After midnight

Su Ziling's birthday party didn't last very late. After about ten o'clock, An Yan sent Xiao Su back to her room to sleep. Xiao Su had a good time, so she followed him upstairs obediently, leaving Su Ziling alone to clean up.

"Dad, are we going to leave soon after Ling's birthday?"

An Yan, who was about to leave after sending Xiao Su back to her room, turned back and asked curiously, "Yeah, what's the matter, Xiao Su doesn't want to leave?"

"No, I am willing. As long as I am with Dad and Brother Ling, I am willing to go anywhere."

"Then why..."

"Dad, I told my classmates before school was over yesterday that I would not come to school anymore. My classmates all asked me why and seemed reluctant to let me go."

"Then what?" An Yan became even more curious.

"Of course I don't want to part with them, but I don't understand why they are so sad."

"Because you are leaving, Xiao Su. Have you said goodbye to your good friends?"

"No, I just told them that we will see each other again. Dad, we will come back when we have time, right?"

"Of course, that's your friend, Xiao Su. You can come back anytime." After understanding what the little girl was thinking, An Yan felt even sadder. He squatted down and asked, "Xiao Su, what if Dad doesn't come back?"

"Then I will stay here with Brother Ziling." Xiao Su answered as a matter of course.

"What if something happens and you have to go back with your brother Zi Ling, but dad can't go back?"

"Then Brother Zi Ling and I will wait together for Dad to come back."

Xiao Su is still young and can't tell the difference between not going back and being able to go back.

"Don't be like this, Xiao Su." An Yan almost burst into tears.

"Dad, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Su was a little panicked.

"It's okay." An Yan said hurriedly. He almost lost control in front of the child. "Dad is just too happy. Xiao Su, promise Dad that you will grow up happily no matter where you are in the future, okay?"

"I know, Dad. But, Dad, are you really just too happy?"

"Of course, Xiao Su is unhappy tonight?"

"happy."

"Then promise Dad, okay?"

"I got it. I promise you. Dad, you're so nagging." Xiao Su threw herself into An Yan's arms again and acted coquettishly towards him.

"Okay, okay. Go wash your face and go to bed." An Yan had no choice but to do something when Xiao Su started to tease him.

"Then dad will accompany me."

"Okay."

It was almost eleven o'clock when Xiao Su finally lay down on the bed and fell asleep. The lights in the room were turned off, and only the night light was on, casting a faint shadow on the head of the bed.

An Yan sat quietly beside her bed and watched her fall asleep. After a while, An Yan said, "From now on, Brother Zi Ling will accompany Xiao Su, and Xiao Su will also accompany Brother Zi Ling more, okay?"

"Okay." Xiao Su was already sleepy. She nodded in agreement and fell asleep. Not long after, the night light dimmed.

"An Yan, is Xiao Su asleep?" An Yan walked back to his room and saw Su Ziling waiting there.

"Asleep," he replied.

"Oh, I just wanted to say thank you again. Good night?"

"Good night."

After Su Ziling returned to his room, An Yan also returned to his room. The next morning, the sun rose slowly.

As soon as his birthday was over, Su Ziling's body seemed to be activated, and he became visibly excited. He began to pack his luggage, unconsciously humming the melody of a song. An Yan saw it, knowing that in just three days, they would be able to go back at midnight, bid farewell to this world that hid the painful past, and return to the simple yet sparkling world that Su Ziling was familiar with.

Time passed quickly, and one day was approaching that day. The closer it got to that time, the more excited Su Ziling became. His good mood made Xiao Su panic. Xiao Su hurried over to ask An Yan what she was going to do, what she was going to prepare, and whether she could go out and play after returning.

Yes, the new world is so big and full of miracles. Xiao Su must want to go out and take a look. An Yan can't ignore their expectations, and can't even refuse them. But he is An Yan, the 'Son of God'.

That night, which was the night of March 30th, An Yan secretly avoided Su Ziling and An Xiaosu and slipped out of the house.

The moon was high in the sky that night, and there were almost no stars in the sky. An Yan only occasionally saw one when he walked to a remote hill. At this time, he was very close to the Martyrs' Cemetery.

He first went to visit Lin Xuanfeng. Two bunches of chrysanthemums of different colors were placed in front of Lin Xuanfeng's tomb, one was yellow and the other was white. The two bunches of flowers lay quietly in front of the cold and hard tombstone, withering in the wind.

An Yan didn't know who put it there, maybe Song Xinjun, maybe Zhou Chen, maybe Ajiu, maybe Wu came with him. He went to see Yin again, and the same thing happened in front of Yin's tombstone.

No matter who they are, someone misses them.

An Yan found a more secluded place to sit down. From where he sat, he could look up and see the bright moon in the sky and the high Wangcheng Mountain. From Wangcheng Mountain, one could overlook the entire Xindu. At this time, Xindu must still be full of splendor.

Something big will happen tomorrow morning, An Yan guessed it when he saw the two bunches of chrysanthemums. Then it's time, and when the time comes, he can only say goodbye.

On March 31, at nine o'clock in the morning of the last day of March, Jiu Xiang announced the dissolution of the Rights Representative Conference composed of the three major families, and the establishment of a new representative conference representing more people's will. The conference is composed of Lu Xian, Lin Nuan, Song Xinjun, He Wendong and Fang Hao. Jiudu as a political and cultural center, Xindu as an economic and technological center, jointly promote the long-term and prosperous development of Jiuguo.

The loudspeakers in Xindu were playing loudly. Su Ziling smacked his lips when he heard it, but An Yan lowered his head and had no reaction. He did not sigh or think, he accepted everything calmly, it had always been like this.

After admiring it, Su Ziling and An Xiaosu shifted their attention elsewhere, and then night fell.

It was one o'clock in the morning in April, and there were still twenty-three hours before Su Ziling and Xiao Su returned to the new world. When Su Ziling and Xiao Su fell asleep peacefully, An Yan got up and went to an empty forest outside the villa area. There was no starlight and no wind tonight.

At two o'clock in the morning, Su Ziling suddenly woke up. The small room was still pitch black, and the dark night enveloped the earth. Su Ziling only needed to turn over to fall into a sweet sleep again. But his palms were burning, and his heart was also filled with slight pain as if it was pricked by needles.

Su Ziling didn't react at first, thinking it was because the quilt was too warm in spring and his palms were burning. He also thought it was because of his bad sleeping posture that squeezed his heart.

Time passed by minute by minute, and with each passing minute and second, Su Ziling's palms became hotter and the pain in his heart became more severe. The feeling of panic overwhelmed him and he could not fall asleep again. The panic was so strong that he could hardly breathe. What happened?

Anyan, this was the only thing Su Ziling could think of. He jumped out of bed and opened the curtains. A blue light illuminated the world outside, and Su Ziling ran out.

Su Ziling was running in panic. In the quiet night, that light source became the only light in the darkness, crossing the woods, crossing the fields, crossing the houses, illuminating everything it could cover.

Among the trees with newly sprouted green leaves, An Yan was lying flat on his back, suspended in mid-air, with strong blue light radiating from his body continuously in all directions.

"An Yan, what happened? Don't scare me." Su Ziling shouted at him helplessly.

"Answer me." Su Ziling shouted loudly. The dazzling blue light prevented him from getting any closer to An Yan.

"An Yan!" An Yan lay there unaware, with blue light still continuously overflowing from his body.

"An Yan!" Su Ziling was extremely anxious and rushed in with his eyes closed.

He rushed in, but after only three or two steps he was thrown out and thrown to the ground. Su Ziling got up from the ground and was surprised to find that he was not injured. He just couldn't get close to An Yan.

Su Ziling tried to rush in again, but the result was the same. He was thrown up and out every time.

"An Yan, I'm Su Ziling. What are you doing? Can we go home?"

An Yan still didn't respond. The blue light flowed out faster and faster, and the sky and the earth became brighter and brighter.

"An Yan, please! Answer me!"

"An Yan! Xiao Su is still waiting for you to come back home, An Yan!"

An Yan was still shrouded in a blue light, and Su Ziling realized in despair that all this was arranged by An Yan himself. No one except An Yan himself could stop him.

"An Yan! Please, stop. Tell me what happened? Isn't everything over? Aren't we going home soon? Well, it doesn't matter if you don't go back. Tell me what happened and what you want to do. I can accompany you. I promise you everything."

"An Yan!" Su Ziling screamed, unable to breathe. He didn't know what was going to happen next and couldn't accept it. He shed tears.

It is not a good thing to develop your abilities too high. Dr. Wang's warning suddenly popped up in Su Ziling's mind. The most terrible guess suddenly formed in his mind, and Su Ziling was overwhelmed by fear. He couldn't wait any longer.

Su Ziling released his ability, but the moment he released his ability, the raging fire instantly disappeared. Yes, everything disappeared instantly. Su Ziling didn't believe it and tried again, only then did he realize that this blue light was pure ability.

In the area covered by blue light, no ability can be used.

"An Yan." Su Ziling's face was completely bloodless. He wiped away his tears, clenched his fists and rushed in again. When he was close to the innermost circle of light, he resolutely used his ability. This time he vomited blood and was thrown out again.

Su Ziling spat and rushed forward again. He used his ability again and again and got hurt again and again. Finally, he could hardly get up and fell to the ground again when he tried to stand up.

Why? Why? Su Ziling punched the ground and gnashed his teeth. Why, wasn't he the 'Guardian'? Why couldn't he get close to his 'Son of God'? Why couldn't he get to An Yan after trying thousands of times?

Su Ziling whimpered and looked at An Yan again. An Yan was still lying flat on his back, floating in the air. He closed his eyes, his face was peaceful, as if he couldn't see, hear, or perceive anything in the world other than himself.

An Yan isolated himself from the whole world.

Why? Tears rolled down his cheeks, and Su Ziling collapsed to the ground. Why was An Yan so cruel to him? Wasn't he the most gentle?

Gentle? Yes, An Yan is a very gentle person. Su Ziling took a deep breath and stood up. He trembled, slowly, carefully, step by step, approaching An Yan with an almost pious attitude.

Step by step, the light radiating from An Yan as the center embraced him. When Su Ziling's fingertips were one centimeter away from An Yan, Su Ziling suddenly grabbed An Yan's hand. He leaned forward and tried to hug him, hold him, and drag him away.

But Su Ziling was bounced away, but fortunately, he held An Yan's hand tightly.

An Yan was dragged by the external force and could no longer lie flat. He tilted his body downward, and his toes were almost touching the ground.

Su Ziling was pulled outward by an outward force and was almost instantly away from An Yan, but he still held An Yan's hand tightly with a painful expression on his face.

It was at this moment that An Yan opened his eyes.

An Yan opened his eyes, his eyes were clear and peaceful. Su Ziling's eyes widened, shocked and painful, he couldn't accept An Yan's look. Tears welled up in his eyes again, he saw An Yan's mouth opening and closing, silently saying to him, I'm sorry.

"I don't want it. I don't want you to say sorry." Tears rolled down his eyes and Su Ziling cried miserably.

Su Ziling was crying, and suddenly he choked up and coughed up blood. Su Ziling coughed up blood but suddenly he became energetic and looked at An Yan with hopeful eyes. An Yan, look, I'm hurt, so please stop quickly, I just want you to stop.

An Yan's eyes instantly turned red, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions. Reluctance, regret, guilt, and gratitude, he looked at Su Ziling silently, and then the hand that Su Ziling was holding suddenly became transparent.

Su Ziling was unable to catch the transparent body, and he was once again excluded from An Yan's world.

An Yan looked at him, just looked at him. Then, An Yan's whole body became transparent. The next second, a blue light suddenly exploded, and in an instant, the night was as bright as day.

After the white light disappeared, An Yan also disappeared. He disappeared, leaving nothing behind.