Lin Feifei

It only took two days, but when the finished product was complete, even he was taken aback.

At a glance, these two half-body wood carvings of Hong Bin were nearly identical, with even the knife strokes matching almost perfectly.

He immediately began the waxing process.

During this, he examined every wrinkle on Hong Bin's cheeks, the folds of his clothing, and even each individual strand of hair on his head. The more he looked, the more an indescribable sense of naturalness emerged.

Shen Xing found it hard to believe; the half-body wood carving of Hong Bin before him possessed such profound spirit that it looked even better than the first one.

He puzzledly looked back and forth, comparing the details of the two carvings, yet he couldn't find any discrepancies—they felt almost the same. But based purely on visual perception, the second Hong Bin carving felt more natural, perhaps even lifelike.

The shop seemed to be out of wood, so Shen Xing took out his phone and called Lao Wan, a supplier he frequently dealt with, to order several types of wood he needed.

These materials included the Shadow Wood required to craft the Blood Pupil, but Lao Wan told him he was currently out of stock and would reserve some for him as soon as it arrived.

Hanging up, Shen Xing checked the sky. It was only noon, so he decided to visit Qiguang Orphanage to see Lin Feifei, who had just lost her mother.

Having stayed home for several days to rush the Hong Bin carving, he hadn't stepped out, mostly relying on takeout or cooking noodles himself to fill his stomach.

He ducked into the cramped little bathroom to shower, changed into clean clothes, put on casual sneakers, and quickly headed out.

Thanks to the bonus he had received from the Public Security Bureau, Shen Xing remained mysteriously calm despite not having opened his shop for days.

Now that the second half-body carving of Hong Bin was finished and looked even better than the last, Hong Anjie would surely be satisfied upon returning from his trip. That would mean another payment, so Shen Xing had no immediate worries about his livelihood.

He caught a bus, transferred to another, and arrived at Qiguang Orphanage on Mingguang Street in Yungu City about forty minutes later. After getting off, he bought some mangoes and bananas at a nearby fruit shop before reaching the orphanage gate.

This orphanage had backing from City Hall; it was established under their guidance before being taken over by a local charity. Its current scale was quite impressive.

Because they frequently held various charity events, their donations were relatively abundant. Volunteers from other industries also came to help, working in shifts from Monday to Sunday, which saved the orphanage a large sum in staff salaries.

While at the bus stop, Shen Xing had called the orphanage office. Having already been notified by Officer Xiong Wei, they agreed to arrange a meeting between him and Feifei.

After Shen Xing registered at the main gate and walked into the large, clean, and tidy courtyard, a young woman in a volunteer uniform walked up to greet him.

The woman wore her hair in a trendy bun, and her light blue uniform fit her well. She stood about 1.7 meters tall but was very thin, far below the range of merely slender.

She had regular, pleasant features and looked very approachable.

Come to think of it, if a volunteer didn't seem approachable, they probably wouldn't be welcomed by the children at the orphanage.

It must have been break time, as over a dozen children were chasing each other around the garden. In the center of the garden was a shallow pool with clean water, where a few bath toys floated.

The woman smiled and said, "Are you Mr. Shen? My name is Song Xiaoyu, I'm a volunteer here. I'll take you to see Feifei."

Shen Xing smiled and nodded, asking, "Are you a student, or are you already working?"

Song Xiaoyu led the way, walking up the steps before turning back. "I'm still a medical student for now, but I'm graduating soon. I'm currently interning at the Third Municipal Hospital."

Shen Xing admired girls like her. Not only did she have to work and intern, but she also dedicated her private time to volunteering. It was clear that Song Xiaoyu truly had a kind heart and put it into action, rather than just paying lip service like so many others.

"How long have you been volunteering here?" Shen Xing asked.

"Almost half a year. I come every weekend." Song Xiaoyu walked ahead, opened the door to the building, and held it for Shen Xing.

After Shen Xing entered, she gently closed the door behind her and walked quickly ahead, pointing upstairs. "Feifei is in her room on the third floor. There's no one else in the room besides her right now; everyone else is out playing in the yard."

"Is she staying inside just to wait for me?" Shen Xing asked.

"No," Song Xiaoyu shook her head. "She doesn't really go out much lately. Perhaps the loss of her mother hit her too hard."

Shen Xing nodded.

Song Xiaoyu continued, "But Feifei is a very special little girl. She's very mature, quite different from others her age."

"Yes, she was often home alone. Sometimes she would run over to my place to wait for her mother to come home, and she'd even help me with chores. She's very sensible," Shen Xing smiled.

As the two talked, they reached the third floor.

Along the way, Song Xiaoyu greeted the official staff and several other volunteers like herself. She even helped straighten the pants of a few little boys who had just run out of the restroom and were in such a rush to get downstairs to play that their pants were crooked.

Shen Xing couldn't help but have an even better impression of Song Xiaoyu; he could feel that she genuinely loved these children.

Pushing open the door to room 307, Song Xiaoyu stood at the entrance and said softly, "Feifei, your Uncle Shen is here to see you."

With that, she stepped into the room, and Shen Xing followed behind.

He cast his gaze toward the window and saw a little girl in a white dress, her long, slightly wavy hair draped over her shoulders, kneeling on a chair by the window and looking down at the garden below.

The little girl turned her head, glanced at Song Xiaoyu, and then shifted her gaze to Shen Xing.

"Hello, Sister Xiaoyu!" she said, slowly climbing down from the chair.

Shen Xing placed the fruit he was carrying on the square table in the room and said, "Feifei."

Feifei's little mouth pouted slightly. She didn't answer him, but instead walked over quickly, stretched out her thin little arms, and hugged him tightly. She pressed her small face against Shen Xing's waist, remaining silent.

Shen Xing slowly lowered his arms, held Feifei's shoulders, and stroked them gently. He didn't speak either, and the room fell into silence.

A moment later, Feifei, who was still hugging him, slowly looked up and said softly, "Uncle Shen, I missed you!"

"Yes, I missed you too," Shen Xing nodded. "Don't be sad, Feifei. It will pass. No matter what happens, it will all pass."

Feifei hugged him even tighter. "I heard from Officer Xiong that you caught the bad guy. Thank you!"

At this, Song Xiaoyu tactfully exited the room and gently closed the door behind her.

Before long, Feifei let go. Her face was still streaked with tears, her flushed cheeks radiating a mix of cuteness and an indescribable maturity.

"I heard you were injured?"

Shen Xing pointed to his shoulder. "I took a blade to the shoulder at the time, but it has already healed."

"Officer Guan told me. He even showed me a photo of the culprit from when he was alive. I remember seeing that man a few times before; his surname is Guan, and it seems he was very fond of my mother," Feifei said.

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