Character side story: An Mingyu · Redemption

An Jing resigned.

When she realized that her busy schedule was about to plunge this "family" into Abyss, she decisively withdrew from the quagmire of busyness and chose to get back close to her family.

Of course, another reason that prompted her to make up her mind was that she was unhappy with her busy work and didn't earn much money.

If she had truly made a name for herself in the workplace or accumulated considerable wealth, An Mingyu's life might have taken a different path.

Unfortunately, reality doesn't offer "what ifs".

The only saving grace is that little Mingyu was not driven "crazy" by the "Indifference" of her family. She grew up very well, even better than An Jing had expected.

As An Mingyu grew up, education became the biggest problem hanging over An Jing's mind.

She knew that education was not just about learning; integrating into a circle of peers was equally important for a child's development.

However, in that cold city, An Jing couldn't find a way to get Mingyu into a normal school, so she had no choice but to ask her unreliable brother for help.

That's how fortune tellers are; they're always right when others think they're unreliable.

An Ning gave An Jing a suggestion: he suggested that his sister take her niece to an orphanage. This way, Mingyu could find peers, attend classes, and have her education addressed. It might even be a win-win-win situation and solve An Jing's employment problem.

He felt that An Jing, who had patiently raised a child from infancy, must have the patience to manage those fragile and reserved children.

An Jing did not refuse.

She couldn't think of a better way.

And so, guided by An Ning, An Jing applied for a job at an orphanage called Sunshine Welfare Institute.

The director of the welfare home was a woman who was just over 50 and looked quite energetic. After learning about An Jing's situation, she greatly admired this girl who was struggling to raise her niece, and soon finalized the employment arrangements after the interview.

An Jing should have been happy with her successful job application, but she always felt that the dean's favoritism towards her was a little too... obvious.

Is it just my imagination? Or is there something else going on?

This unusual warmth made An Jing feel a little uncomfortable, but for Mingyu's sake, she decided to observe further.

And little An Mingyu finally got to experience her "group time".

Perhaps for An Mingyu, the day she was admitted to the hospital will be unforgettable.

There was no fanfare, no grand welcome. In a class taught by a teacher with a warm smile, Mingyu was led by the dean's wife to the back row of the classroom, where she sat next to a little girl with surprisingly bright eyes.

Mingyu rarely interacts with children her own age, and she doesn't know how to greet them.

Her aunt and the dean hadn't taught her either; they stood outside the classroom, watching her with smiles.

A short while later, the little girl next to her broke the silence and greeted her:

"Don't be afraid. Director Cen and Teacher Qin are both very good people, and the children in the academy are also nice. Although some of the boys are naughty, they don't mean any harm. If you don't like them, just ignore them. Once they run into a wall, they'll naturally stop bothering you. Otherwise, Director Song will cause them trouble."

Also, Master Bao's cooking is delicious, and Grandpa Qu's stories are very interesting. Occasionally, cats and dogs will sneak in for a stroll. Aunt Deng said that stray cats and dogs carry germs, so we can't touch them, but we can look at them. They are agile and strong when they fight, but their barks are a bit unpleasant.

"Sigh, I've been rambling on and on, why haven't you even said 'uh-huh'?"

"... Hmm." An Mingyu timidly hummed in response. She didn't even dare to turn her head to look at the person next to her, but the smile on her lips revealed that she was not at peace with herself.

"You have a beautiful smile. My name is Zhen Xin. What's your name?"

An Mingyu.

"Anmingyu? Are you a fish?"

"I am not a fish, I am a human being."

"... You're so silly." Zhen Xin laughed happily, but soon her bright smile was interrupted when the teacher called on her.

After answering the questions and sitting down, Zhen Xin leaned over to An Mingyu and complained, "There's one more thing, don't make too much noise in Teacher Qin's class, or you'll end up like me, being called on to answer questions."

But don't worry too much, he won't make things difficult for you. He says this is to build up your courage.

Do you know what courage is?

An Mingyu blinked, thinking that she probably knew.

The first class passed by in a daze amidst Zhen Xin's muttering. An Mingyu had never attended a class before, but she was certain that she liked it here.

Zhen Xin had lived in an orphanage since she could remember and had never been to the outside world. When she learned that An Mingyu was not actually an adopted child of the orphanage, but just a "little companion" brought by a staff member, she felt no jealousy or envy. On the contrary, she was overjoyed. She kept urging An Mingyu to tell her how wonderful the outside world was, but An Mingyu was also "ignorant" about it.

However, to satisfy her best friend's curiosity, she started going out much more often.

Yes, they have become friends.

The friendship between the girls came so quickly that even they themselves didn't expect to get along so well.

This was also a good thing for An Jing, who became increasingly convinced that only spending time with peers could help children grow up quickly, and thus she also developed a fondness for the little girl named Zhen Xin.

After spending more time with her, she even felt that Mingyu was already very sensible, was not as "sensible" as the quirky Zhen Xin.

No wonder the director put her at the same table as Mingyu; she truly was a ray of sunshine in this orphanage, illuminating the childhood that should have belonged to Mingyu.

As the days went by, the two good friends grew up day by day.

The trees and flowers in the orphanage withered and flourished again and again. The director's wife's hair gradually turned white in several snowstorms, and she went from being a lady to a grandmother. The carefree children always thought that they would grow up here and then "graduate" to become a member of this orphanage.

No one dislikes this place, and no one is willing to leave. The children, who have grown up but remain innocent, even made a joint wish that they would continue to live together, work together, play together, and welcome new children together in the future.

But such childish fantasies are unrealistic. Compared to a communal life devoid of familial love, the headmistress clearly wants every child to have a better future.

In her view, adoption is the only path to a better future.

Over the years, children have been leaving one after another. Every time someone leaves the orphanage, the remaining children feel sad, but at least Zhen Xin and An Mingyu have not lost their best friend.

But Destiny is always Change, and finally, that day came for Zhen Xin.

When An Mingyu learned about this, it was too late. She didn't know what to do. On the one hand, as Zhen Xin's best friend, she also hoped that Xin Xin could have a happier future, especially when the headmistress was convinced that this was the best choice for Xin Xin. She also firmly believed that the loving headmistress would not be wrong.

On the other hand, when An Mingyu realized that she would no longer be able to see her best friend every day, she was devastated.

For a moment, she thought it would be great if her aunt could adopt Xin Xin, so that they could become "blood" sisters.

However, An Jing had just started her own family, and Little Caiwei had just been born. Such a request was not only irresponsible to her aunt, but also to Xin Xin.

She deserved a better life, no matter which version of her she was.

And so, with reluctance and helplessness, the best friends parted ways...

Actually, no.

They were only separated by some distance in space, but every month, An Jing would bring An Mingyu to visit Zhen Xin.

This contains the dean's instructions, An Jing's care, and An Mingyu's longing.

Zhen Xin was very content with this.

That was one of the few moments of salvation she found during those dark times, but even so, in that winter...

"Hey, Xin Xin, we've already set off and will be there soon."

Hehe~

Mingyu, come quick! I've found a great new restaurant, let's go eat there.

"Okay, wait for me."