Since we are all reborn, let’s arrest the senior!

On the first weekend after being discharged from the hospital, the morning sunlight flowed slowly into Jiang Zimei's room like honey, casting dappled light on the pale blue curtains.

Lu Mingze got up early and busied himself in the kitchen for a long time, carefully packing the breakfast he had prepared.

He carefully placed the insulated box into his tote bag, and then deliberately stuffed a fresh daisy into the bag opening. He had spotted it at first glance when he passed by a flower shop, thinking that Jiang Zimei would be happy to see it.

When Lu Mingze knocked on Jiang Zimei's door, he straightened his clothes, his eyes filled with concern and expectation. The moment the door opened, he smiled gently, "Baby, how are you feeling today?" He then gently touched Jiang Zimei's forehead, confirming she didn't have a fever before placing breakfast on the table. His movements were so gentle, as if he were handling a precious work of art, afraid that the slightest pressure would disturb the person who had just recovered.

"I'm completely healed!" Jiang Zimei's eyes sparkled like they were filled with stars. She sat up with a smile, her hair glistening faintly in the sunlight. "If I hadn't gone out, I would have gotten moldy." She stretched, her movements like a lazy kitten, the little bear pattern on her pajamas swaying gently with her movements.

Lu Mingze affectionately pinched her nose, his fingertips still carrying a faint scent of paint—a unique mark of his artistic heritage. "Today I'll take you to a nice place. We'll go to an art market; I've heard there are lots of interesting handicrafts there." His voice was deep and gentle, as if possessing a magical power that made one yearn for it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zimei excitedly jumped off the bed, her hair fluttering gently in the air, tracing a graceful arc. "Great! I'm going to go and find some treasures to decorate our little home." She eagerly ran to the wardrobe, found her favorite off-white sweater, paired it with a brown pinafore dress, and carefully tidied herself up in front of the mirror.

The two tidied themselves up quickly and went out hand in hand. The winter streets were still biting, but their companionship made them feel exceptionally warm. Lu Mingze unconsciously pulled Jiang Zimei closer to him, shielding her from the wind with his own body. They chatted and laughed all the way, and as they passed a flower shop, Jiang Zimei was drawn to a bouquet of red roses in the window. The roses were vibrant and beautiful, their petals layered upon each other, shimmering with a captivating luster in the sunlight, like tiny, dancing flames.

Seeing this, Lu Mingze walked in without hesitation. He stood in front of the bouquet, carefully selecting the flowers, his eyes focused and gentle. Finally, he carefully chose a bunch of the most beautiful red roses and gently handed it to Jiang Zimei: "For my little princess." His voice was tinged with shyness, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red, as if he had returned to the state of first love.

Jiang Zimei took the flowers, her cheeks flushing like blooming peach blossoms. She brought the flowers to her nose and gently sniffed them: "They smell so good, thank you, Mingze." She closed her eyes, intoxicated by the fragrance of the roses. Her eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows under her eyes, making her so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

They continued on their way and soon arrived at the art market. The market was bustling with activity, teeming with people. Stalls were filled with a dazzling array of handicrafts; exquisite ceramic ornaments shimmered with a warm luster in the sunlight, colorful hand-painted silk scarves fluttered gently in the breeze, and uniquely shaped wood carvings emitted a faint fragrance. The air was filled with various aromas: the rich scent of coffee, the wheaty aroma of bread, and the unique, fresh scent of handicrafts.

Jiang Zimei, like a curious child, her eyes sparkling with excitement, looked around and touched everything. She stopped in front of a ceramics stall, picked up a small ceramic cat, and couldn't put it down. The cat was so lifelike, its blue eyes seemed to speak, and its tail was playfully curled up. "Mingze, look how cute this is!" She held the cat up to Lu Mingze, her face beaming with a bright smile.

Lu Mingze also came over to examine it closely. His slender fingers gently stroked the surface of the ceramic cat, feeling its delicate texture. "It's really cute. Let's buy it. It will look beautiful on our bookshelf." He looked at Jiang Zimei tenderly, his eyes full of affection.

Suddenly, a faint sobbing sound caught their attention. Following the sound, they saw a little girl sitting in a corner not far away, dressed in tattered clothes. Her clothes were old and dirty, covered in patches, her hair plastered messily to her face, and her little face was red from the cold, like a ripe apple. She was wiping away tears with her dirty little hands. In front of her was a worn-out bowl containing a few scattered coins, looking particularly meager in the cold wind.

Jiang Zimei's heart tightened, and she pulled Lu Mingze towards the little girl. Her steps were hurried yet gentle, afraid of frightening the little girl. "Little girl, what's wrong?" Jiang Zimei squatted down, her voice as soft as a spring breeze. She gently brushed the hair away from the little girl's face, revealing her clear but fearful eyes.

The little girl looked up at them timidly, and sobbed, "I...I'm hungry, I can't find my mom and dad." Her voice was small and tearful, like that of a wounded little animal, which made everyone's heart ache.

Jiang Zimei tenderly stroked the little girl's head; her hair was rough and dry. She whispered, "Don't be afraid, I'll buy you something to eat." Then, she turned to Lu Mingze and said, "Mingze, you stay here with her. I'll go buy some food." Her eyes were full of worry; she didn't want to waste a single moment.

Lu Mingze nodded and squatted down beside the little girl. The hem of his coat swept across the ground, raising a few specks of dust. He took out a tissue from his pocket, neatly folded with faint creases at the edges. He gently wiped away the little girl's tears, his movements as tender as if he were wiping a fragile treasure: "Little sister, don't cry. I'll go buy you something yummy. You won't be hungry after you eat." His voice was deep and warm, like a fireplace in winter.

The little girl looked at Lu Mingze and gradually stopped crying, but her eyes were still filled with fear and unease. She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingers turning slightly purple from the cold.

A moment later, Jiang Zimei returned with steaming hot buns and milk. The buns were steaming, forming a cloud of white mist in the cold air, and water droplets condensed on the milk carton. She handed the food to the little girl, saying, "Eat quickly, don't go hungry." She squatted down in front of the little girl, looking at her tenderly, as if she were her own sister.

The little girl took the food and wolfed it down. Her little hands gripped the bun tightly as she ate quickly, as if afraid the food would suddenly disappear. Watching the little girl eat so heartily, Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze felt both heartache and relief. Jiang Zimei gently patted the little girl's back, worried she might choke, her eyes full of concern.

"Little girl, do you remember where you live?" Lu Mingze asked after the little girl finished eating. He spoke very softly, afraid of frightening her again.

The little girl shook her head: "I don't know, I got separated from my mom and dad." A look of confusion and helplessness flashed in her eyes, like a little deer lost in the forest.

Jiang Zimei frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Why don't we take her to the police station and ask the police officers to help her find her parents?" She looked at Lu Mingze, her eyes filled with inquiry and expectation. Lu Mingze nodded in agreement, "Okay, let's go now." He reached out his hand, wanting to take the little girl's hand, but was afraid of scaring her, so he gently held it in mid-air, waiting for the little girl to reach out her hand.

They led the little girl by the hand towards the police station. Along the way, the little girl clung tightly to Jiang Zimei's hand, as if she were her only support. Her small hand was cold and trembled slightly in Jiang Zimei's palm. Jiang Zimei would occasionally bend down to comfort her, telling her interesting little stories to cheer her up.

Just as they were about to reach the police station, a middle-aged woman rushed over in a panic. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was full of anxiety and worry. Upon seeing the little girl, she burst into tears, crying, "Baby, where have you been? I've been looking for you so worried!" She opened her arms and hugged the little girl tightly, her tears wetting the little girl's hair.

The little girl saw the middle-aged woman and excitedly rushed over, calling out, "Mommy!" Her voice was filled with joy and grievance as she hugged her mother tightly, as if she never wanted to be separated again.

The middle-aged woman hugged the little girl tightly, kissing her cheeks repeatedly: "You're not allowed to run around anymore, okay?" Her voice choked with emotion, her hands trembling, as if afraid that if she let go, the child would disappear again.

Seeing this, Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze finally felt a huge weight lifted from their hearts. They smiled at each other, their eyes filled with relief. The middle-aged woman looked up at them gratefully, saying, "Thank you so much. I really don't know what I would have done without you." Her eyes were full of gratitude and admiration as she tightly grasped Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze's hands.

Jiang Zimei smiled and said, "You're welcome. It's good that you found the child." Her smile was warm and bright, like the winter sun.

The middle-aged woman took out some money from her pocket and tried to hand it to them, saying, "This is a small token of my appreciation; please accept it." Her attitude was firm, and her eyes held an unyielding intent.

Lu Mingze quickly waved his hand. There were faint calluses on his palms, marks left by his years of painting: "No need. We don't do these things for money. As long as the child is safe, that's all that matters." His voice was firm and sincere, and his eyes were clear and bright.

Seeing that they insisted on not accepting the money, the middle-aged woman had no choice but to give up. After thanking them again, she left with the little girl. The little girl turned back every few steps, waving goodbye to Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze, her eyes full of reluctance.

Watching the mother and daughter walk away, Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze exchanged a smile. "I did a good deed today, and it warms my heart," Jiang Zimei said, her cheeks slightly flushed with excitement, like a light layer of rouge.

Lu Mingze reached out and pulled Jiang Zimei into his arms. He carried a faint scent of cedar, which made people feel at ease. "Yes, it feels so good to help others." He looked down at Jiang Zimei, his eyes so tender they could melt your heart.

They continued strolling along the street, enjoying this rare moment of leisure. As they walked, snowflakes suddenly began to fall, fluttering down like pure white flowers, dancing gracefully in the air. The snowflakes landed on their hair and clothes, as if draping them in a pure white wedding gown.

"Wow, it's snowing!" Jiang Zimei excitedly opened her arms to catch the falling snowflakes. The snowflakes landed in her palms and instantly melted into a drop of water, cool to the touch. She tilted her head back, letting the snowflakes fall on her face, feeling their gentle touch.

Seeing her happy expression, Lu Mingze couldn't help but smile. He took off his scarf, which still carried his body heat, and gently wrapped it around Jiang Zimei's neck: "Be careful not to get cold." His movements were gentle and skillful as he carefully tied the scarf, even making a pretty bow.

Jiang Zimei nestled in Lu Mingze's arms, feeling his warmth. Just then, a quarrel broke the tranquility. They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people gathered not far away. Driven by curiosity, they went to investigate. Squeezing through the crowd, they saw an old man in tattered clothes kneeling on the ground. His clothes were patched upon patched, covered in mud, making him look very disheveled. In front of him was a piece of paper, already yellowed, on which was written in crooked handwriting that he was seriously ill, had no money for treatment, and hoped that kind people would help him. Standing next to him was a young man, loudly accusing the old man of being a fraud. His face was flushed red, and he pointed at the old man, his emotions running high: "Stop playing the victim here! I've seen you scamming people here for days!"

The old man lowered his head and kept explaining, "I'm not lying, I really am sick, please believe me." His voice was hoarse and weak, like a withered leaf about to fall, and his face was full of helplessness and grievance.

The onlookers were abuzz with discussion. Some said the old man was pitiful and should be helped; others said there were too many scammers these days and one shouldn't easily trust them. The voices were noisy and chaotic, like a pot of boiling water.

Looking at the old man's helpless eyes, Jiang Zimei felt a pang of pity. "Mingze, do you think he might really be in trouble?" Her eyes were filled with sympathy and conflict as she tightly gripped Lu Mingze's sleeve.

Lu Mingze frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "We can't be sure either, but if he really is a fraudster, that's despicable, taking advantage of people's sympathy." A hint of anger flashed in his eyes, and he clenched his fists tightly.

Just then, a uniformed policeman walked over. Someone had called the police. After inquiring about the incident, the policeman asked the elderly man to produce his relevant documentation. The man hurriedly pulled some hospital receipts and medical certificates from his pocket, the papers crumpled from his hands. After carefully examining them, the policeman said to everyone, "After verification, this elderly man is indeed seriously ill and his family is facing financial difficulties. If you would like, please help him."

(End of this chapter)