Chapter 31: But Right Now, He’s Happier Than Ever!

It was a little past three in the afternoon.

As soon as Guo Tao returned to the dorm, his three roommates surrounded him.

“Taozi, how did it go? Come here, let me take a look. Your kidneys still intact?”

“Get lost, go watch your movie. Stop talking nonsense.”

“If Taozi came back in one piece, then obviously he’s fine.”

“Exactly. Stop acting like you’ve got paranoia or something. Taozi, how was the interview? Did you get the job?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Guo Tao nodded, unable to hide the joy in his eyes.

“What? Seriously? Someone’s really paying 300 yuan an hour for you to tutor elementary school subjects?”

“It’s true. I’ll be teaching a seven-year-old kid who’s never been to school before.”

“But they did a test, and the kid’s really smart. Picks things up quickly. Should be easy to teach.”

“Also, the place is amazing. They even provide meals.”

“You guys have no idea. The food there is insanely good.”

“The chef used to work at a high-end private dining restaurant.”

“And the security guards? All retired soldiers. They look seriously tough.”

“If I’m lucky, I might even get to learn a few moves from them while I’m there.”

“Oh my god, I’m jealous! If I’d known about this, I would’ve signed up too!” one roommate shouted.

“No kidding! Honestly, I wasn’t even in it for the money or the food. I just thought it’d be a fun way to spend the weekend.”

“Who didn’t think the same?”

The three roommates joked around, but in the end, all they had for Guo Tao was genuine support and encouragement.

Sure, there was a bit of envy, but no jealousy or resentment.

After all, they’d been living together for almost two years.

They knew each other well by now.

Guo Tao was the one with the most difficult background in the dorm.

But even so, he was never self-conscious or sensitive about it, and he never stooped to petty behavior behind anyone’s back.

He worked openly and honestly, treated people with respect, and was always willing to lend a hand.

He studied hard too, always ranking in the top three of their year.

Every finals season, he’d take the lead in organizing study sessions for the rest of them.

Thanks to his influence, the other three had managed to earn scholarships nearly every semester.

With a roommate like that, the only flaw being that he was a bit poor, there really wasn’t anything to complain about.

So when he landed such a great opportunity, they were truly happy for him.

Soon, the day came for Xiao Hui to be discharged from the hospital.

His first cleft lip surgery had been a huge success—so successful, in fact, that the surgeon himself found it hard to believe.

The level of recovery far exceeded his expectations.

Normally, cleft lip surgery yields the best results when performed shortly after birth.

But this little patient had come in much later.

To be honest, before the surgery, the doctor had assessed that a full recovery to normal appearance was unlikely.

But the result proved him completely wrong.

Now, unless you looked very closely, you’d never guess Xiao Hui had ever had a cleft lip.

And he could eat without spilling food anymore.

At a glance, he was now a quiet and handsome little boy.

In another year, after a second, more comprehensive surgery, he’d be fully restored.

As for the congenital heart defect surgery, that had gone extremely well too.

Now, Xiao Hui was a healthy, lively child.

His complexion was rosy, his features well-proportioned, and his voice was clear and polite when he spoke.

The doctors and nurses doing rounds all adored him.

Even the caregiver Lu Qingqiang had hired for him got teary-eyed when she learned he was being discharged.

Before she left, after Lu Qingqiang paid her wages, the caregiver pulled her aside and whispered,

“Miss, I think the child has a real gift for music. If you get the chance, let him practice more.”

“When he was bored in the hospital, he’d quietly sing to himself. He sounded so good.”

“He can even mimic voices from cartoons. He’s really talented.”

“Got it, Auntie. I’ll keep an eye on that. Thank you so much for everything these past few weeks.”

“It was my pleasure, truly.”

Finally, it was time to leave the hospital.

The moment Xiao Hui stepped out the front doors, he couldn’t help but break into a huge smile.

He used to be so sickly, always feeling like a burden, lifeless and weak.

But now, everything had changed. He was healthy.

Even walking felt different—light and effortless, like he could fly.

If he didn’t care about looking proper, he’d probably be climbing a tree right now just to try it out.

Heehee, being healthy feels amazing.

Heehee, the weather outside looks so nice.

Heehee, Mama Lu is so good to him.

She was so busy, yet she came all the way to pick him up herself.

Not only that, she even brought him a bouquet of sunflowers.

The sunflowers were so beautiful.

Bright yellow, like big smiling faces.

Just looking at them made him feel happy.

Ah, it’s been so long since he’s been back to the orphanage.

He wondered if his friends missed him.

Had they already forgotten about him?

Sitting in the car, Xiao Hui was both excited and nervous.

“Xiao Hui, once we get back, what do you want to eat?” Lu Qingqiang asked.

“Mama Lu, I’m not picky. I’ll eat whatever we have at home.”

“Do you want some chicken drumsticks?”

“Chicken drumsticks! Yes, please!” At the mention of drumsticks, Xiao Hui’s eyes lit up.

He’d eaten pretty well during his hospital stay.

Aside from the first few days when he wasn’t allowed solid food, Mama Lu had arranged for him to have plenty of nutritious meals.

He drank lots of delicious meat soups.

He ate a good amount of meat.

But his favorite, by far, was chicken drumsticks.

Oh, how could anything in the world taste as good as a chicken drumstick?

A big, juicy drumstick—nothing but meat around the bone.

One bite and the happiness just overflowed.

“Then when we get back, I’ll have Master Zhao make you some drumsticks.”

“Mm-hmm, thank you, Mama Lu.”

Soon, they arrived at the orphanage.

Xiao Hui got out of the car holding the bouquet of sunflowers, then took Lu Qingqiang’s hand as they walked inside.

“Director, you’re back!” Yan Fang at the gate stood up to greet her.

“Yes, this is Xiao Hui, one of our children.”

“Today, I finally brought him home.”

Just as she finished speaking, the orphanage gates swung open from the inside.

Everyone at the orphanage was standing there, lined up in two rows.

They were all smiling warmly at them.

“Welcome home, Xiao Hui! Let’s give him a big round of applause!” chubby-faced Yuan Yuan called out, clapping first.

The others quickly followed, clapping enthusiastically.

“Welcome home, Xiao Hui!”

“Xiao Hui gege, you look so handsome now!”

“Thank you, thank you, everyone.” The unexpected scene moved Xiao Hui to tears on the spot.

His chest felt warm and full.

A sense of belonging was swelling inside him.

In that moment, he suddenly felt that even if he’d had a rough start in life—abandoned, ignored, forgotten—

Right now, he was happier than ever.