It was her brother who made the decision, but why did Gu Yuyao have to torment herself like this? There was no doubt that Gu Zihao loved his little sister, so much so that he was willing to throw his life away for her sake.

  He Lianchen hugged her tightly, letting her cry her heart out. If only he could take away the pain and grief from her. How much did she have to endure since Gu Zihao's passing?

  If Gu Zihao could see his sister now, He Lianchen was sure that he would be heartbroken seeing her like this. He couldn't even imagine a girl, as young as Yaoyao back then, growing up knowing she was unwanted.

  Most families had issues of their own, but He Lianchen had never heard of parents hating their own child to this extent. This simply meant that Gu Yuyao had also lost her parents' affection the moment her brother died. She was no better than an orphan, abandoned to live on her own at a young age.

  Gu Zihao probably didn't think that the consequences of his actions were detrimental not only to his parents, but to Gu Yuyao as well. Gu Zihao might not have considered what would happen to his family once he was gone.

  "Yaoyao, listen to me. It's not your fault. It was never your fault." He Lianchen told her once again, but Gu Yuyao shook her head in disbelief. Today was supposed to be a merry day, not a depressing one like this.

  "Don't do this to yourself, Yaoyao. You are only putting your brother's sacrifice to waste if you continue living like this." He insisted.

  "But it is my fault, Lianchen. If I didn't… if I didn't…" Gu Yuyao choked on her own tears. She'd tried her best to win her parents' love, but they never acknowledged her nor spared her a glance.

  "Don't think like that! I, for one, am grateful that you are alive. I owe your brother for keeping you alive, allowing me to meet you in this lifetime." He kissed her cheek, tasting the saltiness of her tears that seemed to never stop. "You are stronger than you think you are, Yaoyao. You are not a coward, your parents are."

  Unfortunately, He Lianchen wouldn't ever have a chance to meet them, or else he would surely give them a piece of his mind. Couldn't they see how precious their daughter was?

  "Really?" Gu Yuyao couldn't believe his claims. "I remember someone calling me a coward weeks ago." She said a mocking tone.

  He Lianchen shrugged. "That's the old He Lianchen. I'm a different person now." He grinned at her.

  Gu Yuyao snorted and smacked his shoulder playfully. How did he do that? How was he able to make her worries go away with such simple words?

  "You are just trying to get into my pants."

  "Anyway, they must be wondering where we are. It's your special day today, Yaoyao. You don't need to feel guilty because it's your birthday. In fact, you should celebrate and cherish every day, considering it was your brother who made this possible."

  When he put it that way, Gu Yuyao felt that she had wasted a lot of time grieving and torturing herself. Just as He Lianchen said, she should be living her life to the fullest, not running away, trapping herself in pain from the past.

  She wasn't able to make her parents love her. She wouldn't be able to change what happened back then, but she could live a happy life, cherish the life her brother had given her.

  For He Lianchen, he also realized how strong a woman Gu Yuyao was. He and his brother had never been on good terms, so He Lianchen had to seek other's help to pull him out of the hellhole he was trapped in. On the other hand, Gu Yuyao had to live her life alone, supporting herself without anyone to help her move on.

  It was her strength and perseverance to get what she wanted that differed Gu Yuyao from other women He Lianchen had met before. Even after she'd left him in the spur of a moment, none of the women he'd met after her could compare to Gu Yuyao. He realized that he wanted to be with her forever, if she would permit it.

  They were probably too young and impulsive back then and they didn't know each other well. But this time, He Lianchen was determined to spend the rest of his life with her. The ring he still kept in the drawer of his bedside table was only meant for her.

  He lightly kissed her lips and dried her tears before smiling down at her.

  "Shall we go and see what Xiao Bao and Little Star made for you? They actually bribed me into this." He Lianchen told her.

  Gu Yuyao allowed her man to drag her back outside.

  "Really? I thought it would be the other way around?" She hooked her arms with his and followed his lead. Thankfully, their height difference wasn't too big and she could follow his long strides.

  "I knew it's your birthday today, but they were the ones who insisted on throwing a party for you. If it were me, I'd rather keep you to myself tonight." He Lianchen said in defense.

  When they came back to the garden where everyone was waiting, they saw Li Meili and Song Fengyan helping the little buns grill their burgers, while Feng Tianyi and the empress were busy conversing with each other.

  It seemed like they weren't the only ones who were patching things up.