Chapter 787 — Yu Xiaoke's Admirer — Clearly This Xiao Ken Must Have Overheard the Conversation Between Wei Zhao and the Old Director Afterwards, Which Left Wei Zhao Somewhat Astonished: This Boy Actually Dared to Disobey the Old Director and Eavesdrop in Secret?

This was not because Wei Zhao had let down his guard. In truth, there had been nothing in his earlier conversation with the old director that needed concealing, and Wei Zhao simply had not been on the watch for eavesdroppers. Besides, no strangers ever came and went around the orphanage, so he had paid it even less mind.

"You know about Xiaoke's business?" Wei Zhao was rather taken aback, and looked at Xiao Ken.

"Mm... I know a little. But Sister Xiaoke is a good person. She steals, yes, but only from those heartless rich scoundrels..." Xiao Ken was the eldest of these children, around fifteen, and it was only natural that he understood such things. "I... can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Wei Zhao felt no instinctive aversion to these orphans, so he did not mind talking with them a while longer.

"Are you Sister Xiaoke's boyfriend?" Xiao Ken hesitated, then asked, somewhat shy and awkward.

The boy's manner of asking rather surprised Wei Zhao — it seemed to carry a faint trace of jealousy and envy? And his expression betrayed his true intent as well, which Wei Zhao found somewhat amusing: "You like Yu Xiaoke?"

Xiao Ken was startled by Wei Zhao's sudden question, and at once his face flushed red; he clenched his fists and his breathing grew hurried.

His gaze shifted evasively, not daring to meet Wei Zhao's eyes, and only after a long while did he say: "In the orphanage, all the boys who understand such things worship Sister Xiaoke. And in the future we all want to marry her..."

Xiao Ken's words were an indirect admission of Wei Zhao's guess; though he had not confessed it, it made no difference from a confession.

"Heh..." Wei Zhao smiled faintly and sized Xiao Ken up from head to toe. Judging by his build alone, one would never guess he was only fifteen — he already stood over one meter seventy — but his boyish face gave away his age.

At his age, it was only natural to feel drawn to the opposite sex. Yu Xiaoke was beautiful besides, and was the idol these children worshipped every day; like fans chasing a star, it was hardly blameworthy for these youngsters to harbor such thoughts about Yu Xiaoke.

"You're not using Yu Xiaoke's photo to do something indecent, are you?" Wei Zhao found Xiao Ken quite interesting and could not resist teasing him.

"How could I!" Xiao Ken grew anxious at once, glaring at Wei Zhao with a reddened face: "In our hearts, Sister Xiaoke is like a heavenly being. How could I ever defile her?"

"Heh, I was only asking casually. Why so worked up?" Wei Zhao laughed. It seemed Xiao Ken had not lied; most likely what he felt for Yu Xiaoke was more a kind of reverence.

"Actually, we all know we are not worthy of Sister Xiaoke. She is so kind, so beautiful. We all hope she can find a boyfriend who will protect her and give her happiness, so that she need not work so hard every day..." Xiao Ken suddenly raised his head and looked at Wei Zhao: "And we cannot do that... Can you?"

"Me?" Wei Zhao was slightly startled, and shook his head somewhat bemusedly: "This is only the second time she and I have met..."

"Ah? You're not Sister Xiaoke's boyfriend?" Xiao Ken was stunned too: "Then you still want to save her?"

"Grown-up matters — children shouldn't ask about them so carelessly..." Wei Zhao was caught between laughter and tears, and dismissed Xiao Ken: "Go back and study properly. When the old director comes out in a moment, see if she doesn't scold you."

"Ah! Then I'm off..." At the mention of the old director, Xiao Ken grew frightened, made a face at Wei Zhao, turned, and ran back into the red-brick house.

Wei Zhao shook his head. A little man with a big mind — but still a child after all.

Still, Xiao Ken's words had stirred something in Wei Zhao. Yu Xiaoke could not go on stealing like this forever; it was no long-term solution. Could he perhaps secure some benefit for the orphanage?

Wei Zhao was not the sort who loved helping others, but this time he had changed his former attitude, largely because he found these children somewhat pitiable.

...

He had only just woken up. Earlier he had been frightened by the old man pushing corpses in the morgue downstairs, fainted dead away on the spot, and been carried to the ward by Zhu Xiaozhang and Wang Shubin.

Only after glucose and medicine were hooked up did Kang Zhaoming slowly come to: "Damn it to hell, what a rip-off — pushing a corpse around to scare people, damn near scared me to death!"

"Young Master Ming, how about Xiaozhang and I go beat that old man up for you, to vent your anger?" Wang Shubin asked cautiously.

"Get lost! Doing useless things like that — what would beating him solve? If we hurt him we'd have to pay compensation, idiot!" Kang Zhaoming glared at Wang Shubin and said: "By the way, where's Guan Xin? Has she come to give me my injection?"

"No. It was some old battle-axe who came, fierce as hell, tits bigger than my ass..." Wang Shubin shook his head.

"Damn it, go ask around for me — when is Guan Xin on duty? Find a way to get her switched over to me!" Kang Zhaoming said: "I can't have caught this cold for nothing — suffering and spending money on top of it!"

"Who am I supposed to ask? I don't know a single person in this hospital. This place is nothing like Donghai..." Wang Shubin sighed: "Young Master Ming, here I'm completely in the dark!"

"Hell, just pay them. Do I have to tell you that too? Find anyone who knows the inside story, slip them a little bribe, and you'll have your answer," Kang Zhaoming said, somewhat displeased. "That old battle-axe you mentioned, for instance — give her some money. I refuse to believe she won't tell you."

"That... that's true!" Wang Shubin nodded: "I'll go take a look in a bit..."

Before Wang Shubin could finish, the ward door was pushed open and the battle-axe nurse walked in, asking in a loud voice: "Has the patient woken up?"

"He's awake, he's awake. Auntie, would you come take a look?" Wang Shubin, hoping to wheedle some information out of the battle-axe, made his manner exceedingly respectful.

"What did you say? Who are you calling auntie? I'm not married yet!" The battle-axe nurse glared, and nearly sent Wang Shubin flying with a slap.

"Uh... sorry about that. I only saw clearly up close — so it's a pretty nurse sister!" Wang Shubin was startled and hastily corrected himself: "My eyesight isn't very good. Please forgive me!"

"That's more like it!" The battle-axe nurse shot Wang Shubin a glare, walked to Kang Zhaoming's bedside, took a look, and said: "See, nothing wrong with him, is there? People these days, really — a little ailment and they're in the hospital. It's just a cold, what's the fuss? You're fine. You can be discharged today!"

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