318: Chapter 318 Big Brother~ Let me give you a flower~ - 1

"So—"

Ye Cheng finally stuffed Jiang Ye's Gucci dad shoes into the bag, kicked them firmly under the seat, then clapped her hands. She examined her "poor boyfriend" in front of her—dressed in a generic sweater, plain jeans, and unbranded sneakers—with satisfaction.

"Remember your current status: you haven't graduated yet, your intern salary is 3,500, your rent is 1,500, you take the subway to work every day, and your savings are in the triple digits. If anyone asks where the car came from, just say you borrowed it from a friend."

Jiang Ye rubbed his neck, which was itching from the sweater's collar, and waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. You know what level I'm at, right? That old man thinks he can fool me?"

Ye Cheng rolled her eyes at him, clearly dissatisfied with his complacency, and huffed. "You'll see in a while. Anyway, you absolutely cannot show off your wealth!"

The two walked in one after another along the concrete path leading into the orphanage.

Chenguang Orphanage was built on the edge of the county town. It occupied a decent amount of space, with several dusty, three-story buildings arranged in a courtyard style. In the middle was a concrete playground with a few old-looking basketball hoops standing there.

Although the facilities were slightly worn, everything was kept clean and tidy. The walls were painted with colorful cartoon patterns, exuding a sense of innocence.

Just as they reached the main entrance, they both paused, tilted their heads, and pricked up their ears.

Through the half-open gate, a chorus of children's voices could be faintly heard from the left. The singing was childish yet remarkably uniform, as if they had rehearsed countless times: "Grateful Heart~ Thank you for being here~ Accompanying me for a lifetime, giving me the courage to be myself~~~"

"..."

Black lines instantly appeared on Ye Cheng's forehead. She decisively pulled back the foot she had just stepped in with and lowered her voice: "Did you hear that? They even arranged an opening BGM for you! Isn't that scary?!"

Jiang Ye also instantly put away his dismissive attitude, his face turning solemn.

This trick of using song lyrics to express feelings and set the mood in advance was an "advanced psychological suggestion" that was hard for ordinary species to master. He had used it many times before; he hadn't expected such a master of "atmosphere creation" to be hidden in this small orphanage.

Hmph! One truly cannot underestimate the heroes of the world! Even among the mere human race, there are prodigies!

"Go, go, go, let's take the back door." Ye Cheng made a prompt decision and tugged on Jiang Ye's sleeve. "The director knows you're coming today. They've probably already set up an ambush at the front door."

Jiang Ye nodded in deep agreement. "The art of war says: strike when they are unprepared, attack where they are not on guard. Wise advice, strategist! I'll listen to you!"

The two exchanged a tacit look, stepped back, pressed themselves against the courtyard wall, and sneakily began their "strategic maneuver."

After circling the huge courtyard, they finally found the relatively secluded back door.

The back door consisted of two rusty iron gates, left slightly ajar, looking much quieter.

Ye Cheng first listened to the movements inside, then carefully and slowly pushed the door open just a crack, peeking in to scout the area thoroughly.

The backyard was smaller than the front yard, with a few bare trees planted there and some miscellaneous items piled in the corner, making it appear exceptionally quiet.

"It's fine, it's safe." Ye Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, turned back to give Jiang Ye an "OK" gesture, and pulled him into the backyard.

As Jiang Ye stepped into the backyard, he instinctively reached back to close the iron gate to avoid exposing their whereabouts.

Just as his hand pulled the door, a soft, sweet voice suddenly came from behind it. "Sister Ye!"

Both were startled. From behind the door walked a cute little girl with chubby, rosy cheeks and her hands behind her back, blinking her big eyes at them.

Ye Cheng's expression turned stern. Almost instinctively, she stepped in front of Jiang Ye, shielding him with her hand. "Skippy, why are you here? Speak! Who sent you?!"

"..."

Jiang Ye looked at her battle-ready stance, then glanced at the harmless-looking little kid in front of them, unable to help but raise his hand. "Cheng Cheng... tell me, is this an orphanage, or a Jinyiwei prison? Why does it feel like our genre has changed?"

Ye Cheng rolled her eyes at him, too lazy to bother with him. She just tilted her chin at the little girl named Skippy, signaling her to explain quickly.

Skippy giggled, revealing two little fangs, and brought out her small hands that had been hidden behind her back—a large bunch of fresh, vibrant red roses, looking like seven or eight stems.

"Big Brother, buy a flower for this pretty sister~ It's Valentines Day today!"

Jiang Ye: "...?" He looked around, bewildered, at the mottled walls and bare tree trunks.

Is this actually an orphanage, or a commercial street? Why are there little brats selling flowers here?

"No, no!" Ye Cheng immediately waved her hand, her tone firm. "Go back and play! Don't cause trouble here!"

Skippy wrinkled her nose at her, pouted her little mouth, and looked at Jiang Ye with a pitiful expression. "Big Brother... are you really not going to buy a flower for this pretty sister? It's Valentines Day today, you... do you have no feelings at all?"

Jiang Ye: "..." He couldn't help but laugh and cry. He reached out to pull Ye Cheng, whose face had darkened and who looked like she was about to "educate" the child, and lowered his voice: "Hey, hey! Stay calm! This is getting a bit exaggerated. Even if we're poor, we can still afford a flower. If we overact, it'll just arouse suspicion. It's just a flower, let's buy it!"

As he spoke, Jiang Ye crouched down with a smile, rubbed Skippy's head, and said in a gentle tone: "The little girl is right. It's Valentines Day today; I should buy a flower for the pretty sister."

He reached out to take the seven or eight roses from Skippy's hand, intending to "buy the whole lot," but halfway there, the "Grateful Heart" song he had heard at the front gate seemed to echo faintly in his ears again...

No! Can't be careless! What if these things cost one or two hundred each? That would be nearly two thousand for these seven or eight. Spending two thousand on a bunch of crappy flowers—wouldn't that make him a total sucker?