Over the years, had she been doing well?
Such a simple question took Ling Chuxia by surprise. Unconsciously, her hand slipped away from Bai Yixuan’s grasp, and she picked up the coffee in front of her, sipping it lightly.
The coffee wasn’t sweetened much, with strands of bitterness, Ling Chuxia slowly swallowed it, curving the corners of her lips as she softly replied, "Yes, quite well."
Bai Yixuan watched the expression on Ling Chuxia’s face—indifferent, calm, neither joyous nor sad—yet her thick eyelashes drooped, shading the emotions in her eyes as if to hide something.
After years in high society, Bai Yixuan had long developed a discerning eye and could tell that Ling Chuxia had something on her mind, though it was clear she didn’t wish to discuss it.
The light in Bai Yixuan’s eyes flickered slightly, but he didn’t press further. After all, they had just met. It was normal for her to have things she didn’t want to speak of. No matter, time was on their side, and opportunities would arise. What mattered was that she was now before him, and he would never let her slip away again.
Bai Yixuan smiled and smoothly changed the subject, "By the way, the director mentioned to me yesterday that you were saying goodbye since you were going abroad, and might not return. Why... have you come here today?"
Ling Chuxia’s hand grasped the coffee cup gently and she lifted her eyes slightly before speaking, "I might still have family. I’m here seeking them out."
"Family?" This was indeed a surprise to Bai Yixuan, and a flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes. "Xiaxia, you still have family?"
Ling Chuxia and Ling Yunshu had been abandoned in an amusement park, and it was unclear whether they were lost or deliberately left because they were too young at the time to provide any information. The police investigation led nowhere, ultimately leaving them to the orphanage.
For so many years, no one had come to claim them, and there had been no word from the police, so everyone assumed they were without parents or family.
"I’m not certain," Ling Chuxia said slowly, shaking her head. "Right now, all I have is a letter, so I’m not sure if this person could be my family. But I think she might know about my elder sister’s and my origins, so I want to try to find her, perhaps to locate my family."
"I see," said Bai Yixuan after a pause, understanding her quest well since he, too, had once been abandoned. He was intimately familiar with the longing for relatives, the yearning for family. Even if the hope was faint, one would still search and try.
"Did you decide to come here on a whim? Do you have a place to stay?"
Ling Chuxia shook her head once more with honesty, "Not yet. I thought about staying in a hotel today, then go out looking for a place to settle down tomorrow."
Listening to Ling Chuxia’s words, Bai Yixuan’s brows furrowed deeply, "Xiaxia, you want a woman to stay in a hotel?"
"Yes!" Ling Chuxia nodded as if it made perfect sense, her wide eyes asking, "Is there a problem?"
Seeing Ling Chuxia’s innocent eyes, Bai Yixuan wasn’t sure whether to be frustrated or amused. He stretched out his hand and firmly knocked her on the forehead, pretending to scold, "Xiaxia, can a girl like you be a bit more safety conscious? Before coming here, did you even properly find out about this place?"
Ling Chuxia touched her head in pain, pouting as she complained, "What’s wrong with that!"