Shi Mu didn't waste time.
The next morning, she went straight to the local civil registry office, folder in hand and determination in her stride.
Ying's family had once lived in her childhood house. That meant there had to be records—tenant history, school files, relocation paperwork—something to trace who Ying's sister was.
The clerk behind the counter looked up, startled by her urgency.
"I'm looking for a child named Ying," Shi Mu said. "She lived in the house on South Crane Street ten years ago."
The woman furrowed her brow. "Do you have a full name?"
"I… don't." Shi Mu hesitated. "But she had a sister. I'm trying to find her."
It took convincing, a signed release, and a favor owed from one of Shi Mu's university contacts, but after an hour—
The clerk returned with a dusty folder.
"Ten years ago, the Li family lived there," she said. "Two daughters. One was registered as Li Ying. The other…"
She flipped the page.
"Li Zhilan."
Shi Mu's breath caught.
The name felt familiar.Too familiar.
"Where are they now?"
The clerk checked the file.
"The parents passed away in an accident a few months after their move. The older daughter, Li Zhilan, was placed in the care of distant relatives."
Shi Mu leaned forward. "Where?"
The clerk hesitated.
Then handed her a note.
[Li Zhilan – Transferred to the Jian household. Guardian: Jian Mei. Location: West End District, Block C.]
[System Notification]
Sister Identified – Li Zhilan
Emotional Thread Lock Lifted – Search Permission Granted
Action Required: Physical Contact / Visual Confirmation
Brotherhood Value +330 (Family Connection Located + Hidden Identity Uncovered)
Current Total: 14,475 / 1,000,000
Shi Mu stepped outside with the wind hitting her face.
She looked down at the note again, fingers gripping it tightly.
So much had been buried.
Forgotten.
But Li Ying never stopped waiting.
And now, finally—
Her sister had a name.