Stories... that are meant to end...

"Huh? But didn't he sacrifice his dignity for his love?" Yue asked, her voice soft, clearly touched by the story of Shen.

To her, it seemed a tale of tragic love, of a man who gave up everything for the ones he cared about.

Wang Xiao sneered, a sharp edge cutting through the warmth that had filled the room just moments before. "Sacrificed? Did he even have a choice?" His voice dripped with disdain, the words carrying the weight of hard-earned truths.

"First, his wife Bai died because he was weak. He dreamed of revenge, but never truly understood that it all happened because of his lack of strength. If he had been strong, none of it would have occurred. He blamed the demon, sought revenge, but never once did he realize—or perhaps he refused to admit—that his own weakness was the root cause."