The Pan family villa was located in the suburbs, where public transportation was sparse. While Pan Wang and Pan Youzhi each had personal drivers, Hiiragi Yu was used to walking a distance before catching a bus or a taxi. Today, however, he was utterly drained. His body hadn’t recovered, and his thigh muscles throbbed with a numb, lingering ache at every step.
Forced to stop at the roadside, he waited another ten minutes before his ride hailing car finally pulled up.
The driver glanced back through the rearview mirror, taken aback. Leaving aside the youth’s remarkably handsome face, the conspicuous hospital gown, partially hidden under a hastily thrown-on coat was enough to raise eyebrows.
Then there was the destination: Morning Light Welfare Home.
It was an old orphanage in the heart of the city, established decades ago. Given its prime location on highly valuable land, many developers had coveted the property over the years. However, as a public institution headed by an unexpectedly formidable old director, those with ill intentions had always been kept at bay.
Connecting the hospital gown, the affluent pickup location, and the orphanage destination, the driver’s mind instantly concocted a full-blown melodramatic drama involving secret heirs, illegitimate children, and ruthless inheritance battles.
Oblivious to the driver’s vivid imagination, Hiiragi Yu leaned his head against the window, watching the city lights blur into streaks of color. None of it registered. His fingers gripped the edge of his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
He suspected his sister had gone to the Morning Light Welfare Home, the place where their mother had grown up.
Hiiragi Satoru was a clever child. Frankly, if Hiiragi Yu hadn’t been involved, Pan Wang usually wouldn’t bother targeting an eight-year-old girl. Still, the thought of his little sister navigating across most of the city entirely on her own made his heart ache.
The more he pondered, the more anxious and overwhelmed he felt. Taking a deep breath, he unlocked his phone.
As a college freshman, he was fortunate that Pan Youzhi covered his tuition. His monthly allowance was two thousand yuan, from which he had managed to save twelve thousand over time. He had tried finding a part time job, but his speech impairment led to repeated rejections and as a medical student, his coursework left little spare time anyway.
Then there was the emergency money their mother had left behind, a sum even Pan Youzhi knew nothing about.
Opening the calculator app, Hiiragi Yu expertly tapped in a series of numbers, balancing expenses against his savings. His sister still needed an education. Though she attended an inexpensive public primary school, he couldn’t just pull her away without a solid plan for their future. And then there were his own ongoing medical costs…
With a quiet sigh, he cleared the screen with a single tap. Pan Wang routinely snatched his phone to pry through his personal life, so Hiiragi Yu never dared leave anything suspicious behind. He had learned to be meticulously cautious.
Just wait a little longer, he told himself softly.
The car gradually slowed to a stop in front of the Morning Light Welfare Home. To Hiiragi Yu, this place felt far more like a home than the Pan family villa ever had.
Shortly after their mother’s passing, the director had reached out to them. Over the past decade, she had remained a constant, warm presence in their lives. At first, Hiiragi Yu had felt lost, but over time, he grew to view Director Song as family.
It was even more so for Hiiragi Satoru. Every time he brought her here, her face lit up with a vibrant joy that was completely absent at the Pan residence.
A wave of sorrow washed over him. Children her age were supposed to be cherished and sheltered, worrying about nothing more than school and play. Instead, Hiiragi Satoru had learned to care for her frail older brother while constantly dodging Pan Wang’s unpredictable malice.
As he stepped out, the security guard recognized him immediately and pushed open the gate. “Quick, look who’s here!” the guard called out warmly, before turning to Hiiragi Yu. “Little Yu, how have you been feeling these past few days?”
Hiiragi Yu offered a gentle smile, signing back that he was doing well.
Before the guard could inquire further, a few children burst from the main building like little cannonballs. “Grandma! Brother Yu is back!” they cheered.
Following behind them was Director Song, her hair silver-white, yet her stride surprisingly brisk.
The moment their eyes met, Hiiragi Yu realized just how tightly wound he had been. The tension in his shoulders dissolved, and the knot in his chest finally loosened. His throat tightened with emotion as he hurried forward.
Director Song approached, her sharp eyes instantly catching the hospital gown under his coat. Understanding the situation at once, she gently patted the back of his hand. “Don’t worry, child. Don’t be afraid.”
“I know where Xiaoxiao is. She’s completely safe.”
Hearing those words, the last of Hiiragi Yu’s strength seemed to drain away. His legs went weak, and for a moment, he wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground and rest. But not wanting to worry anyone, he forced a reassured smile and followed Director Song inside.
He sat on a small stool in the common room. Two or three children immediately crowded around him, clinging to his arms with affectionate chatter.
“Where have you been, Brother Yu? Why haven’t you visited us?”
“Xiaoxiao and I folded paper cranes! Let me show you!”
“I drew a little duck for you!”
Hiiragi Yu listened patiently, his eyes warm. Once the children quieted down, he affectionately patted their heads. He couldn’t speak, but these children had never treated him any differently because of it.
Director Song sat across from them, watching the interaction with gentle, affectionate eyes.
Once the children run off to play, leaving only the two of them, Director Song reached out to hold his hand. “Good child… have you been sick again these past few days?”
Hiiragi Yu looked down at his hospital gown and nodded hesitantly.
Knowing his fragile health, the old director sighed softly, patting his arm. After a brief pause, her expression darkened slightly. “Did that boy bully you again?”
Hiiragi Yu’s first instinct was to shake his head, but under her kind yet sharp, knowing gaze, he quietly lowered his head.
“Before your mother passed, her biggest worry was the two of you,” Director Song murmured gently. Looking at the young man’s strikingly handsome face, she felt a quiet sense of relief that he was a Beta.
She paused, then continued, “Xiaoxiao ran here yesterday, she’s completely fine. Hanqing came by this morning to take her out to play.”
Hiiragi Yu looked up in surprise, a faint frown appearing on his brow.
Hiiragi Hanqing had only recently re-entered their lives, claiming to be their mother’s younger adoptive brother from her days at the orphanage. Hiiragi Yu had been skeptical at first, after all these years, where had this uncle suddenly come from?
It was only after Director Song verified the story that Hiiragi Yu vaguely recalled his mother mentioning him years ago. But in his mother’s stories, Hanqing was a quiet little boy who followed her everywhere, a stark contrast to the tall, imposing Alpha who had recently appeared before them.
Director Song smiled warmly, a nostalgic tone in her voice. “Don’t let his cold exterior fool you. When he was little, he was attached to your mother’s hip, always calling her ‘Sister’.”
Old age often brought a fondness for memory, and Director Song spoke at length about his mother stories. Hiiragi Yu had cherished since childhood. She spoke of the prettiest girl in the orphanage, the only Omega among her peers, bright and beloved, who dreamed of becoming a pianist despite their lack of means. Director Song remembered taking her from store to store just to let her play on display pianos.
Now, those memories included Hiiragi Hanqing, how he had been bullied as a child, how he refused to speak until their mother stepped in to protect him…
After recounting the past for nearly half an hour, Director Song paused, looking closely at Hiiragi Yu. A soft sigh escaped her lips, he looked so much like his mother.
Taking out her phone, she said, “Hanqing took Xiaoxiao to the amusement park, but they just got back to his place. I’ll send you the address.”
Reassured, Hiiragi Yu immediately stood up to leave, but Director Song caught his sleeve with a stern look. “Go upstairs first. Take a shower, change into clean clothes, and then go find her.”
Hiiragi Yu realized she was right. If he showed up at his uncle’s house in a hospital gown, his sister would be terrified.
He obediently went upstairs, took a quick shower, changed into a fresh set of clothes kept at the orphanage, and said goodbye to everyone before heading out.
Because Morning Light Welfare Home was established decades ago, it occupied a prime location in the city center. A University, where Hiiragi Yu was currently enrolled, was only a dozen subway stops away.
Hiiragi Hanqing had recently returned from abroad through an elite academic recruitment program and was currently teaching at A University.
This was Hiiragi Yu’s first time visiting the university’s faculty housing complex. A little awkwardly, he gave the security guard Hiiragi Hanqing’s name, and after a quick verification, the guard cleared him to enter.
Hiiragi Yu walked through the gates, his head down as he studied the residential map on his phone.
He was entirely unaware that behind him, a sleek black car parked quietly by the curb slowly rolled down its tinted window, revealing a pair of deep, dark eyes watching his every move.