Fortunately, Chu Chengfeng had gone to take a call at the time and hadn’t seen her together with her younger brother, otherwise Liu Ling really wouldn’t have known how to explain.

Qi Fang had already been searching in the Imperial Capital for several days, and he finally found his older sister. His eyes were full of tears, but his expression carried surprise. He threw his arms around Liu Ling in one go and choked out, "Second Sis, I finally found you. You don’t know, our family’s been looking for you for months. I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime..."

Liu Ling’s brows knit slightly. Using a deft bit of strength, she pushed away the snot-and-tear-covered teenager, then said with some distaste, "You’ve got the wrong person."

Qi Fang froze on the spot, staring at the person in front of him, rubbing his eyes hard. "Second Sis, I didn’t get it wrong, you really are my Second Sis."

Then he looked again at Liu Ling’s expression and the clothes she was wearing, and suddenly seemed to realize something, cautiously asking, "Second Sis, could it be that you lost your memory?"

Liu Ling had originally wanted to go along with it and admit it, but if she did that, wouldn’t it be confirming that she was the Qi Family’s adopted daughter?

Right now she had no intention of getting involved with the Qi Family at all.

Though she did regret it a little now. Back then she’d been too impatient; she should have settled this matter properly before coming back with Chu Chengfeng. It was just that at the time she’d been utterly disgusted with that family, so she’d turned and left without a shred of mercy.

"What lost memory, don’t talk nonsense!" Liu Ling coldly rebuked him, then turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.

"But you clearly are my Second Sis, why are you saying you don’t know me?" Qi Fang called after Liu Ling.

"I’ll tell you one more time, my name is Liu Ling, I’m not your so‑called Second Sis. Stop pestering me, or I’ll call the police."

She had always known that this younger brother called Qi Fang had a soft temperament. A few threats and he would behave. Sure enough, fear flickered in the boy’s eyes as he uneasily stepped back a few paces and didn’t dare say another word.

Liu Ling’s lips curved with a trace of cold smile. She didn’t even look at him and walked off in Chu Chengfeng’s direction.

Only the pitiful, tearful teenager was left standing there in a daze, not moving for a long time.

Not far away, Qiaoqiao happened to see this scene.

She was shopping with An Xiaotong.

Even though it was the New Year and the elders at home handled many things so she didn’t need to, she and Qin Yize had lots of friends as well, and they had to pay visits to each other.

Moreover, as the chairwoman of Yubao Square, she needed to personally visit friends from all walks of life, so these past few days, aside from buying gifts, she had been delivering them.

Luckily she had many helpers around. Qin Yize was also extremely busy and couldn’t accompany her himself, but he had sent Luh Fei over. With that, Qiaoqiao smoothly finished delivering all the New Year gifts that needed delivering and visiting all the households that needed visiting.

What remained were just a few closer friends, which was simple, so she arranged to meet An Xiaotong for a casual shopping trip to pick up some things—and happened to witness what had just happened.

Qiaoqiao frowned slightly. Her hearing was good; she had caught every single word they’d said just now.

Liu Ling had her back to her.

And Qiaoqiao was on the other side of the noisy mall. Liu Ling hadn’t seen her and naturally wouldn’t set up a Barrier in the mall, so Qiaoqiao had heard their entire conversation.

There was no doubt that this teenage boy had to be the younger brother from the family that had adopted Liu Ling. But why was it different from what Liu Ling had said?

Judging by the looks of it, this boy seemed very close to his older sister, not like there was no affection at all. On the contrary, it was Liu Ling who appeared extremely ruthless.

That didn’t quite match Liu Ling’s outward persona. Liu Ling was supposed to be a gentle girl.

Even if the teenager had mistaken her for someone else, she shouldn’t have treated him like that.

And it was obvious the boy hadn’t mistaken her. How could he not recognize the sister he’d lived with for over ten years?

Qiaoqiao narrowed her eyes slightly, stood there, hesitated for a long moment, and then still gave up.

Even if everything Liu Ling had said before about her background was a lie, so what?

That was between Chu Chengfeng—no, to be precise, between Chief Mo Li now—and Liu Ling.

Let alone that it had nothing to do with her, Gu Qiaoqiao. Even if it did, what could she do?

Qiaoqiao felt it was boring and was about to turn around and leave.

But just as she turned, she suddenly noticed that tearful teenage boy shiver.

Qiaoqiao hadn’t seen wrong. Just now, a nearly imperceptible point of light had hit that child.

Qiaoqiao quickly looked in that direction—it was exactly the direction Liu Ling had left in.

There was no doubt this had to be Liu Ling’s doing.

Because Qiaoqiao scanned the area and found no one from the Mystic Sect nearby, aside from her and Liu Ling.

What on earth was this Liu Ling trying to do?

Was she going to silence him?

What good would that do her?

But it didn’t quite look like that either, because after that shiver, the boy wiped at his tears as he lowered his head and walked away.

He didn’t seem to have any problems.

If Qiaoqiao hadn’t seen it, that would have been that. But since she had, she had to check it out.

After all, in every sense this teenage boy was innocent.

Qiaoqiao said to An Xiaotong, who was picking out clothes, "Wait for me here a bit. I’ve got something to do over there, I’ll be right back."

"Do you want me to go with you?" An Xiaotong asked.

Qiaoqiao patted her arm. "No need, just wait here and don’t wander off. I’ll be back in a minute..."

After giving her instructions, Qiaoqiao quickly walked off in the direction the boy had left and soon caught up to him.

Luckily, the kid had stopped crying by then. Frowning, he was standing in front of a glass window lost in thought, his eyes full of confusion.

He was probably wondering whether his Second Sis had really lost her memory or just didn’t want to acknowledge them— and why she wouldn’t want to acknowledge them.

Qiaoqiao strolled over as if by chance, and when she passed by him she also stopped, as though she were admiring the clothes in the display. In reality, she was checking whether there was anything strange about the boy. If there was nothing unusual, she planned to leave quietly.

However, after a moment, Qiaoqiao frowned in displeasure.

By now Qiaoqiao could already tell that something was wrong with the boy’s state. His thoughts seemed to have been scrambled by something.

Because the aura around him had become abnormal.

For a young teenager, that was basically impossible.

The boy looked only twelve or thirteen, the age when one’s mind should be simple and pure, so how could his aura be this complicated...

Taking advantage of the moment when he was completely absorbed in his thoughts, Qiaoqiao casually brushed against his arm. With that, Qiaoqiao finally understood—what Liu Ling had just hit him with was meant to disrupt the child’s thinking, to blur his memory of seeing her just now, and then make him forget.