Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Love?

Mornings were for work, and afternoons were for learning.

Typically, the director handled the teaching personally.

“Today, we have a new little friend joining us. His name is Lu Ye. Come on, Lu Ye, come up to the stage.”

Lu Ye obediently walked up.

“This child is a genius, exceptionally bright, but unfortunately, both his parents have passed away. A tragic fate.”

“But it’s okay! From now on, we’ll be one big happy family. I’m the head of this family, and you promised me you’d be good and listen to my words, remember?”

Li Kaoshan asked with a smile.

Lu Ye nodded.

“So if you have any doubts in your heart, come to me and tell me.”

“Introduce yourself to everyone.”

Lu Ye looked at the kids, feeling a bit intimidated.

He was still so young.

“What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

Li Kaoshan’s face loomed over Lu Ye.

Lu Ye was really nervous; he didn’t know what to say.

“See, you just violated the first rule. How could you not listen to what I say?”

“So now, I need to give you a little punishment. This is for your own good, because you’re still young, your worldview and values aren’t set yet. My punishment aims to shape you for the better.”

While speaking, Li Kaoshan gently placed his hand on Lu Ye’s neck.

He applied a little pressure.

He squeezed Lu Ye’s neck, lifting him off the ground.

Lu Ye instantly found himself gasping for air.

Yin Qingcheng was furious, but before she could react, another figure moved faster.

“Bang!”

Li Kaoshan was sent flying, and Shen Xitang’s fist came raining down on Li Kaoshan’s face.

“Stop bullying the host! Stop bullying the host! Stop bullying the host!”

Suddenly, the world started to blur.

Everything felt like a fleeting bubble.

Shen Xitang’s strike shattered the balance of the Three Lifetimes Tribulation.

Shen Xitang was infuriated.

For some reason, she didn’t care about the big guy Lu Ye getting hit, but seeing the smaller Lu Ye being bullied was something she couldn’t stand.

She was ready to beat Li Kaoshan to death.

With a wave of her hand,

“Let’s start over!”

In an instant, the illusory light reconstructed itself.

Back to how it was before.

“So now, I need to give you a little punishment…”

Lu Ye was once again grabbed by the neck and lifted up.

“Ding, can’t take it anymore? Hit again!”

Shen Xitang charged in again.

This continued in a loop, and Shen Xitang grew more and more furious; even the heavens and earth began to rumble.

She didn’t even notice Lu Ye’s lips first forming a helpless smile, which eventually turned into a grin.

This system…

After getting hit repeatedly for ten times, Shen Xitang finally realized this was not the way to go, so she chose to close her eyes and not watch anymore. It was driving her crazy!

Lu Ye was lifted once more by the throat.

The Three Lifetimes Tribulation returned to normal.

But Shen Xitang didn’t care anymore; Yin Qingcheng couldn’t take it anymore either, and she shouted.

“Let him go!”

She rushed toward the stage.

But before she could reach it, a leg came flying toward her.

“Bang!”

Yin Qingcheng blocked it.

However, her strength was still too weak compared to the caregiver.

She was kicked back.

“What are you up to, little lady?” another caregiver fumed.

Li Kaoshan glanced at Yin Qingcheng, a bit surprised, and looked back at Lu Ye.

“Hey, little guy, you just got here this morning, and you already have a friend?”

Lu Ye was being choked and unable to breathe, his already nonexistent strength being quickly drained.

His brain was starved of oxygen, turning his face red, then blue, then purplish.

“Worker Wang, take this Yin Qingcheng outside and give her a good talking to,” Li Kaoshan instructed.

“Got it, Director!”

Yin Qingcheng, on the ground, couldn’t even rise.

She was dragged outside.

Lu Ye’s mind went blank; he felt like he was going to die.

He wasn’t afraid of death, but his survival instinct made him grasp at anything as if trying to grab hold of something.

Finally, Li Kaoshan let him down.

Lu Ye took a deep breath and started coughing violently, trying to breathe as intense pain surged in his chest.

“That was just a little punishment; you’re fine, right?” Li Kaoshan said gently.

Lu Ye’s eyes were red and streaming with tears; he shook his head.

“If you’re fine, then great! It’s good! Make fewer friends in the future; associating with all sorts of troublemakers will only harm you.”

“Now go back to your spot; let’s start class.”

Lu Ye hunched over, trying to control his coughing, struggling back to his seat.

“Today, we’re going to discuss a topic, which is love!”

“What is love?”

“Love comes from parents, friends, partners, and the goodwill of society.”

“You’re still kids; it’s too early to talk about partners.”

“Let’s start with parents. You, being orphans, have lost the love from your parents for various reasons.”

“But it’s okay! Because you’ve come to this Sunshine Welfare Institute, and this entire institute is one big family, and I’m your parent here. I have to earn money to support the institute and take care of your daily needs.”

“As for friends, I don’t share your blood relation, I’m a bit older, but I’m happy to listen to you and offer advice. However, friendship differs from parental love.”

“Parental love is selfless, but love among friends requires mutual giving and reciprocation.”

……

“Next, let’s talk about love from society!”

“Since you’re still young, the welfare institute is a small society for you. The facilities in the institute, the beds, the blankets…”

“Fortunately, you children are diligent and willing to help me with little chores. I really appreciate it, and it touches my heart!”

“You also need to always maintain a grateful heart. While the welfare institute is good, it can never compare to the love from real parents, friends, and society—let alone partner love. You’re still lacking love.”

“The more love you lack, the more you crave it. This is not right, because you’re longing for someone else’s love.”

“A normal person, a good person, a complete person, should give love!”

“The more love you give, the more love will come back to you. So doesn’t that make sense?”

Li Kaoshan spoke endlessly.

Below, a group of innocent children listened intently.

One child suddenly started crying, and after being taken away by a caregiver, that child would never cry in class again.

Night fell.

In the evening, a new batch of trash arrived, and some children were assigned tasks and left the welfare institute.