Chapter 41: The Unspoken Destination

Hao Yang, her hand held firmly, wanted to refuse Wang Jian’s offer to buy her clothes. After all, the police officer had already helped her considerably, and she felt awkward about him spending money on her.

However, she possessed only the clothes on her back, with no spare garments. If she didn’t acquire new ones, she might not even have anything to wear at the orphanage.

Consequently, Hao Yang no longer resisted, allowing Wang Jian to lead her into the children’s clothing store.

As they stepped inside, a sales assistant quickly approached Wang Jian, eager to assist.

“Sir, what kind of clothes are you looking to buy for your daughter?” the assistant inquired cheerfully. “We have a comprehensive selection for children of all ages, and our quality is guaranteed. Plus, we’re currently running a special discount…”

Wang Jian’s brow furrowed at the mention of “daughter.” While Hao Yang was undeniably adorable, he had no intention of adopting her.

He promptly clarified, “She’s not my daughter. Please don’t jump to conclusions.” Wang Jian spoke with a hint of impatience, then glanced at his phone. It was nearing 7 PM; time was of the essence.

“My apologies, sir,” the sales assistant quickly corrected herself. “What would you like to purchase?”

“Choose two outfits, a top and bottom, for this child,” he instructed. “And a jacket. Oh, and two sets of underwear for her, too.”

“Also, if the child has a preference for any particular clothes, let her choose freely,” Wang Jian added. “Once everything is selected, just bring them to me for payment.”

With that, he found a convenient seat and began scrolling through his phone.

“Understood, sir.”

“Little one, come with big sister,” the sales assistant said, taking Hao Yang’s small hand and leading her further into the store. “I’ll help you pick out some clothes.”

Hao Yang couldn’t help but glance back at Wang Jian twice more before the sales assistant led her away to choose garments.

Approximately half an hour later, the selection was complete. They had chosen two black hoodie and pant sets, two pairs of small white underwear adorned with various cute cartoon patterns, and a nylon jacket.

After scanning the items at the counter, the sales assistant scurried over to Wang Jian.

“The clothes have been chosen, sir,” she announced. “Please come to the front desk to pay.”

Wang Jian closed his phone and followed the sales assistant to the checkout. Hao Yang was already there, waiting patiently for him.

Gazing at the pile of children’s clothes on the counter, Wang Jian’s eyelid twitched twice.

He then asked, “How much?”

“One thousand five hundred yuan, sir,” the sales assistant replied with a smile. “Will that be by QR code or cash?”

“QR code,” Wang Jian mumbled, then scanned the code on the counter. With a pang of reluctance, he transferred the 1500 yuan.

It felt as if the last vestiges of guilt he held vanished with the expenditure.

“Please pack all these clothes into one bag for me,” Wang Jian requested. He then pulled out his phone again, idly scrolling through short videos.

Upon hearing this, the sales assistant promptly began folding the clothes and placing them into a large bag emblazoned with the children’s clothing store’s logo.

Once everything was packed, Hao Yang took the bag, finding it surprisingly heavy. She hadn’t expected a few small children’s clothes to be so strenuous to carry.

‘This body is far too weak,’ she thought.

Noticing Hao Yang’s struggle, Wang Jian took the bag from her hand and headed out. Hao Yang, seeing this, quickly followed close behind him.

Soon, they were back at the police car. Wang Jian casually opened the door, placed the bag of clothes on the back seat, and then scanned his surroundings.

As if remembering something, he turned to Hao Yang.

“Wait for me in the car for a moment,” he told her. “I’ll be right back.”

Hao Yang immediately got into the car, then rolled down the window slightly.

“Uncle Wang, I’ll wait for you here, I promise,” she called out. “Please come back quickly!”

“Mm-hm,” Wang Jian responded, then walked towards a large supermarket nearby.

Hao Yang’s gaze remained fixed on Wang Jian until he entered the supermarket and disappeared from view.

Only when Wang Jian was completely out of sight did Hao Yang quietly withdraw her gaze. She then looked at the new clothes beside her, a heavy feeling settling in her chest.

She had an ominous premonition that something unpleasant was about to occur.

‘The worst that could happen is being sent to an orphanage,’ she mused. ‘As long as I can endure this winter, I can find a way to go back and search for my parents. If only this winter would pass quickly.’

Outside, the snow continued to fall relentlessly. Though lighter than before, it showed no signs of stopping.

She wondered how long it would be until winter finally relinquished its hold.

After about fifteen minutes, Hao Yang, still in the car, kept her eyes fixed on the supermarket entrance where Wang Jian had vanished. Finally, a familiar figure emerged, carrying several bags.

Hao Yang recognized him instantly as Wang Jian. He jogged over to the police car’s trunk, placed his purchases inside, and then slid into the driver’s seat.

Wang Jian remained silent, and Hao Yang didn’t speak either. In the quiet atmosphere, Wang Jian started the car, slowly backed out of the parking space, and began driving towards the outskirts of New City.

“Xiao Xiao,” Wang Jian suddenly began, “Uncle has a few things to tell you. I need you to listen carefully, okay?”

“Understood,” Hao Yang replied immediately, her attention sharpening.

“Once you’re there, listen closely to the staff,” Wang Jian said earnestly. “Uncle will drop you off, and then I won’t be able to look after you anymore. You must learn to take good care of yourself, understand?”

“Also, there might be some strange people there,” he continued. “Try to avoid interacting with them too much, and always remember to keep yourself clean…”

“Uncle Wang, can I ask you a question?” Hao Yang interrupted, looking down.

“Go ahead and ask,” Wang Jian replied without much thought. “Uncle will tell you anything I know.”

“Uncle Wang, is the place you’re taking me really an orphanage?” Hao Yang voiced the doubt that had been gnawing at her. She had felt uneasy for a while; previously, when she’d asked if he was taking her to an orphanage, he hadn’t given a clear answer.

Moreover, the police officer’s words had been peculiar, leading her to vaguely suspect something amiss.

Wang Jian remained silent. He knew the child had already sensed something was wrong, and his own words had subtly hinted that he wasn’t taking her to an orphanage at all.

The atmosphere in the car instantly grew heavy. Seeing Wang Jian’s lack of response, Hao Yang’s expression turned grim.

The memories of her previous self had already informed her that without a household registration, orphanages wouldn’t accept her. She had known this for a long time.

She should have realized much earlier that Officer Wang wasn’t taking her to an orphanage. But if not an orphanage, then where was he taking her?