0004 First Encounter
A thin, sallow-faced man, but dressed neatly and cleanly, walked into a hospital carrying a clothing bag.
A doctor wearing a white coat stood in the hospital.
The doctor saw the man, nodded to him, and led him to the ward.
After changing into the new clothes the man brought, 7-year-old Song Ning hugged the gifts he gave her, said goodbye to the doctor, and got into the car the man had driven.
A black Santana drove up the winding mountain road amidst layered mountains, eventually stopping in front of a Chinese-style villa.
Song Ning followed the "living father" she met for the second time into the villa.
"From now on, this will be your home."
Song Ning didn't react to the man's words.
She stood in the living room of her new home, wearing new clothes and shoes she didn't like, and holding a new gift she didn't particularly like either—a beautiful but lifeless rag doll.
The living room is spacious, with understated yet elegant furniture. The evening sunlight shines in at an angle, landing on a landscape painting.
The light and shadow in the painting flickered, making the flower-shaped chandelier above her head ring.
She looked up, and the sunlight made the glass lampshade sparkle, refracting dazzling spots of light.
The light spots danced in the wind, overlapping with the fragments in her mind. A death panic gripped Song Ning's heart, and she hurriedly lowered her head, unable to look any further.
Ahead, a good-looking couple hurried to greet us, followed by a gentle young man whose face seemed to have been sculpted by God.
Song Ning recognized the couple in front of her; she called the man "Uncle Chen" and the woman "Aunt Su."
Aunt Su had secretly watched her a few times when she was in kindergarten and had even given her some delicious candy.
When she was hospitalized, Aunt Su often came to visit her, and the person who accompanied her was Uncle Shen, who was standing next to her.
Three older adults were standing in the living room, at the top of the stairs, their hands clasped in front of them, looking at her with pity.
Song Ning didn't like their gaze.
The look in his eyes was like looking at a stray dog on the street, feeling grateful that it had been adopted by a kind person.
Song Ning lowered her eyes, her gaze flickering as she concealed the flames of anger within them.
"Don't worry, her daughter is my daughter. From now on, Ningning will be my own daughter, and I will take good care of her."
Song Ning looked up at Aunt Su.
Aunt Su said this without any expression, but with her innate childlike sensitivity, she still noticed the undisguised sadness in her voice.
She wanted to argue, saying she had a mother, but before she could speak, tears welled up in her eyes.
She blinked and pursed her lips—she no longer had a mother.
"..."
Song Ning didn't hear the adults' next conversation clearly; their words were like a breeze that passed by her ears and dissipated in an instant. It wasn't until Aunt Su came to her side, squatted down, and reached out her hand that she came back to her senses.
She took two steps back in alarm, put her hands behind her back, and refused the outstretched hand.
Aunt Su's hand stopped in mid-air, palm up, holding three candies.
Aunt Su wasn't angry at her refusal. Instead, she gently asked her, "Would you like some candy? It's your favorite orange flavor."
Song Ning looked at the orange candy in her palm and gently shook her head.
Since waking up from her illness, she has lost her appetite for sweets.
Aunt Su put away the candy, her eyes still gentle. She turned to the boy behind her and said, "Yuxiu, Ningning will be living with us from now on. She's your little sister. You must love and cherish her. Don't let her suffer any grievances, understand?"
Song Ning looked at the older brother who hadn't spoken a word. His beautiful eyes returned her gaze. The others in the different rooms showed no pity or sorrow, only a gentle light that brought a sense of peace.
He approached him wearing an outfit similar to a school uniform, the shorts swaying gently on his legs, revealing his long, fair legs.
Song Ning hugged the baby tightly, looked up at him in fear, and saw fear in his eyes as well.
At that time, Song Ning did not understand why Shen Yuxiu was afraid of her. It was not until many years later, through repeated interactions, that she realized that the fear in his eyes was because he was worried about startling her.
He squatted down very gently, just like Aunt Su.
Because of his squatting posture, he appeared slightly shorter than her. He looked at her gently, his brown eyes reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, which mirrored her image.
His lips moved slowly, his voice as clear and pure as a mountain stream. He said firmly and slowly, word by word, "From now on, I will protect you. I will never let anyone bully you, and I will never let you suffer any injustice."
If Song Ning had known earlier that the greatest injustice she would suffer in her future life would come from him, she would have covered her ears and refused to listen to Shen Yuxiu.
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Note: I felt the character development in the previous chapter was poorly written, so I rewrote part of it. It may be revised further.
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