Chapter 300 Adoption
Afterward, Professor Chen didn’t say anything, and just let Yun Shifei and Yu Liantao go home.
As soon as they stepped out of the classroom, Yu Liantao let out a deep breath. "I was scared to death! Thankfully the professor didn’t notice anything. I really don’t want to fail this class."
Yun Shifei hadn’t expected that someone as seemingly gutsy as Yu Liantao would turn out like this in front of a teacher.
She chuckled. "Don’t worry, the professor actually wanted to praise you."
"Oh, Shi Fei, can you be a little more casual when brainstorming ideas for me next time? I don’t want to stand out so much—getting noticed is really troublesome."
"Then you should write it yourself. The basic courses aren’t that hard. If you don’t build a solid foundation now, what will you do in the future?" Yun Shifei said with a hint of helplessness.
While she was speaking, her phone suddenly rang.
It was a call from the welfare center.
"Shi Fei, if you have time today, come visit Xiao Yi, alright?" The director’s aunt sounded warm on the other end.
"What’s wrong with Xiao Yi?" Yun Shifei immediately grew tense.
"Nothing’s wrong. Xiao Yi is doing well. We’ve found a couple willing to adopt him. They’ve been married for ten years but haven’t had any children. Their family conditions are decent. After our review, Xiao Yi will likely be taken to their home tomorrow."
Adoption?
For some reason, the word instantly brought back what Qin Yumo had said to her last time.
He had told her that he’d have his friend adopt Fang Kaiyi.
Back then, she had been scared, but when nothing happened after that, she thought he was joking.
Who would have thought...
It must have been him, right?
But since the welfare center staff had vetted their information, proving that the process was legitimate, she really didn’t have the power to stop them.
If Xiao Yi could live happily with his new family, it would naturally be much better than staying at the welfare center.
The real fear was whether Qin Yumo might use some means to bully Xiao Yi.
Hopefully, this wasn’t related to Qin Yumo.
Because of the call from the welfare center’s aunt, Yun Shifei decided to visit the center that afternoon.
When she arrived, she noticed something seemed different. The previously old and rundown facilities had been completely renovated.
There were even new play sets installed.
"Shi Fei, you’re here," the director greeted her warmly upon seeing her enter.
"Aunt, has someone funded the welfare center?"
"Yes, it was Mr. Qin Yumo. He’s really such a wonderful person."
Qin Yumo...
So it was him. He still hadn’t let go!
"Aunt, what’s the story behind the adoption?"
"Actually, it’s Mr. Qin Yumo’s friends who want to adopt Xiao Yi," the director explained, suddenly recalling something. "Oh, last time when you came by, Mr. Qin was here too. You two are friends, aren’t you?"
"No, we’re not."
Yun Shifei’s heart tightened, and a wave of fear rose instinctively within her.
She hadn’t expected it to really be Qin Yumo.
Qin Yumo was truly terrifying—was he genuinely determined to cling to her?
"They’re coming over tomorrow to pick Xiao Yi up and take him to their home."
Pressing her lips into a fine line, Yun Shifei went to find Fang Kaiyi.
"Xiao Yi, you’re moving to your new family tomorrow. Are you nervous?" Yun Shifei asked with a smile, hiding her own troubled emotions from Fang Kaiyi.
Fang Kaiyi nodded, looking both excited and anxious.
He had always been starved for love. Ever since discovering that his parents had truly abandoned him, he had given up hope.
Now, someone was willing to take him in. Of course, he was happy.
But he was also deeply afraid. Afraid that, like his parents, these new ones might abandon him.
Yun Shifei could understand what he was worried about. He yearned for the love of adoptive parents but feared they might abandon him all over again.
A child who’d been discarded by their own parents—naturally, they would grow up without a sense of security.
Unable to help herself, Yun Shifei gently ruffled his hair. "Xiao Yi, don’t be afraid. Your new family’s parents will definitely love you. And even if they don’t—you still have me, your sister."
Yun Shifei’s words eased Fang Kaiyi’s unease somewhat.
"Then... Sister, will I still be able to see you often?"
"Of course! I’ll give you my phone number so you can call me whenever you want."
"Okay."
The two talked all afternoon.
Fang Kaiyi’s cheerfulness brought Yun Shifei a sense of relief. This child was truly, deeply wonderful—a natural optimist.
Even though his parents had abused him and then coldly abandoned him to the welfare center.
Still, when given an opportunity to be loved again, he remained willing to embrace it.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, Yun Shifei saw parts of herself reflected in Fang Kaiyi.
She was like him—even after enduring countless hurts, she still believed in love.
No wonder she always tried so hard to help Fang Kaiyi. Apart from seeing traces of Cheng Lie in him, she saw herself there, too.
It was a pity that she was too young and unmarried. Otherwise, she could’ve adopted Fang Kaiyi herself.
Though Yun Shifei worried about Qin Yumo’s friends adopting Fang Kaiyi, she also understood that, since the process was legitimate and properly regulated, they wouldn’t dare mistreat the child.
She made an effort to avoid seeking out Qin Yumo.
His actions were clearly an attempt to compel her to come looking for him, but she refused to play along.
To her surprise, when she didn’t go to him, Qin Yumo took the initiative and came to her instead.
Early the next morning, her phone rang. Seeing an unfamiliar number, she hesitated but answered, only to hear a playful voice on the other end.
"Shi Fei, do you know who I am?"
Yun Shifei instinctively wanted to hang up.
However, she held herself back.
"Qin Yumo?"
"So you do think about me. You haven’t forgotten who I am, have you?"
Shameless. To twist things into a delusion that she still cared for him?
It was because he was such a pervert that she couldn’t forget him, alright? Yun Shifei was too angry for words.
"Fang Kaiyi—the little boy at the welfare center—is moving to my friend’s house today. Aren’t you going to check in on him?"
"I trust your friend will provide a good life for him," Yun Shifei replied icily.
"But what if they don’t?"
"Then we’ll meet at the police station."
She’s actually this confident, huh? Qin Yumo laughed faintly. He realized Yun Shifei was becoming more composed day by day.
In the past, she would’ve erupted in anger right away. Now, even when he deliberately prodded her, she remained cool and steady.
He could see that she was growing.
That kind of growth reminded him of a tiny flower bravely blooming after enduring harsh storms—a resilience that inexplicably drew him to her more and more.
Despite knowing she was with Cheng Lie, he was still hopelessly obsessed with her.
"Shi Fei, you must know—it’s not physical harm that’s most devastating. Breaking a person’s spirit as they grow, that’s what’s truly horrifying."
Those words unraveled Yun Shifei’s composure entirely.
This was her greatest worry.
She feared that Fang Kaiyi might encounter someone who pretended to care for him—someone who lavished affection on him on the surface, but in reality molded him into someone aimless and unprincipled.
Yes, physical injuries could be stopped immediately, but what about those invisible wounds? The kind of mental control nobody could detect?
Biting her lower lip, Yun Shifei cursed inwardly. Qin Yumo was such a lunatic!