Chapter 1235 The Fear of Reality

Li Xiangqian's eyes became sharp, and he lowered his voice slightly: "I have a plan that may help you get out of this predicament. We can cooperate, but the premise is that you must completely put aside your pride, put aside those unrealistic ideas, and truly look at the problem from a realistic perspective. Only in this way can we complete this plan together and give everyone a surprise."

Xu Damao was intrigued by Li Xiangqian's words. He paused, and some different thoughts began to emerge in his mind. He seemed to realize that Li Xiangqian was not just threatening or provoking him. He really wanted to give him a chance, or even help him out of trouble. Deep down, Xu Damao didn't want to continue living in this state. Although he always said that he didn't care, the fear of reality and the fear of failure still weighed on his heart.

"How dare you say that to me?" Xu Damao's tone became a little sharp, but he soon lowered his head and remained silent for a moment, "What exactly is the opportunity you are talking about?"

Li Xiangqian knew that Xu Damao was already tempted, or at least he had begun to seriously consider the proposal. "This opportunity is that we can jointly design a plan to help you clean up your past stains through some legal means. You can regain everyone's trust and even find a new path for yourself."

Xu Damao frowned, still obviously hesitating. "How can you be sure that I am willing to cooperate with you? You also know my past..."

Li Xiangqian didn't wait for him to finish and interrupted him, "I don't care about your past, Xu Damao. Whether you are willing to put aside your pride and start over is your own choice. Today's apology is already a new beginning, and we can use this beginning to make some real changes. I won't force you, but I know that this is a path that not only I need to take, but also you must take."

Xu Damao's expression gradually became complicated. He did not refute immediately, but just lowered his head and thought, as if weighing the pros and cons. The silence in the air spread again. Every corner of the courtyard was as quiet as a closed space, with only Li Xiangqian's voice echoing.

Finally, Xu Damao raised his head and looked at Li Xiangqian deeply: "Okay, since you said so, let's give it a try. If you let me cooperate, then I will also see what is going on."

Li Xiangqian nodded, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. He knew that everything today might just be the beginning.

The courtyard was still quiet at night, the moonlight sprinkled on the path, and there was a faint smell of earth all around. Li Xiangqian stood at the door of his own courtyard, twisting the corner of his clothes unconsciously with his fingers, but his heart was not calm. Although Xu Damao had agreed to cooperate with him, he knew that things were far from that simple. Xu Damao's indulgent character seemed to have surrendered on the surface, but in fact he had only compromised after a brief anger. But Li Xiangqian knew that Xu Damao still had a lot of reluctance in his heart, and many thoughts had not yet ended.

Li Xiangqian turned and walked into the house, with a plan in mind. He was not going to be satisfied with just an apology from Xu Damao. This apology might be enough in the eyes of others, but in his eyes, it was just a symbol of Xu Damao's return from his wrong path. Next, Li Xiangqian had to find a real way out for him, a way to completely wash away the past and regain respect.

He sat at the desk, gently flipping through an old newspaper, his eyes focused and calm. The room was dimly lit, with only the desk lamp casting a little warm light, reflecting his slightly drooping face. A picture gradually emerged in Li Xiangqian's mind - if Xu Damao wanted to truly turn things around, he had to start with a change in self-awareness. And the first step to change was to let him clearly understand his position and let go of his obsession with the past.

In Li Xiangqian's mind, several thoughts intertwined into one idea - he couldn't rush Xu Damao to face the eyes of the entire courtyard, but first let him gradually win everyone's trust through a series of actions. Xu Damao's personality made it difficult for him to accept direct challenges and humiliation, so Li Xiangqian needed to take a more subtle approach.

The next morning, Li Xiangqian found Xu Damao. He did not rush to talk about cooperation, but first made the atmosphere more relaxed. The two sat together on the stone bench in the yard, the sun shone through the leaves on them, and the air was filled with the unique freshness of the morning.

"Xu Damao, since you agreed to my proposal last night, I don't intend to let you regret it again." Li Xiangqian sat down straight, his tone calm but revealing a sense of confidence, "However, this road is not easy to walk, you must be prepared to accept the challenges that follow."

Xu Damao did not answer immediately, but lowered his head, as if thinking about something. After a while, he raised his head, with a hint of anxiety and expectation in his eyes: "What are you going to do? I don't want to fall into it step by step like in the past."

Li Xiangqian looked at Xu Damao's eyes and suddenly felt that he was more complicated than before. He seemed to be no longer the person who always dared to laugh at him and threaten him. There was a kind of cowardice and uneasiness in Xu Damao's eyes that people couldn't bear to ignore. Li Xiangqian could easily see the oppression and loneliness he had endured over the years.

"The first step," Li Xiangqian hesitated for a moment, his tone becoming lowered, "I plan to help you rebuild trust with everyone. You must start to take on some responsibilities and prove yourself again. I know you always evaded before, but you can't do that anymore."

Xu Damao muttered in a low voice: "Take responsibility? Who do you think I am? Haven't I already apologized?"

"Apologizing is just the beginning," Li Xiangqian said slowly, "Next, you have to let everyone see your sincere change, not just talk about it. I will help you arrange some things and give you some opportunities. You have to start to gain everyone's recognition through actions, instead of always trying to cover yourself up with those false things."

Xu Damao listened to Li Xiangqian's words and suddenly frowned: "Action? What do you want me to do? Do you want me to do something to please others again?"

Li Xiangqian shook his head. "It's not about currying favor, but responsibility. There are many things to do in Siheyuan, and everyone is waiting for someone to share the burden. You can start with small things and do what you can. These things may seem insignificant, but they can help you restore your relationship with everyone and gradually build up your reputation."

There was a hint of confusion in Xu Damao's eyes, and it was obvious that he was full of doubts and uneasiness about the word "responsibility".