Chapter 280 Happiness outweighs sadness
Tu Yao felt that either her phone was malfunctioning, or the dog owner was at fault.
The probability of a mobile phone malfunctioning is higher.
"...Hello? Are you still there?"
The other side suddenly fell silent again.
Tu Yao wasn't in a hurry; she squatted down and looked at the big dog again.
She touched it, looking for any other identification information on its body.
But after searching around, I still couldn't find it.
Tu Yao muttered under her breath, "Why is there nothing written on your dog tag except for contact information?"
"What's your name? Where are you from?"
In the port city, Xu Chi listened to the sounds around him, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably as they touched the windowsill.
He glanced down at it and withdrew his hand.
After a while, he put it back as if he didn't realize it.
The transparent window easily reflected his momentary dazed and confused expression.
"...It's called Wolf Fang."
Suddenly, an unprecedentedly clear voice came through the phone.
Tu Yao paused in her hand as she stroked the dog.
"...Wolf Fang?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the big dog in her arms immediately sat up straight, its back straight, its eyes fixed on her, as if waiting for a command.
Tu Yao laughed.
"It really is called Wolf Fang!"
The crisp laughter pierced through him, striking his eardrums one by one.
Separated by tens of thousands of miles and four years.
Xu Chi's hand, resting on the windowsill, clenched and unclenched repeatedly.
He looked into the bloodshot eyes reflected in the window, his voice steady, "...Yes, Wolf Fang."
"I'm not available to pick it up right now, could you take it in for a while?"
Tu Yao: ?
She immediately withdrew her hand from the dog's head, and asked warily, "Why?"
A soft chuckle seemed to come from the other end of the phone. Tu Yao pursed her lips, realizing that her tone sounded a bit harsh, and quickly explained, "Um, I didn't mean to be harsh with you."
"I mean, you can..."
She tactfully suggested, "You could try talking to someone you know better."
After I finished speaking, there was no sound from the other end of the phone.
Tu Yao frowned, then, as if struck by a thought, she smacked her head in frustration.
She quickly added, "I... I mean, if it's inconvenient for you right now, I can help you take care of it."
Tu Yao was not a slow-witted person. She had taken care of patients and knew that people who had been ill for a long time would have weak voices.
...Judging from the voice, the owner of the wolf fang doesn't seem to be in good health.
If it were her, she probably wouldn't entrust such a well-cared-for dog to a stranger unless absolutely necessary.
Tu Yao waited anxiously.
A few seconds later, the other side finally reacted.
"...Then can we exchange contact information?"
Tu Yao became alert again in a second, "No."
Noticing his slightly weak voice, she immediately explained, "It's like this, my phone fell into the water last night, and now I'm using a brick-like phone, which can only make calls."
"I... if you need, I can give you a daily update on Wolf Fang's situation, okay?"
...
Xu Chi couldn't hold back any longer, and the smile on his lips grew wider and wider.
A direct refusal, coupled with an excellent and polite reason—that's Tu Xiaomao's attitude towards strangers.
During the time she grew up alone, she developed strong defenses and protected herself very well.
Yet they cannot suppress their innate empathy and soft-heartedness; their defenses are easily breached by acts of weakness.
One moment he's on the defensive, the next he's soft-hearted, then he's decisive, then he's conflicted.
"But I have to pay you for taking care of Wolf Fang."
"I'd like to be able to see it anytime, is that okay?"
Half an hour later, Tu Yao held a brand new mobile phone in her hands, looked at the newly added number on the phone, and then looked at the big dog playing happily with a group of children in the yard, and fell into deep thought.
She seemed to have refused at first, so how did she gradually agree and even accept the phone they gave her...?
Tu Yao shook her head, took a video of Wolf Fang, and sent it over.
After looking around for a while, Tu Yao glanced around the entire courtyard and stood up again.
With Zhao Yuanfeng dealt with, she could now proceed with the handover procedures for the welfare home with peace of mind.
Before completing the formalities, she needed to move to a new place near the school.
The next morning, Tu Yao went out with a small bag on her back, but after taking only a few steps, she froze on the spot.
A car was parked on the small road opposite the security booth.
Nan Ke sat in the driver's seat, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the orphanage, while Lin Yue leaned back in the back, Bluetooth earpiece in his ear.
In front of the car, Tu Chaoxi frowned, holding up her phone. "I won't be free for a while, um..."
His gaze swept across the room and he spotted the girl across from him, hesitating whether or not to come over.
"Tu Xiaomao!"
Tu Chaoxi immediately hung up the phone and walked straight towards her.
Immediately afterwards, the car door opened and closed, and Nan Ke and Lin Yue followed.
Tu Yao scratched her head. "Well... I... I'm moving today, and I'm heading out now. I'm a bit busy today."
Then, as if remembering something, she added, "I'm planning to move back..."
Before she could finish speaking, Nan Ke looked at her tenderly: "Moving back to the orphanage, is that right?"
"But your school is quite far from the orphanage. Can your brothers help you move?"
Tu Yao was taken aback.
...So, isn't this a trip to have her move in with them?
Seeing her dazed look, Tu Chaoxi couldn't help but ruffle her hair.
He was much calmer than that night, and casually took her small handbag, saying, "How long can you carry this by yourself? Get in the car quickly."
He wasn't stupid; even without Nan Ke's reminder, he knew that Tu Yao didn't seem to be able to accept them immediately.
Anyone would panic if they suddenly faced three older brothers who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The complicated and overlapping timelines alone would be enough to give anyone a headache. It's already quite remarkable that Tu Xiaomao can deal with them normally.
Tu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded subconsciously.
The car set off quickly and arrived at the school gate half an hour later.
Tu Yao walked in front, followed by three tall young men at a leisurely pace.
Tu Yao's steps became inexplicably stiff.
Being surrounded by her family as she walked into school was an experience she had never had before.
Sending Tu Yao to school was an experience that Tu Chaoxi, Nan Ke, and Lin Yue had never had before.
Tu Chaoxi restrained herself by pulling up her mask and putting on her sunglasses, but she couldn't resist and took out her phone to take pictures.
That night, he was so excited to have found her that he didn't even realize his sister had been accepted into university.
When Tu Yao disappeared, the excuse they made up was that she had gone to school.
Unexpectedly, she actually went to school.
Before he came, he had someone check it out. Although it wasn't a top university, it was still a school with a good reputation!
God knows how panicked he was before. Tu Xiaomao's mind is always wildly imaginative; if you don't keep a close eye on him, his focus will drift off to who knows where.
Ha ha!
But now, not only did he get into university, he also graduated smoothly.
He knew that his sister was good at everything she did!
As Tu Chaoxi patted him, she casually turned Lin Yue's head away and said in a deep voice, "You're blocking the way, go over there."
That was a mistake; we should have brought the camera.
Lin Yue: ...
Tu Yao secretly glanced over and saw a blond young man wearing sunglasses with a serious face, but a strange smile would occasionally appear on his lips, sending a chill down her spine.
Beside her, Nan Ke explained softly, "You are the second person in our family to be admitted to university. My older brother... has always been watching over you as you study and do your homework."
He was very happy to see that you got into university.
Tu Yao turned her head, looked at the gentle-looking young man, and blinked: "Were you the first one?"
Nan Ke raised an eyebrow: "How did you guess?"
Tu Yao lowered her head and muttered softly, "Because it's obvious who's the smartest."
Nan Ke laughed.
No, the smartest person in this family will always be Tu Yao.
Tu Yao looked up again, seeing his pleased expression, then turned her head to look at Lin Yue beside her.
Unlike Nan Ke, Lin Yue had dark skin, and his habitually sullen expression gave him an aura that was not to be trifled with.
When he met her gaze, the young man's eyes stiffened slightly, and he tried to twitch the corners of his lips into a strange smile.
Tu Yao pursed her lips and then subconsciously looked behind her.
As Tu Chaoxi continued taking pictures, he drifted away from the main group. Compared to his initial restraint, he seemed to have become addicted to taking pictures.
Even the few blades of grass by the roadside were photographed quite well.
It's like wanting to preserve all the sights of this school.
...
Tu Yao's phone suddenly vibrated.
It's the owner of the new Wolf Fang from yesterday, coming to inquire about Wolf Fang's condition today.
Tu Yao: [I'm moving, so it's not convenient to take photos now. Is it okay tonight?]
--【good. 】
Tu Yao paused, glanced at Tu Chaoxi who was still taking pictures, and suddenly couldn't help but ask: "What if Wolf Fang forgets about you if you don't come to pick it up?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a reply: "It's okay, you'll remember eventually. Once you're together, you'll gradually accept it."
Tu Yao felt a pang of frustration: "If the process of it accepting you is slow, is that okay?"
Just like her acceptance of Chu Yun and Qin Lang, it may take a long time, or it may require some opportunity.
Is it so slow that it makes you sad?
She didn't overlook the deep sadness suppressed in every gaze directed at her, whether it was Tu Chaoxi, Lin Yue, or Nan Ke.
—【It's alright.】
Tu Yao was taken aback. Why?
When something is lost and then found again, the joy always outweighs the sorrow.
Tu Yao stared at the screen, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
She continued walking forward with her head down, but then suddenly slowed down.
After a few seconds of silence, she took a deep breath and spoke first:
"...I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine and will officially graduate at the beginning of next month."
As soon as she finished speaking, Tu Chaoxi paused abruptly while holding up her phone.
Beside them, Nan Ke and Lin Yue also turned their gazes in the same direction.
Tu Yao continued walking forward, saying as she went, "...Our orphanage has a lot of medicinal herbs planted in its backyard. When we were little, my grandma taught us how to identify them and how to use them."
"I had already decided what major I wanted to study when I was in high school."
"This is the best school around here, and I worked very hard to get in."
“Our college has many beautiful buildings, and parents go there to take photos.”
She stopped, turned around, glanced quickly at the person opposite her, and said in a slightly awkward tone:
"...Would you like to take a picture?"
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