Faced with Lu Shiyan's pressing questions, I crossed my arms and stood at a distance, watching Su Ning'an coldly. I was curious, how would she try to talk her way out of this one?
Su Ning'an flustered, explained: "Brother, last time I was here, I accidentally broke the photo of you and Sister. You said it was fine. I couldn't find another photo of you and Sister, so I took the liberty of putting up a photo of us. Didn't you say this photo was nice back then?"
"And those things, have you forgotten? Some we bought abroad, others were souvenirs from the island. They were all gifts from you. Have you forgotten, Brother?"
Her voice was soft, tinged with grievance.
Lu Shiyan massaged his temples, seeming to remember that the current state of affairs was something he had tacitly allowed.
And I only found out now. So, a year ago, when I adjusted my schedule to go to the island with him, making all those preparations...
Just before we were supposed to leave, he suddenly said an important project required a business trip.
Now I knew the truth. Lu Shiyan had taken all the itineraries I prepared and taken Su Ning'an to the island instead. He'd even stayed in the hotel I booked, seen the sights I wanted to see with her.
The mere thought of that scene made me feel utterly sick.
Even though I couldn't vomit anything, my heart felt wretched.
How many things had they done behind my back over the years that I didn't know about?!
No wonder she placed all those things here. They were her trophies of victory, of course she'd display them prominently to mock me.
Lu Shiyan rubbed his temples. "You are just my and Wanwan's sister. Don't bring these things here anymore in the future. Wanwan would be unhappy if she saw them."
See? How could a man not understand boundaries?
In the past, he was accustomed to Su Ning'an's fawning obedience—something he didn't get from me. He enjoyed it comfortably while mocking me for making a fuss over nothing.
He clearly knew what boundaries were. He just didn't want to enforce them.
I stood by the window, reaching out to touch a ray of sunlight. I just felt that my past self was truly pitiful.
To have ended up like this because of such a selfish, worthless man.
Su Ning'an said through tears, "Brother, do you hate me now? I can swear, I won't come between you and Sister anymore. My request is small. I just want to stay by your side, to watch over you. Can't you even grant me this one small wish?"
Hah. Small wish.
Her "small wish" was the thorn lodged in my heart all along. This thorn pierced me until I bled, never giving me a single day of peace.
Lu Shiyan, lacking concrete evidence for now, looked at her with a slightly cold expression.
"Ning'an, how old are you this year?"
"I'm 23."
"That's not young. It's the age to start a family and a career. You can't always follow me around. You should have your own life. After all, we aren't related by blood. In the future, when you get a boyfriend, people will talk."
Su Ning'an's face changed. The tears stopped. "So... Brother, you want to draw a line with me?"
Lu Shiyan said, word by word, "Ning'an, I've thought a lot these past days. Because of you, I neglected your sister's feelings. That's how things escalated to this point, making your sister go missing. When she comes back, I want to live a good life with her."
Su Ning'an immediately dropped the act, tears still hanging in her eyes. "Then what about me? From beginning to end, was I just a novelty to you? Didn't you love me, even for a moment?"
I turned from the window to look at him. I was curious too. How would he answer?
Lu Shiyan looked at Su Ning'an's tear-streaked face. He didn't answer immediately but seemed lost in thought, as if looking through her at someone else.
"Ning'an, do you know... your sister was actually a very delicate girl when she was little. She'd get scared and cry over a tiny caterpillar this small."
Su Ning'an stared at him blankly. "So what?"
"She's afraid of the dark, of thunder, of caterpillars, of snakes. She gets seasick. But despite all that, after hearing about the earthquake, she resolutely decided to cross the ocean illegally to find me. She encountered a tsunami, clung to a piece of driftwood for days, nearly lost her life."
"She didn't cry after coming through that storm. I still remember the look on her face when I slapped her that time. It was disbelief. Heartbreak."
"But back then, not a single person stood by her side. Everyone was fawning over you, saying how amazing you were for overcoming hardships to reach me. Who cared about her feelings? She didn't cry. So what are you crying about now?"
Su Ning'an was speechless. "Brother, I really didn't know about Sister crossing the sea illegally. I came back with you. Even if her passport was lost, maybe she forgot it herself? Why don't you believe me?"
"Ning'an, I don't have solid evidence for this matter. But in my memory, eight or nine times out of ten, you had a tearful face, trying to solve problems with tears. The moment you cried, all of us forgot the truth and comforted you, ignoring that she was the victim."
"You and I owe her too much. I don't want to hurt her anymore. Ning'an, let's stop here."
Su Ning'an stared at him, stunned, her voice trembling. "Brother... so you never loved me? Not even for a moment?"
Lu Shiyan spoke, each word deliberate. "No. The only person I love is Su Wan. From now on, you are just my and her sister. Beyond that, I will have no further involvement with you."
"Then what about our past? The island we visited together, the wishing pond, the red strings we tied on the tree... have you forgotten all of it?"
"I'm sorry."