Tearing open the packaging, Yan Heqing quietly bit into the bread. He had taken a blueberry jam bread, which was cloyingly sweet and Yan Heqing didn't like it, but not wanting to waste food, he still chewed slowly.
Not far away, the Maybach slowly came to a stop, the door opened, the driver opened an umbrella, and jogged towards the convenience store.
Thinking someone was seeking shelter from the rain, Yan Heqing quietly stepped aside. He was munching on bread when the driver ran up to him with an umbrella, smiling, and said, " Mr. Yan, my boss would like to invite you to get in the car."
Yan Heqing was puzzled. Following the direction the driver pointed, he saw a car parked on the side of the road, but the rain was too heavy to see the license plate clearly.
Yan Heqing swallowed the bread. "Who is your boss?"
The driver cautiously replied, " President Lu."
Yan Heqing only knew one President Lu, Lu Lin. Lu Muchi called him Little President Lu.
Encountering Lu Lin at the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home was outside of Yan Heqing's plan.
The original text did not mention whether Lu Lin knew Xu Qiaoyin's whereabouts. Lu Lin had a distant relationship with his brother, and he did not care about his family affairs at all. He had only met Xu Qiaoyin once, at the wedding.
However, Yan Heqing speculated that, given Lu Lin's influence, he must know that Xu Qiaoyin had been at the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home for the past ten years, but he simply didn't care.
What is the reason for Lu Lin's appearance here at this time?
Yan Heqing guessed as he followed the driver to the car.
The driver opened the back door, Yan Heqing looked inside, meeting Lu Lin's deep black eyes.
Yan Heqing glanced down at his mud-caked shoes and trousers, but didn't get into the car. " Mr. Lu, what a coincidence to run into you here. Is there something you need?"
Lu Lin's gaze swept over the boy's face, which was blue from the cold, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Get in the car first."
Yan Heqing pursed his lips slightly, "My shoes and pants are covered in mud."
"It doesn't matter." Lu Lin reached out and turned up the heater. "Get in the car."
Yan Heqing bent down and sat inside, immediately feeling the warmth. He sat near the door, and inevitably, mud and water fell onto the ground where his shoes landed.
The driver closed the door, ran back to the driver's seat, started the car, and asked, " President Lu, shall we go home?"
Lu Lin looked at Yan Heqing. In the dim light, he could now see that the boy's hair was like popcorn popping open, all curly, making him look more youthful than usual.
Lu Lin asked, "Where do you live?"
Yan Heqing didn't hesitate. Once he got in the car, he gave out the address in a natural and generous manner.
Without Lu Lin saying a word, the driver immediately started navigating.
The Maybach continued its journey in the heavy rain.
The car fell silent again. Water dripped from Yan Heqing's trousers. He lowered his head slightly, his long eyelashes occasionally brushing against his skin. At this moment, Lu Lin broke the silence.
I saw you at the orphanage.
Yan Heqing turned his head, his pupils reflecting the car roof lights. "Were you at the orphanage just now?"
"There's a collaboration opportunity," Lu Lin said.
Yan Heqing nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I'm here to sign up as a volunteer. I spent some time at Rainbow Bridge before."
He didn't feel ashamed at all, and said frankly, "My parents died in an accident when I was very young. None of my relatives wanted to take me in, so an orphanage temporarily took me in."
Lu Lin was surprised that Yan Heqing had such a difficult background, but there were clues to it. If he didn't have to support himself, Yan Heqing wouldn't have gone around working odd jobs.
Moreover, if Yan Heqing's parents were still alive, they wouldn't want him to suffer.
Lu Lin was silent for a moment, then changed the subject, "Your hair is curly."
"Oh, yes." Yan Heqing had forgotten about it, and he gave a slight smile. "My hair gets naturally curly when it's wet; I guess I inherited it from my mother." A nostalgic look appeared in his eyes. "I remember her hair was naturally curly."
After being in the car for a while, Yan Heqing's lips were still blue. Lu Lin took the thermos, unscrewed it, poured a cup of ginger tea, and handed it to Yan Heqing, saying, "I haven't had any."
The implication is that it's very clean.
"Thank you." Yan Heqing took the drink and sipped it. It was a little hot and a little spicy, but it felt very soothing. His eyelashes fluttered slightly. "I think it tasted the same last time in the valley."
After a moment of silence, Lu Lin said, "Every time I see you, something's wrong with you."
Yan Heqing smiled slightly, "That's true, but whether you believe it or not, I rarely have any problems."
At this moment, the driver finally found an opportunity to speak. " President Lu, we've arrived at Mr. Yan's building."
The Maybach had stopped in the rain for a few minutes.
Lu Lin felt a bit downcast.
So fast.
Before he could even open his mouth, Yan Heqing spoke first, " Mr. Lu, it's raining so hard, why don't you come to my house for a cup of hot water?"
Chapter 26
Hot water?
The driver's eye twitched slightly; it was the first time he'd ever seen someone offer Lu Lin hot water.
Anyone in the entire capital who wanted to invite Lu Lin to a banquet or dinner party would probably vomit blood upon hearing this.
The driver was still marveling when, in the rearview mirror, Lu Lin opened the car door.
"!" The driver was shocked. They were really going? He quickly opened the door, opened his umbrella, and ran to the back seat to shield Lu Lin from the rain.
Lu Lin took the umbrella. On the other side, Yan Heqing had already gotten out of the car, ran into the apartment building, and was waiting for him at the entrance.
Lu Lin opened his umbrella and went over, then closed it. Yan Heqing walked ahead, saying, "My home is on the third floor."
The walls had a damp, musty smell under the orange light. The narrow stairs gleamed underfoot. Lu Lin watched the boy's back as they quickly reached the third floor.
The building has two apartments per floor. Yan Heqing took out his key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned it to the left, and the lock clicked open.
Yan Heqing pushed open the door and went in. Yan Heqing turned on the light, changed into slippers, and stepped aside to let her in. "Please come in."
Lu Lin leaned the umbrella against the wall and looked at Yan Heqing, "Do you have shoe covers?" Yan Heqing's house probably doesn't have slippers in his size.
Yan Heqing shook his head, "No need for such formalities, please just come in."
The tiles of the old house show the marks of time, but the boy, being diligent, mopped them until they shone brightly.
Lu Lin's leather shoes were already wet from the rain. He took them off outside and went inside barefoot.
Yan Heqing was slightly taken aback. He lowered his eyelashes, took off his coat and hung it behind the door, then quickly went inside and turned on the small heater to warm the room.