"Blame me for not keeping my word and finding you too late?"
This sentence was said very softly, but it carried a heavy sense of self-blame and helplessness.
His gaze was filled with endless tenderness. When his palm gently caressed her hair, he added his explanation that was many years late,
"At that time, my wound was inflamed and I was hospitalized for a long time. I couldn't get out of bed at all.
"Some of them went to look for you later.
"When I went to look for her, something happened to the orphanage. All the adoption records were burned to ashes in an accident…
"Just like that, I lost track of you.
"Then, I saw a photo of you and Auntie Su Yu in my photo album.
"Although you were a little older at that time, I still recognized you at a glance. That's how I found out that you were adopted by the Smiths.
"But that year, I was already twenty-two years old. I was eight years late to the agreement I made back then.