After going upstairs, Sun Gaozhi led Luo Xiu to his room.

Behind the wardrobe in his room was a hidden alcove. In front of Luo Xiu, he opened it and dragged out an antique wooden chest. The chest was filled with old books and some trinkets of considerable age. They might not have been valuable, but they held great sentimental value for Sun Gaozhi.

Before long, Sun Gaozhi found a thick photo album filled with old, faded photographs. He flipped through the thick album page after page…

Finally, he found the picture he wanted to show Luo Xiu.

It was a color photo, but it had yellowed somewhat because it hadn't been laminated. Fortunately, the people in it were still clearly visible. There were more than twenty people in the photo, all dressed in camouflage.

"This is a group photo we took during the Henghai Battle," Sun Gaozhi said, handing the photo to Luo Xiu. "Second row from the left, the third one—that's Luo Ying."

Luo Xiu's gaze quickly locked onto Luo Ying. She looked very young, perhaps in her twenties, and was extraordinarily beautiful. But she had a cold, aloof aura that made one feel distant, even when just looking at the photograph.

Sun Gaozhi leaned over for a look. His gaze suddenly sharpened, and he looked up to stare at Luo Xiu's face.

"Mister Luo… you know, you and Luo Ying look quite similar."

Luo Xiu frowned at his words but said nothing.

Since Luo Xiu came here specifically to investigate Luo Ying, she must be very important to him, Sun Gaozhi thought. With this in mind, a certain guess began to form.

He asked tentatively, "Mister Luo, could she be your mother?"

Luo Xiu's expression shifted, and his fingers tightened their grip on the photograph. "I don't know. It's probably not very likely."

Though he said that, his heart had already subconsciously begun to consider the possibility. As a result, his desire to know everything about Luo Ying grew even stronger.

"Elder Sun, if it's convenient, could you tell me about her?"

Sun Gaozhi smiled. "Actually, I didn't have much contact with Luo Ying myself. Ten years ago, when the Henghai Battle broke out, I was ordered to the front lines to command the Third Vanguard Regiment, and Luo Ying just… appeared."

Luo Xiu was puzzled. "Appeared? What do you mean by that?"

"I remember it was one night," Sun Gaozhi reminisced. "One of my platoons was locked in a fierce battle with the enemy. Just when we were at a stalemate, Luo Ying suddenly showed up and single-handedly annihilated their entire vanguard, helping us retake our lost defensive line."

"I still remember the first time I saw her… we were all completely stunned."

"She was beautiful, with a kind of beauty that didn't seem to belong to this world. If I had to make a comparison… she was like a celestial fairy descending from the heavens to save our small yet tenacious lives."

"What's more, the first time she appeared, she was wearing something that resembled ancient-style robes."

"She joined us after that. I even set up a separate tent just for her."

"She spoke very little and never smiled. She was always at the vanguard, slaying our foes. When there were no enemies, she wouldn't train; she would just sit by herself in a daze."

"We only knew her name was Luo Ying. As for where she came from or who she was, no one knew. We tried to investigate later but found nothing. She didn't even have any household registration information."

"But given the circumstances back then and her personal strength, we didn't dwell on it. As long as she could kill the enemy, she was one of us, a comrade-in-arms."

"Later on, I made a special exception and promoted her to deputy commander. I entrusted most of the front-line matters to her, and she never disappointed, always annihilating the enemies that came ashore."

"The enemies that came ashore… what exactly does that mean?" Luo Xiu asked. He suddenly recalled what Wu Xin had said: the Henghai Battle wasn't fought mainly against the people of Sakura Country, but against mysterious creatures that crawled out of the sea.

"Mister Luo, I'm sorry, but I signed a non-disclosure agreement," Sun Gaozhi said, looking at Luo Xiu earnestly. "Even though I'm retired, I was once a soldier, so I cannot reveal these secrets. Even if you find out about these things one day, you will not have heard them from my lips."

Luo Xiu nodded in understanding. "After the Henghai Battle ended, where did she go?"

Sun Gaozhi shook his head. "I don't know that either. I retired and returned to Sea City to take over the family business right after the battle ended."

"I actually tried to have someone look into it as well. Some say she left; others say her injuries were too severe and she passed away not long after… As for what really happened to her, no one knows."

"It was as if she had vanished from the face of the earth."

Luo Xiu let out a soft sigh. Even after all that, there were no concrete clues. If anything, Luo Ying had only become more mysterious.

"By the way, Mister Luo, I think there is one person who might know of Luo Ying's whereabouts."

"Who?"

Sun Gaozhi pointed to the middle-aged man in the center of the front row. "Him. The Henghai Admiral, Chen Xuanbao."

Luo Xiu stared at Chen Xuanbao's image in the photo and gave a slight nod.

I'll probably cross paths with Chen Xuanbao one day, he thought. I'll just ask him then.

"Elder Sun, could I have this photograph?"

"Of course, take it."

"Thank you."

"By the way, Mister Luo... Xiao Li told me she spoke to you about her aunt's situation."

Luo Xiu nodded. "Don't worry, Elder Sun. As soon as I have any lead on Su Shenyun's whereabouts, I'll set out to rescue her immediately."

Sun Gaozhi looked at Luo Xiu gratefully. "Mister Luo, words are not enough to express my gratitude. I will never forget this!"

Luo Xiu smiled. "You're too kind."

Sun Gaozhi sighed. "Speaking of which, that punk from the Duan Family is truly insidious, using Shenyun's situation to force Xiao Li to marry him."

"That's why we need to find Su Shenyun before the Duan Family does," Luo Xiu said. "Only then can Xiao Li be free of him."

"I've already sent A Gui to investigate," Sun Gaozhi said. "He's very skilled at this sort of thing, and I'm sure he'll have results soon. Plus, Su Hongli will be helping from the shadows."

Luo Xiu nodded slightly. "It's getting late. I should be heading back."

"I'll have Xiao Li drive you."

Afterward, Sun Li drove Luo Xiu home. During the drive, she felt the urge to tease him several times, but seeing him in the passenger seat, staring blankly at the photograph, she lost the heart for it.

"Xiu, are you unhappy?"

"No."

"I don't want you to be unhappy."

"I'm really not, just thinking about some things."

Sun Li's curiosity piqued. "Hey, Xiu, do you think that woman could really be your mother?"

"You really do look a lot like her."

"They say daughters take after their fathers and sons take after their mothers. No wonder you're so handsome—you must have inherited your mom's good looks."

Luo Xiu smiled and put the photo away. "I don't know. We'll find out when we find her."

"We'll definitely find her!"

"Yes," Luo Xiu nodded. "We will."

Sun Li suddenly wrapped an arm around his neck. "If you miss your mommy, I can be your mommy."

"Come, my good boy, Mama will give you some milk…"

"Get lost! Believe it or not, I'll kick you right out of the car!"

"…"

「Amidst their playful banter…」

The car had already arrived at the entrance of Sea City Riviera.

From the passenger seat, Luo Xiu looked at Sun Li's reproachful expression and asked, "Still feeling cocky? Still dare to flirt with me?"

Sun Li's cheeks were flushed. She huffed and ignored him, simply wiping the water off the seat and steering wheel with a tissue. Some of the water had sprayed onto the steering wheel…

Luo Xiu reached out and pinched her nose, warning her in a mischievous tone, "You little vixen, if you dare to tease me like this again, I'll have you crying by the time I'm done with you, I'm telling you."

Sun Li retorted coyly, "You huge pervert! You psycho! Don't you dare bully me in the car ever again!"

Luo Xiu glanced at his middle and ring fingers, which were a bit pale from being soaked, then opened the car door and got out.

"Sun the Water Ghost, head home and get some rest. Good night."

"Good night, my ass! You're the Water Ghost! I'm telling you, Luo Xiu, I'll get my revenge next time!"

"…"

Luo Xiu strolled back to Villa Number One, his mind replaying the scene of him teasing Sun Li in the car. The lights in the living room were still on, which meant Lin Xiyue was home from work. But as soon as he stepped inside, he froze.

The person sitting on the sofa wasn't Lin Xiyue, but an incredibly beautiful woman.

She looks familiar, but I can't quite place her, he thought.

Moreover, the woman was lounging about as if she were in her own home, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, casually munching on snacks while watching cartoons.

"Um… hello. Are you one of Xi Yue's coworkers?"

The beautiful woman suddenly leaped off the sofa, ran over to Luo Xiu, and began shaking his hand vigorously. She was clearly ecstatic, yet her face remained expressionless. It wasn't coldness, but a kind of blankness.

"Master, it's me! Don't you recognize me?"

"…"

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