Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Qin Huairu, He Yuzhu's ex-girlfriend, was also someone Li Xiangqian knew. Her beauty and intelligence had attracted countless men, but the relationship between her and He Yuzhu was not as happy as outsiders saw. Li Xiangqian remembered that they had a short relationship a few years ago, but later broke up for various reasons, but the reason for the breakup was not known to the outside world. Only those around her knew the complexity and entanglement of that relationship.

Li Xiangqian recalled a conversation he had with He Yuzhu, when he asked He Yuzhu why he kept in touch with Qin Huairu after they broke up. He Yuzhu's answer was simple: "She was someone I once loved, how could I ignore her?"

But Li Xiangqian saw another deep meaning in He Yuzhu's eyes - that unfinished emotion, as if it could not be shaken off between them. He Yuzhu said it easily, but Li Xiangqian knew that his heart was not as simple as he said.

"Can't he let her go?" Li Xiangqian couldn't help but wonder.

Li Xiangqian walked to the corner of the street and suddenly stopped. His eyes were looking into the distance, but his thoughts were flooding in like a tide. The past is often the most difficult to let go. Whether it was Wang Xue or Qin Huairu, Li Xiangqian had invested his feelings in them, but now, he had to admit that these feelings had been worn to pieces by time and reality. But why did the grudge between He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu seem to have not been resolved yet?

He couldn't help but recall an encounter a few months ago, when he and He Yuzhu went to a friend's party together. After the party, He Yuzhu suddenly pulled him into a secluded alley.

"Xiang Qian, I have something to tell you." He Yuzhu's tone was extremely serious.

Li Xiangqian thought he was going to talk about business again, so he asked casually, "What's the matter?"

He Yuzhu took a deep breath and whispered, "I may have to completely cut off contact with Qin Huairu recently."

"Why?" Li Xiangqian was a little stunned.

He Yuzhu hesitated for a moment and whispered, "I don't quite understand her recent behavior. The past between her and me is complicated enough, and coupled with the current situation, I really don't want to continue."

Li Xiangqian looked at him, and doubts arose in his mind. "Have you really decided?"

He Yuzhu nodded, his eyes firm, but Li Xiangqian saw a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "I know that this decision may hurt her, but I also know that if we don't make changes, neither of us can move forward."

Li Xiangqian did not speak any more. He could feel the struggle in He Yuzhu's heart. After the breakup, it seemed that neither of them had really let go of each other. Although He Yuzhu said it easily, Li Xiangqian knew that his heart was not as free and easy as he said.

"Can you really let it go?" Li Xiangqian couldn't help but ask.

He Yuzhu was silent for a while, and then whispered, "I don't know, but I have to try."

Li Xiangqian didn't say anything else, but he felt a little heavy in his heart. He Yuzhu's words made him feel uneasy. He knew that He Yuzhu's decision was not easy, and Qin Huairu's existence seemed to be a knot in his heart that could never be untied.

After returning home, Li Xiangqian still couldn't get rid of the troubles in his heart. Xu Damao's persuasion did not seem to completely eliminate his anxiety, but instead made him start to think more about the relationship between himself and Li Fang. He knew that his heart did not completely belong to Li Fang, and he could not completely let go of those people and things in the past.

He walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of beer, and unscrewed the cap. Bubbles gushed out of the bottle mouth, bringing a refreshing taste. Li Xiangqian took a sip and relaxed his tense nerves a little.

"If I could choose my life, I would rather not encounter so many complicated emotions." He whispered, as if he was talking to himself, or as if he was whispering to the distant past.

It was getting dark when Li Xiangqian walked into the mall. The winter chill gradually penetrated into his bones. The street lights were a little dim, reflecting his slightly heavy figure. He was in a bad mood today. The restlessness and uneasiness in his heart made him want to do something, even the simplest shopping, which could allow him to temporarily escape from those tangled emotions and problems.

He walked aimlessly, his eyes sweeping over various commodities, and finally stopped in front of the socks rack. Li Xiangqian had no intention of buying anything, but when he saw the neatly arranged row of socks, he suddenly felt a little impulsive. He looked down at the old socks he was wearing. The edges had begun to wear out, and the skin was showing at the toes. Although it didn't affect the wear, he still felt a little uncomfortable.

"Just buy a pair." Li Xiangqian said to himself and picked up a pair of socks that looked comfortable.

He picked up the pair of socks, and his mind began to recall many things unconsciously. Although socks are daily necessities, they have a certain symbolic meaning to Li Xiangqian. Every time he puts on a new pair of socks, it seems like he is starting a new life. Whether it is changing a pair of socks or changing a mentality, this simple action always seems to give him a brief comfort.

Li Xiangqian walked to the cashier and handed over the pair of socks. The cashier was a young girl who looked very energetic and had a bright smile. When she took the socks, she frowned slightly, as if she felt that something was wrong with Li Xiangqian's expression today.

"Sir, why are you shopping so late today?" she asked softly, with a hint of curiosity in her tone.

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Nothing, I just have some things to deal with, so I came here to buy something."

The cashier nodded, apparently without asking any more questions. After Li Xiangqian paid, he walked out of the mall with his new socks. The cold wind from the street blew in his face again, and he couldn't help but wrap his coat tighter, and his pace unconsciously quickened a bit.

"What's really wrong with me?" Li Xiangqian sighed inwardly, and his steps became heavier. He knew that his bad mood was not caused by a pair of socks, but by the indelible emotions and memories in his heart.

He thought of Li Fang and the days they had spent together. Although they were married and lived a seemingly ordinary life, Li Xiangqian always felt that something was missing in his heart. Whenever he saw Li Fang's gentle smile, he would feel an inexplicable sense of guilt. He knew that he had not fully committed to this marriage, and some parts of his heart were still occupied by images of the past.

"What's wrong with me?" Li Xiangqian asked himself in a low voice, and stopped walking. He looked up at the street lights in the distance, the light swaying in the cold wind, as if telling something. Li Xiangqian felt empty in his heart, as if everything was no longer so clear.