It was June again, the season when lotus flowers bloomed like crazy. Lotus Village, nestled on the outskirts of City B, was bursting with colors—white, pink, purple—you name it. The whole place smelled sweet, like fresh lotus seeds. Farmers were paddling bamboo rafts and belting out folk songs, getting ready for a huge harvest.

From the nearby lotus pond came a cheerful, sing-song voice, light and crisp like bells:

"I’ve got a little donkey, nope, never ride it,

One day tried it just for the market trip.

Had my whip in hand, heart feeling swell,

Then boom, splashed down in the mud—what the hell..."

Past the thick sea of lotus blooms, two tiny pigtails were bobbing up and down like dragonflies. Getting closer, it turned out to be a little girl, as small as the flowers themselves. She was barefoot, clutching a lotus in one hand, wriggling her hips as she skipped along the muddy pond edge, leaving behind a trail of carefree little footprints.

“Ah—!” All of a sudden, her foot caught on something. Without warning, she fell flat on her face, getting a mouthful of dirt. Her rosy cheeks were now covered in mud.

Before she could get up, a faint voice drifted into her ears, so soft it sounded like a whisper from a mosquito: “Help me...”

Startled, the girl scrambled to her feet and came face to face with a pair of icy blue eyes, looking at her with desperate hope.

“You... what's wrong with you?” she gasped.

The boy was half-lying by the lotus pond, completely soaked. His face as pale as snow, but still ridiculously good-looking, like some perfect porcelain doll.

Who even is this boy? Why does he look so unreal? His eyes are the same shade as the sky—so pretty. Wait... could he be... a real angel? Then—he must be Angel Brother!

“Help me…” the boy murmured again, weakly reaching out a hand. He was too drained to hold it up for long, and just like that, he passed out.

“Angel Brother, hey! Don’t scare me, wake up!” she panicked, giving him a frantic little shake. But he didn’t respond at all.

Without wasting another second, the girl turned around and made a dash toward the other end of the lotus pond, her chubby legs pumping hard. She needed to get her mommy—fast!

After that, the boy really did survive. He ended up staying at the girl's house for a whole month until his father finally tracked him down and sent someone to take him home.

“Angel Brother, I don’t wanna say goodbye. I wanna be with you forever…” The little girl sobbed, tears gushing as if the world had ended.

Feeling sorry for her, the boy gently stroked her head. His face turned serious as he made a promise: “When you grow up, I’ll marry you. We’ll be together always. So during the time I’m gone, you’ve gotta eat well and grow up fast. That way, you can be my most beautiful bride sooner, got it?”

“Okay! I’ll eat lots and grow up quick. Then I’ll marry you and be the happiest bride ever!” Her smile was brighter than sunshine.

“This belonged to my mom. I’m giving it to you now, so hold onto it, yeah?” The boy reached into his pocket and fastened a necklace around her neck.

It was a stunning piece, shaped like a little orchid. In the middle of the flower-shaped pendant sat a white, oval pearl, with the word “Lan” delicately carved on it.

“Mmh! I’ll never take it off,” she nodded hard."Be good! Wait for me!" The little boy gave her a tight hug, then leaned down and kissed her soft cheek.

The little girl waited. And waited. But her angel brother never came back.

Time flew by. Five years passed, just like that. For over a thousand days, she held on to that necklace like it was the most precious thing in the world—never took it off, not even once. She believed with all her heart that her angel brother would come back and marry her, just like he promised.

But when lotus blossoms filled the air once again five years later, all her hope came crashing down.

"Hey, Xiaoguer, stay home with Mommy. I’m gonna go pick some lotus seeds to make soup for you!" Xiaoxue’er grabbed a basket, ready to dash off to the lotus pond, but Xiaoguer grabbed her arm.

"I'm coming with you!" Xiaoguer was her cousin and best friend, same age, and honestly, they looked alike enough to pass for twins. Most people thought they were.

"Okay, sure!" And off they went, the two little girls swaying their hips as they ran toward the pond at the edge of the village.

To get there, they had to cross a big river. Upstream was a hydro plant that powered the village, and around this time of day, the dam usually released water, making the current pretty strong.

Xiaoxue’er led the way. In the distance, she noticed someone wobbling near the riverbank—then suddenly, he collapsed.

“Someone just fainted over there!” she shouted, and rushed forward. As soon as she got a look, her face went pale and tears started falling.

“Oh my god, that’s a dead person!” Xiaoguer, right behind her, shrieked and covered her eyes. “Snakebite… He got bit by a snake!”

“Angel brother… please wake up. It’s me, Xiaoxue’er…” She knelt beside him, cradling him, her cheeks soaked in tears as she looked at his bruised and swollen face with aching worry.

The unconscious boy seemed to hear her voice. His eyelids fluttered slightly open, and through the blur he caught sight of the orchid necklace. His lips moved faintly: “Xiaoxue’er…”

Then everything went dark again.

“I won’t let you die. I won’t...” Xiaoxue’er’s eyes were full of stubborn determination. She bent her head down—and put her lips straight on the snakebite on his leg, sucking hard, then spitting the blood into the river.

“Xiaoxue’er, are you crazy?!” Xiaoguer cried, trying to stop her.

“I won’t let him die.” She kept going, mouth after mouth, until the dark blood turned red again. Only then did she stop. Her lips were already purple, her body shaky. The moment she tried to stand, everything went black and she fell into the river.

She got swept away by the rushing water.

Poor Xiaoxue’er wasn’t found until three days later. She had lost her memory and became a nameless orphan. The orphanage took her in, and during that dazed, empty time, she was too afraid to even go near water.

The kind headmistress gave her the name Emma, hoping she’d find happiness again.

And just like that, her angel brother vanished from her world. But she didn’t know—some connections are already written in fate.

They missed each other this time... just to make their next meeting even more unforgettable.