Mo Fei had no idea what had happened far away that might have had something to do with him.
He knew only one thing: Miss Colleen finally seemed to be coming over to continue discussing the bread-selling business they had mentioned before.
The news had arrived very early that morning, and Mo Fei had started preparing with the children bright and early.
In truth, there was not all that much to prepare.
The children's clothes at the orphanage were ragged to begin with. Even their best outfits looked somewhat worn.
Fortunately, the children were all diligent. Though their clothes were old, they had no unpleasant odor, so they were not too embarrassing.
Mo Fei had made some simple repairs to the orphanage's walls and gate after earning some money.
Fresh white paint covered the large patches of peeling wall, making the whole place look somewhat new. The gate still looked shabby, but at least it no longer creaked when it opened or closed.
To entertain their distinguished guest, Mo Fei had deliberately baked a batch of white bread with Lina after receiving the letter announcing the visit.
He had also fetched some milk from the backyard and simmered it with tea to make rich, fragrant milk tea.
The rich aroma drifting from the kitchen made the children keep swallowing, but they knew that all of it was for today's distinguished guest. Mo Fei had told them as soon as the letter arrived.
"As long as you can make an impression on the noble young lady coming here, our lives will be a little better in the future... You don't need to deliberately play up your suffering. Just show her your best side... Remember, you're the children I, Mo Fei, chose!"
Those words of reassurance and encouragement had indeed made them pay the utmost attention.
Having met Miss Colleen a few times, Aiwen showed some concern, but his foot unconsciously traced circles, making it clear he was not all that calm either.
Lina went without saying. As the eldest sister, she kept rehearsing what to say under her breath. She did not want to make the noble young lady dislike her at their very first meeting.
Mia took out the prettiest dress in her treasured collection, while Boer and Kyle had all their toys confiscated. The two of them were told to behave as much like gentlemen as possible and not blurt out anything inappropriate.
Zane had even tied himself a bow tie. Though it was somewhat crooked and made from a strip of ragged cloth, it still showed the effort he had put in.
Things were much simpler for Lucy. Holding Lina's hand, she timidly watched the entrance, her eyes full of curiosity.
Jimmy stayed farthest inside with Tom. If Tom started crying, he would take him straight upstairs to soothe him so that their guest would not be disturbed.
The sight made Mo Fei happy.
It was not because Colleen's arrival would bring any benefits. Simply watching what the children were doing gave him the feeling that he had gained a great many family members.
It was a sense of peace.
The sound of a carriage stopping came from the entrance, and everyone's eyes brightened a little.
Mo Fei went straight to the entrance and opened the gate.
He saw the door of the luxurious carriage some distance away open. First, the coachman helped the maid down, and then the maid, Molly, helped Miss Colleen down.
Today, Miss Colleen wore a long white dress, a pearl headdress, and a pair of exquisite cloth shoes as she slowly stepped down from the carriage.
Mo Fei could see some neighbors curiously poking their heads out, yet they were afraid of being noticed by the noble and getting into trouble, so a whole collection of dark-haired crowns appeared.
The sight made Mo Fei want to laugh aloud, but fortunately, he managed to hold it in.
The ground outside the orphanage's gate had already been cleaned several times.
Yet after Miss Colleen walked over it, he still seemed to notice some dirty marks along the edges of her shoes.
Fortunately, Miss Colleen did not seem to mind much.
She merely looked around as she walked inside, regarding the dilapidated surroundings with some curiosity.
"The houses around here seem terribly run-down too. People can actually live in places like these? How extraordinary."
Her voice was very quiet, and she was speaking to her maid, so no one else could hear her.
But Mo Fei heard every word clearly.
The reason was simple: the Combat skill.
After advancing to the beginner level, the skill had undergone another qualitative transformation.
His body had improved greatly, particularly his hearing and vision. That made sense, though. Hearing an enemy's attacks and seeing through them were both crucial in combat.
However, after this improvement, he had also realized that he absolutely could not advance it again anytime soon. His body had already given him a warning.
Improving his body too rapidly had left him somewhat malnourished.
If he wanted to improve his physical condition further, he needed to eat good food. Only with sufficient energy could his physical condition evolve further.
This time, for instance, he had still been unconscious for an entire night after the improvement.
But when he got up the next morning, he discovered that instead of becoming stronger, his body had grown somewhat thinner, and his stomach kept rumbling.
That morning, he had eaten an entire loaf of bread by himself before recovering.
Fortunately, this had not caused much of a problem. He soon adapted, and as his appetite increased, his improved physical condition gradually began to show.
Hearing Colleen's words now merely gave Mo Fei a better understanding of this noble young lady. Perhaps she had never visited the East End; one might even say she had barely encountered the places where poor people lived before.
Perhaps she was merely a kindhearted, sheltered young lady, so there were many sordid matters involving this place that he could not mention.
Having made his judgment, Mo Fei went forward to greet her.
"Welcome to my orphanage... Miss Colleen, your presence truly honors our humble home!"
Mo Fei's welcome gave Colleen a greater sense of familiarity. She sensed something aristocratic about this plainly dressed man, which helped her relax a little.
Seeing her reaction, Mo Fei's lips also curved upward slightly.
Upon entering, Miss Colleen saw the children, all fully prepared. Though their behavior was very awkward, she could still feel how much importance they placed on her visit.
That heartfelt regard instead made the inexperienced young lady very happy.
"What are all your names? Introduce yourselves to me. Aiwen, why don't you introduce everyone!" After sitting down, Colleen immediately began getting acquainted.
Once his name was called, Aiwen instead calmed down and began introducing everyone there, one by one.
Meanwhile, after entering, the maid Molly and a bodyguard kept surveying the room.
Their attention was on different things, however. Molly was examining the cleanliness and layout. Though the interior was very shabby, everything, including the dining table and chairs, was clean and tidy, without any stains.
The bodyguard, meanwhile, watched their surroundings warily, seemingly checking whether any danger might arise.
Yet, perhaps it was his imagination, but when he saw the swaddled child, his nerves suddenly twitched. The sensation soon disappeared, however.
He merely put it all down to chance.
After finishing their inspections, the two silently nodded.
When Colleen saw this, the smile on her face grew much more genuine.