Chapter 82 Your Name?

Zhong Wan had no idea what Anian was thinking.

Her pen had just left the paper, and the flowing ink still shimmered faintly.

Then he looked up at Anian's solidified spirit body, nodded in satisfaction, and asked, "What is your name?"

Anian snapped out of her reverie upon hearing this and looked up.

"My name,"

"Gu Nian'an".

His voice was hoarse, and his eyes, filled with mixed emotions, looked at Lin Yan'an and repeated, "My name is... Gu Nian'an."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Wan's brows twitched slightly, while Lin Yan'an's brows furrowed slightly.

He... seemed to understand why Anian resented him...

Upon hearing that name, Anian seemed to have shed a heavy burden.

Ah Nian, no, it should be Gu Nian'an, glanced at Lin Yan'an, then lowered her eyes and continued, "My father... passed away in an accident when I was young,"

His voice was a little hoarse, and he seemed dazed: "There's only my mom, my sister, my grandma, and me left at home."

"My sister's health has never been very good, and she often takes medicine."

"Not long after, someone introduced my mom to a potential boyfriend, saying that the guy over there... seemed to be much better off than my family, but..."

His voice choked up a little: "But the man's side already has a son, and they're not really willing for my mother to bring her two children over..."

"Plus my grandma... My mom said she favors boys over girls and doesn't like my sister."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Then she took my sister and left, leaving me with more than half of the dowry and my father's inheritance."

Gu Nian'an laughed self-deprecatingly: "Let them go. They even left me a lot of money. I can understand."

"And I also have my grandma. My grandma... is very good to me. Just like my mom said, I am a boy, the only son left by my father, and the root of their Gu family."

"My grandma practically spoiled me; she never refused anything I asked for."

"But she was too old, and she passed away in less than two years."

"And then? You just lived on your own?"

Zhong Wan couldn't help but ask curiously, "How old were you back then? Were you an adult?"

Gu Nian'an shook her head upon hearing this, without answering her question, and continued, "After my grandmother died, my aunt took me in."

“My aunt is very good to me, but she has no say in that family,”

"Uncle... doesn't care about me, cousin... was fine at first."

"But ever since his grandma moved here, my cousin has changed."

"His grandmother... was kind in public, but behind my back she looked down on me as an unwanted burden, eating at her son's house, living at her son's house, and taking away her grandson's resources..."

"Gradually, my cousin also began to feel that I had stolen his things, taken his room, and occupied his space..."

At this point, Gu Nian'an looked at Lin Yan'an, but quickly looked away after their eyes met.

"I... overheard your conversation that night..."

He said softly, his voice filled with undisguised envy, "I thought your experiences were similar to mine... but ultimately, they are different."

Lin Yan'an instantly understood what he hadn't finished saying; he seemed to be luckier than him after all…

They also lost their families at a young age, were abandoned by their mothers, and lived as dependents in the care of others...

But Grandpa Zhou treated him like his own grandson and never mistreated him in the slightest.

And he...

Lin Yan'an paused slightly as he stroked Zhong Suisui's hand, then looked up at Gu Nian'an with a complex expression. His earlier inexplicable jealousy suddenly became clear, and he felt a sense of relief.

He sighed softly and said gently, "I understand how you feel..."

"The loneliness and fear of being left behind..."

"But so what? Life is something you have to fight for yourself, and clearly, I succeeded, didn't I?"

After Lin Yan'an finished speaking, he couldn't help but sneer, "And you're luckier than me in some ways; your mother still considers your feelings."

He paused, his voice still steady, but with a barely perceptible hint of coldness: "And she... took away all of my father's inheritance and compensation, leaving me not a single penny."

Zhong Wan, who had been listening quietly, instinctively turned to look at Lin Yan'an after hearing this, reached out and took his hand, her eyes filled with worry.

Lin Yan'an felt her gaze, looked back, and shook her head slightly to indicate that she was fine: "It's all in the past. I still have you all now."

"Um!"

Zhong Wan nodded heavily, then turned to Gu Nian'an and asked, "And then what happened?"

"And then..."

Gu Nian'an withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyes to hide the envy in them, sighed and continued, "My cousin would always pick on me for no reason. The last time, during an argument, he broke the only toy my father left me. Seeing the broken pieces of the toy all over the floor, I was furious and couldn't help but fight with him."

"Then his grandmother heard about it, came in, and took sides with me. She even hit me and cursed me while holding a bill."

"She said, 'If you're so capable, then get out of here. Why are you still staying at her son's house?' She said that even if I died, no one would come looking for me."

After saying that, Gu Nian'an laughed self-deprecatingly: "Now look what happened, I ran out, and I'm really going to die out there."

"...And really...nobody's contacting me..."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent instantly, still and quiet.

Zhong Suisui nestled in Lin Yan'an's arms, a tear glistening in her large, watery eyes.

It nuzzled its head nervously against Lin Yan'an's chest, looked up at him, and let out a soft call.

Meow~

[Dad, is Sui Sui a bad child?]

The baby's voice was filled with trepidation.

Lin Yan'an quickly shook her head, gently stroking its body with her palm, and said softly, "No."

"Sui Sui is not a bad child. Sui Sui just wants to protect her father."

"but……"

Lin Yan'an changed the subject and continued, "But he has already apologized to his father. Sui Sui should also apologize for biting him."

【Uh-huh. 】

Zhong Suisui nodded to Lin Yan'an, then turned to Gu Nian'an and politely apologized, "I'm sorry."

"fine……"

Gu Nian'an had only uttered two words when a pudding suddenly appeared floating in front of him.

He looked at Pudding, then at the three of them, his eyes full of confusion: "What's this?"

[An apology gift.]

[The eerie pudding my dad made for me, I'm giving it to you...]

Zhong Suisui spoke generously and boldly, but her big eyes were fixed on the pudding.

Waaah, those little snacks it secretly hid away...

Just like that, it's gone.

Zhong Suisui couldn't help but swallow as she watched.

Upon seeing this, Zhong Wan immediately smiled and looked at Gu Nian'an, saying with a smile, "You should eat it; it'll be good for you."

Gu Nian'an hesitated before reaching out her hand.

The moment my fingertips touched the pudding, an extremely pure and alluring aura of yin energy rushed over me, instantly igniting a deep-seated thirst for energy within my soul.

He swallowed subconsciously, but his gaze drifted involuntarily to Zhong Suisui, whose eyes seemed to be glued to the pudding.

Lin Yan'an followed his gaze and looked down. He saw that Zhong Suisui, who had just been nestled obediently in his arms, was now clinging tightly to his hand with her two front paws, her pink little tongue licking her lips, and her eyes looking longingly in Gu Nian'an's direction.

His attempt to appear generous despite being heartbroken made him both amused and distressed.

Lin Yan'an couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, raising his other hand to cover Zhong Suisui's eyes.

【Meow? 】

Seeing the large hand suddenly appear in front of her, Zhong Suisui looked up in confusion. "What's Daddy doing?"

"Don't look, okay?" Lin Yan'an's voice was gentle and amused. "Daddy will make you an even bigger yin-energy cake later, alright?"

[Meow? Really?]

"real!"

Seeing Lin Yan'an nod affirmatively,

The little guy sat up straight instantly, his two hind legs stepping on his palms, and his two front paws gripping the hand covering his eyes as he struggled to stand up, his voice filled with a fresh and genuine sense of pride:

[The pudding is for you! Eat it all up!]