Chapter 8

Although I have decided to go, it has been a long time since I formally stepped into that home. The last time I went in the middle of the night was because I had just met Xu Dongyang, and I was filled with passion; I felt I could charge into any danger, let alone return to my own home. Now it is different; once my mind is clear, my courage diminishes.

Su Xiaotao said: "Why do so many people like to celebrate their birthdays? I never liked this kind of thing, let alone that woman celebrating her birthday. What am I supposed to do there? You really want to go."

I am not being insincere; at that moment, I truly missed my father. I have been away from home for many years. The last time I went back to give Xu Dongyang some money, I noticed that he had clearly aged. Of course, his mind is still sharp, but his body has indeed grown old. Upon reflection, he has treated me quite well. During my time at home, I lacked nothing in terms of food, clothing, and shelter. Later, when my mother passed away, he was also willing to support me, which is something he was even more practical about than my mother.

What do you mean by that

No matter how I tried to persuade him, he remained unmoved. In the end, I gritted my teeth and shouted, "What will it take for you to agree to go?"

Xu Dongyang will certainly go; he goes every year, and I know this. I just do not understand why he goes. He and Xu Fangfei seem to be even more estranged than I am with Su Xiaotao. To say it is a deep sibling bond that compels him to show support is clearly unreasonable, and to suggest it is for my father is even more absurd. One could also argue it is for money, but no matter how wealthy my father is, he would never give him any of it.

Chen Weiwei, you are indeed ruthless; your stance is truly aligned with Su Xiaotao.

I need to find a companion for myself. Su Xiaotao said she wouldn't go, so only Chen Weiwei is left.

Chen Weiwei thought for a moment and said, "You must promise me one thing first"

Oh, by the way, aren't you going to ask Xu Dongyang if he is going?

No matter how I think about my father Xu Fangfei and Xu Dongyang, as Su Xiaotao said, I am at a disadvantage. If Xu Fangfei were to call me, I would never go, but this time it was my father who called, and his words were gentle: "Dad is getting old and wants to see you more often." Blood is indeed thicker than water; this is a truth. My father and I are usually distant, and not seeing each other for ten or eight years might not even evoke thoughts of him. However, upon hearing him say this, I was moved and felt like crying. If it weren't for Su Xiaotao constantly watching me, I probably would have cried. Seeing my eyes redden, Su Xiaotao sneered: "Insincere."

It doesn't mean much, I have no idea

Su Xiaotao is speaking the truth; I cannot take the money and then turn my back immediately. I will go just once, just this once.

Chen Weiwei snorted and turned to take a shower. I listened to the sound of water, wondering if I turned off the water valve now, would the soapy Chen Weiwei yield and give me an idea? But what if she came up with a bad idea? Forget it, Chen Weiwei is not reliable; the ideas she comes up with while covered in foam are even less reliable. After some contemplation, I abandoned the thought of seeking help from Chen Weiwei.

Su Xiaotao simultaneously rejected two of my requests. One was to meet Gao Mingliang, and the other was my father asking us to return for Xu Fangfei's birthday.

Su Xiaotao directly rejected me: "I am not going, if I wanted to go, I would have gone earlier, you handle it yourself"

I haven't made up my mind yet, you agree first, anyway, I won't ask you to commit acts of murder or arson

Su Xiaotao has always been someone whose words and actions carry weight; when she says she will not go, she will not go, without any room for negotiation. To be fair, I do not mind engaging in any legal disputes, as long as I am not required to pay any compensation; I will accept any other judgment. However, if I am asked to pay and I do not have the means, I refuse to believe that anyone could truly devour me whole over such a trivial matter. Yet, Su Xiaotao's attitude still bothers me; she is clearly looking for trouble with me. I have made a decision, a determination that this time, no matter what, I will resolve this matter well, to show her that no one is significantly stronger than anyone else in this world.

Su Xiaotao left home partly because she disliked my father, and partly because she had become independent. I left home for two reasons: on one hand, my understanding of running away from home was overly romantic at the time, and I genuinely believed there was a world where I could settle scores freely. On the other hand, Su Xiaotao promised to take care of me, and I thought to myself that as long as I wouldn't starve, there was nothing to fear.

I have to go, it's for the elders. Moreover, that woman is the one who outperformed my mother, and it has nothing to do with your mother. I don't mind at all, so you certainly don't need to mind either

I discussed with Chen Weiwei: "Please give me an idea."

As I expected, this person first tried to evade the issue by talking about other matters, and when he could no longer dodge the question, he simply stated: "I will not go"

Elder, forget it. Why didn't I see you go before? You are at a disadvantage, having taken the money, you have no choice but to go

Say

"Deal." I agreed, but I had no intention of keeping that promise. I thought it was already merciful not to strike back at Chen Weiwei for taking advantage of the situation; he even wanted to take advantage of me further, dreaming.

However, all of this is merely branches and leaves; when it comes to the roots, my departure is indeed due to Xu Fangfei. Xu Fangfei has not particularly troubled me, but her nature is rather indifferent, cold towards everyone. When you praise her, she smiles; when you criticize her, she also smiles, appearing entirely devoid of feelings. She never shows any emotion towards my father either, and her conduct is entirely based on her own disposition. Therefore, I could never become close to Xu Fangfei, and over time, I even grew somewhat fearful of her, always feeling that one day she would lock me up and throw me into the basement; she is truly too cold. I had these thoughts, and with Su Xiaotao's encouragement, I ran away from home. This departure has led to years of separation.

No. Chen Weiwei has never been subtle when rejecting me