Chapter 46 - Recalling

Gu Yan and Manla drank up the red wine, but they ate little.

After the meal, they turned off the light and lay head to head on the sofa by the window. The soft moonlight shining on them through the window seemed like a layer of spun yarn.

The weather was so good tonight. Gu Yan and Manla who were squiffed could feel the breeze blowing on their faces. At night of this industrialized city, they couldn’t see the starry sky that once appeared in the childhood anymore. They could only see the moonlight.

“Could we image what would happen today when we were carefree?” The moonlight was as bright as before but they changed a lot.

“I don’t know what is a carefree life.” Manla had never experienced the “carefreeness”.

“I agree. I don’t know what is a carefree life either.” Gu Yan frowned, wondering why she remembered the word “carefreeness” suddenly.

Growing up in an orphanage, Manla was neither sensitive nor self-abased as other children who grew up with her. She was easy-going and had a positive attitude towards life, so she received the support from a warm-hearted person to finish her college courses. She also made every effort to improve herself and did part-time jobs when she was free to gain experience. Therefore, although her educational background was lower than others, she also entered into a big company with her rich experience and since then, she had been working hard all the time.

Though Gu Yan was adopted by Wen’s family, she couldn’t get real love from that family as she was from a poor and underprivileged family. However, she had never experienced great difficulties under the protection of Wen Yunfeng, which made her shyer and quieter than Manla.

Gu Yan and Manla knew each other in high school and they became desk mates by chance.

Gu Yan had regarded the positive and warm-hearted Manla as an elder sister for so many years.

Manla thought that although Gu Yan grew up in a rich family, she lived in a situation which was not better than that of children in the orphanage. It must be fate that she and Gu Yan became desk mates, so she often took care of Gu Yan.

When Manla was so tired that she fell asleep in class because of her part-time jobs, Gu Yan would help her copy the notes.

At lunch, Manla would share delicious food with Gu Yan.

In the outdoor PE classes, they would “explore” new world hand in hand. Manla knew more than Gu Yan, so she would explain patiently when Gu Yan had problems.

They had been desk mates for three years. After the college entrance examination, they went to different cities, but they were still close to each other.

When Manla was a sophomore, she had an accident and had to lie in the hospital for over two months. During that period, she was unattended in the hospital. In order to take care of Manla, Gu Yan, a timid girl, asked for a two-month leave with the excuse “her mother had a car accident”, which made Manla feel ridiculous but warm until now.

Wen’s family got into trouble three years ago, and Gu Yan chose to be a surrogate mother to help Wen Yunfeng. But she didn’t tell Manla about this until she was about to give birth to a baby.

Manla was very helpless that Gu Yan should make such a choice. When she saw Gu Yan looking at her palely with an exhausted expression after delivery, Manla sighed and felt sorry for the silly girl who always thought of others.

At that time, Manla and her colleagues were competing for a position fiercely, and her leader thought Manla was promising. However, Manla thought the postnatal care was very important for Gu Yan after the delivery and the surrogacy couldn’t be known by others, so Manla decided to apply for leave and took Gu Yan to Gu Yan’s hometown.

Manla and Gu Yan didn’t understand how Wen’s family knew that Gu Yan was a surrogate mother. Finally, Gu Yan was disheartened by Wen’s family after two years.

“Manla, why don’t you make a boyfriend all these years?” Gu Yan looked at Manla and asked suddenly.

Manla frowned, “What is a boyfriend?” What was the function of a boyfriend?

“Don’t you feel lonely without a person who would take care of you and wait for you?” Gu Yan asked.

“Feel lonely? Yes, when you told me that you would get married, I felt lonely for the first time.” Manla felt lonely only when Gu Yan said that she would marry her childhood sweetheart.

“You should make a boyfriend.” Though Gu Yan was harmed by her marriage, she still hoped that Manla could make a boyfriend and be happy because she thought that not all women were as miserable as she was.

“No.” Manla said decisively, because she got a promotion with great efforts and she didn’t want to distract herself by the so-called love.

“If you don’t make a boyfriend, you will die alone in this life.” Thinking that Manla would die alone in the future, Gu Yan felt extremely terrible.

“Well, if you make a new boyfriend, I will do as well.” Manla was afraid that Gu Yan would not believe love forever after Wen Yunfeng’s torment.

...

“Well, if a man who is rich, handsome and 180 cm tall really loves me and doesn’t care about my past, I will date with him. And you should do the same as me.” Gu Yan suddenly got up from the sofa and vowed to Manla.

Manla looked at Gu Yan confusedly. “When did Gu Yan become so tricky? Her requirement for her future boyfriend was so much that it was extremely difficult to find such an outstanding man.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What do you think?”

“Okay!” Looking at Gu Yan’s serious expression, Manla had to pray to the moon that the man appeared soon.

“But I must become a millionaire before this man appears.” Manla added quickly, and snickered, “Dear Gu Yan, to become a millionaire is more difficult than finding an outstanding man”

“Yes, I also need to make more money to destroy Wen Yunfeng’s dirty tricks.” Gu Yan lay back on the couch and chattered.

“The moon is covered by clouds.” Manla pointed to the outside while patting Gu Yan.

“Really?” Gu Yan looked at the moon and found that it was really covered by clouds and the sky became dark.

The moonlight that had been shining on them disappeared. Gu Yan was unhappy suddenly.

She pounded the sofa heavily.

“Hah, the moon is out again.” They stared at the sky and saw the soft moon came out again.

“The ancient said that every cloud had...” Manla said.

“Silver lining.” Gu Yan followed happily.

“Yes, don’t be afraid when the darkness comes, because the wind will blow away the dark clouds, and the moon will reappear.” Thinking of this, Manla held Gu Yan’s hands quietly and said,

“As long as you have a firm belief, everything will be fine.”