Chapter 139: Chapter 139: I Really Care About You

Aside from the children, everyone at the scene was a parent.

Who wouldn’t feel for their own kid?

Seeing a mother so distraught, the hearts of everyone around tightened.

A child’s safety is every parent’s most sensitive nerve.

If it were their own child held hostage, they’d likely be crying even more hysterically, and the scene would be far more chaotic.

"That’s right! Stop them! One step closer, and she won’t see tomorrow’s sun!"

The robber continued to shout, a twisted smile contorting his face.

He brandished the knife, his eyes darting around warily.

But before the words had even left his mouth, a figure suddenly shot out from behind and to the side.

No one saw how he got so close.

With a crisp SNAP, the knife was snatched away, landing securely in the man’s hand.

Immediately after, Cao Jiajia was quickly pulled behind him.

The next second, the thug was pinned hard to the ground, his arms wrenched behind his back and his spine pressed flat, unable to move a muscle.

It was Ling Anxun.

"Let me go! Who the hell do you think you are?! I’m gonna kill your whole family!"

The man was still defiant, veins popping on his neck as he struggled, kicking his legs wildly.

But no matter how strong he was, he couldn’t withstand Ling Anxun’s ruthless, swift joint locks.

With his shoulder, elbow, and wrist all immobilized, and security guards swarming in seconds later, he was completely cornered.

In the end, the chaos resulted in only a few scared, crying children. No one was injured.

The security personnel handcuffed the robber and dragged him away.

The crowd of onlookers began to disperse, murmuring about what had just happened.

Liu Yingzi stumbled over, not even bothering to fix her crooked heel.

She threw her arms around her daughter, hugging the small body tightly.

Her chest heaved violently, and her lips were still trembling.

"Sweetheart, don’t be scared... It’s Mommy’s fault. Mommy wasn’t watching you. I’m so sorry..."

She repeated it over and over, her voice filled with self-blame.

Her fingers gently patted Cao Jiajia’s back, trying to calm her down.

"SOB... Mommy, I was so scared... I don’t want to let go..."

Cao Jiajia sobbed, her little face deathly pale, crying until she was out of breath.

Many of the adults watching also had reddened eyes, and some quietly wiped their tears.

But once she had calmed down a little, the look in her eyes quietly changed.

"Uncle Ling... I-I’m still scared... Can I stay with you? Just for a little while..."

She looked up with tear-filled eyes, her small fingers hooking onto the corner of his shirt.

"No! He’s my daddy! You’re not allowed to touch him!"

Shanshan immediately jumped out, stepping in front of Ling Anxun.

She stood ramrod straight, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her little brows knitted together. In a firm voice, she said, "Don’t smile!"

Ling Anxun looked down, saw her serious expression, and almost burst out laughing.

He opened his mouth slightly, then quickly pressed his lips together.

"Daddy said we can only have one daughter in the family, and you’re not allowed to smile at outsiders!"

Shanshan continued.

The little girl had suddenly become very fierce.

Ling Anxun was taken aback for a moment, then he composed his expression and nodded lightly.

"Alright, I’ll listen to you. From now on, I won’t smile at outsiders. Only for you and our family."

Cao Jiajia stood frozen, staring foolishly as the handsome uncle who had just gently helped her turned away, his face now expressionless, avoiding her gaze.

"Cao Xueshan, don’t go too far! Uncle was being so nice to me, what right do you have to treat me like this? I..."

Her lips trembled, but she was cut off mid-sentence.

"Young lady, you’ve misunderstood. I have no interest in you whatsoever. Also, my daughter takes the Ling family name. Please get that straight."

This time, before Cao Xueshan could say anything, Ling Anxun stepped forward and laid down the law, his tone as sharp as a knife.

Cao Jiajia froze on the spot, unable to say a word in response.

She glared at Shanshan, her eyes full of defiance.

A clamor of footsteps mixed with shouting continued to ring out.

Ling Anxun was a soldier, and the alertness ingrained in him instinctively made him rush to the front.

Besides, he was the one who had just subdued the troublemaker.

Everyone had seen it, so naturally, they trusted him.

He handed Shanshan over to his nephew’s care with a word of instruction.

"Watch her. Don’t let her run off."

Then he turned and went to help security maintain order.

Cao Jiajia stood off to the side, watching his every move eagerly.

Whenever Ling Anxun took a few steps in her direction,

she would immediately trot over, her face wreathed in smiles, looking like she wanted nothing more than to cling to him and help.

"Uncle, you’re sweating so much. Let me wipe it for you. See, I came prepared..."

As she spoke, she brandished the handkerchief in her hand, a fawning expression on her face.

"Stay back. It’s not safe here. Don’t cause more trouble."

Ling Anxun’s face darkened.

Cao Jiajia’s hand trembled, but she clutched the handkerchief tightly, forcing a smile.

"I was just trying to help... Uncle, please don’t be annoyed with me. I really care about you, I really do..."

Halfway through her sentence, her voice began to tremble.

But Ling Anxun only found her irritating to watch.

’They’re the same age, so how can they be so different? Shanshan is sensible and mature, but this girl... she can’t grasp the situation and can’t take a hint.’

She just stood there, staring at him expectantly, fully hoping he’d see how pitiful and endearing she was.

Then, he would kick that stray girl to the curb and take her home instead.

It would be best if that girl lost everything and had nowhere to go!

Although Ling Anxun didn’t know the exact scheme she was plotting in her heart,

one look at her eyes was enough to understand.

Her gaze held a trace of provocation, mixed with a hint of calculation.

From the bottom of his heart, he didn’t want Shanshan going to the same school as a child like that.

Even if they were in different grades, it was unsettling. He was afraid something might happen one day.

Cao Jiajia’s behavior always gave off an unstable feeling.

Later, when they got home, he mentioned to Shanshan the idea of finding a way to make her transfer schools.

The thought had been swirling in his mind for several days, and he finally couldn’t help but say it out loud.

But Shanshan just laughed when she heard it and stopped him.

"Dad, there’s no need to force her to transfer. You really think I can’t handle her?"

She put her hands on her hips, looking quite proud of herself.

"Don’t you worry. It takes all sorts to make a world, and someone like Cao Jiajia is a perfect opportunity for me to see how a person ends up like that. How interesting, a living example."

Ling Anxun was taken aback by her words.

He had originally thought his daughter just disliked the other girl, but he never expected her thoughts to run so deep.

"Are you saying... you’re observing her like a test subject?"

After he asked the question, he himself felt it was a bit absurd.

But looking at Shanshan’s expression, she seemed to be serious.

"Exactly!"

Shanshan nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.

"Dad, don’t you think it’s fascinating?"

To her, Cao Jiajia was an excellent research subject.

Ling Anxun could only shake his head, raising a hand to his forehead.

He didn’t know if he should support this attitude, but he couldn’t deny that Shanshan had always known her limits.

"Fine, fine. If you say it’s fascinating, it’s fascinating."

He knew there was no point in arguing, so he decided not to dwell on the issue anymore.

And so, the matter was dropped.

But while Ling Anxun didn’t say anything more, he kept it in mind.

Every time he went to pick her up from school, he would secretly glance at the parents’ group chat, checking to see if that kid, Cao Jiajia, had made an appearance.