When Du Xiaoruo and Qiao An returned to the orphanage, all the lights in the courtyard were already off.

Qiao An was also a bit tired today. The old Chinese medicine doctor had injured his qi and blood by giving him acupuncture, and now he felt weak all over and even his head was a little dizzy.

Should I take you home first?

Qiao An got out of the car and leaned against the door to wait for Xiao Ruo to get out.

"Go to the kitchen first, the doctor told you to drink some goji berry water." Xiaoru got out of the car and locked the door.

"Where did these goji berries come from? Have Secretary Kim bring them down tomorrow."

Although Qiao An said that, she still obediently followed Du Xiaoruo towards the kitchen.

Although the lights were off, a small rechargeable table lamp was unexpectedly still on in the kitchen. Under the lamp was a small bag of goji berries and a sticky note with the old dean's flamboyant handwriting on it.

[Drink a cup of goji berry water as instructed by your doctor after the acupuncture.]

Du Xiaoruo and Qiao An exchanged a smile. Du Xiaoruo said, "You sit here and wait. I'll go make some water."

The freshly brewed goji berry water was very hot. Du Xiaoruo sat down opposite Qiao An through the rising steam. A small lamp cast a small patch of light between them, illuminating the small space in front of them.

"you......"

"you......"

The two spoke almost simultaneously, but fell silent after hearing each other's voices.

Xiaoruo said, "You go first."

Qiao An chuckled. "It's nothing. I just remembered what you said to that driver today. It's the first time I've seen you get so angry."

Du Xiaoruo rubbed her face shyly.

Joan seemed to be in a good mood; he was still smiling.

“When you’re in a bad mood, you need to let it out. You know, you don’t have to live as cautiously as before. No matter what trouble you cause, I’m capable of covering for you.”

Du Xiaoruo was surprised that Qiao An would suddenly say these words so formally. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to respond.

Joanne added, "In this world, you're not alone; you can walk around as if you want without anyone daring to stop you."

Du Xiaoruo wanted to laugh, thinking that only crabs can walk sideways, but her eyes started to well up again. She had cried too much today, which was really annoying.

She sniffed, holding back tears that were unusually sentimental for her today.

"I've finished speaking, now it's your turn." Qiao An still remembered what Du Xiaoruo was about to say.

"Huh?" Du Xiaoruo looked up in a daze, interrupted by Qiao An, and had already forgotten what she was going to say.

She pursed her lips and replied to Joan with a rather righteous tone.

"Then you should know that I really have the ability to punch Kim Hee-jin in the head until it explodes."

It was quite touching, but also a bit ridiculous. Qiao An laughed for a moment, then said seriously,

"I'd like to add one more point to my previous promise: we don't condone doing anything illegal or disorderly."

The orphanage's duty teacher came out on patrol, saw the lights in this area, came in to take a look, and interrupted the two people's conversation.

After the teacher left, the two of them dared not speak anymore. They washed up in the dark and returned to their respective dormitories.

Lying on the bed, Du Xiaoruo closed her eyes in the darkness; the feeling was wonderful.

Because of family changes, she wasn't interested in dating when she was in school. Unexpectedly, after working for so many years, she experienced what it felt like to sneak off on a date and get caught by the teacher.

Qiao An has been away from the company for the past few days, and all the work has fallen on Secretary Jin's shoulders. She arrives at the company very early every morning, and by the time she leaves the building, it is already dark outside. She has truly experienced what it means to work from dawn till dusk.

While waiting for the elevator, Secretary Kim, holding a cup of iced coffee, complained to Yu Pan and the others.

"They're paying for cabbage but worrying about selling drugs."

Yu Pan and Otto exchanged a glance, and Yu Pan replied sourly,

"Is the 400+ square meter apartment you live in now a gift from the company? And the car you drive, a Mercedes-Benz, is that also a gift from the company? Your annual salary is in the seven figures, not including bonuses, right? You call this the money for buying cabbage? You must have bought some jade cabbage!"

Having achieved his goal at Versailles, Secretary Kim calmly stepped into Joan's private elevator when it arrived.

Yu Pan waved his fist behind him, "What are you showing off for? Everyone's a boss these days!"

Secretary Jin stepped out of the elevator, intending to go to Qiao An's office to pick up some contract documents, but unexpectedly ran into Qiao Qingmeng at the elevator entrance.

Good morning, Mr. Meng.

After greeting Qiao Qingmeng, Secretary Jin prepared to walk past her, but it was a bit strange that only Qiao An and she used this floor. She wondered what Qiao Qingmeng was doing there.

"Stop right there." Qiao Qingmeng crossed her arms and blocked Secretary Jin's path. "Have someone take down that painting in the lobby."

What painting?

Qiao Qingmeng's expression turned slightly awkward for a moment, but her tone remained that of a superior, commanding voice.

"It's the necklace, the pearl necklace."

After Qiao Qingmeng's reminder, Secretary Jin remembered what painting she was referring to.

To be honest, Qiao An was really something else. After the pearl necklace was recovered, he immediately had it framed into a painting, which is now hanging in the lobby on the first floor of the company.

The fact that Qiao Qingmeng picked up the necklace is now known throughout the internet. If the necklace is framed and hung in a busy hall, people passing by will inevitably laugh at it. Although Qiao Qingmeng has not been punished by law, the moral condemnation is enough to make her suffer. It's like killing her by attacking her conscience.

Although Secretary Kim was secretly gloating, she maintained a respectful and humble demeanor on the surface.

"Ms. Meng, Mr. Qiao said that no one can touch that painting without his permission, so please don't make things difficult for me."

After speaking, Secretary Jin prepared to walk around Qiao Qingmeng, who was blocking her way, once again.

Qiao Qingmeng raised her chin and asked casually, "Um, are Qiao An and Du Xiaoruo on good terms?"

Secretary Kim adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses and subconsciously replied, "What real feelings can a contractual couple have?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized he had misspoke, lowered his head, hurriedly walked past Qiao Qingmeng, and walked away in a flustered manner.

Standing in the corridor, Qiao Qingmeng nodded and smiled as she watched Secretary Jin leave.

A marriage of convenience?

I see.

There's no way Du Xiaoruo could possibly be a good match for Qiao An.

Secretary Jin returned to her office, took out her phone, and sent a message to Qiao An.

I've already told Qiao Qingmeng about the arranged marriage. Can you tell me why? I'm so curious I can't live without it.

My dearest husky, for your own safety, it's best you don't know.

Secretary Kim, [Why? Is your life at stake? The plot is so exciting!]

My dear, you pesky husky, [you're only safe because I'll kill you.]

Secretary Kim, [...]

My dearest husky, where is the person I asked you to find? My wife is cooking right now.

My dear, you pesky husky, you're dead meat.

Secretary Jin stared at her phone screen, her heart skipping a beat. Oh no! Yesterday, Qiao An had asked her to find a cook and a waterproofing team to go to the orphanage, but she had completely forgotten about it in her busy schedule.

This time I'm really going to die.

At the orphanage, Xiaoruo's arm has healed, and this morning she personally went to the kitchen, so the children at the orphanage were finally able to have a decent breakfast.

Today is Saturday, and the children don't have to go to school. After breakfast, they gather in twos and threes on the playground to play.

Under the shade of the trees on the playground, the three little ones and a few older children were playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game).

After playing for a while, a seven or eight-year-old boy with a watermelon-shaped haircut stood up and shouted loudly.

"I'm not playing with Qiao Lele anymore. He can always figure out the cards. It's no fun."

As soon as the children started arguing, the adults sitting under the eaves immediately switched to watching the spectacle, all ears perked up, just short of popping in some melon seeds and stools.

"Fine, then don't play." Xiao Tong pulled Lele up from the ground. "You're stupid and you blame others for being too smart. That's shameful."

"Do you believe I'll beat you up?" The boy with the watermelon head looked up at Xiao Tong, who was half a head taller than him, his eyes wide open.

Xiao Shu immediately stood up, hands on her hips, and roared with great momentum.

"Go ahead and hit me, if you dare, hit me! I'll bounce back, I'm telling you."

"Huh?" The watermelon-headed guy was completely bewildered, and asked seriously, "What kind of skill is 'rebound'?"

Little Shu, hands on her hips, retorted fiercely, "If you hit me, I'll say it bounces back, and then I won't feel any pain; it'll be you who feels the pain."

Watermelon Head, "......" Is this guy an idiot?

Mu Hua covered her eyes with her hand; it was so stupid it was unbearable to look at.

The live stream chat was filled with laughter.

The cubs arguing is so cute, absolutely adorable!

Although Xiaoshu isn't very bright, she can't lose in terms of spirit.

[Hahaha, the little book has completely confused the watermelon-headed kid.]

Seeing that the argument was escalating, Fan Yue added fuel to the fire, saying, "Classmate, you can say that the rebound is invalid."

Her actions stirred things up, and another argument broke out. Lele and Xiaotong joined the fray one after another, making it a truly lively and chaotic scene.

Just then, an Audi drove into the playground, and Secretary Kim got out of the car as if her butt was on fire.

He had just gotten out of the car when another pickup truck drove in from behind, and four or five people got out of it one after another.

Secretary Kim made the arrangements in an orderly manner.

"Master Lu, this is the kitchen. Thank you for preparing meals for the students during this time. The waterproofing workers, please look this way. These buildings all have varying degrees of leakage. Please check them carefully and do a thorough waterproofing."

Dean Huang, holding his thermos, looked at Qiao An with much gentler eyes, and even gave her a look that said, "The flagpole-climbing incident is now forgotten."

Qiao An clasped his hands in a fist salute to Dean Huang.

When it comes to crucial moments, it's still our General Manager Ha.

Although Mr. Ha may be unreliable when it comes to small matters, he has never let us down when it comes to important things.

Let me see who this handsome and kind person is!

After the waterproofing technicians finished their inspection, they went back to the city to retrieve the waterproofing materials, and after lunch, they started working.

Dean Huang personally climbed to the rooftop to watch the workers lay the waterproof membrane on the cleaned roof, and he was filled with mixed emotions.

He wrote countless reports and visited relevant departments countless times to address the leaking problems in these houses, practically wearing his lips out from talking so much. But each time, it was just treating the symptoms, never solving the root problem. This has always been a major concern for Dean Huang.

Qiao An hired the best waterproofing company in the city. The company offers a ten-year warranty, meaning that for the next ten years, these houses of varying heights will no longer leak.

Dean Huang breathed a sigh of relief. The blind fortune teller Wang, who lived under the bridge in the county town, said that the orphanage would meet a benefactor this year. Dean Huang didn't believe it at first, but now he was starting to believe Wang.

After watching from the rooftop for a while, Dean Huang came down and prepared to go back to his room for a nap.

Just as I reached the door of the room, I was startled by a dark figure that suddenly appeared from the side.

Once he got a clear look, Dean Huang realized that it was Mu Hua. What was he doing acting so suspiciously?

"What are you doing, acting all sneaky?" Dean Huang looked behind Mu Hua. "Where are all those long-range and short-range guns that were following you?"

Mu Hua was amused by Dean Huang's description.

"I finally managed to get rid of the cameraman. I need to talk to you. Let's go inside."

Dean Huang took out the key clipped to his waistband and unlocked a small brass lock on the door of the small room.

The room was simply furnished: a single bed, an old desk, and a long-worn rattan chair, its rattan worn smooth and reflective. There was nothing else. Dean Huang's only two sets of clean clothes hung on the wire beside the window.

There were signs of water seepage in the roof above the windows, so there was a faint musty smell in the room.

Dean Huang lifted the back of the rattan chair and turned it so that the seat faced Mu Hua. "Sit down and let's talk." He walked over to the single bed and sat on the edge of it.

After Mu Hua sat down, he asked, "Dean, may I ask how old you are this year?"

Upon hearing this, Dean Huang's eyes lit up, and he straightened his previously somewhat hunched back.

"I'm 55 years old this year, and I've never married. I've dedicated my life to education. Um, may I ask what the person you're introducing me to is doing? Are they retired? Would they mind working together at an orphanage to take care of the children?"

Mu Hua: "...Why would I introduce you to someone? I'm still single myself."

Dean Huang was a little angry when he heard this.

"Then why are you asking me how old I am? Are you kidding me?"

Mu Hua recalled the ecstatic look on Dean Huang's face earlier, and chuckled with her head down.

Seeing that Dean Huang was getting a little embarrassed, Mu Hua finally stopped smiling, took a card out of his pocket, and handed it to Dean Huang.

"Old director, I'm not kidding you. There's ten million in this card. Take it. You can decide what the orphanage needs in the future."

Ten million?

Dean Huang was completely stunned. How could these rich people spend money like it was nothing?

Mu Hua sat up and placed the card on the bed next to Dean Huang.

"You don't need to worry about the donation procedures. I will use my connections to handle all the formalities. The money is from a legitimate source and all the paperwork is in order, so you can use it with peace of mind."

Dean Huang asked blankly, "Then why didn't you just donate according to the proper procedures?"

"If I donate according to the proper procedures, how much will actually reach you after all the layers of exploitation?"

Dean Huang recalled how he had begged and pleaded with people over the years to secure donations and funding, almost to the point of kneeling down. He felt that Mu Hua's words made sense.

Recovering from his shock, Dean Huang, as if afraid that Mu Hua would change his mind, immediately picked up the card and covered it in his palm.

Ten million! Dean Huang looked dazed, as if he were dreaming.

"I have another favor to ask," Mu Hua said.

Dean Huang, clutching the ten million, seemed to be in a daze. "I knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. Go ahead and say it."

Mu Hua didn't speak immediately this time. He ran his hand through his hair, and after a long pause, as if making up his mind, he said in a deep voice,

"Old Dean, if I'm gone one day, and if Xiaoshu is still young, and if no one takes him in, could you help me raise him? I don't need anything fancy, just make sure he's fed and can go to school."

"What are you saying?" Dean Huang was so shocked that he dropped his ten million. "What's wrong with you?"

Didn't I just say "if"?

Mu Hua bent down, picked up the card, and stuffed it back into Dean Huang's hand.

"I'm fine, don't worry unnecessarily. So many people are dying suddenly these days, and my son Xiaoshu comes from a single-parent family, I have to make sure he has a future, don't I?"

Hearing Mu Hua say this, Dean Huang felt a little relieved, but still felt something was amiss.

"You're only in your early thirties, in the prime of your life. How could you have such a narrow-minded view? Besides, even if something really happens to you, can't your relatives and friends help you out?"

Mu Hua rubbed his forehead and unleashed his trump card.

"Will you agree or not? If not, give me back my money."

"Okay, okay, I agree. Do you want to sign a written agreement?" Dean Huang said, reaching for paper and pen in his desk drawer.

Mu Hua waved his hand, "There's no need for a written agreement. This is a gentleman's agreement between us. I trust your character, and I've seen it these past few days. You truly love the children."

Dean Huang was still not entirely at ease.

"Let's make this clear first: if you're not dead and don't need me to raise Xiaoshu, then I won't return this money."

Mu Hua: "...Okay."

That was the agreement, but Dean Huang was restless all afternoon. He felt that Mu Hua's matter was very strange. How could a normal person have such ominous thoughts for no reason?

Is he seriously ill, or is he contemplating suicide?

Thinking about this, around 8 p.m., Xiaoruo was going to accompany Qiaoan to Dr. Li for acupuncture. Dean Huang insisted on bringing Muhua along as well, telling him to go and have the old doctor take his pulse to see if he really had any serious illness.

Dr. Li didn't seem to have recovered from the acupuncture she gave Qiao An yesterday; she looked quite tired.

Seeing that Dean Huang had brought another patient, Dr. Li rubbed his temples, feeling overwhelmed.

“You’re new here, you go first. His illness is more complicated.” He pointed to Mu Hua.

On the way, Mu Hua had been listening to Dean Huang boast about how amazing Dr. Li was. She also wanted to have her pulse checked to see how she was feeling. When she heard Dr. Li call her, she quickly went over and sat down, rolled up her sleeve and placed her wrist on the pulse pillow.

The time spent taking Mu Hua's pulse was much shorter than the time spent taking Qiao An's pulse. After a few quick pulse checks, Dr. Li stopped and began to write a prescription for traditional Chinese medicine.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with my health, just a bit of kidney deficiency. I'll take some Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan (a traditional Chinese medicine)."

Men are very concerned about their kidneys, and when Dr. Li mentioned kidney deficiency, Mu Hua's face turned pale.

Sitting behind him, Qiao An was trying so hard to suppress his laughter that his shoulders were shaking. Du Xiaoruo reached out and poked his arm, reminding him to be mindful of his behavior.

After Mu Hua prescribed the medicine, Dr. Li ushered them all out of the consultation room so he could give Qiao An acupuncture.

Before leaving, Mu Hua mischievously made a remark.

"How weak is he? Does he need such a large-scale treatment?"

Qiao An had already gone behind the curtain to take off her clothes. Hearing Mu Hua's words, she stuck her head out and yelled at the back of his head, "You're no match for me, get lost!"

Mu Hua: "You have kidney deficiency."

Joan, "Rebound, rebound, rebound!"

Du Xiaoruo sighed. The two of them were both top-tier talents in their respective fields, but together they were even more immature than Xiaoshu.

The orphanage keeps its lights on on weekends. Today, the roof was repaired, and the old director was especially happy. He made an exception and bought pork belly, ribs, and chicken legs. Everyone made a barbecue in the yard, played games, and chatted.

At Xiaotong's urging, the children started playing a zombie game. If someone was caught by a zombie, they would also become a zombie. The two sides played against each other, and the side that lost all its members lost. The children who became zombies also had to imitate the zombies' walking posture.

At the start of the game, many strange-looking children suddenly appeared in the yard, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws, as if the place was really besieged by zombies.

Du Xiaoruo quickly went up the steps to make room for the children to play.

She sat down on the steps, glanced around the yard, and, not seeing Lele, turned to ask Fan Yue, who was watching the commotion, "Have you seen our Lele?"

"Xiao Tong said that Lele is in the dormitory preparing to participate in the Little Inventors competition."

Lele is going back to school on Monday to participate in the "Little Inventor" competition. She has been hiding in her dormitory preparing her entry for the past two days. Du Xiaoruo has not been paying attention to this and does not know how her entry is going.

She greeted Fan Yue and got up to walk towards the dormitory.

Pushing open the door to the boys' dormitory, you see an incandescent light shining from the ceiling. The boys aren't particular about their appearance; their blankets are piled up on the beds in a mess, like dumplings. Lele is sitting at a small desk by the window, tinkering with his little invention.

Hearing the door open, Lele turned around and immediately broke into a big smile.

"Mother."

Du Xiaoruo whispered, "I've come to see your little invention."

"Come on." Lele moved a little further into the stool to make room for Du Xiaoruo.

After Xiaoruo sat down next to him, she saw an aluminum plate on the small desk in front of Lele. The plate had a yellow base paint and then some writing in red paint.

**Caution: Electricity Contained. Do Not Touch!**

Du Xiaoruo looked completely bewildered. What kind of invention was this? This kind of brand could be seen on many electrical boxes.

Seeing Du Xiaoruo's expression, Lele smiled, his big eyes crinkling. He took Du Xiaoruo's hand and placed it on the aluminum plate.

"Mom, feel around, what can you feel?"

Du Xiaoruo ran her fingers along the aluminum plate a few times, feeling some small bumps. "Huh, what's this?"

"It's Braille."

Lele explained with considerable pride,

“There are many disabled children in this school, right? There are signs like this in many places where there is a risk of electricity. I found that blind children can’t see these signs, which poses a safety hazard to them. So I invented this Braille to remind blind children.”

Although the logic was sound and the intention was good, Du Xiaoruo still felt that something was not quite right.

"But, Lele, this place says 'Do Not Touch'."

"Yes, it's forbidden to touch it."

Du Xiaoruo was speechless. Even after all the hints, Lele still hadn't noticed the problem.

She had no choice but to be more direct in reminding him, "But with your invention of Braille, you can only know it by touching it. If a blind child actually touches it, he might die."

Lele, "..." then realized what was happening and burst into tears, "What should I do?"

Qiao An and Mu Hua played basketball for a while. They were on their way back to get a change of clothes to take a shower when, by sheer coincidence, they saw this scene as they walked to the door.

Mu Hua teased, "Mr. Ha, did you inherit your 'Ha' part from your personality?"

Qiao An had previously confidently stated that as long as Lele was happy, that was all that mattered. Now, she looked worried. What will happen to this peculiar way of thinking of hers in the future?