Part 3 of Chapter 78
Please Like Her 29 – No one can get past those twenty years (of living with Brother)
When Shang Lu took the movie ticket and sat down with Shang Mu, he saw that the cinema was already full of people. Shang Lu asked, “It seems very popular. How did you manage to get tickets, and such good seats?”
Shang Mu replied, “I wanted to invite you. I bought tickets for every show these past three days in advance.”
Shang Lu understood, but not entirely. She asked, “Why did you want to invite me to see this movie?”
“Among the things you left behind, there were many horror movie DVDs. I’ve watched all your shows, and you and Ye Lu watched this movie together, and you said you’ve watched it five times,” Shang Mu answered, but then he suddenly realized something was off and asked tentatively, “Don’t you like it? Or have you watched it too many times and don’t want to see it again?”
“No, it’s neither,” Shang Lu shook her head, gazing ahead. “Let’s not talk. The movie is about to start.”
Indeed, the movie was truly terrifying. Most of the people in the audience had previously watched it at home seeking thrills, but screams could still be heard throughout the theater.
Shang Mu didn’t come solely to watch the movie, but the plot managed to startle him, occasionally leaving him with a pale expression.
When they reached a scary scene, even though she knew the content well, Shang Lu, like the other girls around her, would cover her eyes and scream.
Before the scariest scene arrived, Shang Mu reminded her to close her eyes.
Clearly, he had also done his homework and watched the movie in advance.
Shang Lu closed her eyes, feeling them growing a bit tired and even sore.
Thankfully, the theater was dim, and as long as she didn’t speak, no one would notice.
After finishing their meal and the movie, it was time to part ways.
Shang Lu looked at Shang Mu, who was walking with a crutch beside her, looking somewhat comical. She suddenly asked, “Shang Mu, before I was born, did you look forward to me coming into this world?”
“Yes,” this question made Shang Mu stop in his tracks, and he answered, “Back then, I did think about it. If you were a boy, we could have learned swimming and boxing together. If you were a girl, I would have shown you off in front of my friends, making them envy me for having a little sister.”
“I see,” she forced a smile, her face showing a hint of happiness, as if she had also fantasized about such scenes as Shang Mu described. Then she said, “Shang Mu, this time I’m truly letting go.”
Shang Mu froze, not immediately understanding what she meant.
Sipping her cola through the straw, Shang Lu paused for a moment and continued, “Last time, it was actually a lie. It’s not that I don’t care, but I didn’t want to argue with you again, so I said it’s okay.”
With one hand resting on the crutch, Shang Mu said, “I know.”
“But this time is different; I understand you now, so I really don’t blame you anymore.” There was a hint of helplessness in Shang Lu’s eyes as she continued to smile and said, “I’ve been thinking for a long time about how we should get along in the future, but I can’t figure out how we should interact like normal siblings, teasing each other. I’m sorry, Shang Mu, why don’t we just leave it at this? If we need each other’s help, we can contact each other. If there’s nothing, we can both live our lives.”
Shang Mu remained silent for a long time but didn’t avoid Shang Lu’s gaze.
His voice was hoarse, but he agreed, “Alright.”
At that moment, Shang Lu’s phone rang.
Seeing the sender of the message, her expression was a typical shy look of a girl in love.
Shang Mu immediately realized and asked her, “Is it Chi Yan?”
“Yes,” Shang Lu nodded directly, quickly replied to Chi Yan’s message, and then decided to tell Shang Mu, “He’s my boyfriend.”
“That’s good,” was the response that Shang Mu completely expected. He knew how much Chi Yan cared for his sister, so it was only natural for her to fall in love with him.
Shang Mu still cautioned her, “If Chi Yan ever treats you badly in the future, tell me. We’re not afraid of him or Chi family.”
Although Shang Lu didn’t think that day would come, she didn’t object at the moment and just nodded, saying, “Alright.”
They took the elevator downstairs.
Shang’s family car and Chi Yan’s car were waiting, one behind the other. Shang Lu had sent a message to Chi Yan half an hour before the movie ended.
Shang Lu looked at Shang Mu with a cast on his leg and asked, “Do you need me to help you get into the car?”
Before Shang Mu could speak, the driver immediately got out of the car to assist him.
Shang Mu felt that the driver was a little annoying, but he could only say, “No need, since Chi Yan is here, you should go back early.”
“Alright,” Shang Lu nodded in agreement, not looking at Shang Mu anymore, and directly got into Chi Yan’s car.
Seeing Shang Lu approaching, Chi Yan got out of the car to open the door for her and glanced in Shang Mu’s direction.
Both of them nodded to acknowledge each other.
Then Shang Lu leaned out of the car, seemingly determined, and said, “Shang Mu, happy birthday.”
She tossed a keychain to him, which she had casually won at the arcade machine next to her while he was buying popcorn. There was no other gift, so she had to make do with it.
Shang Mu caught the keychain, and at that moment, his eyes turned red, and then he got in the car.
The two cars drove in different directions at the intersection in front, and soon they were so far away that even the license plates couldn’t be seen.
At night.
Chi Yan didn’t ask Shang Lu why she was with Shang Mu, but after seeing her feeling down, he pulled her to sit on the couch at his home and watched a cheesy romantic movie together.
Shang Lu stared at the screen, letting the clichéd plot of the movie continue, and then when she turned around, she saw Chi Yan almost in tears sitting next to her.
Chi Yan wiped away his tears and said, “So touching.”
Shang Lu : “…”
Chi Yan, with red eyes, asked her, “Why aren’t you crying? It’s such a touching love story.”
Shang Lu : “…”
If she remembered correctly, this movie was something she randomly picked, with a rating of 3.7 on a certain website.
Who would cry for such a trashy film!
What’s more important is—
Eye drops were right there on the coffee table, this is too fake!
Shang Lu could see that Chi Yan was trying to give her an excuse to cry. She sighed and said, “I really don’t want to cry.”
“Oh?” Chi Yan looked down at her, a bit puzzled, obviously not entirely convinced.
Shang Lu leaned her head on Chi Yan’s shoulder and said, “Really, I’m quite happy.”
Her voice was gentle as she slowly recounted everything that had happened today.
Chi Yan nodded continuously, responding to every word Shang Lu said, and he held her hand.
Shang Lu smiled and looked at Chi Yan, saying, “I really don’t blame him anymore. He must have had a tough time over the years, maybe even more painful than me, especially when he had to separate from Sister Ah Yin. I’ve thought about it, and if I never see you again from now on, I can’t maintain absolute calm and trust, and I might end up blaming the people who caused our separation.”
So she let go of those years and let go of the matter about the rose manor that had made her cry into her pillow in countless late nights.
Until the end, Shang Lu sighed and said, “It seems a bit regrettable. I know he did his best, but I think I did too. He and I can only be like this now.”
Shang Mu wanted to make amends, so he took her to watch the scariest horror movie, thinking she might like it.
During the movie, she thought of countless possible outcomes between herself and Shang Mu, and in the end, she made that choice.
—Brother, happy birthday.
She thought to herself.
It can only be like this.
It has to be like this.
They both did their best.
It’s just a pity that in the end, no one could cross those twenty years that had passed.
🥺
Although it seemed hard, I still hoped that they could rebuild their relationship. But I guess this was the most suitable and realistic approach.
Well they can built a good relationship but it will take years and even then it won’t be the same because it can’t remove the past.
This is the best outcome for them at this moment. No one can erase what’s happened to them in the past twenty years and I won’t asked them to forget it either. Even if they stopped blaming each other and understand the other’s more, those years leave many scars on SL’s heart and it’s as real as the scars all over SM’s body.
Give them more time, as long as they have good intentions toward each other, I believe they can heal and their sibling relationships can improve. Leave the nightmarish memories behind and just leave it as lesson. Familial affection, after all, is like a gentle flowing water and the breathing air.