It's just a toy, why would you care if it breaks?

The waiter pointed towards the counter: "That boy didn't leave; he went to claim his prize. He won the scratch card in the kids' meal."

Wei Xun looked in the direction his finger was pointing and, sure enough, saw Nan Yan standing behind the counter.

Nan Yan had just taken the things from the waiter when she turned around and saw Wei Xun. Her eyes lit up and she ran over immediately.

He held up a plush toy keychain: "Sir! I've won! It's a little black cat!"

What he left on the table was the original white kitten.

In his hand was a black kitten he had just acquired; its fur was of ordinary texture, yet he held it tightly in his hand.

"There was a prize ticket hidden in the set meal. I scratched it and won. The waitress said I was the only one who won the second prize today."

Nan Yan handed the black kitten to Wei Xun, saying, "This is for you, sir. Let's each have one to make a pair."

Wei Xun looked at the black kitten in his palm, and his lips twitched.

His phone was a custom-made model with a smooth surface, so hanging such a cheap doll on it looked really out of place.

But Nan Yan's eyes were so bright, like they held stars, that she just couldn't bring herself to refuse.

"It's beautiful." He held the plush toy's string and hung it on his phone; the black kitten dangled gently. "Thank you."

Nan Yan smiled, revealing a row of white teeth, sat back down, petted the white kitten on the table, and continued to eat her fries in small bites.

He kept reciting the details of claiming the prize: "Sir, at first I thought it was just a piece of waste paper and almost threw it away. Luckily I took another look, and my hand was shaking when I scratched it open."

Wei Xun responded with "uh-huhs," holding a hamburger but having no appetite, his mind replaying the club's phone call over and over again.

"Sir?" Nan Yan's voice lowered. "Was I too noisy?"

Wei Xun snapped out of his daze and quickly shook his head: "No, I didn't mind you being noisy. You're really lucky; the odds of winning these lottery tickets are very low."

Nan Yan immediately cheered up again, stuffed the last French fry into her mouth, and licked the sauce from the corner of her mouth.

After finishing his hamburger, Wei Xun glanced at the time: "Come on, let's go buy something."

The two entered a mobile phone store on the second floor of the mall. Seeing that Nan Yan was thin and looked confused, the salesperson immediately smiled and recommended: "Student, take a look at this phone watch? It's the latest model, it can locate your location, make calls, is waterproof and drop-proof, and it's perfect for school. Many parents buy it for their kids."

Just as Wei Xun was about to say no, Nan Yan had already moved closer to the counter, her eyes fixed on the watch in the glass case.

The watch was blue, the strap was made of silicone, and the screen, though small, glowed with colorful light.

"Do you like it?" Wei Xun asked.

Nan Yan nodded, then quickly shook her head: "No need to buy, sir, I'm just looking."

"Buy it," Wei Xun said to the salesperson, then pointed to the tablet next to him: "Take the highest-spec tablet too."

The shop assistant's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned around to get the goods.

Wei Xun handed the phone watch to Nan Yan: "Take this, it'll be convenient to contact you in the future."

Nan Yan gripped the watch, her fingertips trembling slightly. She didn't know how to turn it on, so she could only awkwardly press the buttons.

When the shop assistant handed him the tablet, seeing his expression, she couldn't help but ask Wei Xun, "Sir, has your child never been exposed to electronic products before? You really... really... are protecting him too well."

Wei Xun looked embarrassed and mumbled, "I don't usually let him touch these things. If you can teach him how to use a watch and tablet within an hour, I'll pay you an extra five hundred."

The shop assistant immediately perked up, quickly pulled over a chair for Nan Yan to sit down, and patiently taught him: "First, press this power button, hold it for three seconds... Yes, unlock it like this, just swipe the screen..."

Wei Xun sat in the rest area next door, picked up the tea brought by the shop assistant, and watched Nan Yan studying diligently.

He learns very quickly, his eyes are focused, and he remembers it after the shop assistant teaches him only once.

In less than half an hour, he was already proficient in operating the phone watch to make and receive calls, and could also use some common apps on the tablet.

"You're really smart." Wei Xun put down his teacup and ruffled his hair. "I'll buy you a game console when we go back to Nancheng the day after tomorrow."

Nan Yan looked up, her eyes full of doubt: "Back to Nancheng?"

"Hmm." Wei Xun got up and walked out of the store: "My home is in Nancheng, and the Wei Group headquarters is also there. I'm just in Haishi on a business trip. I'll be flying back the day after tomorrow."

Nan Yan followed behind him, her pace slowing down. Just as she was about to ask something, Wei Xun turned to look at her: "Don't worry, I'll take you back. I'll bring back everything we bought today."

"Thank you, sir," Nan Yan said softly.

"When you get back, if anyone asks about you, just say you're a homeless child I picked up from Haishi." Wei Xun's tone became more serious. "Don't mention the club, and forget everything from before, understand?"

Nan Yan nodded: "I understand, sir."

The two walked out of the mall, and night fell over the plane trees lining the road.

Wei Xun suggested, "Let's go for a walk along the river."

There were many people strolling along the riverside path, the river flowing gently and reflecting the city's prosperity.

Nan Yan watched intently, even slowing her pace.

"Do you still remember your parents?" Wei Xun suddenly asked. "If you want to find them, I can help you."

Nan Yan stopped in her tracks, looked down at her hands, and after a long while said softly, "I remember my mother's hands, they were so warm."

He raised his hand, his fingertips gently tracing the surface: "I remember... she was holding my hand, there was a flower on her ring, but I can't remember anything else."

"I don't know where I'm from, or what my parents' names are." His voice lowered even further. "Everyone else in the club is like that; they don't remember anything from their past. My name was given to me by the club."

Nan Yan looked up at Wei Xun, her eyes filled with sorrow: "Sir, if I don't try to remember my mother's hand again and again, I'm afraid I'll forget even this last bit of warmth."

Wei Xun's heart sank.

He knew that the club had used medical means to erase their memories, making them completely lose their identities and become mere toys to be manipulated.

He clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed it, and ruffled Nan Yan's hair: "It's okay if you can't remember. You'll have a home now, just follow me. I'll help you with whatever you want to do."

"I want to go to school." Nan Yan's eyes lit up.

Wei Xun was taken aback.

Nan Yan is an unregistered resident with no school registration, so she definitely cannot get into a public school.

Private schools do offer places by donating money, but he never even attended primary school, so he wouldn't be able to keep up if he went straight to middle school.

As he was pondering this, Nan Yan said again, "Sir, I just want to learn to read, so I can understand the signs and the menus."

"That's easy." Wei Xun smiled: "We'll go back and hire a tutor for you to teach you to read and write. You can learn whatever you want."

Nan Yan smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Thank you, sir."

He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "Sir, why are you so kind to me?"

Wei Xun laughed: "Don't overthink it, I'm just accumulating good karma for myself."

"Blessings?" Nan Yan tilted her head.

"It means that I am good to you, and I will be rewarded in the future."

Nan Yan murmured repeatedly, "To repay..."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Nan Yan said firmly. "Sir, I will repay you properly."

Wei Xun couldn't help but laugh and pinched his cheek: "Silly goose."

After enjoying the night view for a while, the two hailed a taxi back to the hotel.

The driver, a middle-aged man, glanced at them in the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "You two have such a good relationship, going for a walk so late."

Wei Xun was about to explain, but then thought it unnecessary and simply gave a vague "hmm".

The driver paused for a moment, then burst out laughing: "You look very young, but the kid next to you is already so big. I really can't tell."

He started talking non-stop: "I also have a son, about the same age as the kid next to you, right in his adolescence, and he's always going against me. I tell him to study hard, but he insists on playing video games; I tell him to go to bed early, but he insists on staying up late reading novels, which drives me crazy."

The driver sighed, with a hint of pride, "But this kid is a good student. He's always among the top students in his grade, and he even won first prize in the math competition last time, which makes me proud."

He turned to Wei Xun and asked, "Hey, does your kid ever argue with you?"

Wei Xun looked at Nan Yan, who was sitting upright beside him, and laughed: "Him? He's so childish. He still wants to eat the kids' meal today."

The driver laughed heartily: "Kids all love these Western fast food meals. My son used to eat junk food all the time when he was little. If I didn't let him eat it, he would act all high and mighty and not let me have cigarettes. It was really driving me crazy."

Nan Yan sat quietly beside her, listening intently, but her heart was in turmoil.

Are there still children who dare to defy adults?

Within the club, they must obey without question.

He never imagined that a child could argue with an adult, and the adult would not only not get angry, but would also feel proud.

The driver was still talking about his son, his tone full of fatherly love.

He stole a glance at Wei Xun, and an inappropriate thought began to stir within him:

If I argue with my husband, will he just smile and tolerate me like this?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he suppressed it.

He quickly lowered his head, his fingers gripping the hem of his clothes, afraid to think any further.