As Gu En spoke, He Zhilan remained silent, quietly observing her. Fragments of scenes slowly surfaced in He Zhilan’s mind.
It was the very place where He Da had spent those many years, thirteen years ago. It wasn’t as prosperous back then. A group of beggar children of almost the same age would always sit there. Whenever people passed by, they would swarm up to them.
These children spent their days braving the elements, whether it was a storm or searing heat. They would squat by the roadside, rummaging through leftovers on the roadside or in trash cans when others were having their meals.
But who had anything left to toss away at that time?
So most of the time, they sat by the roadside hungry, their faces smeared with dirt. Even a single fruit pit would spark a scramble for them to desperately pick it up and suck on it, or eat it until nothing was left.
Among these people was one lad named En, and he is the Gu En who stood in front of her now.
Indeed, compared to En, He Zhilan’s childhood was like heaven. She never had to worry about food and clothing, even drinking imported milk daily and turning her nose up at many foods that others couldn’t afford.
"Let’s go, Dongxue." Without uttering another word, He Zhilan took He Dongxue by the hand and walked away, not even giving Gu En a glance.
As they moved farther away, He Dongxue kept looking back at Gu En, who stood there with her head lowered, sobbing. If it weren’t for what had happened to He Da, at this moment, He Dongxue might not have any sympathy for Gu En.
But considering the hardship He Da had been through, and realising that Gu En had suffered the same in her childhood - save for the fact that she was in one piece - she wasn’t necessarily doing better than He Da. In fact, He Da could at least hope that his family would find him.
What about En back then? Sold by his own parents, she didn’t even have hope to leave that group. As he grew older, her fate was either to be sold into the mountains or sent to some filthy place to continue earning money for the gang.
"Sister-in-law, she’s actually quite pitiful," muttered He Dongxue.
"Yes, pitiful," He Zhilan agreed, nodding, but there was no trace of sympathy on her face. "However, in this world, being pitiful can’t be used as a tool or excuse to hurt others. Though she’s pitiful, she’s also hateful. I won’t believe a word of her repentance. It’s nothing more than feigning pity to arouse my sympathy, in hopes that I won’t return to the Gu family and take her place."
At this, He Zhilan sighed, "Dongxue, you underestimate Gu En’s cunning. Maybe six months ago I would have believed her, but now, I’m not falling for that again. Can you believe that a murderer would repent for no reason? Impossible. Gu En is simply good at hiding it and her thoughts are always deep. Don’t be surprised if you find her acting against me again, trying to bully me. She’s definitely capable of doing that."
He Dongxue was stunned, "But seeing her just now crying so pitifully, and begging you so sincerely, I..."
"You, like me when I first arrived in the capital, thought that all people in the world were as virtuous and kind as us. But sometimes, people do lose their humanity when growing up, like Gu En," said He Zhilan, shaking her head. "Enough, we’ve arrived at the shooting range. Let’s go in and you can see your brother’s shooting skills. They’re fantastic!"
Seeing He Zhilan making it clear that any further talk about Gu En would be a waste of breath, He Dongxue didn’t ask any more. She figured that if He Zhilan said so, there must be a reason for it.