ryethenovel Chapter 221 A Shocking Choice: Erasing Memories, Reshaping the Mortal World!
Chapter 221 A Shocking Choice: Erasing Memories, Reshaping the Mortal World!
Lin Fan stood at the doorway, quietly watching Qin Huairu kneeling on the ground.
His gaze was as deep as an abyss, without a trace of emotion.
This calmness instilled a deeper fear in Qin Huairu than any angry roar.
She felt like everything about her had been seen through.
All the deep-seated scheming, resentment, jealousy, and desires were laid bare at this moment.
What do you want?
Lin Fan finally spoke.
His voice was very soft and faint, like a casual inquiry.
Qin Huairu's heart clenched suddenly.
She opened her mouth, only to find that all the words she had prepared were now stuck in her throat.
Faced with such absolute, godlike indifference, any words seem pale and powerless.
What could she say?
You want to live a good life?
You want your child to be well-fed and clothed?
Is it because they're jealous of He Yuzhu's good fortune?
To Lin Fan, these mundane desires were probably nothing but laughable.
Qin Huairu's tears finally burst forth.
But this time, it wasn't a pretense.
It was genuine, heartfelt despair and grievance.
She choked back tears and almost instinctively said, "Mr. Lin, I... I didn't mean anything by it. I just... can't go on living."
"I'm a widow, raising three children and a mother-in-law... I really... can't take it anymore."
"I beg you, I beg you to have mercy and show me the way!"
After saying that, she slammed her head heavily to the ground.
"Bang!"
That sound was particularly loud in the quiet courtyard.
Everyone who was spying felt a shiver run through them.
Lin Fan looked at her, his expression unchanged.
He did not answer immediately, but turned his gaze to the three children kneeling beside her.
In Banggeng's eyes, there was stubbornness, confusion, and a hint of fear.
Xiao Dang and Huaihua's eyes were filled with confusion and fear.
Lin Fan's gaze lingered on them for a few seconds.
Then, he looked away and turned his gaze back to Qin Huairu.
"The road has always been under your feet," Lin Fan said calmly. "It's you who, time and time again, chose the wrong path."
Qin Huairu suddenly raised her head and looked at him with confusion.
Lin Fan continued, "You're smart, and you know how to be patient. But you use your intelligence on petty scheming. Your patience is just to extract more benefits from others."
"You treat He Yuzhu as your own, taking whatever you want from him, but you have never given him any real respect or affection."
"You appear kind to your neighbors in the courtyard, but in reality, you just want to use them to pave the way for your own future."
"You think you're being discreet, but in reality, everyone sees right through you. They're just too lazy to bother with you, or perhaps they're blinded by your seemingly weak appearance."
Lin Fan's every word was like a sharp scalpel, precisely tearing away Qin Huairu's disguise and exposing her most unbearable side to everyone.
Qin Huairu's face instantly lost all color.
She wanted to argue, but found herself unable to utter a single word.
Because everything Lin Fan said was true.
"He Yuzhu's success today is not because he is stupid, but because he still has a sincere passion for cooking. What I gave him is what he deserves."
"And you, Qin Huairu, what's left in your heart besides scheming and desire?"
Lin Fan's words struck Qin Huairu's heart like a heavy hammer.
She completely broke down.
She collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, her cries heart-wrenching.
It turns out that what I thought was intelligence was actually so ridiculous and pathetic in other people's eyes.
It turns out that all my hard work and striving throughout my life has come to nothing.
In the courtyard, the crowd of onlookers remained deathly silent.
This was the first time they had heard someone analyze Qin Huairu so frankly and profoundly.
They couldn't help but start to reflect on themselves.
Aren't I just like Qin Huairu, bound by all sorts of desires and schemes?
Lin Fan waited until Qin Huairu had cried for a while before speaking again.
His voice remained indifferent, yet it seemed to carry an indescribable undertone.
"Very well. Since you're kneeling here, it's a sign that you've shown some remorse. For the sake of your three children, I'll give you one last choice."
Qin Huairu suddenly stopped crying, raised her head, and a last glimmer of longing appeared in her eyes.
Lin Fan held up two fingers.
"Two paths."
"First, from today onwards, you and your family must completely forget me and this courtyard. Live your ordinary lives, whether good or bad, bitter or sweet, it's none of my business. I will no longer care about anything you do. You can continue to stay in this courtyard, but you are never allowed to step into this door again."
Qin Huairu's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
Doesn't that mean nothing has changed?
"The second path..." Lin Fan paused, his gaze becoming profound, as if he could see through the long river of time.
"I can erase all of your memories of me and this house. Everything that has happened since I moved in will disappear from your minds."
"Xu Damao will speak again, Yan Bugui will forget that invisible wall, and He Yuzhu... will turn back into the silly Zhu who used to revolve around you."
"This courtyard house will return to how it was before I arrived. You can continue your noisy, trivial lives. As for me, I will take my people and leave this place, disappearing completely from your world."
"You choose."
As soon as Lin Fan finished speaking, the whole world seemed to freeze instantly.
Qin Huairu was completely stunned.
She stared at Lin Fan in disbelief, feeling as if her brain had stopped working.
Erasing memories?
Let's go back to square one?
What a terrifying and unimaginable method this is!
She thought that Lin Fan would at most give her some money or arrange a job for her.
She never expected that Lin Fan would offer her two options that were enough to overturn her worldview!
In the courtyard, everyone who was eavesdropping was terrified.
They all gaped, feeling as if they were listening to something incomprehensible.
Should Xu Damao be allowed to speak again?
How to turn He Yuzhu back into Silly Zhu?
Is this something a human being could do?
At this moment, their understanding of Lin Fan was refreshed once again.
They finally understood that the gap between Lin Fan and them was no longer the gap between immortals and mortals.
That's the difference between a creator god and an ant!
Qin Huairu was trembling all over.
She looked at Lin Fan, then at the three children beside her.
Her mind was in complete chaos.
Should we choose the first path?
That means she will forever live in the shadow of He Yuzhu's meteoric rise, forever regretting her missed opportunity to become an immortal. She and her child will forever remain mortals trapped in this mire.
Should we choose the second option?
Everything returned to square one. Sha Zhu was still Sha Zhu, and she was still the shrewd and resourceful Sister Qin from the courtyard. She could continue to use He Yuzhu to support her family. Life seemed to be returning to the track she knew and controlled.
but……
Is that really a good idea?
Forget all of this, forget Lin Fan's existence, forget this courtyard that terrified them yet allowed them to glimpse a higher level of the world.
Then, continue to wallow and struggle in that quagmire where everyone is insecure and scheming against each other, until they die of old age.
Qin Huairu's heart was being torn apart by an invisible force.
She was in so much pain that she almost lost consciousness.
Looking at Lin Fan's indifferent face, she knew that this was the most important and most difficult choice of her life.
Her choice will determine the future fate of her, her family, and even the entire courtyard house.
What should she choose?