Chapter 215 Returning the Wallet, Foreshadowing from Previous Chapters
The moment she said it, Tu Yao felt as if she had lost a great deal of weight.
She had kept this secret for far too long.
But when the moment actually came to reveal the truth, Tu Yao suddenly felt somewhat lost.
She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and didn't look at Xu Chi's reaction.
She continued, "Actually, after a while, I sometimes feel confused too."
The smile on Xu Chi's face slowly faded.
The question, "What if you were?" got stuck in my throat.
"...What's all the chaos about?"
Tu Yao unconsciously curved the corners of her lips into a smile. "There are so many, but there's only one that's the most chaotic."
"...From what I initially thought was a transmigration into a book, to now, I've gradually lost the ability to distinguish whether this is a book or a real world for me."
“It must be real,” Tu Yao analyzed slowly. “Because everyone is real.”
Luo's mother, Ding's father, Da Pang, brother, grandmother, Xiao Chi, Sang Sang, Xiao Bai, Lin Jing... they are all real people.
All the experiences that happened to them were real.
“But…” Tu Yao paused for a second, then said softly, “My original world was real too.”
A single, quiet sentence fell down unexpectedly.
Xu Chi's gaze turned complicated in an instant.
"Although I don't have any good friends or relatives, I have a grandma who raised me from childhood. She made osmanthus cakes for us, made sure we had enough to eat, bought us clothes, and later sent us to school."
As if touching the most tender memory, Tu Yao subconsciously softened and slowed her voice.
“There are many children in the orphanage, but they are too noisy, not as cute as Da Pang, and not as unconditionally fond of me as Da Pang, so I don’t like them either.”
She doesn't blindly and randomly befriend everyone she meets; she has her own almost "strict" standards and makes careful choices.
"But my grandma loves them, so I protect them when they are bullied."
"Because everyone is struggling, every day we live feels like a victory."
“I remember every day I spent in that world.”
"So," Tu Yao seemed to have mustered her courage, raised her head, and asked earnestly, "I was first Tu Yao from that world, and then Tu Xiaomao from this world, right?"
It was an inquiry, but also a request for support.
Looking into her bright, confused, yet expectant eyes, Xu Chi couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat.
This was the first time he had heard Tu Yao mention her experiences in that world.
He only felt bitterness and heartache.
Ke Tuyao...felt happy.
And that is why she has never been able to achieve a unified self-perception.
Tu Xiaomao is so smart, she might have had the same guesses as him when she was thinking in her spare time.
However, for Tu Xiaomao, the warmth she felt in both worlds and the memories she had were real.
Whether it's him, or Tu Chaoxi, Nan Ke, Lin Yue, Xu Bai, Cheng Sangsang, Madam Jiang... everyone in this world who saw Tu Yao was influenced, taught, and accompanied by people from another world as she grew up.
What she experienced was a real sixteen years.
The air she breathed, the roads she walked, her hobbies, and her habits all came from that world.
She is a trace left by that world.
Whether from an emotional or spiritual perspective, she first and foremost placed her soul there.
Perhaps she herself didn't realize that she was subconsciously avoiding another possibility.
When Tu Xiaomao chose to avoid the issue herself, what right did he have to make her choose to face it?
Moreover, this speculation is currently just a guess without any evidence.
The seriousness in Xu Chi's eyes gradually faded. After a while, he smiled and reassuringly took her hand: "Yes."
Tu Yao immediately laughed.
"I think so too!"
Inside the blue light, 110 watched silently and sighed softly.
"I suddenly remembered that there are some things I want to give you."
Xu Chi grabbed her hand again and led her to the study, where he took out a document and handed it to her.
Tu Yao opened it and was stunned.
“This is a shareholding agreement I drafted.”
"Do you remember when we were in Crane Village, you asked me if I would like to be your shareholder?"
Xu Chi pressed her down into the office chair and handed her a pen.
Tu Yao stared at the astonishing number above, instantly realized what was happening, and quickly pushed the pen over.
"No...no, no!"
"Koike, this is too much!"
"And we haven't found a market for our button mushrooms yet, they...they haven't even been cultivated yet!"
Xu Chi's gaze was deep, and he chuckled helplessly, "But it will be too late once we start planting."
Not to mention Mrs. Jiang Taifu, Tu Chaoxi, and Nan Ke, none of them are pushovers. By then, it won't be his turn to be a shareholder.
There's also Lin Yue, who, although straightforward and dull, becomes quite clever when it comes to things related to Tu Xiaomao.
I heard they've been working hard to assemble a transport fleet these past two days.
"Besides, this was an agreement we made at the beginning, wasn't it?"
Xu Chi gazed at her profile. "Looking back over the past few days, I've realized that there are many things I promised you along the way that I haven't had a chance to fulfill."
He pushed the contract back to him and said softly, "Hopefully it's not too late."
Tu Yao gripped the pen tightly; Xiao Chi now resembled a siren bewitching her.
No, the siren acted blindly, while Koike was a siren with reason and evidence.
She couldn't help but look up, staring at him intently: "...I can't argue with you right now."
Xu Chi chuckled, then gradually suppressed his laughter.
“But Tu Xiaomao, I just want you to understand that you are not alone on this journey.”
"In this world, all your efforts are seen by others, and there are people willing to share the burden with you."
Whether it's a secret hidden from others or a responsibility he bears, he hopes to be her only one to share that burden until dawn.
Tu Yao pursed her lips: "But..."
"But I still feel that no matter what I do, it's never enough."
Tu Yao said helplessly, "...Xiao Chi, that's not what I meant."
Xu Chi smiled slightly: "But that's exactly what I meant."
No matter what you do, it's not enough; no matter what you do, you can't dispel her fundamental fear.
She was destined to be unable to leave that other world, so he could only offer her more incentives to stay.
"There's one more."
He opened the drawer and took out an old wallet with a tear in it.
"This is the wallet of the uncle I promised you I would find."
Tu Yao was stunned: "You really found it!"
Xu Chi laughed and said, "Yes, but when I found it, the wallet was almost empty. Fortunately, the ID card and photo were still there."
A family photo with a missing corner is attached to the inside of the wallet.
"That uncle is still at the hotel."
Tu Yao had her wallet in one hand and a pen in the other.
Xiaochi did so much in these three days.
She understood that he was not only trying to soothe her fear, but she accepted it, and perhaps Koike's "fear" would lessen.
After a while, Tu Yao reorganized her words: "Xiao Chi, we still need to put the contract on hold for a while."
She explained earnestly, "I am willing to sign, and I am willing to accept all your kindness, but..." A hint of helplessness welled up in her eyes, "I have only solved the transportation problem right now."
"But you also know why I grow button mushrooms. I have to ensure that everyone, including you, will make a profit in the end."
She tentatively suggested, "Let's take it slow. At least once we find a sales channel, I'll sign the contract, okay?"
Xu Chi's eyes flickered slightly; this was Tu Xiaomao's most sincere and clear bottom line.
His relentless pressure has reached a point where he should back down.
The fact that the conversation had reached this level was beyond his expectations.
So, "Okay."
Tu Yao breathed a sigh of relief: "Now, let's take the wallet to the uncle first!"
...
In a hotel in the port city, a middle-aged man was pushing his suitcase out of his room when he bumped into a face that looked somewhat familiar.
He glanced at the girl, then warily looked at the imposing man beside her, and instinctively turned to leave.
After all, he had just been kidnapped not long ago.
"Mr. Li! Wait!"
Tu Yao quickly called out to him.
The man's body stiffened.
Tu Yao tilted her head. "Don't you recognize me? We met in Qinghe Lane."
"My friend found your wallet."
After saying that, he reached into his small bag and handed over his wallet.
The man was still a little dazed. He looked at his wallet, then at Tu Yao, and took it with trembling hands.
The moment he touched the wallet, he finally realized, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry... I remember now, no wonder you looked familiar."
He looked ashamed: "You're the girl who took me to the hotel that day, right?"
"Look at this... I'm so rude."
Tu Yao: "It's okay, just check if any of the documents are missing."
"Thank you so much. The documents are not important, the money is not important, the most important thing is this photo."
This photo was taken when the child was just born. At that time, their conditions were not good, and they didn't take many photos, especially since this is a family portrait.
Tu Yao looked at his suitcase: "Are you planning to leave?"
The man sighed, "I have to go."
"I work in purchasing. I came here hoping to try my luck, find a reliable partner, and expand the market."
I never expected to encounter this accident.
Tu Yao nodded and casually asked, "What kind of purchasing business do you do?"
Mr. Li waved his hand: "Well, it's just a small business, selling fruits and vegetables."
Tu Yao was momentarily stunned.
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