Chapter 34: A Moment of Pity and Nostalgia

“What’s wrong? You look so troubled again, Xiao Xiao. You should smile more, you look really beautiful when you smile.” Wang Jian noticed Hao Yang’s troubled expression and couldn’t help but say.

Hao Yang lifted her face slightly and forced a smile.

Wang Jian looked at Hao Yang, who was smiling reluctantly, and felt a bit speechless. He had just started to reach out to pat her head, but then he noticed Hao Yang’s messy hair, which looked like it hadn’t been washed in a long time, with some things stuck in it. Compared to her little face, her hair was in a pitiful state.

Although Wang Jian wasn’t very knowledgeable about hairstyles, he could still instantly tell that Hao Yang’s current hairstyle was terrible.

“Xiao Xiao, how long has it been since you last washed your hair?” Wang Jian withdrew his hand and asked.

“I don’t know.”

Wang Jian felt a wave of disgust. Although he was a man, he was usually quite clean. He almost always took a shower every day before going to bed, and his dorm was always tidy and clean.

The thought of this child not knowing how many days it had been since she last took a bath, and that he had just touched her head, made his disgust grow even stronger. His fondness for Hao Yang decreased significantly.

But then he thought about how this child was homeless and couldn’t find a place to bathe in the middle of winter, making it impossible for her to keep herself clean. Wang Jian’s disgust disappeared, and his fondness for her slightly increased. His eyes also showed a hint of pity.

Hao Yang stood aside, watching the changes in Wang Jian’s facial expressions. She could clearly see a hint of disgust in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, replaced by something else—pity.

Hao Yang never thought she would be pitied by someone. As a model student, she was always admired and respected by others after every exam.

But now, for the first time, she was receiving pitying looks, which made her feel uncomfortable.

“Xiao Xiao, let’s go to the barbershop to wash and cut your hair, okay?” Wang Jian then asked.

Hao Yang didn’t respond, so Wang Jian took it as her agreement.

“Come, let’s go to the police car.” Wang Jian said.

“Wait, I need to get my backpack.” Hao Yang hurriedly ran to get her backpack.

“Make sure you don’t forget anything.” Wang Jian reminded her.

Soon, Hao Yang returned with her backpack.

“Come on, hold my hand.” Wang Jian extended his large hand.

Hao Yang didn’t hesitate and took his hand.

Wang Jian opened the back door, and a biting cold wind blew in, making Hao Yang shiver.

Wang Jian noticed this and then looked at Hao Yang’s clothes thoughtfully.

The snow was still falling outside, though not as heavily as before. For Hao Yang, it was still quite a bit.

Arriving at the police car, Wang Jian took out the car keys and unlocked the car. He sat in the driver’s seat, while Hao Yang sat in the passenger seat.

The car was well-maintained, but the interior was still as cold as an icebox. Hao Yang felt uncomfortable from the cold. Wang Jian’s first action after getting in the car was to turn on the heater. As time passed, the car’s interior gradually warmed up. Wang Jian then played a relaxing song on the car stereo, keeping the volume low.

He then slowly drove the car out of the police station’s small parking lot. Through the car window, Wang Jian could clearly see the reporters in coats, occasionally touching up their makeup, lined up on both sides of the police station’s fence. The camera operators were diligently holding their cameras.

Wang Jian felt a bit unsettled seeing this. These people were clearly trying to get some attention, and it was a bit ridiculous. Despite the cold, they were waiting outside just for him. Fortunately, he was in a police car, and the car’s windows were tinted, so no one could see inside. Wang Jian smoothly drove out of the police station.

He then began patrolling the area, which wasn’t very large. It was enough to circle around the small county once.

Wang Jian occasionally glanced out the window. Recently, with people returning to work or migrate for jobs, traffic had increased, and he needed to be careful to avoid any accidents.

The streets outside looked quite old, with many of the city’s basic infrastructure built in the 1990s. Over time, these facilities had deteriorated, causing many young people to leave the county to find work elsewhere, preferring to endure hardships outside rather than stay in this small county. After the return migration season, this county would likely be left with only children and some elderly people.

Wang Jian glanced at the traffic light and noticed it wasn’t functioning. The bulbs were probably burned out, but there was a traffic police officer in the middle of the intersection, directing traffic.

When the officer saw the police car, he quickly directed traffic to let it pass. Wang Jian sped through without stopping. After driving for a while, Wang Jian arrived at one of the oldest neighborhoods in the county.

Looking at the surrounding old, dilapidated houses, Wang Jian felt a sense of nostalgia. Some of these buildings were even older than he was, and surprisingly, people were still living in them. Although they would be demolished soon.

Hao Yang stared blankly at one of the buildings, feeling a sense of familiarity. This was the building where her previous self and her grandfather had lived together.

The building didn’t seem as lively as it used to. Usually, at this time, each family would have smoke rising from their kitchens, and some elderly men would leave their doors open, inviting friends over for chats or chess games.

But now, there was an eerie silence. Of course, it wasn’t completely deserted; a few elderly people were slowly walking in the hallway.

Although there were people, they were mostly elderly, and their presence didn’t make the area feel more lively. Instead, it felt even more desolate.

Clearly, many elderly people had moved out. Hao Yang suddenly noticed that the walls of the nearby buildings had been spray-painted with the character ‘demolish.’ She instantly understood that this area was going to be demolished.

The spray paint looked fairly new, likely painted within the last few days.

Hao Yang slowly turned her head back inside the car and looked down at the building. Memories of the day Tang Shan died flooded back, and her sadness resurfaced. Hao Yang tried her best to control her emotions, not letting them overwhelm her.