Chapter 722 Guiying's decision
Guiying asked, "Why did you call for me, Bro?"
"Why?" He sneered. "Now that I am in jail, you won't even bother to meet me? You abandoned me just like that and I had to ask to meet my own sister. I cannot believe that you could treat me like that. I raised you after our parents passed away. I shielded you as we got kicked from home to home and…"
The dormant rage was piling up, his body trembling. "You are so clueless about the reality of our childhood life, right? The disdain, the sympathy, the bias, the torture of our relatives…you haven't even seen one percent of it. You always lived in your bubbly world while I took the heat. And now…and now you just shamelessly let me rot in jail! Some backstabber sister I have raised!"
Guiying struggled to make any sense of his words. "Do you think that I lived in a bubbly world? Do you really think I have ever smiled in those days? You…How can you be so completely wrong, Bro?"
Tears fell as she said, "I wasn't spared either. The cousins would all bully me whenever they found me. They mocked us as orphans. They ridiculed us for shamelessly living in their house and stealing money that was supposed to be theirs. I have heard a lot of poison just like you. But all of that didn't matter to me. I didn't resent them for their treatment. We were just burdens to them."
Guiying clenched her fist, her heart being stabbed by knives. "But what broke me was you, Bro. We were brother and sister, right? We were supposed to battle everything together. N-No matter how tough life was, we all face it with smiles. So…when did I become a burden for you? When was it that I became an outlet for you to release your anger?"
Cai Lingyun's eyes reddened with a mixture of rage and humiliation. "Shut up! You don't know what I was going through at all! You don't understand the stress behind every penny I had to earn for our future and leave those wretched families! What do you know! As a big brother, I was doing what any brother would do. Take your responsibility and do whatever I can to earn for you. So…so what if I hit you a little? Couldn't you bear that for the sake of your brother who was feeding your mouth!?"
He breathed hard with his flared nostrils, veins popping up on the back of his hands. "The college and studies, the part time work, the job search, the house search and then after everything come home to become a joke and disdain for our relatives…After going through such a repeat of shitty day every single day, why was it so wrong if I beat you a couple of times? You never faced the stress so you will never know!"
"Who told you to do it all alone!" She broke down. "I was there for you, Bro. I was there with you. I wanted you to share your burdens with me so why didn't you let me help you? Re-Remember I wanted to take up part time job to earn money-"
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
She froze.
Cai Lingyun banged his hands on the desk, his body trembling hard. "I didn't need your help! What? Did you think that I was so weak that I would be unable to support you by myself? Did you think I was a loser who wouldn't be able to provide for you?"
"No…No! I never thought that. Why do you have to think that way just because I wanted to help you? We are siblings bro! Why couldn't have we dealt with the situation together? Y-you didn't have to bear everything alone because I was right beside you, but you…you never gave me that chance! No matter how much I tried to reach out to you, you always, always shut down on me…The only time you looked at me was when you beat me. I know…"
Her voice choked, her eyes growing wetter. "I know you….were…
hurting. You were struggling, but why…why did it have to be like this? You kept hitting and beating me and slowly…I began to lose who I was my last family member too. I was losing you and th-then I truly had nobody in my life…"
Her vacant gaze looked faraway, staring back into the past. "I was tired. I just wanted us to be together. Even if life was harsh, I wanted us to walk through it together. I believe nothing would have been impossible then. I just…wanted us to be happy. Why was it so difficult? Why did you stop looking at me? When I first introduced Ai, you looked so happy. And that made me happy because I thought Ai would become the bridge between us. I was sure that she was that friend we needed in our lives to…to just make us calm down and remember to take a breath. She was that order in our chaotic lives…"
A tear traced the path of the wetness on her cheek. "But I disappeared for you yet again. You could only see Ai and nothing else. I was just…nowhere in your life. What did I do so wrong, Bro?"
"Ai…"
Guiying looked up at him as he whispered her name. He seemed to be in a trance as he mumbled her name. "Where is Ai? What is she doing now? I saw the news that her book is coming. Isn't it great? Oh God it's been so long that I have seen her. How…many months has it been?"
Cai Lingyun's mood and tone switched like a flip as if the previous confrontation was just an imagination. Guiying stared at him emptily. Everything changed about him the moment Ai's name came up.
He is still the same…
If it was before, Guiying would have felt broken to pieces. The constant love and concern for Ai would have made her miserable. But today strangely, she didn't feel any enmity towards Ai. Not even a speck of any insecurity.
As she stared at her brother, she could only feel pity for him.
"Ai…I want to meet Ai. Guiying, do something. Let me out of this jail! I want to meet Ai!"
"Ai is happy, Bro. Ai is happy with Liu Jun. She only needs him and nobody else."
"Ridiculous!" He exclaimed at the top of his voice. "She doesn't know what she is doing. That Liu bastard will never keep him happy! Sh-She doesn't understand. That's why you have to help me, Guiying! Get me out of this jail! I am your brother! Please help me!"
Guiying felt a cold shiver. His pleading voice and desperate expression twisted her heart. His frail body made her wish she could hug him. She wanted him to be free and live his life.
She raised herself from the chair and stood on her feet. She stared into his gaze where she couldn't find any trace of her existence.
"I cannot, Bro. I won't. For the sake of Ai's and everybody's happiness, you have to stay here. That is all I came to say to you."
Cai Lingyun gave her a blank stare. "T-that is ridiculous! You cannot betray me Guiying! I am your brother. You have to help me out! L-Look, I promise I will treat you nicely from now on. I will become the big brother you want me to be, okay?"
With a sad smile, she shook her head. "It's too late for that, Bro. I am sorry. You are a danger to Ai and her happiness, not her friend and well-wisher. You…" a lump formed in her throat, as she steeled her heart, "will remain here for the rest of your time. That is what I have decided. This is the last time we meet."
With her back and shoulders straight, Guiying turned and walked away.
"No! Guiying, come back! I am sorry! Please forgive me! I promise I will treat you better now but please let me out of here! Guiying!"
But his pleas went to deaf ears and the only sounds he heard were of Guiying's footsteps leaving and the door shutting in front of him forever.
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