Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"I... I don't understand." He Yuzhu finally spoke, his voice trembling and a little hoarse, "The dreams I once had gradually become blurred. The things I wanted to do disappeared from my life bit by bit. I don't know what I want anymore, or even who I am."

Li Xiangqian felt a sharp pain in his heart when he heard what He Yuzhu said. The pain seemed to surge from the bottom of his heart, almost swallowing him up. His thoughts were a little confused, as if he was looking for a suitable answer, a way to bring He Yuzhu back to reality.

"You are not like that, Yuzhu." Li Xiangqian took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "You are just lost. You have lost yourself. You used to have such goals and dreams because you believed in the future and in yourself. You are not really lost. You just can't see the path you should take for the time being."

He Yuzhu shook his head slightly and forced a bitter smile: "I thought I could find the way, but after walking for so long, I still couldn't find the exit. Now I am left with emptiness. I don't have any goals, only endless confusion." His voice gradually became low, as if to swallow up all the pain.

Li Xiangqian looked at him, his heart aching. He knew that He Yuzhu had reached the edge of despair, and the heavy feeling of loss seemed to have penetrated into his bones and could no longer be easily shaken off. And he, as the person who was once closest to him, could do nothing.

"You are not really lost." Li took a step forward, his tone becoming more resolute. "You are lost because you gave up looking for it. Yuzhu, I know you don't want to face reality. Maybe you are afraid of failure and afraid of facing those unfulfilled dreams, but you have to remember that no matter where you go, those things that once belonged to you will never leave you. You just forgot how to find them again."

He Yuzhu raised his head, his eyes still full of confusion, but Li Xiangqian saw a trace of hesitation, a light he had never seen before. At that moment, a glimmer of hope rose in Li Xiangqian's heart. Perhaps this was the breakthrough he had been waiting for.

"You know what?" Li Xiangqian continued, "Everyone will feel lost and confused, and everyone has doubted themselves. You feel that you are lost and that you can't find a way out, but in fact, that is just a stage. You must go through this fog before you can see the real light."

He Yuzhu remained silent, just standing there, as if he was lost in deep thought. Li Xiangqian knew that he could not change anything all at once, but he had to persevere and not give up. He believed that the strength deep in He Yuzhu's heart had not completely disappeared, but was only covered by the pressure of life.

"You are my friend." Li Xiangqian's voice softened. "I know how strong you are inside. You won't be lost forever, Yuzhu. I believe you will find yourself. I won't give up on you. No matter what you think or do now, I will be with you."

He Yuzhu raised his head, and a glimmer of light seemed to flash in his eyes, but the light quickly disappeared, like smoke blown away by the wind. Li Xiangqian's anxiety intensified again when he saw this, but he knew that he could not rush for success and let He Yuzhu feel more pressure.

"I... I don't know what to do." He Yuzhu whispered, with a hint of weakness in his voice, "I only know that I have lost the courage I once had."

"Courage can be regained." Li Xiangqian looked at him with determination in his eyes. "You once had courage and faith, and you can have it again today. What you need is time and courage to face the pain of the past and to accept the realities that once disappointed you. As long as you are willing, I will be here and walk with you."

He Yuzhu looked at Li Xiangqian, and his eyes seemed to fluctuate a little, but there was still no substantial change. Li Xiangqian did not rush to ask, but stood there quietly, waiting for He Yuzhu to accept this proposal, even if it was just a moment's response.

The air in the courtyard gradually became quiet, and time seemed to have stopped at this moment. The distance between Li Xiangqian and He Yuzhu did not shorten, but seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier. He Yuzhu still stood in the middle of the courtyard, expressionless and with empty eyes, as if he could not touch Li Xiangqian's heart at all. Li Xiangqian stood there a little tired, with an indescribable heaviness in his heart. He knew that he could no longer wait like he had in the past, and could no longer simply persuade. He needed to do something to really change the state of this friend in front of him.

"You don't really want to go on like this, right?" Li Xiangqian finally spoke again, his voice no longer as gentle as before, but with a hint of firmness and toughness. "You know what kind of person you are, and you also know that you have no reason to give up." There was some urgency in his tone, but more of it was uncontrollable worry.

He Yuzhu's eyes were still out of focus, but his body trembled slightly, as if something was touched by Li Xiangqian's words. At that moment, Li Xiangqian saw his long-lost slight reaction, as if something was gently pried open in the closed area deep in his heart.

"You're right. I know I'm not that kind of person." He Yuzhu's voice was low and painful. "But I really don't know what to do. I feel like I've taken the wrong path. It's too late to turn back now."

"Why do you think it's too late to turn back?" Li took a step forward, speaking in a more steady tone, "What kind of life do you want? What kind of life do you want to live? Do you feel that you have no value? Do you feel that you have nothing in this world?"

He Yuzhu closed his eyes tightly and clenched his hands into fists, as if he wanted to break free from some shackles, but he couldn't make up his mind. His heart was like an endless desert, with no water source and no way out, only endless thirst and loneliness.

"I once had ideals and was passionate," He Yuzhu whispered, his voice trembling slightly, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes, "But I found that those ideals gradually became blurred, and reality began to devour them bit by bit. I began to be afraid and began to doubt myself. Gradually, I no longer dared to face my past self, nor did I dare to look into the future."

Li Xiangqian felt sad and helpless when he heard these words. In He Yuzhu's eyes, there was not only confusion, but also a deep self-doubt, which was a fear he had never seen before. His friend, the once fearless man, had become so fragile and unbearable.