Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 1528 Strive to Persevere

Chapter 1528: Chapter 1528 Strive to Persevere

Gu Fan seemed to have sensed something and let out a sigh, "Sister Su, I’m sorry, I know you want to hit me, but please try to understand my mood right now."

"It’s okay, no problem, I don’t mind, after all, we are friends, right?" Su Hui tried to appear magnanimous, hoping to offer Gu Fan the warmth of friendship.

Gu Fan managed a faint smile: "It’s tough for you guys, putting up with me even when I’m smelling like this."

"Nonsense, nonsense, brother, I was just kidding earlier, don’t take it seriously," Gu Ling clarified as she pinched her nose and fanned the air with her hand.

Su Hui added, "Actually, you don’t smell bad at all."

Gu Fan nodded indifferently: "Sister Su, I have to say something to you, how many days have you not washed your hair? Honestly, when you sat next to me earlier, the smell nearly knocked me out."

At this, Su Hui couldn’t hold back anymore. She had been comforting Gu Fan with good intentions, but now she was being criticized by him. Being a good person seemed too hard.

Gu Ling quickly jumped in front of Su Hui who looked like she might hit someone, fearing that if she really did, it would utterly crush the already downhearted Gu Fan.

Fortunately, Su Hui reminded herself not to take it out on Gu Fan in his current state of despondence.

After pacifying Su Hui, Gu Ling chuckled, "Brother, if Sister Lin Xi were still here, she would definitely want to see you like this now."

Gu Fan responded with a bitter smile and a shake of his head: "If Lin Xi were still here, I definitely wouldn’t be like this at all."

Oh dear, Gu Ling slapped her forehead, then gave up, feeling that nothing she said made a difference.

"What to do, Sister Su, I have a date today, could you please take care of my brother?" Gu Ling asked in a pleading tone, but as soon as she finished speaking, Gu Fan abruptly stood up, almost startling everyone.

Su Hui was shocked. Just a moment ago, he’d been lifeless, but now he suddenly exploded—how fickle.

Gu Fan glared at Gu Ling with wide eyes, then asked deliberately: "What, you have a boyfriend? What’s his character like? Where are you going with him? What does he want to do? What time will he bring you back? If you dare come back after nine in the evening, I’ll break your legs."

"I-I-I, I won’t go, I’ll stay home with you," Gu Ling got scared and quickly hid behind Su Hui.

Gu Fan stared down Gu Ling, who was nearly terrified, as if telling her not to mess around behind his back.

Although Su Hui thought that Gu Fan was overprotective of his sister, it was good to see him regaining some spirit.

Su Hui believed they could keep the momentum going, so she joked, "What, now that you’ve heard Xiaoling has a boyfriend, you’re finally acting like a brother. Are you worried someone might bully your sister outside?"

After hearing this, Gu Fan cracked a wry smile and made an embarrassed face, "I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble lately. It’s not that I can’t pull myself together, but I don’t know what to do, I don’t want to do anything, and I’ve realized..."

Su Hui’s eyes narrowed, as if seeing through Gu Fan’s thoughts, and she said gritting her teeth, "And you realized that it’s quite easygoing not to have to cook, wash dishes, clean, or do any household chores, so you’ve simply become lazy."

"Uh, I have been a bit lazy, but mainly I’m feeling a bit... you know, so I can’t find the energy to do anything, especially the housework, even more so..." As Gu Fan spoke, he saw the two women rolling their eyes at him.

Gu Fan hastily apologized: "Alright, alright, I know I owe it all to your care these past days. My bad. I’ve decided to start pulling myself together starting the day after tomorrow, and I’ll handle all the household chores."

"Why start from the day after tomorrow?" Su Hui and Gu Ling protested together, with Gu Ling spreading her hands wide for Gu Fan to see her hard work over the past days.

Su Hui chimed in: "If you really care about Xiaoling, then you’ll..."

"Okay, okay, I get it, I’ll get back to normal life starting tomorrow, you don’t have to worry about me anymore, but it can only start tomorrow, let me be lazy for one more day, okay?" Gu Fan gave the impression that he was beyond bargaining.

Considering Gu Fan’s low spirits, the two women nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I’m going to take a shower, who’s going to wash my clothes?" Gu Fan looked expectantly at the two women.

"In your dreams! Wash them yourself!" Gu Ling and Su Hui ignored his plea and walked away, their lips curving into wry smiles when they turned their backs—Gu Fan was cracking jokes, which meant he was genuinely starting to try to get back on his feet and face life without Lin Xi.

Seeing Su Hui and Gu Ling head upstairs, Gu Fan looked sadly downcast, took out his phone, pulled up a picture of Lin Xi, and felt the choke of painful emotion surge through him once again.

"Sorry, it’s all my fault." Gu Fan put away his phone, composed himself, and walked into the bathroom.

Su Hui and Gu Ling snuck back down the stairs, listening to the sound of the shower, and thought that maybe a comfortable bath would help Gu Fan feel refreshed and lighten his mood.

Gu Ling said, "Sister Su, when do you think my brother will be able to move on from his pain?"

Su Hui reflected and then replied, "Lin Xi meant so much to your brother. Her departure hit him hard. Time might ease the pain, but it won’t erase it. Maybe a year from now, your brother will still be immersed in that pain."

Hearing this, Gu Ling’s expression turned worried: "Seeing him that way, I’m afraid it might take longer than a year for him to recover."

"I think Gu Fan is constantly haunted by the image of Lin Xi, reliving that day’s event. He even tortures himself with thoughts like, if Lin Xi were still alive, what would it be like, or if he had tried harder that day, she wouldn’t have had the accident, and so on, pondering all sorts of potential scenarios. However..." Su Hui furrowed her brow, appearing even more concerned.

"What ’however’?" Gu Ling asked eagerly.

Su Hui sighed, "Compared to the pain of losing Lin Xi, there’s something else Gu Fan probably finds even harder to accept."

"This..." Gu Ling clearly understood what Su Hui meant and also felt sympathy for Gu Fan. It would be hard on anyone.

Half an hour later, Gu Fan’s voice echoed from the bathroom: "Is anyone out there? I forgot to bring a change of clothes. Hurry up!"

"Alright, I’ll get them for you, Your Majesty," Su Hui said with a light laugh, sensing that the atmosphere in the house was much better, not as oppressive as before. She believed that the vibrant Gu Fan would return in time.