Stealing Your Heart

Lin Xinyan lifted her head and the little girl came into sight. She wore a red cotton jacket and her face was pink with cold.

“Aunt, what are you doing sitting here?”

Lin Xinyan looked at the little girl and then at the surroundings. There were no adults in sight. Her gaze returned to the little girl. “I don’t feel happy, so I am here. Why are you here and where are your folks?”

“My mother is there.” She pointed to the skewers stall not far away.

Lin Xinyan looked in the direction she was pointing. There was a barbecue stall by the roadside. A woman was there, wearing seasoned-looking cotton-padded clothes and an apron, helping guests with kebabs.

“I’m here to help my mother.” The little girl looked well-behaved. Lin Xinyan stroked her hair, saying, “You are a good girl.”

Perhaps, being a mother herself, she let her guard down around the little girl.

“Do you want to eat skewered meat? I’ll ask my mother to sell you at a lower price.”

Lin Xinyan didn’t like this type of food. Nonetheless, she took out some cash and gave it to the little girl, “I don’t want to eat but I’m giving you some money to buy food you like.”

The little girl blinked, seeing so much money. She did not dare to accept it. “Aunt, why are you giving me money?”

She looked at the little girl and through her, she saw herself in the past. When she was in country A with Zhuang Zijin, life was hard. Just like her, she stayed up late at night, braving the cold wind just to make some money to buy food.

So the little girl aroused her compassion.

“When I see you, I remember how it was when I was a little girl like you with my mother.”

The little girl blinked and asked, “Aunt, you sold kebabs too when you were little?”

Lin Xinyan shook her head, “No, but I was working for someone, helping to skewer and barbecue meat.”

The little girl smiled, showing a row of small white teeth. She took the money from Lin Xinyan and said, “I’ll get the kebabs for you.”

the barbecue stall. As Lin Xinyan watched

through hard times, things

sis-in-law back in here,” Su Zhan could not bear it any longer. In this cold wintry night, sitting out there for hours, she

did not

heart ache?” Su Zhan glared at him as

love Lin Xinyan very deeply? How could he be

did that little girl just

did Zong Jinghao’s gaze leave

thought. He said, “It’s just a child. She’s curious seeing sis-in-law sitting

around and gave Su Zhan a look, “The

mid-sentence, he understood what Zong Jinghao meant. This little

kind.” Su Zhan said because he saw Lin

Jinghao kept silent. He looked thoughtful. When Lin Xinyan gave the money to the little girl, she looked as

sure this little girl must have jolted her

an hour, the little girl came running back to Lin Xinyan

at the steaming meat. She had been sitting in the cold for some hours. Indeed, she wanted to take a bite. So she took them, picked a skewer and ate. It had

you,” Lin Xinyan said,

money; my mother wants to thank you.

tell your mother, don’t

the money back to you.” Speaking, the little girl took out from her pocket the money Lin Xinyan had given

have given it to you. I will not take it back. Your mother can use this money to buy you a new cotton coat. It will be very warm so when you come out

I cannot simply accept your money. If I accept it, you need to accept my

she agreed. At this time of the night, presumably, He Ruize would not show

girl bringing Lin Xinyan, her mother rubbed her hands on her apron and said, “You gave my daughter

her hand and

the few skewers of meat do not cost so much. You are so kind. No wonder that man likes you so much. He insisted that my daughter bring you here.” The woman wore her hair in a pony tail. She looked

and so she asked, “What