OL CH28

In an instant, the boy’s entire face flushed crimson like a boiled shrimp. Bai Su felt that he had never experienced such humiliation in his entire life.

Today, he had only had a single bowl of thin porridge in the morning. He had eaten nothing all day, yet had walked such a long distance on foot.

The orphanage was located on the outskirts of City B, and walking from there all the way to the city center while looking after his younger siblings had dragged things out until the afternoon.

Afterward, he encountered the “car accident,” followed by the medical checkup and bandaging the scrape, which took up quite a bit of time.

In truth, he had been enduring hunger the entire way, a routine state he had grown long accustomed to during this recent period.

When Uncle Qin came over, Bai Su had already noticed the enticing aroma wafting from the dining room.

He had originally intended to leave quickly to avoid exposing his plight, but he had never expected his stomach to betray him so uncooperatively!

The loud protest from his stomach thoroughly shattered the flimsy lie Bai Su had just told.

It made him feel as though he were standing at the epicenter of a massive public embarrassment, wishing he could turn on his heels and flee.

Fortunately, neither Chen Tian nor Uncle Qin standing beside them showed the slightest change in expression, saving him from having to bury his head straight into the floor.

Luckily, Chen Tian clearly could not bear to see his darling in such distress.

Taking the bag of medicine from his hands with utter naturalness, he set it on the table and smiled gently, saying, “I was busy working through noon today and didn’t have time for lunch, so I’m truly starving right now. Although it might be a bit early, could I invite you to dine with me? I always feel that eating with someone else gives one a much better appetite than eating alone.”

Bai Su did not make any more clumsy excuses this time. Nodding meekly with a flushed face, he muttered softly, “Thank you.”

The two walked one after the other into the dining room. Uncle Qin was very thoughtful, having instructed the staff to prepare a Chinese meal.

Four dishes and one soup, the standard configuration balancing meat and vegetables. However, the plating was far more exquisite, the colors vibrant, looking exceptionally appetizing.

The dining table was actually quite large, yet Chen Tian sat down beside Bai Su naturally. Seeing the youth’s slightly reserved demeanor, he attentively served him dishes.

Fortunately, after being restrained for just a short while, Bai Su relaxed.

He reasoned through it: today would likely be his last interaction with this man anyway, so having a meal together was no big deal. Even so, the moment that thought surfaced, an unacknowledged sense of loss and reluctance arose deep within his heart.

Picking up a piece of braised pork belly that the man had placed in his bowl, he popped it into his mouth. The rich, savory meat flavor flooded his palate, and even the fat seemed to melt right on the tip of his tongue.

How long had it been since he had eaten something so delicious?

No, he had never tasted food this wonderful in his entire life.

As expected, the chefs of the wealthy were truly extraordinary. The person who prepared this meal was probably one of those legendary star-rated chefs. Perhaps he would never have another chance to taste food this delicious for the rest of his life.

At this thought, Bai Su took the initiative with his chopsticks, letting go of all restraint as he swiftly picked up the appetizing dishes before him, stuffing mouthful after mouthful into his cheeks.

The boy’s cheeks puffed out completely, resembling a little hamster.

Eating while feeling immensely moved, he felt that enjoying delicious food was truly the happiest thing in the world!

Watching his little partner eat with such relish, Chen Tian, who had been missing his lover for days and had little appetite of his own, suddenly felt his appetite surge as well.

Like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, the two cleared the dishes on the table down to the very last bite.

Having enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and finally eating his fill, the youth relaxed completely.

Rubbing his round, full belly, Bai Su leaned lazily back against his chair, his expression growing somewhat blissfully floaty.

Exhaling a contented sigh, this had to be what people called happiness!

A smile touched the corners of Chen Tian’s lips. Although he wanted very much to rub the little fellow’s belly, he knew now was not the right time. So he personally poured a glass of lemon water and handed it over with a gentle gaze.

“Thank you.”

Bai Su took it gratefully with both hands, sipping it slowly while stealing glances at the man beside him, finding him quite remarkable.

Clearly, this man named Qin Yichen possessed an aura so formidable it was terrifying, appearing completely unapproachable on the surface. Yet after spending only a brief time together, Bai Su had already determined that this man was actually very gentle.

And after they finished eating and rested to digest the food, just as promised earlier, the other man escorted him to the car, even insisting on driving him back personally.

Bai Su felt all the more that this person was truly a rare, wonderful benefactor!

“Are we heading to the welfare home in the north of the city?” the driver, Xiao Liu, confirmed once more.

Bai Su nodded. Compared to the term “orphanage,” he preferred referring to it as a welfare home when speaking to outsiders.

He also knew their orphanage was small in scale and likely lacked any renown, so he did not mind the driver double-checking.

Seeing the attractive youth nod with such earnestness, Xiao Liu started the engine, feeling a faint pang of sympathy in his heart.

He had not expected this young man to be an orphan. The indignation he had felt earlier from suspecting the boy of staging an accident now settled down considerably.

Considering how well-behaved the boy had been throughout the ride back and during his time at the Qin family estate, it seemed very likely that he had overthought things and judged a gentleman with a petty heart.

Having answered the driver’s question, Bai Su could not resist glancing at Chen Tian beside him again, only to hear the man ask, “I have some impression of that welfare home. I recall it’s quite far from the city center. Why were you out this way today?”

Seeing no hint of contempt on the other man’s face, only pure curiosity, Bai Su breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Still, the reason for his presence was rather difficult to explain.

Considering the prestigious status of the man beside him and the benevolence and responsibility he had displayed in their brief encounter, the youth’s eyes flickered. After a moment’s hesitation, he confessed part of the reason.

“Our welfare home has run into some difficulties lately. I just thought that by coming to the city center, I might find a chance to save it.”

“Were you looking for sponsors to donate to the welfare home, or hoping to seek help from the media?”

Looking at Bai Su’s well-behaved expression, Chen Tian twitched his fingers, itching to ruffle the top of his hair, but held back. He even considerately provided an excuse for Bai Su.

Bai Su went along with it and nodded, feeling a little guilty inside.

Chen Tian smiled. He naturally knew what the truth was, nor did he care about Xiao Bai’s little evasions. In an offhand manner, he asked Bai Su about the conditions at the welfare home and his daily life.

Chen Tian’s attitude was neither cold nor overly enthusiastic, calibrated with just the right amount of restraint. Catching the fleeting look of subtle disappointment on the boy’s face, a smile flashed through his eyes.

His insistence on accompanying Bai Su back to the welfare home was certainly not merely to drop him off. However, regarding certain pleasant surprises, he intended to keep his darling in suspense for now.

Yet when they arrived at their destination and Chen Tian stepped out of the car alongside Bai Su, he raised an eyebrow upon seeing the small courtyard in front of the welfare home completely deserted.

Finding it strange, Bai Su walked briskly inside. Scanning the area without spotting a single soul, he frowned and muttered, “Where did everyone go at this hour?”

Chen Tian, however, noticed two luxury cars parked in the front courtyard, looking completely out of place against the humble surroundings.

009’s report sounded in his sea of consciousness. Understanding the situation, Chen Tian turned to Bai Su and suggested softly, “Could they all be in the backyard?”

Bai Su hesitated for a moment. Remembering that people had occasionally stirred up trouble at the welfare home recently, he hurried toward the backyard in haste.

Arriving at the backyard, the two realized that something had indeed occurred.

All twenty-odd children of the welfare home appeared to be gathered here. As Bai Su and Chen Tian drew closer, they saw two groups confronting each other in the midst of the children.

One group consisted of the welfare home director, along with Su Zhaozhao, Heipi, and several other children close to Bai Su. The other group consisted of five or six unfamiliar adults.

At the head of the opposing group stood an elegantly dressed man and woman, followed by a squad of men in black suits and sunglasses, seemingly their bodyguards.

The woman looked to be in her thirties, undeniably glamorous.

Chen Tian noticed she was holding the hand of a familiar girl: Ji Yirou, the very one who had tried to harm Bai Su earlier today.

Ji Yirou was looking at the orphanage director with an aggrieved expression, on the verge of tears. Meanwhile, the usually gentle director was flushed with fury, firmly shielding Su Zhaozhao and the other children behind her.

Hearing Ji Yirou sniffle, the woman hastily coaxed her with gentle words, putting on a full display of a loving mother.

Turning her gaze toward the orphanage director, although her tone remained relatively mild, deep contempt was concealed within her eyes.

“Director Wang, while I am grateful that you took in our Xiaorou, her going hungry and lacking warm clothes in a place like this was inevitable. But how could you allow these children to bully Xiaorou!”

Having said that, she immediately looked for support to the ugly man beside her, who had triangular eyes and protruding buckteeth.

Seeing mother and daughter gazing at him with such reliance, the man’s vanity was immensely gratified.

Considering that this daughter still had her uses, backing her up was no trouble at all. He stepped forward arrogantly and declared loudly, “Xiaorou is a child of our Ji family. Our Ji family will definitely hold you accountable for today’s matter. Director Wang, you are a smart woman. These brats know how to bully others at such a young age; what will become of them when they grow up? They must be taught a lesson today!”

Seeing this posture, Chen Tian realized that the Ji family had come knocking.

Casually glancing over the people before him, he easily recognized from the host’s memories that the bucktoothed man dressed up like a gentleman with his nostrils flaring toward the sky was none other than the Ji family’s worthless Second Young Master.

Flipping through the storyline of this minor world, it seemed that the Ji family’s most capable eldest son had publicly come out of the closet around this time.

In a fit of rage, Old Master Ji declared that among his other sons, whoever produced a grandson first would be considered for the position of family head.

The Second Young Master of the Ji family was inherently profligate. He had no children with the trophy wife he had married, and though he kept a swarm of mistresses, he had never fathered any children to avoid trouble.

Now, with word of Old Master Ji’s decree leaking out, a former mistress he had abandoned actually came forward, claiming she had once given birth to his daughter but had accidentally lost her.

The Second Young Master reasoned that the old man simply wanted a grandchild; boy or girl, bringing one back first would at least coax the old man into a good mood. Thus, he brought his former mistress along to retrieve Ji Yirou.

Watching the woman’s performance, Chen Tian felt nothing but mockery in his heart. “Accidentally lost her”? It was simply that she found giving birth to a daughter useless at the time, deliberately abandoning her at the welfare home. Now that the child was useful, she came running back to stage an act of motherly love. How tiresome.

Fortunately, Old Master Ji was not completely blind; on his deathbed, he still chose the eldest son who had come out. After all, having no direct heirs was one thing, as other juniors could be groomed, but handing the family over to the second son would run the clan into the ground in a single generation.

Given the current situation, it was obvious that Ji Yirou had returned from her rebirth. Unwilling to let the lavish-spending Second Young Master donate money to the welfare home, she had already spoken ill of the place. She had then repeated her old tricks, picking a fight with Su Zhaozhao and the others, only to turn around and claim she was the one being bullied.

Within moments, Chen Tian had deduced eight or nine tenths of the sequence of events.

At this moment, seeing the director and the children being bullied, Bai Su charged forward without a second thought, shouting angrily at the group: “The welfare home is no place for you to throw your weight around! Get out of here!”

The youth had not yet fully matured, but the look in his eyes was exceptionally ferocious, giving the opposing group the eerie sensation of being targeted by a wild beast. For a brief moment, they were collectively stunned into silence.

But once Second Young Master Ji came to his senses, his expression grew increasingly ugly.

Accustomed to strutting around backed by the Ji family’s prestige, if he were intimidated by an unweaned brat from a welfare home, where would his face be?

His features twisting, Second Young Master Ji straightened his posture, bared his buckteeth, and waved a hand toward the bodyguards behind him, snarling, “Men, teach this arrogant little punk a harsh lesson!”

The moment his command fell, several burly bodyguards stepped forward.

Seeing this, Director Mama, Heipi, and the others rushed forward to block the bodyguards, terrified that Bai Su would be hurt.

Ji Yirou, on the other hand, was gleeful inside. Seeing Su Zhaozhao on the verge of tears from panic, she felt immensely triumphant.

Right at that moment, a tall figure parted the crowd and stepped forward, asking in a chilly voice, “Second Young Master Ji, what did you just say you wanted to do to my little friend?”

The familiar figure and the voice dripping with frost instantly made Second Young Master Ji shudder from head to toe.

His eyes went wide as he stared in disbelief at Chen Tian standing before him, his voice trembling: “Q-Qin… Master Qin!”

__

Author’s Note:

Silly Theater:

Chen Tian picks up a small hand mirror: “Mirror, mirror, who is the handsomest, coolest man in the world, and the one precious little Bai-bai loves the most?”

Chen Tian imitating the mirror’s voice: “That’s right, it’s you! It’s you, it’s you, and it’s still you! (^▽^)”