Chapter 275: The Return 14

Chapter 275: The Return 14

Qin Yu had his suspicions before; Ji Xinghai was not one to meddle in others' storylines casually. If this world had its own special yet normal development rules, he wouldn't go out of his way to change anything unless something unacceptable happened.

Clearly, something did happen, and it involved children.

Based on the current clues, it's reasonable to infer that many children who lost their parents once wandered in this cruel world.

Those parents might have been unable to survive themselves or failed some test. In this world, everyone is on edge, with no extra kindness to spare for homeless children. So what fate awaited these children?

Elimination.

Dying on the streets or in some secluded corner before they even grew up due to poverty and hardship.

Experiencing abandonment and the bitterness of growing up alone without tasting happiness.

Being eliminated at eighteen because of a lack of education and nurturing.

They had no future.

Perhaps Ji Xinghai himself was forced to leave home as a child, wandering around and being chased away in the previous world, so he couldn't bear to see other children forced onto the path of independent survival, even though he was just a child then.

So he took on the challenge of the bizarre.

One thing in Ji Xinghai's story that people often overlook is that he was always underage, even a child, when he crossed over. This world would be no exception. So he fought to create a future where those children could survive, all while being a child himself.

"Did you live here until you were eighteen?"

Qin Yu's question caught Ji Xinghai off guard. He instinctively avoided eye contact but then looked back defiantly: "Of course, I..."

Before he could finish, he was enveloped in a warm embrace. Qin Yu didn't say anything, but he knew everything.

"Can you take me to see those children?"

"...There's really nothing much to see, but if you want to, we can go." Ji Xinghai sighed inwardly. Lao Qin was great in every way except that he occasionally forgot how powerful he was, always thinking he was a pitiful little thing in the midst of storms.

Even as a child in this world, he was a big demon capable of devouring the bizarre. Why would anyone think he was pitiful? The bizarre should feel pitiful; he ate them, took their money, and even occupied their houses.

Where did he get the house to raise the children? From the bizarre.

Where did the money come from? From the bizarre.

Even the servants who initially cared for the children were from the bizarre.

Wait a minute.

...Could it be that Lao Qin was imagining him working hard to earn money to support those kids? No way, right? He couldn't possibly think he went to construction sites to carry bricks, could he? Does he look like someone who would do such hard work?

But given Qin Yu's character, if he were in his shoes, he might actually do something like that.

Ji Xinghai's gaze toward Qin Yu became complex. Despite his towering figure, he was both silly and adorable.

They didn't leave immediately; the two stayed at the central arena for quite a while. The large screen showed videos of competitions, divided into multiple sections, including Go and Chinese chess, which Qin Yu recognized, as well as some he didn't.

The host also introduced some of the participants, many of whom came from the 'Xinghai Welfare Home.' It seemed this welfare home was widespread and specialized in various board games.

Sports competitions required sufficient nutrition, professional training equipment, and large areas of land. Artistic competitions similarly needed expensive materials and equipment. In comparison, board game skills required less space and fewer materials, making them easier for orphanages to manage.

Moreover, when Ji Xinghai challenged the bizarre, it was through board games. His role model effect might also be one reason the children worked hard to learn.

During this time, Qin Yu noticed something else: "The atmosphere of the competition is very serious."

No, "serious" doesn't even begin to describe the atmosphere of these competitions. Neither the participants nor the host had any entertainment mindset; each person had a 'do or die' attitude.

Even through the screen, one could clearly sense the tension in everyone.

"They can't afford to slow down," Ji Xinghai shook his head. "If they do, many won't survive to grow up."

This world was that cruel.

Regardless of wealth or poverty, any hint of slackness could lead to being devoured by the bizarre.

After today's competition, it was almost dark. Ji Xinghai led Qin Yu to a nearby welfare home.

The welfare home had always existed, but it only flourished after he invested a large amount of money. The children he sponsored grew up, striving to live while helping more people, passing on the love.

This welfare home was also a result of the charitable efforts carried forward by later generations.

"There's a child."

They arrived just in time to see someone hurriedly leaving after placing a child. Ji Xinghai looked up: "The surveillance cameras can't capture this area."

The person limped away, leaving behind a few bags of clothes, formula, and a child.

The child was plump and fair, with big eyes, a small mouth, and a tiny nose.

She wore a pink onesie, covered with a thin fleece blanket, tied up with a bunch of clothes. Her black eyes gazed at the unfamiliar world, her small hands gripping nervously.

Ji Xinghai walked over, and the child looked at him, just as he looked at her.

Despite being only about six months old and knowing nothing, she seemed to understand she had been abandoned. She remained quiet, not crying or fussing, her black eyes looking around aimlessly, making one's heart ache.

Qin Yu, whose emotions were becoming increasingly rich, watched the fragile life stiffly, but Ji Xinghai, who had seen countless abandoned children, remained calm as he untied the ropes and picked up the child.

His movements were incredibly skilled. Despite his strength, which could bend steel, he held the child gently.

"This little girl has long fingers. Should she learn piano or chess?" He lifted the child, smiling at her, and she smiled back, reaching out with her chubby hand to touch his face.

"Look, A Qin, she likes me!"

Qin Yu saw their two faces pressed together, one large and one small, both in their purest forms.

How strange, the people of this world couldn't see them, yet this child saw them and even smiled.

Ji Xinghai also touched the baby's chubby face, smooth and without a single rash, clearly well-cared for. If not for dire circumstances, who would willingly abandon such a treasure?

But he didn't want to delve into the backstory; after all, what's done is done. No matter how many unforced hands, they have already been cast aside.

This child could still have another future.

The baby grasped his finger, her plump little fingers tightly holding onto his index finger, instinctively seeking shelter.

"Anything you want to learn is fine," Ji Xinghai concluded, "as long as you like it."

Then he looked at Qin Yu, "Let's go to the orphanage."

Qin Yu nodded slightly. Even at such a moment, Ji Xinghai didn't hesitate to take the child away, though raising a child was a simple matter for him now. He was too calm and rational, or perhaps he had long been accustomed to suppressing his emotional needs last.

Qin Yu, always imagining Ji Xinghai's tragic past, carried clothes and formula, following behind Ji Xinghai. Perhaps Ji Xinghai's embrace was warm and secure, the baby fell asleep, nestled in his arms with closed eyes. Ji Xinghai felt as if he were holding a warm, milky pastry, and he slowed his steps, carefully shielding her from the outside light and wind with a small blanket.

Though it was evening, the evening breeze was pleasant on the face, and the road ahead seemed smoother.

After walking the final stretch, they arrived at the orphanage. Established to ensure the survival of orphans, it had no shortage of entertainment facilities, with children of all ages running around, in good spirits.

Surprisingly, there were even disabled children, rarely seen, playing and laughing on the grass, untouched by the outside world.

Ji Xinghai found nothing unusual about this, as these were the minimum standards he set.

Can abandoned children not have a beautiful childhood?

With this thought, he established the standards for the orphanage from the beginning: healthy and nutritious meals, appropriate clothing for all seasons, reasonable schedules for learning and play, outstanding caregivers, attentive guardians, and regular visits from pediatricians.

Even if some of these children were destined to be phased out at eighteen, they could still enjoy a few years of happiness.

Of course, to sustain and provide these services long-term, he invested in numerous businesses, whose annual output covered the orphanage's expenses.

Later, when he left, he had everything turned into a supervised fund through notarization. Human nature can change, but under supervision, it changes more slowly. Now, the welfare system he set up is functioning well.

Qin Yu placed the clothes and formula at the entrance, while Ji Xinghai, looking at the sleeping child in his arms, took out a sleep pod. He adjusted the environment inside to a baby-friendly sleeping setting, gently placed the child inside, and then covered it with a transparent hood.

During this process, the child stirred, showing signs of unease, but with gentle pats on her chest, she continued to sleep.

"What will happen to her?" Qin Yu asked Ji Xinghai.

Ji Xinghai looked at the sleeping child through the transparent hood for a long time, "She has her own path to walk, and no one can replace her."

They finally pressed the doorbell at the entrance, and soon, the staff came out, seeing the child and the items at the door.

The staff looked around, trying to spot the person who left the child, but saw nothing. However, they found a letter next to the formula can, containing the child's birth date, other precautions, and the reason why the original family had to give her up.

"Ah..." the staff sighed.

"No one, they must have already left, probably by car."

There were no cameras at the orphanage entrance, and a safe infant room was set up nearby, specifically for abandoned babies. Some people didn't want to be seen, but the orphanage was the best place they could find for their child, so they would leave the baby in the infant room and press the doorbell.

In the end, they didn't find anyone, so they pushed the sleep pod inside, along with the clothes and formula.

Actually, Ji Xinghai and Qin Yu were still nearby, watching the child being wheeled inside, still asleep, unaware that her fate was about to undergo a dramatic change, and no one knew whether this change would be good or bad.

"If you want, we can adopt her," Qin Yu said, sensing that a soft spot in Ji Xinghai's heart had been touched. Though Qin Yu himself couldn't feel the same tenderness, he was willing to accept a new family member.

"Don't joke around, let's go," Ji Xinghai just shook his head.

They left the orphanage, and the sky outside was completely dark.

"In fact, I used to be very afraid, afraid that when I returned, there would be no home for me." The darkness gave Ji Xinghai the courage to be honest. He admitted he was a selfish person, and the thought of returning to find his parents had given up on him and had a new child made him sad.

"The orphanage is for them, and for me."

Qin Yu listened quietly, not asking what Ji Xinghai would do if that really happened.

Such a question was too cruel. But if it did happen... Ji Xinghai would also have his own path to walk, just like this child, with no one to replace him.

He was angry because this world created countless homeless 'Ji Xinghais,' who could have been something else.

Qin Yu reached out and held Ji Xinghai's cold hand, and they slowly walked down the dark road, a new world appearing at the end.