Chapter 114: A Childhood Secret

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: A Childhood Secret

The Matron ladled a large spoonful of white porridge into a bowl and brought over a plate of steamed buns.

Sun Yanzi looked like she wanted to cry but couldn’t, her eyes pleading with Jiang Fan for help.

Jiang Fan found it a little funny, but he still took the porridge and buns, saying:

"Alright, Matron. She has a small appetite to begin with. Don’t force her to eat so much she bursts."

The Matron was a little taken aback.

"Huh? This girl hasn’t even said if she’s full or not."

"We don’t want her getting hungry later."

"Don’t worry, she won’t. We’re all adults. If she’s not full, she’ll eat. If she’s full, she can’t eat anymore."

"Weren’t you supposed to go tell stories to the kids today?"

"Oh, right."

With Jiang Fan’s reminder, the Matron suddenly remembered.

"Alright then, Qian’Er, you clean up quickly. I’ll head over first."

Right now, the children in the orphanage were the apple of the Matron’s eye.

Whatever she promised them, she would do everything in her power to fulfill.

"Okay, I’ll be right there."

Li Qian’Er replied.

"Phew."

Sun Yanzi let out a long breath and shot Jiang Fan a fierce glare.

"Why didn’t you say something earlier? You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself, didn’t you!"

But her pouty expression was actually kind of cute, completely lacking any real menace.

"Who knew you were so earnest?"

"You rest for a bit. I have to take care of something, and then we’ll head to work together."

"Hmph."

Sun Yanzi snorted coldly and turned her head away, ignoring him.

"Jiang, what do you need to take care of?"

Li Qian’Er was a little curious.

"This is grown-up business. Little kids shouldn’t pry."

Jiang Fan flicked her on the forehead again, then pulled Jun Yue aside.

"Oh, I see! Rekindling an old flame, are we?"

Li Qian’Er’s finger trembled with indignation as she pointed at the two of them.

"All you do is spout nonsense all day long."

Jun Yue turned back and flicked her on the forehead too.

"So you’re both ganging up on me, huh?! You hit me when we were kids, and you’re still hitting me now that we’re grown up. Did I grow up for nothing?!"

Li Qian’Er let out a yell and charged over.

Jiang Fan couldn’t help but chuckle. He sidestepped, grabbed her hand, and in the next moment, twisted her arm behind her back in a grappling hold.

He held Li Qian’Er so tightly she couldn’t move.

"Still feeling brave?"

After struggling for a few moments and realizing she couldn’t break free at all, Li Qian’Er gave up resisting.

"I was wrong! I won’t do it again!"

Her apology was surprisingly forthright.

Only then did Jiang Fan let her go. He pulled Jun Yue over to a corner of the orphanage.

"Is this really okay?"

Jiang Fan asked.

"It’s fine."

"You won’t regret it?"

He asked again after a slight hesitation.

"I won’t regret it. Go ahead!"

After speaking, Jun Yue closed her eyes as if facing death.

The back-and-forth between the two of them was filled with ambiguity.

It made Li Qian’Er and Sun Yanzi, who were hiding and peeking from a distance, stare with wide eyes.

Rubbing his hands in excitement, Jiang Fan kicked a nearby wall.

The wall didn’t collapse. Instead, a small hole was revealed.

Squatting down, Jiang Fan carefully pulled out half a brick from the small hole.

Finally, he fished out a small iron box from inside.

The box was about the size of a fist.

"After all these years, it’s really still here."

Jun Yue opened her eyes, a complex, sentimental look flashing within them.

"Are you sure you want to see it?"

she asked after a long moment.

"Of course. I’ve been curious my whole life about what’s been kept in here."

Jiang Fan said, looking at her with determination.

"Fine. Then open it."

From a distance, the other two girls strained their eyes, desperate to see.

They were especially curious about what was inside the box.

Especially since this box seemed to have been hidden for over a decade; who knew what secrets it held.

Jiang Fan opened the iron box with great excitement, but to his disappointment, there was only a slip of paper inside.

A bad feeling immediately rose in his heart, but meeting Jun Yue’s gaze, Jiang Fan stiffly took out the slip of paper and saw the childish, messy handwriting on it.

"This... I wrote this?"

Jiang Fan asked, swallowing hard.

"You’re asking the obvious. Not only did you write it, but it also has your handprint on it."

Jiang Fan let out a breath and unfolded the note.

He had actually already remembered what was written on the note.

But he never expected this piece of paper to have survived for over a decade, lasting until today.

"Jun Yue, I said I would marry you, and I will, no matter what."

Jiang Fan didn’t dare lift his head now.

’Curiosity killed the cat!’

This was from back then, when he had stood up for the other kids at the orphanage and gotten beaten black and blue. In the end, it was Jun Yue who had found a way to chase off the bullies.

That night, he was in too much pain to sleep, and it was Jun Yue who applied medicine for him, massaged his bruises, and gently coaxed him to sleep.

It was after that when this note came to be.

Jiang Fan sighed softly.

Even without looking up, he could feel Jun Yue’s two burning gazes fixed tightly on him.

"Give it here! You’re done looking at it."

Jun Yue snatched the note from his hand and stuffed it back into the iron box.

Then, with her head lowered, she quickly walked away.

He could feel the disappointment in her heart and understand her emotions.

’But in my current situation, who can I afford to string along?’

’It’s better to let some things remain a joke.’

Li Qian’Er secretly glanced at Jun Yue’s retreating back, then back at Jiang Fan.

In the end, unable to suppress her curiosity, she ran over.

"Jiang, what was in that box? What did it say?"

Although Sun Yanzi didn’t follow, she still pricked up her ears.

"It was nothing. You stay here at the orphanage and take good care of the Matron. Call me if anything comes up."

"I’m heading back to work now."

Jiang Fan waved at Sun Yanzi in the distance, and the two of them left the orphanage, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the company.

Neither of them said a word the entire way.

The atmosphere in the car was strangely silent.

After paying the fare, Jiang Fan went upstairs and ducked straight into Li Muwan’s office.

He didn’t even respond when Su Qingci called out to him as he passed the security department.

"What’s wrong with him? He seems a little off."

Su Qingci asked, looking at Sun Yanzi who was following behind.

"I don’t know either. Maybe he’s just in a bad mood."

Sun Yanzi shook her head and walked quickly into the company.

Inside the office, Jiang Fan sat right down on the sofa, his gaze vacant as he stared ahead.

"What’s wrong? Worn out from the past two days? A young man needs to take care of his back."

Li Muwan’s voice was tinged with a hint of mockery.