one

Memory is a terrifying thing; it exists in your mind, surfacing unexpectedly at any moment. Even more frightening is the gradual realization that many past events fade away with the passage of time—things you are unwilling to forget become increasingly difficult to recall

Ling Qianfan let out a sound and sat down beside the beauty in the main building's corridor: "Is Aunt Wang unwell?"

She did not know where the topic began, whether it was from hiking to camping, or from photography to guitar... She spoke of cycling from Beijing to Beidaihe, a journey that took two days and three nights, during which her bike had a flat tire; he humorously recounted driving from Portland to Seattle, witnessing the snow-capped peaks under the orange glow of sunset, a breathtaking sight; she mentioned her love for playing guitar and singing, though she was often reprimanded by her teacher for being unproductive, dreaming of opening a small café where she could play and sing her favorite songs; he shared that during his university years, he formed a band with classmates to perform in the subway, and by graduation, they had quite a substantial fan base... She mentioned her love for playing guitar and singing, though she was often reprimanded by her teacher for being unproductive, dreaming of opening a small café where she could play and sing her favorite songs; he shared that during his university years, he formed a band with classmates to perform in the subway, and by graduation, they had quite a substantial fan base...

Meeting you for the first time feels like an old friend returning, this literary phrase suddenly flashed through Beifei's mind. She lowered her head and secretly glanced at him with her eyes askew, but her height was insufficient, so her glances only managed to travel from his jacket pocket to his toes, and from his toes back to the plum cake he was holding for her in his arms—this man is quite considerate, no wonder so many stars and models eagerly rush into his embrace

Ling Qianfan stood tall with his hands behind his back, still wearing a gentle smile. Bei Fei was momentarily taken aback, and then, as a reflex, she pulled out a silly, infatuated grin: "Hehe, hello, Young Master Ling. Are you here to volunteer as well?"

Director He also mentioned that Ling Qianfan had observed the conditions of the nursing home and had the intention to volunteer, with the selected beneficiary being Wang Xiaojun. Beifei was utterly confused: "Well... I have already acknowledged her as my godmother..."

Like a long-time friend with shared ideals and aspirations

He and Yang Yue were desk mates in high school, and at that time, their relationship was merely one of good friendship. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, early romance was a taboo subject. She read novels while Yang Yue kept watch; she passed notes to her friends, and Yang Yue acted as the messenger; when she was distracted and got called on, Yang Yue secretly gave her hints. Later, she transferred schools, and the two lost contact. After that...

Ling Qianfan hesitated slightly before smiling and said, "How about... we take care of Aunt Wang together? You don't mind, do you?"

The little nurse smiled and said, "You were called to the dean's office early this morning, Xiaofei, have you brought something for your godmother again?"

She suddenly hugged the plum blossom cake tightly, and later, she learned the reason for their severed contact—his mother had interfered in someone else's family, bringing disgrace... Many images from her memory intertwined in her mind, alternating and swirling between blur and clarity. A flat, lifeless announcement came from the radio: "Siyuan Elderly Home—arrived, please be careful when getting off..."

Beifei nodded and added after a moment of thought: "The municipal government has an annual statistic on this enterprise's participation in charitable activities. We can submit it for declaration. The corresponding tax reduction policy has just been introduced, along with the annual Entrepreneur Charity Star..."

Ling Qianfan smiled and said, "For reasons similar to yours"

Where am I? For the past two years in Wucheng, she often finds herself pondering such questions, as if she were a tree without roots or water without a source, drifting aimlessly with nowhere to go... She could not think any longer. Beifei shook her head again, pulled up the hood of her down jacket to cover her head, and rushed into the nursing home, taking the familiar path to find her godmother, Aunt Wang Xiaojun, whom she was paired to care for. To her surprise, after knocking on the door, there was no response for a long time. She stopped a passing nurse and asked:

Jumping off the bus, she took two steps, and a withered yellow leaf fell from above, curling in the cold wind and brushing past her face. The sky was overcast, and as she reached the entrance of the nursing home, a few drops of rain fell, landing on the ever-green lawn— as if the rain from the entire world was falling on the grass of the entire world. This sentence unconsciously popped into her mind; which novel was it from?

Where has Aunt Wang from Room 1216 gone

The notoriety is too high—Ling Qianfan slightly twitched the corner of his lips and glanced sideways with a drooping face: "What Fei Jin said is indeed not wrong; you insult others without using any foul language."

I just heard Dean He say that you covered the expenses for the following year

Ling Qianfan seemed to be deep in thought, and after a while, he asked: "I read the regulations of the nursing home, and it seems that they do not accept elderly individuals with minor mental issues?"

Beifei shook her head: "I am not very clear either. Sometimes when she has an episode, she talks about things from the past. I guess her family must have been quite happy back then, and she had a very beautiful daughter, of whom I have seen photos. However, I am not very clear about what happened later. The old lady forgets many things, and occasionally when she is a bit stimulated, she becomes less aware.

"Physically, I am fine, though I occasionally have minor ailments, nothing serious." She pointed to her head and said with a wry smile, "It's here that has some issues."

Beifi leaned over with a smile: "Have you finally discovered that beneath my carefree and unruly exterior lies a beautiful and kind heart?"

I have reviewed the information you registered, and in the reasons for support, did you not say... the tree wishes to be still, but the wind does not cease; the child wishes to care, but the parent does not wait? Ling Qianfan chose her words carefully, not wanting to touch upon topics that might remind her of past events that could cause her distress. Speaking softly, she said, "I am somewhat similar. However, I am a newcomer here and have no experience volunteering to care for the elderly. In the future, I will need your guidance."

She glanced at Ling Qianfan's handsome face, filled with a mix of anger, amusement, and helplessness. In her moment of triumph, she felt a twinge of melancholy. Such a remarkable person, yet he was also a child without parents... How ridiculous! How could she be so overwhelmed with sympathy, when she herself was uncertain about tomorrow after having made it through today, and actually think that Ling Qianfan was pitiable?

She unexpectedly felt a sense of regret at this point

Director He smiled, pointed to the sofa in the office, and Wang Xiaojun was sitting properly on the sofa, her expression blank, yet there seemed to be nothing unusual. Bei Fei let out a sigh of relief, only then did she notice that there was another person standing by the window in the office

Ling Qianfan looked surprised and asked, "Do you know what is going on?"

Beifei was once again captivated by his smile, and aside from nodding and grinning foolishly, she could remember nothing else. After Ling Qianfan registered his basic information, Dean He, noticing that Beifei and Ling Qianfan were acquainted, asked her to take Ling Qianfan to familiarize himself with the environment of the nursing home.

Ling Qianfan, seemingly lost in thought, remarked: "I thought you would say that he is a beast in human clothing"

Beifei nodded and said, "Yes, my godmother... has gone to the dean's office... I wonder if something has happened?" She felt a sense of unease in her heart, could it be that Wang Xiaojun's mild mental illness has flared up again?

Beifei was astonished, thinking, "This can't be so bizarre, can it?" Her eyes were wide open, and Ling Qianfan was also finding it hard to believe. He shrugged and sighed, "I feel like I've been struck by lightning." He looked up at the sky and shook his head, "Let's see if there's a next time to verify this; I'm a bit scared now." He walked ahead, pondering for a long time, still unable to make sense of it. As they approached the main building, he turned back with a puzzled expression and said, "I used to not believe in the saying 'a white head is like new, and old friends are like old,' but now it seems..."

Xi Rongrong pretended to retch: "In fact, I want to subtly tell you that sometimes you can be terrifyingly stubborn"

Indeed, however, when my godmother was sent here, she had a complete set of documents and a year's worth of fees for the nursing home. At that time, we were unaware that she had some mental issues, so she was accepted.

This statement perfectly aligns with Beifi's intentions: "This is what you said, every profession has its specialization, and there are priorities in learning—one's seniority must not be confused!"

Those melancholic yet persistent eyes suddenly leaped into her mind without warning, causing her to shudder violently

She devised a plan, covering the lower half of her face to hide the sly smile that might reveal itself: "Ling Shao, you said... how come you chose the same godmother as I did?"

Peh peh peh, who is Ling Qianfan, that she would come to such a place to volunteer? As expected, Dean He laughed heartily at her, it turns out Ling Qianfan came to discuss the company's future donation plans. Many of the facilities in the nursing home are aging, and Ling Qianfan issued a check for a donation in her personal capacity, while also declining Dean He's proposal to nominate her as an annual public welfare philanthropist. Dean He, of course, was all smiles and full of praise.

I originally thought you were just a spoiled rich kid who acted recklessly because of your family's wealth and power—however, that was before I got to know you

"You ... ... " Ling Qianfan stared at her in disbelief, and after a slight hesitation, he asked uncertainly, "Would you send yourself a postcard?"

The little nurse shook her head and said she didn't know. Beifei hurriedly took out two pieces of plum blossom cake to thank her, then turned and ran towards the director's office. After knocking for a long time, the door finally opened. As soon as she saw Director He, she anxiously asked, "Director He, my godmother hasn't had any accidents, has she?"

Understood, Ling will give you a reply after seeing me," Chen Jiamo interrupted her, his expression extremely suspicious and serious. After returning to the office, Xi Rongrong asked her how it went, "Secretary Chen said to wait and see." Bei Fei recalled Chen Jiamo's expression just now, suspecting that this matter was not as smooth as she originally thought. However, Ling Qianfan had often attended various charity parties in the past, so logically, there should be no problem.

I cannot remember, truly cannot remember, the fragments that faintly linger in my mind are of the protagonist of a novel, lost and bewildered in the bustling streets, not knowing where they are, where am I, where am I

Beifi stuck out her tongue in embarrassment and said: "Well, later I started taking care of my godmother. She doesn't have any relatives, which is quite pitiful. In any case, it doesn't amount to much each month, so I consider it doing a good deed. However—compared to you, little brother, it's far from enough. When you write a check, it's always in the millions!"

Ling Qianfan slightly furrowed her brows, and after understanding the meaning behind her words, she chuckled and said, "Is this all the ambition you have?"

Along the straight and level road by the nursing home, Beifei pointed out the accommodation building, the recreation building, and the activity center to Ling Qianfan. For some reason, she felt that the distance between her and Ling Qianfan had suddenly narrowed significantly, as if in less than a month, the two had already become quite familiar with each other. Occasionally, she would indulge in a small daydream, and the words Ling Qianfan had said that felt familiar now made her unable to help but believe them a little.

Beifei chuckled twice and recalled what was just said about Aunt Wang, quickly reminding, "There is something I must inform you of first, my godmother's health is not very good, so you need to be mentally prepared."

"It should be fine, right? Maybe they are busy these days," Xi Rongrong thought little of it. Her infatuation with handsome men rarely lasted more than three days; however, she was quite curious about Beifei. "I suddenly realized that you seem to have a dual personality. The one who is most desperate to get married is you, and the one who scares off men the most is also you. You are usually so stingy, yet you adopted a godmother at the nursing home, and the annual support fee has made you work for several months for nothing. How generous of you?"

Beifei immediately changed the subject. A few days had passed, and Ling Qianfan's directive had yet to arrive, the reason for which was unknown. She calculated the days and realized it had been a while since she last volunteered at the Siyuan Elderly Home. Rather than waiting for a more suitable day, she decided to go this weekend. On Friday, she asked someone to buy plum cakes from Xinghuazhai, and early Saturday morning, she took the bus to the elderly home. ... On weekend mornings, there were not many people, and there were seats available on the bus. Beifei nestled in her thick down jacket as the cold wave from Wucheng swept in, the chill penetrating her skin. Holding the plum cake, she watched the bus stop advertisements retreating swiftly outside the window ...

That is certainly not the case; there is no other place where I could possibly be better than you. Being born is a skill, and I have no chance left. You are also better looking than I am; you see, just now, as we walked out, I have never had such a high rate of people turning their heads to look at me... She counted on her fingers, "Needless to say, you earn more than I do. I have been a volunteer here for two years, and Dean He has never smiled at me so warmly; the only thing I can claim is being your godmother, I came first, I am number one! Although I cannot say it out loud, I think about it when I have nothing to do, the formidable young master Ling is my little brother, it is quite impressive!"

I suddenly feel that you have wings behind your back and a halo on your head," Beifei gestured an angelic figure to Ling Qianfan. Ling Qianfan smiled and said, "What did you originally think I looked like?"

I have never encountered a woman as venomous as you in my entire life. If life could start over, I would certainly choose not to know you

My reason

No, it cannot be settled like this. I, Ah San, am not someone who has the intention of theft without the courage to act!

Beifi forced a flattering smile: "How could that be? The main reason is that Mr. Ling, your reputation has been too high in the past. I was still pondering how you, being so busy, could have the leisure to come to the nursing home to compete with me for a godmother?"