Eventually, Luo Chao carried his blanket to Yan Ruyu's room and made a bed on the floor to keep her company as she slept.
"Sister Ruyu, I want to ask you a question. I don't know if it's appropriate?" Luo Chao said softly to Yan Ruyu after lying down.
"I know what you want to ask, Luo Chao. Do you think I'm dirty, cheap, and a tramp?" Yan Ruyu was silent for a while after hearing Luo Chao's question before responding.
Yan Ruyu's voice was small, a bit choked, as if she were very sad. Luo Chao listened, feeling particularly uncomfortable. She could hear endless bitterness and boundless sorrow in Yan Ruyu's words.
"No!" After a mont of silence, Luo Chao wiped away the tears from her eyes and spoke softly.
"Heh—no? You stayed silent for so long, isn't it hard to say these two words? You don't need to say it, I already know, who in this world would look upon soone like , humble and cheap!" Yan Ruyu let out a self-mocking laugh, tears of sorrow flowing down her cheeks like a waterfall.
In the past, Yan Ruyu never cared about what others thought because at that ti her heart was dead; she was rely a walking corpse. It didn't matter how others viewed or talked about her. As soone whose fate rested in others' hands, she had accepted her plight. However, at this mont, she cared about Luo Chao's opinion, even though she herself didn't understand why she cared. Hearing Luo Chao take so long to say those two words "no," she felt heartbroken. That feeling of a shattered heart, that excruciating pain, once again enveloped her. She once thought she would muddle through this tragic life in ignorance, but now, the heart that had long been locked away and cold had a slight warmth. But Luo Chao's words plunged her back into the abyss, making her feel as if her throat was being choked, suffocating.
"He thinks so too, he thinks so too..." This thought echoed in her mind repeatedly.
"Give up, Yan Ruyu, you're just a lowly woman, born only to be used by others. What are you still hoping for? His rescuing you was just a montary impulse." Yan Ruyu felt like her heart was bleeding again, this feeling more excruciating than when her father sold her off, more unbearable.
Silent tears,
Flowing with soone's grief,
In the lonely night,
Whose heart is breaking,
Who is feeling unbearable pain.
"Sister Ruyu, actually, I've never looked at you like that. In my eyes, you are like a sister to , a real sister!" Feeling Yan Ruyu's sadness, tears welled up in Luo Chao's eyes.
"In my heart, apart from those able-bodied beggars on the streets, I've never thought of anyone as lowly, never thought anyone inferior, never thought anyone dirty, and certainly never thought anyone was a tramp. Officials are people, thieves are people, ordinary folks are people, sanitation workers are people, prostitutes are people too. Since we're all people, why say who is lowly and who is noble?"
"Is being a prostitute inherently lowly, dirty, a tramp? Who decided that? They're people too, living life the best they know how given their circumstances. What's wrong with that? Those who parade in righteousness, looking respectable, they aren't noble or clean. These hypocrites talk about cleaning up vice but secretly partake in it. What is there to praise? Who forces won into this line of work? Still them. Without these people, this trade wouldn't exist. They're nothing more than a bunch of scoundrels."
"As for those won who insult prostitutes for seducing their husbands, they deserve a slap. Those won need a reality check. It's not the prostitutes' fault their husbands weren't content to stay at ho. If their husbands didn't seek them out, would the prostitutes go after them?" Luo Chao grew more impassioned as he spoke, finally sitting up.
"Sister Ruyu, do you rember how we first t?" Luo Chao glimpsed at Yan Ruyu, now covered in tears, her eyes glassy and fixed on him. Luo Chao noticed her body sharply jolting at his question.
"Rember how I acted then? Did I ever look at you any differently? Do you rember what I said to you then?" Luo Chao didn't wait for her response, looking at Yan Ruyu as he continued to ask.
"Live a different life!" With a face wet with tears, Yan Ruyu softly said, though a resigned look flashed in her eyes.
"Yes, live a different life. I said that to you. Do you know why I said that?" Luo Chao's face bore a hint of pain as he spoke.
"Because you didn't want to continue in this lowly profession, isn't it?" Yan Ruyu looked at Luo Chao, her eyes dimming as she spoke faintly.
"That's what you thought!" Luo Chao jumped up, lunging onto the bed, pinning Yan Ruyu beneath him, pressing her wrists down as he brought his face just a centiter away from hers, his eyes fixing on hers. Their breaths mingled as Luo Chao, like a roaring lion, shouted at her.
Yan Ruyu's lips parted in shock, her brows knitted in shock, too stunned to move.
"Sister Ruyu, do you know? That day I told you to live a different life because I saw disgust in you, saw deep pain, saw despair!" Luo Chao took a deep breath, still pinned over Yan Ruyu, close enough to feel each other's breath. After that, Luo Chao sat up beside her.
"I'm sorry, I was too forceful!" Sitting down, Luo Chao said lightly.
"Is that really what you think?" After a brief ntal blank, Yan Ruyu also recovered, moved by Luo Chao's words. Over the years, Luo Chao was the first person who hadn't isolated her, who was willing to befriend her, who didn't discriminate against her, always considerate of her. Tears stread down her face continuously.
"Of course it's true. I've said before, I don't look at you differently just because you once worked as a prostitute or even if you continue in the future. My view of you will never change. You are my sister Ruyu, my own sister!" Luo Chao said with certainty.
"Thank you, Luo Chao. With your words, sister has enough. But changing one's identity to live differently isn't easy. You may not see differently, but that doesn't an others will. In others' eyes, I will always be seen as—" Yan Ruyu looked at Luo Chao, completely lost.
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