I was born and listened to my neighbor's older sister talk about her family of origin.

At this time.

The girl scraped her paintbrush across the palette, dipped it in a bright titanium white, and decisively dotted it onto the flame-like orange-red in the center of the painting.

This is the finishing touch.

The painting is finally finished.

She put down her paintbrush, let out a long sigh, casually wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and focused her gaze on the artwork on the easel, a slight smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips.

She was so engrossed in her own world that she was completely unaware that the previously quiet crowd had begun to stir because she had stopped writing.

"That's a really good drawing!"

A middle-aged woman with short hair standing in the front row was the first to clap her hands, her voice loud and clear.

"Just looking at her makes me happy; this girl has a special charm!"

As soon as he said this, the people around him joined in and applauded.

Thunderous applause erupted immediately.

"It's really good."

A middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses and a linen shirt stroked his chin and nodded slightly.

"Although the brushstrokes are still somewhat immature and some parts are not handled delicately enough, the perception of color is extremely keen."

"The bold use of contrasting colors and the highly dynamic composition have a strong resemblance to Post-Impressionism. If he continues to paint with these techniques, he will surely achieve great things in the future."

The middle-aged man spoke clearly and articulately, indicating that he was knowledgeable in the field.

When the people around him heard him say that, their praise grew even louder.

"Little girl, are you selling this painting? Haha, if you are, just pretend I didn't say anything."

"Where did you learn this? I'd like my son to learn it too."

A cacophony of praise, inquiries, and good-natured teasing broke the tranquility that once filled the boardwalk.

However, the girl, who was in the center of the crowd's attention, did not react at all.

She didn't turn around, didn't thank me, and didn't even sway her shoulders.

She quietly put the palette and brushes into the wooden toolbox next to her, her movements slow and deliberate. She then carefully folded the dirty tissues and stuffed them into a small plastic bag.

The smiles on everyone's faces gradually froze.

The short-haired woman, having been rebuffed, felt a little embarrassed, and her initially enthusiastic tone turned cold: "This girl, why is she like a block of wood? She doesn't even respond when people praise her."

"That's right. Young people these days, just because they have some talent, are very arrogant."

Another person echoed in a low voice.

"That's so rude!"

The middle-aged man with glasses frowned, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand from an elder.

"Those who think they're superior just because they know a little about art won't go far in life."

The discussion gradually took a turn for the worse.

What was once generous praise quickly turned into accusatory whispers.

The crowd no longer held back their voices; the harsh words blew like gusts of wind toward that frail figure.

But the girl still didn't react; she was focused on tidying up the folding stools.

This almost dismissive attitude further fueled the discontent among onlookers.

Some people even took a step forward, ready to reach out and pat her on the shoulder.

Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and the lush branches and leaves of the datura tree rustled. A yellow datura flower fell from the branch and landed lightly on the girl's thin shoulder.

She finally made a move.

The girl tilted her head slightly, her gaze first falling on the flower on her shoulder.

She reached out and moved the flowers aside, then glanced behind her out of the corner of her eye.

Her movements suddenly froze.

The next second, the girl turned around and finally revealed her face.

He looks to be around twelve years old, about the same age as Jiang Ye.

Her small face was clean and fair, with delicate and bright features. Especially her eyes, with extremely dark pupils, were clear and innocent, yet they also carried a kind of bewilderment from someone who had never experienced the world.

Jiang Ye saw it.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he froze on the spot.

As the girl turned around, she finally saw the dark mass of people behind her, and the displeased and accusatory expressions on their faces.

She was clearly startled.

His shoulders hunched, and he instinctively took half a step back, his back slamming heavily against the wooden leg of the easel with a dull thud.

The girl's face was pale, and she gripped her skirt tightly with both hands.

She had no idea what had happened.

Why are there so many people suddenly surrounding me?

Why are they all looking at me?

Why do they look so fierce?

Her eyes held a fright like a fawn's, and her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to speak.

"I......"

After a long pause, she uttered a syllable, but because it was somewhat strange, no one heard it.

"Little girl, I'm talking to you, are you mute?"

The short-haired woman persisted, raising her voice eight octaves.

Lin Youxun looked at the old woman's mouth opening and closing, feeling even more helpless.

Then, she remembered something, quickly bent down, found her canvas bag on the ground, and started looking for something.

Her continued refusal to answer made the older woman even more dissatisfied.

Seeing this, the girl seemed even more anxious, continuing to rummage through the canvas bag, sweat beading on her forehead.

Just then, the view in front of him suddenly went dark, and a shadow fell on him.

The girl paused, looked up, and was taken aback.

Jiang Ye had somehow pushed through the crowd and stood in front of her.

The boy was not tall and his shoulders were not broad enough, but just by standing there, he inexplicably gave people a sense of oppression.

"Excuse me, everyone."

Jiang Ye looked around, his expression polite and serious, and his voice was loud enough to drown out everyone else's chatter.

"She can't hear."

The four simple words acted like a silencer, instantly plunging the scene into a deathly silence.

The short-haired middle-aged woman opened her mouth wide, her face a mixture of paleness and ashen color.

The middle-aged man with glasses pushed up his glasses, turned his head away, and coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment.

The audience was silent.

They glanced at Jiang Ye, then at Lin Youxun, who looked utterly panicked.

It's obvious that Jiang Ye is right.

If Lin Youxun were truly arrogant and rude, she wouldn't have made such a bewildered and innocent expression.

That little expression looked rather pitiful.

"Uh, um... I'm so sorry, we didn't know..."

Someone muttered something under their breath, and the crowd began to disperse on their own, with the older woman quickly leaving as well.

They'd be so embarrassed if they stayed any longer.

Some people probably wake up in the middle of the night and slap themselves—"I deserve to die!"

Without the crowds blocking the view, the air seemed much fresher.

Jiang Ye turned around and looked at the girl standing behind him.

Lin Youxun remained squatting, her head tilted back, looking up at the boy who had suddenly appeared before her. A hint of doubt and gratitude flashed in her clear eyes.

She realized that it was this boy in front of her who had gotten her out of that predicament.

She looked at Jiang Ye, and Jiang Ye looked at her too.

This is Lin Youxun at age twelve.

It was Lin Youxun, whom he had never seen before.

She was healthier and more vibrant than he remembered.

But... she's still so thin and weak.

The loose white T-shirt she wore had an empty neckline.

Jiang Ye suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

They started using sign language.

Are you alright?

Lin Youxun's eyes lit up when she saw his gesture.

"I...I'm fine, thank you."

The girl's voice was clear, though she spoke a little haltingly, but it was clear that she had tried her best to speak clearly.

Then, she finally took out a small box from her canvas bag, inside which were two hearing aids.

She put the hearing aids on both of her ears.

At that moment, the faint sounds from the outside world entered her eardrums. Although they were not very clear, they gave her a sense of security.

The girl seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Excuse me, I have a hearing impairment and I'm used to not wearing my hearing aid when I'm drawing. Did I cause any trouble just now?"

After wearing hearing aids, Lin Youxun's speech became much smoother.