The azure lake breeze blew across, and it seemed as if stardust-colored rain was falling from the sky.

Lin Chaoxi leaned on Lao Lin's chest.

After saying that, she felt like she was standing on the borderline between dreams and reality.

There was a twisted boundary of space beneath her feet, and she was surrounded by a space as deep as the universe. She felt both an extremely grand and majestic feeling, and an indescribable smallness and sadness.

Because at that moment, it was like a sudden enlightenment, and she suddenly caught a glimpse of the moment when she left.

There was a specific time and a clear situation. She was sitting on a bench in the park, eating Guangming ice cream, swinging her legs, and waving to Lao Lin.

Then, she would leave this old Lin to live with this little Lin day and night.

At the same moment, she finally understood that the key to everything was to take the initiative to tell her father the truth.

It has nothing to do with William Chang or even mathematics itself. It is not about those specific moments, but about every moment in life, to become a courageous person and no longer hesitate.

Lin Zhaoxi wiped away her tears.

The lake breeze faded, the stardust disappeared, and space became completely bright.

The sound of Lao Lin's violent heartbeat entered her blood vessels from her ears. His heart pumped blood, and her whole body gradually became warm.

She is still here, fortunately, and does not have to leave yet.

Lin Chaoxi landed on his heels, steadying himself and returning to normal.

But Lao Lin's hand was still on her head, and his palm was shaking uncontrollably.

Lin Chaoxi felt a little embarrassed and looked down and around.

Lu Zhihao's shocked face appeared in her sight, as well as Huajuan, An Beibei, Chen Chengcheng...

All 10 of them, with almost identical expressions, filled the entire corridor.

Lin Chaoxi suddenly realized that courage was a very difficult thing.

"Why are you here?" she asked softly.

"Ah, let's go find Vice Principal Zhang! It's not your fault, if you want to punish someone, punish all of us!"

Lu Zhihao shouted, and all the children in the corridor nodded, looking very angry.

"Yes, and us."

"It's not your fault alone."

At this moment, a low cough came from the end of the corridor, interrupting the children who were confessing their crimes.

The children looked in the direction of the sound and found the person they were looking for standing there with a bad look on his face. They immediately huddled together.

After being disturbed by the children, Lin Chaoxi calmed down a little. Lin Chaoxi smiled slightly and thought that everything would be fine.

As she thought of this, she looked up at Lao Lin.

It was also at that moment that she finally saw Lao Lin's expression after he learned the truth, and her blood instantly ran cold.

Lao Lin suddenly withdrew his hand that was pressing on her head. It was hard to tell what emotion was on his face, but his originally tense and suppressed facial muscles relaxed, and there was a deep sense of loss and sadness in his eyes.

Lin Chaoxi didn't understand and looked at him in confusion, but he only heard Lao Lin speak slowly in an extremely suppressed and hoarse voice.

"I know you need a father, but I can't be your father."

It's "impossible" rather than "maybe not", Lao Lin said it clearly, then turned around and left.

Lin Chaoxi was suddenly panicked. She subconsciously began to desperately recreate the scene of her leaving. What was her expression like?

Is it a feeling of ease and satisfaction, or regret and loss?

No one could predict what had yet to happen, and that scene was completely erased from her mind.

But no matter what, she was very sure that she grew up with Lao Lin in the strawberry world, and her memory was clear, without a doubt.

"You are wrong." She said to Lao Lin firmly.

"Chao Xi!" The director's mother grabbed her and asked, "How did you know that?"

"Why don't you ask me where I knew that?" Lin Chaoxi asked Lao Lin.

Old Lin's figure that was about to leave paused, and Lin Chaoxi could clearly hear the sound of him taking a deep breath and forcing himself to calm down.

"Maybe it's because I'm getting older, and I suddenly lose my courage." Lao Lin looked back at her and paused: "Sorry, my reaction just now was not like an adult."

Lin Zhaoxi: "You are so sure it is impossible, is it because my age does not match your daughter's? Then why did you go to the welfare home to look at my file?"

Lao Lin: "Who told you I had a daughter?"

"I just know it." Lin Zhaoxi said, "You may think I'm lying, or ask me to give a reason, but I don't have one, but please believe me."

Lao Lin frowned, his face pale. He took a second to walk to him, took her hand, and held it tightly.

Later, Lin Chaoxi realized that this was probably the only moment in his rational life that transcended rationality.

Lao Lin: “No reason is needed.”

"What did you say?"

"As long as there are facts, there is no need for reasons."

——

The atmosphere in the car was depressing.

From the suburbs to the city, you will pass a large lake area. Outside the window, there is a vast lake. Lin Chaoxi sits in the middle of the back row.

"Thank you, we'll be there in about a quarter of an hour."

"Turn left onto Tong'an Road."

In the co-pilot's seat, the party president was on the phone the whole time. Her serious voice of giving directions could be heard from time to time, making the atmosphere in the car even more tense.

The car was driving at a steady speed, and in about two more traffic lights they would be on the main road in the city.

After saying that, Lao Lin never spoke again. He just held her hand and went downstairs.

The children blocking the entrance to the staircase were stunned and were soon caught by the party director.

Lin Chaoxi had never seen the party president lose his temper like that. She first scolded Lao Lin and then scolded her for having no idea what was going on in her mind all day and for hiding who her biological parents were. She was really angry and believed that Lao Lin had abandoned her. She felt sorry for her and even felt desperate that her daughter, whom she had raised, was leaving her.

Lin Chaoxi didn't know what to do, so he could only stop to comfort the dean's mother.

But on the one hand, he asked for clarification, and on the other hand, he refused to say anything.

However, Lao Lin insisted on taking her for an appraisal, determined to take the risk.

For a moment, the children's questions, the adults' scolding, and her panicked and helpless voice made the entire corridor chaotic.

finally……

Lin Zhaoxi looked at the middle-aged man who was driving...

Finally, Jie Ran said with genius, "Vice President Zhang has a car that can take you away," which completely resolved the entire chaotic situation.

Santana sedan, front driver's cab.

Chang Shu Ping stepped on the accelerator and drove the car onto the bridge across the lake. In the first few minutes, he was confronting them head-on, and in the next few minutes, he was helping the father and daughter to recognize each other.

He looked up at the rearview mirror, his face livid and unhappy.

In the rearview mirror, the "Safe Journey" pendant sways gently.

Inside the car, there was a continuous low engine sound, the sound of the tires rolling over stones, and the sound of the wheels gripping the road when turning. These sounds were particularly clear.

Lin Chaoxi looked to his side.

Lao Lin was sitting by the window, his eyes looking straight ahead with his jaw set. Apart from still holding her hand, he seemed to be in extremely tense thought, trying to discern the truth from the fog every minute and every second.

Lin Zhaoxi didn't know what the truth was.

Because if Lao Lin's life was a book, she had only read the parts that Lao Lin was willing to let her read, while many other important chapters were tightly sealed by Lao Lin, with the pages tightly glued together, and even the sharpest letter opener could not cut them open.

Why is Lao Lin so sure that he can't be her father?

Why did he take the risk the next moment and take her to confirm the facts?

"You'd better explain it to me now." In the co-pilot's car, the party president hung up the phone and turned around to say.

Lin Zhaoxi shook his head.

She understood why Lao Lin didn't say anything, and she also knew that she didn't need to say anything.

In the face of facts, no reason is needed.

——

The Forensic Identification Center of Anning University is located in the old campus of the school. It doesn’t have a big facade, but there are always people coming and going.

The party president has a long-term "cooperative relationship" with the center. After they arrived, they went directly to the second floor.

In a small office, a staff member took out a "DNA Parentage Authorization Appraisal Application Form" and placed it on the table.

"Personal appraisal, right? Not a judicial commission?"

The wind blew the blue curtains of the appraisal center, making them rustle. Old Lin looked tense. He stood in front of the old solid wood desk, bent over and wrote, without saying a word.

The party leader looked at them and said, "Go alone first, it will be quicker."

"That's five working days, expedited."

Lin Chaoxi was sitting in a chair at the back and didn't know the difference.

Lao Lin still held her hand in a very twisted posture. She watched Lao Lin fill out the application form stroke by stroke, writing his and her name in the name column.

When it came to his turn to address her, he paused noticeably.

Lin Chaoxi pursed her lips. Old Lin looked at her deeply, then turned his head and wrote the word "father" on the upper column and the word "daughter" on the lower column.

The staff took the identification form and took them to the blood collection room.

A mother holding a baby was in front of them.

The needle was inserted into the baby's arm, and the child cried out. Lin Zhaoxi watched the dark red blood being drawn out bit by bit, and her mother's face immediately burst into tears. She could not help but look at Lao Lin subconsciously.

Lao Lin looked solemn from beginning to end, but at that moment, he tightened his hand around hers, as if to comfort her.

The needle was pulled out, cotton was pressed on the baby's arm, and the mother stood up holding the child. Lin Zhaoxi brushed past her, took a deep breath, and sat down...