Chapter 22: Unknown Past Events

The car followed the asphalt road, gradually deviating from the main track. On both sides of the road were wide suburbs, with large tracts of wasteland planted with a few lonely trees, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Xia Li had assumed that Ji Ling would take her to a quiet place, suitable for a heart-to-heart talk, or a warm place where they could open up to each other.

But they were driving towards the suburbs.

"We've arrived, get off the bus."

After the car came to a complete stop, Ji Ling's deep voice echoed in the car, the last syllable lingering, and the sound of the door opening reached her ears.

It seems she was just imagining things. A strange emotion welled up inside her, and her eyes were somewhat vacant as she gazed lightly out the car window.

Welfare home.

The faded red lettering swayed precariously on the gray and mottled wall, vines spread, and a few foxtail grasses sprouted from the cracks in the wall. Looking inside, children's old clothes hung on a thin clothesline.

The area is quite large. Although the buildings are somewhat dilapidated, it is still evident that a philanthropist once invested heavily here. However, due to years of neglect, they have fallen into disrepair.

Xia Li got out of the car, the weeds on the ground brushing against her ankles. She followed behind Ji Ling, watching their intersecting shadows, and walked step by step into the interior.

"Is this your first time here?" Ji Ling stopped what he was doing, turned around and waited, and asked Xia Li.

Xia Li quickened her pace and walked up to him, "Well, I've never paid attention to the orphanage before."

Ji Ling's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he nodded in response, without making any further movements, "I'm not very interested either."

Xia Li frowned after hearing this and asked in confusion, "Then why did you suddenly bring me here?"

Ji Ling responded: "Someone will deliver the equipment later and give your studio its first order before it even opens."

The studio, which is still in its early stages, is something only she and Ji Ling know about.

Xia Li instantly understood what he meant; he wanted to take photos of the children at the welfare home. She was quite willing to do this kind of thing, rather than spending her days doing nothing.

"So eager?" Her gloomy mood dissipated slightly, and she joked, a barely perceptible smile appearing on her lips and a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Ji Ling, blushing, grabbed her hand, avoided her gaze, and said something against his will as he led her inside: "It was just something I did, not specifically for you."

Just then, a figure came out from the inner gate of the orphanage to greet them. The person was dressed simply, with a pen hanging from the pocket of her coat. Xia Li guessed that she was probably the director.

As she expected, it was just as she thought.

"You've come! I'm so sorry to have troubled you all today." The dean greeted them with a kind expression and thanked them profusely.

Ji Ling nodded in thanks, and she followed his movements.

Her gaze followed the wall behind the dean, who noticed and immediately explained, "Oh, this? Don't worry about it. Let me show you other places first."

Ji Ling stopped her, saying, "Thank you. We'll walk around by ourselves first. You go ahead with your work, and we'll contact you if we need anything."

After sending the director away, Xia Li finally had a chance to get closer to the wall in front of her, which was covered with headshots and introductions of the children in the welfare home.

Li Chaolu, female, one year old.

"So small!" Xia Li glanced at the girl in the center, a very pretty child, and felt a pang of sadness.

At this moment, Ji Ling spoke up, his voice saying, "Meng Qianqiu's daughter is here."

Xia Li was stunned: "Meng Qianqiu?!"

She thought she had misheard the name for a moment, and asked in surprise to confirm.

"Yes, it's Meng Qianqiu's. I only found out about it recently."

Xia Li still found it unbelievable, pointing to the ground beneath her feet: "Here?"

Ji Ling corrected: "On this wall."

On the wall.

She looked over again, subconsciously comparing the children in the photo with the image of Meng Qianqiu in her mind, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Li Chaolu?"

Ji Ling closed her eyes and nodded in response, "Okay, look at the words at the top of the photo wall first."

List of children who died.

Ah... does this mean they've already left? Xia Li was astonished.

A thousand-year dream eventually ends, life is as fleeting as morning dew. The one-year-old girl has a beautiful name, but unfortunately, her life is too short to be contained, as brief as morning dew.

If it really is Meng Qianqiu's child, how old was Meng Qianqiu that year?

Having only recently come of age, and being a child born in violation of the one-child policy, Meng Qianqiu had her age altered and had been registered at a relative's house, meaning she was likely even younger than her actual age.

How could that be? She herself is still a child who hasn't grown up...

Putting aside the fact that this is highly unethical, even if it were true, how could someone as proud as Meng Qianqiu put his child in an orphanage?

Xia Li's lips were dry, her throat bitter, and she couldn't finish a sentence: "How did you know? Are you sure you're not mistaken? After all, it's been eight years, such a long time."

Ji Ling pursed his lips. His mother had been involved in various charity projects and had crossed paths with the former director of this welfare home. It was unintentional, but by chance, while learning about other things, she stumbled upon the connection.

He squeezed Xia Li's hand tighter, his way of offering comfort at this stage, and said earnestly with his eyes lowered, "There was no mistake."

The truth behind the photography competition eight years ago was also gradually revealed in his investigation, peeling away the layers of confusion in his mind.

Xia Li stared blankly at the black and white photo. Even after Ji Ling explained, she still couldn't believe that Meng Qianqiu had ever had a daughter.

Just then, two shadowy figures emerged from the room, chasing each other and thumping on the wooden floor. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared without a trace, leaving only the sound of the boy chasing the girl, shouting, "Slow down, I can't catch up!"

The girl turned back and waited: "Is this all a real man can do?"

After a while, there was silence. The two children met again and suddenly started playing house: "We promised each other that we would stay together happily ever after. Pinky promise, a hundred years without breaking up, whoever breaks up is a little dog."

"You can't go back on your word in this lifetime."

Xia Li swallowed hard. Her hand was still being held by Ji Ling, and she was still caught up in the excitement. She hadn't reacted yet. When she heard what the child said, her knuckles trembled involuntarily. Unexpectedly, Ji Ling pulled her hand back, and their little fingers hooked together.

Feeling the dampness of their tightly clasped hands, she was momentarily unaccustomed to it and tried to pull away. But as soon as she tried to pull her fingers away, Ji Ling released her. She was stunned for a moment, and the sudden departure of the warmth that had enveloped her was also quite unsettling.

The feeling was strange, and she couldn't explain it herself. In a daze, she opened her five fingers, but the next second they were caught. Ji Ling changed his posture, his strong knuckles probing into the gap, and their fingers were now interlocked.

Xia Li's pupils narrowed as she glanced at the hand clasped with Ji Ling's, then looked up at Ji Ling's face.

Ji Ling's demeanor was the complete opposite of hers; she appeared so calm, as if it were an unintentional act that she didn't care about at all.

It only made her seem like she was trying to cover something up.

She sniffed, pretending to be nonchalant, and led Ji Ling toward the entrance of the orphanage, only to bump into the two children who had suddenly appeared.

The two children also noticed their presence. Upon seeing the strangers, they stared at them timidly with their bright, piercing eyes.

Xia Li bent down and smiled at them with her crescent-shaped eyes. However, the children's eyes were still filled with fear. She followed the children's gaze and turned her head to look at Ji Ling beside her.

So she was afraid of him?

Xia Li suppressed a laugh, while Ji Ling glanced down at her, his lips pursed in thought.

In a simple and pure environment, people's thoughts are influenced by the surroundings, becoming purer and more innocent. Xia Li was no exception; she no longer hesitated and spoke without any worries.

She teased Ji Ling, "You scared the little kid."

Ji Ling lowered his gaze and looked at her gently, his ears turning red. After a while, he looked away, seemingly unconcerned.

Xia Li squeezed his hand, looked straight at the children not far away and teased, "They look scared of you."

"...Why don't you say they're afraid of you?"

Xia Li smiled faintly: "I don't know."

Ji Ling said coldly, "You don't know, yet you say so?"

Her loose strands of hair obscured her eyes and blocked her vision. After a moment, she quickly brushed them aside with her free hand, tilted her head back, and her eyelashes fluttered.

At that moment, Ji Ling also noticed their eyes meet. She paused and said, "Hmm...why don't you do me a favor and smile? Let's see who they're afraid of?"

Ji Ling turned her head shyly and said, "No."

After saying that, he added, "Naive."

Xia Li was half a head shorter than him, and from this angle, she could just see the curve of his lips that momentarily rose, but it disappeared in an instant, replaced by a cold expression.

Several trucks arrived outside, transporting the welfare home's monthly supplies. The place was crowded and noisy. Taking advantage of this moment, Ji Ling used the excuse of going to get photography equipment to quickly escape from Xia Li's sight.

As Xia Li watched his departing figure, she suddenly felt that this man was always saying one thing and meaning another, and she couldn't help but smile. At this moment, the girl from the two children walked over after he left.

The girl reached out and tugged at Xia Li's sleeve, blinking her bright black eyes as she called out in a childish voice, "Sister, sister."

Upon noticing this, Xia Li immediately squatted down, wrapped her large hand around the child's small hand, and asked, "What's wrong?"

The child's initial fear had completely vanished, and he boldly exclaimed, "That older brother was so fierce!"

Xia Li tried to salvage Ji Ling's image: "He just looks cold, but he's actually very soft-hearted."

The child explained, "The fierce older brother is only gentle with the older sister. He looks so tender when he looks at her. I noticed when you made your pinky promise that you were secretly holding hands."

The child's words left Xia Li at a loss. In her confusion, she changed her gesture and instead patted the child's head, replying, "Yes."

The child imitated her and patted her head, saying, "Then you two must be together forever and be happy. He must love you very much."

Xia Li was stunned after hearing this. Children speak without restraint; everything they see is beautiful, and they speak without thinking, making it hard to criticize them.

As we grow older, we lose that innocence, which is something to truly yearn for.

The filming began shortly afterward. With Ji Ling's assistance, they worked together to take photos of the children.

Photos that preserve memories.

After everything was over and we were about to leave, another car pulled up in front of the orphanage. A man in his thirties or forties got out. He wasn't very good-looking or physically, and he was accompanied by several photographers who were picking out poses for photos.

Normally, the dean would not allow two groups of people to visit at the same time. Seeing this situation, it seemed that the visitors had come on a whim, catching the dean off guard.

Ji Ling also noticed that Jian Dan introduced the man's identity to Xia Li.

Upon hearing the name, Xia Li was momentarily dazed.

It turns out that the person putting on airs not far away was the man she almost got engaged to when she was nineteen.