d. On behalf of everyone, I thank you."He raised his glass to toast, finishing it in one go. However, he was a gentleman and didn't pressure anyone else to drink; everyone chose to partake as they ple...Zuo Yu'an played this song not because of its creative background or the meaning of the song itself, but because the melancholic atmosphere it created best expressed his current state of mind. It was a kind of unseen sadness.

For the whole of their second year of high school, the two seemed to be walking in completely separate parallel worlds with no interaction at all.

She goes to school and comes home every day, always sticking to the same routine.

And he, besides his studies, was also learning all the latest technologies outside. At that time, he had already begun to shine in many youth competitions, and even his teacher revealed that, with his current grades and achievements outside of school, he could be directly admitted to a top university in China, but he refused. He wanted to finish high school for these three years step by step.

His Friday afternoon radio show attracted a lot of girls, and the school broadcasting room would receive a stack of handwritten letters every Friday afternoon. Of course, he always ignored them.

His part-time job as a campus radio DJ ended at the start of his senior year of high school.

During the last broadcast, he had actually planned it for a very long time. He wanted to confess his feelings to her clearly and tell her all his emotions out loud. But after sitting in the studio all afternoon, in the end, he didn't express a single word, not even uttering a sentence. He just silently played the song "I Willing To Wait".

....

I won't say I love you anymore, let's just part ways amicably.

Love that allows for an exit is a love with an expiration date.

I don't care.

Once I ignite love again.

Let me have long-term plans.

Everyone has a place where their heart finds solace.

.....

The song on the radio finished, but he didn't say a word. He turned off the device and left the room.

Studio.

He's willing to wait, another year, until after the college entrance exam, before confessing.

The workload of high school suddenly became intense, even Zhuo Yunan started to study and review according to schedule.

The school also forced all students in their entire grade to attend evening study sessions at school.

To Zhuo Yu'an's surprise, he now had a legitimate reason to get closer to her. Because every evening after school was over, she and Cheng Chen would go to the rice noodle shop near their school for supper before heading home.

And Lu Kuo was already chasing Cheng Chen at that time. Lu Kuo's face skin has always been very thick, no matter what attitude Cheng Chen had, he didn't care, as long as it was after school hours, he would follow them.

Zuo Yu'an then had the opportunity to get closer again, but now he had learned restraint. He no longer showed his affection in front of her and would absolutely not make any intimate gestures. He always kept a certain distance from her.

The bitterness of unrequited love, the taste of following her every step for two years, he has tasted it thoroughly. So now, to be able to watch her up close every day is already enough to satisfy him.

The owner of the shop truly liked her. Every time she came, the owner would secretly fry an egg in her powder foundation. No one else got this treatment. But Tinglan never noticed because she was so focused on everything she did, even eating her powder foundation with complete attention. This is why she never realized that other people's powder didn't have eggs in them.

Actually, Lin often found herself thinking about other things while eating noodles. She didn't tell anyone, but the atmosphere at home had been off lately. Frequently, when she returned home from evening study sessions, she would hear arguments coming from her parents' room.

Since she was in her third year of high school, her father wasn't either getting up early and coming home late or frequently going on business trips. Every time he left...

He was away for half a month. When he returned from his business trip, he often looked worried and exhausted at home.

But the company where Mom worked was not doing well, and many employees were facing layoffs.

She was also in her senior year of high school.

The pressure at home is unimaginable.

She ate her noodles, sighing almost imperceptibly. She wanted to help share the burden for her parents but felt powerless. She wondered if this was a path everyone had to go through as they grew up. It was a bit bitter, she thought.

Back then, she had no idea that the real pain in life was yet to come.

When she got home after eating noodles, she saw her father's shoes placed by the door. She stood at the doorway quietly listening, and sure enough, after a while, the sounds of an argument came from her parents' room again.

Mom's voice was a bit sharp: "Can you focus on the family a little Lanlan is about to take the college entrance exam, and you don't care about anything."

Dad's voice was tired: "You think I'm playing out there I'm exhausted too, work has a ton of stuff going on."

"It's only your unit that has so much going on, is my unit nothing They are about to release the list of employees to be laid off, and I'm probably on it."

"Finally, Dad's voice subsided: 'Is there enough money at home to last you and Tinglan until she graduates from university' "

"Shu Minghai, are we discussing money now Is it about you taking more time to care for the family and your daughter who is preparing for the college entrance exam"

But Dad still insisted, "How much money is there at home Is it enough for you and Tinglan"

Mother's voice also quieted, tinged with a strange tone as she asked, "Why do you keep asking this You've been saving all your wages for these past few years, enough to cover it."

"As long as it's pretty."

Tinglan walked lightly towards her room, but halfway there, she accidentally bumped into the living room.

The chair creaked loudly. Mom and Dad rushed out of the room and turned on the lights in the living room.

A family of three had different expressions. Mom was still angry, Dad looked tired, and Tinglan was a little embarrassed. But since she was caught, she said: "Mom and Dad, don't worry about me, I can take care of myself in high school. You just focus on your work."

High school isn't like losing an arm or a leg; there's no need to put all the family's focus on her.

Mom collected herself and changed the subject, asking, "Are you hungry Mom will make you some late-night snacks."

"I'm not hungry, I ate outside."

"Alright, from now on if you're hungry just go home and Mommy will cook for you. The food outside isn't clean, so you should eat less of it."

"Understood."

After that, Mom and Dad might have been more careful not to argue in front of her. So they rarely fought anymore. But the atmosphere at home was never quite the same as before. The most noticeable change was Dad, who often sat in the living room all night long.

Sometimes his mother asked him what was wrong, he just said he was fine, just that work stress was a bit high.

Shu Minghai knew his time was up. Two years ago, when he sent people from the capital to investigate in secret, he still held out a sliver of hope that he could escape unscathed. After all, none of the money had passed through his hands.

But now, following the trail, we have already traced him to his whereabouts and are only waiting for conclusive evidence to arrest him.

Is he doing it for the money Yes, but it's also not entirely about that. Even with money, there are only three meals a day. Besides, he doesn't dare spend any of it, let alone give any to his wife and children. He's afraid of implicating them.

It's probably a kind of satisfaction from vanity, like some people, who stack their money pile by pile.

I built a castle at home, without spending a penny, but it brings me joy every day just looking at it.

He is the same with money as he is with the mother and daughter, Wenlan. This stems from his most primal, undeveloped instincts.ll smiling, saying nothing. He even seemed to be enjoying himself playing with the child. But whenever Xiao Gulu sat with her back to them, he would suddenly hug her head and kiss her deeply.Before Xi...