263 Birthday gift
An Xiulan didn’t say anything for a moment and then she lay on the side of the bed while An Qinyan sat near her and caressed the girl’s hair. As she was enveloped by the familiar scent and her head felt relaxed when her hair was stroked. In no time, she was asleep there.
An Qinyan didn’t stop stroking her hair even when she fell asleep. A couple of minutes later, Gu Yanxi entered the room and saw An Qinyan stroking An Xiulan’s head who was fast asleep in their room.
As An Qinyan heard his footsteps, she placed a finger on her lips asking him to be quiet. When she was sure that An Xiulan wouldn’t wake up, she stood up to walk to her husband who was standing near the window.
“Do you think she is alright?” Gu Yanxi asked her in a concerned tone.
“Honestly, I don’t know, ” An Qinyan whispered. “Something is on her mind. I’m giving her time to come to me and discuss it but she has been keeping it to herself. I wonder where I went wrong.”
Gu Yanxi hugged his wife and stroked her back, “Give her time. Let’s do something to help her relax. She has been staying alone these days. How about we go on a trip next weekend?”
An Qinyan smiled and nodded her head.
…..
“Be nice to your sister, ” An Qinyan said to Lu Xuan the next morning. “Do not trouble her.”
“Mom, when did I even trouble her?” Lu Xuan acted spoiled. His mom looked strict this morning.
“Go easy on her, ” An Qinyan said in a tone that meant if he defied her, there would be punishment waiting for her. “Don’t tease her.”
“Mom, I only tease her to get a reaction out of her, ” Lu Xuan said, acting spoiled. “Who asked her to behave so uptight these days? We all know that she is silly but now she started acting all mature and stuff. It gets on my nerves.”
He was too proud to mention that he wanted his old goofy sister back.
“Weren’t you the one who asked her to stop being childish and silly? Now that she stopped acting like this, you are complaining?” Gu Yanxi said as he arrived in the living room. “Son, you have to decide what you want from her?”
Last night, An Qinyan handled An Xiulan’s meltdown very difficultly. The girl was crying pitifully and these two jerks couldn’t even see that there was something wrong with her. For many days, she had been keeping quiet, unlike her true personality and last night, when she broke into tears, he felt his heart aching for her.
An Xiulan might have acted silly and spoiled most of the time but she was a sensible and sensitive child. Ever since Lu Xuan scolded her for intervening in his life, she maintained an emotional distance from him. She would give in to him most of the time but she wouldn’t ask anything from him.
When An Xiulan came downstairs holding her school bag as today was the last monthly exam, she saw her family gathered in the living room.
“Xiulan, your dad was asking if you would like to stay the weekend with him?” An Qinyan said with a smile as she saw her daughter standing there.
An Xiulan shrugged nonchalantly.
“Mom, am I going too?” Lu Xuan asked, looking at this Mother.
“Stay at home and help me clean the garden, ” replied An Qinyan.
“Huh?” Lu Xuan looked at his mother. Since when did his mom start doing the cleaning duty herself?
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“Xiulan!” Lu Zhaolin waved at his daughter as he stood near the car. He had been waiting for his daughter outside the school for half an hour. When he saw her, he excitedly waved at her, not at all caring about his age and image.
“Who is this?” Qiao Wei asked as she glanced at the handsome middle aged man.
“That’s my dad, ” An Xiulan said with a small smile. In the past one year, her relationship with Lu family had improved a lot and credit for it went to Song Yifei and Lu Xun.
Although An Xiulan and her dad weren’t that close, she and Song Yifei were like besties. She wouldn’t call the feelings that she had for Song Yifei as something that a daughter had for her mother, but she loved her a lot like she loved her family and friends.
“I thought only your stepdad is a Greek god, your dad is no less. Xiulan, now I know why you are so gorgeous. You are just like your dad.” Qiao Wei said, enviously. “You both have similar eyes. Oh no, you are your dad’s miniature version and maybe, this is why your little brother looks so much like you.”
An Xiulan blushed but she felt sweet in her heart. She waved her goodbye and said, “I will see you on Monday.”
“Xiulan, how are you?” Lu Zhaolin said as he took her school bag and opened the passenger seat for her.
“I’m good, dad, ” An Xiulan replied with a smile. “How are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing good too, ” Lu Zhaolin said. Although he was used to showing too much emotion, he was still doing a good job of making her feel welcome. “What do you think about checking the mall with me?”
“Dad, do you want to buy something?” An Xiulan asked, blinking her eyes.
“Yes, I’m thinking about getting your Auntie a birthday gift. But I don’t know what to get her for the birthday, ” Lu Zhaolin said with a sigh.
“Dad, we can never go wrong with jewellery for a gift when it comes to a woman but you can make it special by arranging a date, flowers and doing something special for her, ” An Xiulan suggested.
“Then, you should guide your dad well today, ” Lu Zhaolin said and she agreed.
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A/N: Let’s cheer up our sad Xiulan. I feel bad seeing her sad.