Liu Zhizhong smiled helplessly and said, "Indeed, I don't know. We move in different circles, and Director Feng doesn't discuss these matters. If the Guide wants someone to blame, I'm helpless; even if you wanted to kill me for it – if I don't know, I simply don't know!"
His words were quite frank, and his expression was on point.
Xiang Wenhua nodded slightly, not pressing the matter any further. He also didn't bring up the topic again, continuing to peel his sunflower seeds.
Of course, Liu Zhizhong knew better than to mention Feng Xiaoyue's husband, as this was a wound in Xiang Wenhua's heart, a sore spot not to be touched.
The wounds of love should really not be mentioned – to do so is to rub salt in the wound, which is very immoral and cruel.
So, Liu Zhizhong silently peeled the seeds, following Xiang Wenhua's example, not eating them himself but feeding the fish instead.
After a while, Xiang Wenhua said, "Do you know why I don't eat sunflower seeds?"
"Heh, maybe it's a personal choice of the Guide?"
"Why don't you eat them?"
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Hearing this, Xiang Wenhua actually cracked a slight smile, throwing a few seed kernels into the water, stirring up the fish as they excitedly fought to eat them. Read full story at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩
"Your conversational skills are not bad. Actually, I know why you don't eat – because I don't, and then you also dare not eat. The pressure is great in front of people like us, isn't it?"
Liu Zhizhong smiled wryly and nodded, not saying anything else, tossing another handful of kernels into the water, causing the fish to go into a frenzy.
"The boundaries of our social circles are indeed distinct and different from yours. But sometimes, these boundaries can be broken, though it's very difficult. I don't eat sunflower seeds because even the best sunflower seed batches always have a damn few bad ones, which really spoil the mood."
Liu Zhizhong nodded and smiled, "Indeed! Eating delicious sunflower seeds, and then suddenly you get a bad one in your mouth – it's truly a letdown."
"Therefore, I prefer to shell them for fun, to prevent dementia in my old age. I feed the kernels to the fish rather than put them in my own mouth."
Liu Zhizhong chuckled, "Guide, you are so young, talking about old age is far too soon. But us not eating and letting the fish eat, isn't that also a bit...?"
Xiang Wenhua took a sip of his tea and shook his head, "Not cruel. If a fish comes across a bad kernel, it will spit it out. And then, the bad kernels sink to the bottom of the water and completely rot away, assimilating into nature... After all, I'm not the one to test for poison; let the fish do it, heh..."
Liu Zhizhong could only accompany him with a laugh, not feeling it was his place to express an opinion. In the presence of such a person, he couldn't really have an opinion.
After all, the man had an Iron Fist; whatever he said was right.
Xiang Wenhua thought for a moment and then said, "Yueyue has been quite successful lately!"
"Guide... You've always been paying attention to her, haven't you?" Liu Zhizhong pondered for a moment before still saying so.
Xiang Wenhua nodded and started to peel more sunflower seeds, saying, "Always paying attention, never left. In front of love, both men and women are cheap... Sigh~~~~~"
He shook his head, laughing at himself.
Liu Zhizhong couldn't help but laugh as well, nodding, "You're speaking the truth, Guide. I can understand your feelings, and that makes you a person of deep emotion and sincerity."
Xiang Wenhua suddenly looked at Liu Zhizhong, his voice raised quite a lot.
Liu Zhizhong was taken aback, pursed his lips, and nodded, "Seems so... But life goes on."
"My way of living can be considered continuing, right?" said Xiang Wenhua, gesturing elegantly all around.
Liu Zhizhong gave a wry smile and nodded, "Yes, splashing out money without blinking is also a form of emotional substitution."
"Life should be , seeking higher quality. I didn't emigrate like others, that's quite good already..."
"Choices vary from person to person..."
Just as they were peeling sunflower seeds, feeding the fish, and sipping tea, they engaged in intermittent conversation.
The atmosphere of the chat was a bit strange but could be considered normal.
It felt normal but also slightly different, mainly due to Xiang Wenhua's unique status and his victim-like experience in love, which meant emotional fluctuations occasionally required others to accommodate.
Simply put, people who have been scarred by love often have a bit of psychological shadow and distortion. Speaking with them requires consideration for their feelings. But considering their feelings too much can make conversation quite draining.
Throughout, Xiang Wenhua never mentioned anything about Feng Xiaoyue's husband. He always called her Yueyue with a tenderness that doesn't need describing, sigh...
Xiang Wenhua, in terms of searching for Ma Qingqing, didn't say he would help, but he did mention having a sister who could help in Ningnan Province. The problem wasn't big, he feared only if she wouldn't come here; then it would be difficult.
When Liu Zhizhong brought up the past between Ma Xudong and Zhang Huazhi, Xiang Wenhua also showed insight, bluntly stating that love is indeed a harmful thing, but power is even more damaging.
When the night grew deep, Xiang Wenhua threw the last of his seed kernels into the water, stood up, and said, "Let's stop here! Liu Zhizhong, I must see off the guest now. Wen Xin will stay the night here, but you must leave, understand?"
Liu Zhizhong felt as if he were being expelled, but still smiled and said, "Alright, Guide. I will leave now and head to a hotel atop Dragon Mountain Peak."