The year was 1983.

The sun had set. It was dark outside. Only one dim light was in the Foster family’s living room.

“Dad, Mom, I’m willing to live abroad with you.”

When they heard their daughter’s words through the phone, Philip York and Angela York were moved to tears of excitement.

The year was 1983.

The sun had set. It was dark outside. Only one dim light was in the Foster family’s living room.

“Dad, Mom, I’m willing to live abroad with you.”

When they heard their daughter’s words through the phone, Philip York and Angela York were moved to tears of excitement.

“That’s great, Joy. If it weren’t for that earthquake, we wouldn’t have been separated for so many years. We never abandoned you on purpose, really. We’ll come pick you up right now.”

When she heard her biological parents weeping, Joy Foster felt her heart clench in pain. She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself down. “Give me another two weeks. I still need to take care of some matters here. Once I’m done, I’ll go over to where you two are and keep you company.”

Her parents seemed to have been reminded of something. “You’re right. How silly of us. No matter what, the Foster family took care of you for years. I heard that your adopted brother has always doted on you, so you do need to say goodbye to them properly.”

At the mention of Samuel Foster, Joy stiffened for a moment, and her heart was filled with pain.

When she was six, there was a huge earthquake, and she was separated from her parents. In the end, the government had the Foster family adopt her.

The Foster family was wealthy, powerful, and had a long history. Even though they took her in, her adoptive parents were busy with work and seldom paid attention to her.

Hence, instead of saying that her adopted parents brought her up, it would be more accurate to say that Samuel was the one who took care of her.

When she was seven, she was terrified of thunder, so he would hold and coax her to sleep by singing her lullabies.

When she was ten, she wanted her classmates’ snacks and toys. He had bought out the store beside the school to spoil her rotten. She was the object of everyone’s envy.

When she was fourteen, she had her period. He taught her the knowledge of menstruation and took care of her when she had a stomachache.

He gave her everything she wanted, like hair clips, shoes, clothes, phonographs, and cars.

Everyone who knew him would tease him by saying that he was an overprotective brother and no one could possibly marry her in the future.

At that time, he simply laughed and pulled her into his arms. “If they want to marry my sister, they’ll have to treat her better than I do.”

She had buried her face in his arms so he could not see her face turning red.

No one knew that Samuel was the person she loved.

Since they had kept each other company for so many years, she fell in love with Samuel long ago.

But she did not dare confess because she vaguely felt that her love was taboo. That was why she only dared to write down her love for him in her diary or tell Yelena Jones, her best friend, about it.

She did not expect Yelena to tell Samuel about it.

That night, Samuel suddenly barged into her room and tore her diary to shreds with a dark expression.

He then threw the diary at her, and she got a papercut on her face. It hurt her so much that she turned her head to the side.

“How could you fall in love with your own brother, Joy?! Have you no shame?!”

That was the first time she saw him get so angry, and those words felt like knives stabbing into her heart.

As she stared at Samuel dumbly, tears welled in her eyes before falling down soundlessly.

Before she could say anything, Samuel left with a slam of the door.

After that, Samuel did everything he could to avoid her. If they occasionally met, he looked at her coldly as if she was a stranger.

One week later, he announced he would marry Yelena right before everyone.

She had not even figured out when they got together when the news dropped on her, and it shocked her so much that her mind went blank.

After the party was over, she wanted to get some answers and only saw the usually aloof Samuel pin Yelena against a corner while they made out.

That night, she cried until she no longer had any tears left.

But she also knew that she would never get answers to certain questions, and there was no longer any need for her to get those answers.

At that moment, the Family Reunification Organization came to her and told her that they had relocated her birth parents.

After they lost her, her parents had been depressed for a long time. Even after her father was sent to another country to become a diplomat there, they never gave up on looking for her. When they finally received news about her, they were so excited that they nearly fainted.

Right then and there, Joy thought that perhaps God had already decided how certain things should end.

He had decided that there was no possibility for her to be with Samuel, and he had also decided that all the years she spent at the Foster family was just a nice dream.

It was time for her life to return to its original track.

Hence, she made her decision to return to her family and also give up on the love she had for Samuel.

The next day, Joy went downstairs early.

When her adopted parents happily beckoned her over for breakfast, she smiled sweetly and obediently and went to sit with them.

Then, she told them that her birth parents had found her and that she had decided to leave the country to return to their side.

When Martha Foster, Joy’s adopted mother, heard this, she grabbed her hand. Her voice was filled with happiness for Joy, but it was also laced with a hint of reluctance to let her go because she did not know when they would get to meet again. “This is great, Joy. I’m glad that you found your real family. By the way, have you told Samuel about this?”

Joy was stunned. Should she tell Samuel about it?

As of that moment, he was focused entirely on Yelena. Even if she did not tell him, it did not matter.

“What are you going to tell me?”

She heard his cold voice behind him. Joy whipped her head around to see Samuel standing at the door.

He looked incredibly handsome and tall.

Right when Martha wanted to say something, Joy suddenly changed the topic. “It’s nothing. Welcome back, Sammy.”

When he heard the nickname Joy had not used for him for years, Samuel froze for a moment before he gave her a meaningful look.

When had Joy stopped calling him Sammy?

Was it since she was eighteen, fifteen, or earlier?

When she stopped, he thought she had grown up and no longer wanted to be close to him, only to learn later that it was because she had fallen in love with him.

But she was calling him Sammy again. Samuel stared at her for a long time with a profound look in his eyes.

Something about Joy seemed to have changed.

After some time, he looked down and went over to put the gifts he had brought on the table. He said, “Dad, Mom, these are Yelena’s gifts. She said it’s just a small gesture from her, and she hopes that you’d like them.”

Martha beamed at that. “Of course I’d love them. Yelena always gives us great gifts. Have you thanked her for us?”

Francis Foster also stood up, and a smile appeared on his usually stern face. “Samuel, when you visit Yelena’s family next, bring them the can of Earl Grey tea leaves in the cupboard.”

Francis and Martha were always satisfied with Yelena being Samuel’s fiancee. Once they got excited talking about her, they started talking nonstop about asking Yelena’s parents to come over when Samuel was free during the weekend.

It was clear that they wanted to talk about their wedding.

Joy just sat where she was and observed them quietly. Loneliness bloomed in her, and she dug her nails into her palms, but soon, she unfurled her fists.

At that time, she could clearly sense once again that she was the outsider in the situation.

But she would never have to feel frustrated anymore.

With that thought in mind, she calmly got up and went to her room.

Samuel heard the sound of her getting up. He looked up in the midst of talking to his parents, but all he saw was Joy vanishing behind her door.

Was he imagining things?

Ever since he came back, Joy had only spoken to him once. That was highly unusual for her.

…

That afternoon, Joy decided to go to the immigration department to get her visa.

When she went downstairs, she saw Yelena sitting beside Samuel. He was peeling an orange for her while smiling.

Samuel deftly peeled the orange, then peeled off the white bits on it before delivering a segment to Yelena’s lips.

Yelena’s cheeks slowly turned red. She gave him a look before she obediently bit down on the orange in his hands.

Samuel chuckled and took a piece of tissue from the tissue box beside him before dabbing it against Yelena’s mouth.

“Was it sweet?”

Yelena nodded. She picked up a segment of the orange and gave it to him.

“Why don’t you try it too?”

As she watched them flirt, Joy quietly turned away and wanted to head out.

“Joy!”

Suddenly, Yelena called out to her. When she turned around, she saw her beckon her over.

“Samuel is on break today, and we decided to go play at the park. Would you like to join us?”

Joy shook her head. “I don’t want to bother you on your date.”

Yelena smiled. “You’re my sister-in-law. You wouldn’t be a bother.”

She stressed the word “sister-in-law” as if she were reminding Joy of her status.

If she heard that word in the past, Joy would feel like a hand squeezing down on her heart, and it would hurt so much that she could not breathe.

But at present, he only treated Samuel as her brother, so her heart was as calm as a lake.

“I have certain things to take care of. I’ll join you next time.”

When she heard Joy refuse her again, Yelena’s smile instantly stiffened, and her voice trembled with sadness. “Joy, are you blaming me for stealing your brother from you? Is that why you won’t join us on our outing?”

Samuel hurriedly hugged Yelena and frowned. “I’ve always liked you. How can you say that you stole me?”

Those romantic words made Yelena’s ears turn red, and she punched him in the chest.

He just chuckled and hugged her before kissing her crown. “If she doesn’t want to go, let her be.”

Joy smiled.

Yes. That was indeed the case.

In the future, they were also going to go their separate ways.

She politely bade them goodbye and headed out.

Once she was done applying for her visa, Joy walked out of the immigration department and headed to her dance troupe.

One wall of the leader’s office was filled with the dance troupe’s achievements and photos. Joy touched them with great sentiment. She did not want to leave.

She once thought she would spend her entire life in this dance troupe, but who would have expected her to leave so suddenly?

“Joy.”

Helen Quinn, the leader, came in and patted her shoulder.

As she stared at Helen, she was reminded that Helen had guided her for ten years. Her reluctance to part filled her heart again, but she barely managed to suppress it.

She clenched her fists and sucked in a deep breath.

“Helen, I’m resigning. My birth parents found me, and I’d like to live with them abroad.”

Helen’s eyes flew wide open. Her surprise was quickly replaced by happiness. She was delighted for Joy. “That’s great. Are you going to keep dancing after you leave?”

Helen had watched as Joy turned from a timid and shy girl into an elegant woman. She also knew just how much effort Joy put into dancing. Dancing was the one thing that let Joy show herself off and gain confidence, so she did not want Joy to give up dancing.

Joy looked at the photos of the dancers dancing. Determination shone in her eyes. With a faint smile, she nodded. “Dancing has always been my dream. I won’t just give up on it. In the future, I’ll continue dancing.”

Helen nodded. She had always admired Joy’s determination. That was why she was willing to give Joy the troupe’s lead dancer position and wanted to make her take over in the future.

But fate had thrown a wrench into her plans. Joy was going to resign to reunite with her parents. Helen could not say no to that, but she still asked tentatively, “Are you leaving right away? The dance you choreographed for a year is about to debut. You’ve spent so much effort and time on it. You should show it on stage at least once.”

Joy nodded. “I’ve already talked to my parents. Once I’m done tying up loose ends here, I’ll go to them. I still have half a month before I leave. It’s enough time for me to perform the dance.”

Helen felt at ease then. She patted Joy’s shoulder. They then chatted a little more before Joy went to the studio to dance.

Joy grabbed her bag and headed home when the sun had long since set.

When she pushed the door open, Yelena was still around.

After listening in on the conversation, she realized they were talking about her wedding dress and jewelry.

“Martha, I’m feeling a little overwhelmed from all the dresses and jewelry. I want Joy to help me make a decision. No matter what, we’ve been best friends for years. She knows what I like too.”

When Yelena said those things, Joy stepped into the house. Martha quickly beckoned her over. “Joy, Yelena is having some trouble with this. Why don’t you help her pick what she’ll need for her wedding?”

Joy stared at Yelena. She was smiling, but when she met her gaze, her smile revealed provocation.

Joy looked down. After some thought, she still decided to say no. “Sorry, I’m not free. I still have something to do at the dance troupe.”

She only had half a month left and was about to perform. Before she left, she still had plenty of loose ends to tie up. She was not lying when she said she did not have time to help Yelena.

But right after she said those things, the atmosphere turned gloomy.

Samuel glared at Joy, and his gaze was cold. “Your best friend is about to get married. Can’t you set aside your own things? It’s settled. You’re helping Yelena, and I’ll apply for leave on your behalf tomorrow!”

If he was going to force her to take leave on the excuse that he was her guardian, then she had no right to refuse.

Joy gave a wry smile and said nothing else.

Over the next few days, Joy set aside everything else and helped Yelena choose the things she wanted for her wedding.

Originally, she thought Yelena only needed to pick her stuff from the department store.

But Yelena brought her from the south of the city to the north, and she kept asking Joy’s opinions on everything, from her wedding dress to her hair accessories.

Whenever Joy asked her to ask Samuel, she would pout. “Why should I ask Samuel? He’s a man. Aside from giving me money, he knows nothing about such things. You’re the one who understands me.

“When I asked him to help me pick our wedding rings, he delivered the entire shelf of wedding rings to my house and asked me to pick one.”

While Yelena tried the various hair accessories in front of the mirror, she kept complaining. It was evident that she was boasting.

Joy just listened in silence and did not react as she expected.

Yelena bit her lip. Right when she was about to say something, she saw Samuel from her peripheral vision, and she cried out in delight, “Samuel, you’re here!”

Joy looked up and saw Yelena run over to throw herself into Samuel’s arms. She kissed his chin sweetly.

Samuel patted her hair and said dotingly, “Didn’t you say you were going to the church in the suburbs to pray? I applied for half a day’s leave to pick you up.”

They whispered to each other for a little longer before Yelena blushed and buried her face in his arms.

Suddenly, she remembered something and grabbed Joy’s hand. “Joy has been keeping me company over the past few days. Why don’t we go together?”

Samuel did not even look at Joy. He just picked up the stuff Yelena bought and headed out.

“We’ll do whatever you want.”