"Sis, this place is beautiful."

Standing on a small hill, Chu Jiaojiao saw the stars Bai Ling had mentioned, and they truly shone brightly.

Chu Xingyue rolled her eyes. Aren't these the fireflies they used to see in the summer when they were kids? Is this place too isolated, or is Bai Ling just naive? Doesn't she know about these things?

Chu Xingyue scanned the back mountain, and to the naked eye, there really wasn't anything different.

Neither of them made any rash moves; in a place like this, who knew if there were any special mechanisms or anything like that?

"Jiaojiao, do you think the 4 o'clock position looks a bit abrupt?"

"It's a bit strange to have this big rock here."

The two sisters stood still. They had come to chase after Junlan and his two companions. They had already encountered Junlan that night, but they hadn't seen a single trace of the other two. It seemed that this village held many secrets.

"who"

A low male voice shouted.

"Does Uncle Ashan also come here for a walk in the back hills at night because he can't sleep?"

Junlan has never been curious about anything except experiments over the years. This child is really intriguing.

The first time was when she was kidnapped, she didn't cry or make a fuss, although there was a hint of fear in her eyes; the second time was at the dinner table that night, when the girl saw him, the faint smile on her lips made Junlan know that the child must have recognized him; the third time is now, I didn't expect that Bai Ling, whom I just rejected tonight, didn't come because her sister was afraid of her.

Unexpectedly, just a few hours later, I ran into them again in a place like the back mountain.

"This is not a place for you. Go back now, and say goodbye to the village chief when you wake up tomorrow morning."

"Why should we listen to you?" Chu Xingyue's words immediately drew Chu Jiaojiao's attention. It had been a long time since she had seen An'an speak so rudely to a plain-looking man.

"Really, I can't say anything else, but please believe me, I have no intention of harming you. You've underestimated this village. Leaving as soon as possible is what you should do. Don't do something you'll regret for the rest of your life because of a moment of impulse."

Seeing that the two were unmoved by his words, Junlan continued to patiently persuade them.

"And what about you? From what I learned last night, you're just the village chief's godson. What about your parents? Are they worried about you?"

By the moonlight, Junlan saw Chu Xingyue's dark, shining eyes as she asked him those questions.

“I don’t know where my home is, and I don’t remember my parents. I don’t want you to become like me. I was saved by Bai Cheng and Bai Bao, and they won’t do anything to me. But you are people they just met today. If you do anything that they feel is dangerous to them, you will never be able to go back.”

Have you ever thought about contacting your parents?

Chu Xingyue ignored Jun Lan's words and continued to ask.

"I've tried to look, but I haven't found a clue." Junlan was a little lost. All he knew was what Bai Cheng and his son Bai Bao had told him, and he didn't remember anything else.

"Would you mind if I asked you to take us back?"

Chu Xingyue's sudden change of topic brought Jun Lan back to his senses.

“Okay, if you run into anyone else on the way back, just say you came out for a stroll and somehow got lost, and you just happened to run into me.” Junlan didn’t know what her motivation was, but she just didn’t want these kids to get lost in a place like this.

"good."

Chu Xingyue smiled sweetly, and Chu Jiaojiao also smiled, revealing her teeth.

The two girls' laughter gave Junlan a strange sense of déjà vu, but he was certain he had never seen them before and didn't know where this feeling of familiarity came from.

I blinked hard to clear my head.

"Let's go back."

The three of them didn't say a word on their way back.

However, they still blurted out what Junlan had told them. The three of them were immediately taken aback by Bai Cheng's scrutinizing gaze and his icy questions as soon as they arrived in the village.

"Ah Shan, it's so late, where did you go with our two kids?"

“Village chief, you’ve misunderstood. My sister couldn’t sleep in this unfamiliar place, so she begged me to take her out for a walk. We didn’t go far, but somehow we got lost and couldn’t find our way back. Luckily, we ran into Uncle Ashan and begged him to take us back.”

"Is that so, Ah Shan?"

Bai Cheng's tone was somewhat doubtful.

“Godfather, I slept too much this afternoon and couldn’t fall back asleep, so I got up and took a walk. I didn’t expect to see the two of them standing anxiously in the middle of the road like headless flies, so I brought them back.”

Junlan's tone was calm, leaving no room for criticism. Chu Xingyue and Chu Jiaojiao's eyes were already brimming with tears, making it hard to bear saying anything harsh to them.

"Oh dear, don't cry. I'm not blaming you. There are a lot of snakes and insects around here. If you get bitten while you're out at night, it will really be my fault. Go back now."

"Yes, thank you, Grandpa Village Chief, thank you, Uncle Ashan."

The two said goodbye to Bai Chengjunlan with tears in their eyes.

"Ah Shan, how long of a leave did the higher-ups give you this time?"

Bai Cheng asked Jun Lan, who was walking beside him.

"Let me come back to see you. The higher-ups ordered a lot of goods this time, so please ask my godfather to prepare more. I can stay a few more days."

Junlan answered honestly.

"Ah Shan, now that you're back, do you have any plans for when you and Bai Ling will get married?"

"Godfather, I like Bai Ling, but not in a romantic way. I like her as a younger sister."

Junlan bluntly stated what was on her mind.

"I know I'm taking advantage of your kindness, but Bai Ling is a good girl. She hasn't married for over twenty years because of you. Can't you accept her even a little bit?"

Bai, who was over sixty years old, had to beg Junlan for help from her daughter, but Junlan remained unmoved as always.

"I'm sorry, Godfather, I can't do this. It's not fair to me, and it's fair to Bai Ling too. If two people without a foundation of feelings are together and only one side keeps giving, the relationship won't last. Sooner or later, the one who keeps giving will get tired. Bai Ling just has too high expectations of me. I'm not as good as she imagines."

"Sigh, it seems I can't persuade you anymore. This is for the best; it's time to let Bai Ling give up."

Bai Cheng sighed.

In a corner unnoticed by either of them, a figure trembled, covering her mouth tightly with both hands, afraid that her crying would attract the attention of the two people who were talking.

Junlan lay in bed, the questions Chu Xingyue had asked still echoing in his ears.

Will his parents worry about him? Does he have parents?

If he has parents, why hasn't anyone contacted him all these years, even though he gets a few days of vacation every year?

Bai Cheng told him that he had no parents, that they had found him in a no-man's-land, and that he had lived with them ever since. Although he had doubted this, he hadn't heard or found any information about searching for him over the years, so he never doubted it.

The girl tonight has made his desire to find his family even stronger.

Within a few days, I saw that girl again and again by chance. If the first time was a coincidence, what about the second and third time?

Junlan fell asleep with these questions lingering in his mind.

"Jiaojiao, wake up."

"Jiaojiao"

This is the scene that Bai Ling saw when she arrived.

He quickly stepped forward and asked:

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"Sister Bai Ling, my sister has a fever. It's all my fault. Last night she said she couldn't sleep and asked me to go for a walk with her. We got lost halfway there, and we were only able to get back because we met Uncle A Shan. My sister is timid, and she probably got a fever because she was scared last night."

"Sister, I want to go home. I don't want to stay outside anymore. I miss home." Leng Shuang next to her also started to cry softly, and the only boy also became depressed.

"Sister Bai Ling, could you please help us arrange someone to take us to the border? We want to go back; I'm really worried about my sister like this."

"Don't worry, I'll go find my dad."

Bai Ling finished speaking and ran out.

"Keep it down later, don't overdo it."

"Got it, boss. How was my performance just now?" Leng Shuang asked with a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Chu Xingyue quietly gave a thumbs up.

Footsteps could be heard outside.

The group quickly got into the zone.

"Children, I heard from Bai Ling that you want to go back, is that right? Our medical conditions are indeed a bit poor here. I'll arrange for Ashan to take you back."

"Thank you, Grandpa Village Chief. When we have the chance to come back, we will definitely thank you properly." Zhou Yu, the only boy among them, greeted Bai Cheng and the others at the door.

"No need to be so polite. It must have been my tone that was a bit harsh yesterday. I was already scared, and then I said a few things to you, so you must have been frightened."

Bai Cheng blamed himself.

"It's not your village chief's fault, my sister might not be suited to the climate here."

"Alright, that's enough. I've sent Bai Ling to call A Shan so he can take you back. I also have something I'd like him to buy over there."

"Okay, thank you Grandpa Village Chief, and thank you Uncle Ashan for your trouble."

Bai Cheng and Bai Bao didn't linger outside the house for long. After finishing their conversation, they turned around and went out to give some instructions to A Shan.

Bai Cheng, Bai Bao, and Bai Lingye each had their own thoughts as they watched the car drive away.

"Bai Ling, are you sure you want to give him another chance?"

Bai Cheng asked his daughter beside him.

"Bai Ling is too soft-hearted. If you ask me, I should just put the love potion on her, so you won't be in such a passive position."

“Brother, this is a good opportunity to give him something to think about, and for me to think about it too. Brother Shan is right about something: in a relationship, if one person is always giving, the relationship is destined not to last.”

When Bai Ling said those words, she felt a change in her state of mind.

She always loved the village where she grew up and rarely went out. She was naive, but not stupid. If it weren't for her actions back then, Brother Shan's wife wouldn't have been arrested. She thought that as long as this woman was gone, and she asked her father to help her make him forget everything, he would like her back.

But after all these years, even a stone should have warmed up by now. What kind of heart could be so cold? He never allowed her to get close to him. The most shameful thing she had ever done in her life was crawling into his bed. She would never forget that scene.

He threw up, he actually threw up! Was she some kind of filthy thing? From then on, no matter how hard she tried or how much she tried to please him, it was no use.

After listening to his words yesterday, she thought about it all night. It seems that if it's not hers, it will never truly be hers. She has been deceiving herself for so many years. For so many years, she has been revolving around one person. Suddenly, for a moment, she felt tired, extremely tired.

"Since you want to give him another chance, then Dad and I are on your side."

Bai Ling smiled and said, "Thank you, Dad. Thank you, Big Brother."

"Silly girl, why are you being so distant with your own family?"

Bai Cheng has only one daughter, and Bai Bao has only one younger sister. If the younger sister can understand, that would be wonderful. If she can't, the father and son don't mind being the bad guys, just to make their daughter and younger sister happy.

Bai Ling smiled and linked arms with Bai Cheng and Bai Bao, walking towards home.

Do you want to know your name?

Sitting in the passenger seat, Chu Xingyue turned her head and asked Jun Lan, who was driving.

"Um?"

Junlan thought he had misheard?

"Do you want to know your real name?"

This time, Junlan truly heard Chu Xingyue's words and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"There's a listening device in this car," Junlan pointed out.

"Haha." Chu Xingyue laughed out loud.

Should I say you're stupid or smart?

"Sis, who is this person? Do you know him?"

Chu Jiaojiao had already returned to her original state when she left the village.

Chu Jiaojiao's sudden voice startled Jun Lan.

Are you alright?

Do I look like something's wrong to you?

Chu Jiaojiao's gaze met Jun Lan's in the rearview mirror.

"Why do you think we were able to track you all the way to the village?"

Junlan seemed to suddenly understand something.

"So, you were taken hostage intentionally."

"yes."

Chu Xingyue was very calm.

"I want you to come with me."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

Why did you help me?

"Maybe I just find you somewhat pleasing to the eye."

Chu Xingyue's words were undeniably despicable.

"Drive carefully, I'll take care of everything once we get through immigration."

"But I advise you not to have any other thoughts or actions, otherwise I don't mind making you regret it for the rest of your life."

Chu Xingyue's words were absolutely true. In any case, this cheap old man had no feelings for her whatsoever. If she was thinking of outsiders, then she shouldn't blame her.

For some reason, Junlan, who was driving, just felt that what the girl said was absolutely true.

I glanced at the rearview mirror unintentionally.

"We're being followed."

“Drive carefully. That’s my man. With me here, no one can track you down, but without me, I can’t guarantee that.”

Chu Xingyue glanced at Jun Lan with a half-smile.