Free Web NovelChapter 137: Chapter 137: Jiang Xia Arrives at Yaoxing
Hearing this, Chen San’s face immediately flushed bright red.
He glanced in Shi Lan’s direction and saw her surrounded by the chattering children, not paying any attention to them. He breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "No, I just see her as a little sister."
"Is that so? If you like a girl, you’ve got to make your move. Competition for females is getting fiercer these days. Especially for one you really like. If you miss your chance, she might be gone for good."
"Tsk, you say one thing and do another. How are you still single?"
Chen San wasn’t convinced and retorted directly.
The director stroked his chin, feigning a profound air. "How do you know I didn’t pursue anyone when I was young? A pity I was a step too late. That’s why this old man has such words of wisdom to share."
Chen San scoffed but didn’t take the bait.
With nothing more to say, the old man and the young man sat in silence. The director began to study the massager Shi Lan had given him. It could automatically attach to his clothes and sense sore spots to massage them.
After figuring it out, he leaned back with a look of pure comfort and started enjoying it. Chen San, bored, stared at a fallen leaf that had blown in from somewhere, counting the veins on its surface. His mind would occasionally drift, listening to the laughter of Shi Lan and the children playing in the courtyard.
After losing track of how many times he’d recounted the veins, Shi Lan walked over with a long sigh. "Director, the children are so enthusiastic."
If their teacher hadn’t come to call them to class, she wouldn’t have been able to get away.
The director wore a perfectly normal expression. "It can’t be helped. The children rarely have visitors, so of course they’re happy."
As he spoke, he found a stool for Shi Lan. She sat down, and the three of them basked in the early morning sun, which seemed to chase away much of the winter chill.
She rested her chin on her hand. "Does no one usually come by?"
She remembered that in the original owner’s childhood memories, quite a few people used to visit the shelter. Why did it sound like, from what the director was saying, that there was no one now?
The director sighed. "Most of the young people in town have left for work in recent years. The ones who stay are mostly people with families, and they’re busy with their own lives. Plus, they’re the old-timers on this planet. After a few visits, they just don’t come by as often anymore."
"Oh, I see."
Shi Lan nodded in understanding. Still, the children in the shelter seemed to be living well. There were even two teachers who taught them basic knowledge and some art courses. In fact, the original owner’s painting skills were taught by a substitute teacher here back then.
"What about the children over ten who weren’t adopted?"
"About that..."
The director sighed wistfully. "Only one or two weren’t adopted due to physical disabilities. Most were taken in by people from Yaoxing or other planets."
"But the two children with disabilities receive a pension, and the town residents pooled their money to build houses for them, so they’re doing all right."
"Speaking of which, a female like you was very popular back then. Several families were fighting to adopt you, but no one expected that you never wanted to be adopted, saying you didn’t want to acknowledge someone else’s parents."
After all, Shi Lan was the only female in the orphanage; the rest were abandoned males with low spiritual power. That’s why the director had a rather deep impression of her.
He found himself reminiscing about Shi Lan’s childhood and asked curiously, "So, Xiao Lan, have you found your parents yet?"
Shi Lan shook her head. "No."
She didn’t know if the original owner still had an obsession with finding her parents, but in the last dream she had, the girl seemed quite content with her life in the modern world.
’Maybe she’s found peace with it.’
As for Shi Lan herself, she didn’t have many attachments to the idea of family and had never even considered looking for her parents.
The director said with regret, "I thought you would find them when you went to the Capital Star."
"The Capital Star?"
Shi Lan blinked in confusion. How did the Capital Star get involved?
The director nodded. "Yes. I remember when I found you at the gate as a child, you had a manufacturing bracelet on your wrist that showed it was made on the Capital Star. That’s why, after you asked me about it once, you said you were going to save money to study on the Capital Star."
’So that’s how it is.’
’No wonder the original owner was so insistent on going to the Capital Star. Besides wanting to take advantage of the free education, there was probably this other reason as well.’
However, if the original owner was really from the Capital Star and was sent to a place as remote as Yaoxing, it was obvious she was deliberately abandoned.
’There’s even less reason to search for a family like that.’
Yaoxing was even farther from the Capital Star than Black Star was, requiring a journey of almost two days to reach. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Shi Lan fell into thought. Chen San seemed to have guessed something as well, and he looked at her with concern in his eyes.
She pulled herself from her thoughts and smiled at the director. "Maybe when I was a child, I was desperate to find my family, but now, I think things are fine as they are."
The director looked pleased. "Xiao Lan, you really have changed a lot. But life is short; what’s important is to cherish the present."
"By the way, are you married? Why didn’t you bring a Beast Husband back with you?"
Shi Lan didn’t expect to be asked such a personal question again. She replied, "No," but just then, her chip vibrated.
She opened the message and saw that Jiang Xia had sent a pathetic-looking sticker, followed by a photo of himself at her door: [Lanlan, I’m here. Why aren’t you opening the door for me?]
Shi Lan shot up from her stool instinctively. The director asked in surprise, "What’s wrong?"
Shi Lan said, "I’m so sorry, Director. A friend of mine has arrived. I have to go home now, but I’ll come back to play with the children when I have time."
"Alright."
The director could see the urgency on her face and didn’t try to keep her any longer.
Chen San stood up as well. Seeing Shi Lan stride away so quickly, he hurried after her.
On the bus, Shi Lan was replying to Jiang Xia’s message. Chen San asked curiously, "What friend of yours is this? Coming at this hour?"
It was almost eleven o’clock. Yaoxing was so remote that to arrive at this time, regardless of which planet they came from, they would have had to set off before dawn.
A smile unconsciously touched Shi Lan’s lips. "Mm, a friend I know from work."
"Oh."
He nodded. Seeing the smile on her lips, he asked, almost against his will, "Is it a male?"
Shi Lan hummed in affirmation.
Hearing that, Chen San didn’t ask any more questions.
The bus ride back still took over thirty minutes. After getting off, Shi Lan walked so quickly that she left even Chen San, who was over 1.8 meters tall, behind.
A few minutes later, Shi Lan saw the person at her doorstep.
Just as in the photo he had sent, he was squatting at her door. He had waist-length silver hair, which he had carefully coiled in front of him, as if afraid it would get dirty on the ground.
His head was lowered, and his jade-like fingers were fiddling with something on the ground.
Shi Lan called out, "Lord Jiang."
When Jiang Xia heard her voice, his ears twitched. His brilliant golden eyes lit up in an instant, and he happily ran to Shi Lan, throwing his arms around her. "Lanlan, you’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you for so long."
Despite being very tall, he snuggled against her shoulder like a dependent little bird, complaining pitifully. What’s more, his hands, dirty from playing in the mud just moments ago, were now gripping the clothes at her waist, smudging her off-white coat.
