◎How Long Will It Take You to Forget Him?◎
Annie's previously relaxed movements tensed up the moment she heard that name—an instinctive reaction, one her mind hadn’t even processed yet.
Though Le Qing had spoken in English, the name "Jiang Yan" was pronounced in unmistakably authentic Chinese.
It struck her eardrums like two heavy hammer blows, sending a faint throb through her nerves.
"Jiang Yan."
She murmured the name under her breath.
It felt like the first time she’d heard Le Qing’s name—that same irresistible urge to seek out and lay eyes on this person.
This time, with experience on her side, Annie didn’t hesitate. She pressed a hand to her chest. "I’ve definitely heard it before."
Not just heard it. This person must have been important to her.
"Jiang Yan." But she also sensed a gap in logic. "What about him?"
Teasing was easy, but explaining? That was another matter.
How could she say Jiang Yan was dead?
In that instant, another absurd possibility flashed through Le Qing’s mind: If Annie was the child’s birth mother, and she had been given a second chance at life… what about Jiang Yan? Could he also—?
Le Qing’s heart pounded violently again. She felt herself teetering on the edge of the truth.
"In a few days, I’ll take you to see him," Le Qing said.
If seeing Annie triggered memories of the past for her, and vice versa, what would happen if they kept looking?
This was why Le Qing hadn’t brought Annie back to China with her.
She wanted to break free from the "transmigrated into a novel" narrative, to genuinely reconnect with the people from her memories, to let her drifting heart settle, piece by piece.
The bus rolled to a stop. The entire town was quiet, with few tourists in sight.
Tender green shoots had just begun to peek through the grass, vibrant under the sunlight, and the breeze carried the scent of spring.
Annie held the repaired kite in her hand—the one Le Qing had given her before leaving, saying she wanted to fly it together when she returned.
As Le Qing stepped off the bus, she turned back to see Annie carefully making her way down with her cane.
Only in unfamiliar places, without assistance, did she truly seem like a blind person.
Once was coincidence, twice a pattern. Le Qing reached out and gently took Annie’s other hand, guiding her down. "Your eyes… what happened?"
"I don’t know," Annie replied frankly. "Born blind. The doctors couldn’t find a cause."
She smiled. "Maybe it’s like that fortune-teller said—I’m a debtor."
The "debtor" in question wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but facts were facts. "Everything has an origin, right? What could your birthday have to do with me? And it’s not like you owe me anything."
From what she’d pieced together of the past…
If she really was that little girl, she and her sister must have been close—protecting and supporting each other.
Otherwise, her sister wouldn’t have taken her name and lived on after her death.
"I don’t know," Annie said, gripping her hand tightly. "But I think your life matters more than mine."
Le Qing quickly cut her off. "Don’t say things like that."
They’d both died once already. What was the point of comparing lives? They weren’t cats with nine lives.
Annie laughed, her eyes brimming with light.
Her eyes should always look like that, Le Qing thought.
Infected by her joy, the weight that had been pressing on Le Qing’s heart lightened. She found herself smiling too. "What’s so funny?"
"Lots of people want to be your sister, but I’m different," Annie said. "You’re not the same with me as you are with Lvy."
"How so?"
Le Qing hadn’t noticed.
"After Lvy returned to China, she told me you’re smart, rational, steady in any situation, like you don’t need anything," Annie said, walking slowly beside her, savoring the warmth of Le Qing’s hand. A slight squeeze, and she could feel the faint pulse beneath her fingers—it made her feel safe.
She raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Even though I can’t see, I can tell you’re different with me. Like a kid who has nothing but wants everything. You panic, you run away—it makes me feel like you’re leaning on me."
Le Qing was baffled. More and more people lately had been saying she acted like a child.
But she’d learned to take care of herself early, to be mature. How could she seem childish? She even took care of two kids now.
Yet she couldn’t deny it—around Annie, she did feel like she knew nothing.
"I’ll be more careful," she said.
"Careful about what?" Annie tapped her forearm. "I like you this way. It’s what makes me special."
Le Qing’s lips curled up involuntarily. Spotting a small hill ahead, she suddenly said, "You mentioned remembering a time you held my hand while climbing?"
"Yeah."
"Today, I’ll lead you." Le Qing turned to her. "Do you trust me?"
Annie froze for a moment, images overlapping in her mind before she finally chuckled. "If it’s you, I’ll always trust you."
Warmth bloomed in Le Qing’s chest. She clasped Annie’s wrist and started forward. "It’ll be perfect for flying the kite up there. It’ll go higher. I’ll take pictures and edit them so you can feel them."
Annie tucked away her cane, strolling leisurely behind her as if none of their troubles existed. "Sounds good."
Their steps fell in sync as they climbed.
The hill was small, the slope gentle, and they reached the top in under twenty minutes. A handful of people milled about, taking photos.
Now experienced in childcare, Le Qing guided Annie to a safe spot, spread a cloth from her backpack on the ground, and helped her sit before handing her a water bottle. "Rest a bit and drink some water."
Annie accepted it, amused. "You brought all this?"
"Habit," Le Qing said, taking a sip herself. "You need a lot when traveling with babies."
Annie paused mid-drink. "What… are they like?"
Chelles had once shown her photos of the children to touch, but back then, her mind had been too fixated on the name "Le Qing" to pay them much attention.
After their conversation on the bus, though, Annie had a hunch.
"They’re sweet, well-behaved, and beautiful," Le Qing said, her voice softening. "No one could meet them and not adore them. Here, let me show you."
After returning from her trip back home, Le Qing had been constantly on the move, her mind preoccupied with so many things that she hadn’t dared to check the children’s updates. But now, her state of mind had shifted. She had clarified her future direction, and there was no reason to avoid it anymore.
She clicked on the children’s accounts and was surprised to find that, in just a few short days, they had not only posted all the videos she had edited for them but had also uploaded many more—new ones filmed afterward. They must have been edited by the video editor Jiang Suizhi had arranged for them.
The latest post showed the two children sitting in a massive playroom, where an entire row of various rocking horses was lined up. This time, they could genuinely set up a stall and collect money like at a supermarket. Several nannies were keeping them company, along with Old Master Jiang and Uncle Jiang.
"Can you just leave?" Old Master Jiang scowled the moment he saw Jiang Hechang. "That stern face of yours is ruining the children’s mood. And stop hogging the rocking horses."
"They asked me to play! I only took one!" Jiang Hechang felt his status in the family was pitifully low—disliked by both the elders and the little ones. His temper flared. "I’m playing with them too, aren’t I?"
And how could he possibly be in a good mood? That unfilial son of his actually had the audacity to pursue Le Qing, driving her away in frustration. How reckless.
Every time he saw these two children, he couldn’t help but feel guilty toward Le Qing.
What kind of karma was this, to have her targeted by a scoundrel like Jiang Suizhi?
"Great-Grandpa, don’t bully Grandpa!" Little Le Jia hugged a small jar and looked up. "And Great-Grandpa should ride the rocking horse too!"
Jiang Hechang smirked, seizing the chance to retort, "He doesn’t need to rock—his teeth might fall out."
"Looks like you’re asking for a beating." Old Master Jiang raised his cane threateningly.
The two little ones immediately jumped up, each pulling one of them apart, and handed over the candies they had been fiddling with. "Old people shouldn’t fight! That’s wrong! Why is Great-Grandpa always pulling Grandpa’s ears?"
"Because your grandpa doesn’t listen."
"Grandpa listens to An'an!" An'an clung to her grandpa protectively.
Jiang Hechang never imagined that the first time he’d feel the warmth of family would come from his granddaughter. His heart melted, and he straightened his back with newfound confidence—now, at least someone was on his side.
"Oh?" Old Master Jiang sneered. "Then ask your grandpa if he’s apologized to your aunt yet."
"Apologize?" The two children turned to their grandpa in unison. "Did Grandpa do something wrong?"
Only people who did bad things needed to apologize!
Jiang Hechang: "..."
How was he supposed to apologize when he couldn’t even face her properly?
But he had expressed his gratitude to Le Qing, so he said, "I thanked her."
"Thank you and sorry are different!" Little Le'an promptly snatched the candy back from her grandpa’s hand.
Her brother walked over and pulled Grandpa off the rocking horse, his little face serious. "No rocking horse if you don’t apologize. Great-Grandpa should pull your ears."
"If anyone should apologize, it’s your uncle!" Jiang Hechang defended himself. "He’s the one who messed up and made your aunt angry."
"!!!"
Uncle!
Another uncle—the heroic uncle!
Oh no. The children’s world was crumbling again.
At the same time, Little Le Jia suddenly heard the voice of "System Uncle" in his head again.
"Le Jia."
"System Uncle!"
Little Le Jia was thrilled. He had been working hard to accumulate achievement points lately, seeing so many little hearts, but he hadn’t heard System Uncle’s voice in a while.
Now that it was back, the hearts must have worked!
"I’m here, I’m here!" Little Le Jia responded eagerly. "What’s up? Can I exchange for you now?"
System didn’t expect him to still be fixated on that. It chuckled. "Not yet. But System Uncle needs your help with something."
"Tell me!"
"Where’s your uncle?"
"Uncle… working." Little Le Jia actually didn’t know where his uncle had gone. It seemed like he left with their aunt and never came back.
System fell silent for a long moment.
Everything had been moving in a positive direction, with no signs of anyone turning dark.
So why had it suddenly received an alert just now?
If the two children were fine, then the problem must be with Jiang Suizhi.
"Has your uncle been acting strange lately?" it asked.
"Nope!" Little Le Jia shook his head, then suddenly remembered. "But Grandpa said Uncle made Aunt really, really angry!"
System: "?"
It couldn’t fathom what Jiang Suizhi could have done to provoke someone as gentle as Le Qing to that extent.
"Ask your sister to look at Grandpa," System suggested. "Find out what Grandpa thinks Uncle did wrong."
Oh right! Sister could read Grandpa’s mind!
Little Le Jia obediently pulled his sister—who was busy fighting Grandpa for candy—over and whispered in her ear.
Sister’s eyes sparkled mischievously. She clasped her hands behind her back and marched up to Grandpa. "Grandpa, An'an can give you candy. But first, tell us—what did Uncle do wrong?"
Reading this, Le Qing’s eyelids twitched slightly.
So Uncle Jiang seemed to know what had happened between her and Jiang Suizhi.
Back then, he had even paid off the children’s mother to leave. Given the current situation, could she still go see the kids?
But Jiang Hechang would never divulge such things to the children. He clamped his mouth shut. "I don’t want candy. My teeth hurt."
His lips were sealed, but his eyes were wide open—and Sister saw everything.
Once she got the answer, she didn’t pester Grandpa further. Instead, she ran back to her brother, covered her mouth, and whispered, "Brother, what does ‘Uncle has designs on Aunt’ mean?"
Little Le Jia gasped. "What?! Uncle hit Aunt?!"
Le Qing: "..."
Next time, she absolutely had to correct their habit of thinking that covering their mouths made their whispers inaudible.
The playroom was spacious, and the two elders were too far away to hear clearly.
Old Master Jiang’s beard bristled as he slammed his cane on the floor. "He hit our girl?! That brat has gone too far! I’ll break his legs!"
Jiang Hechang: "!"
Hold on—he hadn’t said anything!
But then again, if he couldn’t discipline his son, maybe the old man could.
Watching Old Master Jiang brandish his cane, Jiang Hechang calmly nodded. "Exactly! Disgraceful! Call him back for a family punishment!"
Better than letting him bother Le Qing again.
Meanwhile, Little Le Jia secretly reported to System Uncle: "Did you hear that? Uncle hit Aunt! If that’s true, I can’t help Uncle get better. I have to help Aunt."
System: "..."
It had never expected things to spiral like this.
But it had clearly detected Jiang Suizhi teetering on the edge of darkness—because of Le Qing?
No, if that were the case, then Le Qing must have rejected him in a way Jiang Suizhi couldn’t accept.
That unlucky kid.
"Le Jia," the system sighed helplessly. "Your uncle's emotional intelligence is still stuck in kindergarten like yours—no diploma yet. So, you need to teach him, understand?"
Le Jia, who was currently struggling to earn his own kindergarten diploma, was utterly confused. "Teach Uncle what?"
The system's tone turned slightly chilly. "Teach him how to treat girls. Call him now."
[I’m dying, this family is a mess. Talking past each other like crazy.]
[Stop laughing. Look at the size of their kids' playroom—it’s bigger than your entire apartment. How can you even laugh?]
[My grinning teeth instantly retreated.]
[Hey, sweeties, you’re missing the point. The real issue here is Uncle making moves on Auntie. Old Master Jiang might not hear clearly, but I sure did.]
[What kind of moves? I mean, two adults in their twenties—it’s not like they’re planning a kidnapping.]
[I admit Uncle is tall, handsome, and has legs for days, but if you’re eyeing Le Qing, I object. My new wife hasn’t even warmed up to me yet.]
Le Qing, who had originally intended to let Annie hear the children’s voices, now wished she could bury herself in the grass.
Flustered, she covered her eyes and hastily ended the video call. Thankfully, Annie couldn’t see the comments or the barrage of messages.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t hear them.
"‘Making moves on you’—what does that mean?" Annie slowly turned her head, raising an eyebrow. "That man from London that night?"
For some reason, Le Qing suddenly felt guilty. "There might be some misunderstanding."
She didn’t understand why Jiang Suizhi had suddenly acted that way.
Just like she didn’t understand what about her could make someone like her.
"Between men and women, what’s there to misunderstand?" Annie was far more perceptive. "So, did you tell him you were leaving?"
Le Qing nodded. "I did."
That surprised Annie. "He didn’t come after you?"
In her mind, love wasn’t something that could just end with a few words. Once you decided to love someone, you gave it your all.
But if that man had let Le Qing go knowing she wasn’t in a good place, then he wasn’t worth a damn.
"He did," Le Qing said.
After landing, she had seen Jiang Suizhi’s missed calls. But she hadn’t called back, and he hadn’t tried again.
"Honestly," she lowered her head, "I’m not good at rejecting people."
Unlike strangers or those she had conflicts with, she especially couldn’t bear to clash with those who had been kind to her. That was why she hadn’t confronted Jiang Suizhi face-to-face.
Words were her shield.
Just like children crying about not wanting to go to school—if someone showed even a hint of vulnerability, she couldn’t bring herself to be harsh.
People who treated her well were rare.
Annie thought about how that man had ruthlessly cut off the robbers’ escape on his motorcycle and suddenly said, "He doesn’t seem like the type to give up easily."
Le Qing knew her avoidance wasn’t the right approach. "I’ll talk to him properly when the time comes."
Annie nodded. "When are you going back to China?"
"Probably in five days." Le Qing calculated the time—she still needed to finish the shoot with Chelles first. "You…"
"I’m coming with you," Annie stood up. "I want to know what really happened back then."
That was Le Qing’s goal too. She wanted to find the former director of the orphanage and uncover what had happened after her "death."
She stood up with Annie and pulled out a small bag of bread from her bag. "Want some?"
Though not hungry, Annie didn’t refuse. When their hands brushed, both of them flashed back to the same memory.
A tiny Le Qing, clutching a bundle tightly, stood before a slightly older girl. "Jiejie, I brought you food. Someone came to the orphanage today and gave us clothes and snacks."
She dumped everything in her arms onto the ground. "This is for you to wear, and these are for eating."
But the older girl didn’t reach for the clothes or food. Instead, she cupped Le Qing’s face. "What happened to your face?"
Little Le Qing wiped her mouth, eyes welling up. "They wouldn’t let me out."
"Why?"
"If people saw me, no one would adopt the others."
Every time visitors came to the orphanage, the older kids would find some way to lock her up.
"That’s too much!" Little Annie, furious, grabbed her hand. "Let’s go—I’ll make them pay!"
But little Le Qing stopped her, draping the new clothes over Annie’s shoulders and blowing warm air onto her icy hands. "Jiejie, eat first. Put on the new clothes. You’re still sick."
Annie, who had been living on the streets, hadn’t eaten properly in days. Feverish and frail, she was even thinner than Le Qing despite being older.
"I’ll take you home," little Annie said, picking up the things and leading her to her "home."
It was a crumbling, abandoned shack with a broken bed in the corner and tattered sheets hanging as makeshift curtains against the wind.
"The grandma who found me is gone," little Annie said. "It’s just me now."
Little Le Qing took in the squalor and burst into tears.
Her sister was the one who needed protection, yet she was always the one protecting her.
"Jiejie, come to the orphanage with me," she said firmly.
At least there, they’d have shelter and wouldn’t be sick all the time.
Thinking of the bullies, she added, "I’ll protect you."
Little Annie hesitated. "I’m too dirty. They won’t take me."
Little Le Qing pressed her lips together. "Then I’ll tell the director we’ll share a bed. And I’ll give you half my food."
That night, the two girls left the shack hand in hand, stepping into a different future.
The bread bag slipped from Le Qing’s grip, snapping her back to the present. She scrambled to pick it up.
Then, she heard a soft chuckle above her.
"I think… I really am your sister," Annie murmured, crouching down until their foreheads touched. "You promised to take me away, didn’t you?"
Le Qing looked up, stunned.
Meeting Annie’s clear, unwavering gaze, she nodded dumbly.
Annie laughed and flicked her forehead. "Why are you nodding? I can’t see it."
Suddenly, Le Qing’s eyes burned.
Trying to stifle the lump in her throat, she grabbed the kite like an idiot and muttered, "I also promised you a kite and a spaceship."
"See?" Annie ruffled her hair, both of them silently avoiding the painful parts of their past. Instead, she smiled. "I told you—you’re such a kid around me."
The homemade kite didn’t fly very high. Le Qing had put in a great deal of effort just to get it barely airborne. She handed the kite string to Annie and pointed toward where the kite was struggling to stay aloft. "It’s flying in the sky now," she said.
"What does it look like?" Annie asked.
"Just like the ones you showed me," Le Qing replied softly. "Flying far and high."
Annie curled her lips into a smile. "I thought so."
But then Le Qing suddenly turned her head and said, "I’m sorry."
"Hmm?"
"I promised to buy you a kite, but it’s been delayed for so many years."
Annie raised her hand, feeling the tug of the kite string and gauging its approximate height in the air. She knew the girl was just trying to cheer her up.
With a playful lift of her brow, she smiled. "It’s not late. Everything happens at just the right time."
Hearing this, Le Qing also looked up at the kite, and the fog in her heart gradually began to clear.
Yes, everything was just as it should be.
She was still herself.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Le Qing picked it up and was surprised to see a message from Brother Jiang.
AAAAA Wholesale Brother Jiang: "Sister Wang mentioned you moved away. Will you still need wholesale goods in the future?"
Le Qing was only temporarily abroad, not immigrating, so of course she would return.
But she felt she shouldn’t go back to the same house—even if it technically belonged to Annie, it should be transferred to Annie’s name. After all, Annie would also need a place to stay when she returned to the country.
So she typed back: "Yes, but the address will change. I’m still overseas for now. I’ll send you the new address once I’m back."
AAAAA Wholesale Brother Jiang: "Sister Wang said you’re in the UK."
Le Qing: "Is there something you need?"
AAAAA Wholesale Brother Jiang: "I happen to be in the UK for a purchasing trip. Sister Wang said you left something behind and couldn’t reach you, so she asked me to bring it over."
Le Qing: "?"
Was his business really this all-encompassing?
AAAAA Wholesale Brother Jiang: "But I’m a bit busy. If you’re not too far from London, you can give me an address, and I’ll have someone deliver it to you. It’ll arrive the same day."
Le Qing was skeptical. She hadn’t brought much with her—how could she have left anything behind?
But back then, she had been distracted, so she wasn’t entirely sure.
She decided to call Sister Wang.
Sister Wang took a few seconds to react, realizing this was Chief Jiang’s ploy, and reluctantly played along. "Ah, yes, there was a small box. But I thought it might be personal, so I didn’t open it. Since Old Jiang was heading overseas, I asked him to take it with him."
She added, "At the time, the way you spoke to me made me think you weren’t coming back, so…"
So that was it. Le Qing had genuinely thought she’d forgotten something.
Since the rest of her belongings were still in London, she couldn’t verify it now. Not wanting to inconvenience a busy businessman, she sent over her current address.
But after sending it, Brother Jiang never replied again.
Still accompanying Annie with the kite, Le Qing didn’t dwell on it. The two of them spent the entire day on the mountaintop, only descending in the evening when hunger gnawed at their stomachs, heading to the booked homestay for dinner.
They had come alone—aside from the separately lodged bodyguards, Annie hadn’t brought anyone else to tend to her daily needs. Le Qing had insisted on not having too many people around and had volunteered to help with her luggage.
The small homestay was a two-bedroom suite, perfect for each of them to have their own space.
After dinner, Le Qing ushered Annie into the bathroom for a shower while she tidied up their things in the room and planned the next day’s itinerary.
Calculating that it was bedtime for the two kids back home, she took out her phone to send them a few photos from the mountaintop—just to keep them from suspecting anything.
But she never expected that, at this very moment, the two little ones were still secretly huddled under their blankets, calling their uncle.
An'an asked anxiously, "Is it not going through, Gege?"
System Uncle had said their uncle was a bit of a troublemaker, and they were worried he might do something wrong. But no matter how many times they called, they couldn’t get through.
"Try again. What if Uncle really hits Auntie? We can’t fight him," Little Le Jia fretted. "Then we’d have to ask Great-Grandpa for help."
Just as Le Qing finished selecting and sending the photos, the doorbell rang. She walked over and peeked through the peephole—then froze.
The person outside wore only a windbreaker, a black baseball cap pulled low over his face. His expression was dark, his eyes pitch-black and unsettling.
Jiang Suizhi?!
Le Qing had actually been meaning to have a proper talk with him, so she quickly opened the door.
"How did you—"
The rest of her words died in her throat when she saw the depth of his gaze. Only then did she notice how off Jiang Suizhi looked—his body trembled slightly, his breathing was heavy, and his bloodshot eyes were downright alarming.
She instinctively took a step back. "What’s wrong?"
But Jiang Suizhi mirrored her movement—as she retreated, he stepped forward, his gaze locked onto her face. His voice was hoarse, ragged. "Le Qing."
"Huh?"
"I didn’t do anything," he rasped, his throat burning, though it was nothing compared to the ache in his chest. His grip on her wrist was scorching, feverish. "I just told you to stop thinking about him. Was that too much?"
Le Qing was utterly lost. "Huh?"
Thinking about who?
"You can tell me how long you need," Jiang Suizhi said, each word deliberate. "How long it’ll take to forget him."
"I can wait. I can even become him. But you—" His fingers tightened around her wrist, his skin searing. "You can’t leave."
Le Qing still didn’t understand. "What are you talking about?"
"I—"
Before he could continue, her phone rang again.
Struggling, she pulled it out with her free hand—it was the kids calling.
It should’ve been late at home. Why were they calling now? Worried something had happened, Le Qing answered without another thought for Jiang Suizhi.
As soon as the call connected, Little Le Jia’s frantic voice came through. "Auntie, did Uncle hit you?!"
Le Qing glanced at her captured wrist. "...Probably not. Why aren’t you two asleep?"
"We couldn’t reach Uncle! We were worried about you," Little Le Jia exhaled in relief.
Le Qing’s suspicion deepened. She held the phone out to Jiang Suizhi. "They said they couldn’t reach you. What did you tell them?"
When he didn’t take it, she pressed it to his ear instead. "Talk to them first. They’re up so late because they’re worried about you."
Jiang Suizhi’s gaze never left her, but he managed a low hum into the phone.
"Uncle!" The two little voices chimed in excitement. "You can’t be a chicken! Come home! Don’t hit Auntie!"
Whether it was "Auntie" or "Uncle," these familial terms only stoked the fire in Jiang Suizhi’s chest.
"Don’t call me Uncle," he said.
The two kids were baffled. "Huh?"
Jiang Suizhi let out a cold laugh, staring at the utterly bewildered Le Qing across from him as he enunciated each word deliberately: "From now on, call me 'Dad.'"
Le Qing: "…"
"???"
She gaped at Jiang Suizhi in shock. "Have you lost your mind?!"
Half an hour later, Brother Jiang: Experiencing a full 360-degree spiral of social humiliation—peacefully resigned to his fate.
