Xiao Yuheng felt a light nudge to his elbow and looked in the direction Chen Yong was pointing. He saw a thin, frail girl carrying a large package weaving through the crowd. Even though only her fair profile was visible, he could recognize her at a glance as Gu An'an, whom he had only met once before.

They came with a mission and only stayed in the machinery factory's residential compound for half an hour. They didn't know what happened afterward, but that didn't stop him from feeling uncomfortable when he saw this scene.

How will such a young girl survive in the countryside? Will she be bullied? Will she even be able to earn enough to eat?

And some of the luggage should have been mailed with us, otherwise what if it hurts your body?

In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts flashed through Xiao Yuheng's mind, but he didn't move an inch until Gu An'an's figure disappeared into the crowd, at which point he withdrew his gaze.

"Keep a close eye on them. If they escape right under your noses, you'll be in for a beating when you get back."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yong immediately straightened his expression, changed his posture and continued to squat. His small eyes seemed harmless, but he could guess most of the passersby's situation at a glance.

That's the kind of effect that comes from years of training in the military.

Gu An'an rushed inside with her head covered, completely unaware of Xiao Yuheng's many ulterior motives not far away. Even if she did know, she would only say, "Young man, you're overthinking it."

Her package was full of light and space-consuming items, so even though the original owner's body wasn't as durable as before, she didn't have to worry about it being crushed by the package.

Besides, she survived the cannibalistic days of the apocalypse, so what's there to be afraid of in a rural area?

If some clueless person were to come along, it's hard to say who would be the unlucky one.

The waiting room was packed with people. Some stood alone like her, while others, favored children, were surrounded by a crowd of people seeing them off, as if they wanted to create a grand spectacle of life and death in the waiting room.

Checking the time, Gu An'an found a secluded corner, put her things down, plopped down on the package, and admired the expressions of reluctance, relief, or envy on the faces of those around her.

She, however, always maintained that aloof demeanor.

She has experienced real separation and death, so this is nothing to her.

If the original owner's mother and grandfather were still alive, she might have been able to experience the taste of family affection. Now... well, it's more practical to take care of herself.

Just as I was about to close my eyes and pretend to sleep, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

"An'an, Gu An'an."

Gu An'an opened her eyes and looked towards the source of the sound, and saw Director Li and his wife standing in the middle, looking around and calling out from time to time.

She couldn't quite describe her current emotions. Just a moment ago, she said it was fine even if no one cared, and she could still live freely and unrestrainedly here. But when she actually faced people who cared, her heart was swollen with emotion.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Li, I'm here."

Gu An'an stood up and waved to the two of them. They looked over at her and couldn't help but smile as they walked quickly toward her.

"Why did you come all by yourself, child?"

Looking at Gu Qing and then at the package behind her, the two finally felt a little relieved. At least she remembered to bring a package for herself. Not bad.

Gu An'an: ...So in your hearts, I'm just a fool.

"These are pancakes that were just made at noon. This jar contains stir-fried vegetables and eggs. If they get cold, just heat them up before eating. I've already mailed you the blankets and other things. Don't forget to pick them up when they arrive."

Aunt Li didn't give Gu An'an a chance to speak at all, and rattled off a series of instructions.

Gu An'an, who was always a loner, was almost overwhelmed by this enthusiasm and repeatedly pushed it back, saying, "No need, we can buy food on the bus."

These days, food is so precious. There's not even enough for our own family to eat, so why would we give it to an outsider?

"There's food on the bus, but it costs money. You'd better be careful with the little money you have, understand?"

Factory Director Li readily agreed, "Listen to your aunt. If you don't accept it, she'll be very upset."

Under their enthusiasm, Gu An'an accepted it.

"Thank you, Uncle and Aunt."

Something that would be extremely simple in later generations felt heavy in Gu An'an's hands.

After returning from Director Li's house, she thought about it carefully. In fact, the couple had always treated the original owner very well, often inviting her over for meals. Aunt Li would come over to ask about the original owner's situation whenever she heard any rumors.

The original owner had also gone there twice, but after Wang Meihua found out, she tried to stop her in various ways, even using various words to attack the original owner and sow discord between Director Li and the original owner.

Gradually, the original owner of the body became afraid to contact them. No matter what they asked, the original owner's answer was always "fine".

Thinking of this, Gu An'an wanted to sigh. If she had known how to leverage her resources, she wouldn't have ended up in such a state.

Aunt Li couldn't help but feel gratified looking at her confident and sensible demeanor. She patted her head and said, "Your mother and grandfather would be very happy to see you like this now."

But it also makes me feel very sorry for them.

She swallowed the rest of her sentence.

If the world were any better, with this girl's family background, she could have anything she wanted.

Sigh~

The three of them talked for a long time, mostly about the two men's worries about Gu An'an, telling her what to do in the countryside, and finally summarizing it into one sentence: if you can't handle it, just call back.

This is somewhat like how one would treat their own daughter.

Time passed by, and it was time for Gu An'an to leave. Director Li carried Gu An'an's package to the car and escorted her to her destination before leaving.

"Call me if anything happens, okay?"

Gu An'an nodded, "Aunt and Uncle, please take care on your way back."

The two slowly squeezed out of the carriage, but did not leave immediately; instead, they remained standing on the platform.

"Why do I feel so sad, like I'm marrying off my daughter? I wish this child could stay this way forever."

She would always remember the many times she looked for this child, and how her child's guarded and fearful eyes rejected all her kindness.

At the time, they didn't know Zhang Changsheng's true colors, but they wanted to take care of the child, so they could only help Zhang Changsheng get promoted indirectly, so that his salary would increase and the child's life would be more secure.

Factory Director Li also sighed, "I'm sorry to Uncle Gu for not taking good care of An'an for him."

After putting her things away, Gu An'an waved to the outside. Upon seeing this, the two immediately put away their worries and waved back with smiles.

At this moment, the person Xiao Yuheng and his companion had been waiting for a long time finally appeared. However, he was holding a child wrapped in clothes, who looked to be only two or three years old. The child lay motionless on the person's shoulder the whole time.

"Why is there a child?"