Ch 122: Adoption

Pausing, Zhuang Lingyun explained further, “Fu Jinglun may seem flippant, but he’s actually very intelligent and decisive. Most importantly, he’s the person I trust most in the entire company. When I was trapped in New Zealand by my grandmother, he helped me a lot. Besides, this matter isn’t serious; it’s a piece of cake for him.”

“Not serious? Then why did you get so angry? It scared her into thinking the sky was falling!”

“Well, it’s just the supplier playing some petty tricks, trying to pass off inferior goods and make a profit. Fu Jinglun has plenty of ways to deal with such thugs.” After all, he used to be involved in the underworld; he’s adept at all sorts of methods.

Xiao Yao, hearing his relaxed tone, stopped worrying and didn’t ask further.

Zhuang Lingyun changed his clothes and, taking her hand, said, “Let’s go.”

Xiao Yao hummed in response, leaning against his arm like a little bird, and the two walked out of the office building hand-in-hand, amidst the envious gazes of their employees.

Zhuang Lingyun drove Xiao Yao onto the highway. The road became increasingly wider and more secluded, eventually leading them onto the overpass near Salt Lake Park. By the time they descended from the complex network of bridges, they were already in the suburbs.

Soon, the car stopped.

Before them stood a six-story welfare institution.

Xiao Yao had already guessed, but actually being here still made her a little stunned.

Whether she wasn’t prepared or other emotions were disturbing her, Xiao Yao suddenly didn’t want to get out of the car. But seeing Zhuang Lingyun’s expectant smile, she felt a pang of guilt.

She was the one who suggested adoption; now, if she were to refuse, it would be going back on her word.

Xiao Yao sighed inwardly. Oh well, what’s done is done.

There’s no rule saying you have to adopt a child after coming here. It’s all about fate.

The director of the welfare institution was a woman in her forties. Perhaps due to years of hard work, her temples were already showing gray hair, making her kind face seem even gentler.

The children loved her; they would greet her loudly from afar before running off to play.

Most of the children here were quite young; some were abandoned just days after birth, while others had been here for three or five years without being adopted.

When the welfare institution welcomed new visitors, the more sensible children understood the significance of their arrival. They would watch from afar, or sneak to the director’s office, eavesdropping at the wall or peeking at the door, observing the couple who might become their parents.

Because the welfare institution received financial support from various charitable organizations, the environment wasn’t bad; it was actually much better than what Xiao Yao had imagined.

Their food, accommodation, clothing, and toys were all complete.

Zhuang Lingyun had already prepared all the necessary documents—household registration, household register, identity cards, and marriage certificate—and had them ready. He handed them to the director upon arriving at the office, something Xiao Yao was unaware of. Thankfully, she hadn’t said anything about refusing; otherwise, she would have wasted his efforts.

After learning about their circumstances and family conditions, the director was quite satisfied and asked how old of a child they wanted to adopt.

Zhuang Lingyun turned to Xiao Yao, leaving the decision entirely up to her.

Xiao Yao, however, was indecisive. After hesitating for a long time, she said, “Director Jiang, can I see the children? I think it’s better to see if we click.”

The director smiled and said, “Of course. Please follow me.”

They first saw the youngest children, the smallest still lying in a crib, babbling and unable to speak.

A slightly older baby, about one year old, could sit but not walk, was playing with toys on a play mat.

Director Zhang affectionately stroked the baby girl’s sparse, yellowish hair and softly said, “Some adoptive parents prefer adopting young children who have no memories yet, as raising them feels like raising their own biological child, making it easier to develop a relationship.”

Xiao Yao squatted in front of the baby, watching her bright, dark eyes blink. Her eyelashes were extremely long and lovely. Xiao Yao’s heart softened, wanting to hug her. She reached out, but only touched her little feet, ultimately not holding her.

“Director Zhang, what’s this child’s background?” Zhuang Lingyun asked from the side.

“She’s an abandoned baby. Three months ago, she was left at the entrance of our welfare institution and brought in by the security guard in the receiving room. We named her Yingbao. After calling the police and investigating, we found out that a girl under twenty years old abandoned her.”

Xiao Yao was startled, suddenly remembering her lost daughter. She was also under twenty years old at that time.

“Was it a university student who had a child out of wedlock?”

Director Zhang shook her head. “That girl is Yingbao’s aunt. Yingbao’s biological father is unknown, and her mother died of postpartum hemorrhage. According to the investigation, her only relative is this aunt. Yingbao’s aunt raised her for several months, but because of her lack of experience and inadequate care, Yingbao got sick – pneumonia and things like that. She’s better now. The girl simply couldn’t afford to raise her anymore, so she secretly abandoned her at the welfare institution.”

“Yingbao is a poor orphan.”

Xiao Yao’s finger was suddenly grabbed by a chubby little hand, held very tightly. The baby was babbling, seemingly wanting to say something.

Xiao Yao let her hold on, teasing her for a while until a caregiver took Yingbao to feed her, then Xiao Yao got up and left.

Then they saw a two-year-old boy with a slight disability, and several older boys and girls.

Those who weren’t slightly disabled had developmental delays and were abandoned. After seeing more than a dozen children, Xiao Yao’s mood became overwhelmingly heavy. Her emotions were close to breaking. She didn’t know that there were so many abandoned children in the world.

Those children stood in a row against the wall, like goods waiting to be selected, their eyes filled with expectation.

A two-year-old girl particularly touched Xiao Yao’s heart. Although she couldn’t speak well, she was clever and showed an innocent smile when Xiao Yao approached, secretly slipping her a piece of candy and whispering, “Sister, can you take me away?”

Xiao Yao suddenly wanted to cry. Unable to control her emotions, she stopped looking at the children and apologized to Director Zhang, then went and sat by a flower bed under a big willow tree to compose herself.

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