The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the unfinished building, casting shadows on the ground, and a gentle breeze carried the smell of freshly poured cement.

The main building of the orphanage is already complete, and workers are busy in the distance.

The park is still under construction and large sections of the perimeter wall remain unpainted.

Chu Wuyang was wearing a loose shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up, and holding a brush in her hand.

His gaze fell on the wall in front of him, with a hint of hesitation.

"You really want me to draw it?"

She turned her head to look at Yang Jinchu, who was standing to the side.

Yang Jinchu rolled up his sleeves, his fingers stained with dye, and spoke in a gentle tone:

"When we came back from your mother's grave last time, you promised me,"

"Don't even think about going back on your word."

He paused, his gaze carrying a gentle smile:

"The children here love fairy tales, so you can let your imagination run wild."

Chu Wuyang lowered her eyes and softly hummed in agreement.

He bent down, dipped some paint into the palette, and then reached out to sketch the outline of a deer on the wall.

Yang Jinchu stood beside her, sketching branches and leaves with a fine brush, glancing at her occasionally with a calm and gentle gaze.

"Yangyang".

He suddenly spoke, his voice low and soft.

"You seem to have something on your mind?"

Chu Wuyang paused slightly with the brush in her hand.

She didn't respond immediately, but focused on coloring.

Paint the deer's eyes with translucent dots.

"No,"

She said softly

"There are just some things... I'm not quite sure about."

Yang Jinchu didn't press for details, but patiently waited for her to continue.

The pattern on the wall gradually took shape.

Chu Wuyang slowly put down the brush in her hand, lowered her head, and gently wiped away a flaw in the painting with her fingertips.

He spoke as if unintentionally:

"Do you remember when I mentioned it to you on the Chu family cruise ship... that Zhou Heng, when he was drunk, actually said I had a tattoo on my leg?"

Yang Jinchu's hand, which was sketching tree branches, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then he smiled:

Why bring this up all of a sudden?

Chu Wuyang's gaze fell on the screen, her tone somewhat casual:

"But one day I got drunk, and I thought I saw something similar in the mirror..."

"But before this, I never knew I had it, let alone when I got it."

She paused, then looked up at Yang Jinchu, her gaze calm yet revealing a hint of inquiry.

"Don't you... find it strange?"

Yang Jinchu's smile faded slightly, and her fingers tightened around the pen for a moment.

But things quickly returned to normal.

He put down his paintbrush, gently blew on the pattern he had just drawn, and casually said:

"Not surprising."

Chu Wuyang was slightly taken aback, her fingertips unconsciously tightening:

"What's the meaning?"

Yang Jinchu stood by the wall, holding a paintbrush covered in paint in her hand.

His expression remained unchanged.

He smiled gently, his eyes warm, even carrying a hint of helplessness:

"You don't need to test me anymore. It was indeed me who had someone cover it up for you."

Chu Wuyang suddenly looked up, a hint of shock flashing in her eyes.

Why do I have absolutely no recollection of this?

Yang Jinchu looked at her quietly, his gaze deep.

It was as if I could see deeper memories through her eyes.

"Yangyang".

He spoke softly, his tone so calm it didn't sound like he was discussing her past.

Rather, it is a fact that has already been settled.

Do you really want to know everything?

Chu Wuyang paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Yang Jinchu put down the brush in his hand, walked slowly to her, his gaze serious and steady:

"Five years ago, you ignored my advice and insisted on keeping your appointment with Jingmin..."

"The weather was bad that day, and there was a typhoon. I was worried about you, but when I arrived, you and Jingmin were nowhere to be seen. There were only a few well-trained bodyguards at the place you had agreed to meet, as if they were cleaning up the mess..."

He paused here, seemingly recalling something, his voice low and slow:

“I followed those bodyguards all the way, and finally… I watched them board a cruise ship.”

Chu Wuyang's heart tightened, her lips turned slightly pale, and she asked almost subconsciously:

"'Royal Shadow'?"

Yang Jinchu nodded slightly:

"yes."

“I managed to get on the ship, searched for you all night, and finally… rescued you before the auction started.”

Chu Wuyang's breath hitched, her fingertips stiffened, and her voice trembled slightly:

"Then...did I..."

She wanted to know if she had lost her virginity.

Yang Jinchu's eyes darkened, and he quickly interrupted her, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument:

"No."

He looked at her, his tone filled with an unprecedented certainty:

"When I found you, they hadn't even finished branding you yet."

"Moreover, the girl being auctioned must be 'whole'."

Chu Wuyang's heart clenched tightly.

She doesn't remember being auctioned off as an "object," or even anything about it.

"Then why... do I not remember?"

Her voice was as soft as a breeze, with a slight tremor.

Zhou Heng said, "I was not given any medication."

Yang Jinchu's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. He lowered his eyelashes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then slowly spoke:

"Zhou Heng?"

"He contacted you?"

His tone was noticeably low.

"No wonder you suddenly asked about this..."

He looked up, met her eyes directly, and said frankly:

"You don't remember because you forgot it in the first place."

“When I found you, I didn’t know what you had been through. The doctor said you had suffered a shock that caused amnesia.”

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!