Half an hour later, the taxi stopped outside Sea City Orphanage.
Looking at the rust-covered iron gate before him, Ye Wudao saw memories from the thirteen years he had spent at the orphanage flash through his mind.
Just as the taxi driver had said, it seemed there was no one here anymore. Even the white sign beside the iron gate had been taken down.
The small gate beside the iron one, however, was still open.
He slowly walked up and gently pushed the half-open gate.
"Creak..."
The sound of rust grinding against metal rang out.
"Who's there?"
Suddenly, an elderly voice came from the security booth beside the gate.
Ye Wudao froze for a moment, then said softly, "Grandpa Fu, it's me!"
As soon as he spoke, an old, stooped man walked out of the security booth. He was the guard at Sunshine Orphanage—Wang Fu.
Wang Fu put on the reading glasses hanging around his neck and took a good look at Ye Wudao. Somewhat surprised, he said, "Wudao? You're out of prison?"
Looking at Wang Fu, who could barely walk, Ye Wudao nodded. "Yes! I'm out!"
Wang Fu nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Good that you're out! Good that you're out! Come on, hurry inside!"
He greeted Ye Wudao warmly, took his hand, and patted it gently as he said, "Sigh! I only heard from your Mom Wang that you'd hit someone and killed them, and gone to prison."
"I was saying just the other day! A well-behaved child like you, Wudao, would never run away after hitting someone and killing them, would you?"
"Were you falsely accused, so they let you out early?"
Ye Wudao pressed his lips together and nodded. "Yes! The judge found out I wasn't the one who hit that person, so they let me go."
He knew that the old man before him probably didn't know the specifics of what had happened to him and had only heard rumors.
Looking at Wang Fu, he asked softly, "Where's Mom Wang?"
Wang Fu sighed at the question. "Your Mom Wang and the others have all gone to the new orphanage. This place is about to be demolished!"
Looking at Wang Fu, Ye Wudao asked in a low voice, "Then why didn't you go?"
Wang Fu glanced at the orphanage and shook his head. "I started working at the orphanage when I was thirty. I'm seventy-nine this year."
"I can't bear to leave this place!"
"Besides, at my age, it wouldn't be right for me to go along to the new orphanage."
"Your Mom Wang said the new orphanage needed a fresh start, and that I should go there and enjoy my retirement. She wouldn't let me work as a guard anymore."
"But I've spent my whole life as a guard. Sitting around doing nothing at the new orphanage would make me uncomfortable."
"So I stayed there for two months, then came back."
He paused, his voice tinged with sorrow. "I'll wait here for the demolition. That way, I can see it off on its final journey!"
Ye Wudao listened to Wang Fu ramble on. He knew the old man before him wouldn't be able to ramble for much longer.
Ten minutes later, Wang Fu reluctantly walked Ye Wudao to the gate and told him the address of the new orphanage.
Following Wang Fu's directions, Ye Wudao arrived at the entrance of the new orphanage.
The iron gate was brand-new, as was the building. The guard at the entrance was a middle-aged man in his thirties.
Standing outside the gate, he could see the children playing in the courtyard.
There seemed to be more children now, including many he didn't recognize.
He walked over to the security booth, but the guard stopped him.
The guard gave Ye Wudao a once-over and asked in a low voice, "What do you want?"
Ye Wudao replied softly, "I'm here to see Mom Wang!"
The guard frowned and shook his head. "There's no one called Mom Wang here. You've got the wrong place!"
Ye Wudao pressed his lips together and said again, "I'm looking for Wang Cuihua!"
The guard suddenly understood. "Oh... You're looking for Director Wang!"
"Call Director Wang and ask her to come out and meet you!"
Hearing the guard call Wang Cuihua by that title, Ye Wudao narrowed his eyes.
Did everyone call her Director Wang now?
He still remembered how, back at the old orphanage, Wang Cuihua had told every new child to call her "Mom"!
Looking at the guard, he shook his head. "I don't have Director Wang's number. Could you let her know I'm here?"
Actually, he didn't need to waste time talking to the guard. He could simply barge in.
But seeing the children playing in the courtyard, he held back.
He knew that if he barged in, he might traumatize the children.
He had once been an orphan himself, and knew all too well how fragile an orphan's heart could be.
The guard glanced at Ye Wudao, picked up the phone in the security booth, and dialed Wang Cuihua's number.
"Hello, Director? There's a young man outside asking for you!"
After saying just that, the guard hung up.
He turned to Ye Wudao and said, "Wait here. Director Wang will be right out."
Ye Wudao nodded. He didn't think there was anything unreasonable about the guard's actions.
Back when Wang Fu had been the guard at Sunshine Orphanage, he'd been even stricter than this young guard.
The orphanage was full of children with no parents, and many human traffickers had set their sights on it.
Two children had gone missing from Sunshine Orphanage back then, so security had become especially strict afterward.
A little while later, a familiar figure walked out of the orphanage.
Looking at Wang Cuihua, Ye Wudao's heart tightened.
Mom Wang, who had once dressed simply, now wore flashy clothes and even had makeup on.
He had spent thirteen years at the orphanage, and in his memory, Mom Wang had only worn light makeup on the few occasions when she met prospective adoptive parents.
But even then, her makeup had never been as heavy as it was today.
Wang Cuihua seemed more like a wealthy lady now.
Wang Cuihua strode over to the security booth. When she saw Ye Wudao, she paused.
Then she forced a smile and waved to him. "Wudao!"
Seeing the unnatural expression on Wang Cuihua's face, Ye Wudao had already formed a rough guess.
He smiled faintly and waved back. "Mom Wang!"
Wang Cuihua hurried to the entrance of the security booth. She looked Ye Wudao over carefully, then asked softly, "I heard you were sentenced to fifteen years. How did you get out so soon?"
At those words, Ye Wudao's heart went cold.
In the past, if Mom Wang had seen that he'd gotten out early, she would never have asked him that. She would have asked whether he'd been all right in prison.
But now, Wang Cuihua was questioning why he'd been released early.
That confirmed his suspicions: Wang Cuihua must have known about the Ye Family framing him back then.
Wang Cuihua had clearly been surprised to see him out of prison. There was even a trace of panic in her expression!
Wang Cuihua didn't notice the change in Ye Wudao's expression. She waved him over and said, "Come on! Let's go inside!"
Ye Wudao nodded and followed Wang Cuihua into the new orphanage.
"Our Sunshine Orphanage was demolished, so we moved here."
"Luckily, someone was willing to invest in us. The children's living conditions are much better now..."
Wang Cuihua led the way, telling him about the changes at the orphanage over the years as they walked.
Ye Wudao listened silently beside her without saying a word.
Once they entered the building, Wang Cuihua led him into an office and poured him a glass of water. Then she asked, "Wudao, did you come back for something?"
At those words, the last of Ye Wudao's hopes shattered.
He still remembered Wang Cuihua telling him that any child who had left Sunshine Orphanage could come back at any time.
Sunshine Orphanage was their home!
And now Wang Cuihua was asking him what he wanted!
He knew that everything had changed—not just the orphanage, but the people in it, too.
He looked at Wang Cuihua and said calmly, "I'm looking for Ma Xianglian."
Wang Cuihua froze. She had noticed that Ye Wudao had called Ma Xianglian by her name.
In the past, Ye Wudao had always called her Auntie Ma.
Her heart tightened. Looking at Ye Wudao, she smiled and said, "Auntie Ma is off today! Why don't you come back tomorrow?"
Ye Wudao smiled. "Wang Cuihua, you don't seem happy at all that I got out early!"
Wang Cuihua froze. Had she heard him right?
Ye Wudao had called her "Wang Cuihua"?
Could it be... that he already knew?
Just as she stood there in a daze, a knock sounded at the door. A familiar voice reached Ye Wudao's ears.
"Wang, I just heard from the children that someone came by. Is it the new investor?"
Hearing the voice, Ye Wudao looked at Wang Cuihua and sneered. "Didn't you say she was off today?"
Wang Cuihua snapped out of it and shouted, "Xianglian, run!"
But it was already too late. Ma Xianglian had pushed the door open and entered.
Besides, Ye Wudao was at the Liquid Condensation Realm. If he let an ordinary person get away, he might as well kill himself!
The moment Ma Xianglian pushed open the door, she heard Wang Cuihua's shout and was a little confused.
But when she saw Ye Wudao sitting in the chair, she froze in place.
Looking at Ma Xianglian, Ye Wudao smiled. "Ma Xianglian, long time no see!"
The moment Ma Xianglian heard those words, she turned and tried to run.
But she found she couldn't move at all—not even a finger.
An immense force pressed down on her, leaving her unable to move.
Then that force dragged her straight into the room.
"Thud..."
The door slammed shut under an invisible force.
Ye Wudao looked at Ma Xianglian, then at Wang Cuihua, and snorted. "I think we'd better have a 'good' talk!"
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