Grabbing Your Hand, Dragging You Away

Chapter 35

I know I must be inside a dream, there is no sky in my surroundings, no ground, only whiteness, blurry and hazy. I stand on the spot, unmoving, concentrating on thinking, who am I?

I hear someone call me An Ran.

I turn my head, the long hair girl in [western style] dress comes running towards me, fair face glowing a healthy pink.

"An Ran, you hurry over ah, ho-ho, we have to celebrate our birthday together." The girl's voice rings like a bell, the flying skirt like a lily flower in full bloom. She is clearly coming closer and closer to me, yet is still unable to reach my side.

I instinctively take a step back.

I'm An Ran?

I furrow my brows as I watch that girl's familiar yet unfamiliar face, my subconscious giving rise to feelings of rejection.

I don't like this girl, I don't want to be near her, I hate that intimate feeling when she calls my name.

It is truly terrible.

I turn around and walk away without any hesitance, but hear a pleasant-sounding man's voice call out from behind.

His voice is a little anxious, he says: "An Ran, don't go, we are all here waiting for you.

My steps come to a stop, my chest feeling like all the air was sucked out of it, so suffocating.

We? Who are we? Who is waiting for me?

"An Ran, don't go, I miss you, I miss you so much I'm about to crazy!" The man's voice carries pleading, as well as heart wrenching pain.

I should feel pity for him, I should feel touched, but why do I only sneer and continue to leave?

I am absolutely puzzled, why is this?

"An Ran, we were wrong, we were wrong, don't leave us alright? I won't fight you for Yan You anymore, I'll give in to you, we won't get married anymore." The girl's voice carries pleading, sound after sound, genuine sincerity.

But why do I only think of one sentence: you don't fight, because you never had anything you couldn't get.

I continuously walk, not caring for the words coming from the two people behind, not stopping to think. Just like that, continuously walking ah walking, until before me, there appears a young woman in a body of ancient purple clothing.

The young woman places down the thread and needle when she sees me, spinning around and says to me: "Ah-Lan, look, this is the dress Father Emperor had just made me, is it nice?"

I look at her face that is beautiful like a flower, and instinctively nod, "Looks nice."

"Kekeke, I shall go show Seventh Brother then." The young woman happily runs off, crisp laughter spreading amongst the air.

I squat down and write on the ground, two words of 'Ah-Lan', I am Ah-Lan?

"Little Fool!" Someone pats my shoulder from behind, then a stunning face appears before me, "Do you want to climb trees with me?"

I look at the youth who is prettier than women, falling into a trance, and who might he be?

"Hey, are you really being foolish ah." The pretty youth stokes his chin, a pair of narrow and long peach blossom eyes flashing brightly, "Go go go, Seventh Brother will take you to climb trees."

I evade the hand he stretches towards me, coldly saying: "I have no brother."

The pretty youth pauses, then reaches out to knock at my head, "You really dare to not acknowledge me - this older brother of yours, how very daring. Go go go, we're going to climb trees."