On her first night at the Bai family′s house, Fang Siying couldn′t sleep.

  Lying in the luxurious bed with her hand propped under her head, she stared at the small gss chandelier on the ceiling. The scent of roses from the bedside drifted towards her, the moonlight outside was like water, and the evening breeze gently brushed against the curtains.

  The entire Bai residence was quiet, and Fang Siying y still, though quite tired, with no desire to sleep. She only felt unsettled, her thoughts in turmoil. She reflected on the afternoon—what had she done that afternoon? She had taken Bai Tingting for a walk in the pine forest on the hillside, and then they went to a bamboo grove to pick two tender bamboo shoots. Afterward, they casually strolled and reached the Pine and Bamboo Bridge. Fang Siying had asked Bai Tingting, "Shall we go down to the bridge and pick up some small pebbles?"

  Tingting hesitated for a moment, gazing at the river with a look of deep disdain, her expression strikingly unusual. Fang Siying, surprised, asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like pebbles?"

  "It's not that," Tingting shook her head, then pointed at the river and said, "It's this river. My real mother... she jumped into this river and died."

  "Oh." Fang Siying quickly furrowed her brows. Why did adults let children know about such misfortunes? Didn't they consider whether those young minds could bear it? How cruel, Bai Paiwen!

  "They said the river had risen that day because there had been a typhoon the day before. The bridge was washed out by the water. So, my dad said, maybe my mom accidentally fell in. There are no streetlights here, and it was dark at night. She probably didn′t see that the bridge was broken."

  "How do you know so much?"

  "Everyone knows about it. They talk behind my back, thinking I can't hear. They also said..." The child suddenly shuddered.

  No! Could it be that they didn’t even keep the mystery of the child’s origins a secret?

  Fang Siying quickly grabbed Tingting's hand and swiftly changed the subject, "Let's not talk about this anymore, Tingting. How about you take me to visit Songzhu Temple? I′ve heard it′s quite famous, but I′ve never been there before!"

  "Alright! I′ll take you!"

  So, they went to Songzhu Temple. Along the small path lined with pine trees, they climbed up the stone steps. The pine forest on both sides was lush and quiet, with the pine trees blocking the sunlight. The stone steps were covered with moss, and there was an indescribable solemnity and tranquility in the air. They walked for a long time, up countless stone steps, and then they arrived in front of the temple.

  The temple was surrounded by flourishing pnts and trees. In the front and back were pine forests, and on the left and right were bamboo groves. The temple was completely encircled by pines and bamboo. It seemed that the name "Songzhu Temple" was derived from this.

  The temple was dedicated to Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. Incense smoke swirled around the front of the hall, and in front of the temple gates was a rge bronze cauldron, filled with countless burning incense sticks. Standing in front of the temple, one could overlook Taipei City, with the surrounding scenery picturesque.

  They stood in front of the temple for a while. Tingting shook her hand and said:

  "Teacher, why don't you draw a fortune slip?"

  With a sense of indifference, Fang Siying lit an incense stick and drew a fortune slip.

  The words on the slip were surprisingly vague:

  "Marriage and wealth are not in one's control.

  A high heart will surely deceive you.

  Wandering and turning will confuse the old path.

  When the clouds part, the moon will rise, clearly in its own time."

  Tingting, who was standing beside her, craned her neck curiously and asked, "What does it say, teacher? What did you ask about?"

  Fang Siying crumpled the slip, smiling as she said, "I ask what I ask; it says what it says. Alright, Tingting, it's getting te; we should go back."

  By the time they returned home, it was already time for dinner. Mrs. Bai had not yet returned, and Bai Paiwen instructed the staff to send his meal upstairs. So, at the dining table, only Fang Siying and Bai Tingting were present. Tingting, having spent the afternoon running around outside, had a good appetite and ate two bowls of rice, while Fang Siying ate very little. Tingting's healthy appetite pleased her. Watching Tingting, she asked, "Is this a common situation? Your dad doesn’t come downstairs, your mom goes out, and it’s just you eating alone?"

  "Yes," Tingting replied. "I often don′t eat."

  "Not eating?"

  "Eating alone is tasteless. I just don't eat. Sometimes, Yazhu forces me to eat, and then I have a little bit."

  No wonder this child was so thin! Fang Siying looked at Tingting, silently making a decision in her heart. She was determined to make this child normal, happy, and strong. As for the homework, for now, it had become a secondary concern.

  So, after dinner, she supervised her to finish her homework, helped her with some arithmetic, and then had her bring the broken doll. Fang Siying spent an entire hour and a half carefully sewing the doll back together. With no leftover fabric, she even tore up one of her own slip dresses, using the white satin and ce from it to make a new outfit for the doll.

  Throughout the process, Tingting knelt beside her, watching with a beaming face, constantly helping out—handing her needles and thread. Finally, when the doll was finished, Fang Siying stood up from the carpet, smiling as she said, "There you go; your doll looks much better now."

  Tingting looked at Fang Siying with admiration. Then, she proudly examined her doll again, hugging it tightly to her chest, murmuring softly:

  "Good doll, my sweet, adorable doll."

  Fang Siying was deeply moved. As it was getting te, she urged Tingting to take a bath and go to bed. Watching her change into her pajamas and crawl into bed, Fang Siying bent down to straighten the quilt. In that moment, the child suddenly sat up, wrapping her arms around Fang Siying's neck and pulling her head towards her. Quickly, with her wet little lips, she kissed Fang Siying on the cheek, saying breathlessly:

  "I love you so much, Teacher." After saying that, feeling embarrassed, she rexed her hold on Fang Siyi, turned over, buried her head in the pillow, and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

  Fang Siying stood there for a long time, unmoving. Tingting's sudden gesture had touched her so deeply, so emotionally, she couldn′t contain herself. Her eyes were wet, and there was a yer of mist on her gsses. She couldn’t see clearly anymore. After a long while, noticing that Tingting remained still, she leaned down for a closer look. It turned out the child, exhausted from the day′s adventures, had truly fallen into a deep sleep. She sighed softly, kissed the child's forehead gently, and whispered, “Sleep well, little one. Have a sweet, peaceful dream.”

  With another sigh, she quietly left Tingting's room and softly closed the door behind her. Then, she noticed Bai Paiwen standing at the junction of the small hallway and the corridor, facing her. She knew his hearing was quite sharp. She walked over and greeted him, saying, "Mr. Bai, not asleep yet?"