Or perhaps, Yang Lili had never changed at all, but rather, Chen Lishu had never truly understood her.
Yang Lili glanced at her, her voice indifferent, "Then why did you still come?"
Chen Lishu didn't answer, instead asking, "Before you took the exam to go abroad, the person who called Li Zhiwei was you, wasn't it?"
Yang Lili paused for a moment. Although she didn't reply, her expression said it all.
"Do you know why I didn't pursue it further?"
"Why?"
Chen Lishu tugged at the corner of her mouth, "What's already decided is done, and no amount of anything will change it. Another reason is that the opportunity to go abroad was perhaps the only chance you'd ever have in your life."
Yang Lili stared at her blankly, then after a long pause, a self-deprecating smile appeared, "Yes, for things that others can obtain effortlessly from birth, we have to give our all and still might not be able to have them."
"Yes, you're right. I knew everything about what happened back then, but I couldn't say anything. That was my only chance, and I couldn't afford to lose."
"I have eight younger siblings. Like you, I'm also the eldest in my family. Since childhood, the most I've heard is to be obedient and sensible, to take care of my younger siblings. For them, I repeated school for two years and used all my spare time to help the family with chores, otherwise, if they were unhappy, they wouldn't let me continue my studies."
"But I worked so hard, always ranking first in my grade. Yet, because my family was poor, I had to drop out. I sacrificed so much for my family, and in the end, the spot for the countryside assignment still fell to me."
"Do you know how difficult the countryside I was sent to was? Working hard every day and often not having enough to eat was one thing. Without firewood, it was so cold in winter that a bowl of water placed next to me could freeze solid overnight."
"Even so, I didn't give up."
Yang Lili's gaze grew distant, her thoughts wandering as if she had returned to those arduous years.
"Originally, there was a teaching position at the village primary school. If I could have been selected, I wouldn't have had to do such heavy labor and could even earn a bit more work credit."
"Because I usually performed well and had good relationships, but simply because another person had a better family background and gave a gift to the village head, the teacher position was decided the very next day. She hadn't even finished primary school!"
"...When I couldn't bear it anymore, I thought about giving up. Looking around, weren't most people just muddling through their lives? So I chose to get married."
"Tong Guoping is an okay person, honest. But if a person is too honest, they become spineless."
"I've had children. What's the point of being unwilling now? But just as I was about to completely give up, the country resumed the college entrance examination. It gave me hope again, a chance for fair competition. No matter what, I couldn't give up. Even if it was harder and more tiring, working during the day and taking care of children at night, I'd rather sleep only two hours a day. You absolutely cannot imagine how I got through that month."
"I finally got into university as I wished. But..."
Yang Lili suddenly started to laugh as she spoke, a trace of desolation entering her voice, "I thought I could finally make something of myself, but where is there any fairness in this world?"
"To save up tuition fees, I could only eat steamed buns and pickles. I even dared not spend an extra penny. During holidays, I didn't dare take the bus home to see my children. I worked my hardest, and what was the result?"
"The scholarships were always for you and Jiang Yuwei, and I could only rank third. Jiang Yuwei had everything, yet she squandered the scholarships that I worked my hardest to obtain. My living expenses for half a semester were not even enough for one dress for her and Sun Ling."
Chen Lishu listened silently.
"I admit, you were very good to me when we were in college. You were the first classmate to stand up for me."
Thinking of those times, Yang Lili's face showed a hint of a warm smile.
"Actually, I never envied Jiang Yuwei, even though she was beautiful and came from a wealthy family. Perhaps it was because we were from entirely different worlds. Back then, I envied you the most."
Chen Lishu: "What was there to envy about me?"
"You might not know how outstanding you are. Although you came from a rural background, I never saw any inferiority in you."
Chen Lishu: "One's background is given by their parents from birth; no one can change it. As long as you live your life through your own efforts, I don't think there's anything to be inferior about. If one should be inferior, it should be those who think of reaping without sowing."
Yang Lili: "See, this is the difference between you and me. How many people can be as composed as you?"
"You are beautiful, academically gifted, and even have a happy family..."
Yang Lili was interrupted by Chen Lishu before she could finish.
"All of these were obtained through my own efforts. Actually, I suddenly find you quite pathetic. You always think you've worked hard, making it seem as if the whole world is unfair to you. Isn't all of this something you chose yourself?"
Yang Lili: "Is it wrong for me to choose to make something of myself?"
"There's nothing wrong with your choice to succeed. But you have betrayed your true self. The elder sisters I know, though life was unfair to them, they remained resilient and worked hard. Look at you now, just to satisfy your own ridiculous vanity, what have you done? You abandoned your true self, your husband, and your daughter, disguising your fragile heart under the guise of hard work. You're not even as good as Sun Ling; at least she's genuinely wicked."
Hearing her words, Yang Lili's body trembled.
Until Chen Lishu left, she remained lost in her thoughts, unable to snap back.
Had she really made a mistake?
...
"She has been taken into custody along with Jiang Yuwei. Do you want to see her?"
A police officer, seeing her emerge, kindly asked.
Chen Lishu shook her head.
There was no longer any point in seeing Jiang Yuwei now.
Kicking someone when they're down?
Some people weren't even worth her time or emotions.
Not long after Chen Lishu left, Yang Lili suddenly approached a police officer, saying she had important information about Jiang Yuwei to provide.
Then, she revealed everything she knew.
Although she didn't know what consequences awaited her...
Yang Lili smiled self-mockingly, considering it as repaying the little warmth Chen Lishu had shown her during their school days.
...
Zhang Zhihui and Luo Yaowu officially signed the pre-sale contracts for all the housing units in the Fujin residential complex.
Looking at all the names on the documents, Zhang Zhihui finally revealed a satisfied smile.
This time, he was determined to ensure He Zinian would never have a chance to recover.
"We can't stay in Kyoto any longer. Take the money and get as far away as possible."
Luo Yaowu nodded, "Zhihui, I can't thank you enough for this. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do. I won't say any more empty thanks; I'll remember it all. In the future, if you need anything, just say the word, and I'll be there immediately."
Zhang Zhihui waved his hand, put the contracts into his briefcase, and stood up to leave with him.