Zhuo Yun quickly followed behind Min Yu. “No, we haven’t found her yet. I have to say though that things are starting to feel strange. We tracked Lu Xia down to a particular state before she disappeared into thin air.”

Min Yu pursed his lips. “Oh really?”

Zhuo Yun looked at his boss cautiously before he continued. “Since there were lots of powerful people in the state where she was last seen, I reckon someone important was helping her.”

Min Yu thought about the strange things Lu Xia had mentioned to him when they were at the wake in the countryside. A knowing look swept across his eyes as he said, “Did you investigate her background?”

Zhuo Yun did not quite get his drift. “What do you mean? Are you referring to her life before she found out that she was swapped at birth?”

“Uh huh,” acknowledged Min Yu as he nodded mildly.

“Not really. I only investigated Miss Huo’s background before this timeline,” replied Zhuo Yun. “If anything, Miss Huo seems to have changed more between the two of them.”

Min Yu lowered his eyes slightly and said, “Investigate Lu Xia as well.”

“Yes, Boss,” acknowledged Zhuo Yun. Out of curiosity, he simply had to ask. “Why do you suddenly want her background investigated?”

The two of them had already walked out of the Weapons Bureau building. The sun outside was bright. It reflected off the bureau logo of an imposing eagle and gave off a gold glint.

After they got in front of the car, Min Yu finally came to a stop and answered Zhuo Yun. “I suspect she’s not the same anymore.”

The moment he finished his sentence, he opened the car door and got into the car.

Zhuo Yun stood motionlessly. He could not wrap his mind around his boss’s answer.

What did he mean by that?

How could someone change?

Perhaps his boss felt someone was impersonating Lu Xia.

Zhuo Yun got into the car as he pondered. He looked inside the rearview mirror and saw his boss resting his eyes in the backseat. Even though he had questions in his mind, he did not ask them. Instead, he simply enquired. “Are we going straight back to the estate?”

Min Yu tapped his fingers on his knee gently as he opened his eyes. “We are going to the mall.”

Zhuo Yun’s cheeks twitched. For a moment there, he suspected he heard wrongly. “Did you say the mall?”

Min Yu acknowledged mildly as he looked out the car window.

It was going to be the Chinese New Year in 20 days.

**

In the blink of an eye, it was nearly the new year.

Huo Yao had spent most of her time at home without stepping out. She only left home to walk her second older brother’s dog.

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, Huo Yao sat in the living room and watched the Chinese New Year gala airing on the television with her family.

Huo Yulin had gone abroad and Huo Xiang was appearing on the program, so only Huo Yanxi and Huo Tingrui were home. The two of them chatted about the economy as they watched the television. Even though Huo Yao was listening to their conversation, she was very distracted.

Before long, she stood up, put on her down coat, and walked out of the villa with Goofy.

Huo Tingrui wanted to tag along but Song Ning pulled him back.

“Just give her some alone time. If you go with her, she might think of her grandmother,” said Song Ning as she sighed.

Huo Tingrui knew what she meant, so he ended up sitting back down on the couch.

Huo Yanxi watched as he sat by the side and sighed inwardly. In the past year, he had changed a lot, but he remained guilty of his actions.

When Huo Yao walked out the door, the cold wind gusted at her, so she instinctively pulled her coat tighter around her.

It was a particularly cold winter this year.

Huo Yao exhaled deeply. She looked sideways at Goofy. The dog was still very energetic and her face softened looking at him.

After walking out of the garden, the two of them left the villa.