Yuhang County, Wutong Street.
“Huff… huff…”
Xiao Lian rested her hands on her knees, panting heavily with her rosy little mouth wide open.
She turned to glance at Da Ming beside her. Da Ming still had that dumbfounded look, having run all this way without even breaking a sweat.
"How co you’re not even out of breath?"
Xiao Lian’s clear, lodious voice rang out as she spoke, her lively eyes filled with surprise.
Da Ming blinked and stared blankly at Xiao Lian.
Suddenly, as if rembering sothing, he reached into his pocket with his right hand. Feeling the fan in his pocket, a silly smile appeared on Da Ming’s face.
‘The fan was still there. Dad would be so happy to see it.’
Thinking of this, Da Ming tilted his head and looked around, a confused look in his eyes.
‘Where’s this? Why did it feel so familiar?’
‘Where’s Dad?’
Da Ming opened his mouth, wanting to call out for his dad, but no sound ca out.
"Don’t bother. Your mute acupoint was sealed. It’ll be at least another hour before you can speak."
Xiao Lian patted her chest and took a deep breath before speaking.
After saying that, she muttered to herself, "Wait, why am I telling you this..."
"You can’t understand anyway."
After observing Da Ming, Xiao Lian was convinced that he was just a strong but simple-minded fool.
Xiao Lian lifted her head to look around, recognizing that they were on Wutong Street, just two streets away from the north side of the city.
"Hey dummy, do you rember where your house is?" Xiao Lian withdrew her gaze and looked back at Da Ming with her bright eyes.
Just as she turned her head, a young man in coarse clothes ca running over, his face filled with excitent, and grabbed Da Ming in an embrace.
"Da Ming!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chen Da Ming turned around in surprise. The mont he saw Chen Ye, he froze.
Then, his eyes reddened, and tears started streaming down his face. Da Ming began to cry loudly, hugging Chen Ye's legs, unable to stop.
Seeing Da Ming like this, Chen Ye felt a mix of emotions—relief, touched, and a bit of heartache.
"Wait a minute, Da Ming, why can’t you make any sound?"
Chen Ye noticed sothing was wrong. Da Ming was wailing, but not a single sound ca out.
Panic set in, and Chen Ye pried Da Ming’s mouth open to check his tongue and throat.
"He had his mute acupoint sealed. It’ll be at least another hour before he can speak again."
A clear, pleasant voice ca from beside him.
Chen Ye then noticed the child standing nearby.
This child was slightly taller than Da Ming, wearing a faded blue dress, and her face was sared with mud, making it impossible to see her true appearance.
But from the voice, it was clear that she was a girl.
"Oh, so his mute acupoint was sealed."
Hearing the explanation from the little girl, Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief.
Having just witnessed a fierce battle between assassins from Fengyu Tower and the local constables, he had already accepted the existence of martial arts and sects in this world.
If martial arts existed, then so did acupoints and such things.
Chen Ye looked at the muddy-faced girl and asked, "Who are you?"
Xiao Lian’s eyes lowered slightly, a trace of caution flashing in them.
"I’m Xiao Lian, a child from around here."
Chen Ye nodded at this explanation, not asking further.
How could a local child know that Da Ming had his mute acupoint sealed?
And why was her face covered in mud?
Chen Ye didn’t dwell on it. He bent down and squatted in front of Da Ming.
"Da Ming, how did you manage to get out?"
"Does anything hurt?"
"Tell Director about it."
Da Ming understood the question and shook his head.
Unconvinced, Chen Ye checked him over and found nothing wrong with his arms and legs. But when he touched Da Ming’s shoulder, he flinched.
"Hold still, let take a look."
Chen Ye’s face turned serious as he pulled back Da Ming’s collar, revealing a bruise on his shoulder.
"Ouch!"
Seeing the bruise, anger flashed across Chen Ye’s face. In that mont, he felt a surge of emotions, like a parent whose child had been bullied.
"Let’s go, Da Ming. Director needs to get you so dicine!"
Chen Ye ntally noted down a grudge against Fengyu Tower. When he got stronger, he would definitely deal with their master.
Human traffickers must die.
Chen Ye pulled Da Ming, but Da Ming stood there, unmoving.
"What's wrong, Da Ming?" Chen Ye didn’t understand why Da Ming wouldn’t move.
Tears welled up in Da Ming’s eyes as he turned to look at Xiao Lian, staring at her before glancing back at Chen Ye. Seeing Da Ming’s actions, Xiao Lian’s expression turned wary, and she took a step back, looking like she might run at any mont.
Chen Ye thought for a mont and roughly understood what was going on.
Earlier, the other children had all left through the main gate, but only Da Ming and this little girl beside him had taken a different route.
Considering the contradictions in this girl's knowledge and appearance, Chen Ye could guess what had happened.
This little girl had likely led Da Ming out another way to avoid any guards at the gate, showing her cleverness.
And the caution in her eyes made Chen Ye think.
‘If this child were an orphan, that would be perfect.’
He just happened to have a "Dexterous Hands" skill that would suit a girl perfectly.
After a mont’s thought, Chen Ye softened his expression and said kindly, "I’m the director of the Yuhang Orphanage."
"If you don’t have anywhere to go for now, you can co with us."
Xiao Lian was surprised to hear Chen Ye’s words.
She had assud Chen Ye was Da Ming’s father, but it turned out he was the orphanage director.
She carefully studied Chen Ye and Da Ming’s features—they didn’t look alike.
Chen Ye, having said what he wanted, paid no more attention to Xiao Lian.
If this clever child decided to co along, that would be great. If not, it didn’t matter.
Maybe she wasn’t even an orphan.
Seeing Chen Ye preparing to leave with Da Ming, Xiao Lian hesitated for a mont, then called out in a clear voice, "How did you know that he ran this way?"
After speaking, she took a few steps back.
Chen Ye’s words had made her think deeply.
She didn’t want to assu the worst about people, but she wasn’t naive either.
Xiao Lian had made it all the way from Jianing Prefecture to Lin’an Prefecture by being cautious.
So orphanages were no different from human traffickers.
They’d receive a child one mont and sell them the next.
Hearing her question, Chen Ye stopped and smiled, saying, "I saw a group of children running out earlier, but I didn’t see Da Ming, so I ca to look for him in the adjacent streets."
With that, Chen Ye continued leading Da Ming toward the orphanage.
Xiao Lian stood still, watching Chen Ye’s retreating figure, her eyes thoughtful.
...
Yuhang Orphanage.
"Da Ming, co lie down on the bench. I’ll put so dicine on you."
In the middle of the courtyard was a bench. Chen Ye held a bottle of Safflower Oil he had just exchanged from the system store.
Da Ming dumbly lay down on the bench. As soon as he did, he flinched. {ED: Why do we have to bully Da Ming like this! My man did nothing wrong!}
Quickly getting up, he pulled out a pink fan from his pocket and handed it to Chen Ye. Da Ming looked at Chen Ye, grinning, mouthing words without sound.
Chen Ye was montarily taken aback by the fan Da Ming handed over.
"Hey, where did you pick this up?"
Chen Ye recognized it at once as one of the fans used by the girls at the Yi Hong Courtyard, and his expression turned peculiar.
Da Ming dumbly mouthed a word.
Chen Ye understood the silent voice.
"Alright, I’ll keep it."
Chen Ye tucked the fan into his pocket, patting it like a treasured item.
Da Ming grinned foolishly.
"Alright, lie back down now."
Chen Ye laughed and scolded him gently. Da Ming took off his shirt and lay back on the bench, exposing his shoulder to Chen Ye.
Chen Ye saw the long bruise on Da Ming’s skin and felt a pang in his heart.
"Which damned bastard did this, so cruel?"
Chen Ye cursed, pouring so Safflower Oil into his palm and quickly applying it to Da Ming’s bruise, rubbing it in bit by bit. Da Ming lay quietly on the bench, not making a sound.
Outside the orphanage, a small head peeked in.
She glanced around and was drawn to the scene in the courtyard.
In the small courtyard with white walls and blue tiles, Da Ming lay shirtless on the bench while Chen Ye carefully applied safflower oil to his back.
Da Ming’s tan back glead with the reddish-brown oil.
Seeing this warm scene, Xiao Lian felt a soft spot in her heart being touched.
She withdrew her head and leaned against the orphanage gate, staring at the clear blue sky in a daze.
‘Mom, maybe he isn’t a bad person after all?’ {ED: Orphan 2 acquired!}
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