Translator: CinderTL
"Just passing by," Lin Wan'er said as she gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Pi Ruan heard you hadn't eaten breakfast yet and insisted I bring this to you."
"Birds of a feather flock together," Fatty thought to himself, suspecting that the Doctor might have picked up some of these habits from Boss Lin.
Fortunately, Pi Ruan's family was wealthy; otherwise, with this kind of eating, he might have gone bankrupt.
However, Fatty glanced at the Doctor.
The Doctor was silently eating, barely touching his usual favorites like spicy crayfish and cheese-baked lobster.
He was just sipping porridge and slowly chewing on the cornbread in his lunchbox.
Chewing slowly.
He seemed to be in a bad mood.
Fatty guessed it was due to the trauma from the Nightmare, having watched his teammates die one by one. Their survival this time was the result of everyone's efforts.
The weight of this responsibility also weighed heavily on Fatty.
He forcefully pulled off a crab leg, peeled it, and was about to hand it to the Doctor when Jiang Cheng suddenly spoke, "I don't want it."
Fatty paused, a bit confused. He had intended to give the crab leg to Boss Lin but felt it might be impolite, so he placed it on his own plate instead.
Stealing a glance at the Doctor, Fatty felt something was off.
Very off.
After the meal, Fatty took the initiative to clean up, while the Doctor said he was tired and went upstairs to rest.
To Fatty's surprise, after he packed up the leftovers and put them in the fridge, he came out of the kitchen to find Boss Lin still there, not having left.
She was sitting on the sofa, sunlight streaming through the window, half of her face exposed to the light. Her subtle makeup was breathtakingly beautiful.
As if sensing someone's gaze, Lin Wan'er slowly turned her head, meeting Fatty's eyes. He panicked and stammered, "N-n-no..."
Lin Wan'er, seemingly accustomed to such reactions, asked, "Is there any coffee left?"
"Yes," Fatty immediately ran back to the kitchen, found the high-end coffee Pi Ruan had sent, and brewed a pot for Boss Lin.
Using the brand-new coffee pot Pi Ruan had gifted.
"Aren't you having any?" Lin Wan'er took a sip, squinting her eyes as she looked at Fatty sitting across from her.
Fatty placed his hands obediently on his knees, behaving very meekly.
Being this close to Boss Lin, Fatty felt a slight pain in his neck, perhaps a lingering issue from last time.
"I'll pass for now," Fatty licked his lips and replied respectfully, "Boss Lin, if it's too bitter, I can add some sugar for you."
The woman before him exuded a deadly allure in every gesture, her eyebrows and lips as if painted with a brush, carrying the texture of an ink wash painting.
What was even more remarkable was the aura of maturity and grace that time had bestowed upon her.
Yet, strangely, Boss Lin looked very young, not like someone who should possess such a seasoned charm. Time seemed to have left no trace on her face.
Realizing that staring so intently was impolite, Fatty forced himself to look away.
"Wang Fugui," Lin Wan'er suddenly spoke.
"Yes, Boss Lin," Fatty nodded, waiting for her next words. Though not the sharpest, he could sense that Boss Lin had stayed behind because she had something to say to him.
"How long have you known Xiao Cheng?"
In the small town, perhaps only Boss Lin dared to address the Doctor in such a manner. Fatty pondered for a moment before replying, "Less than a month."
Lin Wan'er's blood-red lips curved into a smile that sent shivers down one's spine. "How did you two meet?"
"I ran into some trouble, and it was the Doctor who saved me," he corrected himself.
Naturally, he couldn't mention the Nightmare to Boss Lin; it was for her own good.
Just as he was racking his brains to fabricate the next part of the story, something unexpected happened.
Boss Lin didn't press further on the matter.
Seizing the opportunity, Fatty decided to switch from defense to offense and change the subject.
"Boss Lin," Fatty asked with great curiosity, "how did you and the Doctor meet? I feel like... he holds you in high regard."
"Is that so?" Lin Wan'er took a small sip of her coffee, leaving Fatty with an enigmatic smile. "I suppose you could say I'm his guardian."
Fatty frowned at the term.
Guardian... The word gave Fatty the impression that the Doctor was being held captive by the woman before him, but the idea of imprisoning the Doctor seemed unrealistic to Fatty.
Moreover, the term was more commonly used for parents and their children.
Looking at Boss Lin's youthful and charming face, Fatty couldn't quite connect the two.
"The Doctor was abandoned in the small town when he was very young; he grew up in an orphanage," Lin Wan'er's voice was pleasant, but the story she told tugged at Fatty's heartstrings. "After that, his parents and family never showed up again."
"I remember the Doctor saying he was an orphan," Fatty said.
"As far as he's concerned, those who abandoned him are as good as dead," Lin Wan'er took another sip of her coffee and smiled faintly. "You've been around him for a while now; you should be able to sense that."
Recalling how the Doctor would often invoke his parents in the Nightmare to swear oaths, Fatty swallowed hard and thought to himself, "So that's the reason."
"And after that?" he asked cautiously.
"Later, the old director of the orphanage passed away, and with no one to manage it, it eventually closed down. The children who could be sent away were sent away, and in the end, only about a dozen remained."
It was clear that recalling these memories was somewhat distressing for the woman, but her face remained calm, as serene as the night before a storm. "These children were not particularly likable, nor were they mischievous; they were simply not likable."
"When other children saw couples who were interested in adoption, they would all rush over to perform, some singing, some dancing, and at the very least, they would try to appear clever and tell a few interesting stories to catch the attention of the potential adopters."
"That way, they could leave that place sooner," Lin Wan'er sighed slightly, seemingly recalling the situation at the orphanage at that time.
"In less than three months, we sent away more than 70 children. The once large orphanage became increasingly empty, and in the end, only about a dozen remained."
"These children were not likable; they were rather aloof, didn't like to interact with others, and spent most of their time staring out the window in silence, not speaking a word all day," Lin Wan'er said. "From sunrise to sunset."
"Who would like such a child?" Lin Wan'er said softly. "Over time, no one came anymore. The previous adoptive parents spread rumors that the remaining children in the welfare home were mentally challenged. They couldn't communicate, lacked emotions, and were extremely cold in personality. Once taken home, there was a risk they might grow up to become something monstrous."
(End of the Chapter)
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