Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Extracting Clues from Doudou’s Mouth

    If she told Li Lingyang that she had seen Chen Bao at her house, then all her lies would be exposed all at once—it was agonizing just to think about it.@@@@

    Baili Orphanage, though called an orphanage, was actually a somewhat dilapidated quadrangle courtyard. It had been repaired once in the middle, but from the outside, it still looked a bit rickety.

    The yard wasn’t big, housing only seven or eight rooms, yet it managed to squeeze in nearly forty children. One could imagine how difficult the conditions were.

    After hanging up the phone, Chen Bao and Ningning went to a nearby mall and bought a large pile of children’s toys to donate to the kids at the orphanage.

    “Wow! It’s the Barbie doll I wanted...”

    “And my Transformer!”

    ...

    “So many toys...”

    The children swarmed around them.

    Ningning’s little face was tender pink, and her youthful voice was milkily sweet, “Don’t fight over them, there’s enough for everyone...”

    “Line up, everyone, one at a time, no cutting!” Chen Bao also spoke when he saw the scene.

    Even though there were several eight- or nine-year-old boys surrounding him, as soon as they heard him, they instantly shut their mouths, as if he were a born leader whom everyone was willing to listen to.

    Mommy Zhuo stood not too far away, looking at Chen Bao’s natural leadership with incessant gratification.

    So capable from such a young age, he was sure to be a remarkable man when he grew up.

    “Grandma Zhuo, come over and have some fruit with us...” Ningning waved to Mommy Zhuo.

    Mommy Zhuo walked over smiling, “You two have worked hard.”

    “It’s not hard.” Chen Bao pursed his lips, youthful yet not losing composure.

    The one billion he had extorted from that scumbag dad was still in his bag, but since the money hadn’t been laundered, he didn’t dare hand it over to Grandma Zhuo. If that scumbag dad traced it back, the entire orphanage could be ruined.

    After all, that scumbag dad was no simple character!

    “Grandma Zhuo, didn’t you say last time that you had found a suitable relocation site? How is the negotiation with the owner going?”

    “Oh...” Mommy Zhuo’s smiling face gradually solidified, showing a bit of helplessness and desolation, “The owner of that place went abroad, and now it’s his son taking charge, who’s asking for three and a half million. I’m afraid there’s no way to negotiate it down.”

    Ningning was surprised, “Eh, but wasn’t it three million last time? And they were even covering the tax.”

    “It’s probably because they’ve seen how desperate we are and have started to hike up the price.”

    “What a shameless seller!” Ningning exclaimed angrily, “Then we won’t buy from him, let him keep raising his prices and sell to someone else...”

    Listening to Mommy distort the truth, labeling Auntie as a downright bad person, and forbidding her to see Auntie again, Doudou frantically waved her little hands wanting to explain but was dragged away to the garden by Chengcheng.

    Doudou lost her balance and fell awkwardly to the ground. Ignoring the pain in her knees, she scrambled up, “Brother, let me go back, I haven’t finished speaking...”

    “What are you gesturing for? I don’t understand!” Chengcheng was most annoyed by her sign language. “Were you just now trying to help that bad woman?”

    Doudou was hurt by the disgust in his eyes, and tears of grievance welled up.

    She didn’t understand, why was it that Brother Chen Bao and Ningning were twins and their relationship was so good, yet Chengcheng always seemed to dislike her?

    “I’m warning you, that woman is a homewrecker, she almost caused Daddy and Mommy to be separated. If you dare to help her, see how I’ll deal with you!” Chengcheng continued to warn.

    Doudou’s little body shivered.

    Chengcheng threatened, “You’re crying again? Be careful, or I’ll hit you!”

    Doudou helplessly wiped her eyes with her hand, looking timidly at him, her mouth shut tight, and stopped gesturing. But in her heart, she was convinced Auntie was not a bad person, and Chen Bao and Ningning were good people, too!

    It was Mommy and brother who had misunderstood!

    Doudou had been sent to the old house for several days, and Li Lingyang hadn’t seen her for a while. He made a special trip to the children’s bedroom to accompany Doudou tonight.

    He keenly noticed that Doudou’s eyes were a bit red and there was a hot sweat on her forehead, and he immediately became wary.

    “Doudou, what’s wrong?”

    Doudou’s tender arms suddenly wrapped tightly around Daddy’s neck, burying her face in his neck, struggling to hold back her voice.

    Li Lingyang, reminded of the hours she was taken away by Ning Yichu, immediately asked, “Did Ning Yichu scare you when she took you today?”

    Doudou shook her head.

    “Did Nanny He say you got out of the car willingly?”

    Doudou hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

    “Why did you go with her?”

    Doudou pursed her tender pink lips and gestured with her hands.

    “Are you saying you saw her in grandma’s photo album and were curious about her?”

    Doudou’s big eyes twinkled, she nodded, and then continued gesturing, “Auntie was very gentle, she took me to the supermarket, we bought lots and lots of food, she’s not the bad Auntie Mommy said.”

    Li Lingyang, relieved that his daughter was not hurt, slightly knitted his brows and said warmly, “She and Daddy had a bit of an unpleasant time, Mommy misunderstood.”

    Doudou stretched out her little stumpy hands, placing them on Li Lingyang’s chest, gently smoothing it twice, as if comforting him, advising him not to be angry.

    Li Lingyang was healed by his daughter, truly a heartwarming little cotton-padded jacket. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked sharply, “After Ning Yichu took you away, did you see any other children in her house? Especially a little boy who looks a lot like Daddy?”