92: Chapter 92 Is this girl really not your girlfriend?
Lu Chen was surrounded by the children, and the expression on his face was completely different from when he was at the Hospital.
There was no composure, no calmness, and none of that aura of controlling the whole situation.
There was only a very pure gentleness.
"One by one, don't grab."
He peeled the little boy off his back and set him on the ground.
Shen Xiaoning quickly brought over the large bag of snacks.
"Children! Sister brought you some delicious treats!"
The children's attention was instantly diverted.
"It's lollipops!"
"And cookies!"
"And colored pencils!"
"Wow, there are drawing books!"
The children cheered and surrounded Shen Xiaoning.
Shen Xiaoning crouched down and handed out the snacks to them one by one.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Xiao Douzi!"
"Xiao Douzi is so cute, here, have a strawberry-flavored lollipop."
"Thank you, Sister!"
"And you?"
"My name is Xiao Luobo!"
"Xiao Luobo? What an interesting name! Here, have a box of colored pencils."
"Sister, you're so pretty!"
Shen Xiaoning's eyes crinkled with a smile after being complimented.
"You're even better looking than Sister!"
Director Mother stood on the side watching this scene, unable to stop smiling.
She turned her head to look at Lu Chen.
"This girl really isn't your girlfriend?"
"Mom."
"I'm just asking."
"She really isn't."
"What a pity, such a good girl."
Lu Chen didn't reply.
He walked to the plane tree in the corner of the yard and sat in the spot he used to sit in most often.
The old lady followed and sat beside him.
"Xiao Chen, how is work?"
"It's quite good, I was promoted to Resident Physician a while ago."
"What level is a Resident Physician?"
"It means I'm an official doctor now, not an intern anymore."
"Did your salary go up?"
"It did."
"How much did it go up?"
"It's enough to live on, don't worry about it."
The old lady sighed.
"You child, every time I ask about your salary you say it's enough; you know best whether it's actually enough or not."
"It really is enough, look, don't I transfer money to you every month?"
"That's your money, you should keep it for yourself."
"I can't spend that much."
"You're a young person, you'll need to buy a house, get married, and..."
"Mom, let's talk about that later."
The old lady looked at him and didn't continue the topic.
She knew this child's personality.
It had been like this since he was little.
He shouldered everything himself and never let others worry.
"How has the Orphanage been lately?" Lu Chen asked.
"It's alright, except the roof is leaking again. We repaired it once last time but it wasn't fixed properly, and it drips every time it rains."
"Which room?"
"The one on the east side of the second floor, the one you used to sleep in."
Lu Chen frowned.
"I'll find someone to fix it."
"No need, I had Old Wang from next door patch it up, it'll hold."
"Holding up and being fixed are two different things. I'll transfer you some extra money this month, hire a professional to fix it."
"Stop always sending money home, you yourself..."
"Mom, listen to me on this."
The old lady sighed again.
"You're exactly the same as when you were little, so stubborn."
"I inherited it from you."
"Am I stubborn? That's called persistence."
"Right, you're persistent, I'm stubborn."
The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
Not far away, Shen Xiaoning was leading a group of children in drawing in the yard.
She crouched on the ground, holding a pink colored pencil in her hand, and drew a crooked little rabbit on the drawing book.
"Sister's drawing is so ugly!"
"You try drawing one!"
"I can draw better than you!"
"Then you do it!"
The little boy took the pencil and drew seriously for a minute.
Then he held it up.
A blob of something that was hard to identify.
"What is this?"
"It's a dinosaur!"
"How does that look like a dinosaur?"
"This is the head, these are the legs, and this is the tail!"
"Then what is this?"
"That's the meat it's eating!"
Shen Xiaoning laughed until she was doubled over.
Director Mother watched the scene over there, then looked at Lu Chen.
"This girl is truly good, don't you miss out on her."
"Mom."
"I'm not rushing you, I'm just reminding you."
"You call this not rushing?"
"This is called caring."
Lu Chen didn't reply, he just smiled.
At noon, Director Mother prepared a table full of dishes.
Braised pork, steamed egg, stir-fried vegetables, and pork rib soup.
They were all things Lu Chen loved to eat when he was little.
"Mom, why make so much?"
"You rarely come back, is it okay not to make a bit more?"
"Then make less in the future, don't get too tired."
"What's tiring about cooking? I'm not like you young people, always complaining about being tired."
Shen Xiaoning sat next to Lu Chen holding her bowl.
She tasted a piece of the braised pork.
"Director Mother's cooking is so delicious!"
"If it's delicious, eat more."
"I know why my braised pork doesn't turn out well." Shen Xiaoning muttered quietly.
"Hmm?"
"Because Director Mother puts her heart into it."
The old lady was amused.
"This child has such a sweet mouth."
At the dinner table, the children chattered non-stop.
"Brother Chen, when will you come back again?"
"In a while."
"You always say 'in a while'!"
"This time it's for real."
"Liar!"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Last time you said you'd bring me an Ultraman! You didn't!"
"I forgot this time, I'll definitely bring it next time."
"Then you have to pinky swear!"
A small hand reached out.
Lu Chen reached out and linked pinkies with that small hand.
"Pinky swear, one hundred years, no changing."
"Mm!"
Shen Xiaoning watched this scene from the side.
She held her bowl, her eyes a little moist.
But she quickly lowered her head, pretending to eat, so no one would see.
After the meal.
Lu Chen helped Director Mother wash the dishes, then went upstairs to check the leaking room.
It definitely needed repair.
He took a few photos, planning to contact someone for a quote after returning.
Shen Xiaoning was playing games with the children in the yard.
Eagle catches the chicks.
She was the eagle.
But she ran too slowly and didn't catch a single chick.
"Sister, you're so clumsy!"
"I'm not clumsy! I'm letting you win!"
"Liar! You just can't run fast!"
Shen Xiaoning stopped, panting.
"No more playing, no more playing, I'm too tired."
"Sister, your stamina is so bad!"
"I'm a Nurse, not an athlete!"
Lu Chen walked down from the second floor and saw this scene.
He didn't know why, but he felt this scene was very comforting.
Sunlight shone into the yard.
The children's laughter.
Shen Xiaoning surrounded by children playing.
Director Mother sat under the tree, watching with a smile.
It was very quiet.
Very warm.
He stood at the bottom of the stairs for a few seconds.
Then he walked down.
"It's about time to go."
Shen Xiaoning looked up.
"Leaving so soon?"
"It's past four in the afternoon, and it'll take over an hour by bus to get back."
"Alright..."
She crouched down and said goodbye to the children one by one.
"Xiao Douzi, Sister has to go, you have to be good and listen, okay."
"Sister, will you come again next time?"
"Yes! Sister will bring you even more snacks next time!"
"Okay!"
"Xiao Luobo, your dinosaur drawing is very good, keep it up."
"Goodbye, Sister!"
Director Mother pulled Lu Chen to the side.
"Xiao Chen, this girl is truly good. If you don't have other intentions, don't hold her back."
"Mom, I know."
"What do you know? At your age, you can't just never talk about relationships your whole life."
"My focus is on work right now."
"Work is important, but relationships are also important."
"Mom, I know what I'm doing."
The old lady looked at him, and in the end, didn't say anything more.
She just patted his hand.
"Take care of yourself."
"Mm."
Lu Chen and Shen Xiaoning walked out of the Orphanage.
Director Mother stood at the doorway, watching until they reached the end of the alley before turning and going inside.