Mrs. Gu chatted in Xiao Xi's office for quite a while.
She might have been bottling up a lot of grievances, with nowhere to vent them, and no one around to confide in.
Xiao Xi quietly listened as she poured out her thoughts, and Mrs. Gu's expression was visibly more relaxed than before.
"Xiao Xi, thank you for taking the time to listen to all this nonsense."
"I never imagined myself past fifty, living like this—like a resentful woman."
"But after spilling everything today, I feel a surprising sense of relief in my heart."
"Sorry for troubling you."
Mrs. Gu still tried to maintain some semblance of dignity in front of Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi smiled lightly and softly responded.
"You just needed a listener, that's all. You trust me, so you chose to share this with me."
"Think of me as a tree hollow."