"That's enough. I'll pretend that I don't know what you and Mother did," Helan Fangnian interrupted, frustrated. "Xiuse… As a woman, first, you must be kind; second, you must be composed…"
Helan Xiuse's eyes reddened. "You tell me to be kind, but what about Qingsi?" she said. "She's so rotten. How could you still like her?"
Helan Fangnian paused to look at Helan Xiuse for a while. "She's not rotten… She was once the kindest girl in the world," he said, expression stony. "She went through things that you have never experienced, and you wouldn't want to experience. Her character today was forcefully shaped by the people around her. Don't compare your circumstances to hers."
Helan Xiuse blinked; tears streamed down her cheeks. She calmed down and extended a hand to clutch onto Helan Fangnian's. "I'm sorry, Brother," she said. "I was wrong. I shouldn't be comparing myself to Qingsi. Please don't be mad at me."
