CH 52

Shan Yi bought almost a car full of snacks and gifts. They left them in the car overnight and went directly to the orphanage the next day. 

The orphanage was somewhat far from the city, and whenever Shen Tiantian went back, she often had to take a bus or sometimes hitch a ride with Liu Wanjun and Kang Jiaya. Because it was troublesome to go back, she had once thought about buying a car, but her home was very close to the company, and she hardly needed a car. Besides, there were maintenance and other issues… 

Well, she admitted that she was just lazy.

After driving for several hours, they finally arrived at Hongle Orphanage.

The orphanage had some history, and the sign at the entrance was a bit worn, but it was still relatively well-maintained. The word “Hongle” could still be vaguely seen on the sign.

Because it was the weekend, the children didn’t have classes, and they could hear the noise coming from inside through the windows.

In this familiar environment, listening to the familiar sounds, Shen Tiantian felt a mix of emotions.

Most of the children in Hongle Orphanage leave after turning 18, as the outside world presents many temptations. However, there are also those who come back to work here after graduating.

Unknowingly, she had been away from here for over six years, and the last time she came back was just over two months ago.

Shen Tiantian glanced at the side of Shan Yi’s face, smiling and looking outside. Through the car window, she saw several familiar figures, and her smile grew even brighter.

The orphanage wasn’t large, but it had everything needed.

Following Shen Tiantian’s guidance, Shan Yi found the rudimentary parking lot.

Perhaps because they saw an unfamiliar car, as soon as it stopped, the children crowded around it, and the noise of their discussions could be heard through the windows.

Shen Tiantian got out of the car first, and as soon as the children saw her, their joyful cheers grew even louder.

“Big sister Tian~”

“Big sister Tian, Big sister Tian~~”

In almost two seconds, Shen Tiantian was completely surrounded, and she couldn’t even close the car door. If it were in the past, she would have played with them, but now she knew her current condition, and having everyone crowd around her made her feel a little scared.

Learning from past experience, she instinctively protected her belly, like a frightened bird.

Shan Yi walked over from the other side, and the children immediately stopped their actions. They all looked at Shan Yi with curiosity and inquiry, with puzzled expressions on their faces.

Gently holding Shen Tiantian in her arms, Shan Yi smiled sweetly and said softly: “Hello, I’m Tiantian’s friend. It’s nice to meet all of you. You guys all like big sister Tiantian, right?”

“Like!” They replied in an organized and rhythmic manner.

“How about we play a Q&A game? If you answer correctly, you not only get to play with big sister Tiantian but also get a reward. How does that sound?” Shan Yi suggested. This way, she could engage with the children without offending anyone and redirect their attention to her, killing two birds with one stone.

Shen Tiantian didn’t quite understand her intention and tugged at her clothes, whispering: “What are you up to?”

Shan Yi smiled without saying anything. “Alright, then let’s begin. Who wants to go first?”

“Me me me~”

“Me first, me first~”

The children were eager to participate. Shan Yi cleared her throat and noticed a figure walking calmly toward them from a different angle.

Due to the angle, the children didn’t see the person approaching and continued to raise their hands to play.

A dignified yet gentle voice resounded, “What are you all doing here? Is your homework done?!”

“Ah~ It’s Grandpa Dean…”

“Quick, run, run…”

“Our reward…”

Some were still thinking about the rewards, but as soon as the dean spoke, everyone quickly scattered.

Shen Tiantian stepped forward to greet the dean, “Dean.”

“Why are you back alone again? Where are Wanjun and YaYa?” After speaking, the dean’s gaze fell on Shan Yi, and he pushed up his reading glasses with some surprise. He squinted and observed her for a while before asking: “You are… surnamed Shan?!”

Shen Tiantian was puzzled and looked back at Shan Yi, then back at the dean. “Dean, do you know the CEO?”

The old dean was still uncertain, but upon hearing Shen Tiantian’s address, he immediately confirmed and exclaimed: “It’s really you!”

Shan Yi stepped forward and stood side by side with Shen Tiantian, nodding. “Hello, it’s been a long time.”

A long time?! Shen Tiantian couldn’t believe it, tilting her head. She could only see Shan Yi’s profile, and there was no expression of surprise on her face, as if she had known everything beforehand.

How did the Dean know Shan Yi?

What does Shan Yi mean by “a long time”?

Shen Tiantian felt a bit confused and couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. She could only look at the Dean with an inquiring gaze.

The Dean smiled and invited them inside, saying as they walked: “Yes, it’s been a long time since you last came.”

Shen Tiantian frowned and pulled Shan Yi’s hand, lowering her voice with a hint of anger. She accused: “You’re keeping something from me again.”

Shan Yi held her hand in response and said softly: “Let me explain when we get home, okay?”

Shen Tiantian forcefully pulled her hand back.

To be honest, she was really upset. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why Shan Yi knew the Dean.

Did she come to Hongle before?

Then why does she have no impression of her at all?!

Shan Yi reached out and disregarded her struggle, gently holding her hand again, and softly rubbing her thumb on the back of her hand.

The old dean turned around, and just happened to catch this scene in his eyes. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared without leaving a trace.

After they were seated, the old dean poured tea for them and asked in a heavy tone: “So, you two are together?”

Before Shen Tiantian could speak, Shan Yi spoke first, nodding, “Yes.”

The old dean nodded knowingly and sighed silently. “How did you two meet? Are you Tiantian’s boss?!”

“Yes,” Shan Yi replied.

The old dean fell silent for a moment and then smiled, “I didn’t expect you two to end up together.”

Shan Yi also smiled and glanced at Shen Tiantian. In fact, she didn’t expect it either. Before meeting Shen Tiantian, she didn’t believe in love at first sight. But when it happened to her, she realized that nothing was impossible.

Shen Tiantian had been holding back for a long time. She couldn’t wait to get home and asked on the spot, “Why does the dean know the CEO? Has she been here?!”

The old dean clearly didn’t expect Shen Tiantian to ask this. He was stunned for a moment and then turned his gaze to Shan Yi, suddenly realizing, “Right, you were busy with the college entrance exam at that time, and you probably didn’t see the Shan family when they came.”

So, Shan Yi had indeed come here!!!

Shen Tiantian was extremely shocked to learn this. She had never heard Shan Yi mention this, not once.

She still remembered when she asked Shan Yi why she liked her.

How did Shan Yi answer that time?

“Because you are you?!” Shan Yi replied.

Now thinking back, she felt so foolish. How did she blindly believe that?

Shan Yi had hidden it so well. If the dean hadn’t recognized her, she might have been kept in the dark for the rest of her life.

Although she wanted to run away and escape from this situation, the dean was still present, so she couldn’t lose her temper.

But why did she feel more and more uncomfortable?

It was too uncomfortable, and she urgently wanted to find someone to confide in.

“I need to use the restroom.” Shen Tiantian couldn’t hold back any longer. She quickly got up from her chair and told the dean before walking out in a hurry.

Shan Yi apologetically nodded, “I’ll go check on her.”

The old dean had watched Shen Tiantian grow up, so he naturally understood her temper. He could tell that she was upset. “You haven’t told her about this?”

Shan Yi smiled bitterly and shook her head.

She thought it wasn’t necessary, as Shen Tiantian didn’t see her that day anyway.

“Go and see her,” the old dean sighed.

These young people nowadays.

Shan Yi nodded and quickly strode out. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Shen Tiantian being surrounded by the children. She immediately felt relieved and slowed her pace, approaching her.

Shen Tiantian had her back to Shan Yi, but either because she noticed the children’s reactions or sensed someone approaching from behind, she suddenly straightened her body, and the smile on her face gradually stiffened. Considering the children were still around, she quickly put on a smile again and said, “That big sister has brought many gifts for all of you. Do you want them?”

“We want!”

The energetic and loud voices almost shattered Shan Yi’s eardrums. By the time she reacted, her feet were already surrounded by children.

She looked up and saw Shen Tiantian smirking at her triumphantly, then turned and left.

Shan Yi wanted to chase after her, but the children had tightly surrounded her, making it impossible for her to break free immediately. When she finally looked up again, Shen Tiantian had already disappeared.

“Big sister, big sister, where are our gifts?”

“We want the gifts…”

“Gifts, gifts~”

Her ears were filled with the voices of children demanding gifts, and she instantly regretted saying those words just now.

She couldn’t break free, so she had to deal with the children in front of her first before finding Shen Tiantian.

“Alright, those who want gifts, line up.”

Upon hearing Shan Yi’s words, cheers almost echoed through the small orphanage.

Shan Yi led the children to the parking lot with only five or six parking spaces. She pressed a button on her key, and the car’s trunk slowly opened.

The cheers grew louder.

Knowing that her wife was angry, Shan Yi didn’t have the energy to distribute gifts one by one. “The rules have changed. Now, all you need to do is answer my questions correctly, and you’ll receive the corresponding gift. Alright?”

“Alright~”

Shan Yi rubbed her ear. “Alright, here’s the first question: Why do you like big sister Tiantian?”

“Because big sister Tiantian is very gentle. Every time she comes, she brings us gifts and helps us with our homework,” said the little boy at the front shyly.

“Yeah, yeah! Big sister Tiantian treats me the same way~”

“Big sister Wan also does too~”

“Also big sister Ya~”

Shan Yi smiled, realizing that Shen Tiantian was even more popular with the children than she had imagined. She asked, “What did sister Tiantian tell you just now?”

The children all said in unison, “She said that big sister Yi brought us gifts and asked us to behave well~”

Shan Yi couldn’t help but laugh and cry. It turned out that Shen Tiantian had already planned to have the children pester her!

‘She’s really learning bad habits.’

“Then, do you know where she is now?”

A slightly tan girl standing in the middle pointed to a building on the right and said, “She must have gone to the old dormitory building~”

Looking in the direction the girl pointed, Shan Yi indeed saw Shen Tiantian standing on the second floor, looking in their direction.

Perhaps seeing Shan Yi looking at her, Shen Tiantian immediately retreated into the house.

Shan Yi smiled and asked the girl, “How old are you?”

“Seven years old,” the girl replied.

“Good, how about you become the class monitor and distribute gifts to everyone?”

The girl looked surprised, staring at Shan Yi with wide eyes.

Shan Yi winked and said softly: “Remember, be fair and just, okay?”

The girl was now sure she hadn’t misheard and nodded vigorously, “I will definitely complete the task well.”

Shan Yi chuckled, quickly squeezed out of the group of children, and headed straight for the old dormitory building where Shen Tiantian had gone.