"It’s exactly because their minds aren’t focused on the right things that they end up so crooked." Ning Youguang peeled off layers of these strange and dubious characters to show his brother. "Don’t play the savior, don’t pity them, understand? None of us are gods, and some people have warped views. No matter how kindly you help them, it won’t work; you’ll only get dragged down. The adult world is about seeing through things without calling it out."

"Huh?" Xie Yizun scratched his head. "Some people really are very pitiable."

"Genuinely pitiable people, of course you can help." Ning Youguang said, "But the issue is that some people just have a pitiful appearance and aren’t truly pitiable. When they come to you for help, if you point out their problems, they’ll say you hurt them. If you don’t point out their problems, they’ll say you disdain them. Whatever you do is wrong, and not doing anything is also wrong. In the end, you become the mistake itself. You should understand, when you’re with them, it’s not about who’s right or wrong, it’s about learning—it’s a competition, you get it? Learn to discern human nature, and you can be yourself without causing trouble for yourself."

"Sis, I’m glad you reminded me today." Xie Yizun felt a chill down his spine after hearing Ning Youguang’s analysis. "These people are truly scarier than ghosts; I’ve decided to stay far away from them."

Otherwise he’d really be buried by others and not even know while helping count their money.

"It’s about staying far away from them." Ning Youguang knew she’d taught her brother enough, so she softened her tone. "But it’s your heart that needs to stay far from them. When necessary interactions arise, you should still be polite when needed. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"The more polite I am to you, it means the less I want to have anything to do with you." Ning Youguang spoke very gently.

But as Xie Yizun listened, he felt each word was like a cut.

Ning Youguang felt that today’s interpersonal relations lesson for her silly brother was about done.

So she laughed and said, "Other people’s opinions and suggestions can’t decide what kind of person you become. What you say, what you do, can decide what kind of person you become and what kind of life you have. Let’s start the next wonderful moment—erase these unhappy things and use your time well to do infinitely meaningful things."

"Okay." Xie Yizun’s voice was calm and strong, evidently listening to his sister’s words.

Ning Youguang smiled and asked, "I sent you flowers; did you receive them?"

"Huh? Those flowers this afternoon were from you? That beautiful bunch of lotus flowers." Xie Yizun thought about the flowers he’d casually thrown on the table, ready to discard in the bin, and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Yes, I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure with your competitions lately, so I wanted to send you something nice." Ning Youguang smiled, "Do you like them?"

"I like them, I like them!" Xie Yizun felt relieved that he hadn’t thrown the flowers away. "I’m going to find a vase to nurture them now, there’s even lotus pods on it."

"The lotus pods are edible." Ning Youguang laughed, "The lotus flowers and pods I sent you were bought from an old lady selling on the roadside this morning on my way to work. They’re very fresh. The old lady selling flowers said her husband picked them from their own leased pond this morning. I tasted them when I bought them; the lotus pods are very fresh, the lotus seeds especially sweet, very delicious."

"I’m going to eat them now." Xie Yizun got up and dashed towards the dormitory.

"Eat more, ease the stress." Ning Youguang laughed, "When you’re unhappy, look at beautiful scenery and fresh flowers, fill your heart with beauty, don’t just dwell on the unhappy. If the heart isn’t filled with flowers, it’ll grow full of weeds."

...

When Xie Yizun dashed back to the dormitory, he found it bustling with people—everyone from his dorm was there, along with people visiting from other dorms.

He rushed in to go straight towards the fresh flowers on the table.

However, when he reached the table and saw the chaos of the mutilated lotus flowers, his face turned dark. "Who touched my flowers?"

The people who had been chatting in the dorm looked at Xie Yizun in surprise when they saw his sudden unhappiness—

"Is there something wrong with the flowers? Weren’t they fan gifts?"

"Yeah, I heard you say earlier you wanted to toss them in the bin."

"We all touched them, thinking they were unwanted; the lotus pods looked quite fresh, and it seemed a pity to throw them away, so we picked them and ate them."1314