Tinghao spoke quietly, almost to himself. "Then… all the things we have heard… maybe they are just rumors? Right?"
Mrs. Xu nodded, a faint sadness in her eyes. "Exactly. There's always more to a person than what's whispered behind their back. Even your mother… even Huo Ting Cheng… they are more complicated than any story anyone tells."
Qin Xinyu, still observing silently, added softly, "So… sometimes we have to separate the truth from what we hear. Even if it's hard."
Zhihao exhaled slowly, trying to make sense of it all. "I… I guess I understand. Maybe the past isn't as simple as it seemed."
Mrs. Xu reached over, gently resting her hand on his shoulder. "That's right. And one day, you'll see for yourselves. What matters most isn't the rumors or the stories… It's the choices people make today, and the love and courage they carry forward."
