Mr. Gu looked at Qin Minghao warily.
He recognized the Shengzhe Middle School uniform that Qin Minghao was wearing, and had a very bad impression of him.
Qin Minghao didn’t really know what to say facing Mr. Gu.
He had waited outside First Middle School for several days, and each day after school, he saw Anning leave with her father. He just watched them from afar, not daring to approach.
Today, he had mustered the courage to talk to Anning for a bit, but he hadn’t expected Mr. Gu to hold such a strong prejudice against him.
Qin Minghao knew he had to speak today, or he might not get another chance, so he stuttered to Anning, "I didn’t know about the past incidents, and I didn’t let anyone bully you... Don’t worry, I will find out who was responsible."
Anning’s expression was calm, "Qin classmate, I’m not familiar with you. The past incidents are over, and I don’t wish to pursue them. I don’t even want to know exactly what happened. Now, I just want to study quietly at First Middle School. If you can keep the students from Shengzhe from bothering me, I would really appreciate it."
After Anning spoke, she no longer paid attention to Qin Minghao and pulled on Mr. Gu’s arm, "Dad, let’s go home."
Mr. Gu glared fiercely at Qin Minghao once more, then took Anning home.
Qin Minghao was extremely frustrated. Watching Anning’s disappearing back, he thought about asking her to return to Shengzhe, but he just couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Upon returning home, Anning went straight to her bedroom.
She turned on her computer and soon saw the email confirming her translated documents had passed. She then checked her bank account and found the payment had been deposited.
Seeing the numbers on the bank card, Anning couldn’t help but laugh.
Though it wasn’t a lot of money, it was a great start.
Mr. Gu went home and started helping Mrs. Gu cook in the kitchen.
While selecting vegetables, he told Mrs. Gu, "It’s good that I pick Ningning up from school every day. You wouldn’t believe what happened today; a student from Shengzhe was blocking Ningning at the school gate. If I hadn’t been there, Ningning might have been at a disadvantage."
Mrs. Gu was greatly alarmed, "Will they ever stop? Ningning has transferred schools and they still won’t leave her alone."
Mr. Gu was quite angry, "Those students from Shengzhe go too far, relying on their family’s wealth to do whatever they please. I regret letting Ningning go to Shengzhe in the first place."
Mrs. Gu nodded, "We were just greedy for that little bit of money back then, thinking as long as the child is good at studying, it doesn’t matter where she goes to school. People really shouldn’t be greedy for money."
She plated the cooked dish, "You should continue picking Ningning up from school in the future, otherwise I won’t feel at ease."
Mr. Gu set the table and knocked on the door to call Anning to eat.
Holding her bank card, Anning came out. When the whole family sat down, she smiled and announced, "Mr. Gu, Ms. Wu, I have some good news to share today."
Mr. and Mrs. Gu looked nervously at the bank card.
They thought, could the child have won another big prize?
Anning smiled and placed the bank card on the table, "I’ve earned some money. I translated a few documents online, and they’ve all been approved. This is the payment."
Mr. Gu immediately rejoiced upon hearing this.
Translations sounded very prestigious, and moreover, it was money the child had earned through her own efforts; they had to encourage her.
Mrs. Gu was also extremely delighted, "Our Ningning is really incredible, now she can even translate things."
Mrs. Gu took the bank card and handed it back to Anning, "Dad and mom still have money. Keep this, and when you have time, go buy some clothes, hang out with classmates, go shopping, watch a movie, whatever you like."
Mr. Gu quickly agreed, "Yes, yes, keep this money. You’re growing up now, you should buy some new clothes, and sometimes you’ll need money to go out with classmates."
Anning accepted the bank card without protest, "I’ll take on some tasks when I’m free, and I’ll save this money for now. If the family is ever short on money, please tell me."
With Anning making money, Mr. and Mrs. Gu’s spirits lifted as well.
But Mr. Gu still reminded Anning to prioritize her studies and not to let earning money interfere with her schooling.
Then, the whole family had a cheerful dinner.
After dinner, Mrs. Gu told Anning, "Ningning, this weekend we need to go back to our hometown, so get ready early."
Anning thought and understood.
Grandpa Gu had passed away, and it was time to visit his grave, something the family did each year around this time.
In a hotel in Qing City
Xiao Yuan stood in front of a window, looking out at the multitude of lights, and unexpectedly, a pair of eyes full of starlight appeared before him.
He thought of the girl he had bumped into today, his mood visibly brightened.
Xiao Yuan had always thought he was emotionally detached, destined to end his life in solitude, but unexpectedly, he found himself unable to stop thinking about a young girl.
The things he did today were completely unlike him.
He actually tracked the girl and even spent the morning helping her with her homework in the library, which he now found amusing.
However, he didn’t dis feeling; in fact, he quite enjoyed it.
As he said the name, he felt it was beautiful.
Anning had translated several documents that evening, and rather than going to sleep after finishing, she practiced Inner Strength for a while.
When dawn was about to break, Anning rested for a bit, then got up to go for a run.
Dressed in sportswear, she ran to a small park and slowly jogged around the walking path.
After two laps, a tall figure caught up to her.
A deep and pleasant voice sounded.
Anning knew without looking who was speaking to her.
She smiled and nodded at Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan immediately felt his mood lift.
"Do you often run here?"
As she jogged slowly, Anning said, "But I won’t be running here much longer; my family is moving soon."
Xiao Yuan wanted to ask where Anning was moving to, but thinking it too abrupt, he held back.
After a few more laps, Anning stopped, and Xiao Yuan stopped alongside her, wiping his sweat as he walked next to her.
Anning took a few steps and then turned to look at Xiao Yuan, "I heard from Nana that you are a famous doctor, is that right?"
A flash of hesitation crossed Anning’s face, then she seemed to make up her mind, "Could, could you come to my home to check on my dad? His health has always been poor, he..."
Xiao Yuan agreed immediately with a smile.
A smile spread across Anning’s face, her eyes twinkling with starlight, almost mesmerizing Xiao Yuan.
"My home is nearby, not far."
Anning seemed very excited, "It won’t take much of your time."
"My name is Xiao Yuan, you can call me by my name."
Xiao Yuan walked behind Anning, his tall figure almost enveloping her entirely.
He looked at their overlapping shadows, his heart felt tender.
Xiao Yuan felt even happier.
The two walked a bit further, Anning turned into a breakfast shop to buy breakfast, then led Xiao Yuan to her home.