Chapter 813


    There were approximately two thousand photos depicting almost all of the notable moments in Ning


    Ran''s life at every stage.


    From elementary school graduation to junior high graduation, her college entrance exam, receiving her


    university eptance letter, and finally entering university, the photos became fewer and fewer as she


    grew older.


    One reason for this was that Zhang Ru''s schedule had be more hectic, making it difficult for her to


    spend much time with Ning Ran.


    The other reason was that Ning Ran had grown up and needed her own private space, causing a small


    distance between her and her mother.


    Although they had a great rtionship, they weren''t as close as when Ning Ran was a child.


    The mother and child only grew further apart as the child grew older.


    Thest photo was of Ning Ran standing next to a window, making a call.


    She was in a ward. However, the photo''s angle was unusual, as it appeared to be taken from a lower


    angle. Ning Ran''s mother must have taken it with her phone when she was already hospitalized. It was


    thest time she took a photo of Ning Ran.


    Perhaps her mother was aware that she didn''t have much time left and wanted to remember her


    daughter, so she tried her best to take a photo of Ning Ran for thest time.


    Tears began streaming down Ning Ran''s cheeks again.


    There were a few photos of Ning Ran and her mother together, but none of her and Ning Ziqiang.


    She and Ning Ziqiang had taken photos together, albeit infrequently, but none of the family photos was


    on this USB stick.


    They are just normal photos. When Mom was sick, why did she have to make sure these photos ended


    up in the bank''s safe? Why must she ce them in the bank? She could have them stored elsewhere.


    “Mom, did Granny leave you this USB stick?” Dabao asked softly.


    This sentence suddenly jolted Ning Ran back to her senses. That''s right. Did Mom leave this USB stick


    for me? If it''s for me, why did she not say anything about it when she could still talk? Also, there was no


    need for her to store it at the bank. She could have just given it to me directly. If it wasn''t for me, who


    else could it be for?


    Dabao noticed Ning Ran''s frown and thought he had said something wrong. He added worriedly,


    “Mommy, should I have remained silent?”


    Ning Ran hugged her son and answered, “No. I''m just not sure whether this USB stick was meant for


    me or not.”


    “Where did you get this USB stick, then?” Dabao queried.


    “Your granny left it in a bank''s safe. I went to take it today.”


    “Your granny left it in a bank''s safe. I went to take it today.”


    Dabao fell into deep thought upon hearing that.


    He raised his head and asked, “Mommy, does a person only store secretive things in a safe?”


    “I guess so. You can also ce valuable items in the safe.”


    “Then, are these photos a secret?” Dabao continued to question.


    “I don''t think so. These photos are snippets of me growing up. I''ve seen many of them before, but these


    photos are organized chronologically by time. I don''t believe these photos are ssified as secrets,”


    Ning Ran responded.


    Dabao asked, “Mommy, if these aren''t considered secrets, then why did Granny want to keep them in


    the safe?”


    Ning Ran couldn''t produce an answer to this question because it was what she was pondering about


    too.


    “I don''t know either.” Ning Ran shook her head.


    Dabao went around Ning Ran from behind to be on her other side. “Mommy, can you show me the


    laptop?”


    Ning Ran shifted theptop toward Dabao to let him see.


    Dabao''s fingers typed deftly on the keyboard. “Mommy, there''s an encrypted folder here.”


    Besides the folders containing the photos, another folder had appeared on the screen.


    There were more photos after Dabao opened the folder.


    These photos were professionally taken, and one showed a man in a red racing suit getting out of a


    race car and waving to the camera.


    However, the man wore a helmet, so his face wasn''t visible.


    There was another photo of a man rock climbing. The photographer took it at a low angle, so the man


    was waving at the camera while looking down. Nheless, he was far away and wore a helmet, so


    his face wasn''t visible in that photo too.


    There was another photo of a man with his back facing the camera. He was wearing a dark-colored suit


    and looking at the sea.


    Ning Ran closely inspected the photo and realized it was not the sea, as there were mountains some


    distance away. It was argeke.


    Thest photo was not a portrait but a painting.


    The calligraphy was beautiful. Eternal love between us two shall withstand the time apart.


    Ning Ran had seen this before. Zhang Ru had hung this painting in her bedroom, but the other half was


    cut out.


    Yet, the painting was perfect in the photo. There was also a signature. It read: By Frosty Warrior at


    Cloud Lake.


    Frosty Warrior? Cloud Lake?


    “Mommy, who''s this man?” Erbao asked.


    The man looked young in the photos. He was probably in his twenties or thirties in these photos.


    Ning Ran did not know how to answer, but she guessed that this man was her biological father.


    Although there was no evidence, she had a gut feeling. There was no other reason for Zhang Ru to


    leave these photos in an encrypted folder.


    These photos were obviously for Ning Ran, but Zhang Ru must have felt conflicted about telling her.


    Previously, Ning Ran had heard from her mother''s friends that her mother had sworn in front of


    Bodhisattva that she would never reveal Ning Ran''s background herself.


    Zhang Ru was a firm believer in Buddhism, so she wouldn''t break a promise like that as she was afraid


    it would implicate Ning Ran also.


    Nevertheless, she couldn''t ept taking this secret to her grave either.


    Therefore, she ced this USB stick in the safe with mixed feelings.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    She had hoped that Ning Ran would find this USB stick after ten years.


    As for why Zhang Ru wanted it to be ten years, she had felt that Ning Ran would have matured and be


    able to ept it better.


    “Dabao, can you take another look and see whether there''s any other hidden information?” Ning Ran


    asked her son.


    Dabao typed on theptop for a while before replying confidently, “There''s nothing else, Mommy. This


    USB stick''s encryption technology is very basic. I would have been able to find it if there''s other


    information.”


    Ning Ran nodded.


    “Mommy, who''s Frosty Warrior? Is he our grandfather?” Dabao suddenly asked.


    This kid is indeed smart to have already thought about this!


    “I''m not sure. This painting was hung in my mother''s bedroom, but there''s only half of it.” Ning Ran


    blocked half of the painting in the photo to show Dabao what it looked like in Zhang Ru''s bedroom.


    “There''s no signature on the actual calligraphy painting in Granny''s bedroom. That''s probably because


    Granny didn''t want anyone to know who wrote it. But since she ced it in her bedroom, it must have


    been an important item to her,” Dabao analyzed.


    My son is a genius. I can discuss this matter with him.


    “That''s right. Your words make a lot of sense. Continue,” Ning Ran encouraged Dabao.


    “Frosty Warrior doesn''t sound like a local pseudonym. He must be a Jetroinian, but that''s not right too.


    Although Jetroinians'' names are long, most of them don''t have suchplicated allusions. This name


    has an allusion,” Dabao continued to analyze.