A White Cloud (GL ABO) - Chapter 5

The orphanage sat in a small coastal county on the outskirts, relocated there over twenty years ago due to Huajing’s urban road planning.

Tomb Cheng had not returned in a long time.

The bus traveled smoothly along the coastal road, with the window revealing a scenic view of the sea and blooming spring flowers.

“Are you staying this time?” Dean Luo asked, her eyes crinkling with smile lines.

Time had not been kind to her.

Tomb Cheng recalled Dean Luo as a gentle, mature woman from her childhood.

Tomb Cheng pulled the curtain to block the glaring sunlight.

She lowered her gaze to Xu Yiyi, sleeping soundly in her arms, clutching her pinky tightly with trust.

She smiled, her stern face softening slightly, and said, “I’m staying.”

“Yiyi needs someone to care for her, so I’ll stay with her,” she added.

She brushed aside Xu Yiyi’s sleep-tousled bangs.

The girl looked delicate, resembling her mother, with round almond eyes and dimples that made her lively and adorable when she smiled.

Dean Luo nodded slightly, her gaze kind.

As one of the few Alphas from the orphanage, Tomb Cheng’s growth into an accomplished woman filled Dean Luo with pride.

Tomb Cheng’s arrival at the orphanage years ago was unusual, but she grew up healthy there.

Other passengers on the bus noticed Tomb Cheng’s striking appearance, drawing their attention.

When the bus reached its stop, someone finally mustered the courage to approach her.

A youthful Omega stepped forward.

“Hello,” the Omega said softly, her shy face flushed with two patches of red.

Tomb Cheng held Xu Yiyi, gently resting the girl’s head on her shoulder.

She nodded politely to the Omega and replied, “Hello.”

She kept her voice low, careful not to wake the child in her arms.

To the Omega, this seemed like thoughtful courtesy and respect.

“I noticed you on the bus. Are you visiting Linjiang for tourism? We can be your free guides if you need,” the Omega said softly, glancing at her companions for encouragement.

She flashed Tomb Cheng a radiant, dazzling smile.

Tomb Cheng smiled faintly, one hand supporting Xu Yiyi’s back, the other cradling her head.

She bowed slightly and thanked the Omega.

“Thank you, but I’m not here for tourism,” she said.

Dean Luo had arranged a car to return to the orphanage.

Tomb Cheng bid farewell to the group, leaving behind a resolute, solitary figure.

The orphanage had changed significantly, Tomb Cheng thought as she stepped through the small iron gate.

The elderly gatekeeper, wearing reading glasses, didn’t recognize her at first.

When Dean Luo mentioned she was “Old Tomb’s kid,” he suddenly realized.

“Tomb kid, what’s your name again?” he asked.

“Tomb Cheng,” she replied.

“Right, right!” the old man exclaimed, slapping his thigh excitedly.

“Tomb Cheng, the little kid’s grown so big!”

Dean Luo’s eyes crinkled with a smile, her wrinkles more pronounced.

Tomb Cheng carefully laid Xu Yiyi on a bed, tucking her in.

The girl slept so soundly that Dean Luo didn’t wake her.

The orphanage children didn’t know Tomb Cheng and were shy around her.

Only after Dean Luo and the teachers explained did they learn she was Xu Yiyi’s mother.

“So she’s Yiyi’s mom!” one child said.

“Yiyi’s mom is so pretty!” another added.

The children spoke freely, saying whatever came to mind.

Tomb Cheng handed out gifts and snacks she prepared, their eyes lighting up.

“Thank you, Yiyi’s mom!”

“Thank you, Yiyi’s mom!”

Their clear, bright voices echoed in the room.

Tomb Cheng looked at them, seeing her younger self, her gaze softening.

“But if Yiyi has a mom, why does she live here with us?” a child suddenly asked, holding a worn toy rabbit.

The children here were orphans, often abandoned because their gender tests predicted a high likelihood of being Beta.

Tomb Cheng walked to the child, crouched down, and said patiently, “Because this is my home too.”

“So Yiyi lives here with family,” she added, her gaze gentle and sincere.

Facing the children, she shed her adult facade and military sternness, speaking as an equal.

Soon, the children dropped their guard around the seemingly stern but approachable adult.

They surrounded Tomb Cheng, chattering and asking questions.

When Xu Yiyi emerged, she saw her mother encircled by the group.

Her sleepy eyes snapped awake.

She rushed over, hugged Tomb Cheng’s leg, and warily guarded against others stealing her mother.

Seeing Xu Yiyi, the children stepped back to give her space.

Tomb Cheng looked down at the girl clinging to her clothes and said gently, “Yiyi, everyone’s watching you.”

The children exchanged glances, puzzled by Xu Yiyi’s sudden dash.

Xu Yiyi was small for her age; she barely reached Tomb Cheng’s waist, just over a meter tall.

Among her peers at the orphanage, her development lagged.

“Mom, hug,” Xu Yiyi said, peeking from behind Tomb Cheng’s leg.

She glanced at the others, then raised her arms, demanding a hug, knowing Tomb Cheng doted on her.

Tomb Cheng looked at her.

Xu Yiyi rarely acted spoiled, partly due to her condition and partly because they rarely saw each other.

Since taking Xu Yiyi back, they had only met a few times.

Feeling guilty, Tomb Cheng held her all evening, not letting go.

Xu Yiyi ate, washed her face, and fell asleep in Tomb Cheng’s arms.

Tomb Cheng stayed at the orphanage for three days.

The first day, she took Xu Yiyi to visit Tomb Hua’s grave.

The next two days, she helped with repairs and chores.

Before returning to Huajing, she asked Dean Luo to care for Xu Yiyi a bit longer.

“In a few days, Mom will find a good school and come get you, okay?” Tomb Cheng said, crouching before Xu Yiyi with her backpack on, coaxing her gently.

The orphanage children peeked from the classroom window.

After two years of regular mental health treatment, Xu Yiyi had improved in processing external stimuli and emotions, especially with Tomb Cheng, whom she relied on and needed.

Dean Luo held one of Xu Yiyi’s hands.

The girl clutched a panda toy from Tomb Cheng in the other, her ears drooping as she nodded silently.

Tomb Cheng boarded the bus back to Huajing.

Before leaving, she transferred most of her retirement benefits to Dean Luo for the children’s welfare.

Dean Luo accepted without hesitation, urging her to take care of herself.

Back in Huajing, Tomb Cheng contacted a real estate agent.

She rented an old-style two-bedroom apartment near the research institute in central Huajing.

Tomb Cheng moved in with her few belongings and tidied the place.

While taking out the trash and calling Zhiman, she glanced at the door across from hers.

The agent had mentioned her landlord, a doctor at Huajing Medical University Affiliated Hospital, lived there.