352 Death by Thousand cuts.
“What’s up with our Lanlan?” An Qinyan asked the next morning on the breakfast table as she saw An Xiulan stabbing the innocent breakfast.
Lu Xuan and Gu Shangyan shrugged as they had no idea about anything.
Gu Yanxi gestured to his wife that he would talk to the little girl. “Xiulan, are you not going to the office?”
An Xiulan raised her gaze and nodded her head.
“Aren’t you getting late?” Gu Yanxi softly asked.
An Xiulan looked at the time and mumbled, “My dad is the boss of the company. I don’t think anyone will say a thing if I get late one day or I can always call in sick.”
An Qinyan gaped at her daughter. She knew that her daughter was dealing with something. If it was a normal time, An Xiulan would not have said this thing. She hated taking advantage of her parents. She would never take advantage of the fact that she was Lu Zhaolin’s daughter in office.
“I am going to my room to get dressed, ” An Xiulan said in a depressing tone as she went to her room.
“But she is already dressed, “An Qinyan said.
“She will match the outfit with her mood, ” Lu Xuan said. Looking at Gu Shangyan, he said, “What do you think she will choose? Grey or black?”
“I guess it’s gonna be blue, ” Gu Shangyan winked.
“What are you boys talking about, “An Qinyan asked with a frown.
“Nothing, mom, ” Lu Xuan sighed.
“Ah Xuan, don’t even think of annoying my daughter, ” An Qinyan scolded him. “If she went back to Boston because her brothers are irritating her, don’t come crying to me.”
Gu Shangyan gulped. “She won’t return to Boston just because someone broke her heart?”
Gu Yanxi slapped the table in anger. “Someone broke her heart? Who dared to do that? And you two monkeys, what were you even doing? Do you dare to tease her when someone broke her heart? What kind of brothers are you?”
Lu Xuan and Gu Shangyan sighed. “Uncle, nobody broke her heart. She broke her own heart.”
p-A- n-d-A-n-0-v-e-1、(c)om “Tell me what happened, ” An Qinyan asked.
“That’s not my story to tell, ” Lu Xuan said.
“Auntie, you have to ask Crybaby. She will share with you, “Gu Shangyan suggested.
An Qinyan didn’t waste any time. She knocked on her daughter’s door and as she opened the door, she saw An Xiulan sitting on the edge of the window starting out. The music was playing in the room and she heaved out a sigh.
🎶 Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts
Flashbacks waking me up
I get drunk, but it’s not enough
‘Cause the morning comes and you’re not my baby
I look through the windows of this love
Even though we boarded them up
Chandelier’s still flickering here
‘Cause I can’t pretend it’s ok when it’s not
It’s death by a thousand cuts 🎶
An Qinyan sighed once again. It didn’t look good. An Xiulan was playing her blue days playlist and it meant the girl had called in sick and was playing the role of a depressing soul at home.
“Lanlan, ” An Qinyan said in a soft voice. “Tell mom what’s wrong. She will make everything right.”
An Xiulan looked at his mom kneeling next to her and hugged her. She broke into sobs and this pricked An Qinyan’s heart like a thousand glass pieces.
“Mom, ” An Xiulan said in a choked tone. “I’m so stupid.”
“That you are, ” An Qinyan chuckled. “Sometimes. Tell me why is my baby crying?”
“He doesn’t love me anymore, ” An Xiulan cried.
“Your boyfriend?” An Qinyan hesitatingly asked.
An Xiulan shook her head. “He is not my boyfriend.”
“Then, how do you know he loves you?” An Qinyan asked.
“He said that he loves me, ” An Xiulan said. “But he brought another woman home. He hasn’t talked to me in weeks and didn’t even bother to reply to my messages. Mom, can we fall out of love in a matter of months?”
An Qinyan patted her back. “Darling, we can fall out of love in just mere seconds. It’s a sudden process as it is gradual.”
“So, he fell out of love, ” An Xiulan said, bitterly.
“Where did you meet this guy?” An Qinyan asked.
“I don’t want to talk about him, ” An Xiulan said with pursed lips. “If he doesn’t love me anymore, I shouldn’t be crying over him. He is a jerk. But he is my jerk. I’m so confused.”
“It’s okay. It’s okay. We always love jerks, ” An Qinyan said. “Just look at me. I have a divorce to prove that.”
“Mommy, daddy is not a jerk but your first husband can be one, ” An Xiulan mumbled.
“Look at this Daddy’s girl, ” An Qinyan said. “Now get ready. You will be late for the office. Today, mom will drop you at the office and pick you up later too.”
“I don’t wanna go to the office, “An Xiulan mumbled.
An Qinyan didn’t listen to her and went straight to the closet. “Xiulan, what do you think about this dress?”
“Mom, I don’t want to wear this dress, ” An Xiulan almost cried. “This is too pretty to be worn.”
“Nonsense! Go change your clothes, ” An Qinyan said, pushing An Xiulan into the washroom. She had chosen a black short coat dress with black leather over-the-knee boots. When her daughter came out of the washroom, wearing her outfit, she made her sit in front of the mirror and began making her hair and applied a coat of nude lipstick.
“I have never seen a girl more beautiful than my baby, ” An Qinyan gushed.
“Mommy, stop doing this or I may get narcissistic, ” An Xiulan pouted.
“I can afford my daughter’s narcissism, ” An Qinyan said. “My daughter is beautiful, smart and self-made. She has a heart of gold. I don’t care if people call you a narcissist. For me, you are the best daughter that I always loved. I don’t care about anything else.”
“Do you miss old Xiulan? The one before the accident, ” An Xiulan whispered.