Hope Welfare House

"I... I'm sorry!"

The little girl bowed deeply to the shop assistant but still held onto the plush toy in her arms. Despite her disheveled appearance, her tone was sincere and filled with remorse.

"Excuse me, sir, it was my fault for not keeping an eye on my little sister. I’m willing to pay double for the toy. Could you please forgive her?"

Seeing the little girl’s genuine apology, Ye Feng stepped forward and addressed the shop assistant.

"There’s no need for double payment. It was just a misunderstanding. The original price is fine."

"Alright, let me give you the money then."

After Ye Feng handed over the cash from his pocket, the shop assistant turned and walked away. His duty was done, and it wasn’t his concern whether the grubby little girl was truly Ye Feng’s sister or not.

The onlookers, seeing that the matter had been resolved, lost interest and dispersed, leaving only Ye Feng and the little girl behind.

"Alright, little one, you can take this toy to your sister now. But you have to promise me that you won’t do anything like this again, okay?"

"No! I won’t! I promise, big brother, I’ll never do such a thing again!"

Without hesitation, the little girl raised her right hand and swore to the heavens.

"Good, that’s a relief. Where do you live, little one? Let me take you home."

Seeing the little girl standing alone on the street, Ye Feng decided to help her all the way. After all, it wasn’t safe for such a young child to wander the streets alone.

"Big brother..."

Hearing Ye Feng’s gentle tone, the little girl seemed to recall something and suddenly burst into tears.

"Hey, hey, don’t cry! If there’s something wrong, you can tell me."

Caught off guard by the little girl’s sudden tears, Ye Feng quickly pulled out a pack of tissues from his pocket and gently wiped the tears from her face. Unbeknownst to him, his kind gesture only made her cry even harder.

......

"Big brother! Over here!"

Watching Wenwen happily run into a welfare home in front of him, Ye Feng finally understood why the little girl was in such a state.

After calming the crying child, he learned that her name was Zhao Wenwen. She then invited Ye Feng to visit her home. Seeing her pitiful state, Ye Feng couldn’t bring himself to refuse. At the same time, he was curious about how such an adorable little girl had ended up like this, so he agreed.

After walking several kilometers, Zhao Wenwen gradually led Ye Feng to an old street far from the commercial district, where they finally arrived at a welfare home called "Hope Welfare Home."

[Ding, a new task has been detected. Please check it promptly, Host.]

Huh?

Just as Ye Feng stepped onto the doorstep of the welfare home, the voice of the system echoed in his mind, leaving him completely stunned.

Why is there a task now? It doesn’t seem like an emergency mission, but I’d better check it just in case.

Opening the system, Ye Feng stood frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the floating system panel displaying a new task.

[Task: Kidnap Shen Mengli]

[Task Reward: 30 days of life extension, a mysterious reward.]

"Big brother?"

Hearing Wenwen’s call from the doorway, Ye Feng snapped out of his thoughts.

"Ah! Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. Is this Wenwen’s home?"

"Yes!"

Zhao Wenwen happily bounced on her feet, but then, as if remembering something, her expression suddenly turned fearful.

"Oh no... If the headmistress finds out, I’ll definitely be scolded."

"Scolded?"

Ye Feng slowly walked up the steps and gently patted Wenwen’s head, who now looked like a frightened little hamster.

"Why would the headmistress scold you?"

"Because I sneaked out..."

Wenwen’s voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

"Don’t worry, Wenwen. I’ll explain it to the headmistress for you. But you have to promise me that you won’t sneak out like this again, okay?"

"Okay, I promise, big brother."

Zhao Wenwen nodded her head vigorously, clearly placing a great deal of trust in Ye Feng.

"Alright, I’ll ring the doorbell then."

Ye Feng slowly stood up and hesitated for a moment before pressing the electronic doorbell beside the gate. At the same time, his mind was still preoccupied with the system’s task.

I haven’t even completed Su Yuxin’s task yet. How come there’s a kidnapping mission now? Since this task appeared suddenly, does that mean the target is inside this welfare home?

Ye Feng wanted to ask Zhao Wenwen, but then he realized he had never been to a welfare home before. If he raised suspicions, it might cause unnecessary trouble. It would be better to investigate slowly and come up with a plan once he understood the situation.

"Ding... Ding..."

After the doorbell rang, the gate slowly opened after a short while, revealing a middle-aged woman with a worried expression.

"Hello, sir. May I ask..."

The woman was slightly taken aback upon seeing Ye Feng. Why would such a young man come here? Just as she was wondering, she noticed a small figure hiding behind Ye Feng’s leg. Recognizing the cautious little face peeking out, the woman immediately crouched down and pulled Zhao Wenwen into her arms.

"Wenwen! Oh my goodness, where have you been? I looked everywhere for you and couldn’t find you. You scared me to death!"

"Headmistress..."

Wenwen, moved by the woman’s concern, burst into tears again, repeatedly apologizing.

"I’m sorry, Headmistress... I’m so sorry..."

Ye Feng watched the scene unfold, feeling a pang of emotion. From Wenwen’s words, it seemed this middle-aged woman was the headmistress of the welfare home. Her actions showed how much she cared for the children.

After a while, Wenwen’s crying subsided, and the headmistress finally turned her attention to Ye Feng. Still holding Wenwen’s hand, she bowed slightly to him.

"I’m sorry, sir. You must be the kind soul who brought Wenwen home."

Ye Feng nodded. "Yes, Wenwen got lost on the street, so I brought her back."

"This child is usually very well-behaved. I don’t know why she sneaked out today. The other staff and I searched everywhere for her. I was so worried."

"It’s alright. What matters is that she’s back safely."

Ye Feng could tell from the woman’s anxious expression and the way she tightly held Wenwen’s hand that her concern was genuine.

She’s a good person.