He Yuzhu knew that Ran Qiuye was about to start writing again. It was a fixed habit, and He Yuzhu had long grown accustomed to it. He understood that during these hours, she should not be disturbed, and he was careful to keep his distance, knowing how focused she became when she worked. He stood silently by, watching her, never interrupting.
"I’ve realized that the people in this courtyard are actually quite decent; they don't have malicious hearts. Since that’s the case, I’d like to interact with them more. I didn't spend much time with them before, so I never noticed their good qualities."
Ran Qiuye’s internal monologue was, in truth, an exercise in damage control. She knew that if they truly were wicked people, she would have no desire to associate with them at all. Now that the worst person in the courtyard was in prison, even the others weren't exactly beyond redemption. She realized the place wasn't as fearsome as she had once imagined. When she first arrived, she had been intimidated by the older women. They had constantly talked about her, clearly harboring ill will, and no matter what she did, they would gossip—something that had deeply troubled her. Consequently, she had formed a poor impression of them and avoided them at every turn, eventually retreating to her parents' home due to her conflicts with He Yuzhu.
Chapter 257