Upon hearing this, Ryan seemed somewhat stunned and disheartened.


    After a moment, he looked at me in surprise. "You''re no even going to lie?"


    "You rarely lied in the past as well," I smiled and answered calmly. I had heard too much before. He had never been one to deign to deceive.


    "She ran away from home. I need to go find her."


    "She''s divorced. I''m afraid she might do something rash."


    "She got into a car ident. I can''t be at ease if I don''t check on her."


    Later on, he didn''t even need to give a reason-he would just say, "I need to see her."


    It was always, his sister. He couldn''t ignore her.


    It seemed that as long as there was that oneyer of rtionship, any little bit of myints would be seen as petty, and obstructing him would be almost likemitting a crime.


    It was quite ironic. It seemed to match the saying of "What goes aroundes around."


    Ryan probably never imagined that such a day woulde.


    He loosened his grip on his cutlery, which ttered onto the te with a crisp sound, starkly noticeable in the otherwise serenely musical.


    restaurant.


    He rarely lost hisposure, his voice rough as he asked, "Do you really have to go?"


    1 picked up my bag, stood up, and said, "This is you being unreasonable. I never stopped you when you wanted to leave before.


    Besides, I''m single now."


    Since he had brought this upon himself, I wasn''t going to stop.


    I didn''t look back at his expression and left the restaurant withrge strides.


    My car was parked at the nursing home. With the holiday traffic outside, it was a mess. If I went back to get the car and then went to Frank''s ce, it would take an extra two or three hours. I decided to go directly to Frank''s ce.


    I had to wait a long time even for an Uber. The crowd was thick, with many young couples along the roadside, suddenly kissing as they walked and then gazing at each other with silly smiles. Youth was so wonderful. The affection was so openly and honestly enviable.


    When I arrived at the location Frank had given, I realized that the neighborhood was the same one where he had given me an apartment two years ago.


    I got out of the car and sent him a message.


    "na, what''s the apartment number?"


    She replied instantly, "Building 6, Unit 1, 5th Floor"


    Same building, same unit.


    It was a floor below. If it weren''t for the one-unit-per-floor arrangement, it would probably be right across the hall.


    1 put away my phone and easily found the door, then rang the doorbell.


    As if intentionally, I waited several minutes before the door was pulled. open from the inside, apanied by azy voice. "Who''s there?"


    The owner of the voice was lounging in a wheelchair, his sharp and stern face looking seeminglyzy and casual, but with a hint of impatience.


    our


    Feigning ignorance, I cooperated and said, "na said your leg was hurting and asked me toe check on you."


    He looked at me with cocked brows." don''t need your help."


    "Oh, okay." I nodded and smiled. "Then I''ll be going now."


    With that, I turned to leave.


    A bony hand, however, grabbed my wrist firmly, using a bit of force to pull me inside.


    In the foyer, I steadied myself. "Didn''t you say you didn''t need my help?"


    Frank''s eyes were unfathomable as he said coldly, "It suddenly started hurting again, and now your help is needed. Is there a problem?"


    "Not at all." I smiled and nodded, pointing to a pair of house slippers on the floor. "Can I wear these?"


    "They''re na''s."


    Frank maneuvered his wheelchair and opened the shoe cab, retrieving a new pair of slippers from the top shelf. "Wear these."


    "Okay." I took off my high heels and was changing shoes when Frank said with a smile. "I heard you went to a couples'' restaurant with Ryan for Valentine''s Day?"ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    "No."


    It was difficult to exin the events of the past two years, but this was straightforward, so I answered honestly, "He brought an expert from abroad and went to the nursing home today to check on Grandma. The expert said she can be treated within a month,"


    "So, you''re doing it out of gratitude?" he inquired.


    "What do you think?*


    I finished changing into the house slippers and pushed his wheelchair towards the living room.


    Frank scoffed, "Who shows gratitude by going to a couples restaurant?"


    I was momentarily taken aback, "A couples restaurant?"


    I had stayed in Jeswood for a short time and wasn''t familiar with restaurants. I thought it was just a French restaurant with a better


    environment


    Frank looked at me, "You didn''t know?"


    Ladmitted, "I didn''t know. I didn''t even know it was Valentine''s Day before going to the mall


    After being single for two years, I had stopped caring about such events.


    Frank''s expression was still nonchnt, but his tone was less cold. "As foolish as ever"


    I didn''t want to argue, but something urred to me, so I had to speak up. "Do you remember the person who Bethany found to steal my identity?"


    Chase