Even if she dislikes the orphanage, that's her personal desire, and she shouldn't make things difficult for Wen Mubai because of it.
The more obedient and sensible Xu Chacha appeared, the more heartbroken Wen Mubai felt.
This feeling was strange; she had never experienced it before.
All she knew was that looking at Xu Chacha's disappointed yet forcedly strong face, she kept thinking about doing something more for her, even if it was just to make her happy for a little while longer.
"Could you tell me which welfare home it is?" Wen Mubai asked the police.
"The nearest one is probably this one... called Luyou Welfare Home. Don't worry, we've sent a few children there before, and the director has taken very good care of them."
Wen Mubai opened his phone and searched for the name of the welfare home. "I checked. It takes at least four or five hours to get there from here, even without traffic. It's already 4:30 in the afternoon, so it will be evening by the time we get there."
“We have police cars to pick us up and drop us off.”
“What I mean is, she’s been exhausted all day and hasn’t even eaten much. What she needs to do now is rest and calm down.” Wen Mubai’s composure was rare among her peers. Even when facing the police, her tone remained neither humble nor arrogant. “My rented guesthouse is less than a ten-minute drive from here. If you’re worried about me, I can leave my personal information, and you can also send someone to monitor me.”
"but……"
"Just tonight, tonight is fine," Wen Mubai repeated, his tone firm. "I will take good care of her."
No one saw that Wen Mubai's hands, resting on her knees, were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. This was the first time she had ever tried so hard to fight for something as her own.
In the past, whatever she wanted or didn't want, her parents would ruthlessly impose upon her, because it was her responsibility as the eldest daughter of the Wen family, and the future face of the Wen family.
She slowly became submissive and got used to pretending that she didn't care about anything. After living like this for a long time, Wen Mubai was about to forget what his original personality was like.
But this time she couldn't pretend not to care. She felt she might never forget the feeling of being tightly embraced by this girl with such trust.
Since Xu Chacha trusts her so much, she can't let her down too much.
Which guesthouse?
Wen Mubai gave the address.
The policewoman's expression was somewhat subtle, and she muttered under her breath, "What a coincidence."
What did you say?
"That guesthouse is run by my mother." There are only so many people in the small town, so it's not too surprising when you think about it.
The policewoman extended her hand to Wen Mubai, "Leave your ID number and contact information. Also, I need to emphasize that she can only stay for one night. My colleague will take the child away on time tomorrow morning."
Xu Chacha was overjoyed. "Thank you, policewoman! You're so pretty! So cool!"
The policewoman looked defeated by her. "You too, you have such a sweet tongue."
Hehehe.
...
It was almost five o'clock when Wen Mubai led Xu Chacha out of the police station.
Summer days are long, and it wasn't dark yet. She raised her arm to shield her eyes from the sun, then remembered that she had left her parasol and sun-protective clothing in the same spot.
At that time, I was in a hurry to save Xu Chacha and didn't have time to grab anything.
"Don't you like the sun, sister?" Xu Chacha noticed Wen Mubai's actions and raised her hand to try to get closer to her. "Then Chacha will block the sun for you."
Wen Mubai looked down and was amused by her silly actions, so he patted her soft hair and said, "Sister isn't that delicate."
Xu Chacha laughed along, her eyes narrowing into slits, her cheekbones puffing out roundly. "Sister's smile is so beautiful."
laugh?
Wen Mubai then realized that he was laughing.
"Yes, my sister was amused by Chacha." Wen Mubai took her hand.
"Then how about Chacha makes your older sister laugh more often from now on? Ah, but..." Halfway through her sentence, Xu Chacha seemed to suddenly realize something and lowered her head in disappointment.
However, she may never see Wen Mubai again.
Xu Chacha felt that she couldn't take these wonderful things for granted. It was already a rare privilege to have some things even once, just like Wen Mubai in front of her. She couldn't ask for more.
The little boy's dejected look did not escape Wen Mubai's notice. She pursed her lips, wanting to say something.
But then I thought that if I made promises to Xu Chacha that I couldn't do, it would be cruel to her.
Wen Mubai stopped when his gaze fell on Xu Chacha's limping gait.
"What's wrong, sister?" Xu Chacha looked up at her. "Are you tired? Let Chacha take your hand."
She took a big step, stood in front of Wen Mubai, and extended her hand to her.
Wen Mubai lowered his eyes. He originally wanted to answer Xu Chacha's question, but when he saw the hideous red and swollen wound in her delicate palm, he changed the subject.
"When did you get injured? Why didn't you say so at the hospital?" Wen Mubai held her hand and looked closely. Not only was the wound showing signs of worsening, but there was also mud, sand, and splinters mixed in that hadn't been cleaned off. He also noticed that Xu Chacha's cloth shoes were worn out.
It's unbelievable how such a young child could have endured all these injuries without uttering a sound until now.
"I forgot, it didn't hurt much." Xu Chacha pulled her hand back and forced an awkward smile.
Knowing it was most likely related to that couple, Wen Mubai didn't press the matter.
"Come here, I'll carry you back." Wen Mubai squatted down.
Xu Chacha took a small step back. "No, Chacha can walk by herself."
"It's because your older sister wants to carry you."
"Then...then I'll come up?" Xu Chacha blinked her little eyes and leaned towards Wen Mubai. "I might be a little heavy. If you can't carry me, you can put me down."
Wen Mubai didn't say anything, and silently carried the person on his back.
I just heard Xu Chacha introduce herself at the police station, saying she's seven years old, but she's actually only up to my hips. That's less than the average height of a five-year-old, so she's hardly heavy to carry.
Xu Chacha stretched out her slender arms and loosely wrapped them around Wen Mubai's neck from behind, probably afraid of choking her, she didn't use much force.
The child's elevated body temperature seeped through the thin clothing onto Wen Mubai's skin, accompanied by a thumping heartbeat, one beat after another, then faster and faster.
"Sister, my heart is beating so fast."
"Um?"
"Because this is the first time someone has been so kind to me." Wen Mubai heard the soft, childlike voice approaching her, probably laughing, and felt warm breath tickling her ear. "I'm so happy."
Without her even realizing it, Wen Mubai's lips curved into a smile.
She responded softly, "My sister is very happy today too."
Xu Chacha was being carried on Wen Mubai's back. At first, she could still chatter away, but soon her voice grew softer and softer, and finally, she tilted her head and fell asleep against the back of Wen Mubai's neck.
"Tea?"
Wen Mubai called her name but got no response. He knew the little one had fallen asleep from exhaustion, so he quickened his pace toward the guesthouse.
She didn't tell her parents she was coming this time; she only managed to come out under the pretext of relaxing before the college entrance exam. The group of art students she met was just a random excuse; they weren't familiar with each other at all.
Originally, she thought they would go their separate ways once they arrived at their destination, but the girl who had tried to sell her the bracelet earlier was quite enthusiastic and said she was worried about her safety if she went alone, so she kept trying to get her to go with her.
Even now, I received a text message from her saying she was coming back, and I'm craning my neck to wait for her at the entrance of the guesthouse.
"Mu Bai! You're finally back!" The girl ran over, her expression showing surprise when she saw Xu Chacha on his back. "This little girl..."
"The orphanage is too far away. Stay with me for one night first," Wen Mubai said succinctly.
"Oh, okay." The girl patted her chest. "I really didn't realize she was abducted before. I almost couldn't save her. Luckily you're smart. If you need any help, just call me anytime."
Wen Mubai lifted Xu Chacha's body up a little, "Actually, there might really be something going on."
"What?"
"Could you buy me some children's clothes? I can't leave right now." Wen Mubai looked at the girl. "Thank you..."
She realized that she didn't seem to know the other person's name, or perhaps she knew it before but didn't remember it.
"Jiang Panpan, my name is Jiang Panpan." The other person raised their voice, "I'll go buy it now. If you need anything else, you can contact me by phone."
"Sorry," Wen Mubai said, handing over his wallet. "There's some cash in here. If it's not enough, the bank card PIN is six eights."
"Are you really not afraid I'll steal your money?" Jiang Panpan knew Wen Mubai's family background, but seeing that he didn't have any of the shrewdness that a rich person should have, she couldn't help but laugh, laughing exaggeratedly. "Okay, then I'll go."
"Okay, be careful on the road."
Wen Mubai carried Xu Chacha into his room. The landlady of the guesthouse must have received a call from the policewoman, because she came up to knock on the door and delivered some food.
Wen Mubai thanked the person, carried Xu Chacha to the bed, and then took off her shoes.
The cloth shoes had been washed until they were faded, the glue on the soles was cracked, and the size didn't fit Xu Chacha's feet very well; they were too tight.
After taking off her shoes, Xu Chacha was left with only a pair of white socks on her feet—a pair of white socks stained with blood.
Wen Mubai frowned and gently peeled the socks off Xu Chacha's tender but scarred little feet, finally seeing how serious the injuries on her feet were.
The toenail of my right big toe had split open due to the previous dragging, and my once crystal-clear white toe was now swollen into a small bump. The large red patches on the instep were also caused by abrasions.
Fortunately, each room in the guesthouse was equipped with a first-aid kit. Wen Mubai opened the kit, took out cotton swabs, dipped them in water, and first carefully removed the dirt and splinters from Xu Chacha's wounds before disinfecting them.
She must have felt pain during the disinfection process, because Xu Chacha trembled and murmured, "It hurts... don't hit me, don't hit me, Chacha will be very good."
Wen Mubai paused, looking up at Xu Chacha's sleeping face.
Her enviable thick eyelashes gently brushed against her eyelids, and there were still some red marks from crying on her nose. Her porcelain-white skin had a faint pink tint and almost no pores, making her look like a delicate and fragile precious item.
Anyone would find it hard to harm such a well-behaved and beautiful child; Wen Mubai simply wanted to tear that couple to pieces.
"No more." Wen Mubai spoke softly, but solemnly, as if making a promise. "No one will bully you anymore."
Chapter 4
After treating the injury, Wen Mubai sat on the rocking chair beside Xu Chacha to keep an eye on her and prevent her from changing positions while sleeping and pressing on the wound.
As night fell and darkness enveloped the room, the light gradually dimmed, but Wen Mubai did not turn on the light, afraid of waking Xu Chacha.
It was almost 7 p.m. when Xu Chacha slowly woke up.
It was pitch black all around, and since she had just woken up and her head was still a little dizzy, Xu Chacha didn't immediately realize where she was.
Could it be that her time travel was just a dream after she fainted from exhaustion due to overwork?
"Auntie, are you there?" Xu Chacha asked tentatively.
After her parents passed away, she temporarily stayed at her aunt's house. Their family wasn't well-off, and raising a son was already a struggle for them. They probably couldn't afford to call an ambulance for her, so she should be at home now.