!
"Have you made up your mind?"
In the empty courtyard, Huai Shi heard Guo Shouque's voice over the phone.
The old man was still as unhurried as ever. There was no anger or impatience in his response to Huai Shi's decision, only puzzlement.
"Yeah." Huai Shi thought for a moment and shrugged indifferently. "There's only so much I can do anyway... so I figured that instead of giving up halfway and dragging things out, I might as well make one big move.
At least I can make the most of myself, right?"
"You've already done enough."
Guo Shouque sighed softly. "No one thinks you've done too little, Huai Shi. This was never something for you alone to bear— even if you do nothing from here on, there will still be others to finish it.
Take a proper break. No one will blame you for it."
"And watch other people shine?"
Huai Shi asked, "Old Guo, do you really think I'm the kind of person who would lay down the gold thread, build the stage, do all the work, and then let someone else take center stage?
I'm a scene-stealer, you know.
As long as my concert isn't over, no one gets to interrupt my solo performance."
"Ha. That grand spirit of 'who else but me' is rather admirable, but this domineering attitude of yours is hard to appreciate."
The old man on the phone remarked, "Such is the hot blood of youth. I won't pour cold water on it. Go on, then."
"Then thank you for understanding, sir."
Huai Shi sighed and smiled self-mockingly. "Though I can't really call it heroic passion. As for 'who else but me,' I never thought that way... At most, I just want to do everything I can."
"Is that some pretty speech?"
Guo