Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

The child's trust in Ayan was not without reason.

During those dark days, in the hideout of the child predators, Ayan must have done something to make this young girl feel that he was safe.

The carriage traveled for about an hour before finally arriving at the gate of the Li residence.

Tao'er got out of the car first, then helped Ayan help the little girl down. The little girl flinched as soon as her feet touched the ground.

He quickly scanned the surroundings with his eyes, then glanced at Ayan.

Ayan whispered, "Don't be afraid, this is a courtyard we rented. You'll be staying here with us for the time being."

The little girl nodded, but still didn't say anything.

Tao'er noticed the interaction between the two children, but didn't say anything.

Xiao Yi pushed open the door and went in. Elder Li was drinking tea in the front hall. When he saw the group return, he put down his teacup and greeted them with a smile: "You're finally back. I was worried all night."

"Father, we went to the lantern festival too late last night and encountered a bit of an accident, so we didn't come back and stayed at an inn on the street."

Why do you all look a little pale?

Didn't you get enough rest last night?

Something unexpected happened?

What accident?

Elder Li wondered if they had encountered an assassin.

Xiao Yi invited Elder Li to sit down and recounted the events of the previous night from beginning to end.

From hearing about the child thieves at the inn, to tracking down the thieves' den, to rescuing the children, and finally to the county officials coming to take the children away.

He spoke in a flat tone, without any embellishment, but the more Elder Li listened, the uglier his face became. When he heard that the children were locked in a dilapidated temple, the youngest of whom was only three years old, Elder Li slammed his hand on the table, his beard bristling and his eyes wide with anger.

"Utterly depraved!"

Utterly devoid of conscience!

Elder Li said angrily.

"These flower-picking bastards deserve to be torn to pieces!"

"A perfectly healthy child, torn apart by family—such a person deserves to be reborn as an animal after death."

He cursed with great force and his voice was loud and clear, making the whole front hall buzz.

Tao'er's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously looked at the little girl.

Sure enough, the little girl was terrified by the sudden shout.

She shrank back abruptly, took two steps back, and then quickly ran behind Ayan.

She gripped Ayan's sleeves tightly with both hands, buried her face in his back, and her small body trembled uncontrollably.

Ayan was pulled and stumbled, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he stood more steadily, turned slightly to the side, and used his body to completely block the little girl.

He reached out the hand that wasn't being held by her and gently patted her fingers that were gripping his sleeve, once, twice, as if to say: It's okay, don't be afraid.

This is Grandpa Li; he's a good man.

Elder Li then noticed the presence of a little girl. He paused for a moment, about to ask a question, when Xiao Yi stood up, subtly grabbed Elder Li's arm, and half-dragged, half-pulled him into the inner room.

Don't scare that little girl anymore.

As the door closed, you could still faintly hear Elder Li asking in a low voice, "Who is that little girl?"

What happened?

Why did you bring another one back?

Tao'er didn't follow them inside. She walked up to Ayan and the little girl, squatted down, and made sure her line of sight was level with the little girl's shoulders.

She didn't try to look at the little girl's face, nor did she speak; she simply squatted there quietly and waited for a while.

The little girl peeked out from behind Ayan, glanced quickly at Tao'er, and then withdrew her eye.

Tao'er wasn't in a hurry. She stood up and said to Ayan, "Ayan, would you like to take my sister to our room?"

It's quieter over there, less crowded.

Ayan nodded, took the little girl's hand, and slowly walked towards the backyard.

Upon arriving at the backyard, Tao'er opened the door to her room and asked Ayan to lead the little girl inside.

The room wasn't big, but it was very clean. Several potted plants made of winter sunflowers were placed on the windowsill, and sunlight streamed in through the paper windows, casting a soft and warm glow.

The little girl stood in the middle of the room, her gaze slowly sweeping over every corner of the room.

The bed, the table and chairs, the flower pots on the windowsill, and the calligraphy hanging on the wall were written by Ah Chen in his spare time, with vigorous strokes.

Her gaze lingered on each object for a moment, as if to confirm whether they were safe.

Tao'er moved two small chairs to the sunniest spot and poured two glasses of warm water onto the small table.

She didn't let Ayan leave, but said to him, "Why don't you sit with your sister for a while? I'll go get you some fruit, okay?"

Ayan nodded and pulled the little girl to sit on a chair. The little girl didn't struggle and obediently sat down, but her hand never let go of Ayan's sleeve.

Tao'er stepped out of the house, gently closed the door, and stood outside for a while. She heard Ayan say something softly inside; his voice wasn't loud, but she heard it clearly.

Ayan said, "It's very safe here, don't be afraid."

Then came a long silence.

But Tao'er noticed that in that silence, there was no trembling voice, no suppressed crying, only the breathing of the two children, one light and one heavy, gradually becoming calm.

She leaned against the doorframe and looked up at the sky. The warm spring morning sun felt pleasant on her face.

She thought to herself: This little girl will probably have to stay with them for a while.

Let's see if we can open this child's heart.

Tao'er turned and went to the kitchen, found the osmanthus cake she had bought before, washed a few bright red fruits, put them in a small bamboo basket, and carried them back.

When the door was opened, Ayan was tilting his head and talking to the little girl in a soft voice, as if they were whispering.

The little girl finally stopped looking down. Although she didn't respond, her body wasn't as stiff as before. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, and she showed other expressions on her face.

Tao'er placed the fruit on the table, picked up a red fruit, and handed it to the little girl.

The little girl didn't take it, and Tao'er didn't mind. She put the fruit on the table in front of her, took two steps back, poured herself a glass of water, sat on another chair, and drank it quietly.

She stopped asking questions, stopped trying to get the girl to talk, and even stopped looking at her deliberately.

Ayan took the initiative to pick up a fruit and hand it to the little girl, then took another one and put it in his mouth, saying it was delicious.

The little girl looked at him, then took the fruit and ate it in small bites.

Judging from her expression, it must be delicious.

Tao watched the two children eat silently, thinking that the little girl used to cry all the time, but now she probably felt safe and stopped crying.

After the two children had finished eating, Tao'er came to them again.

He then carried them both onto the couch and had them sit side by side.

"Little girl, what's your name?"

Can you tell Sister Tao'er?

Brother Ayan also wants to know your name!

Tao'er started to coax the little girl.

The little girl shook her head, then whispered, "Sister, I don't know..."

"have no idea?

Tao'er was surprised, then realized, "You mean you don't know your own name?"

The little girl nodded and then shook her head. "Sister...sister, I...I forgot!"

Tao'er felt as if the sky had fallen!

Could it be that she also has amnesia?

One or two, do we really have to do this to her?