12 Leaving The Past Behind

"You should be more confident and you should be mentally prepared for everything because I can't assure you that everyone will be fond of you"

Anna nodded, she wasn't expecting life there to be easy anyways.

"Everything there is about strength , so you have to be stronger and better than anyone else there....you have potential, don't worry"

Anna smiled at him "Thank you Bai Sheng"

Bai Sheng nodded, after dropping her off in her room, he said a few encouraging words before he turned around to leave.

"We have a long long journey ahead of us tomorrow so, sleep early"

After saying this, he left the room.

Anna stared at his back and a smile appeared on her face again, she was more confident now...she was sure she could pull through.

"Anna!" Rose whispered as she got into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Rose?, why are you here?"

Rose looked extremely nervous, she was sweating profusely.

"M...mom, she actually tried to call father today....but fortunately he didn't pick up"

Anna sighed, was that why she was so nervous?, she looked like someone who just ran a marathon

"You might not be worried but I am, listen..." Rose moved closer to Anna

"If by chance, you do not make it to Duan base and father gets to you beforehand...do not show your weak side to him! do you understand?"

Anna nodded slowly "Yes but....why are you telling me all this?"

"Because if father finds out you want to leave, you won't be able to leave this house at all, all of your plans will be over!"

"I understand, just trust me okay?, nothing will happen"

"Rose?" Lily stared at both sisters suspiciously, it was the first time she had seen Rose this close to Anna before, she didn't know what they were talking about but she was going to find out.

"You!...."

SLAP!!

Rose slapped Anna lightly, winking at Anna to play along.

Anna quickly caught on as she quickly put on a pitiful expression.

"What's going on?" Lily asked although she was satisfied with what she just saw.

"Oh, Lily!. You don't have to worry about anything. I was just teaching this fool a lesson as a farewell gift!" Rose lied trying to hid her nervousness.

"No need to give her a farewell gift though.....the moment mom gets a hold of father, she won't be going anywhere!"

Lily smiled mockingly, Rose quickly grabbed her sister's arm "Lets not stay here any more, its annoying"

Lily looked at Anna with disdain before nodding at her sister and they both left the room.

Anna's imagination went wild, a part of her was happy that she would be leaving the mansion, but another part wanted to stay behind and wait for her father, if she saw him she could ask him personally about her birth mother but...

"Ahh" Anna sighed, wheeling over to the cupboard at her bedside, she held the photo frame as she stared at it, her eyes were glued to the older woman in the photo, the woman whom she had believed was her mother, the woman whom she thought had always told her everything.

"Why did you lie to me mom?" She said sadly as a tear rolled down her cheek, her eyes showed so many emotions, love, anger, fear, hate, pain, betrayal....And Anna herself wasn'tsure which one of them she was feeling at the moment, she just felt exhausted.

Her grip on the frame tightened 'I will get stronger, I must!'

Her weakness was the cause, they felt she was too weak to defend her self so they decided to control her life however they wanted

She was going to prove them wrong, she was going to show them that she, Anna Lu, was no longer a weak person!

...

"Are you ready?" Bai Sheng asked as he wheeled the girl out of the mansion towards the approaching helicopter.

"yes, I am" Anna nodded.

Xiao Xiao followed behind them, after making sure Anna got into the helicopter safely, Xiao Xiao slowed down her movements and smiled at her

"Anna, make sure to take good care of yourself okay?"

Anna felt her eyes stinging as she heard those words.

This girl has been with her for the past three years, and now it felt like she was being separated from her twin.

"I will, you, also take good care of yourself as well" Anna said as she stroked Xiao Xiao's hair.

The girl nodded, with a forced smile.

"Anna, we have to go" Bai Sheng said as he nodded slightly at Xiao.

Anna watched as Xiao waved and couldn't help but wave back, her eyes were already glittering with tears, but it wasn't only her though, Xiao Xiao wiped her tears and continued waving,

The helicopter left the ground and continued to go higher, Anna stared at that mansion which she had spent 5years of her life in, she wouldn't miss it one bit!

She sighed after the mansion went out of sight, finally!, she had left her past behind.

"Don't worry, you'll see her again" Li Chen said in a warm voice that he didn't even know he had

Anna smiled at him while Su Chen kept poking her shoulder

"We are a family now Anna, so I will give you the right to call me Big Brother Chen or SuChen ge-ge"

Anna pushed away his fingers and looked at him "How about Annoying Chen?"

"Pft!" Li Chen and Bai Sheng burst out laughing

"Yes, that is definitely a perfect name for him!" Li Chen nodded while laughing.

Su Chen pouted like a child and stared at his brother "I thought you were my twin!"

Li Chen patted his brother's shoulders and said "If you weren't my brother, that is what I would have been calling you all my life"

The atmosphere between them was lively, at least till they reached base and Bai Sheng's expression turned cold.

With no emotions in his voice he said "We're here!"