Sunshine Filled with Thoughts - Chapter 48 - Extra Chapter Begin 2

When Yanyan was ten years old, Linlin was only thirty, and An Jinmo was just thirty-four. Yanyan had always been a precocious child. By the age of ten, he could already take public transport to school by himself. The nanny who took care of him often remarked that he was the most understanding child she had ever seen. His academic performance never gave his parents any worries. His talent undoubtedly came from his father, An Jinmo, as he had already completed all the elementary school curriculum by age ten and was well on his way to middle school.

Since his parents rarely worried about his studies, they also hardly mentioned moral education; he seemed to have an innate understanding of right and wrong. This child was remarkably perceptive. I still remember one winter evening when An Jinmo was driving his two children home after a party. In the garage, they saw a group of people bullying a man. Linlin frowned and was about to call the police, but at that moment, Yanyan walked over to his father and said, “If the police handle this, it will damage the hotel’s reputation. Dad, call security and set up cameras in the garage. I think there are some issues with this hotel that need to be investigated…”

An Jinmo turned and looked at An Yan, a small child standing beside him. Hearing such age-inappropriate words from his son, anyone would find it amusing. But An Jinmo didn’t laugh. A look of appreciation flickered in his eyes as he seriously asked his son, “What issues are you seeing?”

“It seems like they don’t have a proper security system. When I walked past the hallway, I noticed that the fire extinguishers had expired and were just sitting there. Also, the exit doors on the stairwell seem to be locked all the time. If an earthquake or fire occurs, it could lead to disaster. Dad, the most important thing is that a lot of what we saw today was superficial…”

An Jinmo watched his son’s eyes glimmer with a hunter-like sharpness and felt a sense of pride. Especially with Yanyan’s detailed observations of the reports and equipment around him, even An Jinmo, who had always focused on his children’s mother, felt a bit embarrassed.

In the end, An Jinmo entrusted the handling of the situation to his ten-year-old son. The outcome was remarkable; within a year, the hotel’s profits were only a third of what they had been. When An Jinmo looked over the business report, he was so surprised that he dropped the buttery bread he had just picked up onto Linlin’s carefully chosen Gucci suit.

After the child’s mother stared in shock at her son calmly eating breakfast, she forgot to put down the glass of milk in her hand. The people at the company had no idea that the hotel was transformed by An Yan. Yanyan had used a computer remote control to execute a complete overhaul of the management group, which later resulted in his mother taking him on several visits to the establishment. This extraordinarily talented child continued to expand An Jinmo’s company as he grew.

Since Yanyan successfully turned the hotel around, An Jinmo began to prepare him to gradually take over the vast An Family business.

In just a few years, An Yan had begun to manage the large enterprise on behalf of his father.

Meanwhile, An Jinmo took Linlin to Brisbane, Australia. In that sun-drenched place, they had a small villa where the two of them quietly lived. Over the years, in the depths of Linlin’s heart, the space reserved for Na Xuan had never changed. An Jinmo knew he could find satisfaction in his current position within Linlin’s heart, understanding that since Na Xuan had been gone for a long time, holding onto past grievances could only hurt them both.

Linlin had a deep attachment to Brisbane. Even though she had only been there once, the significance of that visit left an immeasurable impact on the young girl’s heart.

When they stepped off the plane from Brisbane Airport, it was autumn in Australia. The weather was cool, and unlike autumn in other places, the sunshine here was delightful and comfortable-making it enticing to truly enjoy life.

Linlin handed her travel suitcase to An Jinmo and spread her arms wide, basking in the warm sunlight with a blissful look on her face. Her fair, beautiful face radiated the joy of a little girl. An Jinmo squinted at Linlin, feeling as if he had traveled back in time to thirteen years ago when he had played on the streets of Brisbane with a seventeen-year-old girl filled with dreams of love and life. After so many experiences, it truly felt like a blessing for her to finally find peace.

After soaking in the sun’s warm embrace, Linlin turned around and saw the tall, handsome man before her. The ten years had left him with an enchanting charm. This man was becoming increasingly important to her, and after enduring so much hurt, for him to still want her felt like an unmerited gift.

Linlin ran over and opened her arms to embrace her beloved husband. An Jinmo’s smile bloomed like a beautiful lotus, making him even more endearing.

At the airport, Linlin’s heart raced like a little girl’s in excitement.

As she held An Jinmo close, Linlin, despite being thirty years old, looked as youthful as a vibrant twenty-one- or twenty-two-year-old.

They hugged each other tightly, while blond and blue-eyed pedestrians watched the exquisitely beautiful couple embracing, feeling that it was a beautiful scene. Many took out their phones to take pictures.

In this sunny city, there was love everywhere, and sunshine everywhere.

Often, we look at beautiful things and wish they could last forever, but not everything happens as our hearts desire.

After settling into a villa on the Sunshine Coast, An Jinmo and Linlin began their life in Australia.

Sometimes, they would ride their bikes to the beach to bask in the sun. The tranquility and ubiquitous sense of love, mixed with the sweet scent of autumn leaves drifting through the air, was enchanting. Flowers bloomed in every household’s garden, vivid and competitive in their beauty. The aroma of leaves mingled with that of flowers, irresistibly immersing everyone in their allure. Linlin loved to snuggle in An Jinmo’s embrace, where it was so warm that it indescribably comforted her heart as well.

An Jinmo cherished this life, sometimes feeling as if he were dreaming. The events of the past years played over and over in his mind. In his dazed moments, seeing Linlin asleep beside him, he feared that it all might suddenly disappear.

Fortunately, it did not…

The weather was nice that day; bad weather was rare in Brisbane, but it was starting to get cold. That morning, An Jinmo draped a camel-colored Prada coat over Linlin and wrapped a scarf around her, only feeling satisfied when she looked bundled up like a ball before he donned a black coat himself.

Their faces were expressionless, as they were preparing to visit an old friend.

The cemetery was private, bought by Na Xuan’s parents as a beautiful resting place for their son.

An Jinmo drove in silence, while Linlin shrank in her seat, covering herself in the most sorrowful posture.

The car swept through the tree-lined road, stirring up the fallen leaves, leaving behind a lingering silence that enveloped the entire street in solemnity.

Upon arriving at the cemetery, neither of them got out of the car. It had been ten years since they last visited Na Xuan, and Linlin was overwhelmed with emotion. She buried her head in her coat, unwilling to emerge. An Jinmo turned to her and held her tightly in his arms, softly comforting, “It’s been ten years, Linlin, it’s time to let go… Let’s go down…”

“…Okay,” Linlin buried herself in An Jinmo’s embrace as they stepped out of the car. The late autumn air was frigid, the wind penetrating through her collar, chilling her to the bone.

During our youth, how many times have we fallen in love, and how many times has it left an indelible mark on us? Those deep imprints eventually turn into memories amidst the ashes.

Stepping out of the car, An Jinmo wrapped his arms around Linlin as they walked towards the prominent tombstone. Ten years had allowed moss to thoroughly cover the stone, marking the passage of time. The man from ten years ago remained unchanged, while those still alive had aged considerably in both heart and appearance.

Upon seeing the tombstone, Linlin broke free from An Jinmo’s embrace and ran towards the clearing in quick steps. The wind stung her face, and tears fell from her eyes, merging with the soil on the ground.

She ran over and knelt down, hugging the tombstone, her face pressed against the cold stone. The icy touch brought pain and sadness to Linlin’s heart, transporting her back to ten years ago as she held on for a long time. An Jinmo stood by, his heart aching as he watched Linlin in her sorrow.

After a long while, An Jinmo placed a bouquet of flowers he had brought in front of Na Xuan’s tombstone and lifted Linlin up. Together, they looked at the words engraved on the tombstone. The epitaph read: “Wishing to never part until our hair turns white.”

An Jinmo knew that even at the end of time, Na Xuan would always be special to Linlin. Despite consoling himself, An Jinmo remained silent on the way home.

When they got home, neither spoke. Linlin had little appetite and went upstairs to rest alone. An Jinmo felt suddenly irritable with Linlin’s calm demeanor; her behavior reminded him of their early days of marriage, filled with unease and worry that flooded his mind at that moment.

He smoked a cigarette in the garden. After a long silence, he returned to the bedroom. The door to the upstairs room was open, and Linlin lay on the bed looking lonely and fragile. Seeing Linlin like this calmed An Jinmo’s restless heart. He gently approached and sat on the bed, slightly pulling down her blanket. Her tear-stained face was heartbreakingly evident.

Feeling the cool touch of An Jinmo’s cigarette-scented fingers on her face, Linlin opened her eyes and suddenly rushed into his arms, holding him tightly.

“What do you think Yanyan is doing right now?”

“Who knows, why don’t we call and ask? It’s just past nine o’clock there.”

“Let’s not. I was just wondering. We’ve been in Australia for a while now, and I suddenly miss Yanyan. He’s fifteen now; are you really comfortable leaving the company to him?”

“He’s ready for it. Besides, the company will eventually be Yanyan’s, and starting now is just a head start. Moreover, he has Uncle Jin Cheng to help him manage things.”

Linlin was momentarily speechless, remembering how just a few days ago, Uncle Jin Cheng had called her to scold An Jinmo fiercely, complaining about how An Jinmo had shamelessly taken his wife for a leisurely trip abroad while he had to work for him and even clean up after his son.

Thinking about this, Linlin started to laugh,

“What are you thinking about that’s so funny? Share it with me so I can laugh too.”

“It’s nothing… I just suddenly remembered something funny from a long time ago. Do you remember how one night you drunkenly drove a Porsche to my doorstep?”

An Jinmo suddenly fell silent, embarrassed by the memory of such a humiliating incident.

It was another battle…

Their love might have faced many challenges and tortures, but fortunately, they were still together, with close calls but no disasters. In the depths of our memories, there is always someone we deeply love, yet in our real lives, there is also someone deeply beloved. The one in our memories will forever live there, while the one in reality continues to grow old with us.