Chapter 40: I’m over Liu Fei Fei.
"Wifey, they're just secret admirers! I have nothing to do with them. They texted me, but I ignored all of their messages."
Lu Xiaotong looks at his wife, who hasn't shown any reaction. But then she starts to laugh.
"Wifey?" "My sweet darling wife that I love." "My one and true aphrodite."
Ignoring her husband's comments, Zhang Wenling stops laughing as she says, "Come, let's eat now."
The three brothers look at each other, not knowing why their Lao Ma hasn't scolded their Lao Ba. But all they know is this: one false move from tLao ba and his jewels will be cut off.
As the family ate, Zhang Wenling was placing food into Lu Xiaotong's bowl. He thought his wife forgave him and was eating happily at all the food she was giving him.
However,
This looks like his last meal. Lu Chen thought as he looks Lu Xiaotong, who was just happily eating what his wife is giving him, not noticing he's on death row.
…
After the meal is over, Lu Xiaotong said with a smiling face,
"Wife, I think that meal is the best thing you have made this year. I feel like if I eat another bite, then my stomach will explode." Lu Xiaotong wasn't a fool to believe Zhang Wenling will be fine after looking at those messages. The best thing he could do now is to bootlick his wife until he gets back into her good graces.
"Glad that you like it, dear." Zhang Wenling said with a smiling face. But the next words that came out of her mouth made Lu Xiaotong's entire body freeze in place, "Now that you are properly fed, we should talk about who sent those messages."
When Lu Xiaotong looks at her face, he felt death was on his way here. He knew he wasn't off the hook yet, but he never expects her rage meter is still at the maximum. He was about to turn to his sons for help:
"I'll go take a shower now." Lu Aotian immediately dashes off to the bathroom.
"I'm going to play games." Lu Hao runs upstairs and closes the door loud enough for everybody to hear.
"I'm going to go study. So I'm going to sleep in the study room." Lu Chen gets up from the table and looks at Lu Xiaotong with pity. He mouths out;
Good Luck. That was the only thing his Lao Ba needs. Lu Chen walks off to the study room after saying his farewell.
The three youths ran with lightning speed to escape the sight of the execution. The only thing left in the dining room is a smiling Zhang Wenling with a pale-faced Lu Xiaotong.
"Ya brats! How could you leave your Lao Ba behind and go to heaven! While I'm being sent to hell!" Lu Xiaotong yells in dismay, feeling wronged that he had to suffer all of this alone.
"Oh, so being together with me is hell?" Zhang Wenling tilts her head while continues to have a sweet smile on her face.
"No, no, no, my wife. I didn't mean it like that! Please wait! I can explain-" Before Lu Xiaotong had the time to explain, the screams of torment resounds throughout the manor.
...
In the study room,
Lu Chen starts to pray, "Sorry, Lao Ba. For a happy and harmonious family, your sacrifice will not be in vain." After praying for Lu Xiatong, Lu Chen was about to study through the night until he felt his phone vibrate. He notices he was getting a notification on his WeChat.
Opening it up, the first message that he saw was;
ImALittleFairy: Hello, my good friend. How are you doing today?
Lu Chen raises his brows. Shouldn't you know what I have done today? He types,
SilentLu520: I'm doing fine. Why do you ask?
ImALittleFairy: It's because a little birdy told me you are over Liu Fei Fei. ^w^
That blabbermouth. Lu Chen doesn't need her to tell him who told her. He could already imagine Zhang Jian blurting it out to everybody around the school.
SilentLu520: Yeah, Luo Ai. I don't feel anything for Liu Fei Fei.
Yes, the person Lu Chen is talking to is the beauty that was at the restaurant, Luo Ai.
ImALittleFairy: Seriously?!
Luo Ai couldn't believe Lu Chen had given up on Liu Fei Fei. Luo Ai has been friends with the two of them since they were kids. She understood how genuine Lu Chen's feelings were for her best friend. Even if he shows it weirdly.
ImALittleFairy: Finally! Do you know how long I tried to make you give up on Liu Fei Fei? FRICKIN SIX YEARS! And now you do it, thank god.
Despite his genuine feelings towards her best friend, Luo Ai also knew the deep disgust Liu Fei Fei had. Luo Ai had tried her best to make Lu Chen give up on her. But all the methods she used had never made Lu Chen's feelings waver.
SilentLu520: ....
ImALittleFairy: Lu Chen, don't worry about it. There are many girls out there for you.
SilentLu520: Yeah, I know. If there is nothing else, I'm going back to studying.
ImALittleFairy: ...Actually, there is.
SilentLu520: Hmm?
ImALittleFairy: I just wanted to say thanks for punching fatty Shao. I know you did it for Zhang Jian, but I still want to say thanks. ^w^
I highly doubt she is really his friend...I remember a few chapters back that fei fei chick dumping lunch over MC's head and this so called friend ,what just stood there and watched?
Plot hole?
I mean imagine your best friend trying to help you see the truth for six years and remember he was a literal silk pants young master who was well sh*t her attitude is justified I'd be fed up as well if I had been her according to the information shown
@Shizukesa_Onii-chan ... I don't see that her reputation should be better than his. THEY BOTH have been in the situation for 6 years. Isn't she responsible as well? Her actions are arguably more improper. (Being rich isn't a crime; he has no say in that.). Why is LA hanging with LFF if the situation is so tiresome?
Giving author benefit of the doubt... He should definitely let her know that she is also his friend and he did it because Shao was being a jerk to BOTH of his friends; from now on, nobody gets a free pass to harass Shang Jian or Luo Ai. Can't have enough friends, and apparently she isn't a horrible person.
I'm not sure I buy that Luo Ai and Lu are "friends"; her close group of friends apparently spend a good portion of their time mocking or tearing him down. Does she not stick up for Lu when they guys are putting him down? Because they treat him REALLY badly. Or, has the negative treatment ramped up exponentially recently and it hasn't yet been discussed between the two girls. It appears she and LFF are best GFs; and with girls, loyalty is EVERYTHING, disagreeing about something like the merit of Lu Chen and how he should be treated is a pretty big deal. One likes him enough to text with him somewhat regularly while the other wants to see him die (perhaps not literally... yet... still...), I find it impossible to imagine the two don't discuss him when the guys around them have him in their crosshairs and have systematically targeted him for a long time?
Or, is she a Beta, who has done what Alpha LFF told her to, and has been estranged, but now feels free to reconnect with her "old friend" LC now that he has given up (after 6 years)? If there is a friendship that hasn't totally died, while her clique made him eat dog food regularly, the author should probably explain HOW and WHY they are still friends.
well this is full of holes it's clear she was his best friend for 6 years before being fed up with his attitude, mouth, and obsession with LFF she most likely loved him and couldn't express it because he was obsessed with someone else so she labeled it as a lost cause and berated him to release the frustration her attitude changed completely when he said he was over LFF cause the text emitted young maiden in love and a sigh of relief LC was the equivalent to an XIA mobster young master from a cultivation novel clearly nobody but his best friend is a man can only deal with it
she must have loved him to have dedicate 6 whole years, clearly, she stepped in once she saw LC getting berated after she noticed he changed sooo.... completely justified cause no woman can bear to see the man they love obsessed with another girl especially after 6 years of trying it's downright frustrating if you can't notice or put a little effort into foreshadowing given the title then IDK what to say this entire change of LC early expose the past and present changes to the people around him and his best friend are different now and his girl BFF is talking to him AFTER he got over LFF, LFF is going through an emotional crisis because LC does not bother with her and is a downright cold prince to her family sees him in a new light and notices his change LFF also might head down the yandere route for some reason....
@Shizukesa_Onii-chan ... we will see. If he was truly an annoying mobster, or a loser without merit, his haircut shouldn't be enough to change opinions about him. .........
Shouldn't Lou Ai have been encouraging her friend LFF to break the engagement and not cheat, or string along, her other "friend"? By not breaking things off, she is signaling the desperate love struck teenager "there's still a chance", right? (If you were LA, what would you think of a friend, if they were engaged to marry someone, and were making out with other guys/girls without making a clean break. Super cool? Or slime bag?)
Personally, I think LC was probably just obsessive and maybe "stalked" his fiancé (though we never saw him do this, we just saw him approach her at school; he and probably she was/were driven to and from school, so not much stalking opportunity) keep in mind that the engagement kept social obligations on him and his reputation was at stake plus he actually liked her; read above, LA acknowledges that LCs affection for LFF was genuine and everyone knew it.
His unpopularity thus far, that we've read about, assuming it exists (it is possible he is neither popular or unpopular, aside from LFFs clique) has been a result of intentional provocation and a smear campaign, so I am reluctant to blame Lu Chen. (His insult was in poor taste, but the guy was publicly handy with his fiancé, so being hotheaded is somewhat excusable. And PDA initiated by Long Shen is "low-class" *** which need not refer to income, rather common etiquette, especially under those circumstances.) We haven't actually seen Lu do anything else wrong; you'll note people are still saying his actions have been bad and he has repeatedly been accused of lusting after, harassing, and stalking LFF after the reincarnation, so the credibility of the pre-reincarnation claims of "harassment" are also suspect; "How dare her scum fiancé give LFF flowers and try to buy her lunch... outrageous! Quickly, let's take the high road and throw food at him then make out while cursing him!" (Or do you suppose LF should have wept under the bleachers or give LFF his blessing to cuck him?)
My personal theory is that she is sick in the head, perhaps not yet irredeemably so, wrapped up in self-identifying as a victim and relishes in the one sided adulteration; hence not ending things. She needs Lu to pursue her to feel self worth (and Long Chen feeds that part of her ego), also, why cut the safety net... he is also rich and willing to be strung along. Long Chen is similarly sick, though he may have additional interests. We will see her break down now that he is no longer chasing after her.
I'm not going to argue that she didn't say, "I don't like you." Repeatedly. 6 years. But that alone is insufficient; SHE KEPT THE ENGAGEMENT! Repeatedly. 6 years. When two people are engaged and one of the two decides that they aren't interested, the uninterested party must break off the engagement... not simply whine, ghost them, start throwing soup or make out with guys until the other person does the unpleasant task for you.
In summary, Luo Ai, why side with LFF and Long Chen over LC?! You know your girl is a crazy sociopath, right?
....... Let's see how people react once he shows up without a "scary" haircut.
*** Modern etiquette and PDA; https://www.gq.com/story/guide-to-pda
Care to comment on how you think LFFs family will respond when they see what she has been up to? "You've been doing this to Lu for HOW LONG? How will we explain your behavior to the Seniors and Heads of his family!" Sure, he's been an annoying pest (her point of view), but she has objectively (from the family's POV) been an insulting slut. ... keep in mind that a a woman, she is culturally not in line to be an heir and, for this, may very well be ostracized and disowned if they follow traditional family/clan/sect practices and values.
@TDM I might agree with all your points ?
@TDM The author explained that they couldn’t just simply break off the engagement. It’s a different culture. The author specifically explained it a few chapters back. Someone else explained this in a different chapter on a comment why they couldn’t break off the marriage whenever they wanted despite the disinterest of a one party. Plus, Long Shen is a commoner meaning that her family wouldn’t exactly be too happy, if they found out the real reason Fei never gave the relationship a chance.
As far as Lu Chen is concerned, we have been told that Lu Chen was a arrogant, spoiled, demanding d*ckhead and even Lu Chen himself confirmed it MULTIPLE times.
She’s obviously got something wrong with her since she participated in Lu Chen’s death and murdered him. Murder isn’t a very normal resolution. And Long Shen is clearly problematic as he is and was a two faced snake who also was the one to actually murder Lu Chen.
The only reason why you haven’t seen Lu Chen do anything crazy/f*cked/ridiculous is because he supposedly changed. Which can be seen as he compares his actions between now and then several times. Then there’s how other people perceived him as well. Their opinions are slowly changing.
Chances are, Ai didn’t want to lose her only female friend. One that can not only somewhat understand her plight, but also has a similar standing. She’s that friend that wants to keep her relationship on the low with the hated/disgusting person to not aggravate her “cool” friends. Shallow move? Yes. Understandable to an extent? Also yes. I still believe that it’s possible for them to have remained friends throughout the years.
I can understand her reasoning to want to stay friends. What I don’t understand is the previous Lu Chen’s reasoning. Perhaps he was using her as information provider or some sh*t like that. But she seemed against the whole marriage thing so I don’t see why she’d want to encourage his behavior. Yep, I have no clue. But that’s how I see it.
@Shaady ... keep reading. Also, there is now a Discord channel. I spent a while discussing this with the author today. He definitely didn't write anything into the story about LC being an "arrogant, spoiled, demanding d*ckhead" ... at least, not any moreso than other 18 year olds who are systematically targeted by bullies. Keep in mind that just because a 40 year old reincarnator looks back on his childhood actions and says stuff like, "I was a dumb hotheaded punk" it doesn't necessarily mean that the actions were ridiculous in the context of an 18-year-old kid; it is really an expression of frustration and an indication that he didn't act as maturely as a 40-year-old might have with an 18-year-old... especially one whom he knows was idolizing a cuckolding sociopath murderess.
I'm not going to spoil it for you, but once you are current (chapter 101 at the time of this post) and have read a lot more anecdotes from 3rd parties about crap they were pulling on LC, we can discuss this again.
@TDM I believe the butler called him, “a typical spoiled 2nd generation rich kid.” That screams arrogance and obviously spoiled to me. He even said that Lu Chen usually had an aura of pride surrounding him. And never expected Lu Chen to thank him for doing what he does. I even remember reading about how the dad spoils them and Lu Chen was a by product. Something along those lines. I don’t see why the author denies putting that into the story.
If Lu Chen acted even remotely similar to that one dude courting Meixu, he sounds like a d*ckhead. Maybe saying demanding is too much, but d*ckhead, he definitely was.
He made fun of Long Shen because he was a commoner and that was just one day beforehand when Lu Chen just came back.
Lu Chen had/has his flaws. Everyone does. He’s not and wasn’t perfect. His recklessness and unrestrained behavior definitely has something to do with the situation.
Thing is, he didn’t know she was that crazy when he was 18 and for many years after, and he didn’t care. It took him 28 years to realize that she had her own issues. That itself is an issue. So for me, his reminiscing of the past was a reflection on how different he was from then and now. And how much his perspective changed after understanding how evil and twisted Fei/Long Shen are. Especially after having had fallen out of love with Fei after 28 years. Love is indeed blinding.
Ultimately, if it weren’t for Long Shen, I bet everything would’ve went Lu Chen’s way and he would’ve been a-okay.
@Shaady ... so, when a butler says things, they're true? The bias is apparent in the comment itself; he is judging Lu Chen not based on his actions, but based on how that individual perceives the child of wealthy parents should be acting. Little known secret... rich kids are just kids. They have the same hormones and underdeveloped brains as other kids. They typically don't have access to the fabulous wealth of their parents, explicitly because responsible parents know that it would ruin them. What normal person chooses to be a butler; I can't believe that is the authority you'd rely upon.
Do you think it possible that a butler, or teacher, couldn't be bitter about his or her station in life, or momentarily irritated about a recent incident, or have a bias to express? (Was Harry Potter a worthless silkpants reprobate and a menace to society; if you judged him based on his household comments and/or teachers, you might think so.) Aside from a few comments from folks who seem inclined to think the worst of kids who are born from wealthy families, or from his fiancé who hates Lu Chen in particular (because they are being forced into a relationship with him, not by his doing), are you basing your opinions on actual events? Things that Lu Chen recalls doing? Flashbacks?
Are there actual facts, or recollection of events from the story that you are basing your view on? The only flashbacks in the story regarding pre-reincarnation LC involve him trying to please Fei Fei by asking what hairstyle she liked (which he then wore for her), and then more recently, buying lunch for his girlfriend, and then being mocked by the school after she rudely dumps it on his head. He didn't lash out at her or the other students afterwards... is this what you'd expect from a hotheaded, spoiled, 2nd generation rich kid? He did make a rude comment about Long Shen, his long-time tormentor, who was fondling his fiancé at the time, so, I guess you have a point there... "Oooh... what a gangster... he says rude stuff to people who harass him!"
@TDM If the Butler and the teacher were stating their observations based on bias then why did they have the same impression? Not only that, the teacher compared Lu Chen to both his brothers. Who by your logic should also be spoiled and rich. But guess what? The teacher never had that kind of impression of him. In fact, he had high expectations for Lu Chen but wasn’t anywhere near reaching it.
I think you’re thinking a little too deep into this story. So far, the author has done a lot more telling than showing. If we can’t trust what the author is telling us, then what is anything these people are thinking true? I mean, everyone has their bias. Including the author.
When Lu Chen wanted to make her lunch, we also learnt his thought process. He was obviously arrogant, spoiled, and had some of kind ego. He said that if he can take her on a date, she’ll KNOW just how much a better man he is compared to everybody else. The kid thought that he was greatest possible option to exist for Fei. Despite being rejected for 6 years straight, these are his thoughts. If that doesn’t scream arrogant, and spoiled to you, then I don’t know what will.
Why are you so surprised that Fei is upset with Lu Chen? Does she not have a right to be? I believe somewhere in this story while explaining the marriage dynamic, it was said that the reason that the grandparents decided to marry both families besides the promise is because one was madly in love with the other. They thought that Fei would only require some time before she eventually falls in love happily ever after.
Other women would have ran away from the political scene in order to be free to love who they want. She seemed to have just bottled it all in when they married.
Lu Chen said something along the lines of, “I only now realized her eyes were dead and stayed the same way after marriage.” In a way, his love for her made the situation worse.
How many times have you heard, “It’s all in the name of love.” People do stupid things when they are in love which is what I assume what led to his reputation along with being, “cheated,” on.
Although I will say this, they were never ever a couple until they married. You say that he was right to be angry against his fiancé for dating someone while being engaged but how long have they been dating? If Fei and Long were dating before the engagement then it’s far too clear that she never wanted Lu Chen. But say they were dating after the engagement, that also goes to show just how much Fei cares about their marriage AND his feelings. And how long have they been engaged? We do know that she’s been rejecting him for 6 years and he still hadn’t given up.
Any girl who saw this situation would think the guy couldn’t take a hint. And you know what? He probably couldn’t. Especially considering how dense he is, even as a 40-year old man. But he also believed that they were fated to be together when he said that, she’ll realize that no other man is better than him. That probably had something to do with it.
I don’t believe anyone is blameless in this situation. Not at all. Lu Chen whether directly or indirectly made Fei’s life just as miserable as his. I understand that what he did, is FAR FAR less than what Fei and Shen did. You still gotta understand that he did something.
That one dude courting Meixu? Sounded a lot like the MC to me. It was actually ironic to see the MC shut him down. Although, perhaps the threatening part wasn’t Lu Chen’s style.
He didn’t just say rude stuff to Long Shen who by the way, Lu Chen didn’t even realize was two-faced until AFTER he died. Meaning he also believed in his charade. He spited COMMONERS. As a whole. By saying that a commoner such as him shouldn’t be with her is degrading that ENTIRE social class. Not just Long Shen.
The reason he didn’t lash out is because he “loves” her. We went over this. Love is blinding. I don’t see how he could still love her after that but that doesn’t matter at this point. He was embarrassed and couldn’t take out his frustration on his loved so he ran away. Lashing out wouldn’t help him get that date. From what I know so far, he never berated her when he was still in love. And you could see that when Fei shows her surprise at his behavior. The ignoring? The lashing out that he did after the ignoring? She didn’t expect any of that. She thought she had him wrapped around her little finger.
I again think it ultimately has to do Long Shen. If it weren’t for Long Shen, things would’ve never been so bad. And the grandparents but according to Chinese tradition, it was too late to back off the marriage if what that guy on the comment said is true of course.
@Shaady ... which is why, when I was curious, I explicitly asked the author about this. You can log into the discord channel and read, literally, what his response was. Like the 40th (from the first comment ever), in the general channel. Don't argue with me, go do it!
@TDM You said that the author didn't mention anything about the MC being a spoiled, arrogant, demanding d*ckhead. I said that there's proof in the writing and I don't know why the author is denying it. Then you said that this proof is biased. I said that this proof is based on what the author is telling us through his characters like he has throughout the entire story. I said that the author has been doing a lot more telling rather than showing, and I mean it. Add to that proof the thought process of Lu Chen at that specific point and time and voila. What's there to ask?
@Shaady ... okay, do as you like.
But characters SAYING (hearsay evidence) that something is true, or happened, is different from the author SHOWING (direct evidence) that something actually happened. Hearsay evidence is actually not allowed in courts because it is so unreliable, even from witnesses without bias. Witnesses with bias are totally unrelaible when presenting hearsay evidence. Be aware of the difference between the two. For example, an extreme example, for sure, Cimmerian could say that Shaady wears little girl dresses and play with pretty porcelain dolls, but that would only be my personal bias speaking. The truth of the matter might be different.
Shaady, probably doesn't wear dresses. I was using this as an example of how someone can say things that aren't true in fiction. What is said might not be true, but it can communicate useful information regarding the antagonistic relationship between the speaker and the object of the statement, which is still something useful to demonstrate in fiction.
@TDM You’re correct. In court hearsay evidence is usually dismissed. But we’re talking about a story. A story with an author who keeps telling us this and that. It’s better to show, not tell. Remember that.
And there is evidence to back it up. I already mentioned it. That only goes to prove the hearsay’s point which further pushes my point. The only reason hearsay is supposedly faulty is because the witness could have a motive to lie or not tell the truth. That’s also a reason close relatives and such aren’t always allowed to speak in court. Also a reason lawyers who are related to their clients or the opposing client aren’t allowed to take the case. Some may even be removed if found out.
The ideologies that make a person a person isn’t the only reason hearsay is looked down upon. That pledge they gotta do? Do you really think they’re not going to lie if they were paid money to do so? That whole, “It’s a he said, she said,” situation? Notice how hearsay has the word HEAR in it? People can twist their thoughts and realities when they come out to form the words.
We are supposed to be in the minds of these people. The minds of these are obviously going to have different perspectives on the situation but their thoughts should hold true to what they’ve seen. Their thoughts may be biased, but they aren’t lies. That is why hearsay is dismissed as much as it is without proof. Because people lie.
If the author wanted us readers to know that there is a faulty narrator, he should’ve put a tag or SHOWN us. There is a tag for faulty pov’s but I don’t see it anywhere. Not every story has a faulty narrator.
Usually, third person is reserved for the narrator and we learn things through the actions of characters. Unless they put, ‘...’ something to showcase the character is thinking in first person. Which can be further noticed when the characters use the pronoun “I” and proceed with saying think or another indication.
What is said should be true. This is third person. We are looking into their minds using the authors narrative. They aren’t exactly telling us what they’re thinking, we are seeing what they thinking. We know that’s what they think and how they are thinking. Whereas in first person, they might not tell us all the details. They may mention certain parts while leaving others out to make themselves seem better or to better reflect their personality. Or perhaps they forgot about something and didn’t factor it in. That’s a faulty first Pov. Not all stories are like that I hope you realize.
That example you mentioned? Perhaps you can say that, but people can SEE that’s not true. And we can SEE that Lu Chen wasn’t the brightest guy nor was he a saint.
Take this for example, you mentioned that Lu Chen called Long Shen out and that he deserved it because he’s fondling his fiancé. But didn’t mention that he called out every commoner by placing them on the lower end of the pedestal. By saying that Long Shen is a commoner and insinuating that a commoner isn’t worth her time/aren’t good enough or good in general, he is bringing others down to make himself look good. You didn’t mention that though. Nor did you mention Ju Chen’s thought process, “If I take her out on a date, she’ll know there’s no better man out there.” Is his thinking also faulty? Is his thinking hearsay? No. No it’s not, because that’s how his mentality was at that point. That’s what he thought of the whole situation.
He was arrogant, delusional (thanks to his blinding love for Fei), and spoiled. Just realized how delusional he was. That more than likely came about as a result of his arrogance, love, and having a block for a head. One can say he was a jerk due to that insinuation of commoners. I don’t understand how you see anything he did in the past in a good light.
@Shaady ... ask the author. Discord.
@TDM It really doesn't matter what the author was trying to convey. If I have to consult the author to make sure that what I read was right, then he needs to do a better job at showcasing what he wants his readers to understand. If they do show and tell right, they wouldn't have readers misinterpreting their stories. Although this isn't really a case of not showing well enough or not telling I'd say. They still definitely need to work on it. Makes the story flow better and keeps readers engaged with their story.
Have a nice day.
I don't see how they are genuine friends, considering 6 years of dealing with Lu refusing to stop pressuring her friend should've been enough for her to burn that bridge. At this point in time nothing LFF has done is actually out of line considering Lu has been a consistent toxic creeper that won't leave her alone no matter what she does. Anyone who is friends with both Lu an LFF here would obviously take her side as Lu is so blatantly in the wrong it's not funny. No means no, he needed to stop. He was being served dog food regularly because he was behaving like a dog. The only surprising thing is that she's willing to reach out to him again after all that just because one time it looked like he might have fixed himself up. That she's willing to trust him again even a little bit is pretty remarkable, and were this were real life and not a story, it'd be a risk not worth taking and I wouldn't recommend.