Xiao Xiang Jin Li

Chapter 2 Nurturing Well, Body and Soul

She was, after all, just a young girl, suddenly arriving in a strange city and being questioned by the police before she had a chance to adjust.

Anyone would be nervous, especially a well-behaved girl.

Yu Wenli interrupted the police officer’s questioning, his voice clear and soft, "Let her speak with her mother first."

The young man's voice, somewhere between gentle and indifferent, had a natural calming effect.

Wen Tingxue looked up in a daze, meeting his cool, placid gaze.

Exquisitely beautiful, but with little warmth.

Her thoughts grew cold along with it.

"Talk."

Yu Wenli handed her the phone after initiating the call, a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

Wen Tingxue, her thoughts seen through, immediately lowered her gaze, staring blankly at the video call interface. After a few seconds, her mother's familiar yet unfamiliar face appeared on the screen.

The woman's tense expression dissolved into a cascade of tears the moment she saw her daughter, her voice trembling with deep fear.

She even cracked.

"Yiyi! You scared your mother to death! I almost thought... Are you alright on your journey? Are you hurt, or have you been bullied?"

"Your grandmother is something else, sending you over without a word. Your father and I are already on our way to Jiangcheng."

Wen Tingxue cried along, but said nothing.

Seeing her daughter cry, Yu Xiuxiu's heart ached with worry, but her voice was incredibly soft.

"Good girl, don't be scared. Twenty more minutes, and your mom and dad will be by your side. Go to the restaurant with Brother Wenli first, have something to eat. Mom and Dad will pick you up and take you home soon."

"Mom..."

The mountain that had pressed on her heart for so long suddenly collapsed. Wen Tingxue's eyes reddened, and with a hoarse voice, she called out, "Mom..."

She could feel it; her parents didn't feel the way her grandmother had said. They liked her very much; they didn't dislike her.

She could feel it...

Two consecutive calls of "Mom" brought Yu Xiuxiu to tears. Fearing it would affect her daughter's emotions, she quickly hung up.

Even so, Wen Tingxue wept uncontrollably, as if pouring out all the grievances of her journey.

Yu Wenli handed her tissues, then turned his head to look at the two police officers and said familiarly, "Uncle Wu, have you asked enough?"

The two police officers nodded. The younger one, unable to contain his indignation, said:

"I really don't know what her grandmother was thinking, sending the child off in a car without a word. She's not a child who travels often. What if something had happened!"

"You talk too much," Wu Kai reminded him. "Didn't you forget, listen more, speak less?"

The young policeman pouted in dissatisfaction. "I'm just stating the facts. This grandmother is infuriating. If Lawyer Yu hadn't called to ask about the child, and her grandmother couldn't handle it and accidentally let it slip, no one would have known the child had been in the car for two hours."

Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow. He was unaware of the Wen family's affairs.

If he hadn't been picking up Chi Zerui today, his parents wouldn't have entrusted him with such a responsibility.

However, he rarely saw Aunt Yu so flustered. It seemed the young girl hadn't had a good time at her grandmother's.

After Wen Tingxue had recovered her composure, Wu Kai asked a few more questions.

After the phone call, the young girl's state had clearly improved, and she was much more cooperative.

Wu Kai closed his notebook and asked Yu Wenli familiarly, "How are you getting back? Shall I give you a ride?"

Yu Wenli collected his thoughts and said indifferently, "No need, we'll take a taxi."

"Alright."

Wu Kai nodded and left with his apprentice.

Wen Tingxue sat on her suitcase, sniffled, and said sheepishly, "...Your tissues, I'm sorry, I'll return them to you tomorrow."

Her voice, after crying, was soft and sweet.

Yu Wenli looked down at the few damp wads of tissue she clutched tightly in her hands.

Her tears had stopped, but her nose was as red as a rabbit's, twitching.

Yu Wenli gazed at her for a few seconds, then knelt down in front of her, meeting her eyes at eye level. "You don't need to return the tissues. My name is Yu Wenli, and I live next door to you."

Met with his gaze, Wen Tingxue was stunned. Her clear black and white eyes blinked like a naive little deer.

So pure, one could get lost in them.

Yu Wenli's voice softened unconsciously. "Aunt Yu asked me to take you to get something to eat. Can you walk now? Or would you like to wait a bit longer?"

The young man's gaze was cool, like moonlight, elegant and gentle, yet distant.

Wen Tingxue had noticed him before, but she hadn't dared to think too much about it.

She privately believed that such a distinguished young man would surely be harder to get along with than the boy in red.

She hadn't expected him to crouch down to speak to her, his eyes and words filled with extreme respect, devoid of any impatience.

Wen Tingxue's defenses eased considerably, and her eyes welled up slightly.

For so many years, apart from her cousin, no one had taken care of her like this.

"I..." The young girl pursed her lips, saying softly, "Now... Thank you."

Thank you?

Yu Wenli's gaze paused for a moment, and he softly replied, "Okay."

He stood up, called for a car with his phone, and then canceled the originally planned dinner engagement.

Chi Zerui sent several "I understand, I understand" emojis in the group chat, immediately raising everyone's suspicion.

Yu Wenli ignored the barrage of messages and walked out with Wen Tingxue.

He was tall and long-legged, each step covering the distance of two of Wen Tingxue's.

But after walking for a while, he began to match her pace.

Exiting the high-speed train station, they entered the newly completed East Plaza, bustling with people.

Wen Tingxue instinctively pulled herself tighter into her scarf. She felt many eyes on her, or rather, on the young man beside her.

He was too dazzling, and it made her stand in the spotlight with him.

Halfway there, Yu Wenli suddenly stopped.

He was much taller than her. Wen Tingxue tilted her head back to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion and unease. "What... What's wrong?"

Yu Wenli smiled faintly. "Do you want to take them home?"

Wen Tingxue was slightly dazed, then her cheeks flushed as she handed him the crumpled tissues she had been holding for a long time.

"Sorry."

She apologized instinctively, her voice timid.

Yu Wenli paused for two seconds, but couldn't help himself. "You don't need to apologize."

Wen Tingxue picked at her slightly damp palm and looked up again, her gaze earnest. "Thank you."

She was used to apologizing and being blamed, but she had forgotten that many times she was not wrong.

She was just too afraid of being scolded.

The young girl's eyes were red, her nose tip was red, and now her face was also red.

Festive and adorable.

Yu Wenli's lips curved into a smile, but his heart ached for the young girl before him.

She was so delicate, the slightest gust of wind could carry her away.

She needed to be well taken care of.

From body to mind.

-

As they neared the roadside, Wen Tingxue heard a familiar voice again.

"Brother Yu."

Looking up, Chi Zerui dismounted from a black motorcycle, his legs impossibly long.

Yu Wenli raised an eyebrow, his voice lazy as he responded.

Chi Zerui strode over, and as he opened his mouth, he suddenly noticed their pace and his gaze towards Wen Tingxue changed instantly.

As everyone knew, Brother Yu was not one to meddle in other people's affairs. This young girl seemed ordinary, thin as a sprout.

Yet, she could command the attention of the aloof Brother Yu.

Tsk.

A miracle.

Chi Zerui was only momentarily distracted. After all, she was a neighbor's child, newly arrived in Jiangcheng. It was normal for him to look out for her.

He didn't pay much attention to the little sprout and said, "Brother Yu, I need to discuss something with you~"

Yu Wenli followed his gaze and saw the long-haired girl not far away. In less than a second, his gaze returned to Chi Zerui, staring at him silently.

The meaning was clear.

Chi Zerui knew that Brother Yu never let girls ride on the back of his motorcycle. The last time someone presumptuous had tried, that car was sold the next day.

So, he didn't hold out any hope. He wasn't back for that matter anyway.

"You probably haven't even looked at the messages in the group chat. Let me tell you, it's one thing to stand us up for lunch, but you can't do it this afternoon. Everyone is waiting for you, and today is the last day."

Chi Zerui reminded him, his tone unusually serious.