“Do you want to go?” Hamish asked.
“I do.” Elisa suppressed her expression and looked at Hamish with wide eyes, her gaze pleading even though she didn’t utter a word of persuasion.
Under her intense gaze, no man could resist. Hamish put down his phone and said, “If you take your medicine properly these days, I’ll let you go.”
“Are you really keeping your word this time?” Elisa had become wary of Hamish’s promises and had to confirm multiple times.
Hamish reached out and tapped her forehead. “Really, I won’t deceive you this time.”
Elisa didn’t understand what Hamish was thinking. One moment he wouldn’t let her go out, and the next moment he agreed. She felt uneasy, as if Hamish’s face changed even faster than a clown’s.
“It’s late, let’s go to sleep.”
Hamish got into bed, turned off the lights, and habitually embraced Elisa. He agreed to let Elisa visit the orphanage not out of pity for her, but because he believed that if she had more contact with children now, she wouldn’t resist the idea of having a baby later.
Two days flew by, and the stuffed toys Elisa had bought for the orphanage arrived. The headmaster signed for them and called to express his gratitude, then reminded her about the banquet on Wednesday.
“Yeah, I’ll go. I know the address,” Elisa replied.
After hanging up the phone, Elisa got up and took the medicine from the bedside table and swallowed it.
It tasted bad, but it was effective. Her lower abdomen no longer hurt, and her body felt warmer than usual at night.
“Miss Powell, I’ve taken the bowl out. Is it okay if I bring the food up to you or do you want to come downstairs to eat?”
“Just bring it up like usual.”
She had hardly been out of the house in the past two days, and Lila hadn’t come to see her on her own initiative. They only met three times a day at most.
After Mrs. Gordon left the bedroom, Elisa picked up a book from the bookshelf and sat on the balcony, looking down at the small courtyard below. Mrs. Gordon, who had just come downstairs, was together with Lila, chatting and laughing.
Elisa squinted her eyes. Although Mrs. Gordon had been acting normally these past few days and hadn’t done anything suspicious, she had a feeling that something was off about this person.
In fact, it was apparent from the way Mrs. Gordon addressed her. When Mrs. Gordon entered, she called her “Miss Powell,” whereas Dr. West, who had seen her for the first time a few days ago, respectfully referred to her as “Mrs. Burns.”
Among the people in this house, who would be most concerned about her current identity? The answer was undoubtedly Lila.
Elisa quickly sorted out her thoughts and came to a conclusion.
She closed the book and waited for half an hour until Mrs. Gordon brought up lunch.
The next morning.
After finishing breakfast, Elisa drove to Goodlife Orphanage. Although the orphanage didn’t occupy a large area, the house had been well renovated with her support over the past few years, and the children lacked nothing in terms of food, clothing, and other necessities.
The headmaster knew that Elisa was coming today, so he had arranged for the children to decorate the orphanage. It was just an ordinary day, but it looked as festive as Christmas decorations.
Elisa parked her car at the entrance and followed the headmaster inside. Mrs. Hall warmly introduced her along the way, bringing her to the hall where a line of children stood neatly.
Some were as old as fifteen, while the youngest were only two or three years old. When the group of children saw her, they obediently called out, “Elisa.”
A sour feeling welled up in Elisa’s heart. How could these cute children be abandoned by their parents? Not all children were lively; there were a few who had just been abandoned and sent to the orphanage, standing in a corner, timidly staring at her.
Elisa wasn’t accustomed to interacting with children, so she stood there at a loss, not knowing what to do. She responded to whatever the headmaster said.
“The children are very grateful for the toys you gave them. They also have gifts for you.” The headmaster clapped his hands and kindly said, “The little ones, bring the gifts you prepared for Elisa.”
The group of children quickly returned to their rooms and brought out the prepared gifts. They lined up obediently and shyly handed their gifts to Elisa.
“Happy 24th birthday, Elisa.”
Elisa sat in her chair, stunned. She thought it was just a coincidence that the headmaster invited her to the orphanage every May 21st, but it turned out they remembered her birthday.
She never thoughtthat anyone in her life would remember her birthday. It was truly heartwarming. Elisa’s nose tingled, and her eyes welled up with tears.
She reached out and received the gifts, gently patting the head of a little girl in front of her, and said, “Thank you.”
Elisa received a total of 50 gifts that day, piled up beside her like a small mountain. They were all handmade by the children, including folded paper stars, origami cranes, drawings, stickers, bracelets. The thoughtfulness behind these gifts surpassed any material possessions she had ever received and brought her immense joy.
Afterwards, the headmaster brought out a birthday cake. Elisa, who had stomach cancer and couldn’t consume milk or cream, tasted a bit and then distributed the rest to the children.
“I’ll go to the bathroom. You can eat first, don’t mind me,” Elisa said to the headmaster, who was cutting the cake.
The headmaster skillfully cut a slice and handed it to her, then turned to Elisa and said, “Miss Powell, wait a moment, I’ll take you there.”
“No need, I can go by myself.” Elisa turned around, picked up her bag from the chair, and quickly left the hall.
Elisa was a lonely person at heart. She was accustomed to solitude, and when she found herself in a crowded place, she felt suffocated, as if the air had become thin. She had nowhere to hide, felt out of place, and just wanted to find a quiet corner to be alone.
This was the first time someone had celebrated her birthday with her, and there were so many people. Although she was touched, she still felt uncomfortable.
So going to the bathroom was just an excuse. Elisa walked around the inside of the orphanage, where there was a pergola. It wasn’t the season for flowers to bloom yet, but the vines on the trellis were lush, providing shade.
Elisa walked over and prepared to sit down, but as she approached, she noticed that there was someone else sitting on the wooden chair next to the wisteria tree.
Just as Elisa was about to leave, the person suddenly stood up and looked at her.
Elisa was momentarily stunned, not because of anything else, but because the man in front of her was exceptionally handsome, on par with Hamish in terms of good looks.
The man appeared to be in his late twenties, with a slender figure. He was wearing slightly faded jeans and a white T-shirt. His facial features were exquisite, with a clean and resolute jawline. His eyes were the most captivating, clean and clear, like those of an innocent child who had yet to experience the world. A single glance was enough to captivate anyone.
Elisa had never come across such a refined and clean-cut man before. Her face suddenly flushed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know there was someone here. I disturbed you.”
She turned to leave, but the man called out to her, “You didn’t disturb me. You can come and sit with me.”
Elisa, being stopped by a stranger like this, hesitated for a moment, then inexplicably went over and sat down.
She cautiously observed the man, feeling that he was somewhat familiar, perhaps because his inherent charm made it irresistible to draw closer to him.
Neither of them spoke, and the surroundings were quiet, but it didn’t feel awkward. The atmosphere was pleasant.
Elisa sat at the other end of the wooden chair, feeling the breeze brushing against her cheeks, listening to the cicadas chirping. She turned her head to look at the man, her gaze becoming bolder and bolder.
The man had his head lowered, his long and dense eyelashes partially covering his brown eyes. His thin lips curled upwards, seemingly naturally inclined to smile.
Sensing the intense gaze beside him, the man turned his head and met Elisa’s eyes. Caught in the act, Elisa felt embarrassed and didn’t know where to direct her gaze.
The man grinned, revealing a pair of canine teeth. The momentary splendor was like sunlight, radiant and warm, making it impossible to look away.
Elisa suddenly felt a strong sense of discordance. The man’s smile was indeed beautiful, but it was too innocent, almost like that of a child, a bit foolish.
“Are you a volunteer helping here? Why are you here? Aren’t you going to eat?” the man asked.
Elisa shook her head. “I’ve already had cake inside. There’s plenty in the hall for you too.”
The man shook his head and asked a strange question, “Have you eaten cookies?”
Elisa shook her head again. “No, I haven’t.”
“Then have mine. Eat them quickly.” The man handed over his cookies to her.
Elisa was certain she wouldn’t accept food from him, a stranger. “I’m not hungry, you eat them.”
The man frowned slightly, then suddenly tightened his grip on Elisa’s wrist and forcefully placed the cookies in her hand.
Elisa was taken aback, but fortunately, the man didn’t hold onto her for too long. She looked at the crumbled cookies in her hand, not sure whether to laugh or be annoyed.
She glanced at him, and the man retracted his hand. When he smiled, his eyes curved, revealing a childlike innocence.
Elisa’s strange feeling grew stronger. “You…”
The man waited for her to speak, his eyes deep and his pupils dark, giving the impression that he was incredibly attentive.
Elisa held the cookies in her hand. “I just had cake inside, and there’s plenty of food in the hall. You can go there.”
The man shook his head and asked a peculiar question, “But have you eaten cookies?”
Elisa shook her head again. “No, I haven’t.”
“In that case, you can have mine. Eat them quickly.” The man gave her all the cookies in his hand.
Elisa nodded and couldn’t help but laugh. This was the first time someone had insisted on giving her cookies.
A warm feeling spread through her body, warming even her usually cold fingertips.
For the first time, she encountered someone who gave her all the cookies he had when he found out she hadn’t eaten any before.
Just as Elisa was about to lower her head to taste the cookies, a voice called out to her from a distance.
“Miss Powell, why are you here? Aren’t you going back?” It was the headmaster running towards her.
Elisa turned her head and explained, “I found the scenery here beautiful and couldn’t resist staying.”
“If you wanted to go out, you could have asked us to accompany you. Today is your birthday after all.” The headmaster approached and, upon seeing the man sitting next to her, paused for a moment. “Autumn, what are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you all morning. Come back and have your meal.”
The man remained silent.
It was Elisa who reacted. She asked, “Is his name Autumn? Is he a volunteer here?”
“No, Autumn was brought to the orphanage fifteen years ago in the autumn. He…” The headmaster pointed at him. “When he arrived, he had a head injury, and he’s a bit simple-minded. He doesn’t have enough intelligence and has been living at the orphanage since then.”
To put it nicely, he lacked intelligence, but in harsher terms, he was a fool. Now it made sense why Elisa felt that sense of discordance.
“Doesn’t he remember anything?”
“If he could remember, he wouldn’t still be here. We’ve even tried to find out his identity by contacting the police, but he’s like a blank sheet of paper. Nothing can be found out about him.” The headmaster walked over and gently patted Autumn’s shoulder, speaking warmly, “Let’s go back.”
Autumn nodded obediently and followed. After taking a few steps, he deliberately stopped and waited for Elisa. “Take the cookies, eat them.”
Elisa glanced at him and then looked at the cookies in her hand. “Okay.”
The headmaster, who was walking ahead, heard this and turned to look at them, his eyes showing surprise. “He actually gave you the cookies.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, it’s just that this kid is very possessive of his food.” The headmaster exaggerated, “He’s the kind of person who doesn’t even let anyone touch a grain of rice, but unexpectedly, he gave you all the snacks he had hidden for several days. It seems he really likes you.”