Chapter 269: Countdown To The Finale (1)

This was the reason why he had answered McDonalds without hesitation when Yan Beicheng had asked him what he wanted.

“You’ve eaten too?” Yan Beicheng asked. Lin Chu must have already eaten by this time.

Lin Chu nodded. “I had lunch with Zheng Yuntong.”

Mo Jinxi saw that the two of them had started chatting, so he sniffled and said quietly with a hint of awkwardness, “Chu Chu, I’m done crying.”

Lin Chu lowered her head to see that he was no longer crying. So, she said, “You should eat first.”

Mo Jinxi had only eaten some of his burger, and no matter the situation, a child should fill up his stomach before saying anything.

Even though Mo Jinxi had lost much of his appetite after crying so much, he still quickly finished up his burger as he was hungry.

Yan Beicheng had ordered the kids’ meal for him. Inside was a burger, a small pack of fries and a coke.

He quickly finished the fries within a few mouthfuls as it was quite little, but he could only manage a few sips of the coke.

Mo Jinxi felt a little disappointed that he had to gobble down his McDonald’s so quickly when he had finally gotten the chance to eat it. Lin Chu was waiting for him and it stressed him out so much that he was not able to savor it. In fact, he was not even sure of what he had eaten as he was too much in a hurry to finish the food.

When Lin Chu saw that he had finished eating and was now holding the coke in his hands, she said, “You can drink the coke while listening to me.”

Mo Jinxi nodded obediently. Then, he took a small sip and let the coke swirl in his mouth.

He liked the taste of coke, but it was also something that Liang Xiulin did not allow him to drink.

“Jinxi, I know that you miss the orphanage and the old principal. I know you are filial. You’re not a person who forgets those who loved you even after leaving them for your home. The old principal knows that. She watched you grow up and knows who you really are. Do you really think the old principal won’t understand your situation? So, don’t worry about the old principal thinking that you’ve forgotten her. The old principal knows very well that the only reason you aren’t visiting is because you can’t, not because you don’t want to. The old principal won’t blame you Mo Jinxi, she will never blame you for this. She knows you’re a good boy who has always thought about taking care of her. The day your grandma took you away, the old principal told me that she knew that your grandma would never allow you back into the orphanage once you left with her. Even so, she knows that you love the orphanage and won’t forget any of them. Besides, the most important thing is that you have a good life with the Mo family. Nothing is more important than ensuring this, but she is worried that you will fight with your family because of her, do you understand?” Lin Chu explained slowly.

Mo Jinxi was stunned and almost dropped his coke.

Lin Chu tussled the hair at the back of his head. “You’ve called the old principal a few times now, didn’t you? Did she sound unhappy?”

Mo Jinxi shook his head. “I want to see the old principal, not just call her.”

Lin Chu replied, “The old principal understands. When I got pregnant and couldn’t visit the orphanage often, the old principal also understood my situation. She is aware of our predicaments and has always put us first. You hold the old principa,l and your brothers and sisters dear to your heart, so regardless of if you see them or not, it’ll be enough as long as you never forget them.”

“Really? But I’m worried that the old principal will miss me,” Mo Jinxi said dejectedly.

“Whenever I go to the orphanage and chat with the old principal, I will always tell her how you’re doing. The old principal knows what’s going on in your life and your studies, and she knows that you’ve gotten really good results over the last month,” replied Lin Chu.

Mo Jinxi felt as though a huge load had been lifted off his heart after hearing Lin Chu say this. Thus, he sighed in relief.

“Now that we’re done talking about this, we can put the matter aside. Let’s move on to discuss what you did by sneaking out of school without saying a word to anyone,” Lin Chu suddenly said sternly, her gentle tone and demeanor immediately disappearing.

Mo Jinxi got nervous again as his little body straightened stiffly. Then, he lowered his head apologetically.

“It’s not up to me to tell you if your grandma was right or wrong,” continued Lin Chu. She had no right to meddle in his grandmother’s decisions on how to raise him.

Liang Xiulin was Mo Jinxi’s elder. Regardless of the situation, it was not up to Lin Chu to tell him what to do.

Besides, it would be difficult to judge Liang Xiulin so objectively. It might not be right for her to stop Mo Jinxi from visiting the orphanage, but who was to say if her judgment on the children from the orphanage was right or wrong?

No one could tell if the children would eventually change once they have grown older. What would their futures look like? Would their friendship with Mo Jinxi continue to be pure without any thoughts of leeching off of him or have other ulterior motives to it?

It was normal for Liang Xiulin to be worried about this as people from different worlds who have undergone different educations would eventually drift apart.

Someone who had grown up within the circle of the rich does not lack much in life. They would obtain anything they desired without much difficulty, so when they grow up and start working, they would mostly talk about the workplace issues faced by higher management. However, for someone who grew up within an environment that was so lacking that they would have to count every stick of food bought by the roadside to figure out how much they should pay, would eventually grow up to figure out how to solve any problems handed down to them from higher management. How much in common would these two types of people from different worlds have?

Lin Chu had watched the children grow up in the orphanage and was close to them. She knew them well too, which allowed them to bond. Because of this, she believed that the old principal had thought the children well, and that people like Zhu Hexuan are exceptions to this.

Liang Xiulin had no understanding of these children and it was only normal for her to have this sort of worry. Besides, her words rang true in the real world. It might be considered cruel to a child like Mo Jinxi, but he did not understand the way the world worked yet.

No matter how their friendship would evolve in the future, at the very least, their friendship was pure and without mixed emotions right now.

“You can disagree with your grandma’s words, but you need to understand that no matter what she does, she does it all for your own good. Although her good intentions might end up hurting you, and you might not agree with her actions, you can’t build a wall between the two of you just because of this. You can refuse to conform and be angry, but you need to remember that deep down, she is doing it for your own sake, okay?” Lin Chu said.

Mo Jinxi sniffled. “I know. Grandma treats me really well.”

“Yes, she does. Your grandparents and your uncle searched for seven long years in order to find you. Now that they’ve finally reunited with you after so much difficulty, they only want to offer you the best life possible. They want you to go to the best school, have the best education, for you to eat, wear, and use the best things they can get you. Your grandma bought you new clothes and won’t let you wear your old clothes not because she looks down on them, but because she wants to give you nice things and ensure that her grandson puts on his best and looks handsome. They know you need time to adapt after you left the orphanage for their home, and they’re doing their best to get close to you and understand you so that they will be able to help you adapt to your new life with them. They were worried that you’d feel nervous on the first day of school and even got us to especially accompany you. Not to mention, they had even gotten Yan Ningbai to accompany you, so you wouldn’t have felt so anxious.”

Mo Jinxi had second thoughts about his actions after he listened to Lin Chu.

“They care so much about you, yet you left without saying a single word and snuck out of school to come here. You think that your grandma is wrong for not allowing you to visit the orphanage, but from her point of view, she’s doing it all for your own good. You could have reasoned with her and told her how you really felt. If she disagreed, you could have waited for your grandpa and uncle to be free before letting them know of your situation once they’re home. You could have gotten your grandpa and uncle to talk to your grandma about this,” said Lin Chu.

“You shouldn’t sneak out of school like this. Your teacher will be anxious when she realizes that you’ve disappeared, and she will call your grandma. Can you imagine just how anxious she will feel then? They’ve been searching for you for so many years, so you should know very well just how important you are to them. Now that you’ve run off without saying a word such that they have no idea where you are, you’re only going to make them worry again. Once they find out the truth, they’ll just be sad,” Lin Chu saw the look of regret appear on Mo Jinxi’s face as she lectured him.

Mo Jinxi stayed silent. He knew now that he was in the wrong.

“Jinxi, you’re now a big boy, but you’re not alone. You’ve got so many family members supporting you who all love and care for you. You need to consider the feelings of your family. You can’t just be filial to the old principal anymore, you also need to be filial to your grandparents. They’re also your elders who love you. You are more important to them than anything in this world, which is why they tend to overthink when it comes to you. This is why they are so cautious as to make sure that no one hurts you in the slightest,” Lin Chu’s voice became relatively gentler as she coaxed him.

“Sneaking out like this is not the way a real man acts, this is the tactic of a coward. When you play games with Ningbai, don’t you always say to each other that real men live honestly, take responsibility for their actions, and face their problems head-on? Yet, here you are running away. This counts as you hiding from your problems,” continued Lin Chu.

Mo Jinxi replied quietly, “I know. I know that I’m wrong, and I won’t do it again. I’ll wait until Grandpa and Uncle are free before talking to them about visiting the orphanage whenever I miss it. I will talk to grandma nicely about this too. I’ll let her know that the most important thing for me now is that I can stay close with Shi Tou and Tian Tian now, so it doesn’t matter how they might turn out in the future. She can’t stop me from playing with them now just because there might be a possibility that they won’t turn out good in the future.”

Lin Chu patted Mo Jinxi’s little shoulder. “That’s right. Are you full now? Do you need me to order anything else for you?”

Mo Jinxi shook his head. “I’d like to go back to school. People might get worried if I return too late.”

“Okay.” Lin Chu smiled.

“I’ll take him back. You stay here and rest. I don’t want you to get too tired,” Yan Beicheng got up and took his coat off the coatrack.

Right at that moment, Lin Chu received a call from Yan Ningbai.

“Ningbai?” Lin Chu was surprised that Yan Ningbai had called her.

“Big niece-in-law, something’s happened. I can’t find Jinxi,” Yan Ningbai sounded really anxious over the phone.

“Could something have happened to him? I… I don’t know Jinxi’s grandmother’s phone number. I’m not sure if he is in trouble, but I also don’t dare to let the teacher know about.”

Lin Chu felt a warmth in her heart. It would be wonderful if the little guy in her belly would grow to be as adorable and understanding as Yan Ningbai. “Don’t worry. Jinxi came to Yan Hui and Beicheng is taking him back to school now.”

“What is he doing at Yan Hui? Big niece-in-law, pass the phone to Jinxi. I’d like to give him a good scolding!” Yan Ningbai asked in surprise as he stomped his foot in anger.

“Okay,” Lin Chu did not stop him and immediately passed the phone to Mo Jinxi with a smile on her face.

She could imagine how Yan Ningbai looked at the other end of the call with one hand holding onto the phone while the other rested on his waist. He probably had the look of an elder who was unconsciously tapping his feet in anger.

Mo Jinxi was really at fault in this situation. She had never thought that Mo Jinxi would keep secrets from his grandparents; not to mention, even Yan Ningbai did not know about it. If something really had happened to him, then no one at school would ever find out. There was no contactable person to handle the situation.

Luckily, Yan Ningbai had found out about it and given her a call.

Lin Chu felt that even though Yan Ningbai was usually cheeky, playful, always spouting nonsense, and constantly milking everything he could from the people around him by parading as an elder, when it came to a crucial moment like this, he was quite dependable.

Mo Jinxi took the phone whilst Lin Chu wondered about what Yan Ningbai could have been shouting at him about from the other end. The phone trembled from the vibration of his shouting so much that Mo Jinxi had to move his head slightly away from the phone to distance his ear from it.

“Ningbai, don’t be angry. I know I’m in the wrong. I’m coming back right now,” Mo Jinxi admitted his mistake honestly.

“…”

“Yes, I promise never to hide anything from you. I’m really sorry about today,” Mo Jinxi’s looked troubled as his little face frowned. He was anxious and badly wanted to apologize to Yan Ningbai face-to-face to ask for his forgiveness.

“…”

“I still have a packet of Lonely God [TN: A brand of snack] in my desk drawer. I’ll give it to you,” Mo Jinxi did his best to try to appease him.

Yan Ningbai said something from the other end, and it seemed like he had forgiven Mo Jinxi because Lin Chu saw Mo Jinxi let out a sigh of relief.

Thus, Mo Jinxi hung up and passed the phone back to Lin Chu.

Lin Chu looked at the time. Even if Yan Beicheng took Mo Jinxi back to school now, he would have to miss half a class. Because of this, she thought that it would be best to help Mo Jinxi to apply to the teacher for some time off school. Otherwise, this would develop into a serious situation at the school if no one could find Mo Jinxi.

The students at Jixia Academy were precious commodities, and the teachers would be very anxious if anyone disappeared.

Mo Jinxi’s phone rang at that moment.

Mo Jinxi looked at his phone and lifted his head toward Lin Chu before saying, “It’s grandma.”

He picked up the call after this and called out ‘grandma’ softly. One could tell that he was feeling guilty.

“Jinxi, where are you? Your teacher said that you’ve disappeared. Where did you go to?” Liang Xiulin asked hurriedly, her tone filled anxiousness and worry.

“I’m sorry, Grandma. I’m at Yan Hui with Uncle Yan,” Mo Jinxi could tell that Liang Xiulin was very worried from her voice. He felt even worse as the guilt was evident on his little face.

Yan Beicheng took the phone from Mo Jinxi’s hands. “Madam Liang, it’s me.”

“Oh, Beicheng,” Liang Xiulin exhaled with relief. She felt much better knowing that Mo Jinxi was with Yan Beicheng since she was initially worried that Mo Jinxi was wandering around alone. He might have gotten lost or met someone bad.

There were so many kidnappings happening nowadays. Not to mention, it was especially dangerous for Mo Jinxi to be walking around in his Jixia Academy uniform.

“He’s already eaten at my place, and I’m taking him back to school now. We’ll talk more when we meet,” Yan Beicheng explained briefly, but didn’t say anything about why Mo Jinxi had come to see him.

Liang Xiulin was strung along by Yan Beicheng’s words. Thus, she quickly agreed without much thought. By the time she realized how she had reacted, Yan Beicheng had already hung up.

Lin Chu could not help but think that only Yan Beicheng could handle things so smoothly. If it was her, Liang Xiulin would have extracted every single bit of information from her.

After hanging up, Lin Chu gave it a thought and said, “I think I’ll go with you.”

Liang Xiulin was an older woman, after all. Moreover, she had a bad temper. If she found out the reason behind why Mo Jinxin had snuck away from school, who knew what she would have said. It was almost inevitable that some ugly words would be exchanged. Since Yan Beicheng was a man, it would not be nice for him to try to reason with the older woman. Because of this, it would be more convenient for him if Lin Chu simply handled it.

She wondered if Yan Beicheng was thinking the same thing as he nodded in agreement with a gentle look on his face.

…

When they arrived at Jixia Academy, they saw Liang Xiulin and Mo Jinxi’s class teacher standing in front of the school looking especially anxious.

Mo Jinxi felt even guiltier as he watched them. It was really selfish of him to sneak out like this; he truly did not know how to appreciate something good when it was given to him.

Mo Jinxi got out of the car while Liang Xiulin approached him quickly.

She grabbed both of Mo Jinxi shoulders before questioning him, “Jinxi, why did you leave school without saying a word? Do you know how dangerous it is to do that? I was nearly scared to death when your teacher called me about it! Jixia Academy is well-known and an obvious target, so what if a bad person had secretly followed you? Why do you think the students here all have someone fetching them to and fro from school every day? It’s not because they can afford it, it’s for security!”

Mo Jinxi scolded himself as he replied, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I made everyone worry for nothing. I’m sorry, I was being selfish.”

Liang Xiulin’s heart softened at Mo Jinxi’s words as she lost the heart to blame him anymore. After all, this was her grandson; moreover, he was a grandson that she had lost and later found, the only blood left behind by her deceased son. This was why Liang Xiulin could not bear to hit or scold Mo Jinxi. She did not want to say anything too harsh to him since he was her treasure.

Now that Mo Jinxi was fine, she stopped worrying. Liang Xiulin quickly looked Mo Jinxi up and down before saying, “What happened? Why did you go to Yan Hui without saying a word?”

Mo Jinxi moved his lips a little and finally replied, “Grandma, you won’t let me visit the orphanage and there’s a driver who picks me up every day after school. During the weekends, all of you watch over me at home, so I have no way of going to the orphanage. That’s why I thought of going to visit during my lunch break. But I didn’t recognize the way to the orphanage, so I went to Yan Hui instead to see if Chu Chu would take me there.”

Liang Xiulin was really angry when she heard this and wanted to lecture Mo Jinxi on the spot.

The class teacher saw that this was fast becoming a family matter, so she quickly said, “It’s good that Jinxi is back. There’s still half of the class left. Jinxi won’t be able to catch up with the lesson if he joins halfway. By the time he puts on his protective gear, the class will be over. Why don’t you have a chat first while I prepare for his next class.”

“Okay,” Liang Xiulin did not want an outsider to listen to their private family matters, so she immediately agreed.

The class teacher then turned to Mo Jinxi. “Come to my office later in between class. We need to talk about the issue of you leaving class on your own.”

Mo Jinxi nodded and the class teacher left.

Liang Xiulin then said to Mo Jinxi, “Jinxi, didn’t I tell you before? Stop mentioning the orphanage. You’ve got nothing to do with the orphanage now.”

Mo Jinxi opened his mouth and looked anxiously at Liang Xiulin.

“Madam Mo,” Lin Chu called out.

Liang Xiulin looked over. Her unhappiness at the sudden interruption was palpable.

Nevertheless, it did not bother Lin Chu as she said, “I have no right to interfere in this as it is your family matter. All I ask from you is to listen to Jinxi’s feelings. He may be young, but he is not simply some oblivious child. He has his own thoughts and opinions; he’s not limited to being naïve and stubborn. Please don’t assume that he knows nothing and that he lacks good judgment just because he’s young. There are many things he says that makes sense, so I can vouch that he does indeed have good judgment.”

Lin Chu looked down at Mo Jinxi after saying this. She patted his shoulders lightly. “Speak nicely to your grandma and don’t make running away a habit. We’re leaving now.”

Mo Jinxi nodded as he watched Lin Chu and Yan Beicheng get into the car.

Lin Chu could see Liang Xiulin and Mo Jinxi standing there and looking at each other through the car window. Neither of them said a word. Therefore, she could not help but wonder if Liang Xiulin would really listen to what Mo Jinxi had to say.

…

That night, Lin Chu received a call from Mo Jinxi. He sounded very excited over the phone. “Chu Chu, Grandma listened to me seriously. She said she would think about it.”

“That’s wonderful,” Lin Chu smiled as she replied. She had a feeling that Liang Xiulin would not agree so easily, but she did not tell Mo Jinxi that.

The next day was Saturday. It had been quite a while since they last visited the orphanage, so Lin Chu got Yan Beicheng to accompany her there and so that they could take the opportunity to update the old principal about Mo Jinxi.

When they arrived at the orphanage, Shi Tou and Tian Tian were busy doing their homework in their rooms. They came out to wait for her when they found out that Lin Chu was coming, but returned to their rooms after greeting the couple.

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