Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Do you think it might just be a coincidence?" Li Xiangqian said in a low voice, with a hint of uncontrollable disappointment and confusion.

Yang Xue was stunned for a moment, and seemed to be a little hesitant. She lowered her head and pursed her lips, as if she was looking for a suitable answer. After a moment, she finally spoke: "Yes, maybe he was just a person who happened to pass by and saw that you were in trouble at home, so he took the initiative to come and see you."

Li Xiangqian suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of loss in his heart. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a strong sense of distrust towards Yang Xue's words. He took a deep breath, suppressed the pressure in his chest, and whispered, "Do you really believe his explanation?"

Yang Xue looked at him with a confused and puzzled look in her eyes, "Are you doubting me? You know I would never lie to you."

Li Xiangqian's heart skipped a beat, as if struck by the words "I would never lie to you". He reached out and held his wife's hand, trembling slightly. "I'm not doubting you, but... there are some things I can't ignore. I know you must know something."

Yang Xue clenched her fingers gently, as if she wanted to comfort Li Xiangqian, but her eyes were somewhat uncertain. Li Xiangqian was keenly aware of this. Her eyes flickered, as if she was evasive, and the uneasiness in his heart once again became stronger.

He suddenly had a strong premonition that he was trapped in an inescapable vortex, and everything was gradually getting out of his control. The people around him, especially his wife, seemed to be constantly changing, becoming more and more unfamiliar and more and more unpredictable to him.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down. Then, he looked at the man outside the door and made up his mind. "What do you want me to do?" Li Xiangqian asked in a low voice, with a hint of suppressed anger and helplessness in his tone.

The man looked at him with a complicated look in his eyes, and said slowly: "I can help you solve some confusions about your family and the things you have never understood. You don't have to rush to make a decision. Give me some time and I will tell you the truth."

Li Xiangqian suddenly felt a strong sense of powerlessness. He had mixed feelings in his heart, but he couldn't express them. His eyes drooped slightly, and he felt that his world seemed to have fallen into silence and loneliness.

"The truth you said..." Li Xiangqian muttered to himself, his eyes gradually becoming confused, "What is it?"

Yang Xue whispered, "You don't really believe him, do you? He's just a stranger, how could he know so much?"

Li Xiangqian suddenly raised his head, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "I know, but that doesn't mean he has no reason. I...I need to understand something."

The inexplicable uneasiness in his heart seemed to be getting stronger, forcing him to stop. He turned and walked towards the man, his eyes more determined. No matter what, he had to figure out what the mystery was about.

The man seemed to have seen through Li Xiangqian's thoughts and said slowly: "Since you have made up your mind, then follow me. I can take you on a different path."

Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and looked back at Yang Xue, who still had a hint of doubt in her eyes, but she did not stop him. He held on to his thoughts, his heart full of uncertainty and impulse, but now he could no longer turn back.

"Let's go." Li Xiangqian said to the man, his tone calm, but also revealed a hint of suppressed determination.

Li Xiangqian walked out of the door, still feeling uneasy. The air seemed to become particularly heavy, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the silent alley, as if everything was mocking his powerlessness. He did not look back, nor did he want to look at Yang Xue again. He could see clearly the evasiveness in her eyes. It seemed that she had not told him many things, and there were even some things she did not dare to say.

The man walking in front walked at an easy pace, as if he had expected all this, not in a hurry or impatience, and his back looked particularly calm. Li Xiangqian thought about it and couldn't help but raise a bitter smile. This calmness only made him more anxious. Was it that he didn't understand this world, or that this world had not told him something he should know?

"Do you know why I ask these questions?" Li Xiangqian finally couldn't help but spoke to break the silence.

The man didn't turn around, but said calmly: "You want to know the truth, don't you?"

Li Xiangqian's heart suddenly trembled. Yes, he wanted to know the truth. He wanted to know why his wife had kept so many secrets from him, and what unknown secrets were hidden in those seemingly peaceful days. But the unspeakable worry in his heart was still like a knife, piercing deep into his chest.

Sometimes he wondered if he had never known the truth, would he be able to live a more peaceful life? However, the truth seemed like an invisible monster. The more you tried to avoid it, the more it would appear in front of you. He had to face it, no matter what it looked like.

The man continued to walk slowly, as if waiting for Li Xiangqian's decision. Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the dark alley ahead. The night gradually enveloped everything, but the sense of urgency still beat in his chest.

"I know you are hesitating." The man's voice was still calm, but with some inexplicable power. "But you must make a choice, to accept it or to escape."

Li Xiangqian did not answer immediately. In fact, it was not that he was unwilling to face it, but there was always a voice in his heart telling him that maybe there were some things he really shouldn't know. However, with everything that was revealed during this period, he could no longer go back to the ignorant life in the past.

"I don't know what to do." Li Xiangqian whispered. He felt that he was about to be suffocated by everything he saw.

The man stopped and finally turned around, his eyes meeting Li Xiangqian's, as if he could see through his heart and understand his struggle. "You don't have to be afraid. Everyone has the right to choose, and the truth is not that scary. It's just a matter of whether you can accept it."

Li Xiangqian's heart was suddenly stirred up. Countless images flashed through his mind, his wife's smile, his child's innocence, he once thought that was the symbol of everything - a complete family. However, was all this just his own fantasy? He began to doubt whether he really understood everything in life, or was he just living in a dream he had woven.