Overdo

I murmured, "Who are you?"

She replied softly, "My name is Ren Yingying."

Ren Yingying?

I stared at her in confusion.

"Ren Susu is my cousin."

Ren Susu!

I murmured, "My mother is your cousin?"

She seemed to let out a sigh, "Yes, your mother is my cousin."

I stared at her like a fool, speechless. She raised her hand, her entire body seemingly enveloped in a misty glow. I gazed dazzled at her hand—it was so pale it seemed translucent. Was she real? Was she truly human? Was she the Orchid Fairy? I heard her voice: "The Tianli orchid has bloomed, so beautiful. Has the 'Guanshan' orchid in the double-bridge greenhouse flowered this year?"

I answered blankly, instinctively, "Not yet. Perhaps it won't bloom this year."

She sighed softly, her voice truly like a phoenix singing through a cave flute, yet her expression was lost and helpless. That bewildered look made one unable to bear seeing it again. She murmured quietly, "Yes, perhaps it won't bloom this year..."

Just as I was about to ask her something, I suddenly heard Huo Mingyou calling my childhood name: "Nannan!"

I turned and responded, "I'm here."

Huo Mingyou came in and scolded me, "You little imp, hiding alone again."

I pouted and said, "Who says I'm alone here? There's also..." I turned around but froze. In front of the pot of blooming "Tianli," the air still lingered with the fragrance of orchids, but where was the person before the orchid?

Where was that ethereal white-clad orchid fairy? How had she disappeared?! I stood gaping. Had I truly encountered a fairy?

Huo Mingyou laughed heartily, "Who else is here? No wonder Mu Shiyang calls you a little monster—you're getting more mischievous as you grow up!"

I gave a wry smile. He said, "Let's go out." I followed him out of the greenhouse. The band was still playing music. He bowed like a gentleman, "Miss, may I have this dance?" I shot him a glare and placed my hand in his. The music was a foxtrot. After a few spins to the melody, I suddenly spotted a familiar figure and couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh?" Someone as sharp as Huo Mingyou immediately followed my gaze, but he only smiled, "Do you know him?"

I shook my head, "No." I noticed that the people laughing and chatting around him were all children of our family's longtime friends, occasionally bursting into laughter, clearly already very familiar. Huo Mingyou, however, just smiled and asked me, "Why do you keep staring at him?"

I glared at him again and said, "It's rare to see a new face—can't I look a little longer?" He suddenly stopped dancing and said, "Alright then, let me introduce you." I had no choice but to let him drag me over, inwardly sighing in despair. Sure enough, the moment Zhuo Zheng saw me, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he didn't say anything. Huo Mingyou had already said, "Come, Zhuo Zheng, meet our Miss Murong. Nannan, this is Deputy Captain Zhuo."

He extended his hand to shake mine, "Pleased to meet you." I replied politely, "Pleased to meet you." His gaze was sharp and penetrating, and for some reason, I felt a bit guilty inside. Several of the young gentlemen spoke to me: "Nannan, you played the violin quite well today." But I just kept staring at Zhuo Zheng, who looked back at me calmly. Finally, he asked, "Miss Murong, may I have this dance?"I nodded, and the two of us stepped onto the dance floor. To be honest, he was quite a good dancer—perhaps this was another trait inherited from Father, who excelled in all forms of pleasure-seeking. We moved in perfect sync, drawing the attention of everyone in the ballroom and making quite a spectacle of ourselves. When the song ended, he said, "Come with me," and pulled me by the hand, leading me around the rose trellis to the back. So domineering. He asked, "Who am I?"

He looked utterly ridiculous, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter. He laughed too, then said with frustration, "I know it's a stupid question, but you're the only one I can ask."

I sighed and said, "To be honest, I don't know either." I asked him, "What are you doing here?" That was a foolish question too. He shrugged, "I'm on leave. Zhao Liliang invited me." Zhao Liliang was another family friend. I nodded, and he hesitated before asking, "Has the gentleman said anything to you?" I could hear the uncertainty in his tone—he was already growing suspicious, though I didn't know how much he had guessed.

I shook my head, "Father treats me like a child; he never tells me anything." He paused, then said, "Last time you came to see me, I thought you knew something." I was taken aback. He continued, "The first time I felt something was off was not long ago when he came to the fleet. He arrived unexpectedly without prior notice and happened to visit our ship. The captain was on leave and couldn't return in time, so I accompanied him..."

I remained silent. It wasn't just a coincidence—a series of them had piled up, no wonder he was suspicious. He looked at me, bewildered, and I stared back. We stood there facing each other in silence. He whispered, "Your mother..." My mouth went dry. I thought of a crucial point, but I didn't understand why he was here too.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "You know, the woman who is now my father's wife is his second marriage. My mother, according to official records, died in a car accident before I turned one." I said, "Zhuo Zheng, see if you can find any clues on your end."

He said, "I've already looked into the orphanage, but it was demolished long ago. There are no clues left."