Chapter 109
Guan Nan considers herself a hard-hearted person.
Perhaps because she had seen so much of the world from a young age and knew how unpredictable people can be, growing up amidst the bitterness and sweetness of life made her someone who doesn't easily empathize with others.
Even so, after listening to Lin Zhaozhao recount her recent situation, he still couldn't help but tear up.
She seemed to see another version of herself in Lin Zhaozhao.
In contrast, Lin Zhaozhao was rational and spoke only what needed to be said, without revealing anything that shouldn't be said. Combining her past limited knowledge with one unexpected gain after another, she gained a certain understanding of everything.
But the more you understand, the more painful it becomes, coupled with your own difficult and arduous situation.
Lin Zhaozhao blinked hard, forcing back her tears, and at the same time noticed her sister's emotional state. She seized the opportunity and said, "Sister, can I write you a note?"
Guan Nan took a long time to react and remained silent.
“I know you had someone look at that apartment in Tangzi Lane and you're going to buy it. But we really can't move out now, and even if we did, we really have nowhere to go. I can stay in a dormitory, but even if I don't care about Mom, what about Dad? You can't just stand by and watch Dad sleep on the street, can you?”
It took Guan Nan a while to come to her senses.
Once she calmed down, she immediately realized that Lin Zhaozhao's purpose in coming to see her this time was not simple, and asked in a calm voice, "Why is it impossible?"
"But...but," as if she hadn't expected her to say this, Lin Zhaozhao suddenly felt helpless, her eyes filled with a weariness and confusion beyond her years, and she stammered for a long time before finally managing to say, "That's Dad."
When we are young, we always think that human conscience is infinitely recyclable and can be reused, but we don't realize that it is something that is used up every time.
When they look back then, they will find that what they thought was the remaining conscience has rotted away with time, gradually turning into a pile of filthy, indifferent hearts and lungs.
When people's conscience is being exploited, they often find themselves in moments of weakness where they can't escape this.
Guan Nan smiled after hearing her words, unsure whether she was laughing at her own pitiful state or at how Guan Weimin and her stepdaughter had stood up for her at this moment. "I'm sorry, if that's the case, you've got the wrong person."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhaozhao's mind went blank, and she stared blankly at her.
She thought Guan Nan was soft-hearted and easy to talk to. People who lack family affection and are not loved always want to receive love. She thought that if she said a few nice words and softened her tone towards Guan Nan, she might agree.
Unexpectedly, Guan Nan has become so cold and indifferent, without any human touch.
Guan Nan said softly, "That's your dad, not mine."
As for her father, she hasn't had one since the day she got divorced.
Her father had died long ago, in the long river of time more than ten years ago. Amidst countless lies, countless shouts and curses, countless bottles smashing through walls, and her mother's repeated attempts to smile at her while she was in tears, her appearance gradually became unrecognizable in her childhood memories.
"Do you hate him?" Lin Zhaozhao was silent for a few seconds, then lowered her head and said in a low, mournful voice, "Yes, I hate him."
Guan Nan sat in the chair, her expression unusually calm, like an outsider: "I used to hate."
"Then," Lin Zhaozhao looked up, her eyes urgent, "what about now?"
"Now?" Guan Nan smiled faintly. "Since they are insignificant people, why bother hating them?"
Hearing this, Lin Zhaozhao looked at her and suddenly felt that the person in front of her was a complete stranger.
How did the person who used to laugh and watch her play pranks with such doting eyes, who would stand in front of her without hesitation in the face of danger, and who would immediately come up with a solution without batting an eye when a mess suddenly appeared, suddenly become like this?
She seemed to have never met Guan Nan like this before.
The clear, clean eyes before her showed Guan Nan, who had long since let go of the past and spoke of it with a nonchalant air, as if she had dealt with those matters with ease, just like before.
In an instant, Lin Zhaozhao deflated and murmured an "Mmm".
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lin Zhaozhao had a quick breakfast and then rushed back to school. She didn't tell Guan Nan how she got back or where she was going.
Guan Nan treated her like any other acquaintance, escorting her to her doorstep and reminding her, "Be careful on the road."
"Hmm." Lin Zhaozhao forced a stiff smile, suppressing the overflowing emotions in her chest. She seemed to realize that this might be the last time the two of them met as sisters, and that if they met again in the future, they would only be strangers or passersby.
From then on, they were insignificant passersby in each other's lives.
Reaching the stairwell, Lin Zhaozhao suddenly turned around, her eyes red-rimmed: "Sister."
Guan Nan hadn't turned around yet; she was resting her hand on the gap in the iron gate when she heard the sound and immediately looked up: "What's wrong?"
"Sister," Lin Zhaozhao called out to her again.
This time, Guan Nan smiled at her but didn't reply.
It was as if they were saying their final, dignified goodbye.
Say goodbye to past relationships, identities, and everything else.
Lin Zhaozhao couldn't hold back any longer. Her voice trembled as she pointed at herself, each word clear: "Sister, you still have family. You are not alone. You still have me. I will always, always be your sister."
younger sister.
She may have had a younger sister.
But they were destined to meet but not to be together.
Lin Zhaozhao could be anyone's sister, but she could never be hers.
"Go back now." Guan Nan wasn't sentimental and didn't take her words seriously, chuckling as she waved to her.
After seeing the person off, Guan Nan was about to tidy up the food on the dining table when she suddenly remembered Jiang Li's actions before leaving home, which seemed to be telling her to look at her phone.
Guan Nan stopped what she was doing, walked into the bedroom, picked up her phone from the bedside table, and saw two messages pop up in the notifications.
She unlocked the screen, clicked into the message bar, and saw that the pinned note had changed overnight from "Don't know what to say, just laugh it off" to "Rarely reasonable".
The red notification dot in the upper right corner continues to silently remind you.
Guan Nan clicked in and took a look—
Rarely Reasonable: [I'm at Coffee Bar.]
Rarely do we reason with each other: [Are you coming over here or I'm going over there?]
Rarely being reasonable: "Come with me somewhere in a bit."
The tone of the notification made her even suspect that the other party had confused L and N, and had typed "rarely able to reason" instead of "too lazy to reason".
Guan Nan replied: 【Okay.】
Then she put down her phone, wrapped up the unfinished breakfast, hesitated for a moment, and put it in the refrigerator. After closing the refrigerator door, she took down the frame of the group photo on top and carefully wiped it until it was spotless.
Put the picture frame back in its original position; it's as if it says everything, yet it's also as if it says nothing at all.
At this moment, there are few tourists in Hecangyuan. It's mostly community residents who are up early for morning exercise, chatting, laughing, and dancing, just like the most ordinary and unchanging day in my memory.
Guan Nan walked through the pomegranate trees, under the clusters of banyan trees, and followed the side road straight before turning into the commercial street.
Along the long street, only the coffee shop had its doors wide open early, with a sign hanging on a nail below its name that read "Private area, no tourists allowed".
She glanced at it, stopped at the door, and took a picture of the plaque.
Guan Nan: [Image]
Guan Nan: [It seems I was politely turned away.]
After the message was sent, someone came out from inside. Perhaps because it had rained all night, the stones on the ground still made a clear sound when you stepped on them.
He changed his clothes, wearing a cardigan, hoodie, and jeans, and was holding a cell phone in his hand.
He walked over, raised his hand and hooked her chin, raising his eyebrows and saying, "Could you be any more childish?"
"Who's childish?" Guan Nan muttered, trying to appear calm.
Jiang Li chuckled, raised his hand and flipped over the hanging plaque, revealing four bright, large characters from left to right.
Welcome!
Guan Nan: "?"
This is a warning.
It's remarkably similar to the QR code that tricked her last time.
Jiang Li glanced at her and said lazily, "How about this?"
Guan Nan was stunned for two seconds, not expecting there was more to this than met the eye. A little bit of mischievousness had backfired on her. She kept a straight face and obediently said "Oh".
"Welcome." Jiang Li gestured for her to come in, standing ramrod straight and looking at her casually. "Is that enough sincerity?"
Guan Nan's lips moved slightly.
"If that's not enough—" Jiang Li said, drawing out his words.
how?
Guan Nan stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
He put on a very sincere expression and said, "I can carry you in."
"······"
“Or,” Jiang Li said, seemingly after a moment’s thought, “you can also step over me to get in.”
Hearing this, Guan Nan silently lifted her foot and stepped across the threshold.
Seeing this, Jiang Li chuckled softly.
With a turn, he took her hand and slowly led her through the door.
Upon entering the first floor, one could smell a strong odor of alcohol. The band and Xie Shuwan's group were still half-asleep, their faces flushed with the sallowness and excitement of someone who hadn't slept all night, as they huddled around a table eating breakfast.
“I couldn’t go to performances before, but now it’s great that we can go to Fuling. My sister and brother-in-law are coming.”
"This is our first tour since we started from home."
"Don't even mention you guys, I'm pretty excited too."
The last sentence was said by Xie Shuwan.
After listening, Guan Nan turned to look at Jiang Li and asked, "Do you have any performances in Fuling?"
“Yes,” Jiang Li nodded, “It was decided two months ago, but something came up and it was delayed. We’re still finalizing the repertoire.”
Suddenly, Guan Nan remembered what Hei Zi had said and realized what the incident he had casually mentioned as "something came up that delayed me" was.
The lawsuit is still ongoing. Has she won yet? She doesn't know.
However, based on past experience, Guan Nan, who has some understanding of infringement lawsuits, doesn't find them easy to win. Of all the lawsuits, only defamation cases are almost always successful; the others are too risky.
Especially when the definition of original copyright is unclear, even when professionals make a judgment, it is still ambiguous in many aspects.
For example, one person is selling dog meat under the guise of mutton, while another is selling mutton under the guise of dog.
He takes the same thing, cuts it in half, rearranges the order, but keeps the content exactly the same. In your video, the protagonist enters the door with his left foot, while in his video, the protagonist enters with his right foot. You cook rice, he cooks porridge. You say this is one, he says this is two.
They lack a strong sense of copyright, show no respect for original work, and some even scoff at it.
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