Chapter 29: (Including 3k Nutrient Solution Bonus) Orphanage…

Chapter 29 (Bonus Chapter: 3k Votes) The Orphanage (Part 1)...

Qi Heyin thought Wen Zhimo’s question was strange.

What did he mean by "Do you have an interest in studying me?"... Was he volunteering to be her lab rat?

Although she was indeed curious about this little snake with its unique stealth ability, she felt that most Mimic users wouldn’t exactly volunteer to become observation targets for researchers.

Take her current research subject, Li Chen, for example. He was clearly acting under military orders, reluctant at heart, which was why he always stared at her in the lab with eyes so cold they could freeze lava.

After a moment’s hesitation, Qi Heyin concluded that Wen Zhimo must have been joking, teasing her about her researcher identity.

After apologizing to Qi Heyin and the others, Wen Zhimo walked over to another sketching spot to explain the situation with the little snake (Xiao Zhu) to his fellow club members.

To prevent Xiao Zhu from wandering off again, he sent it back with a flick of his wrist.

Then, Wen Zhimo began preparing for today’s artwork. He lowered his head and started carefully weaving a laurel crown for Qi Heyin.

A handful of onlookers noticed his movements and curiously gathered around.

Wen Zhimo’s hands were beautiful—his nails neatly trimmed, catching the light with a soft pink hue. His broad palms had pronounced knuckles, his fingers sculpted, long, and dexterous.

Qi Heyin also joined the others, closely observing the deft movements of his hands.

With a few foraged twigs in hand, his fingers danced, braiding them into a ring-shaped base before gradually weaving the collected laurel leaves into it.

The entire process was effortless for Wen Zhimo. In less than five minutes, a beautiful laurel crown was complete.

"So impressive, it’s already done!"

"Vice President Wen, your hands are so skilled!"

The surrounding classmates, eager to learn how to weave crowns, couldn’t help but burst into praise.

Qi Heyin gave an approving nod.

She recalled Zhu Xuan mentioning that Wen Zhimo "liked making little crafts at home" during their last meeting in the conference hall, so she offhandedly remarked, "Junior Wen, do you often do handicrafts at home?"

Wen Zhimo hesitated for a beat. "...Yes."

"I really enjoy handicrafts," he replied, his lips curving into a smile both shy and warm.

After accepting the finished laurel crown and putting it on, Qi Heyin sat quietly under the tree as requested, posing dutifully.

About half an hour later, he signaled that she could get up. Having posed as a painting model for family members before, Qi Heyin had never seen a sketch done so fast. Curious, she walked over to take a look at his canvas.

But Wen Zhimo flinched, shielding the canvas.

"...An unfinished work ruins the magic if revealed prematurely."

Artists often had their own quirks, and Qi Heyin understood this.

Her part of the project was complete. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was nearly 5 p.m.

After packing up her art supplies and bidding farewell to everyone, she left the small garden directly.

Wen Zhimo stood still, his gaze lingering on the girl’s retreating figure.

He lowered his head, his docile, pretty face still flushed with a lingering flush, as he self-consciously licked his lips.

Just moments ago, he had been drawing, but halfway through, he found himself unable to continue.

Merely sketching that face on paper made his throat itch, triggering an inexplicable urge to swallow.

This strange and peculiar sensation was entirely different from the quiet anticipation and excitement he felt when facing his elder brother.

In front of Senior Qi Heyin, he found it far harder to remain composed than he had ever imagined...

On her way back from the small garden to the teaching building, Qi Heyin received a call from Shang Wenze's assistant.

Learning that Assistant Chen had already arrived outside Farrow Academy, she asked him to wait briefly before changing direction and heading toward the school gate.

Upon reaching the entrance, she scanned the surroundings and quickly spotted a young man dressed in a well-tailored suit.

Qi Heyin waved at him, holding a gift bag as she walked briskly over.

Assistant Chen took the bag and thanked her graciously, "Miss Qi, thank you for the gift for Young Master Shang. He will surely be delighted when he receives it."

Qi Heyin nodded slightly.

Considering that the man before her was Young Master Shang's most trusted top assistant, handling all sorts of domestic affairs and privy to the latest updates and inside information, she hesitated for a moment before voicing her concern:

"Assistant Chen, I haven’t been able to reach Shang Wenze for a while. Can you contact him? I saw the news about the Chaos region this morning—the situation there seems dire, with intensifying riots."

After a pause, she added, "If his sudden radio silence is related to the Duke’s special mission during this visit, you don’t have to tell me... I’m sorry, I’m just worried something might have happened."

Hearing this, Assistant Chen smiled faintly. "Miss Qi, there’s nothing about Young Master Shang that cannot be shared with you."

"However..." He paused, sighing with mild exasperation. "I, too, have lost contact with him for now. It seems he and the Duke may have encountered some minor complications."

Qi Heyin’s expression grew tense. "Then—"

"Though we can’t reach them, there should be no immediate danger to their lives," Assistant Chen reassured her calmly. "Before this diplomatic visit, the Duke and Young Master Shang visited the research institute. They had monitoring devices implanted in their bodies to monitor their psychic states—these signals are far more stable than any communication device, displaying their current coordinates and vital signs."

"So even if the Duke and Young Master Shang lose contact unexpectedly, we can still confirm their survival and locate them." He continued in a composed tone, "From what I know, Young Master Shang’s vital signs remain stable. As for their location... we’ve already sent a retrieval team based on the coordinates."

Hearing this, Qi Heyin breathed slightly easier.

"Thank you, Assistant Chen," she said earnestly. "Please notify me as soon as you have any updates about him."

"Of course, Miss Qi," Assistant Chen replied with a polite smile.

Feeling somewhat reassured about Young Master Shang’s condition, Qi Heyin bid farewell to Assistant Chen and returned to the teaching building, where she soon met Jiang Yunxin, who had just finished her class.

When Qi Heyin mentioned Young Master Shang’s situation, a flash of sympathy and concern crossed Jiang Yunxin’s face—though inwardly, she was secretly thrilled.

In her opinion, He Yin’s concern was entirely unnecessary. That young master of the Shang family traveled like an emperor on a state visit, surrounded by scores of undercover security, attendants, snipers, and even Mimic Warriors... What could possibly happen to him?

No one in this world lived a safer life than he did.

Jiang Yunxin was certain Young Master Shang would return unscathed, but she secretly hoped for enough mishaps to delay his return as long as possible.

That way, she could... teehee...

Suppressing a smirk, Jiang Yunxin playfully linked arms with Qi Heyin and said, "He Yin, remember after the last birthday banquet, I mentioned planning a special romantic outing just for the two of us? I’ve already chosen the spot—would you join me this Saturday?"

Qi Heyin of course remembered. She nodded curiously. "Where to?"

"Well..." Jiang Yunxin paused, then suddenly looked at Qi Heyin seriously. "Do you like children?"

Qi Heyin was silent for a moment. "How young?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yunxin burst into laughter. "You're being very cautious. Did those unruly kids from the last banquet give you PTSD?"

"That's about right," Qi Heyin muttered.

"Six or seven years old," Jiang Yunxin thought for a moment. "They're all girls—sweet, well-behaved, nothing like those troublemakers."

"This coming Saturday, I want to volunteer at the Sacred Heart Girls' Orphanage in Philos, spending time with the kids, drawing, doing some woodwork, and so on. What do you say, He Yin? Want to come?"

Qi Heyin looked momentarily stunned. "So the weekly volunteer work you mentioned before was going there?"

She had always known Jiang Yunxin had a long-term, fixed volunteer activity, something she had been doing for years, attending almost every Saturday without fail.

"Exactly," Jiang Yunxin nodded with a smile. "This is my weekly commitment."

After being found by the Jiang family two years ago, though she began living a life of luxury, Jiang Yunxin had struggled with happiness during her early days in the capital.

Whenever she attended high-society events and saw those young scions and debutantes raised with aristocratic education—poised and polished—she always felt a sense of inferiority, like an ugly duckling forcing her way into a flock of swans.

Self-doubt consumed her, making her feel unworthy and lost about her own value.

"Had you asked me then, I would’ve said you weren’t any worse than those young scions and debutantes. Your grades were better than most, and if not for your resilience, you wouldn’t have achieved such outstanding results."

"Back then, I was too caught up in my own head, only seeing others and not myself," Jiang Yunxin gave a wry smile. "So it was a real crisis of identity. Suddenly living a good life, but feeling empty inside, convinced I was inferior, not knowing what I could even do. In the end, I even felt like my return was meaningless, as if I brought no value to the Jiang family."

"Aunt Shen and Uncle Jiang just wanted to find their beloved child. Your return alone was the greatest blessing the Jiang family could receive," Qi Heyin gently squeezed Jiang Yunxin’s hand, her tone soothing.

After a pause, she asked, "So, Yunxin, did you find your sense of value through volunteering later on?"

Jiang Yunxin nodded quietly, lowering her voice. "After coming back, I couldn’t forget my time in the orphanage, nor the struggle to survive in Jinazhou's undercity."

"I couldn’t understand why, even though we live on the same imperial land, the people of the capital and Jinazhou could be worlds apart... Not just between states, but even within the capital itself, the commoners in the lower districts still suffer so much."

"The Mimic technology is a key to changing the empire’s future. If promoting it to benefit more imperial citizens is the value you seek, He Yin..."

"What I seek is actually the same as you," she sighed softly, looking at Qi Heyin. "But my strength is small. I can only do my small part."

"We all only have a little strength, so there’s no need to worry about what we can't change," Qi Heyin said.

Jiang Yunxin nodded earnestly. "Anyway, I’ll do what I can—volunteering, donating... If I inherit the Jiang family in the future, I’ll probably dedicate myself completely to charity. Not demanding perfect equality, just more opportunities."

After saying this, meeting Qi Heyin’s thoughtful gaze, Jiang Yunxin flushed, suddenly self-conscious.

Opening her mouth to change the subject, she felt Qi Heyin gently pat her shoulder.

He Yin smiled easily and said, "Looking forward to our little outing this Saturday."

Having accepted Jiang Yunxin’s invitation to volunteer at the Sacred Heart Girls’ Orphanage on Saturday, Qi Heyin spent the next two days at school balancing classes with stolen moments to work on tasks assigned by the research institute, hoping to finish them quickly.

Amid the busy schedule, two days flew by, and Saturday arrived.

That morning, Qi Heyin had a car drop her off early at the orphanage entrance.

Jiang Yunxin was there waiting at the gates.

Upon seeing Qi Heyin, she happily waved the paper bag in her hand and jogged over to her.

"What's this?" Qi Heyin asked curiously, eyeing the paper bag.

"Pastries for the kids—homemade," Jiang Yunxin smiled sweetly. "Brought some for you too, He Yin."

"I see," Qi Heyin said, pointing to the backpack on her shoulder. "I brought a lot of drawing supplies for the kids."

Chatting and laughing, the two walked side by side through the gates of the welfare home.

Since they were going to play with the children today, Qi Heyin had deliberately dressed in a light blue, sporty outfit for ease of movement. She had tied her jet-black hair into a soft, fluffy high ponytail, looking crisp and fresh.

Jiang Yunxin was dressed similarly, though in a light pink outfit, her hair decked out with cute clips. She looked sweet and approachable, like a kind older sister.

"If any of the kids like my hair clips, I can take them off and give them away," she said, winking at Qi Heyin.

After registering at the volunteer desk, the two were led by a caregiver to the activity room on the second floor where the children were.

The caregiver clearly knew Jiang Yunxin well. She greeted her with a smile before whispering, "Teacher Jiang, a VIP is visiting the welfare home today. Can't have the kids running around in the hallway later—don't want them bothering the guests downstairs."

...A VIP? Qi Heyin raised an eyebrow slightly.

Jiang Yunxin, however, acted like it was nothing. She asked casually, "Media here today?"

The caregiver hesitated. "Seems that way... There might be a photo session with the kids later."

"Got it. You go ahead with your work," Jiang Yunxin nodded, and once the caregiver had left, she closed the activity room door.

Turning to Qi Heyin, she explained quietly, "This is a pretty high-profile orphanage in the capital. A lot of big shots come here for charity donations, and to look good for the cameras, they usually invite the media for photos or press coverage."

Qi Heyin wasn't really up on this stuff. During her illness, she had rarely left home, and before turning sixteen, she had only become familiar with every hospital in the city.

"I wonder who’s visiting today..." Jiang Yunxin muttered.

Qi Heyin thought for a moment before asking curiously, "When those big shots do charity work, do they ever actually spend time playing with the kids like you do? Or help out as volunteers?"

"Of course not. Most just take photos downstairs and leave," Jiang Yunxin said frankly. "To them, these kids aren’t important—it's all about the photo op!"

Qi Heyin understood.

"But whatever floats their boat," Jiang Yunxin chuckled. "As long as the donations are real, I don’t mind if they want the media to praise them."

She paused, then added, "Though some push it too far. Wanting to be called 'philanthropists' is one thing, but they also crave a 'down-to-earth' reputation. They can barely tolerate these kids, yet they make them put on this whole act in front of the media... That’s what really bothers me."

"The people here don’t know about your status in the Jiang family, do they?" Qi Heyin asked.

"Nope," Jiang Yunxin whispered. "That’s why I can volunteer here—otherwise, they wouldn’t dare let me come."

"I’ve kept it under wraps these past two years. Don’t expose me, He Yin."

Qi Heyin just rolled her eyes. "Don't worry."

After a bit more goofing around, the two began playing with the children in the activity room.

As Jiang Yunxin had said, the children here were all sweet, energetic little girls—polite, well-behaved, and always calling us 'sis.'

They had come to take care of the kids, but in the end, Qi Heyin found herself playing right alongside them.

While doing arts and crafts with the kids, she listened as Jiang Yunxin explained that many of them had been abandoned due to health issues, while worst of all, others had simply been discarded just for being girls.

Among the children, some had autism, some had missing limbs, some couldn't hear, and others had mild cognitive impairments... Yet when they looked at people with their bright eyes, they all looked like a flock of warm little angels.

Qi Heyin felt her heart swell with tenderness, but a weight settled in her chest.

Jiang Yunxin was still teaching the children how to fold paper airplanes, while Qi Heyin sat to the side. Suddenly feeling thirsty, she headed out into the hallway to get some water from the drinking fountain.

Pushing open the activity room door, the corridor outside seemed strangely quiet, as if all the laughter and joy had been sealed behind that door.

Qi Heyin found disposable cups in the hallway cabinet, then stood at the water cooler, waiting for it to dispense.

Just as she picked up her cup to return, she suddenly heard a clamor of voices and the snap of camera shutters drifting in through the window at the end of the hallway.

...Was today the VIP visit? Qi Heyin immediately recalled the caregiver's earlier words.

She took a few steps closer to the window at the end of the corridor and peered down curiously at the open space in front of the welfare center.

Unexpectedly, that glance revealed a familiar figure.

Qi Heyin froze slightly.

At the center of the crowd below stood a man in a gray overcoat who immediately stood out, surrounded by media personnel.

Tall in stature, with cascading aqua-blue hair, soft and handsome features, and a regal bearing, he drew attention effortlessly.

Facing the media, the man wore a sunny smile from start to finish, his calm, approachable presence leaving a lasting impression.

—It was actually President Zhu!

A flicker of surprise stirred in Qi Heyin's heart. Now that she thought about it, she instinctively glanced at the cup in her hand.

Why did she always happen to run into Zhu Xuan precisely when she was getting water...?

Qi Heyin silently drained her cup before looking back down.

Standing beside Zhu Xuan were a man and a woman, seemingly a middle-aged couple.

The man had a gentle and refined appearance, bearing some resemblance to Zhu Xuan's.

...Could that be President Zhu's father? Qi Heyin wondered.

The middle-aged couple below stood comfortably close in front of the media, both smiling and holding hands, appearing warm and affectionate.

Soon, Qi Heyin overheard the media praising them as "the model couple of the capital's high society," having stayed together for over twenty years while remaining so deeply in love.

So they were indeed President Zhu's parents.

Who knew the VIP visiting the welfare center today would be them...

Judging by the scene below, it was exactly what you'd expect from the prestigious Zhu family—the welfare center had even put together a special donation ceremony specifically for them.

Addressing the media, the couple below made brief opening remarks before emotionally recounting their history with the welfare center. They explained that when Zhu Xuan was young, to instill kindness and compassion, the family would bring him to Sacred Heart Girls' Welfare Center every year to make donations. To this day, their family had kept up their connection with the center for nearly twenty-one years...

It was a touching story, weaving together high-society romance, family love, and parenting—each aspect worthy of media fanfare.

In this narrative, Zhu Xuan was their "dearest," "most outstanding," and "only" son, a constant source of pride in their hearts.

By the end of it, one could almost feel the overflowing affection.

This was a warm, harmonious, and picture-perfect family of three.

Had Qi Heyin not accidentally overheard Zhu Xuan’s phone call outside the lounge that day, witnessing this scene might have truly convinced her of the existence of this picture of domestic perfection.

But now... she knew the truth behind it all.

The gentle, amiable man below was the same enraged, hysterical, unfaithful father from that phone call.

The elegant, composed woman below was the mother who, as mentioned in their conversation, had moved another man's child into their home—equally unfaithful.

And President Zhu—listening to his parents’ remarks to the media, he stood by with a tender smile, yet that smile, as always, never reached his eyes, as fake as the smile he always wore at school.

Outwardly intimate, yet inwardly rotten to the core—what kind of family was this?

Qi Heyin watched quietly for a moment before her brow furrowed slightly.

She felt a strange... unease.

No longer wishing to watch, Qi Heyin decided to return to the activity room.

After throwing one last conflicted look at Zhu Xuan below, she sighed and turned to leave.

And the moment her figure vanished, the man standing downstairs seemed to feel her presence, raising his eyes distractedly as they swept past the empty second-floor windowsill of the orphanage.