Chapter 258: A Lifetime Vow

Su Yan tossed and turned in bed.

Gu Yang's actions kept resurfacing in her mind, continuing to affect her mood.

She got up and dressed.

The night was deep, and her figure quickly vanished into the darkness.

Gu Yang was not sleeping soundly; whenever he closed his eyes, the figures of Su Yan and Kong Nian overlapped.

He didn't know exactly what was wrong, but Kong Nian had definitely not appeared without reason.

A faint, delicate fragrance slowly permeated his room.

To his surprise, his thoughts gradually calmed along with this scent.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a scene that was both familiar and strange.

"Xiao Yang, give your little sister a hug."

Before him was Kong Xiangrou's gentle expression, and in her arms, she held a tiny infant.

Such a small bundle, so chubby.

"Don't be afraid, Xiao Yang. Auntie will teach you."

Kong Xiangrou placed the infant in his hands.

Gu Yang felt his entire body tense up; he didn't even dare to breathe, fearing he might startle the tiny little person.

This was the first time he had seen a newborn baby.

A strange sensation rose in his heart.

Suddenly, the little one opened her eyes and smiled at him.

In that instant, his heart nearly melted.

"Yan Yan likes Big Brother Xiao Yang."

Beside them were his father and mother's happy voices.

A scene filled with laughter and joy.

Kong Xiangrou patted his head. "In the future, will Xiao Yang protect your little sister, okay?"

At that time, seven-year-old him nodded vigorously.

Protect the little sister.

While Gu Yang was immersed in the scene, he suddenly froze.

He had actually dreamed of his childhood.

A warm current flowed slowly through his heart as he watched the seven-year-old child, whose face still bore innocence, though only he knew how determined he was at that moment.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed.

Almost every day after school, he would go to see Su Yan.

By then, Su Yan had transformed from a little meatball into a rosy-cheeked doll.

Every time he visited, she would smile at him.

He loved watching her smile, too.

He used his saved allowance to buy a red rattle drum.

The *ding-ding-dong-dong* sound of the drum made her giggle incessantly, her two tiny hands reaching out, wanting to take it.

But he shook it happily instead.

Becoming impatient, she suddenly stammered out a single word from her mouth.

"Ge..."

The sound of the rattle drum stopped abruptly. He looked at her in disbelief, even doubting that he had misheard.

It wasn't until she continued to struggle to get the drum and called "Brother" once more that he realized it.

That was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

That was also the first sound Su Yan ever made.

Ever since he had this little sister, Su Yan was all he talked about every day; uninformed classmates even thought Su Yan was his biological sister.

The scene shifted again, several months passing. This time, he appeared at the Su family's doorstep, and that porcelain-doll-like little person came stumbling toward him.

She was still incessantly saying, "Brother, hug me..."

Kong Xiangrou's surprised voice rang out from behind, "Yan Yan can walk! She's going to find her brother!"

He watched Su Yan rush toward him, spreading his arms to catch her steadily, feeling the same surge of joy.

"Yan Yan really can walk."

From then on, Su Yan became his little shadow. Whenever he wasn't at school, wherever he went, Su Yan followed, never leaving his side for a single step.

Two more years passed like this. His father, mother, Su Jianguo, and Kong Xiangrou looked at him with serious expressions.

"Xiao Yang, you are ten years old now and have become sensible. There is something we want to discuss with you."

It was the first time he had seen his elders looking so solemn.

"Xiao Yang, do you like your little sister?"

The one asking him was Su Jianguo.

Su Jianguo's gaze was extremely serious, even making Gu Yang feel an unprecedented pressure.

But without a second thought, he nodded. "I do."

"Then, if we asked you to take care of your sister for your whole life, would you be willing?" Su Jianguo spoke very slowly, so slowly that every word and every tone was crystal clear to him.

"I am willing." His answer was incredibly firm.

Relieved expressions appeared on the faces of the four elders.

Kong Xiangrou's gentle voice rang out, "Xiao Yang, don't agree so quickly. What Uncle Su means by 'a lifetime' is truly a lifetime. You must take care of your sister, protect her, not allow anyone to bully her, and give her everything you have. Are you still willing?"

"I am willing." He had already secretly made a vow in his heart long ago.

Kong Xiangrou smiled.

Su Jianguo smiled.

His father and mother also smiled.

"Alright, we will entrust Yan Yan to Xiao Yang from now on." Kong Xiangrou's entrustment was serious.

And his assent was serious as well.

At this moment, Gu Yang's eyes reddened slightly.

These were the most precious memories he kept hidden in the depths of his heart.

Rather than a beautiful dream, it felt more like his memories were surging forth; he was even willing to sink into them and never wake up again.

"Uuuu..."

Before he could recover from the happiness, he heard his mother's sobbing.

"How can Xiangrou and Yan Yan's lives be so bitter? Everything was fine, how could such a thing happen..."

"Stop crying. Let's go to Jianguo's place right now and see if there's any help we can provide."

His parents' conversation made him suddenly realize something, and he rushed straight into their room.

"Dad, what happened to Auntie and Yan Yan?"

He only knew that they had been gone for over a month, and that Auntie had taken the little sister back to her maiden home.

But why was Mother crying?

Seeing him enter, his father and mother let out heavy sighs.

"Xiao Yang, you should come with us to see Auntie too. Perhaps... perhaps it will be the last time."

Mother spoke these words with difficulty, her tears falling uncontrollably.

He felt as if struck by lightning, unable to accept it.

Ten minutes later, he saw Kong Xiangrou.

At this moment, Kong Xiangrou had become so thin that she was skin and bones; one could hardly recognize her original features.

He felt like he was suffocating. How could such a beautiful Auntie suddenly turn into this?

Su Jianguo was crying incessantly, refusing to let go of the arms holding her.

His father and mother were also fighting back tears, constantly trying to comfort him.

He was panicked, even more uneasy, and the only person he could think of was Su Yan.

He wanted to see his little sister, but when he reached the door to Su Yan's room, he stopped, trembling.

He had never been this afraid.

His father and mother had told him that his sister was also sick.

He was afraid that seeing his sister would be just like seeing Auntie.

At ten years old, for the first time, he experienced what fear was, and what loss meant.

Gathering all his courage, he finally managed to take a step inside.

His sister, the person he had sworn to protect, lay there motionless with her eyes closed. She could no longer smile at him, sweetly call him "Brother," or follow behind him like a little shadow.

"Yan Yan, open your eyes and look at your brother."

(End of Chapter)