Lu Nian’s freshman year passed uneventfully.

Her health had improved somewhat, but the effects of her years of illness remained, leaving her still looking frail and unable to gain weight no matter how much she ate.

Especially her waist, in the uniform blouse and skirt of the attached middle school, looked even smaller and delicate, because of her long-term illness, her skin was whiter than the average person, a pure and translucent white without much color, coupled with her black hair that had not been deliberately styled, walking on campus, she was particularly eye-catching.

The attached middle school had expensive tuition fees, and the private school uniforms were generally more attractive than public ones.

The high school department of the attached middle school had four sets of uniforms for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Just the uniform fees alone cost quite a bit each year, one of the effects being that the disparity in looks was more pronounced.

Those who looked good looked even better, while those who lacked in looks preferred to wear the public school uniforms.

However, there were exceptions.

There would be student union cadres at the entrance of the attached middle school checking appearances, taking turns on duty to inspect uniforms and badges.

Lu Nian naturally dressed neatly, but that day, she saw a familiar face being stopped at the gate.

The boy wasn’t wearing a uniform, wearing a baseball cap tilted to the side, with a delicate and jade-like appearance, being stopped at the school gate was quite conspicuous.

Zhao Yayuan’s voice sounded a bit impatient, “He transferred here, hasn’t got a uniform yet, how many times do you want me to say?”

A student with glasses said, “Our school doesn’t accept mid-term transfers. Those who applied in advance all have uniforms.”

Seeing Lu Nian’s back from a distance, Zhao Yayuan didn’t want to argue with them at the school gate anymore.

Plus, he was annoyed by the questions.

His temper flared up, “If there isn’t, there isn’t. I’m a mid-term transfer. If you don’t believe me, go ask Feng Mingjie. If you can’t find him, go home and ask your dad.”

Feng Mingjie was their middle school principal’s name.

The student obviously didn’t expect that the boy in front of him, who looked so refined, would speak like this.

His face blushed all of a sudden, stuttering for a long time, unable to say anything.

Taking the opportunity, Zhao Yayuan took the bag and chased after Lu Nian, leaving.

Lu Nian remembered Zhao Yayuan’s attitude when they last met, hesitating whether to greet him or not, but Zhao Yayuan caught up and called out from afar, “Hey!”

Lu Nian, “…I’m not ‘hey.'”

Zhao Yayuan caught up in a few steps, naturally, “Why are you walking so fast?”

Lu Nian, “Otherwise, I’ll be late.”

Zhao Yayuan focused on unwrapping a lollipop, glanced at her with it in his mouth, “You also bought yours. Still afraid of being late? Such a good student, huh?”

He ate the lollipop very seriously, his cheeks slightly puffed up, his deep amber eyes, like a cat’s.

He looked quite childish.

Lu Nian, “…”

On the other hand, Zhao Yayuan, biting the lollipop, mumbled, “I know you have good grades.”

Lu Nian, “Not really.”

Her grades weren’t really that good, after all, the affiliated middle school had hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Even though she had performed exceptionally last time, she had barely made it into the tail of the top 100 in the grade, not really outstanding.

“I saw you on the top grade list,” Zhao Yayuan said expressionlessly, “I still recognize the characters.”

Lu Nian, “…”

Zhao Yayuan said, “You scored a few hundred points higher than me.”

“Just, Haicheng and your place use different textbooks.” Zhao Yayuan shrugged, “I need some time to react.”

Lu Nian suddenly remembered that he was from Haicheng. “…I can’t hear any accent in your speech.”

Haicheng is located to the north, and Lu Nian had a classmate from Haicheng before who transferred, and his accent was quite different from the local dialect, unlike Zhao Tingyuan, who still sounded a bit different from the locals when speaking.

Zhao Yayuan said, “I was not in good health when I was young and was sent to live elsewhere by my parents for a long time, so I don’t have an accent when I speak.”

Lu Nian remembered hearing Zhao Tingyuan mention this before, “Elsewhere?”

Looking at her, Zhao Yayuan threw the unfinished lollipop into the trash can and said slowly, “Nanqiao.”

But when she heard this place name, Lu Nian had no reaction at all.

The boy spoke softly, “I thought you should have a deep impression.”

Lu Nian’s footsteps slowed down, her big eyes looking at him.

Since the first time she met Zhao Yayuan, she subconsciously felt that something was off, and now this feeling had reached its peak.

The bell for class slowly rang.

Zhao Yayuan didn’t say anything more and the two went into the classroom separately.

Lu Nian thought about this all day long.

For so many years here, she had been slowly inheriting Lu Nian’s memories, and so far, she had remembered most of them.

Her inheritance of Lu Nian’s memories was vague, but most of them were at least memorable, yet she had no knowledge of the place name Zhao Yayuan mentioned.

She searched the internet for this place name.

It was a small city some distance from Ancheng, named after the mountains.

Nanqiao City was built against the mountains, with continuous high mountains behind it, many areas still undeveloped, with a quiet environment and fresh air.

Therefore, it was very normal for Zhao Yayuan to choose to recuperate in Nanqiao due to his poor health.

But what did this have to do with her?

After dinner, Lu Nian couldn’t help but ask Zhang Qiuping, who was cleaning up, “Aunt Zhang, do you know about this place called Nanqiao?”

Zhang Qiuping’s movements stiffened, almost throwing the plate she was cleaning out, “Why are you asking about that?”

Lu Nian didn’t expect her reaction to be so strong, “Just asking, a classmate said that the scenery there is good and wants me to go play. I want to tell my dad…”

“No.” Zhang Qiuping interrupted decisively, “The master will never agree.”

She seemed to realize that her reaction was inappropriate and forced a smile, “There’s nothing fun there, it’s a remote and poor place, and it’s not safe. If you want to go out and play, you can wait until the master has time to take you out to Europe…”

Lu Nian quietly looked at her with her big eyes.

Zhang Qiuping almost broke out in a cold sweat behind her.

She curved her lips into a smile, “Okay.”

Lu Nian asked again, “By the way, Aunt Zhang, should all my childhood photos be kept in the album? I want to take a look.”

Zhang Qiuping said, “Sure, I’ll have Miaomiao bring them to you right away.”

In the past, Lu Nian had never asked to see the photos, but over the years, her personality had changed quite a bit.

Lu Nian seemed to take a set of growth photos every year, the little girl pale and frail, wrapped in thick fancy clothes, with no hint of a smile on her face.

Lu Nian quietly flipped through them, “Aunt Zhang, is this all there is?”

It seemed that only from ** years old onwards, nothing before that.

Zhang Qiuping said, “Some were lost when we moved before.”

Lu Nian couldn’t believe it.

If it were an ordinary family, losing photos during a move would be normal chaos, but this was the Lu family.

What kind of family was the Lu family? During a move, they wouldn’t have to lift a finger themselves, there would be countless professionals helping out, taking care of every detail, so how could there be something like losing photos?

She silently closed the album and had Miaomiao take it back.

Alone, she lay back on the soft bed.

Lu Nian furrowed her brows, thinking over today’s events again.

The Lu family must be deliberately hiding something from her.

Lu Nian couldn’t recall all her childhood memories, which Lu Nian hadn’t paid much attention to before, thinking it was just because she was young and forgetful.

But now, she had a faint premonition.

What if Lu Nian had lost her memory before?

If she really had lost that part of her memory, then in the memories she lost, something must have happened that the Lu family didn’t want her to remember.

Zhang Qiuping couldn’t afford to neglect Lu Nian’s unusual state tonight, so she hurriedly called Lu Zhihong and explained everything in detail.

The lights were still on in the Lu Building. In the office on the top floor, Lu Zhihong was sitting opposite a young man in his early twenties.

Lu Yang respectfully waited for him to finish the call.

Lu Zhihong didn’t say much in front of him. After hanging up the phone, he continued the previous topic with Lu Yang.

“You take good care of Nian Nian usually, you’re very considerate.”

Lu Yang restrained the joy in his voice and humbly said, “Nian Nian is very obedient, not troublesome at all. Besides, I’m her brother, taking care of my sister is what I should do.”

“Keep an eye on her more.” Lu Zhihong said, “If anything’s wrong, tell me. Her social life, her health, her studies, everything, inform me.”

He added, “Don’t let Nian Nian find out.”

Lu Yang nodded, “Got it.”

He had always done so.

Lu Yang was already twenty years old, and his college graduation was not far off.

“When you graduate, come to Lu Group first and try it out. I’ve reserved a position for you.”

Lu Yang’s eyes lit up, “Thank you, uncle.”

Lu Zhihong remembered Zhang Qiuping’s words tonight and nodded to Lu Yang, “You’re welcome.”

He said, “It’s fine now, you can leave tonight, remember what I said.”

Just as this conversation was about to end, Lu Yang didn’t leave immediately.

He hesitated for a moment, “Uncle, there’s one more thing, it’s about that Qin Si…”

Lu Zhihong set down his teacup, “What about it?”

Lu Yang said, “I think, he’s almost an adult now, there’s no need for our family to support him anymore.”

“And, his influence on Nian Nian is very bad.”

Lu Zhihong took off his gold-rimmed glasses and rubbed his eyes, “How is it bad?”

Lu Yang gritted his teeth and finally said, “I’m afraid he’ll flirt with Nian Nian and they’ll start a relationship.”

After all, for someone with Qin Si’s background, if he could climb up to the Lu family’s daughter, wouldn’t he instantly rise to prominence?

Lu Zhihong frowned slightly, “Nian Nian told me last time that they haven’t been in touch.”

Lu Yang urgently said, “After all, they’re still in the same school, they have opportunities to meet, he’s very skilled, Nian Nian can’t resist him at all.”

Lu Zhihong asked, “Then what do you suggest?”

He wasn’t as angry as Lu Yang had expected, very calm.

After all, Lu Zhihong had been navigating the business world for so many years, his depth and composure were far beyond what Lu Yang could compare to at the moment.

Lu Yang whispered, “Otherwise, forbid Nian Nian from meeting him again? Nian Nian has always been obedient, as long as Uncle…”

He met Lu Zhihong’s gaze and stopped talking.

Lu Zhihong smiled, “Xiaoyang, you’re still too young.”

“Don’t worry.” Lu Zhihong said lightly, “The things you worry about won’t happen, I already have arrangements for Nian Nian’s future.”

He would arrange a perfect marriage for his daughter in all aspects.

As for Qin Si’s feelings, they were not within his scope of concern.

But, if in the future he could be useful, if Qin Si had a favorable impression of Lu Nian compared to his deep-seated hatred, it would be much better for the Lu family.

If Nian Nian could handle it skillfully later, she could make him devoted to the Lu family for life, what’s wrong with that?

“They’re still young.” Lu Zhihong said, “There’s no need to consider such things too early.”

“Nian Nian has no siblings.” Lu Zhihong said meaningfully, “You’ll take care of her like her real brother.”

Lu Yang nodded again, “I’ll take care of her like my real sister.”

Lu Yang backed out.

Lu Nian’s biological mother, Cheng Mingying, passed away very early.

However, later on, the Lu family villa always kept a room for Cheng Mingying, located on the second floor of the villa, at the end of the corridor.

Inside were her photos and some old items she used before.

Apart from the usual cleaning every year, few people went in.

But on festivals and special occasions, Lu Nian would burn incense for her.

After all, she was now living in place of her daughter, she was grateful to them for giving her life again.

It was drizzling lightly that night, and the early autumn chill was biting.

Lu Nian secretly sneaked upstairs alone. The servants were all doing their own things.

She said she needed to study and asked Miaomiao not to disturb her, then found a chance to sneak out alone.

The room was as quiet as ever.

Lu Nian turned on the light and looked around at the furnishings.

Lu Zhihong never came here.

The lilies in the vase were still the same bunch she had replaced last time, emitting a faint fragrance.

After the events of the night, her heart was in turmoil. For some reason, she found herself in this room again.