Chapter 284 The ending of an era (five)

An Xiulan took several minutes to let Yoona’s words sink into her head. She heaved out a sigh and left her room. She saw that the lights in Gu Shangyan’s room were still on and she knocked on the door.

“Yan Ge?”

Gu Shangyan immediately opened the door. “Are you okay?”

He was worried that she was hurt and that was why she was knocking on his door in the dead of the night.

An Xiulan nodded her head and he heaved out a sigh of relief.

“Yan Ge, Lu Xuan is always your drinking buddy. Mind making me once?” An Xiulan asked him with a bright smile.

He ruffled her head and brought her to the terrace. The usual place where he and Lu Xuan tasted beer for the first time. They used to always hide it by mixing it in coke. Today, he poured beer for him but apple juice for her. Her health didn’t allow her to drink and it was better she drank juice before his eyes.

“That’s unfair, Yan Ge, ” An Xiulan pouted as she tasted apple juice that just looked like beer in a glass.

“That’s how life is, ” Gu Shangyan laughed at her reaction.

“So, you agree life is unfair, ” An Xiulan wondered out loud.

“Of course, ” Gu Shangyan smiled at her.

Life is unfair. Life is cruel. Life is complicated.

Gu Shangyan was only eighteen years old this year and he had never suffered anytime in his life but he could say this. When he was a baby, his parent’s passed away but as he grew up, like everyone thought he didn’t miss them because he didn’t even know what it was like to have parents. His uncle played the role of both father and mother. To him, his life was bearable because of his uncle.

But he grew more and he met more people who became his family at one point. An Qinyan. Lu Xuan. An Xiulan. He couldn’t imagine his life without them. And now Yoona.

Life began getting comfortable but complicated. One attack of life and he was down on his knees.

Thus, no one knew how unfair life was more than him.

“Then, you should also know that your sister will not bear this unfair life for long. Once she stands up on her feet, she will kick this unfair life and punish it. I’m strong, aren’t I?”An Xiulan stared at him. She wanted him to know that she was not a frail girl. Fine, she was emotionally broken because she didn’t know how to stand up after the fall. But one thing she knew for sure was that she would surely stand up and she wouldn’t be broken for long.

Why?

Because she was An Xiulan. And An Xiulan always makes ways.

“You are very strong, ” Gu Shangyan whispered as he patted her head lovingly. “If I was at your place, I would have broken down a long time ago. But you are still holding onto this life.”

Gu Shangyan was not lying. He had never seen someone so naive, so fragile yet so strong. She was badly broken but she was yet not shattered. She was glueing back her broken pieces together without anyone’s help because she wanted to live again. If it was him, he would not even know what to do. But here she was smiling at her as if everything in her life was just peachy.

“Yan Ge, go to London, okay?” An Xiulan whispered back, holding back her tears. “You are my best brother. I don’t lie when I say you love me the most. I want to be the sister who gives her brother wings, not clip them. I want you to raise your head one day and say proudly that you are the architect behind this great architecture.”

She took a small pause and continued, “You know, I’m a little dumb. I can’t help the family business but you can. Be so great that when you return I can proudly say that this is my Yan Ge and he became something great because of me.”

Gu Shangyan hugged her and she sobbed, “Yan Ge, I love you so much. Thank you for always being here. I know you will be far away but our hearts will always be connected.”

“Yoona called you?” Gu Shangyan inquired. He knew why his sister was trying to be a brave person here. No, she was not trying to be. She was just a brave person. Period. But why was he relieved that she was being brave? What did he want from her or him?

In the end, Yoona knew what he wanted. He didn’t blame her for using An Xiulan.

“My sister-in-law doesn’t say anything wrong, ” An Xiulan retorted.

“So, you finally accepted her, ” Gu Shangyan smiled at her.

“I never unaccepted her. I just needed time, ” An Xiulan confessed. “It just came as a shock to me that my brother fell for puppy love.”

“Crybaby, we are adults now, “Gu Shangyan suddenly said.

“Aiyo, I always wanna be a baby, ” An Xiulan tried to joke.

“You will always be my crybaby, “Gu Shangyan said, hugging her tightly.

The moon disappeared and the morning soon came. Today, the family house was brimming with excitement. The dark clouds had finally disappeared and there was a sense of peace in the air that anyone could feel. Seeing An Xiulan chirpy once again, put everyone’s heart at peace. In this house, An Xiulan was the mood-setter. If she was sad everyone in the house would be sad too but if there was a smile on her face, everyone would be smiling too.

“Yan Ge, did you pack an umbrella?” An Xiulan asked, munching on snacks. Although she was eating unhealthy early in the morning, no one had the heart to scold her.

“Umbrella?” Gu Shangyan furrowed his brow as he looked at the colourful umbrella next to her.

“Yes, it always rains in London. What if you reach the airport and it’s raining out? We have double-sure sure, right?” An Xiulan cheekily replied.

All of them began laughing at her. They were happy to see her finally back to herself. Her jokes were silly just like her.

“Fine, put the umbrella in my bag, “Gu Shangyan said.

“Yan Ge, I hope your mood doesn’t get synchronized to London’s climate, “An Xiulan suddenly said. “Poor Yoona. Tsk. Tsk.”

“You need a beating, “Gu Shangyan feigned to be mad at her.

She simply stuck her tongue at him.

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A/N: Calling them goodbye will going be hard. But you know sometimes we have to leave our neat just to grow up and come back stronger.