Chapter 545

"You... how could you think that?"

After hearing Li Ang's words, Anna felt the world spinning and almost fell over, but she still held onto her last hope and struggled to say:

"Brother, haven't you seen the photos? You look so much like Mom, and the color of your hair and eyes is exactly the same as Dad's..."

"Mm, indeed very similar."

Li Ang nodded upon hearing this and said very frankly:

"It's precisely because it's so similar that I never doubted it in the past. But when I was out on field duty last week, I went to the Laien family's genealogy room and saw many things inside."

"Anna, unlike me who has no memory, you should know that Grandfather came from the Laien family, and the origin of our surname isn't Laien County, but that Duke family on Redwood Avenue, right?"

"Right..."

Seeing that Li Ang had actually investigated even this, the sickly girl's face turned pale, and she bit her lip and nodded:

"I... I didn't mean to hide it from you, it's just that Grandfather said that because of competing for the title or something, he made deadly enemies with many people and barely managed to escape from the Capital. He told us never to contact that side..."

"Mm, I believe you."

After putting on his shoes and standing up, looking at his pale-faced sister, Li Ang moved forward silently, gave her another deep hug, and said in a peaceful voice:

"But I also hope you can believe me."

"I..."

"It's alright, people always have some secrets they don't want others to know, and I have such secrets hidden from you too, but that doesn't hinder me from thinking you are my family."

After gently stroking Anna's hair, Li Ang stopped the hug, turned to gently hold her cheeks, looked into Anna's eyes, and said with utmost seriousness:

"I don't know what kind of people you consider family, but to me, closeness by blood isn't the only condition for family, and it's not even a necessary condition."

"From a slightly selfish perspective, whoever I want to share with when I'm happy, and whoever I want to confide in when I'm in pain, that person is my family. And the person I think of first will always be you."

"Brother..."

"I'm here, but I'm leaving soon."

Looking at his sister, whose eyes were not only red-rimmed but even her nose tip was red, Li Ang smiled, affectionately twisted her reddened nose tip, then stepped back, picked up his things, opened the door, and walked out.

"Ah! Wait for me!"

Just as Anna, still somewhat at a loss, wiped away her tears and followed a step to send him off, she saw Li Ang suddenly turn back and ask:

"By the way, what did you say to me before I came in?"

"Ah?"

"Ah what? You told me that no matter when, if I feel tired, I should come home, and you'll always be waiting for me..."

After repeating Anna's words, Li Ang frowned and said with displeasure:

"You have to keep your word. No matter if I have blood relation to you or not, or if I'm your biological brother, you can't drive me away when I come back!"

"Brother... you really are..."

After wiping the corners of her eyes, the sickly girl, who had broken into a smile through her tears, shook her head and said with a hint of reproach:

"What kind of strange things are you saying? Where would I drive you away?"

"It's best if you don't, but even if you do, I definitely won't leave."

Kicking Anna's shoes further inside and stopping her from sending him off, Li Ang waved at her, who seemed to have resolved her inner knot, and went downstairs carrying the blankets and shopping bag.

After Li Ang went downstairs, Anna closed the door gently and walked quickly to the window, watching that back without blinking, until Li Ang boarded a carriage and disappeared around the corner with the sound of a whistle, only then did she reluctantly withdraw her gaze.

Perhaps... the situation she feared most simply wouldn't happen? Even if he knew what she had done, her brother wouldn't necessarily...

"Knock, knock-knock." Just then, a slightly heavy knocking sound rang out, giving Anna a big fright. After steadying herself, she got up, walked over, and asked through the door:

"Who is outside?"

"As for me... I suppose I'm your friend."

Tapping lightly on the door lock, amidst the crisp sound of the lock cylinder turning automatically, a man wearing a black robe and a wide-brimmed hat, whose face couldn't be seen clearly, walked into the room. He nodded at Anna, who was filled with terror, and greeted her with a cold and hard voice:

"It's been almost six years, Miss Anna. How have you been lately?"

Six years?

After hearing this keyword, looking at this man with long, narrow eyes who still had a hint of a "crying face" even when he pulled his mouth into a smile, Anna suddenly reacted violently.

"You... you're that person from the photo studio!"

"Mm, it's me."

Taking off his hat and placing it on his chest, bowing slightly to perform a gentleman's salute, the man with the natural crying face apologized politely and coldly:

"Sorry to disturb you. My visit this time has no other meaning, I just wanted to see how you are doing... May I ask if the person who just left is the family member you chose for yourself?"

After hearing the man's words, Anna's face turned pale suddenly, then she bit her lip hard and nodded extremely stiffly.

"Yes..."

"Husband?"

"He's my brother..."

"Excuse me."

After watching the man apologize without any sincerity, he continued to ask with a very stiff expression:

"Sorry for eavesdropping on some of your conversation. It seems you have been getting along very happily these years. Then, regarding the thing I gave you, you should be quite satisfied, right?"

"..."

"Miss Anna, please don't be so nervous..."

Looking at Anna, whose face was becoming increasingly pale, a hint of helplessness couldn't help but enter the man's ice-shard-like voice.

"I really have no malice in coming to visit you this time, I just wanted to see the current state of that thing. The reason I offensively opened the door lock was just because I was afraid you wouldn't be willing to open the door."

After explaining his intentions, as if to make her feel more at ease, the man took a few steps back voluntarily, retreating all the way to the door, only then did he stretch out his palm toward Anna and politely ask for her opinion:

"If possible, may I ask if you could take out the thing I gave you and let me check it slightly?"

Seeing that he really seemed to have no malice, Anna couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then shook her head vigorously and said with a hint of apology:

"Originally I could, but I just found out that I seem to have lost that photo..."

???

Lost? How could it be lost?

For this kind of high-numbered test subject that had the potential to achieve its goal, I had added more than one type of follow-up order. Even if it were torn to shreds, crumpled, or even burned to ashes, it should have reappeared by your side!

After waiting for an unexpected answer, the man in the black robe was slightly stunned.

Staring into Anna's eyes, he seemed to use some method to confirm that she wasn't lying. The man in the black robe couldn't help but narrow his eyes, then said in a voice that was quite helpless:

"Then there's nothing to be done... How about this, since the thing is already lost, could you trouble yourself to tell me about the situation over these past few years?"

(End of chapter)