A bright future? Was he talking about me? No one had ever said that to him before. He Xiuyuan remembered that at the orphanage, everyone treated him as Sui Dongsheng's silent sidekick. Dongsheng could talk about anything, and knowing that He Xiuyuan was not good with words, he would help him deal with people around them. Gradually, everyone bypassed him, the slightly older brother, and communicated directly with Dongsheng. Even when leaving the orphanage, the adults would ask Dongsheng to take care of him. He really envied that ability. But obviously, Dongsheng's skill was so outstanding that he realized he could never surpass him. He Xiuyuan held his heart, which was beating with excitement, and first felt at a loss, then imitated others who had been praised. He softly said 'Thank you' to the superior. He glanced at Bo Xin and said in an even lower voice, almost inaudible, 'Thank you, too.' Bo Xin perked up her ears and smiled inexplicably. Without asking him to repeat, she gently replied, 'You're welcome.' He Xiuyuan turned his head directly and changed the subject. 'What about the money you had stolen?' Bo Xin analyzed it for him, which also served as legal education. 'Generally, if a child under fourteen steals property and spends it, the guardian is forced to repay it. The state has no obligation to repay on your behalf. But since you're an orphan without a penny to your name, we who were stolen from have to accept our loss.' He Xiuyuan was stunned. He tightened his grip on his sleeve. The handcuffs on his wrist couldn't be freed, and the blood from the earlier scratch stuck to the cuffs, making it look painful. Bo Xin grabbed his arm and scolded him, 'Not listening again.' When he was locked in the detention room, Bo Xin helped him take off the handcuffs. She crouched down and asked casually, 'So what about the two hundred yuan you stole recently? Did you spend it all? In such a short time, you spent it really fast.' He Xiuyuan lowered his head and murmured, 'Sorry.' Bo Xin raised an eyebrow. She wasn't doing anything as low as blaming him, but now it seemed this kid was determined to protect his accomplice. Apparently, she couldn't simply make him confess everything. Her disappointment was so obvious that He Xiuyuan tentatively looked up and saw it. Hurriedly, he lowered his head again. He thought, this was probably guilt. This person had just given him such high expectations, and now he had disappointed her so quickly. He Xiuyuan clasped his hands together more tightly. Without the restraint of handcuffs, he didn't continue to torment the old scar, perhaps because it would be stopped, or perhaps for some other reason. He thought that if it were just the two of them, he could tell her some things. He wasn't really that bad. He Xiuyuan gathered his courage, paused his hand in the air, then tugged at her clothes. 'Um... can you sit down?' Bo Xin glanced outside. People were coming and going, busy handling other cases. The police had plenty of work and naturally didn't have extra attention for a thief who had already been caught. Bo Xin nodded. 'Of course.' He Xiuyuan's tone was unhurried. This was probably the longest speech he had ever given. So he thought as he spoke, but managed to keep a steady pace that made it easy to listen. Bo Xin nodded while listening, an encouraging gesture. He Xiuyuan became more confident. He talked about things starting from the orphanage up to his capture. Rather than describing his daily life after leaving the orphanage, it was more like a crime diary. He remembered the people he had stolen from very clearly, including the amounts. Finally, He Xiuyuan said, 'I donated all that money to the former orphanage.' Bo Xin began to ask, 'Did you arrange the donations yourself?' He Xiuyuan: '...Yes.' Then it wasn't him. Bo Xin could easily judge that. She could also tell that He Xiuyuan had definitely been deceived, but she couldn't say it directly. Bo Xin frowned, then quickly relaxed. 'The people at that orphanage might find out about your case soon.' He Xiuyuan shifted his posture. He didn't speak, but his anxiety showed. He hadn't thought about that layer at all. Bo Xin added, 'Can't be helped. After all, you were raised by that orphanage.' He Xiuyuan's mouth opened and closed, his pupils trembling in shock. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he didn't even wipe it away. Bo Xin patted his cold cheek as if to comfort him. 'Ah, so you do good deeds without leaving a name, but fear of being known for bad deeds. I really don't know what to say about you.' Bo Xin almost couldn't help but laugh. After all this groundwork, she could finally reveal her purpose. 'Call the orphanage. Whether to test if they know or to confess your mistakes.' After saying this, Bo Xin walked out as if she had said all she would say and that whatever decision he made from now on was not her concern. Outside the detention center, people who had come to wait for Bo Xin were there. Bo Yuxu looked at He Xiuyuan with caution, but seeing him so dejected, he couldn't help but frown hesitantly. Mom wasn't injured, and Yanyi hadn't been useful at all. ...Maybe he should calm down. Bo Yuxu sighed. 'Why did Mom talk to him so much?' Bo Xin yawned and raised her hands as if surrendering. 'I wasn't talking; he was talking. I was just a relatively good listener.' 'There's no need to listen that much.' Bo Xin soothingly patted Bo Yuxu's head. When worried, one loses perspective; she allowed her child to protect himself like a hedgehog when feeling insecure. Once the thieving child was caught, it would indeed be the police who would counsel him. Bo Xin was right. This was a case of 'accepting the loss.' But seeing such an interesting and promising child, Bo Xin felt that losing two hundred yuan was nothing. Oh, right, it wasn't her money after all. Bo Xin looked at Ji Xingzhi, who looked back at her indifferently, meaning she could decide. So when others tried to comfort her, Bo Xin waved to the police officer to relax. 'It's fine. If necessary, I'll cover the other debts too.' Ji Xingzhi: '...' Was that what he meant? Bo Xin remembered that Ji Xingzhi had a sponsorship fund. If not, she could pay it herself. In short, this was an investment. She believed He Xiuyuan would repay it and that he would amount to something when he grew up. The return would be several times more than this investment. Was this a potential stock encountered during investment? She felt a bit of the joy of investment. Bo Yuxu didn't quite understand. He hesitated and called out, 'Mom?' Bo Xin smiled. 'Think of it as a gift for returning the photo. I think the photo of your happy smile is worth that much.' Besides, Yuxu kind of liked this kid, too. Because he returned the photo. Bo Yuxu felt he was being coaxed again, and the thing was, he couldn't say anything. The total wasn't much, because few people nowadays carry large sums of money when going out; it's dangerous and unreliable. He Xiuyuan also didn't steal from people carrying big bags and luggage, because he thought they had countless expenses when arriving somewhere new. So, it was complicated. A bad but good child. What Bo Xin cared about more was the accomplice, because she subconsciously felt that person was definitely a bad kid. A child who deceived others into doing these things and then ran away, without any kindness. Bo Xin's brow twitched. She finally realized what she had been ignoring all along. This child named He Xiuyuan, didn't he have the surname 'He'? Bo Xin called out to the guard who was leaving, her tone unusually urgent. It was Officer Wu, whom she had met briefly before. He was holding the money Bo Xin had given him, thanking her for her kindness and saying he had already informed He Xiuyuan about it. Normally, Bo Xin would ask about the child's reaction. But now, she wasn't in the mood. 'What was the name of the orphanage this child was in before? Did you check?' Officer Wu had checked and was about to call there. But his superior stopped him, saying to give the child a chance to correct his mistakes and confess on his own. So he put the phone down. Officer Wu scratched his head. Apparently, his memory was average. After searching his mind, he expressed gratitude and left. Bo Xin: '...' That orphanage was the one where Ji Xingzhi had sent Sui Dongsheng. She had been so close to the protagonist? And she had let him get away.
He Xiuyuan had been sleeping in the detention center these days. The bed was hard, and the pillow was uncomfortable. In the past, Sui Dongsheng couldn't stand hardship, so the places they slept weren't bad, but for some reason, this felt more comfortable than before. He didn't know where he would go next. But he knew he wasn't going to prison, just to school. A correctional school where he could study well and, when grown up, could still serve in the military. For a child like him, this was extremely lenient. Because of this leniency, his guilt couldn't be alleviated at all. He could only try to think about where the money had been used. Only then did he get a moment of peace. According to Dongsheng, the children at the orphanage had been doing well recently. Before, except for holidays and New Year, they couldn't even afford meat or warm cotton clothes. But now, they were living well and could even eat fruit. He Xiuyuan took a deep breath. Maybe if he followed that lady's advice and called the orphanage, it would relieve some of his guilt. His detention period wasn't over yet, but the police were very lenient with him. When they heard he wanted to make a call, they even let him out. What if he tried to escape? He Xiuyuan closed his eyes and decided not to think about such things now. He remembered the orphanage's phone number clearly, but he had never called in the years since he left. Because he didn't want them to know what he was doing, or that the money was donated by him. The phone rang twice and was soon picked up. Children outside often called back, so the number was unfamiliar, but they always answered. Those adults were so gentle that even though he rarely spoke, his memories of them were all good. Hearing the familiar adult voice, He Xiuyuan's throat tightened. It took him a while to recover before he said, 'It's me.' Worried she wouldn't recognize him, he added, 'The He Xiuyuan.'