Hugh Wilson stood watching her from afar, but suddenly felt a warmth inside—a feeling just like coming home. By then, he had already been alone in the United States for six years.

Hugh Wilson walked up to her: "Excuse me, are you Miss Morgan?"

The girl immediately stood up: "Yes, I am. Are you Mr. Hugh Wilson?"

Only then did Hugh Wilson get a clear look at her appearance. A very young girl, probably just over twenty, maybe still studying. Her clothes were a bit old, clearly worn for a few years, but very clean, with large eyes.

He smiled slightly: "Miss Morgan, let's find a place with heating to sit and talk."

After some reserved small talk, Hugh Wilson asked, "I'm a bit curious, Miss Morgan, why did you send me that money back then? Weren't you afraid I might be a scammer?"

The question left her stunned for a moment, then she hesitated a bit and said vaguely, "At that time, I thought I had some money..." She brushed over it unclearly, then added, "Actually, Mr. Wilson you really didn't have to come all this way. I just found some old newspapers while tidying up. I didn't really expect anything from sending that letter."

"So what about you now?"

Hugh Wilson easily got the whole story out.

To summarize: the Miss Morgan in front of him had a good relationship with a neighbor called Jane, who was sentenced to three years in prison for stabbing her husband with a knife. Jane had a child named Jamie. Because Jane’s white husband had violent tendencies, she entrusted the child to Miss Morgan. Now, she was struggling with the neighbor's husband over custody of the child.

Hugh Wilson took a sip of hot cocoa.

"Miss Morgan, are you often, um... so helpful?" In fact, rather than "helpful," Hugh Wilson wanted to say "meddlesome."

"No," she replied shyly, her face flushed—he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or embarrassment. "We've been neighbors for a long time, and she helped me before. Once I had a serious illness and passed out alone in my house with no one knowing. She found me and saved me. If she had found me later, maybe I wouldn't be here now. That’s a life-saving favor, right? Mr. Cruz really does have violent tendencies. I saw with my own eyes him smashing bottles at Jane and Jamie. And Jamie is very obedient and well-behaved; Jane is actually very pitiful..."

She hurriedly found every reason she could.

Hugh Wilson, however, remained indifferent—everyone in this world has their own misery.

But this girl in front of him was kind to the point of foolishness, Hugh Wilson thought to himself. But if she weren’t a bit foolish, how could she have sent five hundred dollars to a stranger like him back then?

Hugh Wilson said, "You don’t need to worry, I will help you."

This matter was not easy to handle.

Hugh Wilson’s private lawyer, Mr. Smith, said, "Miss Morgan doesn’t have enough evidence to prove that Cruz is violent. Even if the evidence leads to the removal of Cruz’s custody, she still cannot adopt the child because she does not meet the state’s criteria for adoptive parents. If this has to be solved through legal channels, it’s difficult. It would be easier done privately—in, that kind of scoundrel might be more easily bought off with money."

"Yes," Hugh Wilson said, "but I don’t like spending money on scoundrels, and maybe he wouldn’t be satisfied, blackmailing repeatedly or turning against us anytime. That’s not a fundamental solution."

"Unless the young lady immediately marries someone qualified, maybe that would increase the chances," Smith shrugged jokingly. "In that case, you would fully qualify."

Smith’s joke made Hugh Wilson’s heart stir.

He found he wasn’t at all opposed to the idea.

Hugh Wilson relayed the lawyer’s words in a call to Mason Scott.

"Even if you prove Cruz’s violent tendencies and have his custody revoked, you still cannot adopt Jamie. Your age, financial condition, and marital status don’t meet the state’s adoption requirements. Jamie will be sent to a welfare institution, and you know, for a mixed-race child, that is definitely not a good place."

Mason Scott was at a loss: "I just wanted to help a friend, why is it so difficult..."

Maybe it wasn’t difficult. Hugh Wilson had talked with Cruz once; he only wanted to extort some money. But Hugh Wilson didn’t let him get his way. Hugh Wilson had seen Jamie, a mixed-race child with black hair and eyes who looked a bit dumb, supposedly mentally impaired due to childhood abuse.

"If you really decide to take on this burden, I have a suggestion," Hugh Wilson said casually. "You can find a trustworthy person who meets adoption requirements for a sham marriage. Maybe... I can help."

Mason Scott on the other end of the phone was dumbfounded. After recovering, she quickly said no: "How can that be..."

Hugh Wilson didn’t insist.

Then the situation progressed: a photo of Cruz drunkenly burning Jamie with a cigarette butt was accidentally taken by Mason Scott’s landlord. But just as lawyer Smith said, although Cruz lost custody, Jamie was still sent to the welfare institution.

Mason Scott was busy with studies and work, but still visited Jamie every day or two.

Months later, one day, Hugh Wilson in California received a call from Mason Scott, her voice slightly crying: "Mr. Wilson, I want to adopt Jamie..."

Jamie had been bullied by children of other races in the welfare institution more than once, but this time it was worse. Jamie was pushed into a toilet bowl and, if not discovered in time, might have suffocated.

When Hugh Wilson went to City N, he brought an agreement.

"The content of this agreement is that you give up all rights from this marriage, and in return, you are not obligated to fulfill any duties. That means we will only have the title of husband and wife," Hugh Wilson explained.

The clear and fair agreement made Mason Scott more at ease. This was exactly Hugh Wilson’s intention; he knew well that the agreement, which didn’t let Mason Scott gain a single advantage, would make her feel much lighter.

"Mr. Wilson, thank you..." she didn’t know what to say.

"No need. Actually, this marriage benefits me too. My company is about to go public, and the image of a married man gains more trust from shareholders. Also, being married helps me avoid many troubles," Hugh Wilson said, giving a reason he found somewhat ridiculous, but ended sincerely: "Besides, Miss Morgan’s kindness to me is more than just a drop in the bucket."

That’s why he wanted to protect her under his wing.

But was that the only reason?

Hugh Wilson didn’t dare ask himself.

He watched her hand hesitate slightly as she signed. Something in his eyes seemed to extinguish, then he gripped the pen tightly and quickly signed his own name, closed it, handed it over, and didn’t look again.

On the night Mason Scott successfully gained custody of Jamie, Hugh Wilson flew back to California.

Mason Scott’s studies were not finished; she was still in City N.

Because of periodic inspections by the welfare institution, Hugh Wilson had to fly to City N at the end of each month. Mason Scott felt guilty for troubling him, but Hugh Wilson looked forward to the end of each month more and more.

Hugh Wilson’s white secretary Miss Linda said cutely, "Boss, you don’t know how much I love the end of every month when you’re always so kind and gentle."

Hearing this, Hugh Wilson smiled, feeling cheerful.

Jamie was still a bit slow and silly. Mason Scott had finally taught him to call "Uncle Ying" in Chinese. Hugh Wilson wasn’t moved by that "Uncle Ying," but Mason Scott was overjoyed, touched as she stroked Jamie’s head.

Lost in her smile for a moment, Hugh Wilson clearly understood—he had fallen for her.

A long-lost feeling.

He and this Miss Mason Morgan had only known each other for a few months.

This feeling came without reason, even without trace.

His scientific mind stubbornly wanted to find the logic behind his heart’s stirrings, but for the first time, he found himself powerless to prove the cause and effect.

Fortunately, he immediately pulled himself out of the dead end; his practical nature made him decide to go with the flow.

Hugh Wilson’s life as a frequent flyer lasted about two years. Two years later, one day, Mason Scott called him with two pieces of news.

First, she had graduated.

Second, Jane was released early, and she decided to take Jamie back to their home country.

After hanging up, Hugh Wilson’s first thought was: it’s about time.

At City N International Airport, Hugh Wilson met the weather-beaten Jane for the first time.

Mason Scott had occasionally mentioned Jane’s story. She originally came as a companion for studies abroad, but the man married an American woman for a green card. Jane left the country in glory, but now ended up like this. Unwilling to return home and be mocked, she quickly married an American man, but was even more unfortunate. Two years in prison finally made her despair of this place, and after a deep awakening, she decided to return home.

Mason Scott held Jamie on one side, reluctant to part.

Jane thanked Hugh Wilson: "Thank you for these two years."

"You should thank Mason Scott enough."

Jane looked at Mason Scott: "She’s much luckier than I am."

Hugh Wilson understood the envy in her eyes and smiled: "Everyone has their own fate; no need to force it."

The plane soared into the sky; Mason Scott looked up at the departing plane.

"Do you really want to go home?"