The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 928: Irreplaceable

The door closed with a bam. Gao Xinxin's shoulders sagged, her head dropping as a bitter smile crossed her lips.

Lovely Lamb opened her swollen eyes. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You're up, Cute Little Lamb?" Gao Xinxin startled, quickly brightening. "Come on. Let's play tabletop with Mr. Gregor."

Lovely Lamb silently shook her head.

"What's wrong? Not feeling well?" Gao Xinxin's voice turned gentle.

"Sister Xinxin lied."

"Huh?" Gao Xinxin blinked in confusion.

"Every year, Sister White Rabbit gave me gifts. I'll never have that again." Tears welled in Lovely Lamb's eyes.

Gao Xinxin's nose scrunched up as she gathered Lovely Lamb into her arms. "It's okay. It's okay. Sister Xinxin prepared a gift for you..."

"No! I don't want your gift!" Lovely Lamb pushed her away, sobbing defiantly. "No one can replace Sister White Rabbit...just like no one can replace your Brother Gao Yang."

She threw herself onto the bed, wailing.

Gao Xinxin froze.

If Cute Little Lamb knows that too, why don’t you, Gao Xinxin?

What are you being stubborn for? Who are you trying to prove something to? Are you going to regret it when Brother’s gone, too?

Gao Xinxin quickly wiped her tears and dropped a kiss on Lovely Lamb’s head.

“Cute Little Lamb, take care. I’ll be back in a few days with your gift.”

“Yeah...and I want, I want...red envelope...” Lovely Lamb sobbed.

“Of course!”

Gao Xinxin jumped up, yanking open the closet to change into outdoor clothes. She grabbed their mother's wool scarf from the hanger, wrapping it around her neck as she rushed out.

When she reached the living room, Gao Yang was nowhere to be seen.

She ran to the entryway and found War Tiger sitting in a stool in the corner, legs crossed and nursing a drink.

"Where's Gao Yang?!" she asked urgently.

"Gone," War Tiger said.

"Already?!"

"Yeah, nothing left for him to do here." War Tiger set down his steel flask, eyeing her. "You going out?"

Gao Xinxin masked her disappointment with a smile. "No, just remembered something. Never mind. I'll tell him by phone."

"Better that way." War Tiger nodded. "It’s not safe outside. Stay here."

"Yeah, not safe. Not safe..." Gao Xinxin muttered absently, turning to flee back to her room.

She collided with someone.

"Gah!" Anger flared. "Do you not have eyes—"

She gaped. Gao Yang stood there, cup noodles raised high to avoid spillage, plastic fork precariously holding a piece of spam.

Gao Xinxin felt like she was on a rollercoaster ride, her expression quickly brightening before she tamped down her joy and pulled a long face. “Why are you here? Haven’t you left?”

“Who told you that?” Gao Yang asked innocently. “I haven’t eaten anything the whole day, so I go to the kitchen for food. It’s nice of you to leave me spam.”

He smothered a smile. He had guessed that Gao Xinxin would change her mind. That was why he waited. It happened sooner than he had expected.

"Hahahaha!" War Tiger doubled over laughing. "Amazing! How amazing!"

"War Tiger!" Gao Xinxin's face flamed as she lunged for him. "Today...I'm gonna skin you alive!"

"Hey, hey, I said the alcohol's amazing... Don't come closer... Ow! Stop pinching! A civilized person should refrain from violence..."

"I'm not a civilized woman, but your evil stepmother!"

...

Winter afternoon sun melted the accumulated snow as the streets buzzed with Lunar New Year festivities. A black motorcycle prowled the city's main road, its engine purring as it wove through traffic like a leopard among cattle—elegant, arrogant.

The rider wore a black and red race outfit beneath his helmet. Behind him, his passenger sported a short coat, jeans, and a scarf, clinging to him desperately.

"Are you out of your mind, Gao Yang?! Going so fast—are you in a rush to the afterlife?!" Gao Xinxin's voice carried equal parts fear and excitement through her helmet.

"Trust my skills." Gao Yang's confidence rang clear.

"You've changed," Gao Xinxin teased. "Used to keep such a low profile, now you're acting like a middle-schooler."

"I'm a leader after all. Can't I be a little dramatic?" Gao Yang's self-deprecating laugh carried through the wind.

"Aren't you worried about enemies spotting us?"

"I'm not. Your brother is good." Gao Yang's confidence wasn't baseless. With Absolute Defense, the system's warning, and his keen six senses, he might not be invincible, but he'd hold his own against any threat.

The motorcycle slowed as they approached a toll.

Thud, thud. Gao Xinxin knocked on his helmet. "Aren't we going to Fresh Snow, Brother? Why take the highway?"

"Let's visit the countryside first," Gao Yang said. "We'll visit Mom, Dad, Granny, and Grandpa."

Gao Xinxin’s chest ached. She reflexively tightened her arms around Gao Yang, her smile dropping. She whispered, “Okay.”

Gao Yang cut ties with their uncle the day he started the Nine Scions so as not to drag him into danger. This time, Gao Yang returned to their hometown early to avoid their uncle while visiting the tombs.

After tending their grandparents' graves and sharing quiet words, they moved to their parents' resting place.

The winter day was shorter, and the sun was already setting quietly, casting the desolate, lonely hill in a soft orange light. The siblings knelt before a relatively new tombstone, their shadows stretching long behind them.

Gao Shou and Lin You lay together beneath marble, their names and a black-and-white photo etched into stone. Two cypress trees stood sentinel beside the tomb.

Gao Yang knelt. He didn’t even dare to look up at the photo. Glancing at the names, Gao Shou and Lin You, was enough to leave him breathless.

Gao Xinxin fought back tears as she burned joss paper.

Gao Yang lit incense sticks, offered liquor, and kowtowed before clearing the surrounding weeds and debris.

He then found Gao Xinxin still kneeling, hands pressed together, eyes closed in prayer. He caught fragments of her words, "Brother" and "safe", reminiscent of their mother's whispered prayers before grandmother's photo at home.

The evening wind played with Gao Xinxin's hair as sunset painted her face red. Gao Yang watched, lost in thought.