01.

When we were young, we always had many things we didn't understand.

I gradually understand.

People are only willing to believe in what they believe in.

Even if the truth is right in front of them, they will choose to turn a blind eye.

"Good sisters" The three words made me shudder, pretending to be calm on the surface, straightened my waist and walked towards the bar.

Fearing that she might cause a scene in the coffee shop, I had to coax her in a low voice: "I'm at work, let's talk after I finish work. You know the situation at my home. If I lose this job, I'll starve."

I sat leaning against the wall, looking up at the small square window of the storage room. The dust was dancing randomly in the air, just like how I used to be with Ren Xiaoqi.

At the store, I'll take care of things first. Xiaochen will be here soon. You can rest here for a while! Without asking further, Sister Su left the storage room and gently closed the door.

Well. I nod heavily.

The name of the coffee shop is "c'est la vie", which is a French phrase meaning "life". The owner said that life is like coffee, and everyone has different preferences for sweetness, which reflects their different perceptions of life. Some people prefer the bitterness of Americano, while others prefer the sweetness of caramel macchiato, which represents their own life. She said that she is a person without much ambition, and her dream is to run this small shop, tasting the different lives of different people.

I asked her, "What is true ambition?"

She looked at me in astonishment, as if seeing something else through me. Then she slowly replied, "Perhaps it's a big money-making opportunity for some people after all, money is all-powerful."

When she walked into the store, I was tidying up the dining table. Just as I was about to say "Welcome", Ren Xiaoqi with her red hair brightened up, and she jumped to me in three steps, shouting loudly, "Cun Zhiwei, it's really you! I thought I was mistaken. Are you working here? Oh my, what did I see? You are actually dressed so seriously for work, it's unbelievable. Come on, let me take a picture and send it to Curly and the others, let them see that their big sister has turned over a new leaf."

I still remember that day when Shi Shuxia grabbed the boss's wife's hand and repeatedly expressed her gratitude, as if the person who had found a job was not her, but rather the hungry and desperate woman who couldn't survive without this job.

Dreams require effort to build bridges. On the path towards my dream, the first thing I must do, and can only do, is to work diligently in the store every day while studying hard.

At a certain moment, I felt like I had fallen into a black hole in space-time, with a tremendous gravitational force from the center tearing at me. I struggled desperately, trying to grab hold of a lifeline, but the suction grew stronger, drawing the moisture out of my body like mist, enveloping me. A faint voice echoed in my ears, repeatedly calling out, "Cunzhiwei, you can't escape, can't escape, can't escape..."

Hello, this is the menu. If you need anything, please feel free to ring the bell on the table. Put the menu down. I want to quickly escape from Ren Xiaoqi. My mind is racing, trying to come up with a reason to ask the boss lady for leave.

I tightly hugged my arms, still trembling uncontrollably. I squatted on the ground, tears falling down in large drops, unable to stop no matter what.

Know little, know little, know little, what's wrong with you? It's me, Sister Su, what's wrong with you?

Later on, reality repeatedly slapped me in the face, and I finally understood that a seemingly ordinary life like this is the most difficult to achieve.

Half-truths are the most misleading. Ren Xiaoqi let go of my hand and grinned, saying, "I knew it! How could you pretend not to know me? We're good sisters."

Ren Xiaoxi is my high school classmate. The photo of the two of us has always been kept in the compartment of my wallet. She has green hair, which symbolizes "struggling to make a living," while I have messy and glamorous red hair. The two of us are standing in the sunlight, grinning widely, exuding an air of "I am the boss, and she is my right-hand man."

If I had not met Ren Xiaoki, perhaps my life would not have undergone such earth-shattering changes.

"Cunzhiwei, are you pretending not to know me?" Ren Xiaoqi grabbed my wrist, squinted at me with a familiar look. Whenever she was angry and wanted to teach someone a lesson, she would look at them like this.

This customer, this is a coffee shop, please keep quiet. The surrounding customers cast annoyed glances, and I quietly remind her.

I returned to the bar trembling, my face pale, and my eyes lost focus.

The boss lady patted my shoulder and called my name softly, again and again. It was only then that I came back to my senses. My cheeks were itchy, and as I raised my hand to scratch them, I realized that tears were streaming down my face without my knowledge.

There are two people in this world whom I least want to see: one is the man I call father, and the other is Ren Xiaoqi, my once best friend. One is my cause, the other is my consequence, yet I want to abandon it all and start anew.

Sorry, Sister Su, I need to go to the back and calm down first. I haphazardly piled the things in my hand on the table, then pushed open the door and hid in the storage room.

After hearing that I was looking for a job, Xu Meng'er smiled without comment, breaking the habit of mocking. Shi Shuxia accompanied me to inquire at each company, helping me select a job that matched the difficulty level with the salary, without affecting my studies. After a long day, we were exhausted, but finally found a job at a coffee shop. The owner was very kind. After learning that I was a student at A University, she agreed to pay me on time and asked me to confirm my class schedule before arranging my work hours, maximizing my income. After a long day, we were exhausted, but finally found a job at a coffee shop. The owner was very kind. After learning that I was a student at A University, she agreed to pay me on time and asked me to confirm my class schedule before arranging my work hours, maximizing my income.

She rolled her eyes and sat down: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you, stay quiet."

Sister Su's voice is like a beam of light, breaking through layers of mist and coming to my side, gradually restoring moisture to my body. The life-saving straw that I desperately reached out to grab appeared before my eyes, and I eagerly seized it, as if my soul had finally returned to its shell, and I could finally breathe normally. I breathed in the damp air in the storage room deeply, and my chest also became calm.

After the military training, I started looking for part-time jobs. I recorded all the money from that man in a notebook, accurate to two decimal places. Although I haven't figured out exactly which path to take in the future, saying goodbye to the past and permanently drawing a clear boundary with that man has always been part of my plan.

I don't know what kind of stories she has experienced, but I really want to tell her that I like her way of life: running her own small shop, raising a lazy cat, and spending a lifetime with her loved one.

Have some water, don't be too hasty. Su handed me a cup of water in a disposable paper cup and said, "I know there are things you are unwilling to talk about, but Zhiwei, problems are meant to be solved, not avoided."