turned on the computer. He typed on the keyboard for a while before remembering that Yan Heqing was still there. He slapped his forehead. “Look at me, forgetting you as soon as there’s corporate sponsorship. That’s all for today, you can go back first. Just come once a week from now on.”

He opened a drawer and handed a blue work badge to Yan Heqing. “Take it back and fill in your photo and name yourself.”

Yan Heqing took the work badge, said goodbye, and left the office.

The corridor didn’t have glass windows installed; instead, there was wire mesh. The pouring rain drifted through the mesh into the corridor, and a lot of water had already accumulated on the floor.

Yan Heqing went downstairs sticking close to the wall. Just as he was about to reach the first floor, he saw Xu Qiaoyin’s back.

Xu Qiaoyin was standing under the eaves carrying her bag, quietly watching the heavy rain.

Suddenly, she stepped forward as if to walk into the rain.

Yan Heqing trotted forward. “Teacher Xu.” He opened his umbrella and held it over Xu Qiaoyin’s head.

Pitter-patter.

Raindrops smashed onto the top of the umbrella.

Xu Qiaoyin saw Yan Heqing, her pale face showing a bit of bewilderment.

She remembered this boy; he was the new volunteer today. He looked… a few years younger than her son.

Thinking of Lu Muchi, Xu Qiaoyin momentarily forgot to run away. Yan Heqing then shoved the umbrella into her hand. “The rain is heavy, walk slowly. I’m leaving first.”

After speaking, Yan Heqing put on his hood and ran forward into the rain.

“You…” Xu Qiaoyin wanted to chase after him, but the boy ran very fast, disappearing into the rain in an instant.

Xu Qiaoyin silently tightened her grip on the umbrella handle, stepped into the rain, and slowly left.

At the same time, the door of the director’s office on the first floor opened. The director bowed and scraped as he saw Lu Lin out. “President Lu, thank you so much for your enthusiastic support for Rainbow Bridge. We have been lacking a library and an infirmary for many years, especially the infirmary. When we encounter emergencies…”

The director stopped. He followed Lu Lin’s gaze into the heavy rain, only vaguely seeing a figure flashing away in the distance. The director called out softly, “President Lu?”

Lu Lin withdrew his gaze. “My assistant will follow up later. Contact him if you have any needs.”

The director smiled so much his eyes disappeared. “That’s wonderful.”

The Maybach stopped in front of the dormitory building. The driver got out and opened an umbrella to pick up Lu Lin.

The director saw Lu Lin into the car and watched him leave. His heart, which had been in suspense all day, finally settled down.

With hundreds of millions in funding, the children’s medical care and reading needs would be guaranteed in the future!

There would also be a new dormitory building, so they could take in more orphans.

The director touched his chest and thanked Lu Lin once again.

…

Coming out of the welfare institute, Yan Heqing was more than half wet. The rain was really too heavy. He ran to the convenience store, bought a jam bun and a bottle of water, and stood under the eaves in front of the convenience store to take shelter from the rain.

Tearing open the packaging, Yan Heqing quietly bit into the bun. He had picked a blueberry jam bun; it was cloyingly sweet. Yan Heqing didn’t like it, but he didn’t want to waste food, so he chewed slowly.

Not far away, the Maybach slowly stopped. The car door opened, and the driver opened an umbrella and trotted towards the convenience store.

Thinking someone was coming to take shelter from the rain, Yan Heqing silently moved aside. While he was gnawing on the bun, the driver ran up to him with the umbrella and said with a smile, “Mr. Yan, my boss invites you to get in the car.”

Yan Heqing was very confused. Following the direction the driver pointed, he saw a car parked by the roadside, but the rain was too heavy to see the license plate clearly.

Yan Heqing swallowed the bun. “Who is your boss?”

The driver replied carefully, “President Lu.”

Yan Heqing only knew one President Lu, Lu Lin. Lu Muchi was called Little President Lu.

Running into Lu Lin at the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Institute was outside of Yan Heqing’s plan.

The original text never mentioned whether Lu Lin knew of Xu Qiaoyin’s whereabouts. Lu Lin had a distant relationship with his brother and completely ignored his family affairs. He had only met Xu Qiaoyin once at the wedding.

But Yan Heqing surmised that with Lu Lin’s means, he must have known that Xu Qiaoyin had been at the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Institute for the past ten years or so; he just didn’t care.

Then what was the reason for Lu Lin appearing here at this time?

Yan Heqing speculated as he followed the driver to the car.

The driver opened the rear door. Yan Heqing looked inside and happened to meet Lu Lin’s deep black eyes.

Yan Heqing looked down at his mud-stained shoes and pant legs and didn’t get in. “Mr. Lu, what a surprise to run into you here. Do you need something from me?”

Lu Lin’s gaze swept over the boy’s face, which was blue from the cold, and his brows furrowed slightly. “Get in first.”

Yan Heqing pursed his lips. “My shoes and pants are covered in muddy water.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Lu Lin reached out and turned up the heater. “Get in.”

Yan Heqing bent down and sat in, immediately feeling the warmth. He sat near the door, and inevitably, muddy water dripped where his shoes stepped.

The driver closed the door and ran back to the driver’s seat. He started the car and asked, “President Lu, still going home?”

Lu Lin looked at Yan Heqing. The light had been dim before, but now he realized the boy’s hair had exploded like popcorn, full of curls, giving him a bit more of a boyish air than usual.

Lu Lin asked, “Where do you live?”

Yan Heqing didn’t act coy. Since he was in the car, he generously gave his address.

Without Lu Lin needing to speak, the driver immediately set the navigation.

The Maybach continued forward in the heavy rain.

The car became quiet again. Water kept dripping from Yan Heqing’s pant legs. He lowered his head slightly, his long eyelashes brushing against his skin from time to time. At this moment, Lu Lin broke the silence first.

“I saw you at the welfare institute.”

Yan Heqing turned his head, the car’s ceiling light reflecting in his pupils. “You were also at the welfare institute just now?”

“There was a collaboration,” Lu Lin said.

Yan Heqing nodded, the corners of his lips tilting up slightly. “I came to sign up as a volunteer. I stayed at Rainbow Bridge for a while in the past.”

He didn’t think this was anything shameful and said openly, “My parents passed away in an accident when I was very young. My relatives were unwilling to take me in, so the welfare institute temporarily adopted me.”

Lu Lin was very surprised. Yan Heqing’s background was so rough, but there were traces to follow. If he didn’t have to support himself, Yan Heqing wouldn’t be working odd jobs everywhere.

Moreover, if Yan Heqing’s parents were alive, they wouldn’t bear to let him work so hard.

Lu Lin was silent for a moment, then changed the subject. “Your hair is curly.”

“Oh, yes.” Yan Heqing had forgotten about this. He revealed a faint smile. “My hair curls naturally when it gets wet. It’s probably inherited from my mother.” A look of nostalgia appeared in his eyes. “I remember her hair was naturally curly.”

After being in the car for a good while, Yan Heqing’s lips were still blue. Lu Lin took the thermos cup, unscrewed it, poured a cup of ginger tea, and handed it to Yan Heqing. “I haven’t drunk from it.”

Implying it was very clean.

“Thank you.” Yan Heqing took it and took a sip. It was a bit hot and spicy, but it felt very comfortable going down. His eyelashes trembled slightly. “Last time in the valley, it seemed to be this taste too.”

After a moment of silence, Lu Lin said, “Every time I see you, you are in some kind of situation.”

Yan Heqing smiled slightly. “That is true, but whether you believe it or not, I actually rarely get into situations.”

At this time, the driver finally found a chance to speak. “President Lu, we’ve arrived at Mr. Yan’s building.”

The Maybach had already been stopped in the rain for a few minutes.

Lu Lin’s mood was a bit low.

So fast.

Just as his lips moved, Yan Heqing spoke first. “Mr. Lu, the rain is so heavy, how about coming up to my place for a cup of hot water?”