Early in the morning, there was a knock on Li Shuran's door.
Editor Yang's voice came from outside the door: "Shu Ran, are you up?"
Li Shuran ran over and opened the door, and was surprised to find that besides Editor Yang, there was also Director Ji outside the door.
Noticing Li Shuran's confusion, Ji Qi took the initiative to explain: "I had something to do with your brother yesterday, and then it was too late, so I just slept here."
Li Shuran nodded and smiled faintly: "I'm fine now. Where's my brother? We can set off now."
She thought that today would be like the previous few days, and Ji Qi would take them around Shanghai.
Unexpectedly, when hearing her ordinary question, Ji Qi and Editor Yang had rather subtle expressions on their faces. Editor Yang spoke first, "Your brother has some things to deal with, so let us take you out for a walk today."
Li Shuran's heart skipped a beat, and she was sensitive enough to realize that something was wrong. Having lived under her stepmother's care for many years, she was very good at observing people's expressions. Although the two of them had tried their best to cover it up, she still noticed that something was wrong.
She stared at the two men's expressions and asked tentatively, "Brother...what happened?"
Yang Jinglun subconsciously turned his eyes away, his expression a little unnatural for a moment: "Nothing, just something about his work... You know, writers can't stop their inspiration when it comes."
Ji Qi continued, "That's right, so your brother didn't let us disturb him, so this time it's just the three of us going out to play." He smiled and asked, "Where do you want to go today?"
The girl was silent for a moment, her innocent face showing a maturity and calmness beyond her age: "You don't have to hide it from me anymore, has something happened to my brother?"
Ji Qi put away the smile on his face, and was silent for a moment. He said, "Jing Ran asked me not to tell you. I don't know whether I should tell you or not."
Li Shuran looked up at him seriously: "I want to know, no matter what it is, I want to share it with my brother."
Yang Jinglun glanced at Ji Qi, and Ji Qi understood the warning in his eyes, but he did not have the same strong desire to protect as Yang Jinglun.
For him, the friend he acknowledged was Li Jingran, and he would take extra care of his sister for Li Jingran's sake, but in his heart, Li Jingran was the most important. Under the circumstances, he really didn't care about the blow this incident would cause to Li Shuran.
Li Jingran's words were vague and when asked what the situation was, he refused to say anything. He just said that he would solve it and told them not to worry.
How could he not worry?!
Li Shuran was a good breakthrough point at the moment, and he would definitely be able to learn about Li Jingran's past from her. Only by knowing this could he know how to fight back and how to help Li Jingran clear his name.
That's right, he didn't believe a word of what was published in the newspaper!
He had eyes and knew better than anyone what kind of person Li Jingran was! The boy's eyes were filled with the rage of a lion, and a person with such eyes would never be as unbearable as described in the newspapers.
So regardless of Yang Jinglun's warning, Ji Qi told Li Shuran everything that had happened in the past few days.
Li Shuran finally saw the article published in the newspaper. Her face turned pale and her hands shook so much that she could hardly hold the newspaper.
Unlike Yang Jinglun and Ji Qi, she knew about her brother's past absurdities, so she understood the destructive power of this report even more.
Of course she knew that her brother used to be an actor, but others didn’t know!
"Brother is not that kind of person!" She suddenly raised her head and grabbed Ji Qi's arm tightly, her hopeful eyes wandering on Ji Qi and Yang Jinglun's faces, "You don't believe it, right?"
Ji Qi patted her shoulder soothingly, "Of course we don't believe it, but you have to tell us what's going on, then we can help your brother."
Yang Jinglun smiled bitterly and said, "Mr. Li said that some of what was written in the newspaper was true and some was false. Shuran, you must know the true and false, right?"
After finding out that the two did not misunderstand her brother, Li Shuran felt relieved and calmed down. She pursed her lips and told them her experiences over the years one by one.
Even someone as calm and experienced as Ji Qi changed his expression several times when he heard Li Shuran's story.
He knew that Li Jingran was extraordinary. He knew that this boy was extraordinary as early as the first time he met him. He was also curious about what kind of family could raise such a talented son.
But he didn't expect that his friend had such a rough past!
His biological mother was forced to death by his stepmother, and his biological father was confused. In such a crisis-ridden environment, the young Li Jingran could only choose to defile himself to make his stepmother let down her guard against him, so that the two siblings could live in peace.
He finally understood what Li Jingran meant when he said, "Sleeping on straw and enduring humiliation to fulfill filial piety will only tarnish one's own innocence."
How old was Li Jingran at that time? A child who was only six or seven years old was already so smart! This tenacity of mind is not even as good as many adults! If he were in Li Jingran's shoes, he would not be able to do as well as Li Jingran.
When he heard from Li Shuran that his stepmother had sent opium to Li Jingran, who was trying to quit smoking, he became furious and said angrily, "What a vicious woman!"
Yang Jinglun also said: "Your father is so foolish to favor his concubine over his wife and to allow his step-wife to mistreat his legitimate son! In my opinion, the Li family will fall into ruin within three generations!"
Li Shuran nodded, with no respect for her blood father on her face: "For a villain like him to have a son like my brother, it really proves the old saying: good bamboo shoots come from bad bamboos."
Yang Jinglun asked anxiously, "What happened next? How did your brother deal with it? He didn't really start smoking, did he?"
Li Shuran shook her head and smiled, "My brother threw the opium away and took me to live with my uncle. After I quit smoking with my uncle, my brother started contributing to magazines, and we used his royalties to come to Peking."
Ji Qi nodded in praise: "Such decisiveness is worthy of Li Jingran."
Li Shuran frowned slightly, her eyes filled with sorrow: "I know what a good person my brother is, but no one else knows. My brother's self-deprecation deceived even me all those years. If my brother hadn't explained all this to my uncle later, I would have taken his absurd deeds for granted."
Ji Qi glanced at Yang Jinglun and said, "I have a guess."
Yang Jinglun hesitated: "I also have a guess."
Ji Qi smiled and said, "Then let's talk about it together and see if we think alike."
The next moment, two voices sounded at the same time.
"I guess this was done by the Li family."
"This article is closely related to the Li family."
Li Shuran was stunned, her heart was shaken, her face was pale: "It's them, why are they..."
Ji Qi explained, "This article goes into too much detail. You can tell at a glance that it was written by someone who has a deep understanding of the Li family's affairs. And according to what you said, the only people who have a grudge against your brother and have a motive to target him are your family members."
Yang Jinglun felt sorry for the little girl's dazed look. Just as he was about to say something to comfort her, he saw the little girl suddenly raise her head, her eyes filled with hatred: "We have all hidden in Beiping, but they still won't let us go!"
She stood up suddenly and rushed to the door, but was stopped by Ji Qi: "Where are you going?"
Li Shuran turned around, her eyes filled with a cruel look that frightened him, "I'm going to the newspaper office to be interviewed as Li Jingran's sister." She curled her lips and revealed an icy smile, "Didn't that person turn the tables and say that my brother was disrespectful of human ethics and unfilial? Then I'll go and sue my parents even if it means sacrificing my reputation!"
"I will expose all their sinister and shameful deeds! Make their whole family the laughing stock of all Fengtian!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room fell silent.
Yang Jinglun looked at Li Shuran as if he was seeing her for the first time. He had never thought that this usually quiet and weak little girl could be so strong-willed.
Ji Qi was also stunned for a moment, and it was from this moment that Li Shuran's figure finally came into his eyes. He laughed and said, "I was wrong. That's right, how could Li Jingran's sister be an ordinary person."
"Think carefully, it's a serious crime for a woman to sue her parents. Even if your parents are wrong, they are still your parents. In the eyes of some old scholars, your parents deserve to beat you to death." Ji Qi sneered, "If you sue, your reputation will be ruined for the rest of your life, and you may never get married."
"So what?" Li Shuran raised her head and answered, "If it weren't for my brother, I might have been beaten to death by the rich businessman my stepmother promised me. How could I study and learn like this? Now is the time for me to repay my brother! If I really can't get married because of this, it will just be convenient for me to study!"
Yang Jinglun looked at the girl who was as strong and unyielding as a fighter, and was moved by her protection of her brother.
He is a good child who knows how to repay kindness.
He smiled soothingly, "Don't worry, if you rush out rashly you might disrupt your brother's arrangements."
Ji Qi also said, "Come with us to find Li Jingran later!" He sneered, "His sister has given up her reputation for him, so he should tell us his plan, right?"
…
…
When Ji Qi and others knocked on the door, Le Jing was writing an article.
He had been preparing for this article since he received the telegram from Literary Gazette that day. According to the current progress, he would be able to finish the article in two more days.
Once this article was published, coupled with the words of Li Tingfang, the patriarch of the Li family, he believed that the storm could be calmed down quickly.
He kept writing: "Come in."
Ji Qi and Yang Jinglun brought Li Shuran in.
The little girl cried out in a crying voice: "Brother~"
Le Jing put down his pen with understanding, turned back helplessly and said, "You guys should tell her after all."
Ji Qi said with a smile: "After all, Li Shuran is also a party to this matter, so she has the right to know."
He paused, and told Le Jing the whole story of the little girl's plan, his eyes threatening: "Look how anxious your sister is! If you don't tell her your plan, your sister will have no reputation in her life!"
Le Jing looked at Li Shuran in surprise, and smiled when he saw the courage in her eyes. He touched the little girl's head and asked, "Tell me, is it better for you to fight them all together, or let others fight them and we just watch the show?"
"...Of course the latter method is better."
Le Jing patted her head and said, "You're not that stupid." He glanced at Ji Qi who seemed to have realized something and Yang Jinglun who was confused, and said calmly, "I'll just use my article to answer this question. As for the rest, the Li family will come forward to argue and endorse me."
"My father, Li Tingye, is just a bastard of a branch family. The head of the Li family is my uncle, Li Tingfang. By my generation, our Li family has begun to lack successors, and the younger generation has not made any name for themselves. Compared to my mediocre father and stepbrother, naturally, I, a future star with a promising future, am more worthy of their bets."
The young man smiled and said confidently, "So there is no need for me to take action in this matter. The Li family wants to solve this matter more than anyone else. Because I represent the reputation and future of the Li family. I have already sent a telegram to my uncle, and I believe that this matter will be resolved soon."
Ji Qi breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. There are finally some sensible people in your family."
"Not good. If the Li family is involved, this matter will probably be lifted high and then dropped lightly." The young man smiled sarcastically: "After all, there are always some people who don't want to hurt the harmony."
He tilted his head and glanced at the manuscript on the desk, his eyes flashing with interest and smile: "So, that's why I need to write this article."
The author has something to say:
For Le Jing’s new article, I plan to use the writing style of Dazai Osamu’s “No Longer Human”, and I hope I can write about that feeling.
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