Chapter 344: The Secret of Bao Hua (Part 1)

Amid Li Ang's indecision, the carriage carrying his family passed the checkpoint and entered Redwood Avenue, traveling deep into its length.

When the two children pressed against the carriage windows, awestruck by the two towering redwoods nearly a hundred meters tall, Li Ang also spotted Emma's familiar figure at the entrance of the Bao Hua Estate.

After scooping up both children and helping William and Melanie off the carriage, Li Ang saw Emma, dressed in a plain, minimally decorated woolen skirt, quietly smiling at him as she held a little girl's hand by the roadside. His heart unexpectedly grew calmer.

"Sorry we're a bit late."

"You're not late—I just stepped out with Ellie a moment ago."

Watching the two children cling to Li Ang's hands, curiously studying his daughter, Emma couldn't help smiling, then gently squeezed the tiny, tense fist in her own palm.

"Ellie, say hello to Uncle Li Ang."

The little girl, wearing a wide-brimmed children's soft hat and a matching woolen dress, timidly spoke:

"Hello, Uncle Li Ang, hello, Aunt Anna, and… hello to you too."

The girl's voice was delightful—crisp and melodic like wind chimes beneath a summer eave, with a soft, milky lilt at the end; just hearing her made one feel she must be a gentle child.

Yet, unlike her gentle voice, her attire seemed deliberately "unapproachable"—the sleeves and hem of her woolen dress had been specially lengthened, completely concealing her wrists and tiny shoes.

Even the collar, embroidered with small flowers, stood upright, hiding her slightly chubby chin, while her face—already half-obscured by the wide hat brim—wore large, opaque glasses, nearly entirely concealing her pale, delicate features.

This child… seems afraid of light?

Seeing that Ellie's hand, held by Emma, also wore delicate gloves, Li Ang raised an eyebrow in thought, then knelt down, smiling:

"You too, Ellie. Happy birthday."

"Thank you, Uncle Li Ang…"

When Li Ang knelt to her eye level, the girl—who rarely interacted with others—instinctively stepped back, half her body hiding behind Emma's skirt.

But hearing his firm yet gentle tone and seeing the kindness and tenderness in his eyes, Ellie's fear melted away, and without realizing it, she took half a step forward.

What?

Noticing her hand no longer tensed—and even slightly tugging outward, as if pulling her closer to Li Ang—Emma's eyes lit up with surprise.

Ellie doesn't resist contact with Li Ang?

…

【Trustworthy Older Brother (Bronze): Having lost your parents early, you took on responsibilities young… deeply loved by your younger siblings】

【Effect: When speaking with minors younger than you, they will easily trust you, and during emotional moments, may trigger the special state "Open Heart," confiding their burdens and secrets to you】

As expected, Emma's daughter, having had little contact with others, was indeed shy. It was right of me to switch on the badge early.

Peering through her glasses at Ellie's eyes, confirming her fear and unfamiliarity had largely faded, Li Ang smiled faintly, then waved to William and Melanie to come greet "Little Ellie."

With the 【Trustworthy Older Brother】 badge grounding her, her tension and fear dissipated; moreover, encountering two peers who were social phobia monsters, her mood quickly brightened.

Ellie, once awkward with strangers, soon overcame her unease and played with Li Ang's two little devils, even boldly removing her glasses and letting the curious Melanie try them on.

My guess was right—Emma's daughter is "abnormal."

Though neither child noticed, Li Ang, who had been watching her closely, keenly sensed that after Ellie removed her glasses, the increased sunlight made her body slightly translucent.

Even the change was minor—merely shifting from completely opaque flesh to 99. % opaque—it was unmistakably illusory and ethereal. She was certainly not a "normal" child.

Before Ellie removed her glasses, Emma, who had been chatting with Anna, bit her lower lip slightly, as if to speak, but ultimately stayed silent, allowing her daughter's anomaly to be revealed to Li Ang—only gently adjusting Ellie's hat when it slipped askew in play, just before direct sunlight could strike her.

"Anna, could you do me a favor?"

Watching her daughter laugh and dance joyfully under the sun—more alive than ever before—Emma's eyes, filled with both tenderness and guilt, could not tear away. Yet finally, she turned back and asked Anna:

"Could you watch over them for me? I need to speak with Li Ang. Thank you."

"Emma, you don't need to be so formal."

Anna, naturally, refused nothing to her savior; she led the three playing children far around the execution platform beside the redwoods and entered the Bao Hua Estate along the main path.

Emma lagged half a step behind, walking beside Li Ang—who also had questions—and lowered her gaze, speaking softly:

"I'm sorry… Li Ang, I never told you about Ellie's condition."

"It's fine."

Shaking his head slightly, Li Ang replied quietly:

"Emma, yesterday, besides ordering Ellie's gift, I visited a friend in the Police Force and boldly asked her to check the Bao Hua family's household records and some archived documents from that time.

So I understand your feelings—you didn't want to tell me. Every time you tried to bring up the past, too many things resurfaced, and you couldn't speak."

Seeing Emma beside him, lips tightly pressed, expression complex, Li Ang paused, then firmly gripped her slightly cold hand and said with sincere eyes:

"Emma, I did this investigation not because I suspect you of ill intent, but because I feel you and the Director are hiding something from me—something deeply harmful to you.

But unlike the Director, I respect your wishes. If you're not ready, you don't have to tell me why. I'll stop my investigation.

Yet in return, I ask you to promise me: before you act on any impulse, think of Ellie first. Don't let yourself regret it, okay?"

"Thank you…"

Feeling the warmth from Li Ang's hand, Emma bit her lip, gently withdrew her palm, then pulled out a sharp little knife, slashed her palm firmly, and seized Li Ang's left hand.

【Name: Sin of Bao Hua (Flesh, Life and Death)】