Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Two senior students, each carrying a stack of cotton jackets, stood outside the dormitory building resting, whispering to each other while wiping away their tears.

"All the children sent to Cloud Peak were killed... sniff... Two from my class."

"That's why Director Liu is having us escape to Linya City."

"Remember not to let anyone know, Chief Administrator Chen said it would cause trouble on the way."

"I understand."

...

The two sobbed softly, neither noticing another senior student standing behind a wall nearby, listening to their entire conversation.

Wang Chengcai slid down the wall and sat, looking up at the sky, gasping for breath as if about to suffocate, grabbing and slowly tightening his grip on the front of his shirt.

Chu Ya returned with Shen Juanjuan to the small courtyard, beginning to pack their belongings. Shen Juanjuan joined in, busy with his hands and mouth.

"Do you know what a field trip means? It means worry, we will go elsewhere to worry."

Chu Ya folded the fleece blanket into a large bag: "It's a trip."

"Uh-huh, a trip. Is Lin Duozhi going too?"

"Yes."

Shen Juanjuan shook his head happily and went to pick up his steel ball car: "This one too, I want to play with them."

"This one can't be taken."

"Then leave it at home?"

"Yes, and your treasures." Chu Ya pointed to the small backpack stuffed full, "Those treasures can't be taken either."

"No." Shen Juanjuan turned his body, refusing.

"We're going on a trip, and we have a long way to walk. Carrying them would be inconvenient. The administrator has already told you that no one should bring toys..."

Shen Juanjuan was about to lie on the ground when Chu Ya, speaking, quickly picked him up and reached for the clothes hanger beside him.

He grabbed a plastic one, discarded it, and then replaced it with a wire hanger.

Shen Juanjuan slowly straightened his body.

"How long will we be gone?" Shen Juanjuan asked angrily.

Chu Ya paused for a few seconds before replying: "I don't know."

"Will it be several days?"

"Maybe." Chu Ya leaned the steel ball car against the corner of the sofa, "We need to go out, but we can't all leave home. Someone has to stay and watch the house, so let them do it for us."

Shen Juanjuan twisted his neck in thought but did not object again: "Okay, let them watch our home."

Watching our home...

Chu Ya savored these words in his heart.

He turned and looked around the room, which had changed completely since they first moved in. Besides the spotless sofa and furniture, he had unknowingly added various household items, leaving traces of his and Shen Juanjuan's life everywhere.

"Should we take this one? It might not want to watch the house, it wants to go with us."

Chu Ya came back to his senses and saw Shen Juanjuan holding the little bear, looking pitifully at him.

His heart softened, but he could only say: "Our backpacks need to carry essentials like underwear, water bottles, towels, and cotton jackets for warmth. There's no more space for anything else."

Chu Ya carefully washed Shen Juanjuan's face and hands, applied anti-cracking ointment, and dressed him in a cotton-lined jacket over his coat.

"Wearing so much, I can't even lift my arms."

Chu Ya unfolded a new fleece pant: "Come, put this on under your cotton pants."

Shen Juanjuan walked around the room: "I'm so funny, how can I be so funny, hahaha."

"Put on the scarf too."

"Wow, hahaha." Shen Juanjuan, wrapped like a cotton ball, laughed and asked Chu Ya: "Aren't you wearing any? Why aren't you dressing like me?"

"I'll wear more when I get cold."

"But I'm not cold either." Shen Juanjuan tried to peel off his clothes but was stopped by Chu Ya, "Don't take them off, you'll get cold soon."

Chu Ya also wore a cotton-lined jacket under his coat, checked the room once more, and finally picked up Shen Juanjuan's backpack and put it on him.

"My arms won't move, my shoulders are too thick, why am I so funny, hahaha..."

A moment later, the Black Wolf appeared on the main street of Mixin Town.

On its back rode Chu Ya and Shen Juanjuan, yet it leaped effortlessly across rooftops, landing smoothly on the road outside Mixin Town after a few bounds.

The orphanage was not brightly lit, but the playground was not dark. The administrators pushed carts loaded with supplies to an open area outside the yard, where excited children lined up, each dressed warmly with hats and ear muffs, and carrying a backpack.

"They're all standing, they're all standing there." Shen Juanjuan, lifted off the Black Wolf by Chu Ya, pointed at the children on the playground.

"You go stand in line first." Chu Ya adjusted his backpack straps, "We'll be together when we set off."

Seeing Chu Ya, Director Liu hurried over: "Are you all ready?"

"Hmm."

Shen Juanjuan hurriedly asked, "Director, has Lin Duozhi returned?"

"I've already picked him up; he's on his way back now," Director Liu replied.

"Ha ha!"

Shen Juanjuan excitedly hopped and then ran towards the playground. Director Liu patted Chu Ya's shoulder, as if wanting to say something but remained silent for a long while.

Chu Ya didn't urge him, standing quietly until Director Liu finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "The journey is perilous; I don’t expect all of them to reach Linya City, but it’s better than staying here... Please take care of them."

"I will do my best," Chu Ya said softly, his gaze gentle yet resolute.

Rong Chen rushed over at this moment, "Director, everything is ready."

"Then let's go inside."

Chu Ya noticed that Rong Chen had taken off his gray robe and changed into thick cotton clothes, realizing he would also be joining the journey.

Perhaps inspired by Shen Juanjuan's raincoat, the administrators had cut several rolls of thick plastic film into pieces, cut holes in the middle, and wore them as snow-resistant ponchos. They also covered their cotton shoes with plastic film, tying them securely with ropes to prevent wet feet in the snow.

The children on the playground looked at each other, laughing at their comical appearances until Director Liu stood in front of the crowd, and the laughter gradually subsided.

Shen Juanjuan stood in the first row, wearing the raincoat Chu Ya had made for him, stomping his feet anxiously and silently urging, "Hurry up, hurry up."

Chu Ya stood before him just as he did when they first met.

"Hee hee..."

"Shh."

Director Liu's gaze slowly swept over the children's faces, focused and reluctant, as if trying to memorize every young face.

"You are about to leave the orphanage. The sky you see will no longer be the small patch above the orphanage, but a much broader world. This trip is an early training exercise for you because the orphanage cannot always protect you from the wind and rain. Only by pushing the little birds out of the nest, making them fly, can they spread their wings and soar out of this icy land. Even if there are still storms outside, the little birds won't freeze in the snow, and their wings will grow strong and full..."

The light illuminated the deep wrinkles at the corners of Director Liu's eyes and the moisture in his eyes. But he smiled, his wrinkles relaxing, "Have fun, enjoy your trip. The director will watch you fly and wait for your good news..."

The children in the back couldn't see clearly, but those in the first two rows could.

Wang Xiaoxi: "Is the director crying or smiling?"

After pondering for a moment, Shen Juanjuan turned his head and said, "We're going on a long hike, and Lin Duozhi has been brought back to join us. The director can't come, so he's sad and crying."

"Why can't he come?" Chen Hongliang asked.

Tang Yuanyuan glanced at the second floor of the dormitory where the infants were: "Because the babies can't walk, he has to stay with them."

"Oh, right... Chief Administrator Chen and the caretakers seem to be crying too."

"They, they are going on the hike with us, but they are reluctant to leave the babies," Chen Hongliang said.

Shen Juanjuan shook his head, "Those babies are so ugly."

In the middle of his speech, Director Liu abruptly turned around and walked briskly towards the dormitory, waving his hand backward, "Take advantage of the darkness, go, go, everyone, go."

The students became excited again, and Chu Ya watched Director Liu's back, seeing the hem of his gray robe flutter in the cold wind, his vision gradually blurring.

Shen Juanjuan had been watching Chu Ya all along. Seeing him turn his head, he moved closer, leaning out to look at his face. Chu Ya suddenly met his gaze and raised his hand to wipe his eyes, "Go back quickly."

Shen Juanjuan maintained his crouched position, looking up, "Did you cry?"

"No."

"I saw you cry." Shen Juanjuan glanced at the second floor of the dormitory, his face gradually showing displeasure, "Do you also miss those ugly babies?"

"What?"

Shen Juanjuan squinted, "Those babies are so ugly, why do you miss them? I'm such a handsome big baby right here."

Seeing his expression, Chu Ya's sadness dissipated, and he simply said, "I don't miss those babies; I don't even know them."

"Okay, then are you missing the director?"

Chu Ya didn't respond, and Shen Juanjuan took his hand, rubbing his cheek against it, comforting him, "We'll be back in a few days, don't be sad, you'll see the director soon."

Chu Ya raised his hand to pat his head, speaking softly, "Alright."

Ten minutes later, the orphanage gates slowly opened, and the children, under the guidance of the caretakers, lined up and walked out.

Outside the gate was dark, with only a few flashlight beams flickering, casting weak lights in the heavy night.

Even the darkness couldn't dampen the children's excitement about the upcoming hike. They were all trembling, more from excitement than the cold.

Someone suddenly shouted, "The director is watching us."

All the children stopped and turned around, Shen Juanjuan, held by Chu Ya, also turned.

On the balcony of the second floor of the dormitory stood a figure, backlit, but the silhouette was unmistakably Director Liu.

"The director is watching us."

"Director!"

"Director, we're leaving!"

The orange light cast a soft outline around Director Liu, making his figure seem especially safe to the children of the orphanage. Though not tall, his presence gave them a sense of security, as if as long as he stood there, and his gaze was upon them, they could walk forward with peace of mind.

"Director, we'll be back soon," Shen Juanjuan waved to Director Liu.

The children were waving goodbye to Director Liu, but the dozen or so older students who knew the truth were sobbing uncontrollably. Director Liu then turned and went back inside, closing the door.

"Go on, everyone's gone," Rong Chen said with a choked voice.

This time, the orphanage's route was based on Chu Ya's suggestion: they would cross several mountain ridges, traverse swamps, and reach Ganhua Town before heading to the sea.

The long procession set off, with ten carts loaded with supplies at the front and rear, and the students lined up in between. A few physically strong older students had been selected to help the managers push the carts, and those dozen older students were also taking their responsibilities seriously, assisting the managers voluntarily.

"Hold hands, everyone hold hands. It's dark; don't get lost. If anyone notices that someone beside them is missing, call out to a manager immediately."

Rong Chen ran alongside the line with a flashlight, stopping abruptly when she reached Chu Ya: "You—"

"Chief Administrator Chen!"

Rong Chen's words were interrupted by a loud shout from a manager. Chu Ya, holding Shen Juanjuan, stopped as well, seeing a manager running up hastily with a thick book in hand: "A student is missing."

Rong Chen replied, "It must be Liu Zhen. She went to pick up Lin Duozhi. Xiao Wang will drive them here, they'll catch up soon."

"No, no," the manager panted heavily, "We have fifteen managers and one hundred eighty students going to Linya City this time. All the managers are here, but only one hundred seventy-seven students. Besides Lin Duozhi and Liu Zhen, there's also Wang Chengcai from the senior class."

They hadn't yet left the orphanage grounds. Rong Chen turned to look back at the orphanage: "Is he still in the orphanage?"

"I don't know, but I doubt it. We've checked the dormitories several times. I asked his classmates, and they said they didn't see him in line just now, thinking he was chosen to push the cart."

"This Wang Chengcai, where did he go? Where could he have gone at such a critical moment?"

As Rong Chen was rubbing his forehead in worry, a manager who had stayed behind rushed out of the orphanage gate, looked around, and then ran over to Rong Chen: "Chief Administrator Chen, something's wrong, something's wrong."

Rong Chen couldn't bear to hear this and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Wang Chengcai from the senior class tried to rush through the Tuta Passage and was caught by the soldiers. The Tuta Garrison just called us, asking us to come and pick him up. I haven't had time to report to the director yet."

"What? He tried to rush through the Tuta Passage?" Rong Chen's face changed drastically, and Chu Ya's expression also became serious.

"Yes, he wanted to go to Cloud Peak. He caused a commotion at the Tuta Passage and even tried to grab a gun. Now he's been restrained by the soldiers, and they want us to come and pick him up quickly."

Rong Chen stood there for a moment, muttering, "He must have found out about his brother. His brother is gone, and he can't accept it..."

He came to his senses, looked at the advancing group, and his expression turned anxious: "The Tuta Passage is too far away; we need a car to get there. But Xiao Wang drove to Keke Town to pick up Lin Duozhi and hasn't returned yet."

Chu Ya suddenly spoke up: "I'll go to the Tuta Passage to pick him up."

Rong Chen thought for a moment and nodded: "You can ride your quantum beast. Okay, go pick him up quickly, we'll wait for you at the clearing ahead."

"No need to wait, I'll bring him along."

Shen Juanjuan, listening to their conversation, had already clung tightly to Chu Ya's arm. Chu Ya hurriedly said, "Follow them, I'll be back soon." Then he pried Shen Juanjuan's fingers off and sprinted backward, grabbing the Black Wolf running beside him and mounting it in one swift motion.

"Ah!" Shen Juanjuan let out a deafening cry and tried to chase after him, but Rong Chen quickly grabbed him, "Don't go, he'll be back soon."

"Ah!!! Brother!!!" Shen Juanjuan struggled frantically, breaking free from Rong Chen's grip and running out while crying, only to be caught again by a manager who grabbed the back of his collar.

"He'll be back soon, why are you crying?" Rong Chen saw a few children, including Chen Hongliang, peeking at them and waved them over, "Come on, come on, come and comfort him."

"Did your brother abandon you? Did he run away by himself?" The children ran over, asking as they approached.

These words were like salt in the wound.

"Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Rong Chen hurriedly shooed them away: "Go back, go back to the line, don't come over here."

Chu Ya rode the Black Wolf at full speed, encountering the orphanage's minibus halfway. He didn't stop, just brushed past it, but the driver, Xiao Wang, glanced in the rearview mirror and asked the person in the back seat, "Did you see anything just now?"

Lin Duozhi lay with his eyes closed in the back seat, while Liu Sijin sat next to him and asked, "See what?"

"Nothing," Xiao Wang rubbed his eyes, "Maybe I saw things, but I thought something just flew past."

Snowflakes fell heavily as Chu Ya crouched low on the Black Wolf's back, his hair streaming backward, revealing a smooth forehead and sharp eyebrows. The Black Wolf moved incredibly fast, and soon, several flickering lights appeared in the snow, marking the Tuta Passage.

Chu Ya dismounted the Black Wolf as he approached the passage, running into the small square and looking around hurriedly but not seeing Wang Chengcai.

"What are you doing here?" The guard immediately raised his gun but hesitated and lowered it upon recognizing Chu Ya, saying ambiguously, "It's you..."

Chu Ya paid no attention to their tone and simply said, "Where is he? I'm here to pick him up."

"You're here to pick him up? That kid who tried to break through?" The guard sized him up.

"Yes, the orphanage sent me to help pick him up."

The guard casually nodded toward the entrance: "He's over there."

Only then did Chu Ya notice a figure lying on the ground against the wall outside, covered in a layer of snow, which is why he hadn't seen him when he entered.

In such cold weather, Chu Ya hadn't expected them to leave the person outside. After giving the guards a cold, sharp glance, he ran outside.

His gaze was like a blade, making the guards feel an inexplicable chill down their spines. The squad leader called out to his back, "He was just thrown out a little while ago, he's fine. He actually dared to try to grab a gun? I went easy on him because he's a kid."

Chu Ya picked up the unconscious Wang Chengcai and ran back inside, placing him on a sofa by the wall. He then undid his coat, grabbed a towel from the rack behind the door, wet it with hot water from the water dispenser, and placed it on Wang Chengcai's body.

Wang Chengcai's eyes were closed, his face and lips frozen white. The ice on his head and eyebrows melted quickly in the warm room, making him look as if he had just been fished out of water.

Chu Ya leaned down and listened to his chest, and upon hearing the faint heartbeat, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Several guards stood nearby, holding their breath and peering over. When they saw Chu Ya, who was squatting by the sofa, suddenly turn his head, his eyes sharp like knives, they instinctively straightened up and hugged their guns.

Chu Ya coldly said, "Blanket."

Without waiting for the squad leader's permission, one of the guards quickly ran to the adjacent rest room. Chu Ya then wrung out another hot towel to warm Wang Chengcai.

"What is he thinking? Charging in to go to Cloud Peak, to Cloud Peak? He even tried to force his way into the carriage when we wouldn't let him in, and we couldn't drag him out. These orphans are like wild men; does he think he's something special?"

The squad leader cursed bitterly beside him, but Chu Ya remained silent, only lowering his head to warm Wang Chengcai's body with a towel.

"Think about his behavior at the start—charging into the checkpoint, demanding to go to Cloud Peak, and even trying to grab a gun when we chased him out. I said we shouldn't have opened that orphanage; these people will just be trouble when they grow up. It would be better for society if they starved to death early on," the squad leader spat.

"They say those kids will become sentinel guides," a soldier whispered.

"That makes it even worse. Better to let them starve to death and avoid future disasters. Such trash shouldn't be allowed to live..."

A soldier quickly brought over a blanket, which Chu Ya took and began to wrap around Wang Chengcai. The squad leader's curses grew louder and more vicious, but Chu Ya didn't want to cause trouble now. He simply lowered his head and continued arranging the blanket.

"How many good things can come from orphans? They're like unchained mad dogs, maybe because they were born bad, that's why their whole families died out..."

Chu Ya stopped his movements, his grip on the blanket tightening until the veins on his knuckles stood out.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, and stood up, walking straight to the still-talking squad leader. Without warning, he suddenly struck, landing a punch on the squad leader's face.

As a sentinel, his strength was far beyond that of an ordinary person. The squad leader's voice cut off abruptly, and he flew backward, crashing into the wall, blood gushing from his nose.

The other soldiers were stunned for a few seconds before they came to their senses. The squad leader, struggling to his feet, immediately raised his gun, but the soldiers quickly pressed down the barrel.

"Captain, don't be rash. He's a key figure from above. Have you forgotten the orders?"

"Captain, calm down, calm down..."

"Don't take these kids seriously. We should be the bigger men."

...

Chu Ya took two steps forward, pressing his chest against the squad leader's gun barrel, looking down at him with a slight tilt of his head. "Do you know who I am? Do you dare touch me? The order you received was to watch me, to let me go wherever I want without interference or harm. Do you understand what that means? I can kill you, but you can't touch me."

During his previous activities in the area, he had faced no obstruction, and from the soldiers' reactions, he already had a good idea of Gu Lin's orders. And since Gu Lin had just obtained the chip, such a minor cancellation of orders would not have been relayed to the checkpoint.

The squad leader indeed dared not move, only panting and bleeding from the nose, glaring hatefully at Chu Ya.

Chu Ya ignored him, turning toward the sofa, where he lifted the blanket-wrapped Wang Chengcai, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and strode out of the checkpoint.