Cheng Su wasnât sure if Hualing listened to her advice, maybe she did, but whether she can follow through is another unknown.
Some people arenât easily persuaded. Cheng Su feared most those who are advised one moment and forget the next, the kind that hears and doesnât act on it; stubbornly getting stuck, advising them is futile.
But seeing Hualing like this made Cheng Su uncomfortable, she tossed and turned at night unable to sleep.
Qi Taiguo reached for the light cord and turned on the lamp, looking over, said: "Canât sleep? Letâs talk?"
That sounded good, Cheng Su wanted to get up, but Qi Taiguo held her down, saying: "Just lay there, itâs cold outside; youâll lose warmth soon."
Cheng Su had to lie back down.
"What did Hualing say to you?" Qi Taiguo, with one hand under his head, lay on his side, his other hand resting on her waist.
Cheng Su replied: "Nothing much, just the same three lines back and forth."
"Didnât you advise her? I see Chen Shouwang is getting old too." Qi Taiguo said: "If they continue living like this, sooner or later theyâll exhaust each otherâs patience."
"Iâve said that to her countless times, whether she listened is hard to say." Cheng Su sighed: "I just feel that life is unpredictable, in these short two or three months, a person can change so much. You talk about Hualing, she used to be like a delicate flower, so proud, looking down on everyone, but in the blink of an eye, sheâs full of hostility, just like a resentful woman. I find it frightening."
Qi Taiguo patted her waist in comfort.
"Itâs not just her, even my big sister is the same, the resentment between her brows makes people feel annoyed and frustrated. No wonder thereâs a saying that shows how a woman is doing; just look at her face. With the resentment they have now, how can they be good?" Cheng Su said solemnly.
"Itâs all adversity, quite normal too, the key is whether oneâs mind is resilient and can overcome it." Qi Taiguo thought of the big sister and felt a bit annoyed.
"Yeah!" Cheng Su sighed and looked at him, asking: "Seeing them like this makes me think if I was the same back then, with eyes full of hostility, resentful and negative energy all over me?"
Qi Taiguoâs hand froze on her back.
"Was I particularly ugly back then?" Cheng Su didnât intend to let him off.
Qi Taiguo pondered, then looked at her, gritting his teeth, said: "Back then, you werenât ugly, but you were like a hedgehog, daring no one to get close; if anyone got close, youâd prick up and couldnât let them closer. I found it quite scary, and uncomfortable." He shifted his tone, saying: "But I know thereâs a reason; going through those things, itâs normal to protect yourself from harm."
Cheng Su felt a little sour inside, moved closer to him, saying: "At that time, you must have felt bad too, right?"
Qi Taiguo nodded: "It was tough; Iâd rather you argue with me than be silent, giving me the cold shoulder."
Cheng Su rolled into his arms, said: "Sorry, I only thought of myself back then, itâs my fault."
"Itâs okay, but promise me, from now on we wonât stay silent if somethingâs wrong; if we argue, letâs lay it out and not leave it unresolved overnight, okay?" Qi Taiguo seized the opportunity to make a request.
Cheng Su raised her eyebrows: "Youâre setting rules for me?"
Qi Taiguo nodded seriously: "Yes, to prevent old habits."
"Alright, rules it is." Cheng Su hooked his little finger with hers.