Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

  Ji Nuan nodded.

  She suddenly felt that the words Mo Jingshen spoke were more than ever before.

  “Where are you going this time? The United States or Japan?” she couldn’t help but ask.

  He rubbed at her hair and whispered gently, “You’ll know when you see the local specialty I bring to you.”
……

  Several days later, Ji Nuan received a phone call from Ji Hongwen.

  Ji Mengran had been missing for ten days, and Ji Hongwen’s voice sounded smaller and older than before. He didn’t sound depressed, but Ji Nuan knew he hadn’t been eating or sleeping well these days.

  Today was the death anniversary of Ji Nuan’s mother. It had been so many years, and time had diluted the sadness. Ji Nuan habitually looked at the sky for a long time that day, when she received a call from Ji Hongwen.

  “Nuan Nuan, I know you don’t ask me about your biological father because of what happened to Mengran. I had planned to keep these truths from you for the rest of my life. You will always be my daughter, and I’m not going to tell you the truth till I die.”


  “I won’t force you if you don’t feel like telling me,” Ji Nuan said. “I never planned to find my biological father. You are already worried about Mengran, so you don’t have to……”


  “It’s all right. At this point, deliberate concealment can only hurt. Your mother has been gone for many years. I’m sorry I fail to hide what she told me. I just didn’t expect Mengran would find out about it and tell you about it as a tool against you.” Ji Hongwen sighed. “Before your mother married me, she had a sad past. She didn’t love your biological father. Back then, I was a young man who was crazy in love, so even though your mother had been pregnant, without any hesitation, I still married her, protected her, and promised her I would take you as my own daughter. Nuan Nuan, you were brought up by me. To me, you and Mengran are both my daughters. Do you understand me?”


  “Yes, I do, Dad.” Ji Nuan didn’t expect for Ji Hongwen to tell her the truth after keeping silent for days. She was suddenly relieved. At least now she was not the only one who was kept in the dark.

  “As for who your biological father is, maybe you will never meet him in your life. Even if you do, he may never know your existence. I’m not going to retell too many of those old stories. After all, all this happened over 20 years ago, and it’s all about your mother not about you. Nuan Nuan, except blood ties, we are just like any other father and daughter. Now Mengran is still missing, and I hope you still take the Ji family as your family after you come back to Hai City. No matter what happens, the Ji family will always be behind you.”


  Ji Nuan almost cried. “Dad, I have never denied you as my father. We are the same as before. I will not change, and you will not change either, will you?”


  “Yes.” Ji Hongwen’s voice was hoarse with emotion. “Good girl. I know Mengran was wrong. She was really wrong in many ways. I have never shown partiality to any of you, but now I haven’t heard from her. Dad’s mood is inevitably affected, but I never mean to ignore you or give you the cold shoulder. You’ve always been my favorite daughter.”


  “I know.” A lump stuck on Ji Nuan’s throat. She lifted her hand and rubbed her nose, trying not to sob.

  She knew Ji Hongwen specially chose this day to talk to her. Fortunately, they had never been estranged with each other. The worst way of communication was no communication.

  Ji Hongwen said some more words before hanging up. Ji Nuan held the cell phone and stood at the window, looking out for a long time.

  Who was her biological father……? She may never meet him in her life.

  Even if she did, he didn’t know her existence?

  Her mother was a very quiet and gentle woman when she was young. She was too young to know much about her mother’s past, but she couldn’t understand how she could have been forced before she got married to Dad.

  Under what kind of pressure was she living? Was she imprisoned or forced into a marriage by her elders? Or, what else might it be?

  Ji Hongwen obviously didn’t want to mention those things. He just called her to reassure her and tell her nothing would change between them.

  He wanted to keep this daughter, and she also wanted to keep the home she had depended on since childhood.

  —


  Professor Lin’s program only lasted for three months. This class finished before the graduation season of T University. Unlike the common four-year programs, it only had three months, but at least Ji Nuan had made a friend who was Bai Wei.

  On the eve of parting, the students in professor Lin’s class had a rare dinner together. Although Feng Ling was a transfer student, she went with them too.

  Ji Nuan didn’t drink but just sat on the sofa and talked a lot with Bai Wei about what they had experienced these three months, and the possible cooperation with Bai Wei’s company. Feng Ling had never attended such an occasion before. During the dinner, she just looked at her cell phone and then at Ji Nuan to prevent her from drinking.

  This class started simply and ended simply, but the process was quite wonderful.

  Ling Feifei had been avoiding Ji Nuan and sat far away from her. Feng Ling deliberately raised her eyebrows and glanced at Ling Feifei from time to time, intimidating her with her stare. Ling Feifei was so scared by her that she left early with the excuse that she was not feeling well, not daring to stay longer.

  —


  Ji Nuan left T University with the results of her last test, and the next day packed up her apartment with Feng Ling.

  Mo Jingshen said that he would come to pick her up and send her to Hai City today, but she didn’t know whether he will fly directly to T City from abroad or return to Hai City first and then come over.

  Although Ji Nuan didn’t have much luggage, it still took her a long time to pack up. However, she waited from dawn until afternoon, but Mo Jingshen hadn’t shown up.

  And she didn’t receive his call either.

  “What time is it?” Ji Nuan locked both of her suitcases, clapped her hands, and asked Feng Ling in the living room as she straightened up.

  “It’s after 5:00 p.m.,” Feng Ling answered.

  She then noticed the time, looked up at the sky outside, and turned to pick up her cell phone. There were only text messages from Xia Tian and Xiao Ba, asking her whether she would come back to Hai City today or tomorrow and saying that they would treat her to a welcome dinner.

  Her cell phone kept buzzing. Many people sent her messages but not Mo Jingshen.

  Time passed by little by little

  It was 6:00 p.m.

  But Mo Jingshen still hadn’t shown up or called her.

  At seven o’clock, Mo Jingshen was still missing.

  At ten o’clock in the evening, her cell phone was quiet, and no one opened the door.

  During this period, Ji Nuan had called Mo Jingshen, only to hear a cold mechanical female voice warning that the other party was not in the service area and could not be connected.