Beginning: mysterious caller

Coincidentally, Yi Shuyan and Lin Jingxuan were awake despite how late it was. It was Lin Jingxuan who called Yi Shuyan using an unknown number. They were thinking about the same thing.

Lin Jingxuan can never forget that one day, it's imprinted in his brain so well as though it was yesterday. Who in the world would forget the day that ruined their lives?

It was twelve years ago when a mysterious number started repeatedly calling him, nearing Yue Ling's eighth birthday to be exact. He wasn't a person who picked unknown calls so he ignored it. The same happened again and again for two days with several calls each day.

When he picked the voice said;" You will go to Seven Stars Orphanage to pick your daughter."

He was shocked and couldn't help but ask,"I think you've gotten the wrong number perhaps."

"Check the email that you will be receiving not long from when I hang up, follow my instructions and pick the girl whose details were sent to you."

There was silence before he said," Politics in the Medical association is getting pretty intense, I'm advising you to comply or else this information can be sent to your wife just as it was sent to you."

"Who is this?," Lin Jingxuan asked calmly. He doesn't remember getting involved with anybody else in his life. This may be one of his enemies trying to usurp his position in the Medical association of country XY. The leader holding such a position had to have an exemplary, responsible and scandal free behavior. At the age of twenty nine he had already lead the association once and was running for his position again this time. The position was occupied by older men before from around 45 years if you were the youngest. Many couldn't accept it but had to agree as he was talented. No matter what, such men were too experienced in scheming and plotting.

"You don't need to know who I am but you need to follow whatever I say." Those were the last words the person spoke before hanging up.

Lin Jingxuan had decided to put pretend like such a conversation never happened and although he received the email,he didn't open it. He'd investigate the matter.

As days went by he couldn't help but feel anxious. Whenever he saw Yi Shuyan holding her phone or leaving the house, he couldn't help but think, what if she knows. Will she believe I'm innocent?

He asked for the number to be traced but just as somebody who didn't want to be found would act, the number wasn't registered and it led to a dead end. All this piled up the anxiousness.

On Yue Ling's birthday,he found himself at Seven Stars Orphanage adopting a little girl.

That morning he had received a call from another unknown number. This time it was followed by something that ripped off his peace of mind completely. He was forced to read the email,a photo of the girl was sent along with DNA test results, the test had been done at a military hospital. This gave him more uneasiness as it meant the person doing this was powerful and the results were legit.

The little girl he picked from the orphanage was didn't say a word to him and neither did she cry. She didn't even cry due to the fear of being taken away. She was at least nine years old but she didn't speak even a word. The sisters at the orphanage said she rarely spoke.

Lin Jingxuan had asked for who brought the girl but he was told that she was found on the streets nearby. He couldn't help but suspect these people. The adoption process was done so differently and he assumed it was all planned. Their excuse was that they couldn't provide for older children like her at the same time with the younger ones so that's why they did things this way now. However much he was a law abiding citizen,he couldn't report this directly as it'd complicate his issue. He just tipped off the Child welfare services about this.

Today drove on his own because he didn't want the driver or anybody else knowing this. He felt like maybe throwing her out of the car but his conscience was biting him.

The girl looked alot like his daughter Yue Ling. She was very thin and frail. Her eyes had a constant blank look as though she didn't care about anything anymore. Even the space she took in her seat and the way she sat was like she was sitting on stones. She even couldn't open the door of the car by herself. The orphanage she was at wasn't the good kind and he doubted whether or not she studied. This was all pitiful.

He took her to one of his clinics and took blood to confirm the DNA test he was sent.

Whether or not this was a ploy, he was overcome by sadness when he felt how bony her hand was as he withdrew blood. She flinched from the pain but her face still showed nothing.

He was a tough man but he was still very compassionate when it came to children, he too had a child. This child must have had a hard life as she even looked malnourished and scared. Scared was the one feeling she seemed to be hiding but he noticed it. How can anyone have the heart to involve this child in such plans, he was sure this wasn't his daughter and was planning to uncover the truth behind this. As a parent he'd make it sure they pay for using wrong means in their evil plans.

He went home for Yue Ling's birthday and left the little girl under the care of a nurse he trusted. The first step was waiting for the DNA test results, this could confirm everything else. He had even taken a bit of her hair strands and distributed them to different clinics he owned.

When he arrived home, everyone was waiting for him since there were only a few kids to celebrate. Yue Ling didn't have many friends and didn't like parties. He was also forced to lie Yi Shuyan that he was held up at work thus arrived late. Doctors always had emergencies so Yi Shuyan understood him. She was also wearing a very big smile.

This was the most important truth he'd hidden from her so far,he couldn't risk creating any rift between them.

The party was just like the others. You wouldn't know Yue Ling was the owner of the party if you weren't told. Her parties were always simple with few people. When Lin Jingxuan saw Yue Ling ,he couldn't help but remember Meilin. His heart felt uneasy just at the thought.

If Meilin was his daughter, how was he going to explain. What made it more complicated was that he didn't know the mother of this "alleged" daughter. He didn't know what the person doing this knew about him and how dangerous they were. To top it all off, the two girls were only a year apart, Meilin was born within his marriage.

How was he going to explain this?

A few hours later, the DNA tests were already out and all he had to do was go there. He could actually receive it through mail but he wanted to go there on his own. The drive back to his clinic was one if the longest yet shortest journeys.

He understood today that when you're about to do something good and it would cause harm to you, your whole being would want you to stay away from it. He was repeatedly thinking of abandoning this whole thing.

To his dismay,the DNA test was 99.9% positive. This was the same result from many other clinics.

As he was thinking of what to do next, Yi Shuyan called. He couldn't bring himself to pick up. The call he most anticipated to receive became his most dreaded. He didn't want to pick up and lie again.

[ Now that you have confirmed that she is your daughter, you must take her to live in the Lin Mansion. If you don't agree, Yi Shuyan will get to know her stepdaughter.]

He tried calling the number and even sending messages, none of them went through. This person must have been following him. The best hackers he could find couldn't help him days ago. All this was happening on his daughter's birthday and he didn't know what it meant. Could the person be after his child?

He went to the room where Meilin was and found her giggling at the nurse's joke. He didn't know she could smile too. The thoughts he got about discarding her to some orphanage made him guiltier.

As he was leaving,a little voice called," papa."

He turned back and was met with Meilin's confused look, he gathered himself and thanked the nurse who took care of her before carrying her to the car. She was light for her age and weighed nearly the same as Yue Ling.

All his worries had long gone after he was called like that.