It seemed that in this past year, she really had to be by the side of a powerful man to grow rapidly.

This man must have indulged, pampered, and loved her enough to transform a once timid little girl into someone so calm and judicious.

Nie Yixiao’s eyes were somewhat filled with sorrow.

There was a time when she was so infatuated with him, and now she had completely forgotten him.

The way Huo Zhenyang spoiled and helped her, he wondered if something had already happened between them...

With her outstanding beauty and unique aura, it was probably hard for any man to resist.

A man like Huo Zhenyang, to go out of his way to help a girl, certainly wouldn’t do so without reason.

The thought that Huo Zhenyang might have already tasted her sweet flavor made Nie Yixiao furrow his brows deeply.

Although he was the one who had abandoned her back then...

But now, seeing her turn out to be so beautiful, and possibly having been played by other men, felt like someone had slashed his heart with a knife.

He hurriedly organized his thoughts, regained his composure, and said earnestly with his eyes, "The reason it cannot be openly acknowledged is precisely related to your origins, concerning the reputation of your family. It’s best not to publicize it."

Jiayi fluttered her eyelashes, "I don’t understand what you mean."

Family? The use of the word "family" suggests... Could it be that the family she was born into was not ordinary?

Nie Yixiao guessed what she was thinking and took out a photograph, handing it to her.

Jiayi received it, and the background in the picture was a villa with a golden dome and white walls, clearly not a house from China.

The villa had a strong Southeast Asian atmosphere, yet it also bore some European style.

Regardless, it was definitely the residence of a top-tier family.

In the villa’s courtyard, there was a middle-aged man dressed in a dinner jacket, handsome in appearance, tall and well-built, with a serious expression that carried an air of authority without even being angry.

Next to him was a girl, wearing an expensive-looking dress, but her little face was overshadowed by gloom, as though she was very unhappy.

They looked just like a father and daughter.

On either side of the father and daughter, stood servants dressed in neat uniforms, all bowing their heads, clearly very well trained in etiquette.

The girl in the photo—

Was none other than herself.

But she looked somewhat younger than now, seemingly a little younger.

Jiayi’s breath caught, "Is this man my father? Is this my home?"

Nie Yixiao nodded, then took out several documents, handing them to her, "These are some of your passports and identification documents from S Country; you can take a look."

He added calmly, "Your paternal Chu Family is a prominent family in S Country, closely linked to the Royal Family. Last year, you came to China to travel with your two twin sisters and got separated from them. The Chu Family has been desperately searching for you all this year but could not find you. We only now found out that you have been with the Huo Family’s young master in southern China this past year. Publicizing your return would potentially impact the Chu Family’s reputation. Even in your G City in China, there would be a lot of gossip about a girl cohabiting with a wealthy man for a year without any formal status, not to mention that S Country’s high society is more conservative. Reputation is very important for a daughter of a noble and prominent family, which is why I wanted to communicate with you privately and bring you back discreetly without drawing attention."

S Country?

Is that why the Huo Family couldn’t find any of her information in the national fingerprint and DNA databases in China?

So she didn’t actually grow up in China?

S Country, in her memory, seemed to be an Island Nation in Southeast Asia, a French colony, a small country that currently has a constitutional monarchy with a Royal Family.

Beyond that, she couldn’t remember anything else—

So, she got separated while traveling with her two twin sisters?

But... it was not a simple case of getting lost!

Clearly in her mind, there was a vivid flashback of a woman pushing her down a mountain!

But now, there was no chance to delve further into this.

She looked at him again, "Then, what is your relationship to the Chu family?"

This man looked refined and educated, with some status, not at all like the bodyguard or attendant of a prominent family.

He was too young to be the butler of a distinguished family.

He bore no resemblance to her, and even less so did he resemble a brother or a sibling.

It was laughable that she was asking who he was, for once upon a time, she had loved him so desperately that she sought life and death for his sake.

Nie Yixiao suppressed his displeasure, "I am your elder sister’s boyfriend. My name is Nie Yixiao, and I came to China with your sister Xinyu to pick you up."

Her elder sister’s... boyfriend?

Jiayi suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, so acute that she struggled to breathe. Clutching her chest, it took her a moment to recover.

For some reason, looking at this man, she felt an indescribable discomfort, a desire to cry, yet she couldn’t bring herself to tears.

Indeed, Nie Yixiao was very handsome and charming, a man who knew how to please women and was pleasant to talk to, and also quite intelligent.

Yet, she also saw a mysterious darkness and eeriness about him.

This Nie Yixiao was her sister’s boyfriend, was he not?

What did it have to do with her?

Just then, Nie Yixiao’s words interrupted her thoughts.

"Now, do you have any other questions, or can we go to see your sister?"

Taking a deep breath, Jiayi did not hesitate any longer. She followed Nie Yixiao, took the elevator, and stopped at the twentieth floor.

The entire floor had been booked by Chu Xinyu, very serene.

Down the entire corridor there were a few guards, no more than ten bodyguards in total, all brought by Chu Xinyu and Nie Yixiao from S Country.

The door card beeped, and Jiayi walked in after Nie Yixiao.

"Jiayi, you’re finally here." The woman’s voice broke the tranquility of the room.

A young woman in a rose-colored gown with her enchanting long hair coiled around her neck came to greet her, taking Jiayi’s hand.

Is this... her elder sister?

Jiayi had imagined a hundred different scenarios of reuniting with her kin, but had never thought that reality would be the hundred and first.

The young woman’s beautiful lips curved into a smile, but it seemed more like a forced stretch, the sparkle in her eyes not quite reaching people, filled with coldness, impatience, and even contempt.

This sister’s hand holding hers lacked any warmth, only an icy chill.

Isn’t she my sister?

Why did she feel this sense of superiority, this disdainful air towards her?

Jiayi said nothing, and subconsciously her hand slipped out of Chu Xinyu’s hold.

Chu Xinyu couldn’t believe this once timid and lowly doormat actually dared to snub her handshake; her face instantly fell.

She was the darling, the pampered princess of the family, and in her eyes, this illegitimate daughter never existed.

Lucky little wretch, clinging onto the golden thigh of the wealthy Huo Family!

If it wasn’t for Chu Xinyu’s desire to quickly take this girl back, she wouldn’t have stooped to speak so politely with her!

Yet this little wretch didn’t even reciprocate a single word.

If this had been at the Chu family, irritating Chu Xinyu would have meant two slaps to her face, and she could only secretly cry without daring to complain!