Farewell, Lan Yu

One year later, in the bustling city of Paris, where the sun shone brightly everywhere, people's lives had returned to their usual hectic pace.

On that crowded street, an Asian couple walked hand in hand, looking incredibly happy. The husband carried their bags while the wife held their baby, a beautiful little boy fast asleep.

The streets grew increasingly crowded, sweeping the couple into the surging tide of people. In just a few short seconds, they were separated.

"Huang Hai Ling, I'm over here."

Mai Xiang Wei's gentle voice rang out, her small arms tightly cradling their one-year-old son. He was the crystallization of their love, a gift from heaven, yet they had no idea this child had been exchanged for the fate of another.

"Wait for me."

Hearing Mai Xiang Wei's voice, Huang Hai Ling quickly squeezed through the crowd to reach her. But the more he pushed forward, the more the jostling crowd drove them further apart.

On that very same street, very close to them, two other people were also losing each other amidst the bustling crowd.

"Lan Yu, where are you?"

In the bustling crowd, his deep, warm voice rang out, drawing the attention of passersby.

"I'm here."

Answering him was the gentle voice of a girl who, though mingled in the crowd, still stood out. She wore a light purple dress, her black hair blowing wildly in the wind. Her eyes were of a beautiful sapphire-blue color, yet they were unfocused, staring blankly at the space before her as her hands fumbled through the crowd to keep her balance.

"Stay there, I'll come to you."

Wu Dan Feng's voice was filled with anxiety. He pushed hard through the crowd in front of him, but the more he pushed, the further back he was swept. His sapphire-blue eyes kept searching for the lonely figure of the girl lost in the crowd.

"I'm fine..." she murmured, but her steps were thrown off balance by the jostling of those around her. Her aimless steps quickly pushed her off the pedestrian lane.

"Lan Yu, come back... come back..."

Wu Dan Feng watched in panic as her lonely, bewildered figure drifted into the busy traffic lane. The cane in her hand had also slipped from her grasp.

"Lan Yu, come back..."

He screamed in his heart, fear surging within him. He tried to reach her, but the chaotic crowd kept pushing him further away.

Yet his scream made another person abruptly stop in his tracks. His eyes searched everywhere, looking for something, but found nothing. Lan Yu—that name sounded so familiar.

"I'm fine."

Then that voice rang out again, drawing his attention. A deep sense of desolation rushed from the depths of his heart. How long had it been since he last heard this voice?

"Mai Hui Ling."

The name slipped from his lips. Immediately after, his eyes caught sight of a girl standing in the middle of the busy traffic lane. Her panicked face and empty eyes startled him. It was her. It really was Mai Hui Ling—that wicked woman.

But his brief utterance made Mai Hui Ling freeze in her tracks. Her face went blank, devoid of direction. Was that his voice? The voice of the man she never wanted to see again? The man she wanted to forget forever? Huang Hai Ling?

"NO, LAN YU..."

*Crash...*

But just as she was dazed, Wu Dan Feng's desperate voice rang out again. His face was now trembling with terrifying fear. Watching the car speeding toward her, he wanted to reach her, but it was already too late.

"NO..."

His painful scream made the crowd halt. They stared at the girl lying on the cold ground, her body dreadfully covered in blood.

Huang Hai Ling stood there dazed as well, staring at Mai Hui Ling lying in a pool of blood. Blood soaked her purple dress, wrapping around her.

"No..."

A second later, his body trembled uncontrollably. His heart felt as though it was being squeezed tightly. He let out a loud cry and ran to her side.

"Are you crazy? Why didn't you dodge? Let me take you to the hospital..." he said in a panic, his voice shaking. He wanted to lift her up, but was stopped by her hands flailing in the air.

"No need... I'm dying... Huang... Huang Hai Ling... is that you?" she whispered, blood constantly spilling from her mouth. Her outstretched hand hovered in the air, unable to touch his face.

"Your eyes..." He frantically caught her hand and pressed it against his cheek.

"I traded my eyes... to buy... happiness... for you... I..." she gasped, blood and tears mixing together, soaking her entire face.

"I'm... so tired..."

"You gave your eyes to Mai Xiang Wei?" Huang Hai Ling's voice was on the verge of breaking. How could he remain calm? She had traded her eyes to give him happiness. It was her, it was her...

For some reason, his tears flowed endlessly, blurring his vision. Why did his heart ache so much? Why did it feel so suffocating?

"I only wanted you... to be happy... I only wanted... to keep my promise... to keep my promise... to bring happiness... to you..." Mai Hui Ling's voice grew fainter. Her trembling hand tried to feel his face. Was this the face of the man she loved? It was so beautiful, so perfect.

"Are you crazy... you didn't promise me anything! I don't need you to sacrifice yourself for me... I don't need it... Don't close your eyes, don't sleep!" Huang Hai Ling roared, his strong hands shaking her fragile shoulders. His voice cracked with tears. He didn't understand why he was so terrified. He was so afraid of seeing her close her eyes... so afraid...

"I did, but you forgot... You forgot me..."

"I once promised... to make you happy... to make you happy..." Tears streamed down her pale face, but a smile involuntarily bloomed on her lips. Yet that smile struck terror into his heart. Had he forgotten something? No, he couldn't remember anything. He didn't want her to leave like this. He wanted her to explain, he wanted her to explain...

"WU LAN YU! WU LAN YU!"

Wu Dan Feng's voice cracked amidst the indifferent crowd. His entire body collapsed onto the ground, and he sobbed like a child, his fists slamming against the pavement until they bled. "Wu Lan Yu, I failed to protect you. I am useless. It's my fault. I couldn't protect the ones I love, I couldn't protect my sister... It's my fault... all my fault..."

"Wu Lan... Yu... Lan Yu... Lan Yu..."

His voice struggled to escape through his choked sobs. Was she Wu Lan Yu? She was Lan Yu? Had he truly forgotten her? Was he the one who made her like this?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I forgot you, I didn't look for you... I didn't look for you... I forgot you... Lan Yu..."

He pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly that she found it hard to breathe. But this was the first time he had held her like this, wasn't it? The first time, and also the last...

"Fourteen years, I waited for you... Fourteen years... from when I was seven until I was twenty-one, I waited for you... to find me... waited for you to protect me... but now I'm tired... I can't wait anymore... I'm so tired..."

The more she spoke, the more difficult it became. Blood kept spilling from her pale lips. Her heart ached terribly. She was so tired, she just wanted to sleep, so sleepy...

"It's my fault. I was wrong not to find you, not to recognize you... I forgot you... I'm sorry... I broke my promise... I failed to protect you... I'm sorry..."

He cradled her in his arms, just like fourteen years ago, holding his Lan Yu. It was because he forgot her. It was all his fault...

"It's my fault... my fault... I deserve to die..."

He wept, his hands beating his own head. It was all because of him. He had made a promise, yet he was the one who broke it, pushing her away, staying with another woman right in front of her... It was all his fault. He deserved to die...

"There's no need for you to remember, it's enough that I do... *cough, cough*... I have fulfilled my promise... I wish you... happiness..."

"No, I won't be happy! I only need you! It's because I didn't cherish you, because I was foolish... but please don't leave me, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong..."

He cried hysterically, his hands still beating his head. It was all his fault, he deserved to die... His Lan Yu, it was all because of him, because he pushed her into the abyss... He didn't want this...

"I'm... tired... now I'm returning this to... you..." she whispered, her trembling hand pulling the angel necklace from her neck and handing it to him. If it hadn't been for this necklace back then, she wouldn't have been foolish enough to wait for him forever like this, waiting for him to come for her, waiting for him to love her. But now she wouldn't wait anymore, never again... She wouldn't foolishly follow behind him anymore, wouldn't follow behind just to watch him smile and laugh with another woman... never again...

"I don't want it... I don't want it... I don't allow you to die... I don't..."

He threw the necklace to the ground, holding her cold, blood-soaked body even tighter. His tear-blurred eyes could no longer see her figure clearly...

"Huang Hai Ling... if there is a next life... I will definitely not love you... anymore... never... I will never love you again..."

Her gasps grew heavier, and blood continued to pour out. His arms held her body even tighter, but for some reason, it was growing colder and colder. So cold... No, if this continued, his Lan Yu would freeze... No...

"No... if there is a next life, I... will definitely love you... more than you loved me... No... LAN YU!"

He let out a painful roar, his tears falling endlessly. He held her ice-cold body tighter and tighter. His Lan Yu, no, he wouldn't let her die. He hadn't even fulfilled his promise yet... he hadn't protected her yet...

"Lan Yu doesn't want to see you..."

Wu Dan Feng stepped forward and snatched the cold body from Huang Hai Ling's arms. He cradled her, gently smoothing the tangled hair on her face, and slowly walked away...

"I will take you to see the cherry blossoms in Japan, to watch the bullfights in Spain, to see the lavender fields in western Paris... Don't sleep... don't sleep..."

He smiled softly, but tears had already drenched his entire face. His little sister, she had promised to go flower-watching with him, promised to travel the world with him... promised never to leave him... "Wu Lan Yu, you lied to me. You are a liar... a liar. I will never forgive you... never..."

The autumn of Paris passed by in such a dreary manner, burying the dreams and youth of a young girl, burying an incomplete picture of love's colors... burying a story that would forever remain without an ending...

Wu Lan Yu—Mai Hui Ling... Farewell...