I stayed at home for two days, not going anywhere.

Xiao Wu came back on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. He came with Wen Wen that noon and knocked directly on my door.

These past few days, I've been sleeping in a daze, with my days and nights reversed and my meals irregular. When I saw Wen Wen, I immediately retreated to my bedroom because I was wearing pajamas.

The weather today is very nice. I pulled open the curtains and the warm sun was shining on the bed. The temperature was much higher than a few days ago. I casually put on a sweater and came to the living room.

The leftovers from last night's meal hadn't been cleaned up, and Wen Wen was helping me with it. I said a little awkwardly, "You can leave it, I'll do it myself later."

"It's okay, I'm free anyway," she replied, not at all like an outsider.

There was a plastic bag next to the sofa. I gently nudged it with my foot. It was bought by Xiao Wu and contained vegetables and fruit.

I sat down on the sofa and said in a joking tone, "What? Planning to freeload here?"

Xiao Wu lit a cigarette and replied slowly, "We brought our own food. You're talking too harshly. We were afraid you'd be bored at home alone, but good intentions are wasted."

As Xiao Wu spoke, he bent down and took out a package from the bag. It was wrapped very tightly. He waved it in front of my eyes and said, "This is prepared by my parents for you, to thank you for taking care of me."

"What is it?"

"Local specialty."

Xiao Wu didn't say it directly, and I didn't bother to open it. I got up and made two cups of tea. When he took the teacup, I saw a ring on his finger. I also looked at Wen Wen. She had one too. They were matching couple rings.

"Is this a little fast?" I asked after taking a sip of tea.

"My parents both like Wen Wen. They say she's diligent and has a good personality."

"Shouldn't you thank me? If I hadn't taken you back that time, where would you have gotten so lucky!"

Xiao Wu smiled triumphantly and said, "Didn't you go out at all during the New Year?"

"I went to Lin Fei's house on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but basically I've been staying at home."

"Then I'll show off my skills at noon and give you a treat."

I had been eating very casually these past few days. If I was too lazy to cook, I would just make instant noodles. Xiao Wu and Wen Wen didn't stay long. They went back after lunch.

After seeing them off, I received a call from President Li not long after, asking me to have dinner together that evening, and he gave me an address to go to his house.

I really don't like going to people's homes. I'm used to wandering outside. Going to someone's door in such a formal way is very uncomfortable for me mentally.

I drove to the supermarket. Since it was the New Year, I couldn't go empty-handed, but before I even got inside, I heard the sound of arguing. A crowd of people was gathered around watching the commotion. As I passed by, I couldn't help but notice it because the voice was familiar, like Lin Hai's.

I pushed through the crowd and squeezed inside. It really was him! He's really made something of himself, arguing with a woman, and the words were very vicious. His wife was also involved.

I coldly watched for a while and was about to back out when the sharp-eyed Mrs. Lin saw me. It was as if I was the perpetrator, and she pointed at me...

"He's the one you're looking for. We have nothing to do with him. Don't come to us for him again."

These inexplicable words caused everyone present to look at me. My first reaction was that they wanted to push some trouble onto me. In order to do President Li's business, I have already been very patient.

I immediately turned around and retreated, and my pace was extremely fast. You could say I jogged into the supermarket.

Behind me were the sounds of footsteps following closely, and at the same time, I heard someone shouting loudly, "Lin Che."

It wasn't Lin Hai. I turned around curiously. It was the woman from just now. She walked directly in front of me and sized me up and down. The look in her eyes was hard to describe, as if I were an alien. Her eyes contained too many complicated things.

I opened my mouth and said, "Don't drag me into the conflict between you and Lin Hai. I have no interest in him, no family ties, and I didn't steal his business. Don't look for me for matters within your circle."

I immediately severed the relationship between Lin Hai and me. I hadn't forgotten what President Li told me that day. Given Lin Hai's current situation, his reputation in the circle is extremely bad. I was afraid that the feud between him and Chen Biao would be blamed on me. I already had a grudge against Chen Biao myself.

"You're Lin Che?"

The woman repeated my name several times, a little mentally unstable. This state was comparable to that of Pei Shi Yu's father.

"I am! What's the matter?"

"I'm your mother!"

The woman's answer made me calmly scan her face. She was well-maintained. A mink coat made her look very wealthy. In just a few seconds, I withdrew my gaze and said in an extremely calm tone, "That title doesn't exist in my life."

After so many years of absence, why bother recognizing relatives? It's best if we leave each other alone.

"Mom went to your old home to look for you, but the villagers there told me that you left when you were in your teens..."

I interrupted her before she could continue, because such afterwords are very cliché. I'm not a three-year-old child anymore who needs someone to take care of me. I'm all grown up, so what's the point? If things were normal, I would have started a family long ago.

I said unusually calmly, "I know what you want to say, and I won't blame you. You have your own difficulties. Leaving someone like Lin Hai is the right thing to do."

Before leaving, I said again, "He's simply not human. Stay away from him in the future. I want nothing to do with him."

After saying that, I walked away without looking back. If Lin Fei's grandfather hadn't told me those words on the second day of the Lunar New Year, I would have held a grudge against her.

I deliberately weaved through the crowd, wanting to avoid her gaze. I quickly picked out a gift, not staying for a moment longer.

If I hadn't had the experience of being in prison, my heart might be a little more balanced. Now I don't want to live in the shadows of the past. No matter how they treated me, I still made it through. From now on, I just want to live a good life. Looking at Lin Hai's wife, I can imagine her family, which has become their sacrifice. Why involve another family? Living alone is more suitable for me.

I was carrying the large bag and had just walked to the entrance when I saw that she hadn't left. She was waiting at the entrance. It was hard to avoid her.

"Lin Che, Mom has something to say to you. Let's find a place to sit down."

Her tone was very gentle, but it didn't move me. I didn't stop walking and went straight to where my car was parked.

But she relentlessly followed. I opened the car door and hesitated for a moment, then turned around and said, "If you're interested in my upbringing, then I'll tell you now. I just got out of prison. You could say I'm a failure. Don't fantasize about imagining that the me you abandoned could become successful. You'll find it very embarrassing."

I said it all in one breath, slammed the car door shut, and no matter how she tried to stop me, I was not affected in the slightest by her appearance. I drove directly past her.