Chapter 76 The final verdict should be given after someone dies…
A final judgment can only be made after someone dies, through objective evaluation by others. This is not the case for most people, and Fang Minzhou is not dead yet. So in the past few years, she has at most gained a better understanding of the world and herself.
Some grand principles cannot withstand scrutiny.
For example, when she was in school, her father often taught her to "only compare yourself to yourself." He had good intentions in saying this, but the word "compare" inevitably placed her on a comparative axis, and at that time she did not realize that this was wrong.
Since evaluations are made up of external factors, looking inward will only lead to emptiness. However, in her youth, she was vainly bound by the shackles of composure and self-consistency, which is why she was so concerned about her shortcomings.
She easily notices the strengths of others, and the resulting comparisons are often restrained by hypocritical words. In reality, she has been jealous of many people, including Yuan Yue. Only towards Ouyang Qian does Fang Minzhou have a rare and lingering sense of admiration, probably because Ouyang Qian's outspokenness, straightforwardness, and unconventionality are qualities she admires. However, she has never considered becoming Ouyang Qian.
Fang Minzhou didn't often discuss relationship issues with Ouyang Qian, not wanting Ouyang Qian to think she was being pretentious. Ouyang Qian, on the other hand, would occasionally share her own experiences with her, being direct and blunt, never beating around the bush.
But she said that Ouyang Qian would not laugh at her.
"If it weren't for the fact that you still answer his calls, look at my expression right now," Ouyang Qian said quietly.
Fang Minzhou could only smile.
During her senior year graduation season, she told Ouyang Qian while chatting that she and Wang Kan had broken up.
At that time, she was in a state of calm after the pain subsided. When Ouyang Qian learned that it was Wang Kan who had proposed the breakup, she was first surprised and then extremely angry. Fang Minzhou was worried that she would go to Wang Kan to settle accounts. Only after Ouyang Qian repeatedly assured him that she would not did Fang Minzhou feel relieved with some doubt.
Ouyang Qian thought Wang Kan had changed his mind, but she explained that it wasn't true. She had her own guesses, and now it seemed they were pretty much right.
A plant grows when the environment is suitable and withers when the environment is harsh. Similarly, feelings, tested day after day, can accumulate into a deep pool or wear away stone with persistent dripping.
Would this kind of reconciliation be what Wang Kan wants?
He underestimated her desires; she wasn't as brave as he thought. He probably had the same concerns about her, which was why he tested her in so many ways. He had always felt that she didn't like him that much, while she had always felt wronged.
When faced with Ouyang Qian, Fang Minzhou said she wanted to wait until she was less busy before discussing it further, and Ouyang Qian didn't object to her delay. Ouyang Qian has always been independent and doesn't seek approval from others, nor does she offer advice.
From Fang Minzhou's desire to change her major in college, her plans to study abroad, and her preparations to return to China, including her choice of university offers, Ouyang Qian always listened without saying a word and fully supported her.
Fang Minzhou's parents and other friends, as well as Wang Kan (when he was her boyfriend), naturally supported her, but they all had some concerns and offered their own opinions. Ouyang Qian, however, did not participate. She told Fang Minzhou that she felt everyone already had an inclination when faced with a choice. A person may not fully understand themselves, but the person who understands them best is definitely themselves.
Although she also said that she was lazy and indifferent and unwilling to take responsibility for other people's lives, "If I make the right choice, that's fine, but what if I make the wrong choice and they turn around and blame me?"
Fang Minzhou could not learn her humor.
"However, don't think about it for too long," Ouyang Qian added, because she felt that the more carefully Fang Minzhou considered it, the more important she valued Wang Kan, which was not what she wanted to see.
Fang Minzhou remained noncommittal, saying, "If we really got back together, I probably wouldn't like him as much as before."
After she finished speaking, she noticed Ouyang Qian looking at her with a smile that seemed to hold pity. Fang Minzhou felt uneasy and told her to just say what she had to say.
Ouyang Qian said that everyone expresses their feelings and thoughts differently. "When you love someone, you worry that you don't like them enough. Even though you've done a lot, you still feel like you haven't given enough."
Fang Min was startled, but still teased, "Your words scared me."
Ouyang Qian chuckled and said, "It's because you fell for Wang Kan that you tutored him in high school. Otherwise, why would you care if he lived or died?"
Fang Minzhou: "..."
She wanted to say something in her defense, but Ouyang Qian said again, "That's why I'm very angry that he broke up with me, and I'm still angry now. It's not because we're friends and I'm protecting him. I know how much Wang Kan likes you, but since he broke up with you, I feel like he betrayed your feelings... You're not going to cry, are you?"
"No way," Fang Minzhou laughed, her eyes were terribly dry.
Ouyang Qian laughed too, "But I think he must regret it himself."
Ouyang Qian said she wasn't being protective, but in reality she was. Fang Minzhou felt she wasn't as good as Ouyang Qian described. This wasn't self-deprecation, but if Ouyang Qian were really that good, she would find it even harder to explain why she and Wang Kan had drifted apart.
As the meal drew to a close, she felt a mix of relief and melancholy. No problems were resolved; only her emotions, amplified by the alcohol, stretched to the point where she felt as if she were floating in a dreamlike space. The next day, as the sun shone brightly, she awoke, rubbing her head.
Last night, Jin Ying and her friends stayed out until late before returning to the hotel. After washing up, Fang Minzhou ordered two cups of coffee, drank one of them, and forced the computer to start writing the framework of the project proposal.
After waking up around lunchtime, Jin Ying exclaimed that she was a fairy.
The two of them spent the entire weekend working in the hotel. Besides preparing project proposals, they also took the opportunity to revisit and sort out some issues that had plagued the studio's operations over the past few months. The biggest problem, they said, was expanding the business and needed to find and maintain more clients.
In the midst of her busy schedule, Fang Minzhou would occasionally think of Wang Kan.
On Sunday evening, she video-chatted with her grandmother, who was sitting in the yard enjoying the cool air. The two chatted as usual, with the grandmother talking about food, clothing, housing, and transportation. She asked Fang Minzhou if it was hot in Jiangcheng, what she wanted to eat that night, and when she would be back. Fang Minzhou answered her questions one by one.
Just as Fang Minzhou was about to hang up the video call, she heard her grandfather and Wang Kan's voices in the background. They sounded like they had just come back from outside. Her grandmother appeared on screen and called out, "Minzhou's on the phone!"
The screen shook, revealing Grandpa's face. "Have you had dinner yet?"
Grandma answered from off-screen: "Yes, yes, it's already so late."
Fang Minzhou smiled and repeated, "I ate it."
Grandpa drawled, "Oh, it's good that you ate it."
Wang Kan's voice disappeared, and he himself did not appear on the screen. Fang Minzhou breathed a sigh of relief.
Long after hanging up the phone, Fang Minzhou found her heart was beating very fast.
On Thursday morning, the project review concluded smoothly. Afterwards, the project manager messaged them, praising their project proposal as excellent and saying that barring any unforeseen circumstances, there shouldn't be any major problems. Fang Minzhou and Jin Ying were relieved of their burden. In the afternoon, Fang Minzhou accompanied Jin Ying to interview new interns.
Jin Ying's previous interns have switched to part-time work, and she wants to hire another one. Although it is an unknown startup team, she has received a lot of high-quality resumes because of the good pay and flexible hours.
Normally, whoever needs to hire someone can make the decision directly, but since the two of them happened to be together this time, Jin Ying pulled Fang Minzhou along. Fang Minzhou wanted to sit in on the conversation, but Jin Ying couldn't bear to see her idle, so she forwarded the resume to Fang Minzhou and told her to make sure to ask two questions.
The interview was at 3:30. Fang Minzhou worked until 3:20 after waking up from her afternoon nap. She quickly tidied herself up and reserved a few minutes to look at the resume. But the moment she saw the resume, she really wanted to find an excuse to leave.
"Hello interviewer, I am Xu Ran, currently studying media at Jiangcheng University..." In one of the three small windows on the computer screen, the grown-up Xu Ran confidently introduced herself.
According to her, others had forwarded their recruitment poster, and she herself was very interested in the startup project, so she wanted to give it a try.
Fang Minzhou last saw Xu Ran at the end of her junior year summer vacation. She remembered that she was on a date with Wang Kan that day and treated Xu Ran to dinner after her swimming lesson. There was a McDonald's dessert station near the swimming pool, where the second ice cream cone was half price. Wang Kan bought two, and she and Xu Ran each got one.
Xu Ran, a junior high school student at the time, had already figured out the relationship between Fang Minzhou and Wang Kan. She remained silent, licking her ice cream and secretly glancing at them, thinking she hadn't been noticed, which made Fang Minzhou very embarrassed.
Growth is intense and rapid between the ages of ten and twenty, while growth is moderate and slow between the ages of twenty and thirty.
Fang Minzhou wasn't sure if Xu Ran recognized her. If she hadn't seen the resume beforehand and hadn't had some time to cool off, she might not have been able to recognize her in this sudden encounter. When she joined the meeting, she had nervously used her English name, but when Jin Ying called her after asking her question, it directly revealed her true identity: "Minzhou, do you have any questions for me?"
Fang Minzhou calmly introduced her responsibilities and then asked Xu Ran to share what entrepreneurial experiences she hoped to gain during her internship.
As Fang Minzhou listened to Xu Ran's slightly hesitant attempt to organize her thoughts, she took notes while recalling an old saying: "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice."
Her overwhelming calmness made it all the more obvious to her that Xu Ran was nervous.
The girl's eyes widened even more when she heard her name than when the screen first turned on. Although she immediately lowered her eyes to hide it, she couldn't help but show regret after answering the question. Xu Ran's performance when answering Jin Ying earlier was quite good; she spoke fluently and meaningfully.
Then came the questioning phase.
Xu Ran, her cheeks slightly flushed, opened her mouth, glanced sideways, and asked a question that Jin Ying needed to answer.
Fang Minzhou sighed inwardly.
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