"That's because distance makes the heart grow fonder," Draco said, revealing the essence of the matter. "When you're close, everything seems wrong. With strangers, it's fine, but with family, it's easiest to find fault. You want to nitpick every little thing, every flaw."
"You tell him, but he won't change; you tell him, but he won't do it."
"That would be terrible! You'd start to resent him, complaining that he couldn't do things your way. Once that resentment builds up, the harmony in the family would be pretty much destroyed."
Selene frowned and asked, "So what should we do in this situation? We can't just let the conflict fester, can we?"
"Give him a hand," Draco said with a smile, offering the gentlest and most insightful solution. "Who told you to get into this mess?"
"He's family, not your enemy. He can't break some bad habits, so helping him out won't hurt. After all, bad habits aren't anything heinous."
"Young Master, could you give me an example? I'd like to hear specific examples!"
"Okay." Draco smiled faintly and gave a casual example.
"For example, if someone doesn't like to throw trash in the bin—then buy a few more bins. When they throw trash in, you see them and bring them a bin so they can throw it in themselves. They might understand on their own. If they don't understand, then they don't understand—people are never perfect, everyone has their flaws. If it's on the ground, you still have to sweep it up; sweeping up one more piece of trash isn't a big deal."
"Besides, he has some minor flaws and bad habits in this area, but he must have other strengths to make up for it, right? It's like saying that when God closes a door, he always opens a window."
No one can be riddled with flaws.
"But what if someone really has a lot of problems?" Kraven suddenly interjected, glancing at Selene almost imperceptibly.
Selene's brow twitched slightly, but she didn't speak.
Draco pointed out with a smile:
"That's your problem. You're not the problem, so why are you finding fault with her? Faults are always just nitpicking."
Selene nodded emphatically twice.
Just then, Trillian's eyes lit up, and she asked with a grin, "Young Master, how come I can't see any flaws in you?"
"You've only been with me for a short time and you're already finding fault with me? Are you out of your mind?" Draco gave her a mocking sidelong glance.
Trillian knew it was a joke and wasn't annoyed. Instead, she turned the conversation to Hermione: " Hermione, what's wrong with the young master?"
Hermione was caught off guard and blurted out:
What could possibly be wrong with him?
"Wow--No problem?" Trillian's eyes widened dramatically. "So, in your eyes, the young master is the perfect man?"
"No, not really..." Hermione's voice lowered slightly.
Upon hearing this, Draco instantly became smug, straightening his back, raising his chin slightly, and his eyes gleaming with smug pride.
He had a smug look on his face.
Hermione glanced at him, saw his smug look, and decided to deflate his ego, saying, "He loves to bet."
"I didn't, don't talk nonsense!" Draco retorted, "I don't bet with just anyone, I only bet with you!"
Upon hearing there was juicy gossip to be had, Trillian quickly moved closer:
What are you all betting on?
When asked about past bets,
Those intimate, ambiguous moments hidden in the fragments of time, secret memories belonging only to the two of them, all flooded Hermione's mind.
Hermione's face was flushed, and her eyes darted away slightly. She was no longer as calm and composed as before. Trillian's eyes were sharp, and she immediately noticed Hermione's uneasy little expression.
A playful smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She deliberately drew out her words, making a meaningful, prolonged sound, "Oh... I understand!"
"Don't overthink it." Hermione felt increasingly embarrassed under her gaze, her cheeks burning for a long time, so she could only pretend to be calm.
"What else is wrong?" Trillian pressed on relentlessly.
"Loves to keep people in suspense, and doesn't care about anything."
Hermione casually added two more.
"It seems so..."
Trillian also felt that Draco liked to keep things in suspense, and asked again:
Is there anything else?
Hermione shook her head and said nothing more; she would never, under any circumstances, reveal the shameful things that followed.
"Tch." Trillian looked disappointed. She had thought she was going to hear some exciting and interesting gossip, but it came to an abrupt end. She was itching to hear more and could only mutter a resentful remark.
Draco noticed Hermione's embarrassment and subtly changed the subject, while also expanding on the previous topic:
"The most authentic way to know a person is through their own feelings. If others say you're good or bad, it's likely because you serve their interests; if you harm their interests, they'll say you're bad. Therefore, don't blindly believe hearsay."
"You could even say that you're only a truly good person if all the bad people say you're bad, because you might have harmed their interests and stood on the opposite side of them."
Conversely, praise from good people may not be entirely sincere; it could be flattery or mere politeness.
"Let's get back to bad habits." After offering some life advice, Draco circled back to the topic of bad habits they had discussed earlier.
"Adults' bad habits are already set in stone, so you can only be tolerant and try to get them to change through your actions."
"But some people's bad habits aren't ingrained yet, so we can't indulge them, like children, since habits are formed over time."
"Bad habits are things you do habitually, but they can negatively impact others. For example, not throwing trash in the bin is a burden for the person sweeping the floor."
Hermione nodded in agreement, adding, "It's not just habits; skills are also developed. To learn something, you have to make it a daily habit, as natural as going to the toilet. Only then can you truly master that skill."
After some thought, Trillian asked uncertainly:
"Is it something that absolutely has to be done?"
"Habits and 'musts' are not the same thing," Draco explained to her. "'Musts' feel like a knife to your throat; 'habits' are things you take for granted."
"Okay," Trillian laughed, "I get it now! Just like my 'borrowing' approach, it's become commonplace!"
Draco chuckled. "You're quite proud of yourself? Stealing others' work is a daily routine for you; that's definitely a bad habit."
"Isn't this a bad thing?" Selene asked, puzzled.
Can this still be considered a bad habit?
"You never know," Draco argued. "What if the person who got robbed is a bad guy? Wouldn't that count as doing a good deed?"
Trillian's eyes lit up. "You can explain it like that?"
Selene paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. Good and evil in the world are inherently black and white. Many things are completely different when viewed from a different angle, under different circumstances, or in different natures. They cannot be generalized.
Draco continued his discussion on the proper conduct in life, his tone becoming increasingly composed. "Mind your own business, but when necessary, take action. Don't remain indifferent or aloof, lest you regret it later when things are already set in stone."
"But this is too difficult!" Trillian pouted. "It's wrong to interfere, it's wrong not to interfere, it's difficult to be tolerant, it's difficult to be serious, and it's so hard to find the right balance in life."