(This chapter is a discarded draft)
"Little girl, I apologize for disturbing you!"
"It was indeed our people who were deceived by Li Guilan. We truly didn't intend to rob your home; please don't misunderstand."
Zhang Yan quickly apologized to Tang Li and explained.
Upon hearing Zhang Yan's words, Tang Li sighed.
Tang Li knew Zhang Yan quite well, having interacted with him for an entire extremely cold season in her previous life.
He couldn't be called a bad person, but he wasn't a good person either.
If she had to define him, it would be as someone with a very strong desire for control.
When Li Guilan publicly questioned Zhang Yan, Tang Li understood that Zhang Yan likely wanted to teach Li Guilan a lesson even more than she did.
Tang Li knew that Zhang Yan had gone along with Li Guilan and asked her to open the door because he saw others being incited by Li Guilan to question him. He wanted to expose Li Guilan's lie first and then, by teaching Li Guilan a lesson, further establish his authority.
Therefore, Tang Li had said what she did earlier, making everyone realize Li Guilan's suspicious behavior and allowing Zhang Yan to regain the initiative and apprehend Li Guilan.
Tang Li sighed and said bluntly:
"Uncle, your 'disturbances' and 'apologies' are far too frequent."
"A few days ago, when this auntie first came to my door to cause trouble, you said the same thing. I also told you then not to let her bother me again. And what was the result?"
"Not counting what she said about me publicly or privately in the hallway, just her specifically coming to my home to cause trouble, and that time she came to borrow water and food, this is the third time today!"
"Every time you say you're disturbing me, every time you apologize for her, yet every time you let her come to my door to cause trouble. Today, so many people even came to back her up..."
"I just want to ask, what's the use of your apologies?"
"Is this the legendary 'knowing you were wrong, but doing it again'?"
"Also, three strikes and you're out. Just as I was about to go out and teach her a lesson myself today, you all rushed out with so many people to back Li Guilan..."
"Uncle, to put it bluntly, your apologies lack any sincerity!"
Hearing Tang Li's words, Zhang Yan's face darkened.
Before and after the flood, he still had considerable standing among the residents of this building.
He never expected that today, first Li Guilan would publicly question him, and then he would be reprimanded so rudely by a young girl.
In his mind, he had helped Tang Li resolve the issue with Li Guilan, and he was apologizing so politely to her. Tang Li should have at least been polite in return, if not grateful.
Why was she so ungracious?
The people around Zhang Yan shared the same thought. Hearing Tang Li speak like this, they immediately defended Zhang Yan, saying:
"You ungrateful little girl! It was Li Guilan who was causing trouble for you, not our Old Zhang. Our Brother Yan even helped you solve the problem. If you don't thank him, fine, but how can you blame our Old Zhang?"
Tang Li naturally understood Zhang Yan's intentions.
In her previous life, although Zhang Yan and his group had turned her home upside down, Zhang Yan had carefully collected her valuable items and returned them to her.
At that time, Tang Li, having not yet been hardened by the apocalypse, was fooled by his demeanor.
She didn't realize immediately that her home had been disrupted by them, and it was only right for them to keep her valuable items safe. Using her family's belongings was what was wrong.
But in this life, Tang Li would not be fooled by him again.
She immediately said, without mincing words:
"As early as when Li Guilan first came to my home to cause trouble, I wanted to teach her a lesson myself. But just as I was about to act, you stopped me."
"This time, it was again just as I was about to act that a group of you rushed out to back Li Guilan, helped her frame me for stealing your things, and forced me to open the door."
"You protected Li Guilan time and time again, using apologies to stop me from teaching her a lesson, and then repeatedly allowing her to bother me, and you still expect me to thank you?"
After Tang Li finished speaking, the crowd outside the door was speechless.
"Little girl, rest assured, we will not let Li Guilan bother you again."
"If she comes to trouble you again, then you can deal with her however you see fit, and we will not intervene."
Zhang Yan said this with a grim expression, then had his people escort Li Guilan away along with the crowd outside.