Chapter 564 - 579: Arrival

An Ning’s lecture to Hei Dan’er was overheard by those nearby, but this time, no one dared to argue or chime in.

If those people had actually eaten the oranges and something had happened, they would have been accomplices.

This moment planted a small seed in some of their minds: don’t just run your mouth for no reason.

For the remainder of the journey, An Ning was called away by the train police to give a statement.

"You’re saying you knew they were bad people just by reading their faces?"

"That’s right."

"..."

The officer’s pen hovered over the paper, utterly stuck. ’How am I supposed to write this statement?’ he thought. ’Isn’t this a little... unscientific?’

An Ning could see the young officer’s predicament and offered a kind explanation. "It really was because of their faces, but if you think about it, there were other clues."

"They were overly friendly, and she conspicuously switched which hand was holding the orange. Her pocket probably has a hidden compartment. And if you looked closely at the orange, you would have seen a tiny pinhole."

As An Ning laid out her analysis, the officer wrote it all down, treating it as a warning for future potential victims.

After giving her statement, An Ning returned to her seat. The rest of the trip to Beijing was uneventful.

Hei Dan’er and Tangtang, visiting Beijing for the first time, had completely different reactions.

Tangtang watched with quiet reservation, while Hei Dan’er bounced around, shouting at everything he saw.

"Auntie, that clock is huge!"

"Auntie, that building is so tall!"

"Auntie—"

Every time Hei Dan’er shouted "Auntie," he drew stares from the crowd, but An Ning wasn’t the least bit embarrassed.

"Country bumpkins!"

"Stay away from them."

Some comments were loud enough to hear. One person even pulled their own pristine child far away, as if Hei Dan’er were carrying a virus.

Hei Dan’er wasn’t scared at all. He just made a face at the person who insulted him before catching up to An Ning and asking in a small voice, "Auntie, did I embarrass you?"

"No. You can’t stop people from talking, so don’t let what they say affect you, okay?"

Hei Dan’er looked thoughtful. He nodded gravely and said, "I don’t really get it, but my mom says whatever Auntie says is right."

"You silly boy! Come on, let’s go home."

An Ning took Hei Dan’er’s hand, with Baobei and Tangtang walking side-by-side behind them. After leaving the station exit, they ran into the same impeccably dressed little girl from before. She held her head high, practically aiming her nostrils at Hei Dan’er in disdain.

"Auntie, her nose must be running. She’s probably afraid it’ll drip into her mouth."

An Ning completely lost her composure at Hei Dan’er’s comment and couldn’t help but laugh. That kid’s mouth was even sharper than Jiang Xia’s.

The little girl overheard Hei Dan’er’s remark. After shooting him a fierce glare, she stomped off and climbed into a sedan.

The moment she got into the car, the girl’s smugness grew, and the look she gave them was anything but subtle.

Hei Dan’er looked at An Ning in confusion. "It’s such a small car. What’s there to be so happy about?"

Hei Dan’er might not be worldly, but he’d definitely seen plenty of cars back home.

"Country bumpkin! You’ve probably never even seen a car before! What do you know!"

The little girl pressed her face against the car window, her tone full of condescension.

"BEEP BEEP—"

Before Hei Dan’er could retort, a large, luxurious multi-purpose vehicle pulled up beside An Ning and the children.

Yu Zheng quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, got out, and gave An Ning a slight bow.

"You’re finally back."

"Long time no see, Yu Zheng."

Yu Zheng had already opened the door. Baobei, Tangtang, and Hei Dan’er climbed in one by one, with An Ning getting in last while Yu Zheng handled the luggage.

As the van started to move, Hei Dan’er cheekily rolled down his window, faced the girl in the sedan, and let out a haughty huff. "Our car is bigger than yours!"

Under the girl’s disbelieving and furious gaze, the seven-seater van slowly pulled away, disappearing into the distance.

Inside the sedan, the little girl unhappily pounded on her seat.

"I want a new car! I don’t want a sedan, I want a big car!"

"Don’t cry, don’t cry, my sweet darling, please don’t cry."

The girl’s mother’s heart ached as she wiped her daughter’s tears. She looked at her husband in the driver’s seat. "That big van—"

"In your dreams! They could buy ten of our cars with money to spare!"

The family, who had been in such a mood to show off, was now in chaos. The two adults were utterly humiliated, and the child was throwing a tantrum, demanding a new car.

The car was in an uproar.

Meanwhile, An Ning and her group arrived peacefully at their new home.

It wasn’t the small courtyard near Beijing University anymore, but a secure, gated community.

After passing a security check, the van drove toward the deepest part of the complex. Everyone who saw it couldn’t help but stop and wonder whose van it was and why they had never seen it before.

It was no wonder they hadn’t seen it, because this was An Ning’s first time visiting.

Her identity had been kept under wraps for years, making her more and more of a mystery. Almost no one even knew she existed.

Typically, the identities of scientists who have made extraordinary contributions are kept secret and only revealed to the public when they are much older, primarily to ensure their personal safety during their active years.

An Ning couldn’t care less about fame; in fact, she was more than content with her current anonymous state.

All the houses in this community were on their own separate plots. An Ning’s house was at the very back and had the largest footprint. It had been under construction for a long time and was finally completed six months ago, but it had remained unoccupied.

"We’re here."

Yu Zheng stopped the van. The driver’s side window rolled down, and a hand reached out to press the code on a keypad. A large, black gate slowly slid open, and the van drove inside.

Anyone else would have been stunned to see that such a massive yard was planted with a field of corn.

That’s right. On both sides of the driveway, neat rows of corn, taller than a person, swayed in the breeze, much to An Ning’s delight.

How wonderful!

It was edible, it served as landscaping, and she could even sell it for a profit.

The van stopped and everyone got out. Yu Zheng called over the few staff members who were inside the house and introduced An Ning to them.

Anyone working here had had their background checked and re-checked, layer by layer.

"Hello, everyone. Please, just carry on with your work."

An Ning kept it brief, and everyone dispersed to get back to their tasks.

An Ning and the children first toured the house to get familiar with their new environment. Baobei took a room on the first floor, Tangtang chose one on the second, and Hei Dan’er decided to stay on the first floor with Baobei.

An Ning’s own room was on the third floor and featured a large terrace filled with potted green plants, a sight that immediately lifted one’s spirits.

After they were all settled in, they had dinner together. Since An Ning had things to do the next day, she decided to take the kids out for a fun evening. They would see a movie, hit an arcade, and then take a tour of Beijing by night.

The group of four set off, heading straight for the movie theater.

Inside the theater, each armed with a bucket of popcorn and a soda, they waited for the movie to begin.

As the opening credits rolled and the movie began, Hei Dan’er excitedly nudged An Ning. Pointing at the big screen, he whispered, "Auntie Xiaoxiao."

"That’s right, Auntie Xiaoxiao."

The leading actress on the big screen was none other than Lin Xiaoxiao, An Ning’s cousin.

In just five years, she had become an A-list star, famous all across the country.

An Ning watched the screen, her eyes on the actor playing opposite Lin Xiaoxiao, and marveled at the strange workings of fate.