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

Jiang Zimei looked around but couldn't see Lele anywhere. Her heart clenched, a chill creeping up her spine as if she'd fallen into an icy abyss. "Mingze, we have to go find her quickly. What if something happens to Lele outside in this cold weather?" Her voice trembled, her eyes filled with anxiety. Lu Mingze nodded, his gaze firm and serious. He turned to the director and said, "Director, please have the orphanage staff search the vicinity. Zimei and I will search elsewhere." The director immediately nodded and began loudly assigning tasks. The orphanage staff sprang into action, putting on their coats, grabbing flashlights, and hurrying out to search, their steps filled with tension and worry.

Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze braved the strong wind and rushed out of the orphanage. The cold wind stung their faces like knives, but they were oblivious to it. The streets were almost deserted, save for the howling wind and the occasional snapping of branches. The whole world seemed shrouded in cold and fear. They walked along, calling out Lele's name: "Lele! Lele! Where are you?" Their voices echoed through the empty streets, but received no response. Only the relentless wind seemed to mock their helplessness.

They searched every park, convenience store, and even some secluded alleyways Lele might have gone. In each place, they meticulously searched every corner, leaving no clue unchecked, their eyes wide open as if searching for lost treasure. Jiang Zimei's voice gradually became hoarse; each shout felt like sandpaper rubbing against her throat. Her hands and feet were numb with cold, as if they no longer belonged to her, but she still didn't give up, her eyes constantly scanning her surroundings. Lu Mingze stayed close beside her, occasionally pulling her along, afraid she would slip on the icy surface, his eyes filled with concern and worry.

As time passed, darkness gradually fell, and streetlights flickered on one by one, their dim glow unable to dispel the gloom in their hearts. Snowflakes began to fall, adding to the difficulty of the search. Snowflakes landed on Jiang Zimei's eyelashes, leaving them glistening with water droplets, blurring her vision, but she persisted in her search. "Lele must be so scared. In this cold weather, could he be hiding somewhere?" she said anxiously, her voice trembling with tears welling up in her eyes. Lu Mingze put his arm around her shoulder, offering her warmth: "Don't worry, we'll definitely find him. Let's go to the river again; Lele said he liked watching the ducks there."

The two walked towards the river against the strong wind. Ripples spread across the water in the cold wind, like countless tiny hands gently patting the surface. The reeds on the bank swayed in the wind, rustling softly as if weeping. Suddenly, Jiang Zimei heard a faint crying sound coming from the reeds. "Mingze, listen! It sounds like Lele's voice!" she exclaimed excitedly, her eyes shining with hope. Without even wiping away her tears, she ran towards the sound.

The two rushed towards the direction of the sound. The reeds brushed against their faces, leaving red streaks like tiny red snakes, but they ignored the pain. Pushing aside the dense reeds, they found Lele huddled in a corner, his face purple from the cold, his lips bloodless, his clothes covered in mud, and his hair disheveled, like a helpless little beggar. Jiang Zimei practically lunged forward and pulled Lele into her arms. The boy's frozen body trembled violently in her embrace, and he mumbled incoherently, "Cold... Mommy..." Lu Mingze immediately took off his coat and wrapped it around the child. When his fingertips touched the cold skin on the back of Lele's neck, his heart clenched, as if gripped tightly by a large hand. He quickly untied the thermos; the remaining hot ginger tea inside was still warm. He carefully brought it to Lele's lips: "Here, drink something warm."

Lele took a couple of sips and then started coughing violently. Jiang Zimei patted his back tenderly, her eyes red as she looked up at Lu Mingze: "We need to get him to the hospital right away." Lu Mingze nodded, took out his phone to call a taxi, but found the signal bars flickering incessantly in the strong wind, like a mischievous child playing hide-and-seek with them. "The signal is too bad here. I'll carry him to the main road to flag down a car. You call Lele's mom to let her know he's safe." With that, he squatted down and steadily carried Lele on his back. Lele's small body clung to his back like a fragile leaf.

In the cold wind, Lu Mingze's steps were particularly heavy. Although Lele was light, she felt like a small mountain pressing down on his back. The icy road was extremely slippery, making each step a delicate, tightrope walk. Jiang Zimei followed behind, phone in hand, trying to find a signal while reminding him, "Mingze, slow down, don't slip!" Fine beads of sweat quickly appeared on Lu Mingze's forehead, sliding down his cheeks and turning icy cold in the wind, like tiny ice crystals.

Having finally reached the main road, Lu Mingze's legs were trembling slightly, like two tree branches about to break. Just then, a taxi slowly pulled up, and Jiang Zimei hurriedly waved, her waving arm like an urgent flag. Seeing them, the driver immediately opened the door. Once inside, Jiang Zimei held Lele tightly in her arms, warming him with her own body heat, like a mother animal protecting her cub. Lu Mingze explained the situation to the driver, who, without a word, stepped on the gas and sped towards the hospital, the wheels spinning rapidly on the ground, splashing up water and snowflakes.

Inside the hospital, the pungent, cold smell of disinfectant filled the air. Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze anxiously waited outside the emergency room; each second felt like an eternity. Lele's mother, having received the call, rushed over and burst into tears upon seeing them. She held their hands tightly, thanking them profusely, her tears falling onto their hands, hot and full of gratitude. Jiang Zimei gently patted her back, comforting her, "Auntie, don't worry, Lele will be alright."

The waiting time was extremely long.

After dealing with Lele's matter, Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze returned to the activity room and found the children making thank-you cards with colored cardstock. Seeing them return, the children gathered around them.

"Big brother and sister, you are so amazing! You found the little brother!" A little girl with a ponytail looked up at her with admiration in her eyes.

Duoduo also came over and handed a drawing to Jiang Zimei: "Sister, this is a drawing I made for you." The drawing depicted three people holding hands. The little girl in the middle was wearing a pink woolen hat, which was obviously Jiang Zimei. The boy next to her was wearing a chef's hat, which was Lu Mingze. There was also a little girl with braids, which should be Duoduo herself. All of them had happy smiles on their faces.

Jiang Zimei took the painting, her eyes slightly moist: "Duoduo, it's so well painted, I really like it."

Looking at the children's innocent smiles, Lu Mingze felt a surge of warmth in his heart: "Let's continue making snowflake lanterns. Once we're done, we can hang them in the yard. They'll look really beautiful."

The children cheered and returned to their seats, continuing to work diligently. Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze joined in, patiently guiding the children.

The activity room was filled with laughter and joy, and the warmth gradually dispelled the winter chill. However, just as everyone was immersed in the fun, a loud "boom" suddenly rang out, followed by the children's terrified screams.

Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze felt a chill run down their spines. They noticed that one wall of the activity room had developed cracks due to prolonged exposure to the cold wind, and parts of the wall were beginning to crumble.

Lu Mingze acted decisively and shouted, "Don't panic, everyone! Stand close to the wall and don't go near the crack!" He quickly ran to the corner, moved a few tables, and put them together to form a temporary protective barrier.

Jiang Zimei comforted the panicked children, saying, "Don't be afraid, little friends, your big brother will protect us." She led the children to hide under the table in an orderly fashion, shielding them with her body.

The dean rushed over upon hearing the news, his face pale: "What can we do? I'm afraid this wall won't hold."

Looking at the crumbling walls, Lu Mingze pondered for a moment and said, "Dean, please take the children to other safe rooms first. Zi Mei and I will stay here and see if we can do anything."

The dean hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "You must be careful."

After the children were taken away, Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze began searching for materials to reinforce the walls. They found some planks and nails in the warehouse. Lu Mingze carried the planks, while Jiang Zimei took the nails and a hammer, and they returned to the activity room. The wind was still howling, and the cracks in the walls were widening, with loose stones constantly falling. Lu Mingze braced the planks against the wall, while Jiang Zimei quickly secured them with nails. Each nail required considerable effort, as the wind kept blowing and the planks were swaying.

"Mingze, move up a little more over there, the crack is almost at the top!" Jiang Zimei shouted.

Lu Mingze stood on tiptoe, struggling to move the planks upwards. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, quickly drying in the cold wind. With their efforts, the planks finally temporarily secured the wall.

Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, they suddenly heard a commotion in the orphanage courtyard. Running out to see what was happening, they found that an old sycamore tree had been blown down by a strong wind and was lying across the middle of the yard, with its branches damaging an electric scooter parked nearby.

"This is troublesome. This tree is blocking the exit. If there's any emergency, no one will be able to get out," the dean said with a worried expression.

Lu Mingze circled the fallen tree: "We need to cut the tree down and clear a path." He then ran to the warehouse and found a saw.

Jiang Zimei looked at him worriedly: "Mingze, it's too much trouble for you to saw such a thick tree by yourself. Let me help you."

"No, it's too dangerous. You stay here and watch over things. Call for help immediately if anything happens," Lu Mingze said firmly.

He gripped the saw tightly and began sawing the tree trunk. The saw teeth scraped against the trunk, making a screeching sound, and sawdust flew everywhere. In the cold wind, Lu Mingze's clothes were quickly soaked with sweat, and the cold wind made him shiver. But he gritted his teeth and didn't stop for a moment.

After nearly an hour of effort, the tree trunk was finally sawed off. Lu Mingze and several staff members who rushed to the scene moved the branches and trunk aside, clearing a path.

By this time, darkness had gradually fallen, and the wind and snow showed no signs of stopping. Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. Looking at each other's disheveled appearance, they couldn't help but smile.

"Today was truly a thrilling day," Jiang Zimei said with a smile.

Lu Mingze wiped the sweat and dust from his face: "Although I'm tired, it's all worth it as long as the children are safe."

Just then, the dean came over, carrying two bowls of steaming ginger soup: "Hurry up and drink some ginger soup to warm yourself up. We are so grateful to the two of you today, otherwise I really don't know what to do."

Jiang Zimei and Lu Mingze took the ginger soup, drank a sip, and felt the warmth instantly spread throughout their bodies. They looked at the snowflake lanterns made by the children hanging in the courtyard, swaying gently in the wind and snow, emitting a soft glow, and their hearts were filled with joy.

In this cold winter, they created a warm haven for the children through their actions, making the winter less chilly. Their bond deepened with each experience. In the future, they will face more challenges together, protecting more warmth and beauty.

That night, Jiang Zimei lay in bed, reflecting on the day's events, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips. Suddenly, her phone vibrated; it was a message from Lu Mingze: "You had a tough day, my superhero girl. I'll bring you a hot breakfast tomorrow morning. Get some rest, goodnight." It also included a cute sleeping bear emoji.

Jiang Zimei replied with a smile: "Goodnight, my superhero boy, see you tomorrow."

Outside the window, the wind and snow continued, but Jiang Zimei felt incredibly warm inside. She knew that no matter what difficulties she encountered in the future, as long as Lu Mingze was by her side, there was no obstacle she couldn't overcome. With this warmth and peace of mind, she gradually drifted off to sleep. In her dream, she saw children's bright smiles and beautiful snowflake lanterns fluttering in the sky.

The next morning, Jiang Zimei was woken up by her phone alarm. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she checked her messages. Besides Lu Mingze's good morning greeting, several new updates popped up. The orphanage director had sent photos; it turned out the children were in the activity room early in the morning, holding up snowflake lanterns they had hastily made the night before. Their rosy little faces were full of anticipation, and the message said they were waiting for them to come and hang the lanterns.

She hurriedly washed up and went downstairs. From afar, she saw Lu Mingze standing at the entrance of the residential area. A thermos was in the basket of his electric scooter, and he was carrying a bag of freshly baked savory pancakes. The golden and crispy crusts were sprinkled with white sesame seeds, and the aroma wafted over from a distance. He was stamping his feet to warm them in the cold wind, and a thin layer of frost had formed on his eyelashes. When he saw her come out, he immediately greeted her with a smile: "Eat them while they're hot. There's been a long queue at this shop."

Upon arriving at the orphanage, the courtyard was already bustling with activity. Children skipped and jumped, lanterns in hand. Duo Duo carefully held a pale blue lantern, its surface haphazardly painted with a sun and clouds. Seeing Jiang Zimei, she ran over, saying, "Sister, here's the highest place for you to hang this!" Lu Mingze retrieved a ladder from the storeroom, set it up securely, and climbed up. Jiang Zimei handed him the lantern from below. The children looked up, occasionally letting out exclamations of "Wow!" (End of Chapter)