However arduous it may be, it is not a reason to disturb others. Especially considering that we are mere acquaintances who crossed paths. As someone who sought help and was reassured that there is no major issue, I have no right to use my "illness" as an excuse.

　　It is simply impolite! Gu Pan felt deeply remorseful. But unexpectedly, this unpleasant experience seemed to interact with the chaotic speculations in his mind, as if it pressed the button that forcibly induced sleep.

　　He never anticipated that Su Chiyuan would actually respond to him. "Is that you?" Three words with no clear indication. They could be applicable to anyone, yet carried an enticing undertone as if coaxing him gently.

　　Gu Pan stared at the message, which he felt he had overanalyzed, and realized that he was being foolish and overthinking. He set his phone aside and went out to freshen up.

　　In the living room downstairs, Gu Xueping had already prepared a table full of youtiao, millet porridge, pocket eggs, and various pickled vegetables before heading to work. He knew his son's preferences because ever since Gu Pan was in kindergarten, he had been responsible for cooking three meals for him and picking him up from school.

　　His mother, Li Danxia, was busy sleeping. She couldn't stay up late because she was afraid of getting old. She couldn't wake up early either because she lacked energy and would lose money playing cards. Of course, the cause-and-effect relationship between insufficient energy and bad luck became weak after the "ugly incident" involving Yu Yan came to light. Once someone has the opportunity to target a more specific and easily identifiable object of anger, they naturally won't easily abandon it. She aimed at it, occasionally launching arrows filled with resentment. The thought of Yu Yan, who had become a hedgehog, no longer being able to easily approach her son brought her a sense of relief.


　　Li Danxia was still asleep at this moment. It was the second day since her son had returned from vacation.

　　Gu Pan finished breakfast alone, slumping into the chair with a collapsed posture. He stared at the wall clock. In half an hour, the mahjong players and friends who had gradually arrived for the morning session would fill this room. They would transform the ordinary living space into a smoky and lively entertainment venue. But this was precisely what intoxicated Li Danxia, the noise and excitement that served as her emotional anchor... Gu Pan felt an overwhelming heaviness in his chest.

　　He went upstairs to retrieve his personal belongings and once again stepped out of the house, taking a different path from the previous night.

　　Gu Pan bypassed a row of cement walls and walked along a cobblestone path for about two hundred meters until he reached a quaint small commercial street.

　　This was the route that Gu Pan used to take during his primary and middle school years.

　　His elementary school was located at the end of the street. For six years of elementary school, he was always accompanied by his father, Gu Xueping, so his range of activities seemed to be limited to this street.

　　After starting middle school, Gu Pan began riding his bike back and forth on his own. Breaking free from his father's backseat, he gradually expanded his walking radius. After school, he would visit a classmate's house to see a newlyborn dog and use his pocket money to buy a can of mixed congee to give to the elderly person living in a dilapidated house.

　　Of course, most of the time, he was Yu Yan's little brother, Pan. His second life was given to him by Yu Yan, and accompanying his sister Yu Yan was his most sacred mission in this lifetime.

　　In addition to the "safe house," Yu Yan also discovered a secret base for the two of them. It was an abandoned factory. The company had gone bankrupt, and what was once a thriving place now appeared desolate. Especially at night, it gave off a chilling atmosphere when viewed from a distance.

　　However, in Yu Yan's eyes, this place was not only devoid of terror but could even be compared to paradise. Here, she could find the freedom and tranquility that helped her forget her worries.

　　The first time she brought Gu Pan here, she introduced the layout of the five-story behemoth like a host showing off her own villa. She told Gu Pan that her favorite was the rooftop. Many times, she would stand there alone, arms outstretched, whether shouting or shedding tears in the wind, feeling like the ruler of the world.

　　On a certain weekend afternoon, Gu Pan was once again "invited" to visit the "Yu Mansion." Following Yu Yan's instructions left in the safe house, he climbed the dilapidated stairs to the fifth floor and entered the westernmost "room."

　　Yu Yan had cleaned it in advance. The once dusty and worn-out sofa bore traces of wiping.

　　The hostess invited Gu Pan to take a seat and pulled out a bottle of alcohol from behind. The liquid in the container was not full, with about half of it remaining.

　　"Did you buy this?" Gu Pan stared at the red label on the frosted bottle. It read, "Delicate and Elegant, Traditional Craft Brewing..."

　　"No, it's the leftover from Lai Yonggang," Yu Yan said as she used her nails to pry open the bottle cap. "It's just what he didn't have a chance to drink."

　　"Did you steal it?"

　　"What nonsense are you talking about? He's already dead, and leaving things there would just be a waste," Yu Yan struggled to open the plastic seal, furrowing her brows. "What kind of thing is this? Why is it sealed so tightly? Oh, I mean the bottle cap, not insulting you."

　　"I know you didn't insult me... Sister, even though the owner of the alcohol is dead, it's still his property, your uncle's property. Taking it without permission is stealing!" Gu Pan averted his eyes and his lips drooped.

　　"Alright, alright, even if it was stolen. Can you forgive me, please? You know, I brought the alcohol to have you accompany me in performing a ritual to honor him..."

　　"How should we go about honoring him?"

　　"I'm not quite sure. But when he was alive, he loved drinking the most. If we spend time with him, enjoying a drink together, it would bring him joy, right?" Yu Yan finally opened the bottle, swinging it in front of Gu Pan, triumphant like a conqueror.

　　Gu Pan took the paper cup and hesitated for a moment. Seeing Yu Yan's unwavering determination, he no longer hesitated. He let the liquid in his cup continue to rise. He had never touched alcohol before and didn't know when it would be appropriate to stop. He felt that to simplify things, he should just follow Yu Yan's lead.

　　They each drank half a cup. The 14-year-old boy and the 16-year-old girl had flushed cheeks, unable to hold their liquor.

　　Yu Yan endured the burning sensation in her throat and esophagus as she approached Gu Pan, who was lying collapsed on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. She rested her head on the boy's shoulder, and the alcohol brought forth the sorrow in her heart. "Pan, can you accompany me for a lifetime?"

　　"Of course, I can," Gu Pan spoke with a breathless voice, as if the airflow could dilute the spicy sensation in his mouth.

　　"But do you understand what it means to accompany someone?"

　　"It means wherever you go, I go too."

　　"It's not just that. Accompanying someone also means that I'm willing to do anything for you, and you're willing to do anything for me... Do you understand?"

　　"Yes, I'm willing to do that. And I've always been doing that, haven't I?

　　"Yes, you're the best, I trust in you!" Yu Yan took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. It was as if a long-awaited wave had been brewing inside her chest, ready to crash forth. Suddenly, she swiftly flipped her body and straddled Gu Pan's lap. And in that moment, Gu Pan, whose thoughts were momentarily delayed, was still gazing at the sky.

　　Once he finally realized what had happened and locked eyes with Yu Yan, he was astonished to see the provocative sitting posture she had assumed, which made his cheeks burn.

　　"Yu Yan?" Gu Pan instinctively leaned back, trying to sink into the worn-out couch as much as possible. That was his limit of retreat. But as he moved back, he unintentionally caused the swaying Yu Yan, affected by the alcohol, to waver on his thigh. The young boy's attempt to escape had failed.

　　"Pan, do you want to kiss me?" Yu Yan pointed her index finger at her forehead, then slowly slid it down to her cheek, lips, chin, and collarbone. "These places are all available. Do you want ?"

　　"Don't... What are you doing?" Gu Pan said, his hands moving as if afraid of being shocked, shifting from his side to behind his back.

　　"Don't hide. It's perfectly normal if you want to kiss."

　　"What's normal about it?"

　　"You're still hiding it from me? Look at this." Yu Yan leaned forward, dragging the backpack from one end of the couch and pulling out a small sticker. "Take a look for yourself."

　　Gu Pan carefully examined the sticker, which depicted a female celebrity with two prominently drawn, exaggerated breasts using a blue marker... Confusion and embarrassment spread across his face. "Where did this come from?"

　　"And you're asking me? Wasn't it left in the safe house by you?"

　　"It definitely wasn't me!" Gu Pan didn't hastily discard the embarrassing piece of paper. He flipped it over, desperately searching for evidence to clear his name. He leaned in to examine the non-sticky portion, faintly covered in strands of green ink. "I know, it was stuck on me by my deskmate! That jerk played a prank on me. Remember my green sweater? It must have fallen off when I went to the safe house. It wasn't me, I didn't..."

　　"You're so worked up!" Yu Yan covered Gu Pan's lips with her finger, then released it. "It's okay, just tell me, do you want to see it or not?"

　　"See? See what? I..." Gu Pan's cheeks turned crimson. He could easily avert his gaze, but his olfactory passage couldn't be closed for long. The scent of the girl's skin, mixed with the "subtle elegance" of a certain traditional craft, caused the half of his body that had already undergone subtle changes to stiffen and become immobile, leaving him incoherent.

　　"It's okay, it's okay..." Yu Yan reassured him, unzipping her top and removing her T-shirt, presenting a pair of bouncing breasts before the 14-year-old Gu Pan. "It's okay if you want to touch. Just promise me that you'll be with me forever."

　　Four years later, Gu Pan returned to the site of the factory. He stood at a suitable spot, gazing into the distance from a suitable angle. It seemed that Yu Yan could still poke her head out from the window of the westernmost room on the fifth floor, waving at him and saying, "Pan, come quickly!"

　　After wandering around the county town, Gu Pan started heading back. It was barely noon, and he was already worrying about whether tonight would be another sleepless night.

　　The closer he got to the two-story building, the more he felt tightness in his chest and shortness of breath. The journey home became increasingly difficult, and he felt anxious about starting the vacation with such a gloomy mood.

　　As he slowly made his way, the ringing and vibration in his pocket made him stop involuntarily. The caller was "Mr. Su."