Lin Yuqing's heart tightened, and she looked at him warily.
However, Lin Zhaojiang's gaze did not linger on Huo Jiayuan.
He looked away, but beneath his ambiguous smile lay a subtle undercurrent of emotion.
Jiang Can looked at Lin Yuqing and gently took her cold hand in his.
“Sister Yuqing,” she said, also addressing Lin Zhaojiang, “no matter what, we are family after all. I still remember when Zhaojiang was a little boy, he secretly took money from home and took the train to Jiangzhou to see you. It was winter in Jiangzhou then, and the first snow had fallen. Zhaojiang wasn’t wearing warm clothes and was shivering from the cold at the train station. In the end, the staff mistook him for a homeless child and sent him to an orphanage.”
“Sister Yuqing, the bond between you is stronger than blood. I believe Zhaojiang won’t do anything out of line.”
Lin Zhaojiang glanced at her.
“However,” Jiang Can said with a smile, emphasizing her words, “I also believe that people can change.”
“Mr. Lin, not only will you change, but Sister Yuqing will change too. There’s a saying that blood is thicker than water, but there’s also a saying that goes, ‘sacrifice family for the greater good.’”
"You've probably heard about the Lu family's power in Yun City. As for our Huo family..." Jiang Can smiled, changing the subject, "Forget it, there's no point in talking about that. We're here today to celebrate the successful renovation of your amusement park project, so let's enjoy ourselves!"
Lin Zhaojiang laughed, but the look in his eyes grew even more intense.
"Sister Jiang Can is still as eloquent as ever."
“Things are different now.” Jiang Can looked at him meaningfully. “People change.”
Lin Zhaojiang raised his glass, the strong liquor sliding down his throat, giving him a hot, pricking sensation.
That person has changed too...
He felt a mix of emotions as he slowly walked out of the banquet hall. The moonlight outside was as white as frost, just like the night he met her many years ago.
*
A few days later, Lin Zhaojiang appeared at the entrance of the international kindergarten.
This is the most expensive kindergarten in the city. Almost every child in these families has a nanny or bodyguard. Even before school is over, the gate is already full of luxury cars and a lot of people are standing there.
Studying here must be very safe.
Lin Zhaojiang smiled, recalling that he had grown up in the same environment when he was a child, and couldn't help but feel sorry for these children who had lost their freedom at such a young age.
The kindergarten principal greeted Lin Zhaojiang at the entrance. She was his senior from university, and the two had maintained contact ever since.
The senior sister was very happy to see him, but when she saw the strawberry bear in his hand, she was slightly puzzled.
"This is..."
"To be honest," Lin Zhaojiang chuckled, "we have a little one here in our family."
"What?" the senior sister exclaimed in surprise. "You...you didn't become a grandfather at such a young age, did you?"
Lin Zhaojiang laughed heartily, "I'm not your maternal grandfather, but that little guy should definitely call me great-uncle!"
"Which family's young master or young lady is he?"
Just then, someone came looking for the headmaster. The headmaster looked at him apologetically.
"It's alright, Senior Sister, you go ahead and get busy," Lin Zhaojiang said calmly. "I'll wait for you here."
"I'm really sorry. You're welcome to wander around and experience the educational atmosphere of our kindergarten! If Mr. Lin could come and contribute to the education of Yangcheng in the future, we would be very happy to welcome him!"
After saying that, the senior sister turned and left.
Lin Zhaojiang held the strawberry bear in his hand, feeling uneasy.
He heard laughter coming from one of the classrooms.
His heart trembled violently.
Looking back, I saw a young female teacher leading a group of children out of the classroom to play on the playground. It was probably an outdoor activity class; the children, dressed in sportswear, were all full of energy, standing in front of a high wall, tied with ropes, ready to climb.
Lin Zhaojiang stared intently at that spot.
When that slender figure came into view, he heard his own heart pounding. Everything in the world seemed to vanish; only he and she remained. He was looking at her, but she was completely oblivious.
Between them lies the greatest distance in the world.
Lin Zhaojiang loosened his grip, and the strawberry bear fell to the ground, attracting the attention of a child. That child, who was halfway up the rock climbing rope, was about to untie the rope and jump down.
“There are bears there!” the little boy giggled.
Before the teacher could react, the little boy lost his footing! His hands had been frantically untying the rope, and he had accidentally loosened the buckle, causing him to fall violently onto the lawn!
The teacher exclaimed in surprise, rushing over without even bothering to fasten safety ropes to the other children who weren't climbing. At that critical moment, a pair of large hands suddenly caught the little boy, preventing him from falling to the ground.
"Xiaoze, are you alright?" The teacher quickly squatted down to check on him, and only after confirming that he was not injured did she breathe a long sigh of relief, and then shouted excitedly, "Who told you to untie the rope yourself!"
“Yes, Xiaoze,” the other children gathered around, chiming in, “you were in real danger just now!”
"If you really fall, your head will be split open!"
"No, no, you'll fall and become an idiot!"
"Xiaoze, you can't do such dangerous things in the future! Teacher Song talked about it in class."
Song Wan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly calmed down, and she regretted her emotional outburst. She patted the little boy's head and gently comforted him, "It's alright... I didn't mean to yell at you like that, I was just worried you might get hurt. I apologize, I promise I won't yell at you again."
"Teacher Song, I'm sorry." Xiaoze pouted, "I...I just saw that bear."
Song Wan looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that the strawberry bear on the ground had been picked up by someone. The person smiled at them, and she was momentarily dazed.
That smile seemed to strike a chord with a gap in her memory.
However, Song Wan quickly regained her composure and nodded to Lin Zhaojiang.
"Thanks to you just now, Xiaoze didn't fall. Thank you, Uncle!"
Lin Zhaojiang was taken aback, a sense of indescribable desolation washing over him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
