Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

Chapter 20 She Regretted It

"it's me."

Outside the door, Liu Chunyan's voice was somewhat strained, as if she had mustered up a great deal of courage.

Lin Xiuhe put down her pen, remained silent for two seconds, and then got up and opened the door.

The night was deep. Liu Chunyan stood at the door, holding a kerosene lamp, her face somewhat pale. Seeing her come out, she visibly relaxed.

"Is something the matter?" Lin Xiuhe asked.

She didn't have much affection for Liu Chunyan.

In her past life, this woman, after marrying into the Lin family, often conspired with Wang Xiulan to scheme against her. But in this life, many things have changed, and she is unsure whether Liu Chunyan will follow the same path.

"I..." Liu Chunyan opened her mouth, seemingly unsure how to begin. After a long pause, she whispered, "May I come in and sit down?"

The warehouse was quiet, with only the kerosene lamp flickering gently.

Liu Chunyan sat on the wooden bench, her gaze sweeping over her surroundings, her expression complex. She had originally thought that Lin Xiuhe would suffer greatly after moving out.

But this is not the case.

Although the warehouse was simple, it was kept very clean. Textbooks were laid out on the table, with notebooks next to them, and books were neatly stacked in the corner—it didn't look like they were just making do, but rather like they were living life seriously.

Thinking about this, she suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"What do you want from me?" Lin Xiuhe asked again.

Liu Chunyan then came to her senses: "I heard it today."

"What?"

"Your uncle is here to ask you for money."

Lin Xiuhe was not surprised—Lin Jianguo had no intention of avoiding people when he came here.

"so what?"

"I don't think this is right," Liu Chunyan suddenly said, her voice soft but earnest.

Lin Xiuhe was taken aback: "What's wrong?"

"Something's not right," Liu Chunyan said, lowering her head. "I didn't realize it before, but lately... the more I think about it, the stranger it seems."

She paused, as if finally making up her mind: "Xiuhe, has your brother really always been like this?"

The warehouse suddenly fell silent.

Lin Xiuhe looked at her but didn't answer immediately. Because she knew that some things were useless to others; you had to see them for yourself.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Because he thought differently from me." Liu Chunyan smiled bitterly. "When we went on blind dates before, he said he was preparing to take a job recruitment exam, that he would have a formal job in the future, and that although his family's financial situation was average, it would get better and better."

Her voice trailed off: "And what was the result? The job was yours, and you passed the recruitment exam. He got nothing."

The kerosene lamp flickered gently, casting long shadows of the two people.

"Anything else?" Lin Xiuhe asked.

"And..." Liu Chunyan bit her lip, "Yesterday I asked him to come with me to the county, but he said he was tired and told me to go by myself. Later I found out that he went to play cards with other people."

At this point, the disappointment in her eyes could no longer be concealed.

A few days ago, she thought she had married a good man. But these past few days, something has been increasingly wrong—she has no job, no money, no ambition, and not even the most basic sense of responsibility.

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart.

"You regret it?" Lin Xiuhe asked calmly.

Liu Chunyan looked up abruptly, as if her secret had been exposed. After a long while, she responded softly, "A little."

Actually, it wasn't just a little, it was a lot. She just didn't want to admit it.

The warehouse fell silent again.

After a long pause, Liu Chunyan suddenly asked, "If it were you, would you marry him?"

Lin Xiuhe smiled and replied without hesitation, "No."

The answer was so straightforward that Liu Chunyan was stunned: "Why?"

"Because marriage is not a form of charity. Each person should solve their own problems. It's unfair for someone who can't even support themselves to expect someone else to marry them and suffer together."

Every word was like a stone falling into water, making Liu Chunyan's heart sink. Because she knew these words were true—but no one had ever said them to her before.

"Then..." she hesitated, "what if I don't want to get married anymore?"

Lin Xiuhe raised her head and looked at her seriously for the first time.

It's here. Something that never happened in my previous life has finally occurred.

"Then don't get married," she said. "You're the one who gets married, and you're the one who lives your life. No one can do it for you."

Liu Chunyan stared at her blankly, and for some reason, her eyes suddenly felt hot.

From childhood, everyone told her: when you reach a certain age, you should get married, just find someone decent. But no one ever asked her: are you willing?

Thinking of this, she lowered her head and gently wiped her eyes. "Thank you."

The voice was soft, but it was sincere.

After sitting for a while, Liu Chunyan got up and left.

As she reached the door, she suddenly turned back: "Xiuhe."

"Um?"

"I believe you will have a great future."

After saying that, she smiled, turned around, and disappeared into the night.

The warehouse fell silent again.

Lin Xiuhe stood at the door, watching the lights recede into the distance, lost in thought.

She knew that after tonight, the thread in Liu Chunyan's heart had loosened. And the Lin family would soon find out about it.

With that thought in mind, she gently closed the door and sat back down at the table.

Before I could even open my textbook, I suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door—someone was running, and at a very fast speed.