NOVPUB"Huh? Huh? Huh?"0
"You're already in Ning City? You booked your own hotel? Wait—don’t wander off, I..."0
Yan hung up the phone, her expression still slightly dazed.0
She glanced at Zhu Jue beside her. "Our goddaughter is here."0
Zhu Jue held up his phone screen.0
"Brother Fan said Lin Anran decided to take a spontaneous trip. She only told her parents after arriving at Ning City Station."0
Both Yan and Zhu Jue’s lips twitched in unison. What a little troublemaker.0
"Did they argue?" Yan asked.0
"No. Brother Fan said everything’s fine. She’s been acting normally these days—going out during the day, shopping, and coming home before dinner. So no one paid attention when she left today. Who’d have thought she’d sneak off like this?" Zhu Jue sighed.0
"Then it’s not running away. Probably just excitement getting to her," Yan analyzed, feeling a slight relief.0
It had been half a year since Lin Anran first appeared in their lives. Though the girl had been withdrawn at first, she’d gradually grown more lively, now resembling a typical teenage girl.0
"Still, we shouldn’t rule out other possibilities. Let’s go pick her up first."0
Yan let out a long sigh.0
Since returning to Ning City, she and Zhu Jue hadn’t had much downtime. Though they hadn’t encountered any dramatic events, there were always gatherings—childhood friends from the old neighborhood, classmates back from abroad organizing meetups.0
Not just dinners or drinks, but escape rooms, art exhibitions, villa parties, private clubs—invitations were endless.0
Winter break had been quieter due to the cold and New Year celebrations, with many away on vacations. But now, in summer, everyone was back, exchanging gossip, networking, and trading favors.0
When they found Lin Anran, she was strolling through Wangfujing, wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and carrying her one-of-a-kind handmade bag.0
"Excuse me, where did you get that bag? Is there a link?"0
As they approached, two girls were asking Lin Anran for shopping details.0
"Oh, this was handmade by my family. No link," Lin Anran replied, pride evident in her voice.0
"Does your family take custom orders?"0
"Nope. This was a gift just for me." She shook her head, admiring the patchwork bag with satisfaction.0
"Can I take a photo? I’d love to reference the color combinations."0
"Sure, go ahead!" Lin Anran was generous.0
"She seems in high spirits," Zhu Jue remarked.0
"Maybe she just wanted a change of scenery," Yan agreed, though an inexplicable unease lingered.0
"An An!" Yan waved.0
Spotting them, Lin Anran bid the girls farewell and bounded over like an excited child.0
"You got here so fast!"0
Her cheerful demeanor only deepened Yan’s suspicion, though she kept her expression neutral.0
"You booked a hotel near Dongjiaominxiang? Good choice—there’s a shortcut past the Police Museum straight to Tiananmen and the Forbidden City," Yan said.0
"I picked it to see the flag-raising ceremony. Closer means more sleep," Lin Anran replied, still wearing her sunglasses.0
"That path might be blocked by security now, but Dongjiaominxiang is still the closest starting point," Zhu Jue added.0
"Let me check if there are rooms left. We’ll stay with you for the ceremony," Yan said, scrolling through her phone.0
"Oh, no need! I can manage alone. The hotel has a wake-up call service. It’d be trouble for you," Lin Anran protested.0
"Staying with you is easier than rushing here at dawn," Yan shut her down.0
"Done. Luckily, there’s availability."0
She moved on before Lin Anran could object.0
"Did you eat on the train? The bento box?"0
"The business class meal was okay. Not great, not terrible. I had snacks too," Lin Anran answered.0
"Let’s explore a bit today, then rest at the hotel. Tomorrow’s an early start—it’s back-to-school season, so tons of families are touring the city," Yan said, exchanging a glance with Zhu Jue.0
"I saw online that people camp out overnight to get a spot. If I wake up early enough, I should see it, right?" Lin Anran mumbled, eyeing the bustling crowd in Wangfujing and imagining the sunrise spectacle.0
Wangfujing wasn’t a place Yan and Zhu Jue frequented—overrun with tourists even in winter, lined with stalls selling candied hawthorns and other treats. Summer amplified the chaos.0
Lin Anran, new to the capital, was fascinated by everything. They started with classic Ning City yogurt in glass jars, then grabbed icy sodas. When they passed a famed jasmine-flavored ice cream stand with a snaking queue, she perked up.0
"Nope. Try that tomorrow. You’ve had enough cold stuff today," Yan reeled her in.0
Deflated, Lin Anran gave up—until they reached Daoxiangcun bakery, where her eyes locked onto the signature pastry assortment.0
"Pick two to sample. No more, or you’ll ruin dinner," Yan laid down the law.0
"The hotel doesn’t have a fridge, and it’s too hot to store leftovers. Grab a box before you leave Ning City," Zhu Jue gently suggested, noticing her gaze on the weighed selections.0
Obedient under their watch, Lin Anran chose two portable pastries. She resisted eating them until dinner… mostly. Sneaking a bite when they weren’t looking, then wiping her mouth, gave her a mischievous thrill.0
Yan and Zhu Jue pretended not to see the crumbs as they accompanied her to Wangfujing Bookstore for photos, a toy shop, and the timeworn department store.0
Dinner was at a well-known chain in Macau Center, where they shared Peking duck. Afterward, they walked back to Dongjiaominxiang, a leisurely half-hour stroll.0
"Sis—" Tan Xiaobao eyed Lin Anran curiously as she sipped an old-fashioned soda through a straw.0
Lin Anran handed over her small backpack. "Just a change of clothes in here."0
"Alright, I’m off." Catching her sister’s look, Xiaobao vanished without further questions, though the situation puzzled her.0
Zhu Jue carried the bag that had just been delivered, while Yan asked Lin Anran to take the things she bought upstairs. She and Jue Jue would finish checking in downstairs before joining her.0
It was still peak summer season, and the location of Dongjiaominxiang was practically unbeatable—just a stone's throw from Tiananmen Square. When Yan made the reservation, only the most expensive business suites were left, costing nearly three thousand a night, and each had only one bed.0
Though there was the Huafeng Hotel across the street as an alternative, Yan immediately booked two suites. After all, it was Lin Anran who had insisted on staying here.0
Lin Anran had booked a business king room for herself. While the Dongjiaominxiang Hotel boasted a prime location and a long history, its facilities were outdated, and the cleanliness and service were barely passable.0
"Ms. Yan, you reserved two business suites, but you're only checking into one for now?" the front desk staff inquired.0
"That's right. The two of us will share one room. The friend for the other suite is stuck in traffic but will be here soon," Yan replied.0
A short while later, Lin Anran nervously opened the door and timidly greeted her godmother as she entered.0
"Did I cause you both a lot of trouble?"0
"I would've been fine on my own. I already looked up all the travel guides."0
She noticed that her godparents' change of clothes had been hastily delivered, clearly disrupting their original plans.0
Lin Anran never meant to inconvenience anyone. She just wanted to fulfill a childhood wish before leaving.0
When she was little, her mother would read letters from her father stationed in the military.0
He promised that once he returned on annual or family leave, he would take the whole family to the capital to watch the flag-raising ceremony.0
She waited and waited, but her father never came back—and then her mother was gone too.0
Now, Little An An was still so young, not even two years old. How could she possibly travel?0
So, Lin Anran thought, it was better to go alone and see it for herself.0
But before she could dwell on it, her godmother Yan flicked her forehead lightly.0
"Don’t talk like that."0
"Go take a shower. Here’s a toiletry bag I brought for you—don’t use the hotel’s. I’ll change the bedding for you."0
Lin Anran’s attention was instantly diverted. Only then did she notice that her godmother had brought travel-sized personal toiletries, along with disposable bed sheets and silk pillowcases.0
"You even brought these yourself?" she marveled, thinking she had already packed enough.0
"For hygiene and safety," Yan replied.0
Lin Anran took her things and went to shower. While under the spray, she heard the door open—probably her godparents bringing over more items.0
But when she stepped out with her hair wrapped in a towel, she froze at the sight of someone who shouldn’t have been there.0
"Mom?" Lin Anran stared in disbelief at Lin Lu.0
"What are you doing here?"0
At the same time, her godmother was nowhere to be seen.0
She rushed to ask, "When did you get here? Where’s my sister? Did the nanny come?"0 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑝𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"Just arrived. The nanny didn’t come. Your dad is upstairs with your sister."0
Lin Lu spoke calmly.0
Lin Anran lowered her head, unsure what to say.0
"Don’t just stand there. Come here, let me dry your hair." Lin Lu pulled out a hairdryer from somewhere.0
"This isn’t ours, is it?" Lin Anran asked.0
"Your godmother brought it."0
Yan truly was incredible—like a magical little fairy, always pulling out whatever was needed.0
Inside the bathroom, Lin Lu plugged in the hairdryer and began gently drying her daughter’s hair.0
"Mom, scold me," Lin Anran murmured, eyes downcast.0
She had left without warning, only informing them after arriving. Now her parents had rushed over with Little An An in the evening—she could only imagine how frantic they must have been.0
"A spontaneous trip isn’t so bad," her mother said.0
Hearing this, Lin Anran didn’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Ever since she returned and her parents recognized her, they had indulged her every whim.0
"What, you want to be scolded?" Her mother’s voice carried a hint of amusement.0
Lin Anran nodded slowly.0
She wanted to be a child who was looked after—who was reprimanded when she did wrong.0
To someone who had once been utterly alone, being cared for, even being scolded, was a kind of happiness.0
