173 Honor With A Broken Hear (2/2)

On the other side of the room, Rin could make out the sound of shuffling.

”Go to bed. You need plenty of rest for tomorrow morning.” She ordered while rubbing her face deeper into the pillows.

The shuffling noise stopped and was replaced with silence. With that, Rin's body softened once more into the bed. However, finding the silence oddly suspicious, her eyes blinked open as she shot up from her bed.

Although it was dark, Rin could make out a slight trembling coming from the lump beneath the covers. Releasing a soft sigh, she stood up and walked to the bed. When she tried to uncover the blankets, she was met with resistance. Aiguo was tugging the blankets back.

The corners of her mouth twitched. ”What's wrong?”

”Nothing.” She heard a faint murmur from beneath the covers.

From the raspy sound in Aiguo's voice, it was clear he was crying. Understanding the reason for his tears, Rin's heart softened, a shadow casting over her eyes.

”You know…” Rin sat at the edge of the bed, her hands playing with the bed's soft fabric. ”When I was around your age, I lost my mother. At first, the memory of losing her became the only thing I remembered of her. Another bad memory is what I made of her. But...She was worth more to me than a sad memory. Love and precious memories don't go away easily. They may hurt, but they also shine.”

Her eyes shift to the lump on the bed and her lips curled into a gentle, yet harsh smile.

”I'm sure, the memories you have of her, are extremely bright.”

The room was silent. Rin waited patiently, but she didn't hear or see any movement from the boy beneath the covers. A moment later, the covers gradually began to unravel. When they were completely lowered, Aiguo blinked and looked up at the girl in front of him, head in a daze. His eyes pinched with pain.

”If it hurts this much, why can't I decide to just forget all of it?”

For just a moment, Aiguo thought he detected hurt in Rin's expression in response to his words. She masked it swiftly. She looked down to see his eyelashes were trembling and that his face was a little pale. She reached out to hold his hand and found it was ice cold. Her heart clenched.

”The truth is we don't forget, move on, and have closure, but rather we honor. We remember and incorporate them into our lives in a new way. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through.”

The people she loved and lost, they were always there with her. Thinking back over the past years, during her hardest decisions, she always considered those she had lost. She learned from their deaths.

In that instant, the look in Aiguo's eyes sparked up a little. He had been silent before he sucked in a deep breath. The lost look in his eyes slowly changed into one of peace.

When Rin saw his expression, she inwardly let out a breath of relief. She pats the boy on the head.

”Now get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

Aiguo nodded and settled himself in the covers. With his small fists clutching the edge of the blanket, he blinked his eyes up at Rin. Met with his seemingly childish gaze, her lips twitched.

”What is it?”

Aiguo hesitated before murmuring, ”Can…Can I sleep with you tonight?”

Rin gave him no face and bluntly replied, ”No. Now sleep.”

Aiguo frowned slightly, his expression forming into a small pout.

”Jia always use to sleep with me.”

At this, Rin paused, her lips tightening to suppress the urge to snap. She took a deep breath and turned back the bed, slipping herself beneath the covers beside him.

A look of joy crosses Aiguo's eyes. But before he had the chance to gloat happily and hug her to sleep, he was met with a sharp glare.

”One time. After that, use a pillow, a stick, or something else. And no touching.” Rin stated icily.

Opening his mouth to protest, he closed it quickly and nodded his head with a gulp. Rin sounded a hum of satisfaction and nestled her head into the pillows before closing her emerald eyes shut. Aiguo's black eyelashes trembled as his eyes focused on the unconscious girl.

Her lips were currently formed into a pout, and a few strands had fallen over her flushed cheeks, right under her eyes where a single mole was set underneath the right one.

He stared at her peaceful expression and for the first time, a smile formed on his face. He nestled into the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

…

While the gloomy clouds over the two had cleared up, there was a storm brewing somewhere else. Within a room in the same inn, a young man lay silently in his bed.

An Sun was in the middle of some deep thinking with his eyes shut. He subconsciously rubbed the green ribbon in his hand as he did so.

[This girl, do you like her romantically?]

A fair young boy around the age of fifteen emerged in his mind. On serious occasions, their pair of slightly narrowed, appealing peach eyes looked very engrossed.

During meals, those bright emerald eyes sparkled as they sat by the table, enjoying the delicious food in front of them with stuffed cheeks.

The youth's smile revealed a small dimple on the left that added a touch of cleverness to his appearance. He was level headed, intelligent, and strong-minded. Every conversation with him never required an explanation. The boy always just knew what he was thinking.

An Sun's eyes slowly fluttered open. The cool expression on his face had already melted like the first snow of spring. Glancing down at the green ribbon in his hand, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

To him, that person had always been Bai Lan. His brother and comrade.

The girl Bai Rin, he had yet to uncover.