BXBX NOVEL Chapter 96 - Everything fine now
HuMing had changed into a fresh set of clothes, blending into the crowd.
He looked like any ordinary passerby strolling through the bustling marketplace.
For someone like Zhao Qiong, he felt no pity. Gambling had corrupted his mind, stripping him of even the most basic human decency.
However, to the old director and his wife, Zhao Qiong was still their son.
Who could say what their feelings for him truly were?
He had dealt with Zhao Qiong cleanly, leaving no trace behind, as though no one had ever been there.
No one would ever find Zhao Qiong. He had vanished from this world without a trace.
As for that pension money, HuMing certainly wasn\'t going to leave it behind---it was evidence, after all.
He would ask Han LiTian to solve the money problem in the orphanage, which is not a bad thing for the Han family.
After all, spending some money on charity is also good for the company\'s reputation.
He was certain Han LiTian wouldn\'t refuse.
But, he was still a bit concerned about Han YunXi\'s condition. She had been terrified by Zhao Qiong, after all.
He wondered how she was doing now.
"Young man, would you like to buy some dolls to take home?"
HuMing stopped in his tracks. An old woman was sitting at a stall with buttons, threads, and a few simple cloth dolls neatly arranged.
The old woman\'s face was kind, and she smiled warmly at HuMing as if eagerly hoping he would buy something.
HuMing was about to shake his head and decline when he noticed a beggar nearby, holding a tattered bowl and asking people for money.
Some avoided him, while some handed him the spare change they had.
Seeing this, HuMing fell silent.
After a moment, he turned back to the elderly woman, smiled, and said.
"How much for those dolls? I\'ll buy them all."
The old woman seemed surprised by HuMing\'s words, but she quickly pulled out several large bags and packed all the dolls inside. As she did, she also handed him a handmade scarf.
"This is something I knitted myself. It\'s a gift for you, young man."
"Thank you."
HuMing didn\'t refuse. After paying, he took the bags and scarf from the old woman and turned to leave.
The beggar\'s voice, asking others for money, still made it to his ears but he had lost interest.
He couldn\'t remember the last time he had given a beggar any change.
It was probably back when he earned his first bit of money. He and HuMin were walking past a bridge when they saw a beggar crouched on the side, asking for money.
When the beggar saw HuMing, he shook his bowl and muttered something like, "Kind soul, spare some change."
HuMing reached into his pocket, ready to pull out some loose change, but HuMin stopped him, looking at him in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"You\'re not actually thinking of giving him money, are you?" HuMin looked at him like he\'d gone mad.
The beggar overheard HuMin, and his expression turned furious.
He hurled a string of curses at her, but HuMin wasn\'t one to back down. With a swift kick, she sent the beggar\'s bowl flying.
The beggar, still swearing, scrambled to pick up the few remaining coins.
HuMin watched coldly without a hint of sympathy, then turned and walked away without looking back.
On the way, HuMing couldn\'t help but wonder why HuMin had acted that way.
"Hey, are you thinking what I did just now was too much?"
HuMin pulled out a pack of cigarettes, but noticing HuMing\'s gaze, she silently put them back in her pocket.
"That guy wasn\'t even that old. He\'s got hands and feet, so why doesn\'t he find a proper job? Instead, he waves his hand and expects money. It\'s unfair to those who, despite their hardships, are still trying their best to survive."
"I despise people like that. So, I won\'t give them a single cent!"
This was the first time HuMing had seen HuMin so serious.
At the same time, her words struck a chord with him.
His money hadn\'t come easily either.
He had sacrificed a lot to earn it, so why should anyone be able to wave their hand, say "pity me," and just get it?
From that day on, HuMing never gave any beggar a single cent.
He made his way through the noisy crowd and back on his path.
After a quick visit to the hospital to check on the old director, he stood silently by the bedside, watching as both the director and his wife slept soundly, not wanting to disturb them.
But Lan Jun wasn\'t comfortable letting HuMing go home alone and insisted on driving him back.
The car\'s dashboard clock read midnight as they drove down the road.
...
HuMing sat in the backseat, looking visibly exhausted.
Seeing this, Lan Jun didn\'t say a word to disturb him. Out of the blue, HuMing spoke up.
"If anyone asks where I\'ve been, just say I was at the hospital."
"Alright."
Lan Jun wasn\'t sure of Hu Ming\'s intention, but he agreed without question.
HuMing closed his eyes as if he had fallen into deep sleep.
When he woke up again, the car had already stopped at the villa\'s entrance.
The lights in the hall were long out, a sign that Han YunXi and the others had already returned home.
HuMing had arranged for someone to guard the orphanage in case anything else happened.
He grabbed the bag of cloth dolls and walked toward the villa, only to be surprised to find Kang Xin at the door!
"Have you been waiting here long?"
HuMing hadn\'t noticed how hoarse his voice sounded, and his steps were heavy, his exhaustion impossible to hide.
"I\'ve been waiting for you to return, young master."
"Is that so..."
HuMing chuckled softly, waving his hand to dismiss Kang Xin.
However, Kang Xin silently followed behind him, not saying a word.
HuMing didn\'t stop her. In fact, he was rather pleased by this change in her behavior. At least she wasn\'t blindly following his orders anymore.
With steady steps, HuMing made his way toward Han YunXi\'s room. Just as he had expected, the light in her room was still on.
He knocked gently on the door and called out softly.
"YunXi, I\'m back."
The door swung open abruptly, revealing Han YunXi in her pajamas, a look of surprise and joy spreading across her face.
Without hesitation, she threw herself into HuMing\'s arms.
HuMing wrapped his arms around her in return.
"Brother, where did you go?"
Her voice was filled with grievance, clearly still shaken from the encounter with Zhao Qiong.
But HuMing wasn\'t about to tell her the whole truth. That would only deepen the shadow in her heart.
How could a girl who had grown up in a sheltered world come to terms with the fact that he had killed someone?
"I went to the hospital to look after the old director and to deal with that man. It\'s all over now, so you can rest easy."
"Okay..."
Standing behind them, Kang Xin witnessed the scene and quietly blended into the shadows.