Please confess to me [rebirth] 41

Chapter 41




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The Su President's office.

Su Hang had just come back from a conference and sat on his chair. As he did so, his gaze habitually landed on the photo placed prominently on his desk. After a while, he bent down and pulled out a worn-out rabbit doll from the bottom drawer.

Whenever Su Hang was in a bad mood, he used to take out this doll and think about the chubby little girl with red eyes who called him big brother. Recently though, he had married the red-eyed girl, so he had forgotten about this doll.

After all, since he could see the real person anytime he wanted, there was no need for this reminder. However, because of last night, Su Hang couldn't help but reminiscence the time he first met Shen Xi.

He was eight years old, and the weather was very hot that summer. At that time, the orphanage dean had suffered a heat stroke due to overexertion and was admitted into the hospital. In order to raise money and help the dean recuperate well, the auntie cooked a meal for the dean every single day and tasked little Su Hang to take the bus and deliver the food.

While he did this, little Su Hang also took the opportunity to pick up some mineral water bottles in the alley next to the hospital to make some money. The alley was dark and messy, but there were a lot of bottles. On this particular day, he had sold the bottles for 10 yuan and happily bought a bun for himself. Then, all of a sudden, he heard a child crying and the barking of a dog.

"Wah...don't chase me!"

"Bark!"

The child's panicked cry sounded very abrupt in the alley. When Su Hang turned around, he saw a little girl in a pink and white princess dress running towards him, followed by a dirty stray dog.

The stray dog wasn't big, but it certainly looked scary enough to children. Fortunately, the stray dog seems to have a lame leg, so it couldn't catch up to the little girl. It was just barking fiercely, a growl rising from its throat. 

The small Shen Xi ran into little Su Hang's arms and cried: "Big brother, help me."

Su Hang immediately hid the little girl behind him to protect her. After he noticed the dog staring at the bun in his hands, he threw his newly bought bun at the dog. The stray dog quickly grabbed the food with its mouth, then limped away, leaving Su Hang to lead the scared little girl out of the alley.

Although little Shen Xi's face was covered in tears, it couldn't hide the fact that she was dressed like a child of a rich family. After being saved by Su Hang, little Shen Xi tightly grasped his hand and sobbed as she thanked him: "Big brother, thank you for saving me."

"What's your name?" little Su Hang sullenly asked.

"My name is Shen Xi. I'm three years and five months old." The small girl replied, blinking her big red eyes as she did so.

Little Su Hang looked down at the young girl. He noticed the remnants of a pancake on her shoes and realized why the stray dog had been chasing her. He had already gone through garbage for money for a year. He knew enough to know not to touch the trash cans when there are stray dogs nearby. Little Su Hang would always make sure to wait for the dogs to rummage through the trash first, otherwise, the dogs would attack him for robbing their food.

"Where's your family?" Little Su Hang asked.

"My mother is sick, and my father is with her. I...I'm lost. Big brother, can you please take me to my parents?" Little Shen Xi knew that she had to follow her father, but her father walked too fast. She couldn't catch up with him and eventually, she lost her way.

The small Su Hang looked towards the bus stop on the opposite side of the road. He hesitated for a moment, then said to the little girl beside him: "I'll help you clean your shoes, then take you to find your dad."

"Un." Little Shen Xi suddenly gave him a great big smile, her eyes full of trust.

Little Shen Xi quietly sat on the stone steps with her rabbit doll in her arms as Su Hang took off her shoes and carefully cleaned them. Afterward, he helped the young girl put them back on.

"Thank you, big brother." The little girl happily stood up and kissed her brother's face.

Although little Su Hang had often helped take care of his younger brothers and sisters in the orphanage, many of the children were afraid of him because he didn't like to talk or laugh. So this was the first time little Su Hang had ever been kissed. The sudden warm and soft touch dazed him, and his ears turned bright red.

"Let's go. I'll take you to your mom and dad." With red ears and a taut face, little Su Hang led the small Shen Xi to the hospital to find her parents. However, when they arrived, the hospital was much to busy to take care of the two children. Little Su Hang led the small girl around the hospital and looked at each room they came across, but Shen Xi's father had already transferred Mother Shen to a private hospital.

The two children looked for them all night, but in the end, they were nowhere to be found.

Feeling tired and hungry, the children sat on the chairs next to the emergency ward and slept there the entire night.

The next morning, little Shen Xi woke up hungry. She hugged her rabbit doll and rubbed her eyes as she said: "Big brother, I'm hungry."

Little Su Hang still had nine yuan after buying the steamed bun yesterday, so he took Shen Xi out to buy some breakfast. As they left the hospital, the small Shen Xi noticed the KNC on the opposite side.

(T/N: I dunno what KNC is. In raws, it was literally 'KNC')

"Brother, I want to eat that."

Su Hang looked down at the little girl's expectant eyes and failed to resist. He led the small girl to the stall and paid seven yuan for a bowl of porridge.

"Eat quickly. We'll go look for your parents after eating." Little Su Hang handed the spoon to her.

The tiny Shen Xi took the spoon, scooped up some porridge, then sent it towards little Su Hang's mouth. She sweetly said: "Big brother, you eat first."

The surprised Su Hang opened his mouth without much thought, and in the end, the two children ate the porridge together.

The two went back into the hospital to continue their search. However, the morning passed and they still couldn't find anything. They became hungry again, but this time, Su Hang didn't have enough money to buy food from KNC. So little Su Hang brought the small Shen Xi back into the alley where they met, intending to buy two steamed buns.

Su Hang figured that if they still couldn't find little Shen Xi's parents by the time the sun goes down, then he would bring her to the dean. His thoughts were abruptly cut short when he suddenly stumbled. Su Hang looked down and found that one of his slippers had broken. The strap had been ripped off, causing his slipper to fall off his foot.

"Big brother, your shoe." Little Shen Xi picked up his slipper and handed it to Su Hang.

Little Su Hang glanced at the item and knew that he wouldn't be able to repair it. It would be much easier to simply walk barefoot, so his other slipper was taken off and thrown away. However, the weather was simply too hot. The asphalt road under little Su Hang's feet was so hot that it made his feet red. Little Su Hang gritted his teeth and intended to soldier on, but Little Shen Xi suddenly let go of his hand and ran back behind him.

"Xiao Xi!" Little Su Hang ran after her barefoot, only to find Shen Xi crouching in front of a shoe store.

"Big brother, shoes."

Su Hang looked at the sign that offered 10 yuan for some shoes and tried to pull the little girl away. However, little Shen Xi stubbornly refused to leave. She broke away from Su Hang's grip and ran into the shop.

"Young girl, are you here to buy some shoes with your mother?" The uncle behind the register was a big man with a beard. When he looked down and smiled at the little girl, he looked exactly like a trafficker.

Qian'an orphanage was located in a seedy part of the city, so little Su Hang was very familiar with how ruffians looked like. Seeing this uncle who resembled the hooligans he saw before, little Su Hang immediately pulled Shen Xi behind him.

"Uncle, big brother's shoes are broken." Little Shen Xi whispered to the uncle.

The shopkeeper noticed that the two children's clothes were obviously incompatible and found it strange, but in the end, he didn't think much of it. Instead, he concentrated on helping the two kids in front of him. He had opened this children's shoe store because he liked kids, and little Shen Xi looked very soft and cute.

"Which pair do you like?" The shopkeeper kindly asked.

"That pair." Little Shen Xi pointed to a pair of slippers similar to Su Hang's previous pair.
　　　

"It's fifteen yuan for this pair." The shopkeeper explained as he took the shoes down.

Little Shen Xi accepted the pair of shoes and immediately turned towards her big brother with a big smile.

Little Su Hang blushed in embarrassment. Without any money left, he could only tell her: "Xiao Xi, I don't want shoes."

"But big brother's feet hurt." She had accidentally fallen when Su Hang stumbled, so she knew that the ground was scorching hot.

Little Su Hang's face became redder and he explained: "We have no money."

Little Shen Xi blinked, then offered her beloved rabbit doll towards the shopkeeper. "Uncle, can I exchange my rabbit for the slippers?"

The shopkeeper shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

Little Shen Xi asked again: "How about I dance for you, uncle? Every time I dance at home, Mother gives me a gift. If I dance for you, can you please give me the shoes?"

Su Hang tried to pull the small girl away, but little Shen Xi held onto the sofa and looked at the shopkeeper with an eager expression on her face.

The shopkeeper who adored children finally compromised.

After trading the pair of slippers with a cute chicken dance, Shen Xi happily allowed herself to be dragged away by the small Su Hang.

"Isn't big brother happy?" Little Shen Xi didn't understand.
　　　

"No." Little Su Hang held the small girl's hand and walked with the new pair of slippers he had received. This was the first time he had been given a pair of shoes ever since his mother died, and it made his heart warm.

"Big brother, I'm a little tired. Can you help carry my rabbit?" Little Shen Xi handed her rabbit to Su Hang.

Su Hang took the doll and put it in his backpack, then brought little Shen Xi to continue looking for her parents.

Another afternoon passed, but they still couldn't find anyone. In the end, little Shen Xi couldn't help but cry.

"Don't cry, Xiao Xi. I'll bring out to the hospital entrance. When your mom and dad come for you, they'll have to walk through there."

"What if they don't come?" Little Shen Xi tearfully asked.

"Then you can go back to the orphanage with big brother. I'll ask the dean mother to take you to the police station, and the police aunties and uncles can help you find your mom and dad." Little Su Hang explained.

"Ok." Little Shen Xi tried her best to behave.

Little Su Hang bought two more buns with his remaining money, then sat with Shen Xi on the stone flower bed in front of the hospital, eyes firmly fixed on every person who walked through the gate.

"Daddy, daddy!" Suddenly, little Shen Xi pointed towards a black car.

Little Su Hang grabbed Shen Xi's hand and ran after the car. But it was too fast and the two kids were unable to catch up as it drove into the car park. However, Su Hang remembered the car's license plate number so he took little Shen Xi to the hospital's underground parking lot to check each car one by one.

Eventually, they found the car, but it was empty.

The two children leaned against the car and waited for Father Shen to come out of the hospital. But despite waiting for a long time, Father Shen still hadn't come out. 

"Big brother, I'm thirsty." Little Shen Xi said.

Little Su Hang wanted to go find some water for her, but he didn't dare leave her here alone. After some thinking, he pulled out a piece of paper from his backpack and wrote a note. He placed the note on the car's windscreen, then led Shen Xi towards the outpatient hall to find some water.

"Sit here, I'll pour you some water." Su Hang asked little Shen Xi to sit on a nearby chair and then walked towards the water station. But when he picked up the glass and turned back around, he saw Shen Xi being hugged by a tall man while the little girl cheerfully shouted 'father'.

Little Su Hang was happy for Shen Xi but hesitated on whether he should approach them or not. Then, from who knows where, the dean appeared and dragged him away. It turned out that when she realized Su Hang hadn't returned to the orphanage last night, she spent the day crazily searching for him in the hospital. By the time little Shen Xi asked her father to wait for her big brother, Su Hang had already been taken away by the dean in order to catch the bus.

When Su Hang arrived back in the orphanage and was rummaging through his backpack, he realized that he still had Shen Xi's rabbit doll. However, he didn't know how he could return it to her.

From then on, Su Hang had cherished the rabbit doll and slippers that little Shen Xi had given him. About a half month after their meeting, Su Hang cleaned the rabbit doll as usual and found a beautiful bracelet inside. He had no way of returning it, so he simply placed it back inside the rabbit doll's pocket, intending to return the two items together if he ever had the chance. But not long after this, the bracelet suddenly disappeared. He looked for it in the orphanage for a very long time, and even asked the dean about it, but in the end, he never found it again.　　　　

Later, when he met Shen Xi again in her school, Su Hang actually intended to return Shen Xi's rabbit doll to her. However, Shen Xi didn't seem to remember him or the rabbit doll.

"Boss." Fang Yu knocked on the door as he entered.

"What is it?" Su Hang shook his head and came back to himself.

"The report detailing five years' worth of research for the surrounding coffee shops is finished." Fang Yu handed Su Hang the papers in his hands. As he did so, his eyes inadvertently fell on the rabbit doll on the desk.

"What do you think of this rabbit doll?" Su Hang suddenly asked.

"Ah??" Fang Yu was surprised by this random question. He eventually answered: "Boss, I don't have any information or reports detailing this kind of toy."

"What kind of toys did you play with as a child?" Su Hang asked.

"I liked to play with toy cars."

"If I showed you a toy car from your childhood, would you still recognize it?" Su Hang asked.

"I don't think so. It's been so long since I've played with one." Fang Yu thoughtfully replied.　　　

Yes, it's been so long. What's more, this rabbit doll is a common item one could find anywhere. It was understandable that Shen Xi didn't remember. Besides, Shen Xi must've had a lot of toys when she was a child. She probably wouldn't even notice if she lost one.

"Go check who Su MingLi's been with recently." Su Hang ordered.

First, he had to find out how the bracelet he lost all those years ago ended up in Su MingLi's hands.

After Fang Yu left, Su Hang couldn't help but rub the rabbit doll's nose against the cheek little Shen Xi had kissed when he was eight years old, going over that scene again and again in his mind.

The author has something to say:

Eventually, after Shen Xi learned the truth-

A shy Su Hang: "In fact, you were the one who flirted with me first." 

Shen Xi: "Shameless!"

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