Chapter 555: A Hand Within Reach
Little Linna’s favorite thing to do was to act spoiled, to be hugged, and to be fed. This was a privilege that only a child could have. For some reason, she just liked to do this, as if to make up for a certain emptiness in her heart. But she was a child after all, and she wouldn’t think too much about this.
Although she was still young, her intelligence was growing very quickly, and she could distinguish many things.
“Mama, mama…”
“You want a hug again? Nana, you really love to act spoiled. Come on, come to mama.”
Catherine smiled and extended her arms to hug her daughter who was coming towards her. She had raised two girls, but she seemed to like this youngest daughter even more. After all, the youngest child was the most doted on. She herself was indeed too fond of this child, and her husband often said that she spoiled the child too much.
But her own daughter was indeed very cute. It was really impossible to resist. The thought of her daughter having to get married after she grew up made Catherine extremely reluctant, so she had to play with her more while she was still young, to make her rely on her mother from a young age! Maybe in the future, when she grew up, she wouldn’t want to get married and would always stay by her side.
What Catherine was thinking was quite beautiful. She held her own daughter, and had been playing with her all along. In her heart, she was thinking that it would be better if the child didn’t grow up so quickly.
Little Linna would often play with her mother. When her own father was busy with work and was often outside, her mother would be at home, taking care of her. Although her mother also had work sometimes, and would also often run around outside, she insisted on coming back every week, so Catherine’s figure could still be seen at home.
Outside the Yu family, Eric was wearing a coat, sunglasses, and was hiding in a corner, observing Catherine and Little Linna in the courtyard, his eyes unreadable.
Eric had been carefully observing this family for a month, and had also figured out their living habits. Originally, his relationship with the Yu family was relatively close, and they were not strangers to each other. To secretly observe the habits of this family and to take corresponding measures was not difficult for Eric. Especially since Yu Jiayang was busy with work recently, and it was a critical juncture for the company, Eric was confident that he could complete this task.
“I’ve got my eye on the person. Catherine will take her daughter out every week. The location is in the commercial street near the station. Usually, she will take her child to buy clothes, small toys. After doing these things, she will buy some skincare products, clothes, and other items for herself. And then she will take her child to see a play. After watching, she will buy some small snacks for her child. In the end, she will buy some flower seeds and dog food to bring back before she goes home.”
He was talking to the person on the other end of the phone about this matter, telling the other party in detail the results of his investigation over the past month. The other party was quite satisfied after hearing it.
“Then let’s do it today. Good luck, Eric.”
“It’s a deal. When the money is in my hands, not a single cent can be missing.”
“That’s natural. I won’t be short of a single cent. You can rest assured. On the contrary, I want to ask you, that’s your rival and friend’s daughter. Can you really do it?”
“As long as it’s for money, what does this count for? Anyway, I have nothing. I don’t care about these things.”
“Alright, I like this kind of straightforward personality of yours. You are also a complete scumbag, but I like it, hahaha.”
Eric hung up the phone, his face gloomy. He knew that today was very important to him. He had to do this well. As long as he did this well, he could start over. That’s what he thought.
“It’s not my fault. I was originally a good person. It was you who made me like this.”
In the end, he had still taken the most important step in his life. With this one step, his decades of life would all change.
…
Catherine would take her two daughters out on Sundays. This was a habit of hers all along. No matter how busy she was, she had to go home, and she had also always insisted on the habit of going out with her children every week. Usually, she had to work, and she had no time at home. When she had a vacation every week, how could she let go of the opportunity to be with her children? So she would go out with her children every week.
“Nana, come down. Hold mama’s hand.”
“Wuwu…”
“You can’t act spoiled. Didn’t we agree? You have to learn to walk independently. Do you understand?”
“Mmm…”
“Shaking your head is also not okay. Come on, hold my hand, you two sisters together.”
Little Linna had always wanted to be with her mother, but Catherine had asked her to be a little more independent. She usually spoiled this child too much. She was thinking of training the child’s independence recently, to let her learn to grow up on her own. In the beginning, Little Linna might have looked at her with pleading eyes, but after that, she had quickly adjusted her mentality and had acted as if nothing had happened. A little child is always like this.
Catherine took her children out as usual, went shopping, bought things for her children, no different from usual.
She did not notice that someone was observing them.
“Younger sister, let’s go over there to play.”
“Mmm.”
“Hey, you two, don’t walk so fast. Mom is going to get angry.”
Today was no different from usual, or rather, it had always been the same. Catherine was still smiling so happily, and her two daughters were still so happy, especially Little Linna, who was the one with the most brilliant smile, as usual.
Catherine really enjoyed this kind of life. Ever since she had had children, she had felt that her life had always been very happy. Before she had gotten married, her view of marriage was very simple. It was just to live with the person she loved, and then to raise children. But after she had had children, she had felt that she should be responsible for her children, to accompany them as they grew up, and to give them a happy childhood. If her own children wanted to be an actress with her in the future, or wanted to be in investment like their dad, then she would slowly guide them.
After shopping and buying things for her children, Catherine had given the things she had bought to Little Linna. It was a very cute strawberry hairpin. She had gently put this hairpin on her child’s hair.
“Look, so cute~ My daughter is so beautiful.”
Catherine was very satisfied with her own masterpiece. Little Linna seemed to like it very much. She had turned in a circle on the spot, which had made Catherine laugh out loud. And then Catherine had also taken out the amulet she had bought from Chinatown and had given it to Little Linna, telling her to keep it with her.
“This is the amulet that mom has given you. It can bless you. When you grow up, no matter where you go, mom will protect you.”
“Bless, you?”
“Yes, so you have to keep it well. You absolutely cannot lose it. If you lose this, then mom won’t be able to bless you. You have to keep it well, you know?”
“Mmm!”
Although a little child did not know what this meant, she only knew that this was something her mother had given her, a very important thing. She had to keep it well and absolutely could not lose it. This was something equivalent to her life.
Catherine squatted down, patted her head, and smiled.
And then Little Linna had turned in a circle on the spot, had thought of something, and had snatched a small bag from her older sister, and had taken out a small exercise book. This was what she and her older sister had written together before. On this exercise book was also written her own name. This was the first word she had written after she had come into this world.
“Isn’t this Nana’s and Yueyue’s? You guys actually brought it out.”
“Mmm. Big sister, I’ll take this.”
“You want to take it? Alright, here you go. This exercise book is mine. I’ll take this one. Nana’s exercise book will be put in the bag. You can take it yourself.”
“Mmm.”
Little Linna was holding this bag in her hand, and was carrying it like a little adult. It was so funny to watch. In her bag was stuffed an exercise book with her name on it. Although there was nothing written in the notebook, it was treated by her as a treasure and was put away properly. To a little child, this was something her older sister had given her. She had to keep it well.
Soon, Little Linna would be almost two years old. At that time, she would be able to speak more fluently, walk faster, and also recognize words. And then it would be time for her to go to kindergarten, to make friends, and then to go to primary school, middle school, high school, until university. Slowly, she would grow older and older, but for now, she was still a little child.
Catherine smiled, led her two children to a theater, and prepared to watch a play before going back.
“Nana, you have to hold my hand tight~”
This warmth of the moment was a warmth that Catherine could not buy with any amount of money. She particularly enjoyed such a moment.
In the process of queuing for tickets, the two children were circling around her. The long wait didn’t seem to be anything. Catherine felt that it was no different from usual. Yes, just like usual, no different.
Little Linna had let go of her mother’s hand and was wandering around her. Her older sister was holding her mother’s hand and was swinging it back and forth. It seemed to be very fun. As she was swinging, her older sister had let go of her mother’s hand again and was just turning around next to her. Seeing this, Little Linna had also thought of what to play. She had wandered around for a bit, and then she had run far away, and had walked around for a circle. Her mother didn’t seem to have noticed that she had left her hand. Little Linna was thinking of going back again. From a distance, when she saw her own mother, she had extended her hand, wanting to hold that hand that belonged to her mother.
A hand within reach, just about to be grabbed, and then…
She suddenly felt a pulling force, and then her whole person was pulled back. And then her mouth was covered by something. A huge hand had picked her up. Her whole person could not make a sound, and her body could not move either.
“Mmm…”
He was grabbed by a strange man, and was thus forcefully taken out of the theater. Little Linna extended her hand, wanting to grab her mother, but her mother was getting more and more blurry in front of her. In the beginning, there was only a back, and then she could no longer be seen. In the end, what was left in her memory was only the most familiar smile on her mother’s side face…
This day, her fate had also changed.
To want to see that smile again would be a long, long time later.
The man had taken Little Linna out of the theater. He had acted very quickly, almost in a matter of seconds. There were many people here, but very few would have noticed the situation here. The man had taken her out. Little Linna had still wanted to shout, but at this time, a person had walked out from a corner. This person was very familiar to her.
“Little Nana, be good. Don’t be afraid.”
Eric said comfortingly.
As soon as Little Linna had seen him, she had indeed stopped making a fuss, just looking at him with incomprehension. She found it hard to understand the current situation. Why was uncle taking her away? She was completely confused, but she knew that uncle would not harm her.
Eric patted her head and smiled.
“Little Nana, be good. Just take a nap and it will be fine. Everything will pass. Come with uncle, okay?”
“Uncle…”
Little Linna could only make a faint sound, in a daze. She seemed to have been fed something, and then her consciousness had slowly faded away, and then she had known nothing.
Eric looked at the already unconscious Little Linna. He took out his phone and sent a message, and then he took the child away. He had left this city that very night, had left this place. As for where he had gone, only he himself knew.
He knew that this was the first time, but it would definitely not be the last.
