Chapter 11. Sincerity

The letter was placed on the coffee table in the living room, where the little one could see it as soon as he got up. Luo Qingshu had called for a car in advance, and the driver was already waiting outside.

However, just as Luo Qingshu stepped out the door, he was stopped by a small figure — it was Gu Zhaochen.

The child had a layer of snow on his shoulders and head, having run over from under the stone lion in the corner. His steps were stiff and unsteady, indicating he had likely been waiting there for a long time.

After asking about Su Shiyang, Gu Zhaochen had been so worried that he couldn't sleep. He had run out of the police station and waited outside the Shanshui Courtyard for several hours. When he saw the little monk actually come out alone with a suitcase in the early morning, his heart twisted. He had experienced such moments before and knew how painful and disappointing they could be, so he didn’t want the little monk to go through this.

Gu Zhaochen looked up at the person who treated the little monk well and whom the little monk relied on, his dark eyes filled with anxiety and pleading. "The little monk is both smart and beautiful. He’s very well-behaved, much more than any child I’ve ever seen. Please don’t abandon him! When he grows up, he will definitely be filial to you and earn a lot of money for you!"

"Really! I will also work hard to earn money for you in the future, so please don’t abandon the little monk..."

The usually silent boy, who could endure all kinds of beatings and scoldings, now had red eyes. Luo Qingshu looked at him, feeling both amused and helpless. Were all children such adorable beings?

A warmth rose in his heart at the little one's pure and earnest feelings.

Seeing that the little monk wasn’t speaking, Gu Zhaochen anxiously shared what he knew, "I asked Captain Song who Su Shiyang is. He has four sons, and sending the little monk to such a family will lead to bullying. Moreover, they are too wealthy. If they have a biological son, he will bully the little monk even more, fearing that the little monk will take their things. So you can’t abandon the little monk!"

The little boy seemed to come alive, as if life had been infused into him.

Luo Qingshu, rarely close to children other than the little monk, reached out and ruffled Gu Zhaochen's hair, gently asking, "Do you want to protect Mingjing?"

Gu Zhaochen pressed his lips together and nodded firmly. He hoped the little monk could stay or that they could leave together, so the little monk would be happy.

After the driver placed the luggage in the trunk, Luo Qingshu got into the car. Looking at the little boy, he slowly said, "Then study hard and live well. Don’t worry about Mingjing; she can handle this little difficulty."

As the car door closed, it quickly started moving. Gu Zhaochen ran after it for a long distance, but the car didn’t stop. Through the window, he could see that the little monk hadn’t looked back, and that silhouette reminded him of the father who had abandoned him at the amusement park.

Gu Zhaochen leaned against his knees, panting, and ran back to knock on the door, but there was no response. He had been to the Shanshui Courtyard once before, and the door was separated from the living room by a small garden, making it difficult to hear the knocking.

With the sound of police sirens coming from the direction of the police station, Gu Zhaochen shouted several times before he shrank down into the box under the stone lion. He couldn’t be found by the police; he had to wait here to see the little monk.

In the past, Mingjing would wake up at five ten in the morning, but she had been too tired yesterday and had gone to bed late. When she finally woke up, the wall clock indicated it was already nine o'clock.

"Master..."

She still held onto the knot of her monk robe, but her master was no longer there.

Mingjing anxiously looked around, immediately getting out of bed and leaving the room. She noticed that the suitcase she had left out last night was also gone. Unable to hold back her emotions, she burst into tears, clutching the robe and running outside, following the main road until she reached the bridge tunnel. Looking at the busy road with cars coming and going, and then up at the planes flying in the sky, she gradually stopped, crying so hard that she could hardly breathe...

No wonder Qin Xue cried every time she parted from her parents; it was simply unbearable. Now, she was starting to miss her master...

Mingjing wiped her tears with her sleeve and walked back, holding her master’s robe. When she saw Gu Zhaochen running after her, she stopped crying, wiped her tears, and said sullenly, "My master went to fetch scriptures. He didn’t wake me up this morning because he was afraid I would be sad. I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to him..."

Perhaps people were different. The little monk had said he would come back, and he would definitely return because he treated the little monk very well and sincerely. She could feel that.

Gu Zhaochen remained silent for a while before saying, "Little monk, let’s run. You can’t go to the Su family; they won’t treat you well."

Mingjing hiccupped, surprised as she processed Gu Zhaochen's words, then shook her head. "We can’t run away. We are just children. If we run out, we could be sold by bad people. Master said that the people from the Su family are all good, so I shouldn’t be afraid and should get along well with them..."

"And you, Gu Zhaochen, can’t run away either. You have to go to the welfare home and wait for a good family to adopt you. If no one adopts you, you’ll go to school. I’ve inquired about it before; the children at the city welfare home can go to school when they reach the right age. They can finish middle school, and if they do well, they can even go to high school and university."

Gu Zhaochen felt anxious. "They have their own biological son; they won’t treat you well. Even if they are nice at first, they won’t be for long. One day, they will grow tired of you, and then you will be sad and hurt, just like me. Let’s run away together; I have a way to earn money. We can support ourselves without any problems!"

He had thought about it last night. He had been self-studying and helping many students with their homework. Usually, homework cost three yuan per book, and if he could do ten books a day, that would be thirty yuan. During the winter and summer breaks, or if he encountered someone like Qin Xue who didn’t do any homework, he could earn even more. If he saved a little, it would be enough to buy bread for the little monk.

When he grew a bit older, he could also work to earn more money, buy more cakes for the little monk, and ensure that the little monk wouldn’t go hungry or freeze.

Mingjing shook her head. "I will listen to Master. Gu Zhaochen, you can’t run around. We are just children, and sometimes we need to listen to adults. Don’t be afraid; people like Lin Shuixiang and Gu Zhiming are rare; they are exceptions."

Gu Zhaochen was at a loss for words, not knowing how to persuade the little monk. He also understood that he couldn’t change her mind. A few years ago, if someone had told him that kind and loving parents who liked him would abandon and beat him, he wouldn’t have believed it. But that was the reality.

Gu Zhaochen fell silent. It didn’t matter where he went; going to the welfare home was fine because it was in Haihe, not far from the little monk. He could find the little monk first, and if the Su family bullied him, he would take him and run far away.

The little monk was hiccupping from crying, his bare feet covered in sand, mud, and snow, turning red from the cold. Yet, he seemed unaffected by the pain, cherishing the robe he held. Gu Zhaochen recognized it as the one the little monk had worn yesterday.

Gu Zhaochen squatted down in front of the little monk and turned to him, "You’re not wearing shoes. Come up; I’ll carry you."

This human cub was so thin, with injuries on his arms and legs still healing, and he wanted to carry him. Mingjing felt a bit amused but also saddened by her master’s departure, unable to smile. She shook her head, saying, "Master went to fetch scriptures. I feel so gloomy; I don’t even feel the pain in my feet anymore. I can walk by myself."

"Wait here; I’ll go back and get your shoes."

The police car had stopped in front of the Shanshui Courtyard, and it was Chen Yun and Song Xifeng.

The little bastard had run away in the middle of the night, and they were worried he might do something foolish. They had searched for a while in a panic. Gu Feihuang had people watching over him, and they had come to the Shanshui Courtyard several times but hadn’t found him. Now, seeing the little monk about to become a human-powered sedan for the little child, Song Xifeng had completely lost his temper. After all, Gu Zhaochen had suffered because of human traffickers, and they hadn’t done their job properly. It was only natural for Gu Zhaochen to distrust them.

Chen Yun got out of the car and pulled Gu Zhaochen over, checking him from head to toe. Once she confirmed he was fine, she let out a long sigh of relief, gently patting the little boy's head and softly negotiating with him, "The people from the welfare home have arrived. Xiao Zhao, let’s go back with Auntie. You won’t go hungry or freeze there. The welfare home’s staff will keep a close eye out and find you a pair of kind parents, okay?"

Gu Zhaochen nodded. He didn’t expect much from parents; he just wanted to go to Haihe. Captain Song had told him that the Su family lived next to the vacation area by the dam, about twenty kilometers from the city welfare home, which would take an hour by car.

Now that Gu Zhaochen was fine, Song Xifeng relaxed his tense mind and thought of Luo Qingshu, quickly asking, "Mingjing, where is your master?"

"My master went to fetch scriptures."

Mingjing quickly washed up, got dressed, and then took out the breakfast her master had prepared from the thermos to share with everyone. With her master not around, she would take care of herself and not let him worry.

"—Fetch scriptures!"

Alright, he didn’t understand the world of genius scholars. Such things would be considered absurd for others, but not for Luo Qingshu. No one felt anything was wrong.

A few people were a bit disappointed not to see their idol. Song Xifeng asked again, "Okay, since he’s gone, what will you do, Mingjing?"

This was the disciple of a genius; at such a young age, she was so wise and sensible that she would surely be extraordinary in the future. Song Xifeng couldn’t help but glance at the little monk again, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. Why did this child look somewhat familiar?

Could it be that he was just startled by Luo Qingshu? So, he felt that everyone looked familiar!

Song Xifeng, feeling overwhelmed, tapped his police cap against his head, no longer dwelling on the matter. He asked the child, "Are you home alone? Is that okay?"

Mingjing smiled warmly, revealing her little teeth, "My parents will come to pick me up soon."

After confirming this, Chen Yun and Song Xifeng no longer worried. Half an hour ago, Lin San had vomited and mentioned that two other children were sold through him, providing information about other accomplices, two or three of whom were from out of town. The police station was busy with this matter, and after handing over Gu Zhaochen, Song Xifeng and Chen Yun would have to set off immediately.

Mingjing escorted the guests to the door, wrote her phone number on a note, and handed one to Captain Song. "Uncle Song, this is Mingjing's phone number. If you need a witness for the case involving Gu Zhiming and Lin Shuixiang, just call me."

She gave another note to Gu Zhaochen, and like Qin Xue hugging her, she hugged this human cub, earnestly reminding him, "There are good humans and bad humans outside. Some bad humans will disguise themselves as good humans. We are too small to distinguish between good and bad, so we mustn’t run around; we could be caught by bad people. Gu Zhaochen, you need to live well and don’t do anything foolish."

The warmth of her body and the little monk's arm around his back made Gu Zhaochen's body stiffen, but his heart felt warm. He would remember the little monk's kindness for a lifetime.

"I won't run around anymore."

Gu Zhaochen tightened his grip on the note in his hand, nodding seriously. After Song Xifeng finished saying goodbye to the two little friends, he instructed the little monk to hurry home, and then they drove away.

Mingjing stood by the door, waving until the car was out of sight before turning back home. She was a little glutton who had gained wisdom, and she needed to be alert and take care of herself, not letting her master worry.

Mingjing took out the voice recorder and finished chanting the day’s scriptures, performed a set of Five Animal Play exercises, and practiced the Qimei staff technique. After washing up and changing into the new clothes her master had bought for her, she checked the time — it was 10:30. Knowing her father would arrive soon, she moved a small stool and sat in the corner pavilion, chanting scriptures while her heart raced in anticipation of her father's arrival.