The world of film and television begins with university lecturers

The restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the ever-flowing Huangpu River.

The store has a quiet and elegant environment with soothing music playing softly, making it perfect for relaxing and chatting.

Han Tao chose a booth by the window and sat down. The waiter then handed him the menu.

Jiang Lai didn't stand on ceremony and casually ordered a few signature dishes, and also specially asked for a bottle of red wine.

"I'm in a bad mood and want to have a little more," she explained softly, then turned to look at the magnificent river view outside the window and said nothing more.

His previous carefree demeanor gradually faded, and a layer of deep sorrow began to settle between his brows.

Han Tao didn't stop her from drinking. He understood that Jiang Lai had too many things weighing on her mind, and perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing if she could vent through alcohol.

Before long, the dishes and red wine were served one after another. The waiter poured the red wine into the crystal glasses, and a faint aroma of wine wafted into the air.

Jiang Lai was the first to pick up her glass and down most of it in one gulp. She drank rather quickly, as if trying to use the alcohol to extinguish the surging pain in her heart.

Han Tao took a small sip of his drink and said nothing more. He knew that forcing things wouldn't work; she had to be willing to speak up herself.

Sure enough, after a few glasses of red wine, the grievances, resentment, and despair that had been suppressed for so long could no longer be contained.

Jiang Lai put down her wine glass and slowly uttered the memories buried deep in her heart.

"I had a boyfriend before, and we had a really good relationship." She turned to look at Han Tao, her eyes filled with weariness and pain.

"We had everything planned out; we were going to get engaged in a while..."

But my brother has always been domineering and extremely controlling. He not only controls my life, my social life, and what major I study, but he also interferes in my relationships.

He felt my boyfriend came from an ordinary family and wasn't good enough for Miss Jiang, believing he was only after our family's money, so he absolutely refused to agree to us being together.

At this point, she raised her glass and took another sip, her emotions gradually becoming agitated: "I've argued with him countless times, and our home has been turned upside down."

I tried my best to protect the person I love, but my brother was determined to break us up.

He even used various means to suppress and harass my boyfriend, ruining his career... and ultimately driving him to the brink of despair.

As she spoke, tears finally welled up in her eyes and slid down her beautiful cheeks, falling silently onto the table.

  

"Just yesterday, I received news... he wasn't hiding from me, he jumped off a building."

Jiang Lai's voice trembled violently, "A living person, just like that, died!"

If my brother hadn't relentlessly pursued and driven him to the brink of death, how could he have driven himself to such a desperate end?

That's why I hate him. He killed the person I loved most with his own hands...

Her words were filled with anguish. In her heart, her brother Jiang Haokun was cold-blooded and opportunistic, relying on his family's power and influence to crush her love and drive her beloved to her death.

She was consumed by grief and obsession, determined to seek justice for her boyfriend, even at the cost of her own life, in order to take revenge on her brother.

A brief silence fell over the booth, broken only by the faint, deep, and lingering sound of the river lapping against the shore outside the window.

Seeing that he did not respond for a long time, Jiang Lai looked up at the opposite side with reddened eyes and a hint of expectation in her eyes.

She thought Han Tao would comfort and sympathize with her, or join her in pointing the finger at Jiang Haokun.

However, after listening to her account, Han Tao showed no pity whatsoever; instead, he relentlessly questioned her:

"So, you're willing to die for a man like this, and you're blaming everything on your brother?"

Jiang Lai, I must say I cannot agree with your point of view, because what you're doing isn't affection, it's foolishness, it's being unreasonable, and it's demeaning yourself.

These words were like ice water poured over Jiang Lai's head, causing her to suddenly freeze in shock as she was immersed in grief.

She stared at Han Tao in disbelief: "What did you say? You actually said I'm being dramatic? My boyfriend is dead! That's a human life!"

"The sudden loss of a vibrant life is indeed a tragic event."

Han Tao spoke calmly and clearly, his words distinct and clear: "But have you calmed down and seriously thought about this issue?"

A man who chose to jump off a building to end his life simply because of setbacks in his career and the inability to withstand external pressure, who didn't even have the courage to face adversity or fight for love.

Is he really worth giving up your life for, even turning against your closest relatives?

"Speaking of your brother, it's true that his forceful interference in your relationship is wrong. But what was his original intention?"

He is your older brother. He has been in the business world for many years and has seen too many people who covet the Jiang family's wealth. He knows the complexity and wickedness of this society.

He was afraid you'd be deceived and that you'd suffer in the future. He might have used the wrong methods, and there might have been some selfishness involved, but his desire to protect you wasn't entirely malicious.

"And your boyfriend, he completely breaks down when faced with the slightest setback, even to the point of suicide. In my opinion, he is nothing more than a coward who lacks responsibility and accountability."

His leap brought him liberation, but it left you to bear the pain alone, turned you against your brother, and plunged the living into a quagmire because of him.

Do you think this is what a man who truly loves you and feels responsible for you should do?

Can you really be sure that he loves you for who you are, or for the Jiang family behind you?

Based on all the truth he knew, Han Tao continued his calm analysis without holding back, regardless of Jiang Lai's emotions:

"Moreover, true love should be about two people walking hand in hand, weathering storms together."

Instead of giving up when faced with setbacks, leaving your partner to bear all the suffering.

The fact that he doesn't even have the courage to live and protect you only shows that this relationship was inherently fragile and easily destroyed.

"And now you are convinced that your brother killed him, and you have been blinded by hatred and grief, even risking your own life in a fit of pique."

But have you ever considered that if you actually jumped into the river tonight, no one would sympathize with you? You would only become the biggest joke in your circle, the subject of gossip.

The Jiang Group's stock price plummeted in response to this jump, even hitting the daily limit down.

And what about your parents who provide you with a comfortable life and ensure you have no worries about food and clothing? Will they fall ill because they can't bear the blow?

And then there's your brother, whom you hate so much. He has to deal with the immense pressure from the company and the board of directors while enduring his grief to arrange your funeral.

Only the man who chose to run away knows nothing more, and will never feel anything again.

"As for you..." Han Tao paused slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife, "you won't know anything either."

Because he had been soaked in the river water, his whole body was swollen and his face was unrecognizable; he was no longer identifiable as he once was.

"You're the one who's been soaked until you're bloated and unrecognizable! You... Ugh..." Jiang Lai involuntarily recalled that horrifying image, and her stomach churned violently.

"What, you can't even handle this much imagination?" Han Tao's voice remained calm, yet it carried an undeniable force.

"Then stop acting like you're indifferent to life and death, and stop talking about 'life and death' all the time."

For the sake of a cowardly deceased, to harm your living loved ones, and even risk your own life—think carefully, is it really worth it?