Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Rainy picked up a small purse from the ground. It belonged to a woman. There were countless sequins on it, and it looked pretty like the stars. She kept squeezing on the purse. When she looked up, her head slanted as she stared at the two people walking in front of her. They were not walking too quickly. However, she knew that the purse had belonged to them.
Her mother had told if she were to pick something up, she should return it. Otherwise, its owner would be very sad.
If she had lost her Dolly, she would be so sad and cry.
Rainy hurriedly walked towards them. She ran as quickly as her tiny feet could carry her.
Then, she grabbed onto the woman’s clothes with one hand.
The woman turned around. She looked to be about fifty years old or so and very well-maintained. Besides the dullness in her eyes, she had a dazed look on her face, too. Suddenly, when she saw Rainy’s adorable face, she became agitated.
“Xinxin…”
She called before squatting down. Both her hands were gripping tightly on Rainy’s shoulders while the child stood curiously. What should she call her?
Her mother said all the grannies had white hair while aunties didn’t.
“Auntie, my name is Rainy.”
“No, you are my Xinxin. You must be. Your face—you looked exactly like Xinxin.”
The woman reached out, clearly agitated. Her hands were shaking as they touched Rainy’s soft face.
“No, Yijun.” The man beside her pulled rushed to pull the woman up from the ground. He patted her back continuously. “Did you see? She is just a child. She can’t be Ruoxin. She’s not,” the man said. Guilt was written all over his face. It was them who had let their daughter down.
The Shen Yijun now was behaving like a soulless spirit. To every child who looked like Ruoxin, she treated them as though they were really her daughter and called them ‘Xinxin’.
He lowered his head and looked at the child closer. She was a beautiful girl in a pink dress and a pair of red shoes. There was even a sun hat on her head. The child might have dressed simply, but from her features, one could tell she wasn’t born in a normal family.
Especially her face which was filled with curiosity. On a closer look, he was also stunned. The child looked exactly like the first time he laid eyes on Xia Ruoxin. However, she was much prettier than Xia Ruoxin as a child.
Her blushing face, pinkish lips, and a pair of big, round and black eyes.
“Little girl, what is it?”
He bent down at his waist and asked the child in a gentle voice, afraid of scaring her.
Rainy produced the lady’s purse from behind her back. “Auntie has lost this. I am here to return it to her.” Her smile was full of innocence, and her red cheeks resembled an apple which made one want to take a bite.
“Oh, I see. We are too careless.” The man took the purse. It had indeed belonged to Yijun. They were unaware that they had misplaced it.
The man opened the purse and took out a few big notes. “Come, little one. This is for you from Grandpa.” He was old enough to be her grandfather. At his age, he should be spending time with his grandchildren. However, that would never happen in his lifetime.
Rainy shook her head in a hurry. “Mommy said I can’t take other people’s things.” She turned around and waved her little hand.
“Grandpa, Auntie, bye-bye.” His expression became weird when he heard her called him ‘Grandpa’. Did he really look that old? On the other hand, the child was truly too obedient. He wondered about the kind of parents she had and how they had raised such an adorable child. He was envious of them.
“Xinxin…” Shen Yijun reached out with her hands and continued to struggle. That was her Xinxin, her daughter. She wasn’t mistaken. She knew she was wrong, and she had mistreated her. Would Xinxin give her a second chance? This time, she would make sure she is a good mother. Don’t leave her alone.
“Yijun, let’s go.” Xia Mingzheng pulled his devastated wife and continued walking. He sighed. This was a sin that they had committed. Now, none of them would be able to avoid their retribution.
“I want my daughter. I want my daughter…” Shen Yijun’s cries were so loud, and her tears slid to her chin and fell. Alas, she was finally experiencing the pain and despair that Xia Ruoxin had gone through.
All she could do was watched the little girl vanish before her eyes. That was obviously her daughter. She was her daughter.
“Come, let’s go home.” Both he and Shen Yijun had aged a lot due to the recent stress. If this continued, perhaps he would also suffer from a mental breakdown.
“Mommy.” Rainy ran towards Xia Ruoxin and hugged both her legs tightly. “Mommy, I just did a good thing. I picked something up and returned it to the owner.” She looked up at Xia Ruoxin, waiting for her compliment.
“You have done well.” Xia Ruoxin bent down and used her hand to wipe her daughter’s sweat. Rainy’s face was flushed from the running. Xia Ruoxin was gratified to see that she did not look as pale as she used to.
“Is that right? Rainy has been such a good girl.” A clear and bright voice sounded.
“Uncle.” Rainy released Xia Ruoxin and ran towards Gao Yi who had appeared beside her out of nowhere. Rainy hugged both his legs. “Yes. I have been very good. Mommy said this is… what is that called? Something, something?” She tried to recall, but she couldn’t. She had forgotten.
” ‘To return the property to its owner?’ Can you remember that?” Gao Yi reminded her.
“Yes. Yes. That’s the one.” Rainy remembered. She nodded her head in a hurry. “That’s what Mommy said, too.”
“Okay. This is your reward because you have been a clever girl and done something good today.”
Gao Yi gave her the ice cream he had been holding. Rainy took it with both hands and smiled happily. “Thank you, Uncle.” She licked it with her tongue. It tasted sweet and cold, and it was really delicious.
Gao Yi had another ice cream in his other hand. He walked over to Xia Ruoxin and gave it to her. “Come, you have one, too.”
Xia Ruoxin wanted to take it, but she couldn’t. She was no longer a child, and her time to eat ice cream had long passed. She had forgotten when the last time she had had ice cream was.
“This is not only meant for kids. You can have it, too.” Gao Yi put the ice cream in her hands. “Eat. Otherwise, it’s going to melt.”
Xia Ruoxin had to take it herself. She wanted to thank him, but after she saw the warning look in his eyes, she remembered that he disliked hearing her expressing her gratitude to him. In the end, she lowered her head and started eating the ice cream. It tasted too sweet for her. Perhaps, it was because she had gone through too many hardships.