Chapter 1631 - 1632: I’m Leaving
Chen Susu knows you like gardenia and clove, and she once considered making a small sachet to carry with her. However, ever since she smelled the clove scent from Yan Zisu, she abandoned the idea. She knew very well that if she merely imitated, she might never replace Yan Zisu’s position in your heart. So she decided to pursue a different path and completely showcase herself.
"Sis... Brother Mu Yun." Chen Jie almost slipped up, but he smiled as he moved aside.
You nodded to Chen Jie: "Hello."
"You guys chat, I’ll go read in the room."
Then, Chen Jie picked up a few books and notebooks and turned into the room.
With Chen Jie’s departure, the little living room suddenly felt much emptier.
Apart from Chen Jie, this was the first time a man entered their house, and this man held an irreplaceable place in Chen Susu’s heart. For a moment, Chen Susu was taken aback and didn’t know how to speak.
You casually sat on the Old Shu chair where Chen Susu had been sitting and smiled at her, saying, "This isn’t like you, when did you become so restrained?"
Your words brought Chen Susu back to herself a bit. She tossed aside her earlier restraint and shyness and sat down casually as she always did, then stared steadily at you.
"I don’t have flowers on my face, why are you staring at me?"
"I want to look at you a few more times, so that in the future when I can’t see you, I can draw you from memory."
"Look at you saying that. Nowadays, communication is so advanced. Even if we go off to college, you can still send a video, can’t you?"
Chen Susu shook her head slightly: "You say so, but I’m afraid by then, brother, you won’t pay attention to me anymore."
"Nonsense, no matter what, you call me brother. How can I not care about you? And I’ve said before, if you ever have any difficulties, you can always find me."
As you spoke, you glanced around and wanted to say more, but Chen Susu interrupted, "I don’t need your pity!"
You moved closer to Chen Susu, and the distance between you was already short. Now, your faces were less than a palm’s length apart.
Looking fixedly at Chen Susu, you said to her with a very serious expression: "Susu, even though we haven’t known each other long, my impression of you wasn’t great at first. But you should believe that you are the fourth person to call me and make me come to you immediately."
The fourth?
A lot of people.
This was Chen Susu’s initial reaction.
You seemed to see through Chen Susu’s thoughts and continued: "The first is my mom, the second is my sister, the third is Zisu, and the fourth is you."
With this, the number suddenly reduced to two, and Chen Susu’s heartbeat quickened slightly.
"I can tell you openly, agreeing to be your brother wasn’t out of pity or wanting anything from you, but simply because I think you are a girl worth cherishing."
At this moment, your big hand gently rested on Chen Susu’s head, looking at her with eyes like an eldest brother that seemed to melt her.
"I have an elder sister who has always cherished me. I know very well the feeling of being cared for, and I also understand how helpless one can feel when facing difficulties alone, that feeling of being abandoned by the world."
You looked up at Little Jie’s room and noticed the door was half-open, "Everyone can’t choose their birth—this is Heavenly Destiny; but we can choose our future path—it’s a power given by the heavens. Both you and Little Jie have had tough childhoods, I know this, and as the elder sister, you have supported until now. Personally, I think you’re quite a good girl. Unreservedly speaking, if I’d known you sooner, maybe... well, no need to dwell on that. But today, you don’t seem to be in good spirits, did something happen?"
Your words made Chen Susu’s heart beat faster than ever, and it further strengthened her resolve.
For herself, for the future, she decided she must try no matter what.
Thinking of this, Chen Susu looked up at you and said: "Old Shu, I want to leave here."
Instinctively frowning, you looked at Chen Susu and asked: "Where do you plan to go?"
"At the school celebration, before it ended, a woman came to me. She wants to package me."
"Who? Which media company?"
"Star Media, she didn’t tell me her name, but she’s quite an attractive woman."
"A Newspaper Group subsidiary? Did not expect Second Heights to have alumni in that field." You pondered for a moment, then asked Chen Susu, "Can you tell me your own intentions?"
Chen Susu slowly lowered her head and took a deep breath: "You should be well aware of my family conditions. In this world, besides studying, I have no other path. But what good does studying do? Even if my grades are excellent, without a good background and backing, I could at best become a white-collar worker who is easy to manipulate in a corporation."
"Didn’t I say before? I am your brother, as long as I’m here..."
"But I don’t want to always rely on you!"
Chen Susu suddenly raised her voice, and in your surprise, you found her eyes already wet.
At this moment, Chen Susu was looking at you with an expression you had never seen, conveying defiance, resilience, and a kind of unspeakable melancholy.
"Brother, I don’t want you to be my brother, and I don’t want to live under your protection forever. I want to have an equal position with you, not just someone who can only survive by relying on you!"
You just looked at Chen Susu, unsure what to say for a moment.
Chen Susu is a strong-willed girl. Having experienced solitude and bullying from a young age, she matured earlier than many and understood life’s harshness better.
Unlike most girls, she wouldn’t rely on anyone, even the person she loves. Chen Susu firmly believes that a person without self-care ability, without the capability to achieve self-redemption, cannot win others’ respect, nor gain their true love.
Chen Susu knows that despite your silence, you actually feel pity, or sympathy, for her.
But she doesn’t want this; what she wants is simply the melting gaze you give Yan Zisu, a soft whisper, a simple gesture.
"Actually, I was hesitating earlier, but your arrival has strengthened my resolve. Old Shu, I’ve decided, I want to go to America!"