The blind boss's nanny

Finally, the old man stopped playing.

He listened intently to the sounds around him for a moment, then asked Lin Xiaoman:

"Hey, are you looking for a special song?"

Lin Xiaoman shook her head, then realized he couldn't see, and whispered in English:

"Thank you, no need."

The old man smiled, his wrinkles smoothing out, making him look very kind.

"So... do you want to have a chat? My ears are much better than my eyes."

Looking at the smile on the old man's face and the unfamiliar faces on the foreign street, Lin Xiaoman suddenly felt a strong urge to confide in this stranger she would never see again.

Regardless of whether the other person could understand her, she began to talk to herself in Chinese, her voice very soft, as if she were murmuring:

"I know someone... he's blind, just like you."

"I heard... he used to be an exceptionally good bass player. Although... I've never seen him like that."

"He wasn't as...lucky as you."

Her gaze fell on the guitar beside the old man, which he could play at will.

"You can sit here, play your favorite music, and enjoy the sunshine and freedom. But that person can't. He's blind, yet he carries so much on his shoulders... so many people who depend on him for their livelihood, and so many people whose direction is determined by him..."

Lin Xiaoman paused, her voice even lower:

"He must be... very tired. When he can't see the road, when he has to make a decision... He's such a proud person... Now he even has to fumble around to get a glass of water."

"He sounded very relaxed on the phone, saying he might never get better..."

The wind in the square carried the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts from afar, scattering her whispers in the air. The old man listened quietly, though he couldn't understand a single word.

He smiled, picked up the guitar again, and gently plucked the strings with his fingers, releasing another tender melody.

As Lin Xiaoman listened to the gentle guitar music, tears finally streamed down her face silently. On this street where no one knew her, facing a blind stranger, she finally honestly confronted the deepest emotions in her heart:

She loved Lu Tingzhao. She loved him—the strong man, the vulnerable man, the visible man, and the invisible man. She loved him so much that even though they were thousands of miles apart, she felt heartache for the darkness in his eyes, worried about his weariness, and saddened by his future.

This love has long since transcended the initial agreement, taking deep root and flourishing.

She just never dared, or was unwilling, to admit it to herself so clearly.

Just then, an unexpected event occurred!

A young man in a hoodie suddenly appeared, swaggered up to the old man, and the next second he brazenly reached out and grabbed a handful of banknotes from the old man's hat, which was full of money, and then ran away!

At first, Lin Xiaoman did not realize that this person was a thief.

until,

The old man swiftly ripped off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of piercing blue eyes. He launched into a tirade of insults at the young man, his vocabulary incredibly rich, a far cry from his earlier calm and collected demeanor!

"@#￥%&*! My money! You little bastard! How dare you steal my money!"

Lin Xiaoman: "...!!!"

She froze instantly, and then a surge of anger at being fooled rushed to her head!

He's a fraud! He pretended to be blind to gain sympathy!

Just as the thief was about to disappear into the crowd, the old man, cursing and preparing to give chase, rushed forward, grabbed the old man's sleeve, and shouted in English:

"Give me my money back! You liar!!"

The old man, grabbed by her, was so anxious he was jumping up and down, shouting back in a mix of English and Italian:

"Let me go! That's my money!...No, it's our money! Chase after them!"

The young man grinned and made a face at them, then turned and ran away from the crowd!

"Stop! Don't run!"

Lin Xiaoman was so angry she lost her mind and chased after him without thinking. She could accept being taken advantage of all she had ever been, but she would never tolerate such blatant fraud!

The scene was very chaotic at one time.

The thief ran wildly ahead, while the old man and Lin Xiaoman chased after him, glaring at each other as they went.

"You liar! Don't pretend you're blind!"

Lin Xiaoman cursed, panting heavily.

"What do you know! This is art! Street performance art!"

The old man was even able to argue back while running, displaying a strong sense of conviction despite his lack of reason.

"Art my ass! Give me my money back!"

"Let's catch that little bastard first!"

The old man's strength gradually gave out, and he plopped down on the roadside, panting heavily.

"Oh my god, who would believe I can't even run anymore..."

Lin Xiaoman continued to chase. Although she was not bad at sports, it was still quite difficult for her to catch up with the local "local expert" who knew the terrain well on the uneven cobblestone road while wearing casual shoes.

But she was stubborn and refused to give up.

She remembered the fierce determination she had when she helped her grandmother sell vegetables back then, fighting for territory.

Unbeknownst to them, the chase had veered off the bustling main square and turned into several increasingly secluded alleyways.

The stone-paved road narrowed, and the buildings on both sides appeared old and quiet.

The thief running ahead suddenly stopped.

He turned around, leaning against the mottled wall, panting heavily. He pulled a switchblade from his pocket, snapped it open, and a fierce look appeared on his face.

He clearly wasn't planning to run anymore, especially after seeing that the person chasing him was just an Asian girl, which emboldened him even more.

The thief weighed the knife in his hand, his eyes greedily scanning Lin Xiaoman's backpack, and said menacingly:

"Hand over everything of value you have! Now! Otherwise..."

broken!

So focused on getting back the money they'd been scammed out of and venting their anger, they completely failed to notice that they'd long since strayed from the crowd and ended up in this godforsaken place!

Now, not only have I not gotten my money back, but it seems like I'm also trapped like a fish in a barrel?

She gripped the empty backpack strap tightly, her mind racing, adrenaline surging. What to do? Fighting was definitely out of the question, but calling for help? This alley was so deep…

Just then, the light at the alley entrance was suddenly blocked by a tall figure.

A cheerful voice, speaking fluent English, rang out clearly:

"Dude, bullying a girl isn't something a man should do."

Against the dim light shining in from the alley entrance, she saw a man with an unusually tall and imposing figure.

He was wearing a simple jacket and cargo pants, leaning casually against the wall, as if he had just happened to be passing by to watch the excitement.