Chapter 115
Other than the Lin family, everyone was clearly very satisfied with this lunch.
The children at the orphanage all had the habit of going back to their rooms for a noon nap. By the time Lin Zhiqiao and the others finished tidying up, the orphanage—which had been lively all morning—had already quieted down.
Director Zheng had arranged rooms for everyone as well. Ji Ran and the others were a little sleepy, so they planned to go back and rest for a bit.
Lin Zhiqiao, however, was not very sleepy.
Although he had been busy all morning, the joy of returning to his “old home” temporarily outweighed his fatigue.
Song Fengshi clearly had no intention of going back to his room to rest either. Lin Zhiqiao glanced at him and asked, “Do you want me to show you around?”
He looked at the cameraman following them, then leaned close to Song Fengshi’s ear and whispered, “I’ll take you to see my old secret base.”
“Okay.” Song Fengshi nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Calling it a secret base sounded dramatic, but in truth it was just where the kids used to do their little “sneaky” things.
Like a certain big tree that gave you an amazing view once you climbed up it. Or a corner of the yard where little secrets were buried. Or the old storage room that was often used for adventures and hide-and-seek.
Now, the old storage room had been cleaned out and renovated, transformed into something brand-new and unfamiliar.
The little corner of the yard had been redone into a small patch of greenery, but Lin Zhiqiao spotted at a glance that a section of the soil had been recently turned over. Clearly, some child had chosen this very place to bury a secret of their own.
Only the tallest, largest tree in the yard seemed exactly the same as before.
Song Fengshi followed behind Lin Zhiqiao, listening to him ramble on about old memories, and could almost picture a much younger Lin Zhiqiao—perhaps only half his current height—darting all over this tiny orphanage.
Above them, the sunlight was mostly hidden behind clouds, while the breeze lifted the hems of their clothes and seemed, somehow, to tug at the heartstrings of the people in the yard as well.
Lin Zhiqiao rubbed his hands together, tipped his head back to look up at the tree, then kicked off with both legs and shot upward in the blink of an eye.
Once he had settled himself securely, he lowered his head and asked Song Fengshi, “Can you get up here?”
Song Fengshi was not wearing a suit, and his casual clothes did not restrict his movement. It took him a bit more effort, but he managed to climb up as well.
The two of them sat on the sturdy branch and looked out into the distance—
The view really was excellent, Song Fengshi thought.
The cameraman stood under the tree carrying his equipment, staring up at them from below with a numb expression, then decisively changed his filming angle and began shooting them from the bottom up.
“It’s been a long time since I climbed up here to enjoy the breeze like this.” Lin Zhiqiao let out a comfortable sigh. “When I was little, I still dared to do it. But once I grew up and turned into the ‘sensible adult’ the aunties always talked about, I could no longer take the lead in playing such dangerous games.”
Song Fengshi wanted to laugh, but he immediately caught the important part. “Take the lead?”
“Yeah.” Lin Zhiqiao nodded. “I was the one taking the lead, obviously. I was really naughty when I was little. Aunt Zheng and the others would get headaches the moment they saw me.”
He smiled as he said, “Actually, when I first came here, I was already not considered very young. All the younger kids in the orphanage liked following me around, so… well.”
Song Fengshi curved his lips in a smile and pulled him into his arms. “How old were you back then?”
“I wasn’t even twelve yet when I came here,” Lin Zhiqiao said.
“Twelve is still pretty young,” Song Fengshi said. “You were still a child.”
“But compared to the children at the orphanage, that age really didn’t count as especially young,” Lin Zhiqiao replied.
That was true.
Song Fengshi lowered his eyes.
By the age of twelve, a child’s physical and mental development was already relatively stable. Under normal circumstances, many adoptive parents really did prefer to adopt children who were younger.
Song Fengshi asked him, “Did you live well here?”
“Pretty well.” Lin Zhiqiao smiled. “I never had to worry about food or drink. Life was pretty carefree every day.”
Song Fengshi was quiet for a while before softly asking, “Can you tell me… about your past?”
Lin Zhiqiao was briefly stunned and instinctively asked, “Huh? You didn’t know?”
“Not much,” Song Fengshi said. “I never deliberately investigated you. It was only when I was looking into the Lin family that I inevitably came across some information about you.”
He paused, as if wanting to explain, then added, “You said before that you didn’t like the Lin family.”
Lin Zhiqiao’s breath caught.
He could not even remember in what situation he had casually told Song Fengshi that, but Song Fengshi had taken it to heart.
That kind of attentiveness in the details made it impossible for him not to be moved.
Lin Zhiqiao lightly tugged at Song Fengshi’s sleeve, and when Song Fengshi leaned a little closer, he suddenly tilted his head up and kissed him.
Song Fengshi froze for a split second, then immediately took control in return.
So good, so good, so good—freshly made sugar really is the sweetest!
Love it, need more, give me more! [melon-rubbing-hands.jpg]
So Xiao Qiao already disliked the Lin family a long time ago? Could there be some Lin family gossip we don’t know about? [melon peeking out.jpg]
Doesn’t anyone think it’s strange? Why would President Song “inevitably” come across information about Xiao Qiao when investigating the Lin family? Did something happen between Xiao Qiao and the Lin family before? [deep in thought.jpg]
The kiss did not last very long, and the two of them soon pulled apart.
Lin Zhiqiao leaned against Song Fengshi and said in a low voice, “In my memory, when I was little, I always lived with Grandma.”
Song Fengshi gave a soft sound of acknowledgment.
That matched the bits of information he had accidentally learned before. That grandmother and Lin Zhiqiao were not related by blood either.
But not being his biological grandmother did not mean she loved him any less than one.
Compared to the Lin family, that grandmother without blood ties—and the aunties from the orphanage—were perhaps the ones Lin Zhiqiao truly considered family.
Lin Zhiqiao continued, “Grandma was very good to me. Back then, we didn’t have much money at home, but Grandma never let me go without.” He paused, and his voice grew quieter. “It’s just that Grandma got sick. Very sick. And then later…”
“And then I came here,” Lin Zhiqiao said. “Aunt Zheng and the aunties here all took great care of me. And some kind-hearted sponsor was very generous and paid for me to go to college.”
“Studying dance isn’t cheap,” he said with a sigh. “It’s just a pity it was anonymous support. To this day, I still don’t know who that kind person was.”
His voice fell quiet. Remembering something Director Zheng had said before, he suddenly smiled and asked, “It wasn’t you, was it? President Song?”
Song Fengshi fell into a suspicious silence for a moment, then said, “It’s not impossible.”
He looked at Lin Zhiqiao and added, “The Song family has sponsored quite a lot of orphans. Hope Home is also among the places we support.”
Lin Zhiqiao asked, “Can I see the list?”
“There is one,” Song Fengshi said softly, “but there’s no need…”
“I want to know,” Lin Zhiqiao cut in.
The two looked at each other for a moment. In the end, Song Fengshi yielded, took out his phone, and asked someone to send over the list.
There, clearly written on it, was the name Lin Zhiqiao.
“So it really was!” Lin Zhiqiao’s eyes lit up.
Song Fengshi was also a little stunned. So the connection between him and Lin Zhiqiao had begun that long ago.
As if fate had arranged it all in advance.
Lin Zhiqiao arched a brow. “So the anonymous kindhearted sponsor… does that mean I’m repaying you with my body?”
The teasing in his voice was obvious. Song Fengshi smiled, but said, “That doesn’t count.” In a soft voice, he added, “If anyone is repaying with their body, it should be me. You did save my life.”
“That’s true.” Lin Zhiqiao nodded. “Then we’re even.”
Wow, so I missed something again? What do you mean saving a life and repaying with one’s body? What else happened between President Song and Xiao Qiao?! I’m dying because I can’t eat this melon! [scratching wildly.jpg]
Even though we don’t know the details… if President Song hadn’t sponsored Xiao Qiao, Xiao Qiao might not have entered the entertainment industry, and he might never have met President Song, and there would have been no “life-saving grace” at all… QAQ
A good deed planted becomes a good fate returned; after going in circles, it was still you in the end. This sense of destiny is just too shippable, aaahhh!
My heart aches for Xiao Qiao. The hard days are over! Xiao Qiao, your good days have finally arrived!!
President Song is what real kindness looks like. He sponsored so many orphans, yet never once publicized it outside. Compared with that, the difference is night and day… tsk.
I already thought a certain Lin was just putting on a persona. “Always participating in charity work at orphanages”—yet none of the children there even recognized them. Whether it’s real or fake is obvious at a glance, okay?
The people who had spoken up for Lin Mubai earlier all fell silent in tacit unison.
At that very moment, in the room the orphanage had arranged for the Lin family—
Lin Mubai turned off his phone screen and sat there with his eyes closed for quite a while before finally managing to force his expression back under control.
Lin Chen could tell he was in a bad mood. He patted his shoulder, wanting to say something comforting, but could not think of where to begin.
Lin Mubai looked up and smiled at him. “Big Brother, let’s go.”
Seeing that his face looked normal again, Lin Chen relaxed a little and asked, “Go where?”
“Today is World Blood Donor Day.” Lin Mubai started walking out. “I saw it this morning—there’s a blood donation station on the street nearby. I want to go donate blood.”
When it came to his precious younger brother’s decisions, Lin Chen supported him without a second thought. “I’ll go with you.”
The other three members of the Lin family followed right behind.
The lunch break was already over, so naturally the others noticed the Lin family heading outside the orphanage.
Ji Ran casually asked, “What are they going to do?”
“To donate blood,” Director Sun said. “Today is World Blood Donor Day.”
Ji Ran immediately understood what Lin Mubai was trying to do. He curled his lip, grabbed Lin Zhiqiao by the wrist, and started dragging him outside. “We’re going too!”
No matter what, they could not let Lin Mubai outdo them!
Lin Zhiqiao instinctively followed. “Wait—”
But Ji Ran was already pulling him along at top speed. Lin Zhiqiao could only laugh helplessly and stop trying to protest.
The group quickly arrived at the blood donation station.
There was no one else inside besides two doctors—one in charge of registration and one responsible for blood collection.
The Lin family had arrived first and already finished filling out the online information forms.
Lin Mubai glanced at them, and his gaze landed on the only person who had not filled one out.
The corner of his lips lifted as he “kindly” reminded him, “Zhiqiao, you need to scan the code here to register your information.”
“I know,” Lin Zhiqiao nodded. “But I can’t donate right now.”
Ji Ran’s head snapped up, his expression instantly tense. “Can’t donate? Xiao Qiao, are you feeling unwell?”
Song Fengshi also looked over, a faint crease appearing between his brows.
“Not exactly.” Lin Zhiqiao pressed his lips together and said, “I donated once a few months ago. It hasn’t been six months yet.”
The doctor handling registration looked up and said, “If it hasn’t been six months, you can’t donate. It has to be at least half a year.”
Song Fengshi’s expression visibly eased, and Ji Ran also patted his chest. “You scared me.”
Off to the side, however, Lin Mubai’s expression stiffened slightly, a flicker of resentment flashing through his eyes before he turned his face away from the camera.
—A perfectly good plan had once again been turned into something that benefited Lin Zhiqiao instead!
Lin Mubai forced himself to calm down.
Before drawing blood, they still had to do a blood test to confirm that their blood met the donation requirements.
Everyone soon received their test sheets.
Everyone present passed. Lin Zhiqiao leaned over to take a look at Song Fengshi’s test results. “You’ve got the same blood type as me. We’re both type O.”
The doctor smiled and said, “There are relatively more people with type O blood. AB is comparatively rarer.”
Ji Ran immediately said, “I’m AB!”
Father Lin and Mother Lin wanted to use the chance to get closer to Lin Zhiqiao. So Father Lin smiled and said, “Yuxian and I are both O as well.”
Yuxian was Mother Lin’s given name.
But after mentioning his own blood type, Father Lin seemed unable to resist peeking at the blood types of his three sons too. “Juezhou is the same as us, also type O. Xiao Chen is type A. Mubai is type B…”
As though something had suddenly occurred to him, his voice gradually trailed off, yet his brows knitted together instead.
Ji Ran let out a small sound of surprise. Ever since the whole “real and fake young master” incident in the Ji family, he had become especially sensitive to blood types, and the moment he heard this, he sensed something was off.
“If both parents are type O… can they give birth to children with type A and type B?”
