A few years ago, The Lin family had been one of the most prestigious families in the country. That is until one of their own got accused of committing treason.

A mere eleven years old, plotting to kill the emperor. It sounded stupid, it was definitely stupid.

The Lin family had been known for their powerful connections and ability to act swift during wars. They had ties to a powerful merchant up north and their family had once produced an empress.

They were the maternal family of the current empress. Even with the disaster that happened years back, they still held immense influence.

But, having power and money doesn’t guarantee happiness. At first, the Lin’s had been a happy and harmonious family.

At last, everything went down the drain when they lost a child. That child was none other than Lin Anyuan’s younger sister.

The carriage made small creaking sounds as it rolled down the road. Tang Jiangxuan let out a loud sigh, resting against the wall of the carriage.

After leaving Gu residence, the journey back to the Lin residence had been awfully quiet. Why? Because Anyuan had refused to say a word to him.

Tang Jiangxuan couldn’t help but wonder what the heck was bothering his friend. But he didn’t ask, at least, not yet.

Anyuan shook his head, taking a strand of his silver hair between his fingers as he played with it. He could still remember how that slave’s hair looked.

It was long, slightly trimmed at the end but awfully curly. He liked it.

After what seemed like forever, Jiangxuan finally asked, "You’ve been awfully quiet."

Anyuan didn’t turn to look at him. "I’m always quiet."

Jiangxuan folded his fan and slowly tapped it against his knee. "You think she’s your sister, don’t you?"

That finally made Anyuan turn, his pale green eyes landed directly on Tang Jiangxuan. His eyes looked slightly unfocused and Tang Jiangxuan could see that he was clearly being bothered by something.

"So, I was right." Jiangxuan muttered, nodding to himself.

Anyuan sighed, then looked away. He didn’t deny Tang Jiangxuan’s words, he didn’t see the need to.

The carriage fell silent once more. Anyuan leaned back into his seat before saying, "I once had a twin."

Jiangxuan frowned. "I already know that?"

"Just let me finish." Anyuan snapped. "We were both separated when we were children. I barely even remember what she looked like."

Anyuan laughed at his own self, though he sounded calm. The bitterness beneath his words couldn’t be ignored.

"So, why are you telling me this?" Jiangxuan asked, cocking his head to his side.

Anyuan didn’t respond, he just kept staring at something Jiangxuan couldn’t quite place.

Anyuan could still remember her unruly silver hair that gleamed under the moonlight. Her green eyes that were a shade darker than his... just thinking about her made it hard to breathe for him.

"She sounds exactly like her." Lin Anyuan whispered before he could stop himself and Jiangxuan just watched him carefully.

The resemblance between him and Anning was impossible to ignore. Anning possessed the same silver hair and green eyes, even their features were frighteningly similar.

Young master Lin’s fingers curled into fists at his own thoughts. For years, he had forced himself to stop wondering or even thinking about her.

So, he could stop hoping.

"You thought she was dead." Tang Jiangxuan said before Anyuan could even open his mouth to say a word.

For the first time since leaving the Gu residence, Anyuan’s face turned completely pale and Jiangxuan understood how he felt.

No one could see this as mere curiosity and it definitely wasn’t a coincidence. So, if Anning belonged to the Lin family... Why exactly had she been turned to a slave?

———

Anyuan stood at the edge of a rose garden, his fair pulled into a messy bun. The heat coming from the sun should have bothered him, but he didn’t.

He glanced around anxiously, hoping and praying that she would finally come.

Right on cue, a little silver haired girl ran across the grass, her ting legs moving as quickly as they could. She couldn’t have been more than six years old.

"Big brother!" She yelled, her soft and cheerful voice echoed through the garden. The young Lin Anyuan’s lips instantly curled into a bright smile.

Her silver hair bounced wildly behind her as she ran toward Anyuan, laughing like something good had actually happened.

Then—

"Ah!"

She tripped over something and fell to the floor, landing with a soft thud on the grass. Anyuan was by her side before she could even recover, he dropped to his knees beside her.

"I told you to stop running." He scolded, helping her to her feet. "Where have you been?"

The little girl pouted, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "My knees hurt..."

He carefully brushed a few twigs off her dress, making sure to be gentle.

"Then you should have watched where you were going, silly." He said, shrugging.

"I got here because I actually lost my way." She sniffled, looking up at him with green big eyes. "What if I get lost one day?"

Anyuan paused. The question seemed stupid to him. She was his little sister, how could she get lost when he was right here?

He reached out and gently fixed her messy silver hair. "If you get lost, me and mama will find you." He said firmly, "I will find you."

She blinked up at him, her cheeks turning pink. "Really?"

"Really."

The young girl instantly jumped into Anyuan’s arms, hugging him.

"You can’t break your promise, gege. If you do, I’d never forgive you."

---

Anyuan’s lips curled into a mocking sneer, that particular memory should have been a memory for him. But now, it was nothing but a nightmare.

One day she’d been beside him and the next, she was gone.

They didn’t find her body, no clues. It was like she just... disappeared.

They searched for months. Years even. Their mother had cried herself to sleep every night until, eventually, she stopped smiling.

Anyuan slowly opened his eyes, the ache in his chest returned like an old wound that had never quite healed. He ran his fingers through his hair, sighing.

A promise made by a child. A promise he had failed to keep.

"I broke my promise." He whispered to no one but himself.

LTang Jiangxuan’s expression grew serious, his usual bright smile dropping completely. He propped his chin up with the back of his palm then asked, "Do you really believe a slave in the Gu residence could be your sister?"

Anyuan did not answer immediately. He stared out of the window of the moving carriage, the trees blurring past them. The resemblance was too strong to ignore. It wasn’t just the striking silver hair. It was how similar she looked to Anyuan’s mother when she had that fire in her eyes.

"The girl looked at me as though I was some kind of doll. People don’t look at me like that." Anyuan said, the edge of his lips twitching slightly at his own words.

The words hung heavy between them, tension made the air almost too hard to breathe in. Tang Jiangxuan was slightly amused but still studied Anyuan carefully.

"Then go ahead with the investigation." He finally suggested, his tone firm and steady.

Anyuan clenched his jaw, determination burned in his chest, shoving aside any form of doubt. He waited for years to get even the smallest clue. He wasn’t about to let something like this slip last him.

"Turn the carriage around." He yelled. The wheels of the carriage made a creaking sound as it began changing direction, heading back to the Gu residence.

But Anyuan ended up changing his mind almost immediately.

"No." He muttered under his breath. "We won’t return yet."

He leaned out of the carriage’s window and called to one of his guards riding alongside on a horse. The man guided his horse closer, then bowed his head in respect.

"Have the white haired slave of the Gu family investigated," Anyuan ordered, his voice low but commanding.

The guard raised a brow, "Everything, my Lord?"

"Everything."

Anyuan’s gaze hardened at his words. "Her age, where she came from. Who sold her and who bought her before Wanqing." He paused, thinking about something for a minute. "Leave nothing out."

The guard nodded once, his face remained expressionless. "As you command."

He moved his horse forward, disappearing down the road leaving a trail of dust in his wake. The carriage remained silent after that, each young master stuck in their own thoughts.

Anyuan leaned back into his seat, fingers drumming restlessly on his knees. The possibility that this girl could be his sister made him feel both giddy and scared.

If it was truly her... everything would change.

"Oh, if she truly is your sister. I want her to get engaged to me, as soon as possible!"