Lunch began and everyone sat together, talking and laughing. The atmosphere was lively and warm.
The children rushed to pick up food for Chen Xiaoru and told her about their recent interesting stories. Chen Xiaoru listened patiently, interjecting from time to time, with a happy smile always on her face.
Chu Tianche watched quietly, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes that he himself didn't even notice.
This woman, like a child king, smiled even brighter than those little brats. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and somewhere in his heart, it felt like something was gently bumped.
After lunch, Chen Xiaoru dragged Chu Tianche around the orphanage. "This was the 'pigsty' where I used to live. Eight girls were crammed together, and every night they made so much noise that the roof was about to blow off!"
She pointed to a dormitory, her eyes narrowed in smile. "That's the classroom over there. The dean's mom used to teach us there. Even though she usually looks fierce, she's actually very gentle when she teaches..."
Chen Xiaoru's memories came flooding back like a tide. She pulled Chu Tianche, wanting to tell him every story in every corner.
Chu Tianche listened quietly. He could feel Chen Xiaoru's attachment to this place and her gratitude to the dean's mother. He knew that this was Chen Xiaoru's roots and her eternal home.
As night fell, the orphanage lit up with tiny lights, like twinkling stars, illuminating the children's way home. Chen Xiaoru and Chu Tianche stood at the door of the orphanage and said goodbye to Mother Li and the children.
"Dean, children, we are leaving." Chen Xiaoru's voice was full of reluctance.
"Sister Xiaoru, when will you come again?" The children pulled at the corner of Chen Xiaoru's clothes and asked reluctantly.
Chen Xiaoru rubbed the heads of these little guys one by one, her voice so soft that it could squeeze water out of them: "Be good and listen to what the dean says, study hard, and I'll bring you some candy next time!"
"Okay, we got it. Goodbye, Sister Xiaoru!" the children shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear, echoing in the night sky.
Chen Xiaoru stood up, took one last look at the orphanage, then turned around and left with Chu Tianche.
Chu Tianche held Chen Xiaoru's hand tightly. He could feel her reluctance and her strength. He knew that Chen Xiaoru had regarded the orphanage as her own home, the director as her own family, and the children as her own brothers and sisters. This feeling was so deep and sincere that it moved him deeply.
"Xiaoru, thank you for bringing me here." Chu Tianche said softly, his voice full of gratitude and love.
Chen Xiaoru turned her head and looked at Chu Tianche. Her eyes were gentle and firm, like a twinkling star, illuminating Chu Tianche's heart.
"Tian Che, this is my past, and it's also a part of me. I hope you can understand me, accept me, and love everything about me."
Chu Tianche hugged Chen Xiaoru tightly, held her in his arms, and said softly:
"Xiao Ru, I love you, I will always love you, no matter what your past is like, I will always be by your side."
Chen Xiaoru snuggled in Chu Tianche's arms, feeling the warmth of his chest and the strong heartbeat. The corners of her mouth unconsciously rose, and her heart was filled with happiness and sweetness.
After returning from the orphanage, Chu Tianche seemed like a different person. He went out early and came back late, and received more phone calls. Sometimes he would hide aside mysteriously to answer the phone.
That day, Chu Tianche was getting ready to go out early again. Chen Xiaoru finally couldn't help but ask:
"Hey, busy guy, what have you been up to lately? A lot of things going on at the company?"
Chen Xiaoru pouted, with a hint of complaint in her tone.
Chen Xiaoru stopped Chu Tianche who was about to go out, her eyes full of concern.
"What's wrong, Xiaoru."
Chu Tianche stopped, looked at her tenderly, and gently stroked her cheek with his big hand.
"It's okay, I'm just asking. You can go to work!" Chen Xiaoru lowered her eyes slightly to hide the trace of loss in her eyes. She didn't want him to worry about her, so she forced a smile and said.
Chu Tianche looked at her deeply, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. He gently kissed her on the forehead, turned around and walked out.
When Chu Tianche's figure disappeared outside the door, the smile on Chen Xiaoru's face gradually disappeared.
"System, what is Chu Tianche busy with? He goes out early and comes back late." Chen Xiaoru asked the system silently in her heart.
After Su Qing's incident, the system noticed Chu Tianche, who was preparing to propose to Chen Xiaoru. The system didn't intend to disclose this surprise.
"I've been dealing with the acquisition of Su Group during this period." The mechanical voice of the system sounded in Chen Xiaoru's mind.
The system did not lie. In addition to preparing for the proposal, it was indeed also dealing with the affairs of the Su Group.
After hearing the system's response, Chen Xiaoru's mood calmed down a bit. She knew that acquiring the Su Group was no small matter and would require a lot of time and energy. She understood Chu Tianche's busy schedule and was willing to silently support him.
However, understanding is understanding, loss is still inevitable. Chen Xiaoru was alone at home, bored and flipping through magazines, her mind already drifting away. She missed Chu Tianche's embrace, missed his kiss, missed his gentle eyes, missed everything about him.
"Hey, host, are you feeling amorous? Seeing how distracted you are, you must be attracted to that Chu girl, right?"
The system's somewhat teasing voice sounded in her mind, breaking Chen Xiaoru's contemplation.
Chen Xiaoru suddenly came back to her senses and looked away guiltily:
"Who... who likes him? Don't talk nonsense! He's my mission target. If I don't take it easy, what if he gets caught?"
She said this, but her heart was beating like a little rabbit.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Chu Tianche's figure appeared uncontrollably in her mind.
Thinking of his bravery when he risked his own life to save her, and his deep and gentle eyes, Chen Xiaoru's heartbeat involuntarily quickened a few beats, and an inexplicable feeling quietly spread in her heart.
She quickly lowered her head to hide her flushed cheeks, muttering to herself, "Am I really attracted to him? No way, absolutely no way. How could I fall in love with a mission target?" She shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the image in her mind, but the more she resisted, the clearer Chu Tianche's appearance became.
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