Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

Li Xiangqian's mood became more and more complicated. The anger in his heart seemed to have been suppressed to the extreme, but intertwined with it was a feeling of emptiness that he had never felt before. He looked at the bag quietly, with a trace of struggle in his eyes. The boss's words stung a corner of his heart, making him reflect: What he was pursuing was fairness, or a transaction that could not be changed?

He lowered his head, trying to force himself to think clearly, but his mind seemed to be shrouded in fog, and he knew that if he accepted all this, he would be trapped in this endless vortex forever, and if he refused, what would he get?

"Do you really think I can let it go so easily?" Li Xiangqian whispered, his voice almost disappearing in the air, as if he had no confidence in what he said.

The boss did not answer, as if he had expected Li Xiangqian's hesitation. At that moment, the air was filled with a kind of silence, as if everything had stopped, and only time was passing slowly.

Li Xiangqian finally raised his head and looked at his boss deeply, his eyes mixed with countless emotions. He didn't know whether his decision was right or wrong, but he knew clearly that all this would determine his future direction.

Li Xiangqian's fingers gently touched the corner of the bag, and his heart skipped a beat. At that moment, all the emotions seemed to be intertwined and surged into his heart. Anger, loss, confusion, and a trace of fear that he had not yet noticed. He did not feel that he had made the right choice, but the situation at hand forced him to make such a decision.

The boss's eyes were sharp and cold, as if he had anticipated Li Xiangqian's reaction from the beginning. That almost playful look made Li Xiangqian's heart surge with complex emotions. He slowly withdrew his hand and tightly grasped the purse, as if the purse had become an inescapable shackle that linked him to this transaction.

"Are you really going to do this?" Li Xiangqian asked himself in a low voice, as if he was no longer talking to his boss, but having a conversation with himself without an answer.

The boss smiled slightly, as if he saw his victory in Li Xiangqian's eyes. That smug look made Li Xiangqian's anger rise even more. He clenched his teeth and finally whispered, "I promise you."

The boss didn't show any reaction immediately, but just nodded slightly. "Very good." He said, "But your choice is your own. When you get the money, remember, this is your own price."

When Li Xiangqian heard this, he felt a chill in his heart. He knew that he had made a decision that he could not turn back from. The temptation of the money made him step by step walk into an abyss that he had long been aware of, and he finally fell at this moment.

"I will keep it a secret." Li Xiangqian's voice was low and almost emotionless. He himself was not sure whether he could bear the consequences after saying this.

The boss nodded, and the smile on his face became even colder. "I know you will make the right decision." He suddenly moved closer and whispered, "Remember, you can have everything you have now, but the price is that you can never leave this world again. Have you thought it through?"

Li Xiangqian did not answer, but held the bag tightly in his hand. He felt empty inside, as if he was suffocated by something. He understood the deep meaning of his boss's words and knew that he had fallen into a situation from which he could not extricate himself. But what could he do? He had no way out.

The boss looked at Li Xiangqian and seemed to think that everything was settled. "If you have nothing else to do, you can leave." He said calmly, as if this was just a small episode in life.

Li Xiangqian stood there, feeling the silence in the air. His heart was still surging, as if no words could express it. The floor beneath his feet became so heavy at this moment, and every step seemed to be stepping on his conscience, making a faint sound. He knew that he could never go back to the past.

"I'm leaving." Li Xiangqian finally spoke, his voice even deeper than before. After saying this, he turned around and walked out the door without hesitation. Every step seemed to carry an endless weight, as if even the air was pressing on him. He didn't look back, but just held the briefcase tightly in his hand.

Li Xiangqian breathed a sigh of relief after leaving his boss' office. The air outside was fresh and cold, completely different from the dull atmosphere in the office. He stood at the end of the corridor and looked out the window. The sky was gradually covered by a layer of mist, and pedestrians were hurrying on the street in the distance, as if no one would notice his presence.

He took a deep breath, feeling his chest still heavy. He looked at the bag in his hand and could almost hear his heart beating. The money was not only a burden to him, it was also like a time bomb, constantly reminding him of his decision.

"What on earth am I doing?" Li Xiangqian couldn't help asking himself. For some immediate benefits, he actually chose such a path, even going against his own conscience. Perhaps, in this world, the most difficult thing is not struggling, but facing the decision he has made.

He walked down the stairs slowly, his steps were heavy, and every step was like a huge stone pressing on his heart. The hustle and bustle of the street did not affect him. He felt as if he had been separated from the crowd and became an insignificant existence. No matter how he walked, there was always an invisible force behind him pushing him forward, as if fate had already set a trajectory for him.

Walking out of the building, his eyes suddenly fell on the familiar courtyard. It was an old courtyard with traces of time, and every brick and tile seemed to record the changes of history. Li Xiangqian suddenly missed those peaceful days, the self without any constraints. He knew that he might have spent every peaceful day quietly in this courtyard basking in the sun.

But now, his world is no longer that simple courtyard, but a complex world full of transactions and conspiracies. He held the bag tightly, feeling its cold touch, as if everything could not be changed.

"Perhaps, this is the ending I deserve." Li Xiangqian whispered. He didn't know whether he was justifying his decision or regretting giving up the peace of the past. But in any case, he had come to this point and could never go back.

Li Xiangqian stood at the gate of the courtyard, his eyes unconsciously sweeping across the heavy wooden door. Behind the door was the courtyard he was familiar with. The scene that had not changed over the years gradually blurred before his eyes.