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Chapter Six: Never Forget Your Original Purpose
2026/10/09 20:06
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Chapter Six: Never Forget Your Original Purpose
26. The Name on the List
The summer of the year Yi-Jun graduated from her senior year of college arrived unusually early. Cai Shi-Nan was serving as a reserve officer in the military and had finally been granted a rare leave to return to Taiwan. As soon as he heard from Yi-Jun, he immediately made arrangements to help her prepare for the national bar examination.
That week, the two spent almost every day together. During the day, he accompanied Yi-Jun to familiarize herself with the area around the examination site and helped her organize the materials she would need for the test. In the evenings, they found quiet places to study. Yi-Jun bent over her notes on legal statutes while Shi-Nan sat beside her, reviewing the key points with her. Whenever she grew tired, she would rub her temples and look up at him.
“Once you return to your unit, you have to keep preparing, too.”
“I know,” Shi-Nan replied.
Although he agreed readily, he understood more clearly than ever that their futures seemed to be bound together by the same examination results.
After the examination, Shi-Nan took Yi-Jun back to his family home in Neiwan. The Cai family's lei cha shop was still bustling with customers. The moment his mother, Qiu Man-Mei, saw Yi-Jun, her face lit up with an even warmer smile.
“So you're Yi-Jun! Come on in and have a seat.”
Somewhat shyly, Yi-Jun greeted Shi-Nan's parents. Her hands still betrayed the nervousness of someone visiting her boyfriend's family formally for the first time.
Qiu Man-Mei took her hand and studied her for a moment. The longer she looked at her, the more she liked her.
“Shi-Nan has told me about you so many times. I'm glad we finally get to meet.”
Although Cai Tian-Sheng was not much of a talker, he sat nearby with a smile on his face. When Yi-Jun voluntarily helped clear away the bowls and chopsticks, he nodded approvingly several times.
“This young woman knows how to behave.”
Ai-Yu made no attempt to hide how much she liked Yi-Jun. She drew her into conversation, chatting about everything from school to family life. Before long, the two had become quite comfortable with each other.
Standing nearby, Shi-Nan watched his family get along so well with Yi-Jun, and a deep sense of warmth and reassurance settled in his heart. For the first time, he truly felt that Yi-Jun was gradually becoming part of his life.
That evening, the two walked along the old street, where the streetlights cast their long shadows across the pavement.
Yi-Jun suddenly smiled and asked, “Your parents seem to like me quite a bit, don't they?”
Shi-Nan smiled, too. “My mom has liked you for a long time.”
“What about you?”
Yi-Jun asked casually, but her eyes remained fixed on his face.
Shi-Nan was momentarily at a loss for words. The tips of his ears grew slightly warm, and he could only pretend to be calm as he replied, “Haven't I already been helping you prepare for the exam?”
Watching him struggle to conceal his embarrassment, Yi-Jun could not help laughing.
A few days later, the results of the national bar examination were announced. Standing among the crowd, Yi-Jun anxiously searched the list for her name. When she finally spotted those three familiar Chinese characters, she froze for several seconds. Then her eyes slowly lit up.
She had passed. Moreover, she was the only person in her department to make the list.
The first person she thought of was Cai Shi-Nan.
Yi-Jun walked to a quiet corner of the campus, took out her phone, and dialed the familiar number. When the call connected, Shi-Nan was taking a break at his military unit.
“Shi-Nan, I passed!”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. Then Shi-Nan's delighted voice came through.
“Really?”
“Really! I'm the only one in my department who passed.”
Holding the phone, Yi-Jun beamed with joy. All the hard work, pressure, and waiting she had endured during that period finally had an answer the moment she saw her name on the list.
Leaning against a wall, Shi-Nan gripped his phone tightly, his heart surging with an excitement he could hardly describe.
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you for helping me prepare that week.”
“You're the one who worked hard. That's what really matters.”
They both laughed over the phone.
After hanging up, Shi-Nan lowered his head and looked at the silver cross hanging on his chest. Suddenly, he remembered the promise they had made beside the Dongshan River: to qualify as a lawyer or judicial officer before turning thirty.
In the past, he had always regarded that goal as something far off in the distance. But now, Yi-Jun had already reached it ahead of him. Through her achievement, she had proved one thing: as long as a person was willing to persevere, that path really could be traveled.
Shi-Nan raised his head, his gaze gradually growing more determined.
“Yi-Jun, I'm not going to let you beat me.”
It was not a matter of competition, but a source of motivation inspired by love.
From that day forward, Cai Shi-Nan never wavered in his determination to achieve his goal. He knew that when he put on civilian clothes again and left military life behind, a truly important examination would still be waiting for him.
His own name had to appear on that list.
27. Never Forget Your Original Purpose
After completing his military service, Cai Shi-Nan did not return to his family home in Hsinchu for an extended stay. Instead, he went straight to Taipei to look for work. He knew all too well how hard his parents had worked throughout their lives to run the lei cha shop. Every dollar the family had earned had come through years of effort.
Now that he was grown, he felt he should no longer add to their burden.
He therefore decided to work while studying part-time. During the day, he took a job at a securities firm. In the evenings, he devoted all his time to legal textbooks.
Every morning, while the streets of Taipei were just beginning to brighten, Shi-Nan was already dressed in a neatly pressed shirt and hurrying to work. After finishing his shift, he would grab a quick dinner before slinging his book bag over his shoulder and heading to the library.
During this period, Yi-Jun also began attending classes at a lawyer training institute. Their lives grew increasingly busy, but the demands of their schedules did not drive them apart.
The library was brightly lit and quiet at night. Yi-Jun sat beside Shi-Nan, with thick law books, court precedents, and notes spread across the table. Having just finished work, Shi-Nan still looked tired, but he forced himself to stay alert and open his textbooks.
Yi-Jun glanced at him and asked softly, “Are you exhausted today?”
Shi-Nan rubbed his temples and smiled. “I'm all right. No matter how tiring work gets, I can't give up studying.”
Yi-Jun nodded without saying anything more. Instead, she pushed the materials she had organized toward him.
“You can review these sections again today.”
Shi-Nan accepted the papers and lowered his head to read them.
During those busy days, the two rarely exchanged sweet words. They talked more often about legal statutes, examinations, and their future. For them, this kind of companionship felt all the more solid and reassuring.
However, Shi-Nan's performance at the securities firm soon caught the attention of its general manager, Long Tian-Xing. After observing him for some time, Long discovered that although the young man had no particularly distinguished background, he handled his work with remarkable steadiness. He always completed assigned tasks carefully, and when problems arose with clients, he never rushed to shift the blame onto someone else.
One day, Long Tian-Xing handed him a file.
“Shi-Nan, this matter is a little tricky. Take a look and see what you can do.”
Shi-Nan accepted the documents and examined them carefully.
“General Manager, I'll get to the bottom of it and report back to you.”
A few days later, he had indeed resolved the problem in an orderly and thorough manner. Long Tian-Xing reviewed his report and nodded with satisfaction.
“The most valuable quality in a young person isn't intelligence. It's reliability. You have that quality, and that's good.”
Shi-Nan smiled modestly.
“Thank you, General Manager. I'm just doing what needs to be done.”
As Long Tian-Xing watched him walk away, he had already made up his mind.
Eight months later, the company announced a personnel reshuffle. Cai Shi-Nan was promoted to assistant manager. When the news became public, his colleagues came forward one after another to congratulate him.
Standing in the office and looking at the new nameplate on his desk, Shi-Nan felt both delighted and surprised. In just eight short months, he had risen from an ordinary employee to an assistant manager. The achievement had come much sooner than he had expected.
That evening, Shi-Nan told Yi-Jun the news.
She was happy for him at first, and a smile spread across her face. But after a brief silence, her expression gradually became more serious.
“Shi-Nan, congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Yi-Jun looked at him, gently turning the pages of the book on the table with her fingers.
“But you can't let the fact that you're doing well at work make you forget why you came to Taipei in the first place.”
Shi-Nan paused, taken aback.
Yi-Jun continued, “You've been promoted to assistant manager, and your salary has gone up. Those are certainly good things. But what you really want is to qualify as a lawyer or judicial officer. Don't let your achievements right now gradually change the purpose you started out with.”
Shi-Nan did not answer immediately. He lowered his head to look at the legal textbooks on the table, then glanced at Yi-Jun.
During this period, he had indeed experienced a moment of hesitation. By the time he finished work each day, he was physically exhausted. Now that he had been promoted, his income had increased, and his career offered room for advancement. If he stayed at the securities firm, he might be able to build a different future for himself.
But suddenly, the words Yi-Jun had spoken that night beside the Dongshan River came back to him with perfect clarity.
Before turning thirty. A lawyer or a judicial officer.
That was more than a promise between them. It was a commitment he had once made to himself about the life he wanted to lead.
Shi-Nan raised his head, his gaze firm once again.
“Yi-Jun, don't worry. I know what I want.”
Seeing the determination in his expression, Yi-Jun finally smiled with relief.
“That's good.”
Outside the window, the Taipei night was deep and dark, while streams of headlights continued to flow along the streets. In the library, the two lowered their heads again and reopened their legal books.
Shi-Nan knew that his promotion to assistant manager was the first unexpected reward life had given him. But his true goal still lay much farther ahead.
Temporary success could change the course of one's daily life, but only an unwavering sense of purpose could determine where one's life would ultimately lead.
28. An Unexpected Storm
Long Tian-Xing had no sons. His only child was his daughter, Long Qing. For that very reason, he both doted on her and found her a constant source of frustration.
Growing up with her father treating her like a princess, Long Qing developed a spoiled and willful personality. As an adult, she made nightlife part of her everyday routine, frequenting Taipei's nightclubs every few days. She was always surrounded by young men who drove luxury cars and spent money lavishly.
What Long Tian-Xing found truly unacceptable was that his daughter eventually began living with a man named Zhao Mu-Yu.
Mu-Yu was handsome and smooth-talking. On the surface, he seemed skilled at charming women, but in reality, he had a prior drug-related record.
When Long Tian-Xing learned about their relationship, he was so furious that he could not sleep all night.
One evening, he sat alone in his office. Outside the window, Taipei's streets were ablaze with lights, while several cigarette butts had accumulated in the ashtray on his desk. He rubbed his temples and sat in silence for a long time before finally picking up the phone.
“Shi-Nan, are you available right now? There's a personal matter I'd like your help with.”
After receiving the call, Cai Shi-Nan soon arrived at the company. Long Tian-Xing looked at the young man before him, his face showing an unusual degree of exhaustion.
“You've probably heard something about my daughter, Long Qing.”
Shi-Nan nodded.
“I've heard a little from some of my colleagues.”
Long Tian-Xing sighed.
“That Zhao Mu-Yu is no good. I want you to help me figure out a way to get Qing to leave him.”
Shi-Nan furrowed his brows.
“General Manager, this is a personal relationship involving your daughter. I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate for me to get involved.”
“I know.” Long Tian-Xing leaned forward slightly, his tone growing more somber. “But she won't listen to anything I say anymore. I'm not asking you to teach anyone a lesson. I just want you to talk to Mu-Yu and see whether this can be resolved peacefully.”
Looking at his superior's haggard expression, Shi-Nan eventually nodded.
“All right. I'll give it a try.”
A few days later, Shi-Nan arranged to meet Zhao Mu-Yu. The café was relatively quiet. Mu-Yu leaned back in his chair, looking thoroughly unconcerned. After sizing Shi-Nan up from head to toe, he curled his lips into a faintly contemptuous smile.
“Did Mr. Long send you here?”
“Yes,” Shi-Nan replied calmly. “Long Qing is his daughter, after all. He hopes you'll leave her so that the two of you can go your separate ways amicably.”
Mu-Yu lifted his coffee, took a sip, and sneered.
“Sure.”
Shi-Nan had not expected him to agree so readily. He was about to speak when Mu-Yu raised a finger.
“There's just one condition. I want money.”
“How much?”
Mu-Yu named an amount so outrageous that it was almost unbelievable.
Shi-Nan immediately frowned.
“Are you asking for a breakup payment?”
“You could put it that way,” Mu-Yu replied indifferently. “As long as the money is right, I'll leave Taipei immediately.”
Looking at him, Shi-Nan began to realize for the first time that the situation might be far more complicated than he had imagined.
After returning to the company, he reported the outcome of the negotiation to Long Tian-Xing. As he listened, Long's expression gradually darkened.
“He's got some nerve making a demand like that!”
He slammed his hand down on the desk, his eyes filled with anger.
“All I asked was for him to leave my daughter, and he has the audacity to demand an exorbitant amount of money.”
Shi-Nan remained silent. He had originally intended only to help his superior resolve a family dispute, never imagining that matters would become increasingly complicated.
However, Long Tian-Xing refused to accept Mu-Yu's terms. In a fit of anger, he privately enlisted some people to confront and warn Mu-Yu, hoping to force him to leave Taipei.
No one expected matters to spiral out of control at that point.
A few days later, Zhao Mu-Yu died suddenly from a drug overdose.
When the news arrived, Long Tian-Xing froze behind his desk, his face instantly turning grim.
“Dead?”
He stared at the phone, his voice so low it was barely audible.
Making matters worse, Long Qing suddenly disappeared as well. Afraid of being implicated in the case, she neither returned home nor left any word about where she had gone.
Long Tian-Xing stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the endless stream of traffic below. For the first time, he felt that the situation had completely slipped beyond his control.
To make matters worse, the people he had hired to confront Mu-Yu believed they had completed their assignment and insisted that Long Tian-Xing pay the fee they had originally agreed upon.
Suppressing his anger, Long Tian-Xing said coldly, “Things didn't end the way they were supposed to. And you still expect me to pay the full amount?”
The other party's tone gradually grew impatient.
“Mr. Long, we can't control how things turn out. We agreed to step in and do the job, so we deserve to be paid.”
“You haven't solved the problem at all. You've only made it worse.”
After a prolonged argument, the two sides parted on bad terms.
Long Tian-Xing thought the matter had ended there, never realizing that the other party had been thoroughly enraged by his attempts to bargain over the payment.
A few days later, on a bright, sunny morning, the company was operating as usual. Employees were busy handling documents in their offices, and telephones rang one after another.
Long Tian-Xing sat in his office, reviewing paperwork with his head lowered, completely unaware that danger was approaching.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from outside the window.
The deafening sound tore through the entire office building.
Everyone in the office froze.
Long Tian-Xing jerked his head up, and the documents in his hands slipped to the floor.
A second gunshot followed immediately.
The employees panicked and dropped to the floor. Some screamed, while others hurriedly took cover behind their desks.
Long Tian-Xing sat rigidly in his chair, his face pale and his heart pounding violently.
Only then did he truly understand that once certain lines were crossed, money could no longer solve everything.
And Cai Shi-Nan, without the slightest idea of what was happening, had also been drawn into a storm that was about to spiral completely out of control.
29. Loyalty and Ideals
In the aftermath of the shooting, the atmosphere at the company became exceptionally tense. Employees deliberately lowered their voices whenever they entered or left the offices, and an unsettling sense of anxiety hung over what had once been a lively workplace. Standing by the window and watching the police cars drive away below, Cai Shi-Nan understood that the matter was probably far from over.
That evening, he told Yi-Jun what had happened. The moment she finished listening, her expression changed. She put down the book in her hands and fixed her eyes on him.
“Shi-Nan, you can't stay at that company anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Because this is no longer a question of whether you can help.” Yi-Jun spoke urgently, reaching out to grab his arm. “The situation involving Mr. Long and those people has already escalated to violent debt collection. If you stay there, you could easily get dragged into it.”
Shi-Nan fell silent for a moment, then gently took her hand.
“I know you're worried about me.”
“I'm afraid you'll become an innocent victim of someone else's trouble.” Yi-Jun knitted her brows. “You've worked so hard toward your ideals for so many years. Don't throw your whole life away because of one company.”
Looking at the anxiety on her face, Shi-Nan felt a pang of tenderness. Yet what came to mind was the way Long Tian-Xing had recognized his abilities and promoted him in the beginning. If Long had not given him a chance, he could never have risen to assistant manager in just a few months, much less established himself in Taipei so quickly.
“Yi-Jun, I can't leave at a time like this.”
Yi-Jun stared at him in surprise. “Why not?”
Shi-Nan's expression grew resolute.
“Mr. Long gave me a chance and helped advance my career. Now that he's in trouble, if I think only of protecting myself and simply walk away, I won't be able to live with myself.”
Yi-Jun looked at him, realizing that there was no point in trying to persuade him any further. She slowly released his hand, although concern remained in her eyes.
“I just don't want you to take unnecessary risks.”
Shi-Nan nodded. “I'll be careful.”
Having decided to stay, he had no intention of sitting back and waiting for the situation to spiral out of control again. He thought of the military police comrades he had met while serving as a reserve officer. They had trained together, carried out missions together, and built a deep bond of trust.
He contacted his former comrades one by one. After explaining the situation, he quickly received commitments of assistance from several of them.
Over the following period, Shi-Nan and his former comrades worked to stabilize the situation, forcing the gang to stop harassing Long Tian-Xing.
After things finally settled down, Long Tian-Xing sat in his office and looked at Shi-Nan, who stood before him. For a long time, he said nothing. Eventually, he rose, walked over to Shi-Nan, and patted him on the shoulder.
“Shi-Nan, if it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened this time.”
Shi-Nan shook his head.
“General Manager, you helped me in the past. This was the least I could do.”
Long Tian-Xing looked at him, a deeper sense of trust appearing in his eyes.
“You're a man who values loyalty and keeps his word.”
He fell silent for a moment, as though he had already made a decision.
“I'll provide the capital to establish a security company and put you in charge of running it.”
Shi-Nan stared at him in surprise. “You want me to run it?”
“That's right.” Long Tian-Xing nodded. “You have the ability, and you have a group of comrades you can trust. Now it's up to you to make something of this company.”
Looking at Long Tian-Xing, Shi-Nan felt both surprised and grateful. He knew this was more than just another promotion at work. Long was giving him another opportunity to shape his future.
Establishing the new company was no easy task. The first people Shi-Nan thought of were his former military police comrades. He brought several reliable men back together, and they began building the company's foundation from scratch, working through personnel training, duty assignments, and customer service one step at a time.
Drawing on the discipline and sense of responsibility they had developed during their military service, together with Shi-Nan's practical and conscientious approach, the security company's business soon began to stabilize.
Watching the company grow more established with each passing day, several of his former comrades joked among themselves.
“Shi-Nan, we served together in the military, and I never imagined we'd get to build something together again after leaving the service.”
Shi-Nan patted one of them on the shoulder.
“As long as you're willing to work hard, you can make a success of any job.”
However, his success in business did not make him forget his original goal. With the national higher-level examination approaching, he still registered to take it. But he had invested so much time and energy in building the company from nothing that he had far fewer opportunities to sit down and study in peace.
On the day the results were announced, he stood outside the crowd and searched the list for a long time. In the end, he still could not find his name.
Shi-Nan remained where he was, his expression gradually darkening. He knew this time it had not been a matter of bad luck. He simply had not prepared well enough.
After returning home, he told Yi-Jun the examination results. She did not blame him. She simply looked at him quietly.
“Are you disappointed?”
Shi-Nan nodded with a bitter smile.
“A little. I knew the examination was coming, but I spent too much time on the company.”
Yi-Jun sat down beside him and gently patted his shoulder.
“As long as you understand why you didn't pass, that's what matters.”
Shi-Nan raised his head.
Yi-Jun looked at him with a gaze that was both firm and gentle.
“Failing once doesn't mean you can't do it. Remember what you've learned from this experience and start preparing again for the next exam. You've already come so far. Don't stop here.”
As Shi-Nan looked at her, the knot of frustration in his chest gradually loosened. He remembered the promise they had made beside the Dongshan River, as well as the encouragement Yi-Jun had given him throughout their journey together.
To qualify as a lawyer or judicial officer before turning thirty.
The road was longer and more difficult than he had imagined. But he knew he could not give up because of a single failure.
Shi-Nan clenched his fist again, and the determination that had once defined him returned to his eyes.
“Yi-Jun, I'll try again next year.”
Yi-Jun smiled faintly.
“That's the Cai Shi-Nan I know.”
Outside the window, the night was dark and heavy, while the legal textbooks remained spread open on the table. This time, he knew that he needed not only to finish reading his books but also to make sure every step he took in life was steady and deliberate.
30. A Bolt from the Blue
Several months later, one afternoon, Long Qing suddenly returned home.
When Long Tian-Xing saw his daughter, he froze in astonishment. She was heavily pregnant now, and her movements were much slower than before. She lowered her head as she entered the living room. Gone was her former willfulness and arrogance; instead, she looked troubled and disheveled.
Long Tian-Xing stared at his daughter's swollen belly, his expression darkening little by little. He had never imagined that matters would actually come to this.
Zhao Mu-Yu was dead, and Long Qing had disappeared for a time. Now she had returned pregnant. What worried him most was the question of what would happen after the child was born.
He could provide for his daughter's daily needs and arrange her future, but he could not allow a child to enter the world already burdened with the stigma of having an unknown father.
That night, Long Tian-Xing sat in the living room smoking for a long time. Eventually, he made a decision he himself did not wish to make.
He would go to Cai Shi-Nan.
That evening, Long Tian-Xing arrived at Shi-Nan's residence. Shi-Nan had just returned from work and was still wearing his office shirt. Seeing Long standing outside his door, he could not hide his surprise.
“General Manager, what brings you here so late?”
Long Tian-Xing did not answer immediately. He entered the house with a grave expression.
“Shi-Nan, there's something I'd like to discuss with you.”
Shi-Nan poured him a cup of tea and placed it before him.
“Please, go ahead.”
Long Tian-Xing held the teacup in both hands and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice.
“Long Qing has come home.”
Shi-Nan nodded. “I've heard.”
“She's pregnant.”
Shi-Nan's hand stopped in midair, and his expression grew solemn.
“The father is...”
Long Tian-Xing did not answer. He merely gave a bitter smile.
“Zhao Mu-Yu is dead.”
The room fell silent.
Shi-Nan had a vague idea of what Long Tian-Xing was about to say, and an ominous feeling began to rise within him.
Sure enough, Long Tian-Xing looked up at him.
“I don't want the child to grow up without a father after being born.”
Shi-Nan frowned.
“General Manager, what exactly do you mean?”
Long Tian-Xing took a deep breath.
“I want to entrust Long Qing and her child to you.”
Shi-Nan froze.
“Me?”
“I have no son, and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to arrange things for Qing.” Long Tian-Xing's voice was low. “I know this is an unfair request, but you're the person I trust most.”
He paused before adding, “The company will be yours someday, too.”
Shi-Nan said nothing.
Standing in the middle of the living room, he felt as though his mind had become a complete blank. The company was the business Long Tian-Xing had personally entrusted to him, but Long Qing and the child she was carrying represented an entirely different kind of responsibility.
This was neither a promotion nor a job. If he agreed, he would be tying his own life to another family.
“General Manager, this is all so sudden. I...”
Shi-Nan struggled to find the right words.
Long Tian-Xing looked at him with an exhausted expression.
“I know this puts you in a difficult position, which is why I'm not forcing you to give me an answer right now.”
Even after saying this, however, he continued to watch Shi-Nan without looking away.
Shi-Nan remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he remembered how Long Tian-Xing had given him a job when he was struggling most after leaving the military. When the company faced a crisis, Long had also been willing to place his trust in him.
If he thought only of his own interests at this moment, he did not know whether he would ever be able to face the older man who had once helped him advance his career with a clear conscience.
He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, a trace of helplessness had entered his expression.
“If this is your final wish, I can... find a way to take responsibility.”
At that moment, a faint sound came from behind the bedroom door.
Neither Shi-Nan nor Long Tian-Xing noticed it.
That night, Lin Yi-Jun, who had stayed over to rest because she was feeling unwell, had initially been sleeping soundly. When she awoke in the middle of the night, she was extremely thirsty and was about to get up to pour herself some water when she faintly heard voices coming from the living room.
She walked to the door, originally intending only to see whether Shi-Nan was still awake. But the moment she heard the words “Long Qing,” “the child,” and “take responsibility,” she stopped dead in her tracks.
Yi-Jun gripped the doorframe tightly. Holding her breath, she continued listening.
“The company will be yours someday, too.”
“If this is your final wish, I can... find a way to take responsibility.”
One sentence after another reached her ears.
Yi-Jun's face gradually turned pale. She could not believe what she was hearing.
The man she had once believed in, the man who had promised beside the Dongshan River that they would work hard together for their future, was now going to acknowledge another man's child as his own?
What she found even harder to accept was that she had not heard him refuse. Instead, she had heard Shi-Nan's final words: “I can take responsibility.”
Yi-Jun slowly retreated into the bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the bedsheet tightly in both hands as a wave of oppression settled over her chest. She did not continue listening, nor did she go out to confront Shi-Nan.
Because, in her heart, what she had already heard was enough.
She had always believed that although Shi-Nan was an ordinary-looking man, he had principles of his own. She had also believed that the two of them could build a future together, step by step, through their own hard work.
But at that moment, she saw a different man before her.
A man willing to abandon the direction of his own life out of gratitude for a favor received.
Her eyes slowly reddened.
“So... I was wrong about you.”
By the time dawn approached, Yi-Jun had made her decision.
She did not wait for Shi-Nan to wake up. Instead, she took out a pen and paper and left a letter on the table.
As the pen touched the paper, her hand trembled slightly. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him and so many grievances she wanted to express, yet the words she finally wrote were simpler than she had imagined.
She was unwilling to remain beside a man she could no longer trust.
After packing her belongings, she stood at the doorway and looked back one last time. The house was quiet. Shi-Nan still had no idea that the decision he had made the previous night had already inflicted irreparable pain on someone he loved.
Yi-Jun bit her lip, and at last, tears slipped down her cheeks.
She turned and walked away. As the door closed softly behind her, only one thought remained in her mind.
The man she loved was Cai Shi-Nan, a man with ideals and self-respect, a man determined to build his future through his own efforts. He was not a man willing to abandon his principles just to become the coveted son-in-law of the Long family.
What she did not know was that, from beginning to end, all of this was merely the other half of the truth she had never heard.
自訂分類：〈愛情孤鳥〉中篇愛情小說
上一則： Chapter Seven: Shi-Nan’s Second Spring下一則： Chapter Five: An Appointment by the Dongshan River
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