Zhang Wanru went to the orphanage almost immediately, as she was really anxious about getting a divorce and remarrying.
Lin An invited Leng Lin out to play today.
He drove to Leng's house this morning to pick up Leng Lin. The two had lunch together and are now sitting in the car, discussing where to go for fun.
"Want to go shopping at the mall? Is there anything you want?" Lin An asked very generously.
Leng Lin shook her head. She had no material desires and was still at the stage where buying a sparkler would make her happy for half a day.
"Is there anywhere you'd like to go? We could go to the beach."
Leng Lin was indeed quite interested in beachcombing, but the sun was just too strong today, and she didn't want to get tanned again after all the effort she had put into getting fair skin.
In addition, she grew up in Haicheng and had visited all the tourist attractions in Haicheng, so she couldn't think of anywhere else to go.
After thinking for a few seconds, Leng Lin said, "How about we go to a nearby city for a visit?"
“Sure, I’m driving anyway, so it’s very convenient. I just need to be back before nightfall. So, where do you want to go?” Lin An replied.
"Let's go to Jiaxing then. This road we're on now leads directly towards Jiaxing. I used to go there when I was a kid. There's a famous pastry shop there that makes really delicious red date cake. I haven't been there in years, and I really want to try it now."
When Lin An heard the name Jia Town, a mix of emotions welled up inside him. The orphanage where he grew up was located in Jia Town.
Seeing his expression turn cold, Leng Lin was momentarily at a loss. Her cheerful voice lowered, and she asked timidly:
"Lin An? What's wrong? If you don't like it, I won't go."
Lin An forced a smile, pulling at the corners of his lips.
"No, I was just thinking about things from the past. Before I went back to the Lin family, I lived in an orphanage in the suburbs of Jiazhen. I lived there for fifteen years."
Leng Lin looked at Lin An with heartache. She felt that she hadn't cared about Lin An enough, that she didn't even know such an important thing, and that she didn't know whether Lin An had been doing well during those fifteen years.
Lin An glanced at the little girl and saw that her big, watery eyes were slightly red. He understood what she was thinking and quickly smiled:
“The orphanage is great. There’s food and drink, and lots of friends to play with. I’m doing fine, so don’t worry. Besides, there’s a cafeteria lady there, I call her Aunt Song, and she takes good care of me.”
Lin paused for a moment, then said, "Aunt Song cooks very well, especially her red date cake, which is unforgettable. It might even be better than the one at that restaurant you're thinking about."
Hearing Lin An say this, Leng Lin felt much more at ease and replied:
"Do you want to go back and see her? We can go together."
Lin An nodded: "Then let's go back together. I've been away for a year and haven't been back yet."
"Okay, sure." Leng Lin nodded.
On the way, Lin An bought some fruit, milk, and stationery.
He specially bought a crystal flower to give to Aunt Song. This thing could light up and sing, and he instinctively felt that Aunt Song would definitely like it.
Although Leng Lin is immature, she has realized how terrible it is when straight men choose gifts!
Upon arriving at the Jiazhen Orphanage, Lin An parked his car in front of the large iron gate. Looking at the rusty gate, he felt a sense of disorientation, and a myriad of emotions welled up in his heart.
As he stood there, countless scenes from the past flashed through his mind in an instant; those fragments that kept flashing by were memories of his growth.
There were heartwarming moments and heartbreaking ones. He seemed to see himself again, huddled under the covers, crying and telling his teacher that he wanted his mother.
In the past year, which was essentially two lifetimes, he still hadn't been with his mother whom he longed for day and night. The difference was that he no longer needed that mother; he had a new mother.
"Lin An, let's go inside," Leng Lin said.
The two carried their belongings into the orphanage when a delighted voice rang out beside them: "Lin An!"
The two stopped and saw a tall, slender girl appear before them.
Lin An blurted out, "Nana!"
Xu Na and Lin An are the same age, only two months younger than each other. They entered the orphanage in the same year and have always had a good relationship.
She's become even more beautiful after a year apart.
At eighteen years old, she is about 1.7 meters tall, and her figure is no less impressive than that of a model.
Although she wore no makeup and had a bare face, she still possessed a transcendent and refined beauty.
Xu Na's eyes were fixed on Lin An, her face beaming with joy. She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Lin An's arm:
"Lin An, why haven't you come back to visit for so long?" But when she opened her mouth, she spoke with a strong Northeastern accent.
The orphanage once briefly took in a child who had been trafficked from Northeast China. The child only stayed in the orphanage for two months before being found by his family. However, he influenced the accents of half of the children in the orphanage. From then on, Xu Na's northern accent seemed to be welded to her mouth.
Lin An glanced at Leng Lin subconsciously, then pulled his arm back, but his enthusiasm remained undiminished. He explained with a smile that Xu Na was like a younger sister to him:
"I've been busy with the college entrance exam, so I only managed to find the time."
"Come on, I've seen it all online. You're already the boss of a big company," Xu Na said, pouting.
Lin An felt embarrassed upon hearing this.
When he first came out of the orphanage, he was having a hard time at the Lin family's house and didn't want to contact his friends from the orphanage, since they couldn't help him and would worry about him because he was having a hard time.
Later, he became wealthy, but he was so busy starting his own business and fighting against the Lin family that he never thought to come back and visit.
At this moment, Xu Na looked at Leng Lin, a strange joy flashing in her eyes, and asked happily:
"Lin An, who is this?"
Lin An struggled with how to introduce Leng Lin: was she his younger sister? A classmate? Or something else?
On the contrary, Leng Lin introduced herself very straightforwardly: "Hello, my name is Leng Lin."
Leng Lin's voice was loud, as if she was competing with Xu Na for something. She felt that Xu Na's actions towards Lin An were a bit too intimate.
"Hello, my name is Xu Na." She looked at Leng Lin greedily; such a fair-skinned and delicate beauty was a rare sight in the orphanage.
After introducing herself, Xu Na went straight to the point without any preamble: "Are you his girlfriend?"
Leng Lin was taken aback by her question, and her face instantly turned red.
Lin An initially wanted to help her deny it, but then he thought that as the man, he shouldn't say such things, as it could easily be misunderstood as him looking down on Leng Lin. So he simply shut up and waited to see what Leng Lin would say.
After a few seconds, Leng Lin stammered, "No... it's not... what you think."
Her voice was soft and lacked confidence. They weren't in a romantic relationship right now, but who could say what the future held?
"Oh, I get it!" Xu Na exclaimed with a look of sudden realization.
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