Three hundred and eighteen people, each with their own ambitions
As Li Wei lay there, the more she thought about it, the more something seemed off. Was it really worth it for Xu Ting to give up everything here and go to a distant place for someone like that?
No, she has to go and get to the bottom of this!
Thinking of this, Li Wei sat up straight, picked up her small handbag, and looked up. The guy was leaning against his car not far away, smoking, and striking a very convincing pose.
Li Wei got out of the car and locked the door, then quickly went into the breakfast shop. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Xu Ting came down, her face expressionless.
When Li Wei saw her coming, she didn't say a word, grabbed her and led her back to her car.
Xu Ting stood by the train door, somewhat reluctant to get on. Li Wei grew impatient: "Hurry up and get on the train. Do you want me to carry you up? I have something to say to you. Don't be so coy. Do you think I'm going to eat you up?"
Xu Ting glanced back at the guy smoking by the car, seemingly wanting to ask for leave. Li Wei, furious, raised her voice: "What are you looking at? Did you sell yourself to him? Get to the point or I'll have to resort to violence!"
Li Wei was so angry she wanted to kick Xu Ting into the car.
This was the first time Xu Ting had seen Li Wei so ferocious. She hesitated for a moment before getting into the car, without causing Li Wei any trouble.
Li Wei drove onto the road and looked in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, that guy had followed her. He seemed to be quite the convincing one. If she remembered correctly, this guy had been driving around with a woman a few days ago. He seemed to be a real playboy.
Li Wei drove to the entrance of a park. It was already dark, and there were quite a few couples coming and going at the park entrance.
Li Wei parked the car. She thought for a moment, then turned to look at Xu Ting beside her: "Did you finish talking to Xiao Hui? What did he say?" She figured she'd be the one to ask. That guy Li Lianhui probably didn't have anything nice to say. He was in a bad mood and might even think she was nagging.
Xu Ting seemed even more frustrated. She pouted, her expression somewhat gloomy: "I told him. I wanted to go outside to talk to him. He said no need. We could talk right there. He said he was busy and didn't have time. So I whispered to him. And guess what he said?"
In any case, it wouldn't be anything nice. Li Wei knew Li Lianhui's sharp and ruthless personality. If he was easy to talk to and agreeable, everything was fine. But when his temper flared, a single sentence could send someone crashing down. He was incredibly stubborn.
As expected. Xu Ting said quietly, "He said he understands."
Xu Ting sounded resentful. Li Wei was both angry and heartbroken. Although she hadn't heard Li Lianhui's tone of voice, those three words perfectly encapsulated their entire relationship.
But what's done is done. Li Wei didn't want to talk about the past. Her brother was busy with his own things. She could keep an eye on him herself, but it wasn't a big deal. However, Xu Ting's behavior really troubled her: "What's wrong with you? Is going abroad really that good? If you were capable, you would know all about it. Why did you choose this man? Do you really like him?"
Xu Ting was silent for a while before saying, "I'm different from you, you know? My family is very ordinary, but I've always felt that with my intelligence and beauty, I deserve a better life. Actually, I've taken on a lot of side jobs. I used to think I could get what I wanted through my own efforts, but I gradually realized that even if I worked like this my whole life, I could never compare to even a fraction of what those people have. My life is worse than a beggar's. To be honest, I once pinned my hopes on Li Lianhui, but then I realized that by the time my hopes came true, I'd probably be seventy or eighty years old, so what would be the point? Besides, Steven is actually a pretty good guy, understanding and considerate, and he's been good to me. I never thought about having any future with him; we just got what we needed. I know you might look down on me, but as long as I get what I want, I don't care about any of that anymore."
Xu Ting finished speaking, her face was also full of tears, but she didn't wipe them away, feeling that this was the last time she would cry, and she wouldn't cry again.
At this point, Maria was cold and indifferent to her. Maria was her best friend, so it was impossible for her not to be heartbroken.
Li Wei picked up the tissue box and handed it to Xu Ting: "From the perspective of our former friendship, I don't want to criticize you. Everyone has the right to choose their own life. Although as Li Lianhui's sister, I might feel some resentment towards you, I still have to say that some things aren't as important as you imagine, especially for you. You already have a life that most people would envy: a good education, a respectable job, and a promising boyfriend. One shouldn't be too greedy; material enjoyment is endless. You only see certain people, like that Steven, right? You only see their glamorous side. Do you know how depressing and hopeless their dark side is? If you haven't thought about your future with him, then you have even less reason to get involved with them. But I think your ambitions go beyond that. Just a few days ago, I saw Mr. Steven driving around with a woman to dinner. A playboy like that, besides his money, is it really necessary for you to be a moth drawn to a flame?"
Li Wei thought that a playboy who came to the mainland to indulge in a life of pleasure and leisure must be powerless and insignificant at home. What future could he have for Xu Ting, who was determined to pursue a luxurious life in high society?
Li Wei was able to somewhat figure out Xu Ting's feelings.
Xu Ting was now determined and wouldn't listen to anything else. She simply wiped away her tears and said, "I know you mean well, but I've already made up my mind. Don't try to persuade me anymore. Some things, once I've done them, I won't regret. The only person I feel sorry for is you, not Li Lianhui. Humph, I always feel that guy doesn't care about me at all. I've known him for so long, and he's never called or contacted me first. I'm always the one clinging to him shamelessly. I wonder what he thinks of me."
"Alright, Xiaohui isn't that kind of person. Do you think he'd be like some idle playboy, constantly swooning over you? Who lives a normal life like that? Let me tell you, once you take this step, it won't be easy to pull back. Living an ordinary life won't be easy either. And happiness isn't something you can maintain just by wearing expensive clothes or jewelry. Think about it carefully. There are some things I won't feel comfortable saying, and saying them might sound harsh. There's no such thing as a free lunch. What you give and what you receive are proportional. Think about it carefully."
As Li Wei spoke, she felt a chill run through her. Was the allure of wealth and glory really that strong? Or was it just a mirage?
Li Wei didn't know when Xu Ting got out of the car. She lay on the steering wheel for a long time without moving until a car next to her backed out of its parking space, and the glaring headlights startled her awake.
He rubbed his face, then remembered Li Lianhui's place. He drove over and secretly took a look. It was alright; a group of people were busy. Li Lianhui seemed normal too. He just didn't know what he was thinking. At least he was busy, so he should be fine. He should come and check on things more often. Sigh!
Back home, Roy Roll was already asleep, but Xiao Ya was still pestering Sister Wei to tell her a story. Li Wei held her in her arms, and Xiao Ya lingered for a while before quickly falling asleep as well.
After settling Xiaoya in bed, Li Wei went upstairs to rest.
I was supposed to be resting, but I wasn't sleepy at all. I tossed and turned in bed for ages before finally sitting up. Li Lin and Ding Anni had already left, otherwise it would have been nice to chat with them.
After thinking for a moment, he picked up the phone and called his aunt Cheng Fei. It was still early, and Cheng Fei had just put Ding Ding to bed and put him to sleep. She was back in the bedroom talking to Ding Anping.
In terms of social experience, among the women Li Wei knew, apart from Chen Juan who was indeed a bit older, no one else, including Li Wei's own mother, could compare to Cheng Fei.
It's related to individual comprehension; some people live their whole lives and are still clueless. Someone as clever and insightful as Cheng Fei, given the opportunity to gain experience, is bound to become a genius.
So after listening to Li Wei's rambling for a while, Cheng Fei scoffed without any politeness: "You're just acting on emotion. That classmate of yours—not that I look down on her, but no matter how many good qualities you think she has, this short-sighted behavior makes her a fool, utterly foolish. She just dumped someone as talented as Xiaohui from our family like that, without even considering her own worth or whether she's destined for greater blessings. If someone's going to court disaster, there's nothing God can do. Don't get worked up over her; she's a stupid woman, not worth it. Even Xiaohui is actually much smarter than you think." You just noticed, but Xiaohui probably already sensed something was wrong. Especially since he's a boy, he's naturally calmer. Even if he's upset, it's not a big deal. With Xiaohui's talent and abilities, there are probably plenty of pretty girls eyeing him. You're worried he'll be lonely and drown his sorrows in alcohol. Let me tell you, just you wait and see. Even if he's not busy right now, he won't have the time to wallow in self-pity. Men, in the end, are much more pragmatic than women. So, you should sleep and eat as usual, take care of your own family, and as for others, well, they're not as fragile as you think.”
After being scolded by her aunt, Li Wei felt much better and less upset than before. However, it wasn't like she was completely over yet. After all, she had been in a relationship with Xu Ting for several years, and it wasn't something that could be easily dismissed.
Honestly, I felt both hateful and a little sorry for her; my heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Finally, after hanging up the phone, I found a thick book and read it until midnight before finally going to sleep.
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