Donghai No. 1 Middle School, the fifth floor of the audio-visual education center, monitoring and management room.

Yuko Sakura typed the last character in front of her laptop and leaned back in her chair in a daze.

At this time, she didn't know that not long ago, there were two men who were inextricably linked with her, and a spark of dispute had erupted in the Dongshan Chamber of Commerce.

The dimly lit room, the damp air, the machinery that exuded an eerie metallic luster, Yuko was just like that, in the empty room, hugging her shoulders and curling up in her chair, watching it all.

When did you get used to this kind of environment?

She's probably not able to remember.

Yuko was stunned for a moment, then took out a metal doll from the bedside.

The doll is about 30 centimeters tall, with a rounded cylindrical body, a hemispherical head, and thin steel tubes on its limbs - this is a miniature version of an Android robot doll.

Staring at the doll, Yuko's vision gradually blurred, and she fell into her memories.

……

"Dad, if you may, can you show me around the orphanage next time? I want to meet those children......"

In front of her mother's tombstone, Yuko once said this to her father.

Yuko's mother, Eriko, collapsed forever in the emergency room due to massive hemorrhage when she gave birth to Yuko, who was raised by her father alone since she was a child.

For her, the only time she intersects with her mother every year is to visit the cemetery on the outskirts of the city to sweep her grave.

During a tomb visit, Yuko chatted with her father about what happens to children who have lost their parents, and unexpectedly learned about the existence of an institution like an orphanage.

Since then, she has often pestered her father, asking him to take her to the orphanage once.

Masao Sakura couldn't resist Yuko, and after he joined the American company of Singer, he took time out to drive eight-year-old Yuko to an orphanage in a suburban town.

It is a small orphanage run by a private welfare agency, consisting of a small gray building with five floors and a small courtyard. The orphanage is surrounded by forests, with only one path leading to the nearest town, like an island in the middle of the forest.

Since Yuko was visiting the orphanage for the first time, she and her father prepared a lot of clothes, toys, and snacks as gifts in advance.

In the canteen hall of the orphanage, the children enthusiastically surrounded Yuko, waiting with great anticipation for her and her father to deliver the gifts to them.

Just then, Yuko noticed a little girl.

The little girl looked to be about the same age and height as Yuko, with shoulder-length blond hair, blue eyes like jewels, and a delicate face as beautiful as a cherub.

In contrast to these, it was her emaciated body that was hidden by shabby linen clothes.

Why did Yuko notice this little blonde girl? Because when the snacks and gifts were being distributed, everyone else gathered around, and only this little girl was still standing timidly in place.

Yuko thought about it, and took out a delicate little Android robot doll from her school bag.

The doll was so special that when Yuko took it out of her bag, the toys on the table were overshadowed.

The children in the cafeteria hall looked at the doll in Yuko's hand with longing eyes, hoping that Yuko would give the doll to herself.

In full view of everyone, Yuko walked up to the blonde girl cowering in the corner and handed the doll to the other party.

"For you." Yuko burst into a warm smile.

"Huh?" The little girl's eyes widened, almost suspecting that she had misheard, and after making sure that Yuko was serious, she timidly took the doll and held it in her arms very preciously.

Since then, Yuko has become familiar with the little girl, and the two of them sit in the corner of the cafeteria chattering.

The little girl told her that her name was Sally, and that she had lived in this orphanage since she was very young.

Sally's lonely figure is out of step with the lively atmosphere of the entire hall, and she doesn't seem to have many words, except that she has always cherished the little robot that Yuko gave her.

Yuko could tell that Sally seemed to have few friends in this orphanage, because the other children basically didn't talk to her. She said, "This robot, it can be your friend." ”

"Really? Will it move, will it speak? ”

"Well...... It doesn't do that now, but my dad has big talking and moving robots in his lab. ”

"That's right......" Sally seemed to fall into her imagination, and her thin arms hugged the doll in her arms even tighter.

……

After that visit to the orphanage, Yuko kept thinking about Sally.

After some time, she pestered her father and asked him to take her to the orphanage one more time.

When she walked into the hall of the cafeteria again, it was lunch time, and the children in the cafeteria were sitting around the long table eating lively.

Yuko glanced around, but didn't notice Sally. She asked the children at the table, "What about Sally?" Why didn't she come to dinner? ”

The little ones who were immersed in eating looked up stunned, showing a blank and indifferent look, and then didn't answer Yuko anything, and continued to bury their heads in the food.

Seeing that these little guys had such a big gap in their attitudes towards themselves compared to last time, Yuko was both curious and angry, and after thinking for a while, she figured out why-she and her father came in a hurry this time, and brought a lot fewer snacks and gifts than last time.

Masao Sakura gently patted Yuko on the shoulder and comforted his daughter.

At this moment, a chubby little girl with a freckled face quietly pulled the corner of Yuko's clothes and whispered to her: "Sally is in her room, which is the ...... in the corridor on the fifth floor near the middle staircase."

Yuko then went up the hallway on the fifth floor and found Sally's room.

She noticed that the door to her room was open, so she pushed it open and walked in. It was a small room of less than eight square meters, and the furnishings in the room were quite simple, except for a small wooden box of some years and a low wooden bed.

The rays of the midday sun came in through the windows on the south side, shining dust out of the air.

Upon entering, Yuko finds Sally curled up on the bed and wrapping herself in the covers.

Yuko called several times, but Sally didn't respond. When Yuko gently lifted the quilt, she was shocked.

I saw that Sally's hair was messy, her face was pale, and her lips had lost their blood, and when she saw Yuko, the corners of her mouth curved, trying to squeeze out a smile: "Yuko...... You're here......"

With that, she fainted completely.

A panicked Yuko called her father, and Masao Sakura immediately made a decision, and after greeting the hospital, he and Yuko drove Sally to the hospital in the city.

After giving Sally a full body examination, the father and daughter breathed a sigh of relief, the little girl was not in good health, but fainted due to malnutrition.

However, the psychiatrist's words caused concern for Masao Sakura.

"This little girl has autistic and claustrophobic tendencies that will require close observation later in her life."

Young Yuko was hearing these medical terms for the first time, but she knew from her father's serious look that it was probably not a good thing.

In the consultation room, Yuko saw that Sally's big eyes were still in a state of distraction, and her long eyelashes were fluttering, so she hugged her in her arms in distress. Sally was in Yuko's arms, her face moving, and she tried to squeeze out a smile again to comfort Yuko......

Later, after the father and daughter took Sally to a meal, they sent Sally back to the orphanage.

In the office of the director of the orphanage, Masao Sakura brings Yuko to explain Sally's situation.

"Oh, it's really rare for Dr. Masao Sakura to bother so much, tell me, what a blessing this child is, to get your care...... She's just an orphan, a life abandoned by society and the times, doctor, you still have something to do, don't worry too much......"

The female director of the orphanage said in a shrill voice, this is a middle-aged woman about forty years old, with a snarky face and heavy makeup on her face.

"No, Sally is not abandoned, you have to protect her!" Yuko stood up and said.

"Uh...... Hehehehe, that's right, Miss Yuko is so cute. The dean frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure.

"Madam Dean, please pay attention to the doctor's diagnosis of Sally. She struggles to fit in and always locks herself in her room, which is not a good sign. And now is the time for the little girl to grow her body, so she must pay attention to nutrition. Masao Sakura said at this time.

"Got it! I see! The dean agreed, nodded like garlic, and solemnly took Sally's diagnosis from Masao Sakura.

After Masao Sakura left the office with Yuko, the female dean pursed her lips disdainfully, crumpled the medical certificate on the table into a paper ball, and casually threw it into the wastepaper basket in the office.

Then she picked up the makeup mirror, carefully pulled out the expensive lipstick in her bag, and began to hum a little song while touching up her makeup.

……

In the days that followed, Yuko was always worried about Sally at school, and she didn't think about food at school.

And Sakura Masao's side, he can vaguely see that this orphanage is probably not a fuel-efficient lamp. He took leave of absence and drove to the city's welfare agency to see if there was a solution, such as asking for a re-examination of the orphanage's credentials.

At the same time, he also asked the city welfare agency to rearrange the orphanage that was willing to accept Sally, but it would take time to complete these procedures, and the father and daughter would have to wait.

A few weeks later, the father and daughter went to the orphanage to see Sally.

When Yuko sees Sally again, she finds that her condition seems to be more serious.

Sally sat on the floor in the corner of the small room, and when Yuko approached, Sally suddenly screamed hysterically, and only relaxed when she recognized that it was Yuko.

Yuko saw that the other party's little face was injured, and there were various bruises on his arms.

She didn't know why Sally was like this, and when she turned her head, there were a few boys peeking in the corner of the hallway.

Yuko walked over angrily, crossed her waist and said, "What are you doing, why are you peeking here, did you bully Sally?" ”

"Sally, poor worm, poor worm! The dean said she was an abandoned baby! The tall, muscular boys laughed.