Chapter 10, it turns out her world is so small, a woman who has been lonely since childhood

The evening breeze blew, and she felt tired, having been running along the road, chasing after love. In the end, she gained nothing at all, truly exhausted, she fell asleep under the table

Her world was originally very small. From childhood to adulthood, she played alone under the large wooden table on the boat. There was a small chair under the table, and when she grew tired from playing, she would lie down on the small chair and fall asleep. The space beneath that wooden table was her world

Later, having grown up and left the fishing boat, her parents subsequently passed away one after another. She studied alone outside, and after graduation, sought employment and books in Shanghai. She yearned for the wider world and met Feng Bowen. After spending two years alone in prison, they ultimately parted ways

She took off her high heels, her eyes glazed with intoxication, and crawled under the white round table. Sitting beneath the table, she held a bottle of wine in her hand, her long dress trailing on the ground. As she drank, she let out a burp, hurriedly covering her mouth, then giggled foolishly, laughing until tears streamed down her face

She recalled the years of her childhood spent living on a fishing boat by the sea with her parents, during which a thick rope was always tied around her ankle. The other end of the rope was secured to a fixed wooden table leg in the cabin and in the book, as her parents were busy fishing and feared that she might fall into the sea.

She had a dream, in which she returned to that boat, hearing her father's fishing work songs and her mother joyfully exclaiming that there was another big fish. It was so vivid and real, as if they had never left.

He was overwhelmed by the introductions from those friends. Upon seeing one glamorous girl after another, he only felt visual fatigue. After declining a few invitations, he retreated to the terrace, only to find that the bottle of wine he had just opened was missing. He sat in a chair, feeling utterly bored. Lighting a cigar, he gazed at the starry sky, reflecting on the stench of copper that clung to him, realizing he was drifting further away from his dreams.

She clutched a table leg, crying sorrowfully. Over the years, while others have had more and more family and loved ones around them, she has found herself increasingly alone and devoid of everything. She murmured, "I have lost everything... everything... no one wants me, no one wants me! I am still drifting alone..."

In recent years, having navigated the ups and downs of the marketplace, he has earned a considerable amount of money. However, money is a troublesome thing; too much is of no benefit, while too little can be harmful. What he has lost is far more than what can be equated with this money. To outsiders, Tong Zhuoyao appears to be a formidable figure in the business world, often labeled as a "genius businessman" in various business magazines. Yet, sitting in his position, the solitude he experiences is profound.

Reflecting on these years, devoid of any interesting events, she poured herself a drink and gazed at the large white round table beside her. Suddenly, she felt a sense of belonging, reminiscent of those years spent under the wooden table on the boat during her youth. Although she was alone, she felt no worry, living carefree. Yet now, in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, surrounded by books, she is filled with an infinite melancholy, possessing nothing, and walking alone.

The boat swayed gently, and the rope was only half a meter long, limiting her range of movement to just half a meter. She was a woman who had been lonely since childhood, with her memories of youth spent on a gently swaying boat.

Thus, holding her knees with her chin resting on them, the wine bottle tossed aside, she looked up, wiping away the tears in her eyes. It seemed as if she had returned to those years on the boat, drifting and floating. She thought that after meeting Feng Bowen, she would no longer have to drift, no longer have to sway in the wind and rain. Yet, after all the twists and turns, she remained alone.