The next morning, Lin Wei woke before dawn.
The courtyard was still asleep: no clatter of pots, no murmur of gossip, no sweeping of brooms. Only the soft wind rustling through the apricot tree.
But Lin Wei's heart was loud.
Six days.
Six days to choose his future.
Six days for the courtyard to push and pull at him with expectations, fears, and emotions he never asked for.
Six days before Zhao Wen returned with ambition sharp enough to cut steel.
He tied his shoes, opened the door, and stepped into a new day.
Training at Dawn
He decided he needed clarity.
So he went to the abandoned lot behind the alley—a place where broken crates and rusted pipes were dumped. It was quiet, hidden from the courtyard's watching eyes.
He set up a plank of old wood across two bricks.
Then he began.
Sawing.Hammering.Measuring.Ripping.Shaping.
Wood chips flew in the air like snowflakes.
His breath turned steady and fierce.
Every motion was deliberate.Every cut cleaner than the last.Every minute filled with purpose.
The system watched.
[Hard Work Detected: Intensive Craftsmanship Training][Rewards Amplified x25 due to Pressure State][Carpentry Skill +3 Levels]
Sweat dripped down his back.
But inside, something important was shifting—like a heavy stone breaking loose.
Not clarity.Not yet.
But momentum.
Someone approached behind him.
He turned.
Old Madam Chen stood with a thermos of hot porridge and a look of quiet understanding.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," she said softly.
Lin Wei wiped his brow. "I'm just training."
"I wasn't talking about your hands," she replied.She tapped her chest."I meant here."
He stilled.
Old Madam Chen set the thermos down and sighed.
"Weizi… you think you're choosing for us. But you're choosing for you."
She looked at him with eyes deep from decades of living.
"The courtyard should not be your chain. And it should not be your excuse."
Those words hit deeper than any hammer swing.
He watched her walk away, leaving the scent of ginger porridge lingering in the cold air.
A Courtyard Divided
By afternoon, the courtyard was a battlefield of emotions.
Some neighbors whispered excitedly:
"If he joins the bureau, he'll make something of himself!""He could bring honor to our siheyuan!"
Others were louder:
"Is he abandoning us?""Who will fix the leaks? Who will help with repairs?""Don't we matter?"
The courtyard walls—old, worn, and familiar—felt suddenly suffocating.
Even children sensed the tension.
Little Pingping tugged on his sleeve."Brother Wei, will you still play tag with us if you become a big engineer?"
Lin Wei knelt.
"Of course."
But the fear in her eyes stayed.
Liu Fang's Anger
As evening fell, Lin Wei repaired a broken drawer for Auntie Zhang's grandson. His movements were steady, but inside he felt like a rope pulled from both ends.
When he finished, Liu Fang stormed into the workshop corner.
"You let them attack you like that?" she snapped. "You let everyone guilt-trip you?"
Lin Wei blinked. "I didn't—"
"You didn't defend yourself at all!" Her eyes were bright with frustration. "You're allowed to want things, Lin Wei! Why do you always act like wanting something is selfish?"
He stood silently.
Her voice trembled.
"You think helping is your duty, but… you matter too."
She stopped suddenly, breath hitching.
"…I matter too."
The last words were whispered so quietly he barely heard them.
Then she turned and fled.
Lin Wei stood there, hand resting on the drawer, heart pounding.
The system chimed.
[Emotional Resonance Detected: Turmoil / Affection / Fear][Reward: Insight into Bonds — You now better understand the weight of relationships.]
But comprehension didn't make the choice easier.
It only made it heavier.
Zhao Wen's Shadow
That night, Lin Wei walked outside the courtyard gate to cool his thoughts.
The alley was quiet—until a familiar voice cut through the stillness.
"So. You still haven't decided."
Zhao Wen stepped from the shadows, arms crossed, toolbox slung over his shoulder.
Lin Wei stiffened. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking on my competition."
Zhao Wen's tone was casual—but his eyes were sharp.
"You think the world will wait for you to sort out your feelings?" he asked. "Talent without direction is wasted."
Lin Wei didn't respond.
Zhao Wen smirked.
"You're afraid. Not of me. Not of failure."He stepped closer."You're afraid of leaving behind the only place that ever cared about you."
Lin Wei's breath caught.
Zhao Wen's voice dropped lower, colder.
"But caring and holding back aren't the same thing."
With that, he walked away.
Leaving Lin Wei alone with the truth.
And the ticking clock.
The Night Before Tomorrow
Lin Wei returned to the courtyard long after everyone was asleep.
He sat under the apricot tree.
The lantern Liu Fang had given him still hung from its lowest branch, glowing faintly.
He touched it gently.
And whispered to the empty courtyard:
"…What do I want?"
The system remained silent.
As if waiting too.
He closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, he decided.
Tomorrow he would stop running.
Tomorrow he would begin choosing.
Whether heaven rewarded him or not.