5

Wen Yixin responded with a smile, ruffling Qin Ruan's hair before gently smoothing the strands she had just tousled.

"Qin Ruan, how about you stay with me for a while? Since I brought you out, I don't think it's suitable for you to go back to the Qin family now. Otherwise..." Mrs. Qin definitely wouldn't make things easy for her.

Qin Ruan was already having a hard time at the Qin family's home. While Wen Yixin's intervention today had spared her from immediate trouble, it might have made Mrs. Qin even more resentful of Qin Ruan. Perhaps... Mrs. Qin might even hold a grudge.

And that grudge would likely extend to Wen Yixin as well.

In Wen Yixin's view, it was absolutely not safe for Qin Ruan to return to the Qin family at this time, which is why she had taken her away.

Compared to Wen Yixin's thoughtful considerations, Qin Ruan seemed less concerned, her mind filled only with Wen Yixin's words.

"Big Sister Wen..." She called out softly. When she had Wen Yixin's full attention, she hesitantly asked, "Can I really stay with you?"

"Of course, why would I lie to you?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ruan's lips curled into a small, uncontrollable smile.

She nodded quickly, "Thank you, Big Sister Wen. Don't worry, I won't be a bother, and I can even help with cooking."

Wen Yixin didn't object, smiling softly, "Let's go to the supermarket together. There aren't many ingredients left at home, so we need to pick up a few things."

"And since you're going to stay with me, we should get some things you like. Feel free to pick out whatever you want or need; I'll cover the cost."

As Wen Yixin spoke, a sense of happiness began to spread through Qin Ruan's heart. It was the first time someone had shown such concern for her preferences and needs. Even though she didn't have any particular likes, Wen Yixin's words still filled her with joy.

She realized that whenever she was with Wen Yixin, she felt comfortable and happy.

Being around Wen Yixin allowed her to just be herself, not Qin Ruan of the Qin family.

With this thought, Qin Ruan's eyes brightened as she looked at Wen Yixin and replied with a smile, "Okay."

Wen Yixin nodded, "Follow me, I'll take you there."

Qin Ruan had no objections, following Wen Yixin closely.

Twenty minutes later, Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan arrived at the largest supermarket in the East District. Wen Yixin grabbed a small shopping cart and turned to call back to Qin Ruan, who was two steps behind her, "It's really crowded today, so stay close to me so we don't get separated."

"I will." Qin Ruan nodded and quickly stepped up to walk alongside Wen Yixin.

They walked through the snack aisle, picking out a variety of snacks to put into the cart, before heading to Wen Yixin's favorite section—the frozen foods. Wen Yixin grabbed several boxes of yogurt and milk, and as they passed the ice cream freezer, she turned to Qin Ruan and asked softly, "Qin Ruan, do you have a favorite ice cream?"

Qin Ruan glanced down at the array of ice cream in the freezer and shook her head, "No, I don't eat this often, so I don't know which ones are good. You should pick what you like, Big Sister Wen."

"Hmm..." Wen Yixin thought for a moment and then said, "I'll pick my favorites, but you should pick something too. Don't worry about whether it's good or not, just go with your gut feeling."

"Besides, there's no such thing as bad ice cream," Wen Yixin added with a smile, determined to have Qin Ruan pick something for herself. Qin Ruan hadn't selected anything on their way from the snack aisle, leaving all the choices to Wen Yixin after asking her preferences.

Wen Yixin watched Qin Ruan intently, as if waiting for her response.

Seeing this, Qin Ruan could only nod reluctantly, "I'll choose with you."

Wen Yixin couldn't help but laugh softly, "That's the spirit. Otherwise, I'd feel like I was shopping alone."

After hearing Wen Yixin's words, Qin Ruan bit her lip lightly, then began to quietly pick out ice creams with appealing packaging.

As the two focused on selecting ice cream, two girls stood not far away, whispering to each other while occasionally glancing in Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan's direction.

"Zhiyu, are you going to ask for her WeChat?" The girl in the pleated skirt nudged the girl beside her.

The other girl, dressed in a T-shirt and pants, hesitated, "Isn't that a bit too forward?"

"What's wrong with that? Didn't you say you ran into her on the street once before? Maybe she still remembers you!"

"Just give it a try. There's nothing to lose."

Encouraged by her friend, the girl named Zhiyu mustered up her courage, clutching her phone tightly as she nervously approached Wen Yixin. She carefully reached out and tapped Wen Yixin on the arm.

When Wen Yixin looked up, Xu Zhiyu almost instantly forgot the lines she had prepared, stammering out, "Miss, can I add you on WeChat?"

Wen Yixin was startled, finding the girl somewhat familiar. She thought for a moment but couldn't place her, so she let it go. However, adding her on WeChat...

Wen Yixin glanced at Qin Ruan, noticing the phone in her hand, and chuckled softly.

Turning back to the stylish girl in front of her, she apologized with a gentle smile,

"I'm sorry, but my little one is already playing with my phone."