Lin Chan’s words made He Zhilan suddenly realize what it meant to assume the identity of Gu Zhilan. She was also relieved that she had never intended to publicly announce her identity and return to the Gu Family from the start.
"The Gu Family has made quite a few enemies over the years. Don’t be fooled by Gu En’s apparent contentment in the Gu Family. Once out of the capital, if there’s nobody with Gu En, who knows when he’ll be kidnapped! Take Lan Lin in the past for instance, his demise was totally unexpected. Lan Lin’s father was an ardent patriot unlike many who lust after power. He loved the military and was meticulous in his work. And it was this type of person whose son, Lan Lin, was implicated and met a miserable end in a foreign land."
Mentioning Lan Lin, Lin Chan sighed, "I don’t know if you still remember Lan Lin. Lan Lin and Lan Li are your cousins from the Lan Family. Lan Li is Lan Lin’s cousin, but compared to Lan Li, Lan Lin truly cherished you like a precious gem. As long as he was free, he’d be with you. Regardless of how much you clung to him, he would never find it annoying. Even though we teased him about having an extra ’tail’, he never got angry. If anyone in the courtyard teased you for being a chubby girl, or upset you, he would fight them ruthlessly until they dared not mock you again."
He Zhilan shook her head, "I was too young then and don’t have clear memories, but I do have a photo of him and me. Tan Heqian gave it to me. Tan Heqian’s brother was Lan Lin’s classmate, and our families were neighbors."
"Keep that photo as a remembrance. Lan Lin is one of the few regrets I have in this life. He was such a good person and yet he met a horrific end," Lin Chan said, "Lan Lin’s murder shocked the city where it took place. Although many knew about his murder, nobody knew the exact details. He was strangled to death, then his body was dismembered and thrown away in the mountains. When they found his body, it was too mutilated to be assembled. Lan Lin’s mother nearly lost her sanity. Lan Lin’s gruesome death was the reason she divorced and left the country. Yet, Lan Lin is buried here in our capital’s cemetery, would you like to visit him?"
Before He Zhilan could reply, Lin Chan continued, "My brother, since you have returned, you should pay him a visit. After all, he really cherished you when you were young. After you disappeared, he blamed himself for a long time, saying that if he had taken better care of you, you wouldn’t have gone missing. Since you are back, you should visit him and let him rest in peace."
He Zhilan nodded. Although she didn’t have deep memories of Lan Lin, everyone who knew him told her about his affection and care for her.
Even without these memories, out of respect for the departed, she should pay him a visit.
After He Zhilan had finished breakfast, instead of going back to work, Lin Chan bought a bouquet of flowers with her and took her straight to Lan Lin’s grave.
There was a recent photo of Lan Lin attached on his tombstone. In the photo, he looked somewhat similar to the current Lan Li. But compared to Lan Li’s reserved demeanor, Lan Lin’s smile seemed much warmer.
"Lan Lin, look who I brought to see you!" Lin Chan gently placed the flowers in front of Lan Lin’s grave and softly spoke, "Can’t recognize her, can you? This is your ’little tail’ from your childhood, Miss Zhilan. She is well now. As for you, there’s no need to blame yourself anymore."