Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

"Perhaps, I should be as quiet as it is." Li Xiangqian whispered to himself, with a bitter smile on his face. His mentality of seeking a moment of tranquility in the midst of troubles seemed to be reflected by the calmness of this frog.

At this moment, Jia Zhang came out of the kitchen and broke Li Xiangqian's thoughts. She held a glass of beer and looked at Li Xiangqian with a smile, "Why, are you suddenly looking at the frog so seriously?"

Li Xiangqian was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses, smiled and shook his head, "It's nothing, I just thought of something. Frogs are quite interesting, they stay here all year round and don't seem to care about anything."

Jia Zhang raised her eyebrows, a scornful smile flashed in her eyes, "Don't tell me that you are beginning to resonate with these little things. You always think too complicatedly."

"Maybe." Li Xiangqian sighed softly and withdrew his gaze from the pond. "However, seeing it stay there, I suddenly remembered that I should learn to let go a little, otherwise I won't be able to do anything well."

"You?" Jia Zhang laughed, "When did you become so philosophical? I think you're just a little bored, so you think about these useless things."

Li Xiangqian smiled, but a hint of mixed emotions appeared on his lips. He knew that Jia Zhangshi didn't understand his current mood. She was a simple and straightforward person who could always deal with the trivialities and troubles in life effortlessly. But he was always a little too immersed in those details and thoughts, always putting himself in an inescapable dilemma.

"Maybe." Li Xiangqian didn't say anything more. He just gently picked up the water cup on the table and put it to his lips. The warm water made him relax a little.

Seeing that he didn't continue talking, Jia Zhang didn't ask any more questions, but turned around, picked up the remote control on the coffee table, and turned on the TV. "Okay, don't think about these messy things anymore, have a drink and relax." As she spoke, she casually switched channels, seemingly unaware of Li Xiangqian's mood at the moment.

Li nodded forward, picked up the glass of beer she had poured for him, and took a sip. The cold beer slid down his throat, with a slightly bitter taste. At this moment, he seemed to finally be able to find some faint comfort from his overly depressed mood.

"You are a person who never talks about anything serious." Jia Zhang muttered casually, her eyes still fixed on the TV screen. It was obvious that she had no intention of discussing these topics in depth with Li Xiangqian.

Li Xiangqian did not respond, but sighed softly. The questions in his mind were still bothering him silently, just like the frog standing quietly by the water. Everything today seemed to remind him that there were many things he could not change. And he could not simply accept and move on like those frogs.

He raised his head, and his eyes were once again attracted by the frog in the pond. The frog was still standing there, as if watching and waiting for something. Its tranquility and peace seemed to be isolated from the whole world, becoming an independent existence. Li Xiangqian was absent-minded again, and the troubles in his heart seemed to become blurred at this moment. He suddenly realized that he might really need some time to put down all the burdens and face the restless voice in his heart.

"Li Xiangqian, are you stupid?" Jia Zhang's impatient voice once again broke his thoughts. She stood up, walked to Li Xiangqian, and patted his shoulder. "Don't think about it anymore. I think you really need to take a rest. Let's stop here today and don't tire yourself out."

It was late at night, the lights in Jia Zhang's house were still on, and the air in the living room had become a little stuffy because the windows had not been opened for a long time. Li Xiangqian sat on the sofa, feeling a little confused. Although the previous conversation had temporarily freed him from his irritable thoughts, for some reason, the indescribable feeling of depression in his heart still existed, as if he was wrapped in an invisible film and couldn't breathe.

He sighed softly, and his eyes unconsciously fell on the bowl of remaining noodles on the coffee table. The noodles were made by Jia Zhang just now, simple noodles with soybean sauce. Although they looked a little greasy, they tasted pretty good. Li Xiangqian's appetite was not good. He put down the noodles after eating one-third of them, and he did not continue to eat the remaining few bites. At this moment, the noodles in the bowl were already cold, the surface was slightly dry, and the sauce had settled at the bottom, presenting a somewhat disgusting appearance.

He stared at the bowl of noodles for a while, and there seemed to be a voice in his mind repeating something, like some unsolved puzzle. Suddenly, he felt that he was like the bowl of noodles, gradually cooling down, and slowly being oppressed by reality and unable to recover.

"Li Xiangqian, what's wrong?" Jia Zhang came out of the kitchen, holding a towel and wiping the water stains on her hands. "Why didn't you finish eating? You're not hungry, you just don't know how to cherish. I spent a lot of time making these noodles, and you just threw them away like that?"

Li Xiangqian raised his head, slightly startled, and looked at her with a somewhat dazed look. "Nothing... nothing." He subconsciously forced a smile, but his heart was filled with complicated emotions. Although Jia Zhang's voice was not very reproachful, her unconscious directness made Li Xiangqian feel vaguely uncomfortable. She seemed to never understand the heaviness in his heart, and always looked at everything in a relaxed way, while he was overwhelmed by these trivial things.

"What's wrong with you?" Jia Zhang asked again, with obvious concern in her tone, "Didn't we agree to relax tonight? Why are you suddenly so silent? If there is something that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell me."

Li Xiangqian's gaze paused on her face for a few seconds, and he suddenly felt a little conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to vent his anxiety and helplessness, but on the other hand, he didn't know how to start. Jia Zhang was always straightforward, used to looking at problems in her own way, while he always thought more complicatedly. Maybe, if he told her that he was full of anxiety and confusion, or that the stolen money had become a burden that he could not let go of, she might comfort him, but that comfort might never touch his deepest pain.

"It's okay, I just feel a little tired." Li Xiangqian said softly, his voice low, as if the sentence itself carried a sense of escape.

Jia Zhang obviously didn't realize the meaning of his words, and instead relaxed. "If you're tired, take a good rest. Look at you, you're like a machine all day, working and busy, never relaxing. Can't you relax a little? People live their whole lives, so take a rest when they're tired."