The morning sun decorated the bright blue sky, and its gentle warmth enveloped the nursing home. Jun stepped into the ward, holding a bouquet of lilies and roses, when she spotted an elderly woman sitting comfortably in her bed, engrossed in reading her letters. She smiled as she broke the silence.

  “Auntie.”

  Looking to her left, the elderly woman moved her attention away from her letters, and her smile grew wider upon recognising Jun. “Dear, you’re here.”

  The elderly woman was none other than Liam’s mother, Lily. Ever since she was diagnosed with dementia, she lived in the nursing home as if it were her second home.

  Lily looked at Jun as she approached her, carrying yet another bouquet. As usual, Jun would always bring fresh flowers to repce the old ones in the vase whenever she visited. The flowers have yet to show any signs of wilting before being tossed away. This little action made Lily realise Jun has been coming over nearly every day.

  “Dear, you’ve been coming to see me so frequently. Do you have enough time for yourself?” Lily couldn’t resist asking out of concern. Lately, Jun has been spending a lot of time with her to the point where she felt it was unnatural, but that didn’t mean she was uncomfortable about it.

  On the contrary, Lily welcomed Jun to continue accompanying her.

  Jun took the letters in her hands and repced them with the book she had just bought, arranging the letters neatly beside the vase.

  As Jun sat on a nearby chair, she pced her handbag down and instructed the caretaker to take a quick break while she looked after Lily. Keeping a smile on her face, she answered, “Auntie, I always keep my schedule clear before coming over to see you, so don’t worry about me. In fact, I’m here because I enjoy spending time with you.”

  “I see…” Lily cracked a smile. “I’m gd.”

  After having her doubts cleared, Lily began reading her book. Meanwhile, Jun was holding a small knife, carefully peeling the apples and carving them into different exquisite shapes, from a bunny, to a swan and even a lotus.

  Satisfied that her apples turned out as she expected, Jun smiled. She said, “Open up your mouth, Auntie.”

  Lily obediently munched on the apples fed by Jun without taking her eyes off her book. With each person occupied with their own tasks, the atmosphere was quiet, yet harmonious.

  As Lily became deeply immersed in her book, Jun gently pced the pte of apples on the table before she leaned back in her chair, watching Lily. Before she knew it, her mind wandered, recalling about Lily’s past.

  Long before Lily lost her child in an accident, she was a passionate, cheerful, independent woman who lived her life as she desired. She travelled around the world, gaining valuable experiences throughout her journeys, until one fateful evening at a bar, where she met David and fell hard for him. With her captivating charm and fiery passion, she pursued him. It wasn’t long before he reciprocated her feelings and they got married.

  After a year into their marriage, they had a child and named him Liam. They thought they could continue to live a safe and blissful life together, but an unexpected kidnapping tore them apart.

  At Liam’s seventh birthday celebration, Liam was kidnapped by his father’s enemies, who held a grudge against him. He was taken to the outskirts of the city where he was forced to endure days of isotion in complete darkness, deprived of any food and water.

  Meanwhile, David desperately searched for his son's whereabouts as he made preparations to pay the ransom, fearing for the worst. As soon as Liam’s whereabouts were exposed, David quickly deployed his men to rescue Liam, but it was all a ruse set up by the kidnappers.

  Knowing that David would eventually locate them, the kidnappers were prepared when David and his men stormed in armed with firearms. One kidnapper grabbed the delirious Liam by his colr while he ughed, watching how David’s stony expression turned into one of fury. When the kidnappers demanded the ransom, David readily complied, as nothing mattered more to him than his son and wife.

  Two men, one holding a briefcase filled with money and the other carrying a person, walked towards the centre as they exchanged cautious gnces. Once they were within reach, both parties held onto what they wanted before tacitly agreeing to release at the same time.

  But the kidnappers had never pnned to honour the deal.

  At the count of three, the man holding Liam kicked David’s man, causing the briefcase to fly out of his hand. Before David and his men could retaliate, the ground trembled as if they were hit by an earthquake, catching them off guard.

  As the kidnappers secured the briefcase, they denoted the remaining bombs set up around them and escaped. The smokescreen covered up their figures, and not even the barrage of bullets shot by David’s men could stop them.

  David and his men immediately jumped into their cars and gave chase, yet because of the unfamiliar terrain, it wasn’t long before they eventually lost their trail.

  The kidnappers and his son were gone.

  Losing his son again, David’s fury went through the roof as he howled in anguish. Without hesitation, he ordered his men to find his son using any means necessary.

  As for the kidnappers who succeeded in their scheme, once they got the money they needed, Liam was useless. They arrived at a desote area and kicked Liam out of the car, abandoning him to drown in a flowing river, disregarding his life.

  Liam’s impending demise was the st gift the ruthless kidnappers had prepared for David.

  Thankfully, Liam survived, although not without consequences.

  A kind elderly couple who lived in the countryside, with no children or retives, found an unconscious Liam by the riverbank. Out of pity, they decided to take care of him for a while. When Liam woke up, due to his young mind being overwhelmed by fear, stress, and pain, by a cruel twist of fate, he had become an amnesiac.

  Since Liam couldn’t remember about his past or his identity, he couldn’t expin anything when being questioned. Terrified they would abandon him, he kept acting obedient and his well-behaved manner ultimately captured the lonely hearts of the elderly couple. And soon, they agreed to raise him as their child instead of sending him away.

  Due to this decision, Liam stayed by their side as their son, from the age of seven to twenty, until they both passed away in their sleep one after another. Ironically, because Liam never once set foot in the city, David lost his only chance to find his son.

  Meanwhile, the search for Liam has never once stopped for thirteen years.

  Lily, who was originally an optimistic person, gradually became depressed. Without the news of her son every year, when her son’s birthday approached, she would cry, reminded of the heartbreaking pain of losing him. By the fifth year of his disappearance, she fell into depression, no longer speaking to anyone, including her husband. In her heart, she always believed it was David’s fault for making her lose her only joy in life.

  Understanding that his wife’s heart could only be healed by reuniting with their son, David tirelessly poured more effort, money and resources into his company, gaining more connections, power and benefits to better help him find his son. Year after year, he did the same, and everyone, including him, thought it would be fruitless until Liam entered the city to find a job.

  David spent a couple of days tailing Liam while waiting for the results of their DNA test. Once it was confirmed they were father and son, David wasted no time in bringing him back.

  By then, Liam had already begun to recall bits and pieces of his memories, but because the kidnapping was like an enormous stone weighing down on his heart, only fear remained in his mind. He was wary and cautious, listening to his so-called father’s expnation with a grain of salt.

  In the end, David knew he couldn’t persuade his son nor gain his trust easily, so he decided to bring him to his wife.

  When Lily saw her son again, she broke down in tears. Seeing the appearance of Liam, whose eyes, nose and lips were shaped remarkably simir to them, Lily was convinced. She inquired about his experiences outside and Liam responded matter-of-factly. In an instant, she was keenly aware that in her son’s eyes — they were no different from strangers. There was no love, trust, or yearning.

  Lily’s heart shattered, but she held it all in. Even if she was depressed, she felt she had to get better for her son so that she could make up for all the time she had lost with him. After two years of love, patience, care, and concern, Liam finally acknowledged Lily and David as his rightful parents. That was when Lily found the courage to step out of her own shadow.

  Unfortunately, years of sadness had taken a toll on her body, and Lily eventually succumbed to dementia herself.

  Now looking at the elderly woman, who carried a flicker of hope in her eyes, Jun could still see the silhouette of her once strong, charming self.

  Jun picked up the pte of apples, intending to feed Lily again. While Lily was reading, Jun chuckled and asked, “Auntie, you seemed to enjoy reading this. Do you like the story?”

  Lily paused, her eyes gazing off into the distance as if lost in thought. Then she suddenly gripped the pages tightly before proceeding to meticulously smooth out the crease. She slowly replied, “Yes… yes, this book is very good. I enjoy reading… Thank you.”

  Jun observed Lily’s bewildered expression before she broke into a smile.

  “I’m gd you like it.”

  After that, Jun talked about the book, delving into the thrilling storyline without giving away too many details. As she continued to speak, Lily joined in.

  Jun stayed silent as she listened to Lily revealed more and more. When all the apples were finally fed into Lily’s lips, she set the knife and pte aside and gently tucked the tired Lily, who had spent the entire day discussing the book, into bed.

  The moment Lily fell asleep, Jun’s warm smile vanished without a trace. Instead, an apprehensive look appeared on her face. Jun brushed the stray fringe of Lily’s grey hair and let out a quiet sigh.

  In the story, after Jun Lee went insane with madness, she shoved the immobile Lily down the stairs to inflict the same emotional pain Liam caused on her. As Jun Lee desired, Lily ended up injuring her legs and became even more despondent, causing Liam to confront her with hatred.

  However, what Jun Lee did not realise was that even though Lily might not recall many things, Jun Lee remained as someone she deeply cared for and loved. Jun Lee’s push was essentially like a knife driving straight through her heart, shattering it into pieces. After Lily recovered from the fall, she took the bme upon herself for her son’s affair and withdrew from the world, reminiscing about the kind girl who had patiently looked after her.

  At this moment, despite not being the one responsible for the mistake, Jun still felt a strong sense of responsibility to help this pitiable woman. In this lifetime, especially towards Lily, Jun wished to give her the good ending she deserved.

  Before she left, Jun measured the stack of letters with her eyes and cast a scornful gnce. Although she disliked involving innocent people in her calcutions, it didn’t mean the same for others. She wore a cynical smile — the female lead was more troublesome than she appeared to be.