Chapter 30#
The welfare institute’s cafeteria was right next to the playground. When several large trucks drove in, children had already run out to watch the excitement.
Yan Heqing was peeling apples for the children. He didn’t look up slightly until he heard faint voices coming from the cafeteria entrance.
It was dim outside, but the cafeteria’s incandescent lights were bright. The two large doors of the cafeteria seemed like the boundary between dawn and dusk.
The moment he saw Lu Lin push the door open and enter, his figure turning from blurry to clear, Yan Heqing knew that his plan was beginning to succeed.
He lowered his head, a small, smooth apple appeared at his fingertips. He handed it to the little girl who was waiting eagerly, looked at her levelly, his eyes curving into crescents, “Eat it.”
The little girl took the apple, politely said “Thank you, brother” first, and then happily nibbled on the apple in small bites.
Yan Heqing gathered the apple peels. Just as he was about to stand up, a pair of shiny black leather shoes approached and entered his field of vision.
He looked up. A tall and straight figure blocked the light overhead. The man’s face was a bit blurry, and his expression couldn’t be seen clearly.
Hurried footsteps interrupted Yan Heqing’s gaze. The director walked up quickly. Seeing Yan Heqing, he didn’t see who it was clearly, but since he was wearing a staff coat, the director said directly: “Quickly prepare a breakfast for Mr. Lu.”
Yan Heqing stood up. He nodded politely to Lu Lin as a greeting, then turned and went back to the window.
Lu Lin’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. There was a band-aid under Yan Heqing’s right eye. Was he injured?
The director looked around the cafeteria and found a suitable place. He invited Lu Lin over, “President Lu, sit over there.”
Lu Lin withdrew his gaze and followed the director to the dining table.
When Yan Heqing returned to the window, he saw Xu Qiaoyin squatting under the table with a panicked expression. She had recognized Lu Lin.
Their eyes met. Xu Qiaoyin saw Yan Heqing, looked embarrassed, and lowered her head guiltily. Yan Heqing pretended not to see her and went straight to the counter to get breakfast.
Like the ones given to the children, the tray contained fried dough sticks, meat buns, and an apple, but the portion was for an adult. He also filled two bowls of porridge and placed them in the bowl holder on the tray, put two pairs of chopsticks, and carried a tray in each hand to the dining table in front.
It was below zero today. The cafeteria had no air conditioning or heating. The porridge that was steaming just now had cooled down a lot in a blink of an eye.
The director’s eyes went straight. He scolded Yan Heqing in a low voice, “Why did you bring up such things? Quickly tell the kitchen to cook another bowl of noodles and put more meat.”
Lu Lin said, “Just like everyone else is fine, no need to be special.”
The director nodded with a smile, “Yes, but it’s your first time eating in the cafeteria. Logically, we should treat you well. Look at this…”
The director was also a bit helpless, “The weather is cold, hot food turns cold. What if you get a stomach ache? That wouldn’t be good.”
Lu Lin glanced at Yan Heqing out of the corner of his eye. The band-aid didn’t look new; it was an old injury. Immediately, he looked at the director, “The air conditioners will arrive later. According to the data you provided, there are four for the cafeteria.”
The director’s eyes instantly lit up. His biggest worry was winter. Funds were limited and couldn’t cover the heating costs for such a large area. They could only prioritize the children’s dormitories; the classrooms and cafeteria weren’t heated.
Therefore, every winter, the children suffered a lot. He was also trying to gain some sympathy just now, wanting to ask the Lu Group for a few more air conditioners. He didn’t expect Lu Lin to have prepared them in advance!
The director was greatly moved. If Lu Lin wasn’t so steady and dignified, he really wanted to hold his hand and thank him for a day and a night.
“Good, good, good.” He picked up the porridge, “Please eat quickly, don’t let it get completely cold.”
Suddenly Lu Lin asked: “Have you eaten?”
The director immediately replied, “Not yet, isn’t this—” Realizing that he didn’t seem to be talking to him, the director turned his face. Lu Lin was indeed not asking him, but looking at the cafeteria volunteer just now.
Yan Heqing nodded, “I ate at home.”
The director was very surprised, “You know each other?”
Yan Heqing explained, “Mr. Lu helped me.”
Lu Lin wasn’t very satisfied with this explanation, but he didn’t say anything.
The director nodded understandingly. The Lu Group was involved in a very wide range of public welfare activities.
In addition to donating money and supplies during natural disasters, he heard that they also set up high scholarships in universities. The secretary mentioned two days ago that a top student volunteer had come to the welfare institute. The gentle and refined young man in front of him should be him, probably having received the Lu Group scholarship.
It’s easy to talk to acquaintances. The director was thinking about the donated infirmary, library, and new dormitories. He glanced at the work badge Yan Heqing was wearing. His surname was Yan. He immediately went with the flow, “President Lu, then let Xiao Yan take you around the welfare institute later.”
Lu Lin picked up his chopsticks and picked up a fried dough stick, “Okay.”
The director finished his breakfast quickly and used the excuse of going to the bathroom to run to find Yan Heqing first. He found a quiet place to instruct him, “Xiao Yan, when you take President Lu for a tour later, mention the buildings donated by the Lu Group more, especially the infirmary and the library. The welfare institute really needs them. It would be best if construction could start after the New Year.”
It wasn’t that he was petty, but he had encountered this kind of thing several times. Several companies had come to sponsor buildings, but it was either empty talk or the project was abandoned after the foundation was laid. Now he would only be completely at ease when he saw the building, even if it was the Lu Group.
Yan Heqing originally thought Lu Lin was just sending some gifts, but he didn’t expect him to donate buildings as well. He nodded.
Back in the cafeteria, Lu Lin had finished breakfast. The director had to go count the truck supplies, so he exchanged a few polite words and left quickly, leaving only Yan Heqing, Lu Lin, and a bunch of curious children.
Yan Heqing said to Lu Lin: “Mr. Lu, shall we go now?”
Lu Lin looked at him and asked first, “Is your face injured?”
He was the first person to ask. Yan Heqing’s eyes curved slightly, “A small injury, accidentally scratched it, it’s almost healed.”
Lu Lin’s gaze was heavy, “Be careful, it’s very close to the eye.”
Yan Heqing was slightly stunned. After two seconds, he smiled and nodded, “Thank you for the reminder. My eyes are very important to me. I will be careful next time.”
Lu Lin lifted his foot and went first, “Let’s go.”
Yan Heqing followed, and the children swarmed to catch up.
“This is the mixed building.” Yan Heqing took Lu Lin to the dormitory first, “The 1st and 2nd floors are for offices, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th are dormitories for the children.”
Lu Lin had come last time and seen the upstairs. He suddenly asked: “Did you live here before?”
Yan Heqing shook his head and pointed to the abandoned building not far away, where the doors and windows had been removed, “The 3rd floor of that building.”
“How old.” Lu Lin asked.
“5 years old.”
Lu Lin was silent for a moment before speaking again, “Let’s go upstairs.”
Yan Heqing nodded and took Lu Lin to the 3rd floor. The children were still playing, and the classroom was noisy. Seeing them, several rushed up to ask for gifts. One of the little boys had dirty hands from playing and didn’t understand, grabbing Lu Lin’s coat directly, “Uncle, where are the gifts you brought?”
Yan Heqing looked at Lu Lin first. Lu Lin wasn’t angry, nor did he push them away. He just took a handkerchief from his pocket, squatted down, took the little boy’s hand, and helped him wipe it, “You can only take the gift after wiping your hands clean, otherwise your gift will get dirty, understand?”
The little boy couldn’t understand anything else, but he could understand that his gift would get dirty. He actively wiped his hands, fearing that he would dirty his gift.
After wiping the little boy’s hands clean, Lu Lin stood up. Yan Heqing noticed that Lu Lin folded the handkerchief and held it in his hand, not throwing it away immediately. With his other hand, he took out his phone, made a call, and said a few words. He was calling his employees to bring the gifts to the 3rd floor.
Before long, footsteps were heard outside the classroom.
Immediately, a group of employees wearing jackets over uniform blue T-shirts with the Lu Group logo embroidered on the chest filed in carrying large and small boxes.
The leader was a young man wearing a pair of rimless glasses. He probably didn’t do heavy work often. Holding a small box, he was panting and sweating profusely as he trotted forward.
Glancing at Yan Heqing, his eyebrows twitched slightly. Wasn’t this the coffee shop employee his boss invited to eat in the office?
Seeing Yan Heqing’s work badge again, the assistant understood. The reason his boss changed the plan and came to the welfare institute early turned out to be for an ulterior motive.
The assistant looked at Lu Lin respectfully, “President Lu, the gifts prepared for the children are being moved up. Shall we distribute them now?”
Lu Lin nodded slightly.
Seeing that they were about to work, Yan Heqing prepared to leave to clean up.
The assistant was quick-witted and stepped forward to hand the box to Yan Heqing, “Young man, help us distribute them. We don’t have enough hands today, and there are these children.” He smiled politely, “We can’t quite handle it.”
Yan Heqing took it, “Okay.” He squatted down, skillfully tore open the Lu Group tape on the cardboard box, and opened the lid. Inside were colorful pencil cases. He looked up and asked the assistant, “Should we sort them and distribute them uniformly, or let them pick individually?”
The gifts brought by the Lu Group soon piled up against the wall, with a very large number and variety.
The assistant didn’t expect Yan Heqing to react so quickly. He glanced at Lu Lin, “You work here and are more familiar than me. Which way do you think is suitable?”
Yan Heqing thought for a moment, “Pick individually, they can pick a few more times.” That would mean a few more times of anticipation and happiness. Rather than lacking supplies, the children in the welfare institute actually lacked companionship more. In this small world, there were too few people they could contact. Every time volunteers or charity groups came, it was their happiest time.
The assistant looked at Lu Lin again. Seeing that Lu Lin didn’t object, he immediately nodded, “Do as you say.”
Yan Heqing didn’t say anything more and started working nimbly.
Others used scissors or knives to cut the tape, but Yan Heqing tore it directly with his hands. He also distributed the pencil cases in an orderly manner. Lu Lin stood not far away, watching him quietly. In his deep dark eyes, there was a flowing dim light.
People also went up to the fourth and fifth floors to distribute gifts. It was almost noon when the dazzling array of gifts was finished.
Workers came to install the TVs at this time.
Each classroom was equipped with a new TV.
Aunt Zhang’s face was beaming with joy. She greeted the Lu Group employees to go to the cafeteria for lunch. After getting along all morning, the children were familiar with the Lu Group employees and clamored for them to eat together. The assistant immediately asked Lu Lin. After getting approval, he smiled politely, “It would be impolite to refuse.”
Yan Heqing also went to the cafeteria, but he didn’t eat. He packed more than a dozen meals and carried them to the 5th floor.
The children on the 5th floor needed meals delivered.
In the girls’ dormitory, the other girls ate quietly after receiving their meals. Only one little girl called Yan Heqing in a small voice, “Brother.”
This little girl was the friend of the mute little girl from last time. Her legs were paralyzed, and she had always stayed in bed. Yan Heqing went over, bent down, and asked patiently: “What is it?”
The little girl was a bit timid, but she remembered that this brother helped her change her diaper in the morning. She took out the gift she received from under her pillow. It was a square, transparent cube like crystal. She asked with great curiosity: “Brother, what is this?”
Yan Heqing looked at it. It looked like an ornament, and a bit like a transparent Rubik’s cube, but it seemed it couldn’t be twisted. Just as he was about to take it to examine, footsteps approached from behind.
Immediately, a figure leaned down, and a faint scent, somewhat like pine needles after snow, wafted over. Slender fingers took the Cube of Light from the girl’s hand, “This is a Cube of Light.”
Yan Heqing didn’t move. If he turned around now, he would bump into Lu Lin.
The little girl continued to ask: “Is the Cube of Light useful?”
The boy’s hair tips had a faint smell of shampoo, like the scent of plum blossoms. Lu Lin didn’t move. He explained to the little girl, “It can capture sunlight.”
Hearing sunlight, the little girl’s big eyes instantly brightened. She hadn’t seen sunlight for too long. She asked expectantly: “How to capture it? Uncle, can you teach me?”
Lu Lin said: “Not today, there is no sun.”
The little girl was visibly disappointed and deflated. At this time, Lu Lin said again: “But you can see a rainbow.”
Several other girls also stopped eating and looked over in unison. They also wanted to see a rainbow.
Lu Lin’s free hand patted Yan Heqing’s shoulder lightly, “Go close the curtains.”
Yan Heqing now also knew the principle of this Cube of Light.
Prism principle, refracting light.
However, it was also his first time seeing it, which was a bit rare. He nodded, stood up straight slightly sideways, walked to the window, and closed the curtains.
The room suddenly became dim. Just as Yan Heqing turned around, a light illuminated the floor in front of him. It was Lu Lin who turned on his phone flashlight.
Yan Heqing went back by the light. Lu Lin handed the phone to him, “Shine it.”
Yan Heqing took it. Lu Lin said to the little girl: “Open your hand.”
The little girl opened her palm nervously and expectantly. Lu Lin adjusted the angle of the cube and extended it into the light. The next second, several rays of colored light fell onto the little girl’s palm. Surprised laughter instantly erupted in the dormitory, “Rainbow!”
Yan Heqing’s pupils also lit up briefly for a second.
Lu Lin didn’t miss this second out of the corner of his eye. He returned the cube to the little girl’s palm, then took back the phone and left.
After the assistant finished eating, he received a call from Lu Lin. He said “Mm-hmm, okay” a few times, grabbed the car keys, and ran out of the cafeteria.
…
Lu Lin left, but the Lu Group’s sponsorship didn’t end. Yan Heqing worked with the Lu Group employees until six o’clock before getting off work. After eating in the cafeteria, he rubbed his shoulders and took his bag to leave. Suddenly someone called him, “Xiao Yan.”
Lu Lin was gone, so Xu Qiaoyin dared to come out. She approached with a black umbrella, handed it to Yan Heqing, and said reservedly: “Thank you for the umbrella you lent me last time.”
Yan Heqing smiled and took back the umbrella, “You’re welcome. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go first.”
He didn’t mention the morning’s events at all. Just as he reached the door, Xu Qiaoyin called him again, “And… and this morning, thank you. I have some reasons…”
Yan Heqing turned back, the corners of his lips curving slightly, “Everyone has privacy. You don’t need to explain to me. I won’t talk nonsense.”
Xu Qiaoyin was stunned. By the time she came to her senses, Yan Heqing had already walked far away.
Out of the welfare institute, Yan Heqing had just walked a few steps when someone chased him from behind, “Yan Heqing!”
Yan Heqing turned back. It was Lu Lin’s assistant. Yan Heqing stopped.
The assistant ran up, carrying a charity canvas bag. He took out a sapphire blue velvet box and handed it to Yan Heqing, “President Lu asked me to pass this to you.”
Yan Heqing was a little puzzled, but still took it, “Thank you.”
The assistant smiled politely, “This is my job, no need to be polite. Goodbye then, be safe on the road.”
Yan Heqing nodded.
After the assistant left, Yan Heqing opened the box lid. Inside lay a Cube of Light quietly, the same as the ones given to the children, only slightly larger.
Back home, Yan Heqing took a shower and began to consolidate the test points for tomorrow. He didn’t put down the book until 11 o’clock. Just as he turned off the light and prepared to go back to bed, he unexpectedly caught a glimpse of the cube on the coffee table.
Standing quietly for a few seconds, Yan Heqing took the cube and walked to the bedside.
Turning on the desk lamp, he squatted down and held the cube into the lampshade.
Colorful light instantly radiated in all directions. Each ray of light was clear and bright, more beautiful than what he had seen in the welfare institute during the day.
Yan Heqing slowly rotated the cube, and the flowing colors spun in the air like sunlight.
After a while, Yan Heqing raised his right hand, gently and tightly, grasping all the light into his palm.
—
At the same time, Lu Lin returned to the Lu family’s old mansion. The living room was lit. Lu Lin opened the door and was changing his shoes when hurried footsteps ran near, “Uncle Lu!”
Lu Lin finished changing his shoes and looked over. A strange boy stood in the entrance hall. He asked indifferently: “You are?”
Lin Fengzhi completely froze. He had tossed and turned for two days about the incident the night before last, and still decided to come to Lu Lin to explain that he and Lu Muchi absolutely had no relationship! But Lu Lin didn’t remember him…
Did this mean that Lu Lin didn’t look at him the night before last?
Lu Lin didn’t remember him at all!
Lin Fengzhi bit his lower lip hard. He used deadly force, and soon there was the taste of blood in his mouth.
At this time, another person came out of the living room. He was tall and his facial features were a bit similar to Lu Lin’s, only much older.
Lu Han and Lu Lin had always been distant, and he didn’t like this younger brother whom he hadn’t spent a few years with, but now Lu Lin was the current person in power of the Lu Group.
Lu Han squeezed out a smile, “Ah Lin, you don’t remember? This is Lin Youxiang’s youngest son, Lin Fengzhi.”
Lu Han came back to the ancestral home today to pick up things and met Lin Fengzhi at the door, so he brought him in. It was only then that he remembered to ask: “By the way, Fengzhi, you came to find Muchi, right? He’s not coming back here tonight.”
Lin Fengzhi lowered his head. He felt terrible. His mind was filled with only one thought: Lu Lin couldn’t possibly like him. He didn’t even remember who he was…
If he stayed any longer, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold back his breakdown. He lowered his head and said with difficulty: “I’m leaving.”
He ran away in a wretched state.
It was snowing outside. The cold wind mixed with snow hit his face. Lin Fengzhi ran with his head down for a long way, finally stopped, hugged his knees, and tears burst out of his eyes.
With trembling hands, he took out his phone to call his mother. Just as he was about to press it, he was afraid that Mother Lin would worry, so he canceled it.
He swallowed the bloody water in his mouth, and for a moment he couldn’t think of anyone else he could confide in.
Dad would definitely tell Mom. Big brother wasn’t convenient to talk to about these things. Second brother was even worse; he forbade him from falling in love and constantly reminded him to study hard in university. Other friends… even less could he reveal his most private matters to.
Two days ago, he would definitely have looked for Lu Muchi, but after that incident happened, he didn’t want to see Lu Muchi anymore.
Lin Fengzhi felt even worse. He cried silently for a long time. Suddenly, he thought of a person.
If it were him, he would definitely comfort him unconditionally.
…
Buzz buzz buzz.
Yan Heqing had just fallen asleep when he was woken up by the vibration of his phone. He opened his eyes and took the phone. Seeing the incoming call, he thought for a moment and answered the call just before it ended, “Wh…”
Just as he opened his mouth, the person on the other end cried and called him, “Brother.”