Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Okay, I'll be there right away." Li Xiangqian hung up the phone and breathed a long sigh of relief.

He knew that he needed to have a good talk with Li Fang, not only for her but also for himself. He couldn't let the shadow of the past affect his present life. He had to make a choice, no matter how difficult it was.

Li Xiangqian was walking on his way home, the night wind blew across his cheeks, bringing a bit of chill. His mood was complicated, like a crumpled paper ball, he couldn't sort it out. He originally planned to have a good chat with Li Fang, but when he arrived at the door of the restaurant, he suddenly felt that he had nothing to say. In the end, he just made an excuse, saying that he had something to do at work, and left in a hurry.

"What's wrong with me?" He whispered to himself, his heart full of regret and self-blame. He knew he shouldn't treat Li Fang like this, but every time he thought of her gentle eyes, he felt like a liar, a person who couldn't even be honest with himself.

When he returned to the courtyard, it was already completely dark. The courtyard was quiet, with only a glimmer of light coming from Xu Damao's room. Li Xiangqian hesitated at the gate of the courtyard, but finally walked over. He needed to find someone to talk to, and although Xu Damao was a little stingy and cunning, he might be a good person to talk to at this time.

"Knock knock knock." Li Xiangqian knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Xu Damao's voice came from the room, with a hint of laziness.

"It's me, forward."

The door opened, Xu Damao poked his head out, and when he saw Li Xiangqian, he showed a hint of surprise on his face. "Oh, you're looking for me so late, what's the matter?"

Li nodded and forced a smile. "Can we go in and talk?"

"Come in." Xu Damao opened the door and moved the pile of odds and ends on the table to the side. "Sit down and order whatever you want."

Li Xiangqian sat down and looked around the room. Xu Damao's room was as tidy as ever, but it also had a bit of a messy feel to it, with some newly bought tools piled up in the corner.

"Drink some water?" Xu Damao picked up the kettle and asked casually.

"No thanks." Li waved his hand forward and looked down at his fingers, not knowing where to start.

Xu Damao noticed that something was wrong with him, put down the kettle, sat opposite him, and asked with interest: "Tell me, what happened? Looking at your expression, it's as if the sky has fallen."

Li Xiangqian raised his head and smiled bitterly. "Da Mao, you say... in this life, do we always have to carry something on our backs that we can't get rid of no matter how hard we try?"

Xu Damao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Hey, why are you talking about philosophy today? You are not that kind of person. Don't beat around the bush, just get straight to the point."

Li Xiangqian was silent for a moment, but finally spoke. "I met someone today... my ex-girlfriend."

Xu Damao raised his eyebrows, a hint of gossip flashed in his eyes. "Ex-girlfriend? Tsk tsk, that's rare. And then? Why did she look for you?"

"It's nothing, we just happened to meet." Li Xiangqian sighed, tapping his fingers on the table, "But I'm very confused. We've been apart for so many years, I thought I had let it go, but when I met today, it felt like all those things came back to me."

After listening to this, Xu Damao leaned back in his chair, with a meaningful smile on his face. "Xiang Qian, this is not a simple matter. If I were to ask you, you still miss her, right?"

"Missing her?" Li Xiangqian frowned and shook his head. "I have Li Fang now. How could I still miss her?"

"Oh, don't be so quick to deny it." Xu Damao waved his hand, as if he saw through everything. "What you said sounds like you haven't completely let it go. If nothing happened, would you still be sitting here with me today and talking to me about this?"

Li Xiangqian was choked by his words and didn't know how to refute for a moment. He lowered his head and stared at the teacup on the table, but Wang Xue's face appeared in his mind.

"I really don't want to think about this anymore." He whispered, with a hint of fatigue in his tone.

"Then you have to ask yourself what you are struggling with." Xu Damao put away his joking tone and became serious for once. "Are you unable to let go of her as a person, or are you unable to let go of what happened in the past? These are two different things."

Li Xiangqian was stunned. He had never thought of separating the two, but Xu Damao's words were like a key that opened a corner of his heart.

"I guess I can't let go of what happened back then." He murmured, as if talking to himself, "I always feel...I didn't do well enough at the time and couldn't give her the life she wanted."

"That's it." Xu Damao spread his hands, as if it was a matter of course, "What you are entangled with now is not her, but yourself. You feel that you owe her, but the question is, does she still care about these things? Even if she cares, what can you do?"

Li Xiangqian was silent for a long time after hearing this. He knew Xu Damao was right, but how easy was it to really let go?

"Xiang Qian, I'm going to tell you the truth." Xu Damao patted his shoulder, his tone more sincere, "When you are alive, you can't always look back. If you really feel indebted, treat Li Fang well. Don't let the mistakes of the past affect your present life."

Li Xiangqian nodded. Although he still felt a little heavy in his heart, he felt a little relieved. He stood up and said to Xu Damao, "Thank you, Damao. I feel much better after talking to you for so long today."

"What are you thanking me for? Aren't we brothers supposed to help each other?" Xu Damao smiled, stood up and walked him to the door. "Go back and have a good sleep. Don't think too much. The sun will still rise tomorrow."

Li Xiangqian walked out of Xu Damao's house, and the night wind blew in his face, bringing a hint of coolness. He took a deep breath, trying to sort out the confusion in his heart, but another person suddenly appeared in his mind - He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu is a friend that Li Xiangqian has known for many years. He is straightforward and decisive. However, in recent times, his condition has been getting worse and worse, and his eyes are filled with deep fatigue. Li Xiangqian has tried to understand, but He Yuzhu always downplays it, as if he doesn't want others to know his inner struggle.

Li Xiangqian couldn't help but wonder what happened to He Yuzhu recently? He knew that He Yuzhu was not the kind of person who would be easily defeated, but the current situation was worrying. In addition, Li Xiangqian had heard about the grudge between He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu. That past had always been hanging between the two of them, like a thorn that could not be pulled out.

"Qin Huairu..." Li Xiangqian whispered the name, feeling complicated in his heart.