Chapter 201 Comfort

That it turned out to be this kind of result even surprised Li Yan a bit.

Nian Yufei was also surprised: "How could you think it was my half-brother?"

"Uh... and those assassins at the concert before, were they unrelated to your brother?" Li Yan realized he had misunderstood all along.

"Of course," Nian Yufei said with a wry smile, "How could it be? My brother... although he’s more than ten years older than me and we’re half-siblings with different mothers, we haven’t spent much time together. But over the years, he’s been quite nice to me. Moreover... I don’t need to inherit my father’s estate, so there are no interests at stake with him, no reason for him to do that to me."

Li Yan shrugged: "SORRY! I got it wrong. It was seven years ago, and I don’t quite remember the original situation. Perhaps I deduced such a result from your identities. I twice saw you encounter assassins before and thought your inheritance battle had escalated and become fiercer. I was even puzzled why your father didn’t do anything about it."

Nian Yufei smiled and shook her head: "It’s okay. I’m happy you care about me."

Li Yan didn’t know what to say, this was completely different from what he had imagined before coming. It seemed she was living here by coincidence, and she didn’t even know he was living here too. Therefore, his displeasure could only dissipate.

"Back then... Mom managed some family businesses and affairs quite well, I guess. After falling in love with Dad, the situation changed. Because Dad was already married and older, he couldn’t divorce. This led to the family strongly opposing it, but my mom resolutely chose to be with Dad...

Grandfather Mu had taken care of Mom since she was little, he said that at the time, Mom didn’t make her family background clear to Dad. Despite managing many businesses, it was only in the capacity of a professional manager. Later, she fell out with her family, essentially severing relations. But I guess my grandparents ultimately weren’t at ease, so they allowed Grandfather Mu to follow and protect Mom. But she never let Dad know about this.

My mother’s family business in Cloud Island, of course, was reclaimed after the fallout. However, Mom also had considerable personal savings and invested them. After I was born, she didn’t need any financial support from Dad. Granted, as a father, he still provided us with material compensation. But what we wanted was for him to spend more time with us. Even as an illegitimate daughter, Mom had the ability to raise and cultivate me well and even leave behind a considerable estate. She didn’t want me to get hurt because of issues with my father’s estate, so she made her attitude clear early on to let my brother know.

The following ten years went by peacefully, which was my happiest childhood. Then came the incident you know..."

Speaking here, Nian Yufei became downcast again and didn’t continue.

"Did Grandfather Mu tell you all this? What about afterwards? Was it always him taking you? Who hired assassins to kill your mother, and who’s been hunting you since then? Other members of your mother’s family? Enemies?" If that’s the case, since they’ve severed ties, there shouldn’t be a motive to eliminate her, right?

Li Yan felt that even though she was much tougher dealing with danger and pressure than most people, she was still just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old adolescent, not yet mature, and the things Grandfather Mu told or instilled in her were not necessarily comprehensive and detailed.

Nian Yufei shook her head, "I don’t know, Grandfather Mu didn’t say. That time when they came, it was also when you left, besides Grandfather Mu, my dad also came. They said there were unexpected incidents delaying them, but later they got in touch and rushed over together. In the years since, Dad took me back to his home, and Grandfather Mu, like he took care of my mom, followed and protected me."

"In your new home... is everything good?" Li Yan could only ask this, though anyone could guess. No matter how good the attitude, it can’t bridge the gap. Even if her father’s wife and children don’t reject this child brought back from an affair, she herself couldn’t integrate with them.

"Not good... Aunt and my brother treat me very well, like their own. Dad seems he wants to make amends and meets any tiny request of mine in person. But I’m not happy, I don’t speak. I’m afraid, even Dad and Grandfather Mu can’t give me the greatest sense of security. At that time, I dreamed about a person, someone who protected me when I was the most terrified and helpless..."

"..." Li Yan was speechless, as she was talking about him, and he didn’t know what to say.

"That big brother, I will never forget. For him, it might just be an ordinary day in his extraordinary life; for me, it was as long as a lifetime! His existence allowed the child me, and the later me, to maintain a connection, making me feel there’s a guardian in this world who can make me completely safe!"

As an assassin, Li Yan’s usual role was taking lives, protecting people was rare, and even then it was often accomplished through killing. He considered himself as someone stained with blood, destined for Hell, so hearing a girl like Nian Yufei, with such an innocent mindset, speak words of admiration made him feel a bit awkward, leading him to change the subject.

"Uh... back then, you should have had a psychological shadow, right? Didn’t your dad take you to see a psychologist?"

"Yes. They said I had severe psychological trauma, various psychologists and child experts examined and treated me. But what can they do? Those doctors and experts haven’t truly experienced such situations, they can only rely on their theories and case experiences to guide. But how could I forget that day? Even growing up... I think, for a lifetime, I will never forget my mother’s death..."

Li Yan felt somewhat helpless, bringing this up would inevitably affect her mood, and he didn’t know what words could comfort her. Change the subject again?

"So, you enclosed yourself in the world of music? Ultimately, inadvertently becoming a pianist?"

"Not really," Nian Yufei needed to answer his question by shifting her emotional focus. "Since childhood, Mom taught me to play the piano, and every time I played, it reminded me of her. Listening to the familiar practice pieces, it felt like Mom was still by my side... Dad consulted psychologists and child problem experts, and their opinion was that music could aid in treating psychological trauma, so he strongly supported my piano playing, giving me the piano originally at home, and finding the best teachers to teach me. But at that time, I had no interest, no understanding of the world of music, I only missed Mom..."

She had been holding back, even when talking about these things, thinking she could endure through years of training. But at this point, tears slipped down uncontrollably.

Watching her quietly shed tears, Li Yan vaguely saw the little girl from years ago, with eyes wide from panic, unable even to cry out of terror.

He sighed inwardly, regardless of whether it would help, he should say something to comfort her. Though he wasn’t an expert, he had read quite a few books involving psychology over the years, so when comforting someone, he didn’t resort to the typical, least effective condolences of moving past grief.

He merely spoke in reverse: "Your mom died young, perhaps you shouldn’t be sad, but should feel happy instead!"

This indeed had an effect, Nian Yufei immediately looked at him in astonishment, as if not believing her long-admired protector could say such hurtful words.

"Look at Grandfather Mu, isn’t he very old?"

"...?"

"You said he has been following, protecting, and caring for your mom since she was young, should be a servant type that grew up watching over a lady, right? Alright, he once watched your mom grow up, now he watches you grow up. Think back to the earliest impressions of him from your childhood, and how different it is now?"

"...?"

"Do you feel in your childhood memories, he wasn’t as old as he is now?"

"Uh-huh."

"That’s right, birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws; people, from the moment born, gradually age. Grandfather Mu is like that, and so would your mom have been. Now, you watch Grandfather Mu age, and will continue watching him grow older, until he can’t walk and dies of old age! But your mom? Although she passed, in your heart, in your father’s heart, in memories, she will always remain young and beautiful. Isn’t this another form of ’living’? Isn’t this worth being happy about?"

The theory Li Yan led her to gave Nian Yufei pause. No one ever comforted her this way; whether Grandfather Mu or her father, these two closest people, also her mother’s closest, when comforting her, they always reminisced together, accompanying her in grief, then saying she should live happily, so her mother in heaven can be at peace, or similar sentiments.

"Bruce Lee, Chen Baoqiang, Huang Jiaju, Leslie Cheung, their premature deaths also created an ageless legend, letting people, besides feeling heartache, also learn to cherish, and forever remember their glorious moments.

I’ve met your mom; she’s not a famous person or a star, but she is a beauty, isn’t she? In ’Suiyuan Poetic Talk,’ there’s a record, ’From ancient times, beauties like generals don’t allow the world to see them grow old’; that’s what it means. Of course, as children, we never resent our parents for aging, but teenagers your age, driven by rebelliousness, often have negative emotions towards parental guidance and discipline. You’re different; your impression of your mother will always be the youthful, beautiful, and the most doting version.

Listening to Li Yan’s words, with reasoning and examples, Nian Yufei finally completely understood and nodded, "I get it..."

Li Yan smiled comfortingly: "Someone once said, when you can’t have it anymore, the only thing you can do is make yourself not forget."

(Thanks for yesterday’s tip: Sai Clan’s Little Fish, Snowflake Crimson, If-at-that-time~Snow, 281132272, CuriousBaby, Li Fanshow, Sea of Falling Leaves, Yagami Light II, dongmin8061, Cp Pampas) (To be continued, for more Chapters on what happens next, log in to www.qidian.com, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)