Diary of Getting Rich Quick in the South

"He couldn't settle down and was always messing around outside, which led him step by step to his own demise. You saw it all!"

"I always thought you were sensible and reliable, but you turned around and secretly went off to join the underworld!"

"Tell me, aren't you afraid of repeating your cousin's mistakes? How can you be so foolish!"

As Su Wan spoke, she suddenly covered her face and burst into tears.

I opened my mouth, but didn't know how to explain.

Can I tell her that the reason I followed Zhao Hongqi down this path was not to make a lot of money, not to show off, but to protect her and Zhang Dongting?

Every word Su Wan said was the truth.

I witnessed my cousin's fate firsthand. He knew perfectly well the consequences of messing around, yet he still deceived himself and secretly jumped into this rotten circle.

The bus slowly pulled into the city station and came to a smooth stop.

Without saying a word, Su Wan grabbed her bag and stood up.

She didn't scold me anymore, nor did she say another word to me; she just gave me a cold look.

The disappointment in those eyes hurt me more than any accusation.

"Sister Wan..."

Su Wan ignored me, turned around and got out of the car first.

I sat there, stunned, for several seconds.

The passengers in the carriage got up and got off one after another, and there was a lot of noise, but my ears were ringing and I couldn't hear anything.

My chest felt like it was stuffed with a wad of cotton, making it hard for me to breathe.

I slowly picked up my backpack and followed the crowd off the bus.

Su Wan was standing on the edge of the platform, her back to me, her shoulders shaking, secretly crying.

"Sister Wan, I'm sorry."

I stood behind her: "I shouldn't have lied to you."

Su Wan didn't turn around; she just stood there quietly, deliberately keeping her distance from me.

Knowing I was in the wrong, I dared not move any closer and could only lower my head and continue explaining.

"I didn't intentionally go astray, nor did I want to show off in society. I was just too busy at that time and couldn't find a proper job. KTV paid well and the bills were paid quickly, so I thought I would use it as a temporary solution."

"I know nightclubs are chaotic, and I know they're full of all sorts of people. I've always been careful and haven't dared to actually go astray or get involved in any messy things."

This is true.

When I started working at Hongyun KTV, I never thought about becoming a big boss or causing trouble.

My only thought is to make more money.

Although Zhang Dongting has some connections, she is ultimately a businesswoman, and it's inconvenient for her to get involved in many shady dealings.

If I continue doing logistics work that pays only a few thousand yuan, without power, influence, or connections, I simply cannot protect Su Wan.

I had no choice but to enter that circle, even if I knew it was a quagmire, I had to bite the bullet and go in.

But I can't say these things to Su Wan.

She wouldn't believe me even if I told her; she'd just think I was making excuses to whitewash my lack of work.

After a long while, Su Wan slowly turned around.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her face was covered in tears.

"Chen An, what hurts me the most is not that you changed jobs."

Su Wan took a deep breath and stared straight at me: "I trusted you so much, but you lied to me for so long. The thing I hate most in this life is being lied to. I always thought you were different from others."

"I thought that after witnessing your cousin's fate, you would definitely walk the right path. When I was cursed by the whole village in my hometown and chased by your aunt with a kitchen knife, you protected me. I thought you were the only person who would not let me down."

"So you've been lying to me the whole time. Tell me, what's the difference between you and your cousin?"

That question completely stumped me.

Yeah, what's the difference?

Essentially, they are all hiding it from their closest relatives and taking the most unstable path.

My throat tightened, and I couldn't say a word.

"I'm not afraid of you being poor, I'm not afraid of you working hard, and I'm not afraid of you earning little money."

Su Wan looked at me, her eyes full of exhaustion: "I'm afraid you'll go astray, afraid that one day you'll end up like Wang Long, sinking deeper and deeper and ruining yourself. When he left, my world collapsed. Now I've finally made it through, finally felt like there was hope in life again, and you pull this stunt on me."

Seeing her haggard and desperate appearance, I felt both heartbroken and regretful.

My initial intention was to protect her, but in the end, I ended up hurting her again.

"I know I was wrong."

I lowered my head and said, "Sister Wan, I will gradually withdraw from this circle. I will find a proper job, live a stable life, and never be involved in that industry again."

Su Wan forced a bitter smile: "Get out? It's not that easy. Once you're in that kind of circle, it's never that simple to extricate yourself."

She was telling the truth, and her words hit the nail on the head.

The world of martial arts is a melting pot; you can't just walk away from it whenever you want.

During my time at Hongyun KTV, I witnessed far too many instances of people turning their backs on each other.

Many things cannot be stopped just because I want to, and many people cannot be cut off just because I want to.

But I gritted my teeth and insisted: "Sister Wan, believe me, I can break it off, I'll handle it slowly, I'll definitely get back on track."

Su Wan looked at me and remained silent for a long time.

The sunlight shone on her face, but it couldn't warm her emotions in the slightest.

"Chen An, I don't trust you for now."

Su Wan gently shook her head: "I'm tired, really too tired. I don't dare to rely on anyone anymore, and I don't dare to trust anyone anymore. From now on, let's just go our separate ways."

I looked up abruptly: "Sister Wan, what do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything."

She avoided my gaze and looked away: "From now on, you don't need to protect me in everything, nor do you need to stand up for me. You can walk your own path, and I can live my own life."

"I was too dependent on you before, and that was my mistake."

I panicked and instinctively tried to grab her arm, but she dodged away.

I stood frozen in place, my hand hanging in mid-air, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Sister Wan, please don't do this."

My voice held a hint of pleading: "I know it was wrong of me to lie to you, I can change, I really can change, please don't ignore me."

Su Wan shook her head: "I'm not angry with you, I'm scared. I'm scared that if I have any more expectations of you, I'll be disappointed again. I'm scared that one day I'll see news about you, just like Wang Long. I can't bear it a second time."

Hearing her words, I felt a sharp pain in my heart, as if it were being pricked by needles.

I finally understood that she wasn't simply angry that I lied; she was genuinely afraid.

She was utterly devastated by her marriage and her cousin's downfall, and she could no longer bear to see her closest loved ones repeat the same mistakes.

Cars and people came and went on the roadside, bustling and noisy, but between her and me, it was eerily quiet.

After a few minutes of stalemate, Su Wan took the lead and walked forward: "I'm going to take a taxi home first."

"I send you."

"Need not."

Su Wan strode forward at a fast pace, deliberately trying to keep me from following.

I followed a few steps behind her, not daring to get closer, nor daring to just leave her behind.

I know that this time I've destroyed all trust with my own hands.

I thought I was carrying a heavy burden, that I was silently protecting her, and that my forbearance and helplessness would one day be understood.

But I forgot that everyone only cares about the results.

In Su Wan's eyes, I was the second Wang Long, who went astray without telling his family and insisted on getting involved in the underworld.

Regardless of my original intentions, my actions have overlapped with those of my cousin back then.

Looking at her lonely and frail figure, I felt incredibly regretful.

I silently followed her to the roadside, watched her flag down a car, and watched her bend down to get in.

Just before she closed the car door, I gritted my teeth and said, "Sister Wan, I will definitely prove to you that I will not become like my cousin. I will completely leave that circle and live a down-to-earth life."

Su Wan paused for a moment, but did not turn around or say anything.

The car door slammed shut the next second.

The car sped away and quickly disappeared into the traffic.