When my older sister was fourteen, she was adopted by the Sterling family, the wealthiest in New York City. The village girl transformed into a wealthy heiress overnight. In the first year after she left, she secretly sent me a letter and a box of books. In the letter, she told me to study hard and come find her outside the mountains. She said the world outside was wonderful, that she was living well with the Sterlings, and that I shouldn't worry. After that, I lost all contact with my sister. I never received another letter. Years later, I was admitted to a university in NYC to find her, only to discover that the Sterling family had no adopted daughter. Later, I dated a boy named Julian Sterling, the beloved only son of the family. When he was drunk one night, Julian told me a secret. He actually had an older brother who died in an accident before he turned eighteen. His parents bought a girl with a compatible horoscope to keep his brother company in the afterlife. 1 When the Sterlings drove their luxury car to our shack, my sister and I were chopping wood in the mountains. Our parents hurriedly called us back. They wanted to adopt my sister, take her to the big city to live in a mansion. My sister seemed unwilling. She pulled me in front of them. "Adopt my sister instead. She's more obedient and prettier than me." They didn't even glance at me. Instead, they reached out and patted my sister's head, smiling faintly. "We want you." Dad pushed my sister toward the house. "Jasmine, go pack your things." I wiped away tears secretly. I saw them hand my parents a check for a hundred thousand dollars. Their only condition was that we were never to contact my sister again. My parents took the check, grinning ear to ear. "Why are you selling my sister!" To me, this wasn't adoption; it was selling their daughter! Dad heard me and kicked me viciously. "What does a brat like you know!" "She's lucky to be chosen by rich people. Isn't it good to be a wealthy young lady in the city?!" I wiped the tears from the corner of my eye and thought about it seriously. It seemed Dad was right. Being a rich daughter was better than suffering in these mountains, unloved by parents. The Sterlings looked at the meager belongings my sister packed, frowning slightly in distaste. "We'll replace everything with new things." My sister got into their luxury car. She rolled down the window, reaching out reluctantly to hold my hand, tears in her eyes. I pulled a half-finished woven bracelet from my pocket and put it on her wrist. "Sister, this is for you. I haven't finished it yet. I wanted to give it to you for your birthday, but I might not have the chance now." I choked up, big tears rolling down my face. The car started. My sister stuck her head out and shouted to me, "Violet! Study hard!" After that sentence, she seemed to say something else. But the car drove too fast, kicking up a tail of dust. The noise of the engine drowned out what she said after "study hard." I didn't hear her last words. 2 Two months after she left, my sister sent a large cardboard box to my school. Inside were many books, several new sets of underwear and tank tops that fit me, a letter, and a jasmine-scented sachet. Violet, I am doing very well at the Sterlings'. Don't worry. I bought you many books you'll need for your studies. Remember to wash the clothes before wearing them. I finished the bracelet you gave me. It's beautiful, and I like it very much. I wear it all the time. I made the jasmine sachet myself from fresh jasmine flowers here. Smell the jasmine scent and pretend I am by your side. New York is beautiful, with tall buildings and endless traffic. The world outside the mountains is even more exciting than in the books. Violet, study hard. Get into college and come find me. I miss you so much. I looked at the letter written in my sister's handwriting, tears falling onto the paper. I brought the jasmine sachet to my nose and took a deep breath. It smelled so good. It smelled like my sister. Every year around this time, my sister would pick fresh jasmine flowers, dry them, and make sachets for me. This year, she didn't forget. 3 After my sister left, life at home didn't improve with that hundred thousand dollars. Dad gambled it all away. He said he could turn one hundred thousand into two hundred thousand and buy a bigger house. But the gambling addiction grew stronger. Dad was possessed. In the end, he lost every penny and owed money to loan sharks. Debt collectors came to the door, threatening to break Dad's legs if he didn't pay. Mom ran away that night without taking me. The next day, Dad found Mom gone and flew into a rage. Before I went to school, Dad said to me, "Come home early today." The way he looked at me was strange. I shuddered, feeling terrified. After school that day, I didn't listen to Dad. Instead, I hid in an internet cafe next to the school and stayed there all night. I didn't know until the police called my teacher the next day that Dad was dead. Debt collectors had attacked him. He collapsed at home and died from blood loss. I didn't know why Dad insisted I come home that day, but thinking back, I still felt a lingering fear. With no other relatives, I became an orphan overnight. The school learned of my situation and contacted child services. I was placed in foster care, my expenses covered by the state. That year, I was ten. 4 Since that last package, I never received any news from my sister again. I waited day and night, but there was nothing. Did she really cut all ties with me? I missed her so much. I wondered if the Sterlings treated her well, if she was happy there. 5 Time passed quickly in the system. No one wanted to adopt a ten-year-old girl. I stayed until I turned eighteen. I finished high school successfully. All the colleges I applied to were in New York City. I wanted to find my sister. After all, she was my only family now. I had searched for the Sterling family online, trying to find information about my sister, but I couldn't find anything related to their family members. It made sense. Children of such families were kept private. My sister must be very beautiful now. She should have graduated college. I wondered if she would recognize me. When the results came out, I was admitted to NYU. I stroked my acceptance letter repeatedly, my eyes getting wet. I thought my sister would be proud of me. 6 I embarked on the journey to New York with anticipation. It was my first time leaving the small town at the foot of the mountains where I had lived for over a decade. The joy and nervousness along the way were hard to hide. But the moment I stepped onto the land of New York, I suddenly felt lost and worried. Would she welcome me if I just showed up like this? After all, she had a new family. New York was truly beautiful. The endless prosperity was all in my eyes. My sister was right. The world outside the mountains was even more wonderful than in the books. 7 Starting college was busy. Various chores took up my time, and I hadn't had a chance to find my sister yet. Of course, the main reason was that I was avoiding it. After thinking for a long time, I decided to ask around first to understand her current situation secretly, and then reunite with her when the time was right. The Sterlings were the richest family in New York. I thought information about them should be easy to find. But to my shock, when I asked my roommate, a local New Yorker, she told me: "Daughter? The Sterling Group doesn't have a daughter." I didn't believe it and continued to ask, "Not biological, maybe an adopted daughter?" My roommate, Sarah, laughed. "Oh please, they have a biological son. Why would they adopt someone else's child?" "So the Sterlings only have one child?" Sarah nodded, then quickly shook her head. "No, more than one." My eyes lit up hearing this. "There was another son, but rumor has it he was sent abroad ten years ago and never came back. People say he's illegitimate." My hopeful gaze fell instantly. Eight years ago, the couple who came to adopt my sister were indeed the Sterlings. But I asked many people indirectly later, and the answer was always the same: The Sterling family never adopted a girl. Where did my sister go? She wrote to me saying she was living well with the Sterlings. She couldn't have been lying to me. I still didn't believe it. Surely they just kept the adopted child out of the public eye. 8 I continued to inquire about my sister, even though I found nothing. It was Sarah's birthday. She treated us roommates to dinner, and afterward, they wanted to go clubbing. I didn't want to go initially, having no interest in such places, but I couldn't resist them dragging me along. "Come on, Violet. You're in college now; you should try new things. Once you go to a club, you'll want to go again." My roommates were dancing excitedly on the floor. I sat on the side drinking juice, feeling awkward. Sarah suddenly sat next to me, pointing to a booth in a corner of the club. She whispered in my ear, "See that man sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a drink?" I followed her gaze. In the dim corner, the faint light couldn't hide the man's exquisite face and extraordinary temperament. "Yeah, I see him. He's handsome." I nodded. Sarah continued, "That's Julian Sterling, the only son of the Sterling family." The Sterlings? Hearing this, I perked up instantly. I stared at Julian for a long time. Sarah jumped back onto the dance floor, while I stood up and walked toward Julian.
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