My Sister Ah Wan

Part 3

5

Just as we were talking, the door to the hospital room suddenly opened.

"Ah Wan!"

That familiar yet unfamiliar voice echoed into the room.

Familiar, because it was my mother's voice.

Unfamiliar, because I hadn't heard it in six years.

My mother had kept her promise.

Without Fang Wan, she couldn't go on living.

She held on for a year before drinking a bottle of pesticide.

When I received the news, I was at a loss.

I didn't know what kind of feelings I should have.

Perhaps, from beginning to end, she was only ever Fang Wan's mother.

She seemed not to notice me, brushing past me without a glance.

She quickly walked over to adjust the height of the hospital bed.

In a gentle voice, she said, "Why are you sitting up? Lie down quickly, aren't you tired?"

My sister replied with a tone of helplessness, "Mom, I'm fine! Weren't you going home to cook? Why did you come back so suddenly?"

Mother said, "Your father called me and said he'll bring some food over."

"Dad's back from his business trip?"

"Yes, he said he's brought a gift for you."

"That's great, and Yin Yin is here too. Our whole family..."
Mother interrupted her.

She said coldly, "Bo Yan, thank you for visiting Ah Wan, but she needs to rest now. You should go home!"

From beginning to end, she didn't look at me, not even once.

I should have been used to it by now, but at this moment, I felt suffocated.

I stood there, dazed, until a large hand wrapped around my clenched fist.

It was Xie Bo Yan.

He said, "Auntie, I'll take Yin Yin home."

6

I had known from a young age that my parents didn't like me.

Even before realizing that, I had already understood that my grandparents didn't like me either.

Maybe it was because I had never been loved since childhood, so when I returned to them, I never had any expectations.

My mother had many rules for me.

For example, I wasn't allowed to wear pretty, bright clothes.

I wasn't allowed to eat any snacks other than the main meals.

I wasn't allowed to smile.

I wasn't allowed to excel in my studies.

Born of the same mother, if Fang Wan was bedridden with illness, Fang Yin couldn't live well either; otherwise, how heartbroken Fang Wan would be.

"What's going on with you today?" Xie Bo Yan asked, scrutinizing me.
I shook my head. "Brother Bo Yan, can I move in with you?"

Since Xie Bo Yan graduated from university and started working, he had been renting a place outside.

He had offered to let me move in with him, but I had turned him down.

I could already imagine what they would say if I moved out.

But this time, no matter what they said, I had to leave.

Xie Bo Yan was taken aback.

In a deep voice, he asked, "Fang Yin, what's really going on? Who bullied you?"

I shook my head and asked again, "Can't I?"

He stayed silent for a long time before finally sighing.

He pushed me forward, saying, "Let's go, we'll pack your things."

Even though we called it packing, I didn't actually have much—just some books and a few changes of clothes.

From the moment we started packing, Xie Bo Yan's brow furrowed, and when we finally left, he said in a tense voice, "We're going to the mall."

This time, I didn't refuse. "Thank you, Brother Bo Yan."

His expression finally softened: "Let's go buy some pretty clothes for our Yin Yin."
Xie Bo Yan seemed excited. He took me shopping for clothes, then we had grilled meat, and finally, he took me to the supermarket to buy a bunch of snacks and daily necessities.

It had been a long time since I had felt so comfortable being with him.

In my previous life, when he confessed to me, I accepted.

But from that moment on, things were never the same between us.

The shift in our relationship made it difficult for us to figure out how to interact, and we awkwardly stumbled through a long period of time.

So, in the end, he was always meant to be my brother.

7

The next day, I wore the dress that Xie Bo Yan had bought for me and went to the hospital.

My sister was surprised when she saw me; there was a light in her eyes that I had never seen before.

"Beautiful!"

"Our Yin Yin looks so pretty!"

"Did Bo Yan buy this for you? He has good taste!"

She held my hand and carefully took out a box of chocolates from under her pillow.

Just like in my previous life.

"Yin Yin, have some. They say this is the best chocolate."

In my previous life, I never got to eat it.

Because of what my parents had instilled in me, I never ate anything in front of my sister.

So, in my last life, I brought the chocolates home.

My mother found them.

She cried and slapped me. "Fang Yin, will you die if you don't eat? Did you trick Ah Wan into making Dad buy food for you? Do you know that this box of chocolates costs as much as one of Ah Wan's dialysis sessions!"

Thinking about those memories now didn't stir much emotion in me.

I unwrapped a piece of chocolate and put it in my mouth.

"It's sweet, with a hint of bitterness, very fragrant and smooth." I nodded and smiled, "It's delicious!"

My sister's eyes curved in a smile as well. "Keep it at Bo Yan's place, and whenever you want some, ask him to give it to you."

"I'll keep it here with you!" I replied.

"But..."

"Sister, I want to take a break from school."

My sister looked at me in shock. "What did you say? Did something happen at school?"

I shook my head. "I want to stay at the hospital with you."

"You can come after school."

"It's not enough."

My sister seemed to realize something.

She looked at me sadly. "Yin Yin, you need to follow your own path. Study hard, get into college, and leave this home behind."

She forced a smile. "Mom and Dad are here to take care of me. You don't need to worry, I'll be fine."

I insisted, "I'll only take a break for six months. I'll study on my own and then take the college entrance exam."

I smiled. "I'll bring you back a top score, okay?"

But my sister didn't smile. Her expression was serious.

"Yin Yin, what's wrong with you? You're worrying me!"

These past few days, the question I'd heard most often was, "What's wrong with you?"

I lowered my eyes.

"I just feel like I'm not doing anything wrong. I want to be with you. I want to see you every day. I want to take care of you!"

My sister fell silent.

After a long while, she grabbed my hand and said firmly, "Okay, we'll be together every day!"