Such luxury cars were rare, and Qin Nan couldn't help but frown.
He instinctively wanted to call Zhang Yong, but after some thought, he felt he was being too sensitive.
After all, it had little to do with him. Zhang Yong had only asked him to analyze the tire tracks to identify the car, not to help find it. If he ended up accusing the wrong person, it would just be him meddling in others' affairs.
Qin Nan averted his gaze and drove away.
Ye Sibei and Zhao Chuchu took a taxi back to the company together. Shortly after they arrived, Fan Jiancheng and his group also returned.
When Fan Jiancheng entered the office and saw Ye Sibei at her desk, he called out to her directly, "Sibei, come here for a moment."
With that, Fan Jiancheng walked into his office first. Ye Sibei stood up, and Zhao Chuchu quickly grabbed her arm, whispering, "Sis, later, you have to insist that she hit you first. Wang Lin and Tao Jie are close." She glanced at the two women entering the office. "Be careful not to get the short end of the stick."
Ye Sibei nodded in understanding.
When she entered the office, she saw Fan Jiancheng frowning, deep in thought. Ye Sibei pushed the door open and softly called out, "General Fan."
"Oh, Sibei, have a seat."
Fan Jiancheng gestured to the chair in front of him. Ye Sibei sat down without a word. After a long silence, Fan Jiancheng finally spoke, "Sibei, I heard about what happened this morning. Wang Lin was in the wrong, but you were too impulsive. Originally, Wang Lin just wanted an apology from you, but since the mediation at the police station didn’t go well, she’s now demanding the company take disciplinary action."
He paused, carefully choosing his words. "Lately, you haven’t been in the best state, repeatedly violating company policies. For the sake of team discipline, I have to make a decision. Take a few days off to rest. Once you’ve recovered, we’ll see how to proceed. How does that sound?"
A few days off—meaning she wouldn’t need to come back.
Ye Sibei understood the implication. She lowered her head, silent for a long time, before finally steadying herself and looking up at Fan Jiancheng. "General Fan, I don’t think I was in the wrong here."
"This isn’t about right or wrong," Fan Jiancheng waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t dwell on it too much."
"If it’s not about right or wrong," Ye Sibei pressed, her tone firm, "then why am I the one being punished?"
"She used to clock out at five every day, dumping all her work on me. I had to work overtime for her every single day. Yesterday, I had something to do and didn’t want to stay late, but she wouldn’t listen. Today, when the report wasn’t done, she dragged me into the hallway in front of everyone and yelled at me. Wasn’t she the one being unreasonable? Shouldn’t she be punished?"
"That doesn’t justify you hitting her!" Fan Jiancheng frowned. "Sibei, these are separate matters. You were wrong to resort to violence."
"But she hit me too."
Ye Sibei couldn’t understand. "Why am I the only one being punished?"
"You threw the first punch—"
"Yes, I did. But when she forced me to work overtime, you didn’t intervene. When she dragged me into the hallway to berate me, you didn’t intervene. When she hit me, you didn’t intervene. So why is it only when I hit her that you suddenly decide to step in?"
"Ye Sibei!" Fan Jiancheng slammed his palm on the desk. "What kind of attitude is this?!"
Ye Sibei stared back at him, fists clenched in her lap. She wanted to argue further, to demand answers, but deep down, she knew it was pointless. There was nothing left to say.Wang Lin had joined the company at the same time as Tao Jie and Fan Jiancheng, these veteran employees. She had flattered and curried favor with them, painstakingly cultivating these connections. Did they not know what she was doing? They knew, but they didn’t care—as long as the work got done.
When she was younger, she hadn’t understood and would argue and fight. But now, how could she still not see?
She wanted to preserve the last shred of her dignity. Suppressing her emotions, she said nothing more, stood up, left the office, packed her things, and walked out of the company.
She took the bus home, and by the time she arrived, she had calmed down somewhat.
Mechanically, she opened the fridge, took out a can of beer, and drank a few mouthfuls. After standing still for a moment, she finally faced the problem she least wanted to confront.
She went to her room to fetch a calculator and some scrap paper, then returned to the table. Opening one spending app after another, she began calculating this month’s expenses, income, and savings.
Her monthly salary was 3,500 yuan. After working at Fuqiang Real Estate for a year, she had given all her previous savings to Ye Nianwen for his house purchase, leaving only 3,000 yuan as a reserve for loan payments. Over the past few days, she had bought cigarettes, alcohol, pepper spray, and a surveillance camera. After all these scattered expenses, her savings were now less than 2,000 yuan.
Her credit loan required a monthly repayment of 2,400 yuan, due on the 18th. Basic living expenses were 800 yuan. If she tightened her belt and ate noodles every day, perhaps 500 yuan would suffice.
But no matter how she calculated it, she wouldn’t make it to next month. She couldn’t even repay this month’s loan.
She went over the numbers several times before finally stopping. Staring at the figures, she buried her hands in her hair and closed her eyes in exhaustion.
After parting ways with Ye Sibei, Qin Nan returned to his shop. Business had been good that day, and he was busy until seven in the evening before finally getting a break. Just as he lit a cigarette to relax, he noticed a woman standing at the door, wearing a Fuqiang Real Estate uniform.
Qin Nan turned to look, slightly puzzled. “Zhao Chuchu?”
“N-Nan Ge,” Zhao Chuchu hesitated. “I wanted to talk to you about Sister Ye.”
Qin Nan was silent for a moment before grabbing his jacket. “I haven’t eaten yet. Let me treat you to a meal.”
They found a nearby fast-food restaurant with few customers. Since Zhao Chuchu had already eaten, she just ordered an orange juice. Qin Nan placed his order, then turned to her. “What did you want to say?”
“Sister… was fired from the company today.”
“Hmm.”
Qin Nan wasn’t surprised. Zhao Chuchu thought for a moment. “She hasn’t been in a good state recently. I’ve heard a bit about what’s happened between you two. Nan Ge, it’s not easy for two people to have this kind of connection. Once you’re married, you should work hard to nurture it…”
“Are you here to persuade me?”
Qin Nan looked up at her. Zhao Chuchu, who had prepared her words for so long, faltered. Qin Nan cut straight to the point. “Don’t bother. I’ve already made up my mind. If that’s what you came to say, forget it.”
Zhao Chuchu fell silent. She sat there for a long time, hesitating, before finally speaking slowly. “Nan Ge, Sister Ye is truly a good person.”
The waiter brought out the fast food. Qin Nan picked up a pair of chopsticks and began eating without another word.
“When I was in my second year of high school, I liked wearing makeup and got bullied at school. It was her and Nian Wen who stood up for me. Back then, my grades were terrible, and I was slow. Everyone thought I was a delinquent and would amount to nothing. But she told me that a person isn’t ruined at any single moment—as long as I was willing, I could still study.”
Zhao Chuchu reminisced about the past. “At the time, I admired her so much. I thought she was amazing.”"In order for Ye Nianwen to attend high school, her mother made her work part-time, so she relied on school subsidies to finish her senior year. Later, for university, she worked on campus too—not taking a single penny from her family all four years. After graduating, she found a job in the provincial capital, handling everything alone until her uncle and aunt brought her back."
"In our small town, there aren’t many good jobs. When she returned at 23, her uncle and aunt pressured her to take the civil service exam. That’s when Sister Ye started changing bit by bit."
"At first, whenever I visited their home, I’d always hear them arguing—either about how a college graduate like Sister Ye couldn’t find a decent job or about how she still hadn’t gotten a boyfriend. Later, the arguments stopped, and all I heard was her aunt scolding her, saying her degree was useless, that she aimed too high but had no luck to match."
"Hearing those words made me ache—it was as if all her efforts in life meant nothing. I’ve thought so many times, if I were her, I might not even have made it to college. For her to come this far, it’s already been incredibly hard."
Zhao Chuchu spoke, glancing back at Qin Nan. He kept his head down, eating intently, wolfing down his food as if he hadn’t heard a word she said.
After a pause, Zhao Chuchu carefully continued, "Nan-ge, Sister Ye isn’t the person you see now. She’s just at rock bottom and needs someone to pull her up. If you reach out, you’ll realize—"
"I’m done eating."
Qin Nan cut her off, setting down his chopsticks and lifting his gaze. "Anything else you want to say?"
Zhao Chuchu froze, staring at him in disbelief. "Qin Nan, do you really feel nothing for Sister Ye? After hearing all this, don’t you feel any sympathy? Won’t you help her?"
"How am I supposed to help her?" Qin Nan signaled for the bill, his tone indifferent, as if discussing a complete stranger. "Everyone has their own struggles. I’ve told her countless times to live properly, but she gave up on her own life first. Who can help someone like that?"
"What do you mean, ‘gave up on her own life’?" Zhao Chuchu’s voice sharpened with anger.
"She carefully picks every hair tie, uses separate cups for water and tea, and after being forced to drink, she’d say she wanted to spend her life with you properly. No one who’s given up on life would do these things! Qin Nan, have you ever even tried to understand her?"
Qin Nan’s movements stilled. He kept his head lowered as Zhao Chuchu’s voice grew hoarse. "She didn’t give up—she’s just carrying too much, struggling in ways you can’t see."
"Do you think she was pathetic today at the police station? Sure, you weren’t pathetic—you vented your anger, so she got fired."
"You think she handled things poorly, but if you were in her place one day, do you really believe you’d do any better?"
With that, she turned and strode out of the fast-food restaurant.
Qin Nan remained seated, unmoving. A long while later, he finally composed himself, rising as if nothing had happened and leaving.
That night, he worked until 11 p.m. After closing the shop, he washed up and went to bed, his mind drifting back to his high school days.
In his dream, there was a girl standing on the flag-raising platform—radiant, full of light.
A classmate nearby snickered, calling her an idiot.
But he had hung onto her every word.
Then the scene shifted to the cafeteria line. He happened to be right behind her. He deliberately stepped aside, and when she turned with her tray, she collided squarely into him.She hurriedly apologized, and he found himself inexplicably asking, "Can a person's fate really be changed?"
At that moment, the girl stared at him blankly. He clumsily tried to explain, "You spoke very well today, I just..."
"It can."
The girl looked up at him.
By then, he was already quite tall in class, while the girl barely reached his chin. Yet her gaze was firm as she earnestly told him, "As long as we work hard, no fate is unchangeable."
There are no hardships that cannot be overcome—the best is always yet to come.
The phone buzzed with vibrations, pulling him from his dream. Irritated, he rolled over and hung up, only to hear someone pounding on his door accompanied by Zhang Yong's shouts: "Qin Nan, Qin Nan, are you there?"
The loud clanging of the metal door jolted Qin Nan awake. He threw on some clothes and stood up, opening the door to see an excited Zhang Yong. Frowning, he asked, "Team Leader Zhang, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
"I found the footage. I need you to take a look."
Zhang Yong held up a USB drive. It took Qin Nan a moment to process what he was saying before he leaned against the door and stepped aside. "Come in."
Zhang Yong didn't stand on ceremony, ducking inside immediately. Qin Nan pulled the metal door shut and locked it again, leading Zhang Yong into the inner room.
The inner room was where Qin Nan usually lived—a bed, a small table piled with belongings, and a tiny bathroom that doubled as a shower. Despite the cramped space, Qin Nan kept everything meticulously organized. Zhang Yong clicked his tongue in admiration. "Honestly, with habits like yours, you seem like someone destined for big things."
"Where's the footage?"
Qin Nan turned on his computer. Zhang Yong snapped back to attention and patted him. "Move over."
Qin Nan made room, and Zhang Yong pulled the USB drive from his pocket, plugging it in. As he opened the files, he warned Qin Nan, "This is all my personal, private work—confidential. Just look and forget about it. Don’t tell anyone."
Still groggy from being woken up, Qin Nan ignored him.
Zhang Yong eagerly clicked on an edited video. "We're racing against time on this case. I wanted to find evidence quickly to convince the parties to file a report, so here I am bothering you at this hour. Take a look at this first."
He pointed at the screen. "Tell me if this is the same car you sent me this morning."
The video began playing, showing a narrow path cutting through a Reed field, just wide enough for a single vehicle. The reeds swayed in the wind beside it. The footage was dark, likely taken late at night, with the faint sounds of cicadas and frogs in the background.
Qin Nan watched the video, casually lighting a cigarette. A black sedan slowly came into view, though due to the camera angle, only the upper half of the car was visible—the license plate completely obscured. Studying the roofline, Qin Nan took a drag and couldn’t help asking, "Where did you even get this? The car’s only half there."
"Half is better than nothing," Zhang Yong retorted, sensing his skepticism. "There are no cameras in that area. I had to go door-to-door asking around—this is from someone’s private security camera meant to catch thieves."
Qin Nan didn’t respond. Though only the upper half of the car was visible, the Crown series had distinctive lines. After watching it again, he nodded. "It’s the same car."
"Then take a look at this next video."Zhang Yong saw his confirmation and clicked open another folder, casually asking as he did so, "By the way, I remember you mentioning you were married before. Why are you still living here?"
"Getting divorced."
Qin Nan watched as Zhang Yong opened a video. Zhang Yong asked curiously, "Why?"
The video was quite long, showing the circular driveway in front of a grand hotel.
Qin Nan took a drag of his cigarette. "We're incompatible."
"Then why did you marry her?"
"She wasn't like this before."
As they spoke, a group of people wearing Fuqiang Real Estate uniforms walked past the camera, laughing and chatting.
They flattered a man obsequiously, showering him with compliments. Qin Nan's smoking paused mid-motion. Zhang Yong rambled on beside him, "Women are all like that—one way before marriage, another after. My wife's the same, but no matter what, I still love her."
As Zhang Yong spoke, two women supporting each other appeared in the video.
One was being helped by the other, crying as she walked.
Her weeping was disheveled, a sight he had never seen before.
As they neared the camera, her voice finally broke through the noisy crowd and was captured by the recording.
"Last night I dreamed of my high school days. Back then, I thought I was really special. I gave a speech at the flag-raising ceremony, with so many people watching. But I've never felt that way again in my life."
"I truly wanted to spend my life with him," Ye Sibei sobbed. "I don't know about love or not—I can't feel it. But I really wanted to spend my life with him. Why is it so hard?"
"But everything has a reason. There's no such thing as change without cause."
Zhang Yong said this while pointing at the car the two women got into. "This one—isn't this the car?"
Qin Nan stared at the people in the video, silent. He watched as the man closed the car door and the vehicle drove off, revealing the distinct blue-and-white license plate.
—It was the same license plate number as the Crown car he had seen that morning.
He remained silent for a long time, making Zhang Yong glance back at him in puzzlement. "Qin Nan?"
"Play it again."
Qin Nan's voice was hoarse.
The video replayed, and the woman's cries echoed once more.
"Back then, I thought I was really special... But I've never felt that way again in my life."
"I truly wanted to spend my life with him... Why is it so hard?"
Qin Nan watched the figures in the video, recalling Zhao Chuchu's words from earlier that day.
"No one who's given up on life would do these things. She's just carrying too much. She's struggling—you just can't see it."
"Play it again."
Qin Nan's eyes reddened as he replayed the video over and over.
And in his mind, fragmented memories he had forgotten resurfaced again and again.
Ye Sibei looking at him through the window in the rain. Ye Sibei under the lamplight, pointing at a paper lantern and asking him with a smile if it was pretty. Ye Sibei on their wedding day, wearing her bridal gown and holding his hand for photos. Ye Sibei standing before him that morning, in workout clothes, her hair disheveled, her face as pale as a ghost.
"She just needs someone to pull her up. If you reach out to her, you'll realize..."
You'll realize.
Ye Sibei is someone who shines so brightly too.
But he hadn't.
As her husband, not only had he not reached out—he had told her, "Last time I saw you, you were still wearing a hair tie with little diamonds. This time, there's nothing."
"If someone can't stand up on their own, no one can save them."He never asked her why she no longer wore hair ties, why she didn't have the strength to repair that paper flower lamp, or even why she didn't just throw it away and replace it with another light.
Like everyone else, he simply stood above her, condemning and scorning, asking why she couldn't try harder, why she couldn't stand up, why she couldn't be braver, more likable—why she couldn’t just live her life well.
But he never realized that there are people in this world who, no matter how hard they try, cannot manage to live an ordinary life well.
Courage does not appear out of nowhere; strength does not grow without roots. For those abandoned by the world, merely surviving is already their silent and monumental resistance.
OpenNovel