When Yun Su came back carrying the drinks, she immediately saw Gu Yan crying.
Her heart gave a sudden jolt.
What happened?
She had only gone to buy drinks, so why was he crying when she returned?
Fang Minghui was still at a loss, trying to comfort Gu Yan.
Seeing Yun Su return, she quickly said, “Sorry, Miss Yun. My husband doesn’t think before he speaks. He ended up upsetting the child.”
“What did he say?” Yun Su asked quietly.
Fang Minghui pulled Yun Su aside.
With guilt in her voice, she said, “He seems to have realized you’re going to send him away. My husband just said, ‘you just won’t be living together anymore,’ and then the child started crying.”
Yun Su’s heart tightened at those words.
What did she mean, he “seems to have realized”?
So that was why Gu Yan had acted so strangely last night?
Yun Su said to Fang Minghui, “It’s alright. I’ll go talk to him.”
She walked over and crouched in front of Gu Yan. “Xiao Yan, tell Sister, why are you crying?”
When Gu Yan saw her, his tears fell even harder.
He let out a sob he could not hold back, then buried his head on her shoulder.
Fang Minghui pulled Gu Zhou along and said to Yun Su, “We’ll go walk around for a bit.”
“Alright,” Yun Su replied while gently patting Gu Yan’s back. “I’ll call you later.”
After the couple left, Yun Su carried Gu Yan and sat down on a bench.
His fluffy head still refused to lift.
Watching the child cry so hard, she could only gently rub his back to help him breathe.
After a long while, she finally asked, “Xiao Yan, what do you know?”
In a muffled voice against her shoulder, Gu Yan said, “I know that Sister is going to send me away sooner or later.”
Yun Su’s hand on his back froze. Sooner or later?
“How do you know that?” Yun Su asked, genuinely confused.
From his words, it sounded like he had known for a long time.
After a long pause, Gu Yan finally answered, “At the police station before, I insisted on following Sister back. I was too immature and only caused you trouble.”
He hiccupped from crying and continued, “I heard it that day. I was going to be sent to the welfare institute. Sister couldn’t do anything about it.”
Hearing this, it felt as if something had pierced Yun Su’s heart.
So Gu Yan had understood everything all along.
He knew he would be sent away. He knew he had no home yet.
She had even worried that he might become too dependent on her.
But in reality, from the very beginning, he had only been hoping to hold on to a brief moment of warmth.
For a moment, Yun Su did not know how to comfort him. He was far too understanding.
Gu Yan finally lifted his head from her shoulder.
His eyes were red as he looked at her and asked, “Can I still see Sister often in the future?”
That question put Yun Su in a difficult position again.
If she stayed here, of course she could visit him often.
Even Fang Minghui thought that after adoption, Yun Su would still treat Gu Yan like a younger brother and keep in contact.
But she would not be here. She only had a little over a month left.
“Yes, you can,” Yun Su answered softly.
The future… she would think about it later.
By the time Gu Yan grew up, he might slowly forget her anyway.
He would meet many classmates and friends. He would have a good life.
No longer would she be the only person who treated him well.
Then she would not be so important to him anymore.
In this remaining month, she would accompany him properly and let him feel the warmth of this world.
And gradually fade out of his life.
Then she would leave. Yun Su made her decision.
She continued asking, “Xiao Yan, do you like Uncle Gu and Aunt Fang?”
“Does Sister want them to be my parents?” Gu Yan’s voice was still hoarse from crying.
“I don’t want you to go to the welfare institute. I want you to have a home,” Yun Su said after thinking for a moment, then added, “But it’s not what I want. It’s what you want. Do you like them?”
Gu Yan leaned back onto her shoulder and said in a muffled voice, “I’ll listen to Sister. If Sister thinks it’s okay, then it’s okay.”
Yun Su felt helpless at how obedient he was to her every word.
If that was the case, he probably at least did not resist them.
Yun Su called Fang Minghui, and the four of them met at a restaurant.
During the meal, they did not bring up what had happened earlier. Instead, they talked about the day’s outing.
Gu Yan still spoke very little, only occasionally responding.
They all understood his mood and were careful with their words.
After finishing the meal, they did not continue strolling and instead prepared to part ways.
Yun Su sent Gu Yan into the car but did not get in immediately herself.
She stood by the roadside and said to Fang Minghui and Gu Zhou, “I already spoke with Xiao Yan about the adoption. What do you think of him?”
Fang Minghui replied, “I really like this child. It’s just… does he want it himself?”
Hearing this, Yun Su felt reassured that she had not chosen the wrong people. At the very least, Fang Minghui truly considered the child’s feelings.
“Xiao Yan is very sensible. Tomorrow… please spend more time getting familiar with him,” Yun Su said, her throat slightly dry. After a pause, she continued, “If he agrees tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow we can start preparing the adoption procedures.”
“Alright, we’ll come see him tomorrow,” Gu Zhou replied.
When they returned home, it was already quite late.
After showering, Yun Su told Gu Yan to go to bed early.
But Gu Yan stayed in the living room, holding onto her and refusing to leave.
“What is it?” Yun Su asked.
Gu Yan looked up at her but did not speak.
She gently stroked his head again. “Xiao Yan, what’s wrong?”
He shook his head and finally let go of her, turning and walking into the bedroom.
Watching his lonely little figure, Yun Su sat on the sofa for a long time, lost in thought.
It was almost eleven o’clock.
She got up and walked toward her bedroom. As she passed Gu Yan’s door, she stopped.
Quietly, she opened the door and walked in. When she reached his bed, she indeed heard soft sobbing.
Why was the villain so prone to crying when he was young?
She sat down gently beside him and pulled back his blanket.
Gu Yan turned and looked at her with widened eyes.
“Sister?”
“It’s me,” she replied softly.
He buried himself under the blanket again. “I’m going to sleep.”
She tugged at the blanket, but he held it even tighter.
The small lump under the blanket looked like a little turtle hiding in its shell.
“Sleeping under the blanket is not good for you,” Yun Su said helplessly.
Gu Yan peeked out with his red, wet eyes.
Her heart softened completely at the sight.
“You can’t bear to part with Sister, so you’re hiding here and crying secretly?” she asked, gently rubbing his fluffy hair.
“Is this when Sister will send me away?”