64. Observations

"Are we really going to stay here tonight?" Zhao Nanqiao patted the bunk bed frame, then glanced around the cramped room, her expression indescribable.

“Yes, didn’t you hear what Teacher Liu said? There’s a shortage of rooms, and with so many of us, we can only sleep in bunk beds.” Ye Zhenzhen sat on the bed, touching the bedding. It was thick and smelled of laundry detergent. “The bedding is all new, so you can sleep without worry.”

Zhang Ning and Zhao Lu exchanged a glance, walked to the bunk beds near the door, put down their suitcases, and packed their belongings.

Zhao Nanqiao plopped down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "What do I have to worry about? I've slept in makeshift shelters with the film crew. You, on the other hand, have always been the most picky person. How come you can endure so much hardship now?"

"What's so hard about this?" Ye Zhenzhen rolled her eyes at her. "Compared to the girls here, I feel like I was being too pretentious before."

Zhao Nanqiao fell silent upon hearing this.

What she saw and heard during the day had completely overturned her understanding, leaving her with mixed feelings.

They came in a hurry this time and did not inform the school in advance.

When they arrived in the morning, they learned that Principal Zhang Li had gone to the city to participate in an event and was not on campus. The teachers and students were in class, and Vice Principal Liu Bing led them on a tour of the campus.

Contrary to Zhao Nanqiao's expectations of dilapidated and dangerous buildings, the school buildings in the vast campus were all new and clean. Although the playground did not have a plastic track, it was surrounded by trees and flowers, showing that it had been carefully maintained and was full of vitality.

Just as Zhao Nanqiao was wondering why the school didn't seem to be in dire need of donations, a female teacher rushed over and anxiously reported to Principal Liu, "Teacher Liu, something bad has happened! Teacher Yang and the others went to pick up Zhou Hong, but their motorcycle broke down, and her family wants to back out and not let her go to school!"

"Quickly, let Lao Li ride his motorcycle to pick him up!" Liu Bing panicked upon hearing this and was about to make a phone call.

"Old Li just took his students to the doctor on his bike, but now he can't find his bike!"

Seeing that the two were sweating profusely with anxiety, Ye Zhenzhen quickly asked, "We drove here, where do you need to pick them up?"

"That's great!" The female teacher's eyes lit up at first, but then she remembered something and said worriedly, "No, the mountain road over there is steep and narrow, your car probably won't be able to make it up!"

"Oh well, as long as we can get to the main road, that's fine. We'll figure out the last part later!" Liu Bing finally made the decision and personally got into the car to drive them into the mountains.

There needed to be room in the car, so Liu Haibo stayed at the school while Zhang Ning drove towards the mountains.

Needless to say, the journey was bumpy, but fortunately their off-road vehicle had enough horsepower and their driving skills were excellent, allowing them to drive steadily to the small road leading into the village.

On the way, Liu Bing told Zhou Hong that she was a new student at the girls' high school this year. She loved learning and had excellent grades, but her family was poor and did not want to support her studies. They had arranged a marriage for her early on and wanted her to get married as soon as possible.

Zhou Hong secretly ran away and, with the help of girls from the same village, made her way to the girls' high school to enroll.

Principal Zhang Li went to great lengths to persuade Zhou Hong's parents, but after Zhou Hong went home for vacation a few days ago, her parents somehow changed their minds and kept her at home, preventing her from going to school.

"She's only in her first year of high school, is she even 16? Is she of legal marriage age yet? How can she get married so early?" Zhao Nanqiao's eyes blazed with anger.

What kind of parents are these?!

"There's no such thing as a legal marriage age in the mountains. Most people are 16 or 17, and they already have two or three kids!"

"She's still a child herself, how could she get married and have children?!" Zhao Nanqiao exclaimed incredulously. "That's a crime!"

Ye Zhenzhen patted her hand to comfort her, "You didn't read the information I gave you carefully, did you? That's why Principal Zhang established this girls' high school, so that these girls would have the opportunity to study and take control of their own destiny."

Zhang Ning and Zhao Lu remained silent throughout, but their eyes were filled with anger. After getting out of the car, they followed Liu Bing and ran all the way into the village, so fast that Ye Zhenzhen and Zhao Nanqiao couldn't keep up.

In Zhou Hong's home, a thin little girl hid behind her teacher, watching her father wielding a broom across the room. Her whole body trembled slightly, but her big eyes were full of stubbornness.

Several people watched a farce unfold as the matchmaker blocked the teachers from taking Zhou Hong away, throwing a tantrum and claiming that the Zhou family had already received the groom's betrothal gifts.

Liu Bing and the teachers took turns using a combination of coaxing and intimidation to subdue the couple. They then led Zhou Hong away, fearing they might change their minds, and the group ran towards the main road as soon as they left.

Seeing that the little girl was running slowly, Zhang Ning picked her up and ran away quickly with his long legs.

---

"Tao Tao, are you asleep?" Zhao Nanqiao lay on the lower bunk of the bunk bed, staring at the upper bunk, unable to fall asleep.

"No, are you having trouble sleeping because you're not used to sleeping in the same bed?" Ye Zhenzhen was texting Gu Tingshen, describing what she had seen and heard that day. She put down her phone and looked down. "Or are you still unable to sleep because your worldview has been shattered?"

"Don't you find it absurd?" Zhao Nanqiao murmured, resting his head on his arm. "When we went to Zhou Hong's village today, there was a girl standing in front of a house. She didn't look much older than Zhou Hong, but she was heavily pregnant and had a crying baby on her back..."

"Yes, when I first saw the foundation's materials, I couldn't believe my eyes. You know, there's an orphanage next to the girls' high school, and many of the children there were abandoned babies adopted by Principal Zhang."

Thinking of those shocking examples, Ye Zhenzhen's voice also became serious, "That's why I admire Principal Zhang so much, and I wanted to come and see if there's anything we can do to help."

Zhao Nanqiao remained silent for a long time, but her mindset was completely different from when she first arrived.

---

The next morning, Principal Zhang rushed back from the city.

Zhao Nanqiao had expected to meet a decisive and strong woman, but Zhang Li herself was gentle and refined, and even a little thin, which was completely different from her sharp and tough personality.

But after just one morning together, Ye Zhenzhen and Zhao Nanqiao were captivated by her personal charm and became two little fans.

The two were so engrossed in the joy of "idol worship" that they spent their days running around with their teachers, completely absorbed in their happiness.

After spending nearly ten days in Dianzhou, with the end of the year approaching and various affairs at the company becoming busy, Ye Zhenzhen reluctantly led her group away.

After returning, Ye Zhenzhen was so busy with year-end affairs that she was dizzy, but she still made time to follow up on the progress of the projects donated by the foundation. She was relieved to learn that the funds had arrived and that the projects could start after the New Year.

---

After finishing the last class of the semester, Gu Sinan's winter vacation began.

Ye Zhenzhen and Gu Tingshen had been working overtime for a long time, so they took time out of their busy schedules to come to the school gate to pick up their children from school.

The wind was biting cold outside, but the car was very warm. Ye Zhenzhen was only wearing a light yellow cashmere sweater, and her cheeks were flushed from the heat, making her feel drowsy.

Her phone suddenly beeped several times in a row. She rubbed her eyes and unlocked her phone, only to see a string of pictures sent by Zhao Nanqiao.

The further she flipped through the pages, the wider her smile became.

"What's wrong? Why are you so happy?" Gu Tingshen pinched her apple-like cheek.

"Nan Qiao went to Yunnan again, she sent me photos!" She grabbed the man's fingers, gave him a reproachful look, and held the phone up to him.

"Look, the children are all wearing the down jackets the foundation sent!"

Gu Tingshen let her hold him and leaned closer to watch her flip through the photos one by one. The photos seemed to be candid shots, showing children wearing new clothes and showing bright smiles that warmed his heart.

Gu Tingshen suddenly tapped the phone screen and stared at the photo on it.

Surrounded by a group of children, Ye Zhenzhen, wearing gloves, took a tray from the oven, which was filled with oddly shaped cookies.

Her smile was warm and touching. The sunlight shone on her face from the upper left corner of the photo, making even the finest downy hairs visible.

Gu Tingshen rubbed his fingers together, feeling that the expression was somewhat familiar.

When she was with Gu Sinan and Black Panther, she was like this: gentle and loving, as if she had endless patience.

"Hmm, what about me?" Ye Zhenzhen noticed his pause, then smiled after a moment's thought. "I remember now, these are cookies I made with the children from the orphanage when I visited last time. Look at the baking tray, they're all shaped by them, so cute..."

Ye Zhenzhen recounted the events with great enthusiasm, unaware of the man's gentle, tender gaze upon her.

"...This cat-shaped cookie was made by Qingqing, and this mushroom was made by Dongdong. Aren't they amazing?" Ye Zhenzhen flipped through the photos, proudly introducing the children's work.

“They seem very happy,” Gu Tingshen chimed in.

"Yes, they were so happy. After they were baked, they didn't want to eat them. They said they wanted to give them to the teachers and Principal Zhang." Ye Zhenzhen said with some emotion, "They are all such good children. Principal Zhang has raised them very well. They are healthy, happy, polite, and sensible."

“I know you admire Principal Zhang,” Gu Tingshen said, putting his arm around her shoulder. “You just can’t stop talking about it.”

“That’s personal charisma!” Ye Zhenzhen leaned on his shoulder and yawned. “Nan Qiao said she wanted to film Principal Zhang’s story. She’s practically settled down at the girls’ high school lately and doesn’t even want to come back for the New Year.”

"After the New Year, I'd like to take Nannan on another trip." Ye Zhenzhen sat up straight, looking earnestly into the man's eyes. "I think it'll be good for his development if he goes out and see more of the world. What do you think?"

Gu Tingshen kissed her forehead. "It's up to you to decide. If I have time, I'll go with you."

As they were talking, the school bell rang, and the two got out of the car and waited at the school gate.

Gu Sinan, carrying her schoolbag, walked and talked to her classmates. Her face was expressionless, and she looked a bit cool. At first glance, she looked very similar to Gu Tingshen.

"Gu Sinan, are those your parents?" A sharp-eyed classmate spotted Ye Zhenzhen and her companion and pointed them out to Gu Sinan.

Ye Zhenzhen saw Gu Sinan turn her head and glance in their direction from afar, then burst into laughter, completely losing her previous mature demeanor. After waving goodbye to her classmates, she ran and rushed into Ye Zhenzhen's arms.

"Mom and Dad!"

The child was quite strong, and Ye Zhenzhen was only able to stand still thanks to Gu Tingshen's arm supporting her.

"Wow, has our Nannan grown taller again?" Ye Zhenzhen compared his head to her chest and couldn't help but marvel at how fast he'd grown. "Want to fly over?"

"How do you fly?" Gu Sinan asked, looking puzzled.

“Come on,” Ye Zhenzhen said, supporting one of his arms and directing Gu Tingshen, “Dad, support that side!”

"Ready? 1, 2, 3! Takeoff!!"

"Wow!! I'm flying!!!"

"Is it going to fly or not?"

"fly!!"

This was the first time Gu Sinan had played such a game with her parents. She sped across the sidewalk in front of the school gate, her face flushed with excitement, a far cry from her usual mature and composed demeanor.

The driver followed behind them in the car.

Only after Gu Sinan had flown enough did the three of them get into the car and return to Mantingfang.

A passerby recognized them, quietly took out their phone to take a picture, and posted it online.

---

Soon, a trending topic appeared on the homepage.

The netizens who clicked in were speechless.

[What the heck is this #PeachBlossomCouplePlayingAroundInTheStreet#?! Even trending topics are using clickbait headlines?!]