As they continued speaking, their conversation gradually took on a more serious tone.
"An Nan, your birthday is coming up, what are you planning to do?"
Birthday? This question, which had been frequently brought up lately, was something An Nan really didn’t want to think about, yet it was an issue she couldn’t escape.
"Yes, birthday." An Jiayou murmured again, a tone of resignation in his voice that seemed beyond his years.
In his heart, he really wanted to shoulder everything himself, so that An Nan could simply live happily every day. However, reality was far from beautiful.
Not only could he not take on responsibilities that weren’t meant for her, but he felt he himself was a burden to her. Without him, she surely would have lived more freely and carefreely, rather than burying all her dreams, unable even to think about them.
How could An Nan not understand this child’s premature mentality? She gently curved her mouth into a smile and comforted him, "Jiayou, don’t always think you’re holding me back. That’s not true at all. I’ve always believed that bringing you with me back then was one of the best decisions of my life. Gradually, I felt that having someone with me is far happier than being alone. So I really thank you for being with me all these years, for going to so many places with me, and letting me have so many precious memories."
"An Nan, is that really what you think?" An Jiayou’s voice was choked with emotion.
An Nan lowered her head and gazed at the person in her arms, nodding firmly, "Yes, this is An Nan’s most genuine thought. You should know, An Nan never lies to you, that’s our promise to each other."
At this point, An Nan affectionately pinched the tip of his nose and continued, "An Nan also hopes that in the future, your companionship will always be a part of my life."
"Alright, I will never leave An Nan." With those words, An Jiayou snuggled further into her embrace, his little handsome face full of sweetness laced with worry, "An Nan, what about the birthday after all?"
"We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, what else can we do?"
An Jiayou had imagined countless possibilities but hadn’t expected such a casual answer from An Nan. He stared at her in shock, unable to recover for a long time.
Seeing his silly expression, An Nan laughed and ruffled his hair, sharing her recent insight, "Actually, I’ve been pondering this issue a lot lately. Then one day, it suddenly dawned on me that none of us knows how things will turn out, so why worry unnecessarily? After all these years, who can guarantee that person’s feelings remain unchanged? They might have already changed."
The person in An Nan’s arms fell silent upon hearing this, then hesitantly asked, "An Nan, do you miss that person?"
Unlike An Jiayou’s hesitation, An Nan answered candidly, "Sometimes I do miss him, after all, he used to care for me a lot. But the things he did later were too hurtful, and back then, I was too young and proud to lower my head, which led to the situation we’re in now. People are ; the longer they avoid something, the less they want to face it. To be honest, if you think about it, I was at fault too. I shouldn’t have stayed away for so many years; he must be very sad."