“I have a dad, I have a dad!” Yuanyuan retorted while jumping up and down like a bouncing gummy bear. “I have a dad, a mom, and two brothers! I have two brothers!”

“Hahahaha,” the little boy continued to laugh, pointing at his face mockingly, “You’re so shameless! If you had a dad, why would you be here? All the kids here don’t have parents!”

“Waaa, I do have a dad… I really do…” Yuanyuan began to tear up, trying to explain, but the group of boys wasn’t interested in listening. They continued to taunt her, calling her a liar.

“Stop bullying Yuanyuan!”

A small but fierce voice rang out as a figure charged in, knocking down the boy at the front of the group.

Yuanyuan stood frozen, her hand halfway to her eyes, still in the motion of wiping away tears.

The two children wrestled briefly on the ground before other boys pulled them apart.

The girl who had come to Yuanyuan’s defense had two braids and was standing tall, with her hands on her hips, shielding Yuanyuan behind her like a little warrior.

“Miaomiao!” Yuanyuan stepped forward and tugged on the girl’s shirt, “Don’t fight, you’ll get hurt.”

“I’m fine… huh?” Ding Miaomiao puffed out her chest proudly, but her attention was soon drawn to the pile of things on Yuanyuan’s bed. Her eyes widened in surprise, “What’s all this?”

“It’s from my dad…” Yuanyuan thought for a second and added, “It’s compensation for abandoning me.”

“Dad? Your biological dad showed up?” Ding Miaomiao was completely confused.

Yuanyuan sat on her bed, her face puffed up in anger. The bed creaked under the weight of her frustration. “I finally found him, but he doesn’t want me. He wants to throw me away.”

“So that’s why you snuck out this time—to find your dad,” Miaomiao finally pieced it together.

The boys overheard and started jeering again, “What dad? She’s making it up. If she had a dad, why would she be sent back here?”

“Yeah, I heard her call out ‘dad’ to some guy in the car, but he didn’t even respond!”

The boys laughed wickedly, forming a small huddle to share in their jokes.

“Shut up! Stop making fun of Yuanyuan, you jerks!” Miaomiao grabbed a plastic basin from the table and hurled it at the boys. They dodged, still laughing.

“Let me see if these toys are worth anything,” one of the boys said, snatching a bunny plushie from Yuanyuan’s bed. He inspected it, then took it over to his own bed.

The others followed suit, grabbing snacks and the warm blanket from under the bed.

The orphanage didn’t have great living conditions and relied on donations. However, this place was so run-down and shabby that even potential benefactors weren’t interested in funding it for charity.

It had been a long time since anyone donated, and as a result, the children’s lives hadn’t improved much.

So when all these new goodies suddenly appeared, the boys eagerly grabbed Yuanyuan’s things, still mocking her for lying about her dad.

Before long, most of the items that Ms. Zhang had carefully arranged were taken, and the bed was left lopsided and messy from the scuffle.

Though Miaomiao was a fierce fighter, the boys were quick on their feet, dodging her attacks. She couldn’t handle all of them at once, and slowly, the tide turned against her.

---

Meanwhile, outside on the bustling road, the noise of the city contrasted sharply with the silence inside the car.

Gao Zhou didn’t dare make a sound. He sensed that Mr. Yu had something on his mind and didn’t want to disturb his thoughts.

Since getting into the car, Yu Jinxiao had maintained the same posture, not moving at all.

It was too stifling. Gao Zhou opened the front window slightly to let in some fresh air.

The wind slipped through the crack and swirled around Yu Jinxiao’s hand, lightly tickling his fingers and bringing him back to the present.

Yu Jinxiao frowned as he examined the ugly banner in front of him. Underneath the character “Guai,” there was a bulge, as if something was hidden beneath the velvet fabric.

Pulling the red cloth aside, he found a silly-looking stuffed lion lying awkwardly on the seat.