Chapter 170

The apple pie had already cooled.

She had stopped in the town on a whim, a sudden decision—what if she hadn’t? Wouldn’t Yeseilena have searched for her all night in vain?

“Have you had dinner?” Zhong Ning took the apple pie and gently ruffled her hair.

Yeseilena was clearly stunned for a moment. “Not yet…”

“What a coincidence, neither have I. Do you live in town? Do you know which place here has the best food? I was just wondering where to go.”

Yeseilena then led her to a restaurant. It was indeed crowded inside. After they got there, she was about to leave, but Zhong Ning suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Well, there’s an old saying in our country: ‘A chance encounter is fate.’ Let’s eat together.”

Hearing this, the girl visibly panicked. “I didn’t come to eat… My mom made dinner at home…”

“I’m not inviting you for no reason either,” Zhong Ning said with a smile. “Look at all the people on the street—if we keep tugging each other in front of the entrance, we’ll affect the restaurant’s business. Since we’re already here, why not talk inside?”

By the time Yeseilena was pulled inside, she was still dazed. She hadn’t experienced the persuasive power of the phrase “since we’re already here,” and sat down on a chair like a little lamb, unsure how it even happened.

Zhong Ning figured she probably wouldn’t take the initiative to order anything, so she took charge and ordered six dishes. After putting down the menu, she said, “Actually, I’m looking for a local guide to show me around. Are you familiar with this area?”

“This is just a small town. There aren’t any tourist spots.” Yeseilena shook her head. “You have to go to Ihab, the big city. That’s where all the interesting things are.”

Zhong Ning changed the subject. “Did you go to school? Your English is very fluent—really impressive.”

The girl nodded. “I studied up to the third year of middle school. Then I had to stop. We couldn’t afford the tuition.”

Her expression was very calm, as if she didn’t think it was a pity to stop studying. It was like she had long passed the stage of grief and had fully accepted reality—a kind of numb calmness.

Zhong Ning looked into her eyes, at her sun-darkened face, and suddenly smiled. “That’s alright. I just want to stroll around here for now, take in the natural scenery. I’m not in a hurry to head into the city. Besides, my local language isn’t very good, and not everyone speaks English. Why don’t you be my guide for a few days? How about it? Otherwise, I don’t even know how much to pay when I buy things.”

She was a cheerful, optimistic girl who loved life. Zhong Ning hadn’t thought too deeply about it, but she decided to offer her a bit of help. Of course, it wasn’t unconditional—it would require effort from her in return.

Little by little, she could rediscover her love for life and for living.

This world should be a beautiful place. Don’t let a moment of pain cast a shadow over the rest of her long life.

Xie Shiqing didn’t deserve it.

She didn’t deserve to waste so much of her time.

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Zhong Ning (with a backpack): “I’m going to live a happy life and never think about that rotten person again!”

Chapter 62

Whether it was her expression, tone, or body language, Zhong Ning looked completely sincere. She truly did mean it—she had decided, from the bottom of her heart, to do something good.

Was it wrong to want to help others? Was that kind of behavior mistaken? Xie Shiqing was a poisonous mushroom—she had used her harmless appearance to extract trust. She was the one at fault, not Zhong Ning.

She would use facts to prove that not everyone would betray the kindness and love of others. That had just been an isolated case.

After hearing her words, Yeseilena still looked hesitant.

“Is it because you don’t have time?” Zhong Ning asked again. “I’ll pay you. One hundred Yurmi a day. How about that?”

The girl was startled. “That’s a bit too much!”

“Then it’s settled.” Zhong Ning decided cheerfully, not giving her the chance to bargain further. “I’m staying at Susan Inn. Come find me there at eight tomorrow morning. Okay?”

Yeseilena, not good with words, blushed bright red. “That’s really too much… You don’t have to pay that much.”

One hundred Yurmi—she only earned thirty or forty a day selling flowers.

“It’s settled. I’m the employer, I have the final say.” Zhong Ning brought out her unreasonable side. Just then, the food arrived, and she took the chance to act like she was focusing on eating. The girl had no choice but to keep her mouth shut.

There were six dishes, all in generous portions. Zhong Ning used the public chopsticks to serve food into her plate, eating in a shared-dish style. Michelle followed suit, and Yeseilena imitated them, also using public chopsticks to pick up food.

After the meal, there was still a lot of food left, but everything remained neat and clean. Zhong Ning called the restaurant owner to pack it up, then handed both bags to Yeseilena.

“Take these home. I don’t eat late-night snacks—it’d be a waste to throw it away.”

Even the slowest person could feel such kindness. Yeseilena’s eyes turned red all of a sudden.

Zhong Ning smiled gently and patted her hair, reminding her, “Head on home now. It’s getting dark. Be careful on the way.”

Thinking about Yeseilena, she went to bed early and woke up early too. A little after six, she got up along with the sounds of morning street vendors.

She had planned to head out and find some breakfast, but the moment she stepped outside, she saw Yeseilena sitting on the steps at the corner of the outer wall.

Zhong Ning was genuinely shocked. She looked down at her watch to confirm it was only a little after six, not eight. “Why are you here so early?”

The girl blinked her pure black eyes. “My house is a bit far from town. I was afraid I’d be late, so I left a bit earlier.”

In fact, after she went home yesterday and told her mother about it, the woman—widowed at an early age—didn’t dismiss her daughter’s thoughts just because she was young. She trusted her daughter’s judgment and earnestly reminded her to take the opportunity seriously, to do her best, and not to let down someone else’s kindness.

There was no television or computer in Yeseilena’s home. She had gone to bed at around eight or nine. At the break of dawn, she woke up and helped her mother weed the vegetable garden. When the sun rose, she set off and walked quickly for over an hour before finally reaching town.