The little cat darted around in Jiang Wanrou’s arms.
From time to time, it licked her chin, softening the cold indifference on her breathtaking face. The corners of Jiang Wanrou’s lips curved slightly upward.
It was the first time she had smiled within everyone’s sight.
Chen Ruru and Wang Ziyu were both stunned. Fang Yan, however, remained quite calm. He had already seen Jiang Wanrou smile at noon.
The kitten licked her smooth, fair chin. Her rosy lips pressed together as she tried to hold back a smile. Her clear eyes carried a faint tenderness.
Fang Yan coughed a few times and cleared his throat. “Hey, hey, little cat, how can you call like that?”
“Fang Yan, what’s wrong with you?” Chen Ruru snapped again. “If a cat doesn’t meow, how else is it supposed to call?”
“Don’t you know how a cat calls?”
Fang Yan clapped his hands. “Xiao Yu, tell them how a cat calls.”
“Oh my god!”
“Do you want me to comment on you too?”
“Don’t get glass-hearted.”
“Who did that here?”
Chen Ruru understood the joke. Fang Yan and the others burst out laughing together.
Only Jiang Wanrou stood there, confused, not understanding the humor at all.
The kitten, having taken advantage long enough, struggled free from Jiang Wanrou’s arms and ran off.
“Ah, it ran away!” Chen Ruru cried out.
“The cat likes pretty girls. It won’t run far.”
“That’s true.”
Their strange exchange left Jiang Wanrou completely puzzled. She was not stupid. She guessed she had fallen behind the internet trends and did not understand the current memes.
The ride-hailing car they had called arrived.
Chen Ruru, though petite, was very quick at grabbing a seat. Before getting into the car, Jiang Wanrou hesitated briefly and said to Fang Yan, “Thank you. I was very happy today.”
“I was just repaying what I owed you.”
Fang Yan chuckled and raised his hand to wave goodbye.
After they got into the car, Fang Yan turned to Wang Ziyu with a mischievous smile.
“Xiao Yu, can you lend me some money? I don’t have enough for a ride home.”
“No need to lend it. You won’t need much to get home anyway.”
“Xiao Yu, you’re so generous. Truly my good girl!”
“Get lost!”
“Hey, didn’t I already prove at noon that I was eating with the campus belle? Didn’t you say if that was true you’d be my good girl?”
“Guess I’m just unlucky.”
Wang Ziyu had truly not expected Jiang Wanrou to have lunch with Fang Yan.
Silently, he transferred 10 yuan to Fang Yan.
Then he left alone.
Fang Yan smiled and noticed not far away a little girl around four or five years old crying helplessly. There seemed to be no adult by her side. Get faster updates on g.com.
Many people had gathered around her, all concerned.
Fang Yan immediately walked over.
After asking around, he learned the little girl had gotten separated from her parents.
She was crying pitifully. Surrounded by so many strangers, she was frightened, repeatedly crying “Mom” and unable to provide any useful information.
People spoke over one another.
“Call the police first. Letting her cry like this won’t help.”
“Everyone, step back a little. The little girl is scared.”
“Is there anyone who knows how to comfort children? Calm her down first. Her voice is already hoarse from crying.”
Fang Yan stepped forward, gently touched her head, and smiled. “Hey, don’t cry. You miss your mom? Big brother will take you to find her.”
The little girl looked pitiful. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Her flushed cheeks were wet with tears that fell like broken pearls. Her eyes were red from crying, and her tiny hands tightly held a bouquet of flowers, as if it were her entire world.
She stopped crying and looked at the big brother in front of her with teary eyes.
Because he said he would take her to find her mom.
She wanted her mom.
The crowd blocked the road completely. Everyone was very kind.
In fact, if there were no human traffickers in this world, children would be very safe.
With the road blocked, the car Jiang Wanrou was in also stopped. The driver leaned his head out the window. “What’s going on? The road is completely blocked!”
Chen Ruru looked out the window at the crowd and exclaimed, “Wanwan, look, that’s Fang Yan!”
Jiang Wanrou looked over. Fang Yan was crouching in front of a little girl, saying something and occasionally rubbing her head.
“Wanwan, let’s go stop him!” Chen Ruru said through gritted teeth.
“Why?”
“He must have made the little girl cry!”
Chen Ruru grabbed Jiang Wanrou’s hand and dragged her over to confront Fang Yan.
…
Fang Yan lifted the little girl onto his shoulders and walked, swaying slightly to make her laugh. “Whose little girl is missing?”
“Whose adorable little girl is this?”
“She misses her mom. Where’s her mom?”
“If her mom doesn’t come soon, I’m taking her home!”
Every sentence he said made passersby laugh.
The crowd followed him as if escorting him.
Across the street, Chen Ruru completely changed her opinion of Fang Yan.
She widened her eyes and murmured softly, “He’s actually quite kind.”
When she turned her head, Jiang Wanrou was gone.
“Wanwan?”
“Wanwan, where are you?”
She would rather believe Jiang Wanrou could fly than look at where Fang Yan was.
“Fang Yan.”
A familiar cool voice sounded.
Fang Yan turned around and saw Jiang Wanrou standing quietly there. When passersby saw such a beautiful girl, they instinctively made space for her.
“Didn’t you go home?” Fang Yan asked.
“The road was blocked, and then I saw you,” Jiang Wanrou said softly.
“Oh.” Fang Yan shook the little girl on his shoulders. “Little one, look, this pretty sister is my classmate.”
Jiang Wanrou took out a pack of tissues from her small bag and said, “Put her down first.”
Fang Yan did as she said. The little girl pouted and was about to cry again.
“It’s okay, don’t cry.”
Jiang Wanrou gently wiped the tears from the girl’s face with tissues, carefully cleaning her tear-streaked, dirty cheeks until they were spotless.
“Alright.”
Until Jiang Wanrou spoke, Fang Yan was still slightly dazed.
At this moment, she was truly as gentle as her name.
He lifted the little girl onto his shoulders again and continued calling out, “Whose little girl is missing?”
“She misses her mom. Where is her mom?”
Jiang Wanrou followed beside him. When tears rolled down the little girl’s face again, she gently wiped them away.
She suddenly felt grateful for her impulsiveness today, for choosing to come out and meet Fang Yan. This might become a day she would never forget in her life.
Looking at Fang Yan’s back as he carried the little girl, a sentence suddenly came to her mind.
In their youthful prime, radiant and full of spirit.
Bright like sunlight.
After walking around for a while, the little girl’s mother finally spotted them.
Mother and daughter reunited.
Her mother cried uncontrollably, repeatedly thanking Fang Yan.
The corners of Jiang Wanrou’s lips curved slightly upward. Even if the happiness belonged to someone else, she still smiled along.
She also learned what had happened. The little girl had wandered off to buy flowers from a random roadside vendor to give to her mother, which was how she got lost.
Their bond was so deep. Tears shimmered in Jiang Wanrou’s eyes.
She also wished she could have that kind of relationship with her mother.
“Why are you crying too?” Fang Yan asked.
“I’m not,” Jiang Wanrou defended softly.
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“No.”
Watching their backs, Chen Ruru sighed. “When kindness meets gentleness, that’s a perfect match in this world.”