Chapter 1

In August, the scorching sun made the air sticky and oppressive.

At the orphanage entrance.

A well-maintained middle-aged woman, with red-rimmed eyes from crying, stood unsteadily, her frail body supported by her husband, Xue Sheng: "Is this our poor daughter?"

The man also had red eyes, nodding: "Yes."

Xue Sheng and his wife, Ye Li, had been childhood sweethearts and had always been very affectionate. However, their daughter was accidentally lost after marriage, and they had been searching for 18 years. He had almost given up hope, but the surprise came so suddenly, and they found her in the orphanage.

Xue Sheng looked at the two people approaching him, his gaze falling on the girl who obediently followed the director.

She wore a white baseball cap and a clean blue sportswear outfit. Her jet-black hair was neatly tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. Her porcelain face had delicate features, and her beautiful phoenix eyes, which slanted upwards, looked at them calmly, with a hint of confusion and mistiness.

Compared to the emotionally charged couple, she seemed... too calm.

Xue Sheng was slightly taken aback.

As they approached, the director pushed the girl in front of them: "Mr. Xue, Mrs. Xue, this is Xue Xi."

Then she said to the girl: "Xixi, these are your parents. They have come to take you home."

Upon hearing this, Xue Xi's gaze finally focused, settling on Ye Li.

The woman was emotionally charged, looking at her with suppressed anticipation. Her lips trembled, wanting to recognize her but also being cautious, fearing rejection.

After a while, Xue Xi slowly spoke: "Hello."

Her attitude was distant and somewhat indifferent.

Ye Li didn't notice anything unusual and couldn't help but tightly embrace her, sobbing: "Daughter, I finally found you! You must have suffered so much these years..."

The soft and warm body pressed against her made Xue Xi's body stiffen; she was not used to such intimacy.

But pushing her away seemed a bit cruel.

While she was conflicted, she noticed the man giving the director a subtle look. After they moved a bit further away, Xue Sheng asked in a low voice, thinking she couldn't hear: "Director, is there anything wrong with Xixi...?"

He pointed to his head.

The director quickly replied: "No, Xue Xi is very smart, extremely smart. She is a well-known genius in our orphanage. This child is obsessed with learning and is a bit slow in social interactions."

A genius?

Xue Sheng didn't take it seriously, but as long as she wasn't stupid, it was fine.

He sighed in relief. After Ye Li finally calmed down, they all got into the car and headed home.

Xue Xi quietly watched the outside through the car window. On the messy street, the slightly old and worn gate of the orphanage slowly receded as the car moved, until it turned a corner and disappeared. A faint sense of reluctance slowly washed over her...

None of them saw that after they left, a black, low-key Land Rover slowly stopped at the orphanage entrance.

There were two people in the car.

The driver turned his head: "Xiang Shuai, we were a step too late."

The man in the back seat sat straight, with a strong jawline. The dim light in the car made his nearly perfect features appear hazy.

At that moment, his sharp eyes made people feel genuine fear, unable to look at him directly.

Xiang Huai's long, distinct fingers lightly tapped the armrest twice, coldly reminding: "When we're outside, use a different title."

The driver quickly corrected himself: "Yes, Boss."

He couldn't gauge the man's thoughts and asked: "Should we go directly to the Xue family and take her?"

Although the Xue family had a high status and was a local power in Bin City, they couldn't compare to this man.

However, to his surprise, the man paused slightly and replied: "No rush."

The driver was stunned. They had searched for so long to finally find this girl, but now the boss was not in a hurry?

While he was thinking, he heard the man's command: "I will personally follow up on her case."

[New book, meeting everyone again! I've written many stories with lively and cute heroines and dark, sinister heroes, as well as many stories about reunions after separation. This book will have a different style! To be honest, the setting is different, and I'm a bit nervous, not sure if you will still like it. But since I started writing in 2010, I've always wanted to write such a story. Ten years later, I finally put pen to paper. I will write it seriously, and I hope you will all stay with me. The CP name for this book is 'Study Well, Progress Every Day,' hahaha~ Old drivers, you get it, right?]