Yet, it didn't happen as she hoped. His absence and death left a gaping hole on her chest and it seemed to have grown bigger and deeper as she continued to live without him. Gu Zihao would have been alive if he hadn't thrown his own body to protect her from the impact.

  Her parents' words were like sharp knives stabbed on her chest. Why did they dump all the blame on her? It wasn't like she had wanted her brother to die for her sake.

  "Tell me what's wrong, Yaoyao. Please. Don't push us away. Don't run away anymore." He Lianchen begged her.

  His words left a bad taste in her mouth. She should be the one who should be apologizing, not him. She was the one who ruined everyone's mood today.

  "Don't you get it?" She laughed with sarcasm. "I shouldn't be the one here and alive right now. If I have died and Gege survived, everyone would be happy."

  There. She said it. The words she'd been keeping deep in her heart, but didn't dare to voice out. If only she could turn back the time, she would be willing to die instead of losing her brother.

  He Lianchen stiffened and frowned at her words. "What? What do you mean, Yaoyao?"

  Gu Yuyao smiled bitterly and pulled away from his warmth. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked away.

  "During my tenth birthday, my elder brother, Gu Zihao, came and picked me up after school. We were planning to celebrate my birthday on a beach where we could have tasty barbecues and relax before he starts working in our company." Her eyes stung with tears again, but she shut them, hoping she would stop crying already. However, she couldn't stop her trembling voice as she continued.

  "My brother was driving us to the destination and we were happily singing along to the music he played. One moment, I was so ecstatic that I have my brother to celebrate my birthday with me because our parents were just too busy and would always forget about my birthday." She chewed her lip as her tears continued to fall nonstop.

  "Then the next thing I know, my brother had thrown himself in front of me before I felt pain, and then blood filled my sight." She paused and covered her face with both hands.

  "Yaoyao…" He Lianchen had never thought that she'd been living in pain like this for years. It made sense to him now why Gu Yuyao had often looked at the families in the restaurants they frequented with longing. The ten-year-old Gu Yuyao must have been really sad and alone after her brother's passing.

  "Since then, my parents have never acknowledged my birthday. How can they when it was the same day they lost their precious son? If I didn't request my brother to celebrate out of town, we wouldn't be involved in that accident." She couldn't stop pouring her heart out right then.

  "The hardest thing is to see your own parents looking at you with disdain. They couldn't even stand looking at my face and avoided me at all cost. I couldn't stand it, I couldn't take it any longer. I ran away and shed the identity of the daughter of the Gu family. I ran away and never dared to show myself to my parents anymore. I only brought them pain whenever they saw me."

  He Lianchen swore inwardly. What kind of parents would blame an innocent girl for their other child's death? Wasn't Gu Yuyao also their daughter? Were the sons treated like treasure and yet a daughter could be cast away when unwanted?

  "Yaoyao just as you said, it was an accident. No one wanted your brother to die. It's not your fault." He took her hand in his and held it tightly. He would never let go of her this time, even if he had to face the family that abandoned her.

  "But he wouldn't have died if it wasn't for me."

  "It's not your fault, Yaoyao." He insisted, holding the side of her face with his other hand. "Your brother chose to protect you. I would have done the same thing if I was him. Do you know why?"

  Gu Yuyao said nothing and only stared at him, straight into his eyes.

  "It's because we love you, and no matter what happens to us, if it's for you, your brother and I would protect you at any cost."

  Gu Yuyao lowered her head and chuckled to herself. Of course, she already knew that. Wasn't that why she'd left him ten years ago? Because she could sense that he would also do the same for her, which she didn't want.

  Gu Yuyao didn't want to experience such loss again. She would rather see He Lianchen with another woman than to see him suffer or lose his life because of her.

  He Lianchen refused to let go of her hand, reminding her that she wouldn't be facing her problems alone any longer. Everything made sense to him now.

  No wonder she never shared anything about her family with him, let alone about the brother she'd lost. Gu Yuyao only said that they were living in a different city and they were too busy to spend time with her. No wonder she never celebrated her birthday.

  Unlike her, He Lianchen didn't have an older brother he looked up to, but he couldn't fathom how her parents had treated her so badly.