The old woman looked at him and huffed.
"Nonsense! It is the easiest thing ever. Laughing in the face of adversity is the essence of life. It drives humans to keep moving forward, even when we know death is the last outcome. You should try it sometime," she said, her face a mask of confidence.
Seeing Liu Yan's unwavering frown, she put her purse down and slid closer to him to grab his hand.
"Like this," she said before pumping her arm up, dragging his arm with it.
"Curse you, life! I won't give up! I'm stronger than you!"
Liu Yan looked at her in disbelief, unsure if she had just lost her mind, and the shift in her attitude left him in shock.
"Come on. Repeat what I said!" she urged him.
"Uh… Curse you, life… I won't give up… I'm stronger than you?" he muttered, realizing people were looking at them from a distance after she had yelled.
"What was that? Are you asking life if you're stronger or making a statement? Put some vigour into it, young man!" she admonished him.
