Chapter 1

The night in Seattle gradually grew quiet, losing the vibrant hustle and bustle of the day. The nighttime city had its own unique peace and warmth.

But this peace and warmth did not belong to Serena. She was still wearing her convenience store uniform, busy behind the cash register.

There were still over two weeks until university tuition was due, and she was working very hard at the convenience store. The store manager, seeing her diligence, broke routine and gave her more day shifts—after all, it wasn’t really safe for a young girl to work the night shift alone.

The small convenience store was now down to Serena and her coworker, who was about to finish her shift, chatting idly. Serena was organizing the oden tray with tongs, listening to her coworker chatter about the strange customers she’d encountered during the day.

The electronic bell at the door rang crisply—“Welcome to 7-Eleven!” The glass door swung open, and in the dark night dotted with sporadic neon lights, a young man in casual wear walked in.

Serena paused briefly, then quickly gave her habitual greeting: “Hi, welcome! Some of our items are on sale. Would you like to take a look, sir?”

The young man was very polite. He walked straight to the oden, picked up the tongs and a paper cup, carefully selected a few skewers, and handed them to Serena with a faint smile. His tone was gentle: “I’ll take these, thanks.”

For some reason, Serena’s face felt warm. She lowered her head, calculated the price, and announced the amount. The man paid, added a few spoonfuls of broth, thanked her, and turned to leave the convenience store.

Under the plane tree across the street, a tall young woman was waiting. The man waved the oden in front of her. The woman beamed, took his arm, and they left together.

Serena watched their figures until they disappeared into the distance. Her coworker nudged her with an elbow and teased, “Hey, did you lose your soul? You were staring so hard.”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Serena replied, embarrassed.

“That guy was pretty handsome. I looked a few times too, but not like you.”

Serena blushed, pushed her lightly, and went to the back room to organize the shelves.

Serena had been adopted. As an infant, she was abandoned by her biological parents and placed into the foster system. Her adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, were ordinary working-class people who had wanted a child for years. They adopted Serena when the opportunity arose.

But when Serena was two, her adoptive mother finally became pregnant. The couple was overjoyed, and Serena smiled along with them, not understanding.

However, once their biological son was born, the adopted daughter was no longer so precious. Her food, clothes, and everything else were reduced to the basics, and she often had to take what her younger brother didn’t want.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou gradually stopped caring about Serena. Cold words became routine. Serena endured it all and grew used to it. Only her younger brother occasionally helped her, doing what he could without their parents knowing.

So their relationship was fairly good.

Serena had done well on her SATs and been accepted into the best university in Seattle. But her adoptive parents felt the tuition was too expensive. Serena knew they wouldn’t pay, so she kept working and hoped to become more independent once she started university, reducing contact with them.

Still, a young girl could fall for a handsome man. What young maiden doesn’t dream?

Since that brief glimpse, Serena couldn’t stop thinking about him and hoped to see him again.

But given how intimate he’d seemed with that woman, he probably already had a girlfriend.

Thinking about it made Serena frustrated: why hadn’t she noticed whether he wore a ring?

He looked young—maybe only five or six years older than her—but some people married early. If he was married, having improper thoughts would be wrong.

So Serena continued working, harboring an unrealistic hope. Even seeing him once more would be enough. She could casually ask if he worked nearby, or something else—maybe even his last name. She laughed at herself for being silly.

She waited and waited, days and nights passing. She had begun to think she was just deluding herself. Then, the man appeared again.

He pushed open the door and walked straight to her. Although he smiled, his tone was serious and earnest. He looked at her intently and asked politely:

“Hi, let me introduce myself. I’m Julian. Are you Serena Zhou?”

Serena didn’t know how he knew her name. She froze for a few seconds, then nodded.

The store manager, sensing something strange, came over to ask what was wrong.

The young man smiled. “I’m here to see Serena. The Lins would like to meet her.”

“The Lins?” Serena was even more confused.

The man continued, “Serena, would you mind stepping outside for a moment? I promise I mean no harm.”

The manager advised Serena to be careful. Serena said she’d stay just outside the glass door, where the manager could still see her. She took off her uniform and followed Julian outside.

Julian’s gaze was clear and calm. He quietly observed Serena: a girl with short, boyish hair, looking too thin, her slender wrists as if they could snap with a little force.

Her clothes were cheap. Yet even so, her features were soft and beautiful, like a girl from a painting.

He took a quiet breath and said gently, “Serena, may I ask about your family situation?”

Though she was curious and somewhat drawn to him, his abrupt question made her cautious. “What is this about? Do I know you? Is it… is it about Leo? Did he do something wrong?”

Her younger brother was well-behaved, but he was a teenager. Maybe he’d gotten into a fight.

Worried, Serena pressed, “Sir, did Leo do something wrong?”

“Serena, please don’t worry. It’s nothing bad. To be honest—you were adopted, weren’t you? You’re not the Zhous’ biological daughter?” Julian reassured her.

“How do you know that?”

“Our eyes are very similar.” Julian didn’t answer directly. He raised a hand and gestured near her eyes.

Serena opened her mouth, not understanding.

Julian continued earnestly, “Serena, there’s a chance you’re my long-lost sister. I’d like you to take a DNA test with me and my parents. They really want to see you.”

Serena didn’t know how she ended up going with him to the Lins’ house or taking the DNA test. Then she met a middle-aged couple.

The woman wept with joy at first sight, carefully taking Serena’s hand. “We don’t even need a DNA test. I know you’re my daughter. I can feel it. You look just like me. Just like Julian. Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you had to suffer out there all alone.”

Serena was pulled into her arms, listening to the woman’s soft murmurs. She felt lost, bewildered, and amazed.

Could these really be her biological parents?

Could that handsome man truly be her brother?

When the woman let her go, Serena looked past the teary-eyed middle-aged man to see Julian smiling quietly at her, full of hope. Beside him was the girl she’d seen him leave with that night.

The woman wiped her tears, still holding Serena’s hand, and studied her biological daughter with pity. She thought Serena looked malnourished and felt even more guilty. She had heard from Julian about Serena’s situation and wanted to give her everything.

“Come, let me introduce you. This is your father. He misses you too. He even joked that when you come home, he’ll take you to every five-star restaurant in town. At that rate, you’ll turn into a little chubby ball.” Mrs. Lin squeezed Serena’s thin wrist. “You’re too thin. We’ll get some good food into you. Build you up.” Then she pointed to Julian with pride. “This is your big brother, Julian. He’s the one who asked around and found you. He’s brilliant—top of his class. If there’s anything you’re too shy to tell us, you can always go to him for help.”

Serena felt shy and nodded, not daring to meet his eyes.

“Hi, I’m Tiffany.” The dignified woman beside Julian reached out her hand.

Serena shook it. Mrs. Lin said, “This is your sister. She’s doing her master’s in the UK right now. Later, if you want to study abroad, we can send you to England too. You two can keep each other company.”

“Welcome home, little sis.” Tiffany smiled brightly. Serena responded awkwardly, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

The DNA results confirmed she was indeed the Lins’ abandoned youngest daughter.

Mrs. Lin held Serena and cried for a long time. Serena was not good with words and simply stayed with her, which made Mrs. Lin even more heartbroken.

Julian watched, feeling low. He stepped forward and patted their mother’s shoulder. “Mom, Serena’s home now. Don’t cry anymore. I’ll head over to the Zhous’ place later and see how things are.”

Mrs. Lin calmed down. When she heard that, her voice turned cold. She resented how Serena had been treated: “Give them some money and be done with it. Nothing else. If they say one rude word, call the police.”

Julian nodded. Serena looked up at him.

Since coming home, she had rarely dared to raise her head. She still felt out of place.

This brother seemed like a character from a novel—too excellent for her to even aspire to.

She gathered her courage. “Julian, can you take me with you?”

“Why would you want to go? What do you need from that place? Tell Julian to bring it back for you. What’s there to miss?” Mrs. Lin said angrily.

Serena was silent. Julian mediated, “It’s okay, I’ll take her. We can stop by the mall on the way—Serena can pick out some clothes. It’s my job as her brother to give her a proper welcome gift.”

Serena looked at him gratefully, timidly lifting the corners of her lips. She was naturally beautiful, and that shy smile made her even more stunning—like a half-open summer rose. Julian couldn’t help but look a few more times.