CHAPTER 208: CHAPTER 208 ORIGINAL SIN 17

Yesterday, Shuangshuang was thinking about just going wherever the road led her and running first, but today, after setting off, she noticed that Feng Jinyan had become noticeably smarter than before. Shuangshuang decided to head to the nearest big city, S City.

S City is one of the top-tier cities in the country, with many large hospitals. There’s even a top national hospital specializing in neurology. Since money wasn’t a temporary issue, Shuangshuang decided to take her mother there to see if they could help Feng Jinyan recover earlier.

Having a target destination made the journey much easier; she just needed to follow the route straight to her goal.

For safety reasons, Shuangshuang didn’t dare venture into small towns or take too remote a path. This had its pros and cons. The downside was that it was much slower compared to the first day’s reckless speed, but the upside was that it was much easier to find restaurants and hotels, and there were more people around, which was safer.

When it was time to rest that night, Shuangshuang chose a medium-sized hotel again. Before entering, she bought a pair of large sunglasses for Feng Jinyan, to disguise her vacant eyes from others.

Before going into the hotel, Shuangshuang handed some money to Feng Jinyan and repeatedly instructed her not to speak, before taking her to book a room.

The reason Shuangshuang did this was that when she left with Feng Jinyan the previous day, the hotel staff couldn’t resist gossiping about why Shuangshuang and her obviously mentally challenged mother, Feng Jinyan, had left home.

Shuangshuang wasn’t too concerned about others gossiping about her. The main issue was that she realized some people had noticed something was off with her and Feng Jinyan and were planning to call the police.

These people were well-intentioned because no one would believe that a child could survive while caring for a burdensome adult. Reporting to the police seemed the best way; if there was family, they could send her back home for care, and if not, both could be sent to a welfare institution.

But for Shuangshuang, these well-meaning people were just making matters worse, and she definitely couldn’t go to a police station for fear that the Yun Family might have reported them.

If the Yun Family had called the police, she would be discovered and likely sent back to the Yun Family once she reached the police station!

To Shuangshuang and Feng Jinyan, that was the most frightening outcome. Having experienced escaping once, Shuangshuang couldn’t imagine what fate would await them if they were returned to the Yun Family! She never held any hope for that family’s conscience!

Shuangshuang was also exhausted from the previous day, her mind wasn’t working, and all she wanted was to find a place to sleep soundly. Apart from this thought, she couldn’t focus on anything else!

After entering, Shuangshuang let Feng Jinyan walk in front, pulling the suitcase, while she held Feng Jinyan’s hand, secretly guiding her towards the front desk, appearing as if a child was following an adult.

As expected, the receptionist, upon seeing Shuangshuang and Feng Jinyan, did not exhibit the same curiosity or gossipy expression as the receptionist from the previous day. She only looked perplexed at Feng Jinyan wearing sunglasses indoors.

Unable to see Feng Jinyan’s vacant eyes and since she was cleanly dressed and not causing a scene, standing quietly with the suitcase, there was nothing unusual to differentiate her from a normal person. At least the receptionist did not suspect she was dealing with someone with low intelligence.

Arriving at the counter, Feng Jinyan placed the money on it as instructed by Shuangshuang and pushed it toward the receptionist.

Shuangshuang then stepped forward with a sweet smile and said to the receptionist, puzzled as to why Feng Jinyan wasn’t speaking, "Hello, beautiful sister! Sorry, my mom has poor eyesight and can’t speak, we need one standard room."

The receptionist was immediately delighted by the "beautiful sister" address. At that time, people were more reserved in their speech compared to a decade later, when people addressed strangers as handsome or beautiful regardless of how they actually looked.

Moreover, since Shuangshuang was a child, there was a common belief that whatever children said was true, combined with the fact that the receptionist had a pretty appearance, Shuangshuang’s words immediately generated affection from her.

Upon hearing the rest, the receptionist showed a sympathetic expression, and without suspicion, she easily believed Shuangshuang’s story about losing their IDs, efficiently helping them check in.

After handling the check-in, the receptionist even asked Shuangshuang kindly, "Little sister, do you need my help to guide you and your mother with her eyes..." but she didn’t continue, clearly assuming Feng Jinyan was both blind and mute.

Shuangshuang shook her head with a smile and said, "Thank you, sister, my mom just can’t look at light, but she can see the road wearing sunglasses. Thank you for your kindness."

Successfully playing the part of a sensible child and earning the receptionist’s goodwill, Shuangshuang led Feng Jinyan away with the accompanying staff. That receptionist even remarked to her colleague about how mature children become when their elders can’t be independent.

For the rest of the journey, Shuangshuang and Feng Jinyan used this trick to muddle through without encountering any more well-intentioned people wanting to call the police.

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Seven days later, Shuangshuang brought Feng Jinyan to S City. At that time, S City wasn’t as bustling and prosperous as it would become in a decade but already showed signs of its future glitzy nightlife.

Since they planned to stay in S City, there was no need for hotels anymore, and it was time to rent a long-term residence. But due to their special circumstances, Shuangshuang intended to find a place without a landlord and minimal interaction with neighbors.

First off, Shuangshuang eliminated bungalows. Bungalows had two options: sharing a courtyard or a separate small yard. Sharing wouldn’t work due to frequent comings and goings exposing their situation.

A separate small yard was also out because even though it was independent, neighbors were nearby, and frequent encounters would make it odd for them to stay uncommunicative. It also wasn’t safe—a woman with a child could easily become a target for miscreants.

To minimize disturbances and avoid drawing attention for being aloof, the best choice was to find a small, independent unit within a high-rise complex populated by outsiders or office workers.

While living in an apartment seems to mean more neighbors, people tend to come and go quickly, with little chance for interaction unless initiated. Thus, being slightly reclusive wouldn’t be too strange. As long as Shuangshuang was careful, it would be easy to avoid exposing Feng Jinyan’s condition.

Moreover, a well-secured neighborhood with gate guards, locked hallways, and a sturdy front door to their apartment offered layers of protection, ensuring top-notch security.