Chapter 2

Back when I was still Yan Yang, my dad had been by my side, and my mum hadn't gone crazy. Unfortunately, I had been too young then to remember anything.

After my parents divorced, my name was changed and I took my mother's surname. 

Before he said he was called Yan Yang, I had been unaware of his name, and I had been even more unaware of the fact that my dad could be capable of doing such a thing. It was truly admirable, so much so that I wanted to get on my hands and knees and kowtow to him.

My resentment was like dark waters, practically consuming me. The asphyxiating feeling of drowning made my whole body shake, but I still had to force a smile as I walked into the house.

Yan Yang tugged at my hand. His hand was soft and warm, and his whole being emitted a clean fragrance. On the contrary, I, who was being pulled along by him, was his starkest contrast, his most hideous complement.

I was cold and stiff, matching the clothes on my body very well.

I was the Yan Yang who had been abandoned, the son who had been erased.

Even though I had been forced to be taken in, I still couldn't find my place.

Yan Yang brought me to see his mother. That was the first time I met her.

My mother said that this woman had stolen my dad. She was evil, fake, and cunning. She had ruined our family and destroyed a woman's entire life.

I should hate her as much as I hated my dad, and I had to.

Not just her alone either. Even her son was a thorn in my flesh.

It would be great if they could simply go and die.

It was best if each of them went to the balcony holding hands and jumped off, just like how my mother had jumped.

Yan Yang shouted, "Mum! Ge is here!"

His voice rang bright and clear. For some people, even their voice could convey fortune.

He was a child who had been living a good life, pure to the core.

Did he know what it meant for a family to be ruined?

Yan Yang slid open the glass sliding door to the kitchen. A thick aroma wafted by me.

The woman wore an apron as she cooked. When she saw me, a big smile appeared on her face, as though she was afraid that I couldn't feel her welcoming me.

She was very pretty, and even her eyes smiled when she spoke.

She asked, "Are you tired? We'll be eating soon."

Every single member of this family was doing their utmost to put on a performance of joy and harmony. I smiled as I replied, "No, thank you very much Auntie."

At the age of thirteen, I already knew what to say.

I made her happy, and made my dad happy too.

Yan Yang had been holding onto my hand the whole time. When I finished speaking to his mum, he seemed rather excited as he said, "Ge! Let me bring you to see our bedroom!"

Before coming here, I had lived in an old apartment with my mother. A dingy living room, a dingy bedroom, a dingy bed, and a dingy pair of mother and son. 

I had never had my own room before. My mother slept on the bed while I slept on a mattress on the floor. I had slept like that for thirteen years.

In winter, it was very cold. I would sleep on the floor and didn't even dare to remove my outerwear at night. Even with a thick coat and quilt, I would still be chilled awake at night.

Here, I didn't need to sleep on the floor anymore.

I was dragged out of the kitchen by Yan Yang. We passed through the living room into another room.

When a person has lived in the sewers all his life, he would not dare to hope for a garden of flowers. A patch of moss like me would always feel like it couldn't match flourishing blossoms.

So when Yan Yang pushed the door open and pulled me into the room, I felt like this was a place I couldn't and shouldn't enter.

This room was bigger than my entire house. The curtains were open, inviting a glaring sunlight into the room, so bright that even the slightest sliver of darkness could not exist.

The window was half a wall tall, its glass spotless.

On the bookshelf against the wall, aside from books, there were also a few certificates and trophies.

The study desk was very big. Half of it had books, while the other half was empty.

The bunk bed rack was made of wood, and the sheets of both beds were the same.

Yan Yang asked me, "Ge, do you want to sleep on top or below?"

I stayed silent, staring at the beds.

He said, "These are new beds that Mum and Dad picked, and the sheets were picked by me. Do you like it?"

I didn't.

Both inside and outside, there was not a single nook or cranny of this house that I liked.

"I do," I replied, "Thank you."

Yan Yang smiled until his cheeks were flushed. He said, "You don't have to be so polite. We're family."

Family?

That was a little laughable.

"Ge, you choose. I'm fine with sleeping anywhere."

I tugged at his hand, telling him, "How about this; let's play rock paper scissors. The winner gets to choose."

Yan Yang was destined to have better luck than me. In something like this, he was the winner too.

He glanced at me, then said, "I'll sleep on top then! Climbing up and down every day isn't convenient, so the lower bunk is for you!"

My Didi was truly considerate.

Ten-year-old Yan Yang. From the first time we met, he was already giving me the things he believed were good.

But why didn't he think about whether I even wanted them?