Seeing his indifferent expression, Jiang Ci, having just been well served, reached out and patted his head to comfort him.
Zhou Mingli remained silent, then leaned closer and hugged her, seemingly seeking warmth.
Jiang Ci didn't push him away, and said, "It seems that Huang Zheyue's situation is somewhat similar to yours."
Zhou Mingli took the opportunity to gently nuzzle her neck, saying, "I'm different from him."
After losing his last two relatives, Zhou Mingli also lost all protection.
An orphan like him, without any relatives, should have been taken in by a welfare institution and waited for someone to adopt him.
However, Zhou Mingli also received a pension from the government. Instead of going to a welfare home, he lived in the house left by his grandparents and used the pension to go to school and work.
Fortunately, he was born with a good mind. The teachers knew his situation and couldn't bring themselves to let a high-achieving student drop out of school. They turned a blind eye to his running off to work after class.
Zhou Mingli grew up with the dual goals of going to school and making money.
Huang Zheyue was carefully raised by his father until he was eleven years old. Before he turned eleven, he had no shortage of food and clothing, had his father's love, and was able to study well at school.
Zhou Mingli didn't have much sympathy for outsiders.
He had long been accustomed to the fickleness of human relationships, and as a result, he had become exceptionally cold-hearted.
"Huang Zheyue was eleven years old last year. He has independent thinking ability and has many ways to make his life easier, but he chose to be a thief."
Zhou Mingli reiterated, "I am different from him."
"But you're planning to help him get his house back from Huang."
Zhou Mingli remained silent.
Jiang Ci stretched lazily. "In that case, there's no need to keep the news of his father's death a secret. We should at least tell Huang Zheyue."
Zhou Mingli hummed in agreement, got up to pour her a glass of water, and changed the subject, "Do you want to go take a nap? I'm going to the hospital to see Huang Zheyue."
Jiang Ci gave him another meaningful look, then shook her head. "No, I'll go with you to take a look."
Seeing that she wasn't being reluctant, Zhou Mingli didn't insist that she stay at home.
After washing the pots and pans, Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci went out again to visit Huang Zheyue at the hospital.
When I arrived at the ward, I saw this kid playing cards with a few other young men.
Huang Zheyue and two other people who were not much older than him kept making small moves, quickly switching cards.
Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci exchanged a glance.
Zhou Mingli coughed loudly.
Huang Zheyue didn't pay any attention, only glancing at it out of the corner of her eye, before continuing to play cards with her friends.
When Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci walked to their bedside, Huang Zheyue paused for a moment after seeing who it was, then continued playing indifferently.
"Are you healed? The doctor said you should rest in bed." Zhou Mingli asked, his gaze falling on the sign they had set up on a small stand.
"I can do whatever I want, it's none of your business," Huang Zheyue said confidently, and then casually played the cards in her hand.
Jiang Ci was still holding a kettle. Upon hearing this, she picked up his cup and poured him a glass of water.
Huang Zheyue twitched her nostrils slightly and smelled a sweet fragrance.
Jiang Ci handed him the cup, leaned down, and lowered her voice, "Do you want to know why your father disappeared?"
The cards in his hand were scattered in a jumble, and Huang Zheyue stood there, motionless.
Jiang Ci placed the cup in his hand, saying, "Take good care of yourself and wait for you to be discharged from the hospital."
Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli didn't seem to intend to stay here long; they had just come to check on him. Seeing that he was full of energy, they prepared to leave.
Huang Zheyue snapped out of his daze, his hand trembled, and the water in his cup spilled. He didn't care about that anymore, staggered out of bed, and ran towards Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli despite the pain.
His two friends tried to help him up, but Huang Zheyue pushed them away.
"You...you know my dad?!"
Huang Zheyue's eyes were red. She stopped Jiang Ci and Zhou Mingli from leaving, stood in front of them, looked up at them, and asked in a trembling voice, "Where did that old man go?!"
His eyes were frighteningly bright, a mixture of anger, longing, and grievances, making him appear exceptionally emotional.
"Do you think this is the place to talk?" Zhou Mingli asked, looking at him.
The calm voice was like a bucket of cold water, sobering Huang Zheyue up a bit.
He looked around and finally realized that he was still in the hospital.
The pain in his ribs clearly told him that he was not yet healed.
"Focus on recovering in the hospital. We'll talk about your father after you're discharged."
Zhou Mingli made his point clear, and Huang Zheyue watched him leave with Jiang Ci, feeling both angry and helpless.
It was because he had information about the old man who had been missing for over a year.
Huang Zheyue watched their retreating figures, gritted her teeth, and limped toward the hospital bed.
"Brother Zheyue, what's wrong?"
A boy of about eleven or twelve years old with a buzz cut asked Huang Zheyue a question.
"It's alright." Huang Zheyue suppressed her anxiety and waved her hand.
The other one was smarter and asked, "Is there any news about your dad?"
Huang Zheyue pursed her lips. "Maybe."
"If your dad comes back, will you still play with us?"
Huang Zheyue looked up. "Of course! We're friends, of course I'll play with you!"
"My dad doesn't care about these things." Huang Zheyue felt a surge of joy.
If his father comes back, then he won't have to be homeless anymore.
Zhou Mingli and Jiang Ci were not in a hurry to go back. Winter was approaching, and they needed to buy some warm clothes to keep warm.
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