The Truth About the Beauty Gradually Revealed

I. A Glimmer of Hope: "We've asked so many people, but still haven't found a single useful clue." Lin Wanqing frowned, her face filled with exhaustion and disappointment. For days, she and Ayu had been traveling far and wide, visiting countless places and asking many people who might know about what happened back then, all in an effort to find out about their origins, but to no avail.

Ah Yu gently patted Lin Wanqing's shoulder, comforting her, "Don't be discouraged, let's keep looking, there will always be clues. Although so much time has passed since the fire, there must be someone who remembers something." His eyes were firm, trying to instill a glimmer of hope in Lin Wanqing.

The two arrived at their next destination, a somewhat dilapidated town. Based on the scattered information they had gathered earlier, they thought the person they were looking for might be here. The town's streets were narrow and winding, and the old houses on both sides exuded the aura of time. They went from house to house, asking the residents about the characteristics of the person they were looking for and inquiring if anyone remembered the fire from many years ago.

Most residents simply shook their heads helplessly, either because it had been too long and they couldn't remember, or because they had never heard of it at all. Lin Wanqing's mood grew heavier, and her steps became increasingly slow. Just when they were about to give up, an elderly man sitting by the roadside basking in the sun caught Ayu's attention.

II. An unexpected encounter with a key witness

The old man's face was weathered, and his eyes held a profound wisdom born of experience. Ah Yu stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Sir, we'd like to inquire about something. Do you know about a fire that happened nearby many years ago? We're looking for some people who knew about it back then."

The old man slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "Fire? I seem to remember that. Why are you looking into this?"

Lin Wanqing quickly stepped forward and said eagerly, "Grandpa, I suspect that the fire is related to my background. Please tell us about it."

The old man hesitated for a moment, as if recalling something, then sighed and said, "There was indeed a huge fire back then, it burned very badly. But I only know the general outline of the events. If you want to find someone who knows more, perhaps Old Chen can tell you more. He used to live near the area where the fire occurred, so he should know more about it than I do."

Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing were overjoyed and immediately asked about Old Chen's whereabouts. The old man pointed to a house on the edge of the town and said, "He lives there, but his health hasn't been very good these past few years, so please keep your voices down when you go there."

The two thanked him repeatedly and hurried off in the direction the old man had pointed. Along the way, they were filled with both anticipation and trepidation, wondering if Old Chen could truly provide them with the crucial clue.

III. Vague Information

Finally, they found Old Chen's house. It was an old courtyard with some simple flowers and plants growing in it. Although it looked a little messy, it exuded a sense of life. Ah Yu gently knocked on the door, and after a while, an old man with gray hair and a hunched back opened the door.

"Excuse me, are you Grandpa Chen?" Ah Yu asked politely.

The old man nodded, looking at them with a puzzled expression: "Who are you?"

Lin Wanqing quickly explained her purpose: "Sir, we've come to inquire about the fire from many years ago. The old man just now said that you might know something about it."

A complex expression flashed in Old Chen's eyes. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Come in."

The three entered the house, which was simply furnished with an old table, a few chairs, and some old photos hanging on the wall. Old Chen sat down in a chair, pointed to the chair opposite him, and gestured for Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing to sit down.

"That fire was truly a tragedy," Old Chen said, his voice hoarse, as if weathered by time. "It seems that the family offended someone; a fire suddenly broke out in the middle of the night. The fire spread incredibly fast, and by the time everyone noticed, it was too late."

"Do you know anything special about that family? Is there any connection between them and this girl?" Ah Yu asked quickly, her eyes fixed on Old Chen.

Old Chen looked at Lin Wanqing carefully, shook his head and said, "I don't know the specifics. I only remember that the family had a little girl, about your age now. After the fire, I never saw her again. I heard that someone saw a mysterious figure leaving with the little girl after the fire, but I don't know if it's true or not."

Lin Wanqing's heart skipped a beat. Could that little girl be herself? "Grandpa, do you remember what that family's surname is? And what are the characteristics of that mysterious figure?" she asked anxiously.

Old Chen frowned and thought for a long time before saying, "I really can't remember his surname, it's been too long. As for that mysterious figure, everyone was busy putting out the fire at the time and didn't pay much attention. I only remember that he seemed to be a man, quite tall."

Although this information was quite vague, it was already the biggest gain for Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing so far. They continued to ask Old Chen for more details, trying to dig out more useful clues from his memories.

IV. Organizing and Analyzing Clues

After leaving Old Chen's house, Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing found a quiet place and began to organize and analyze the information they had obtained from Old Chen.

“Judging from what Lao Chen said, the fire back then was definitely not an accident; there seems to be a mysterious force manipulating it behind the scenes,” Ah Yu said with a serious expression.

Lin Wanqing nodded: "Moreover, the mysterious man who took the little girl away could very well be me. If we can find this man, we might be able to uncover the whole truth about my background."

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