The message he was typing seemed innocuous, like a casual chat.


    "Who are you emailing, brother?" she asked.


    Leonard didn''t answer until he had finishedposing and sending his reply. "Summer."


    Simone was even more surprised. "Brother, you found Summer?"


    "No," Leonard said. "I just got a way to contact them. We only email asionally. I get the sense that Summer doesn''t like to be disturbed."


    Simone looked at him strangely. Leonard had always been forceful. Once he set his mind on something, he was relentless. If he wanted to find Summer, he would have turned the world upside down to do it. Not long ago, he had people investigating Summer''s whereabouts, hoping tomission a portrait of Aurora. And now that he had a direct line of contact, he was holding back, saying Summer didn''t want to be disturbed?


    Aside from Aurora, when had Leonard ever cared so much about someone else''s feelings? She remembered him saying that Summer could never be more important than Aurora. But watching him now, waiting intently for a reply, a strange feeling crept over her.


    "Brother, have you been talking to Summer a lottely?" Simone asked.


    Leonard''s attention was fixed on the screen. "No, just a few words now and then," he replied absently.


    She wanted to ask more, but a new email arrived from Summer, and Leonard was once again engrossed. After he sent his response, Simone tried again. "Brother, what kind of person is Summer? Do they really like Aurora?"


    At the mention of Aurora''s name, Leonard''s brow furrowed. "They don''t like Aurora,"


    he said dismissively.


    "Did you ask them?"


    Leonard shook his head. "No."


    "Then how do you know?"


    "They''re not the same kind of people," Leonard stated tly. "It''s impossible for Summer to like Aurora."


    Simone found this increasingly bizarre. "Brother, you sound like you know Summer very well." It wasn''t surprising that he knew Aurora.


    inside and out but his words


    Suggested a deep understel


    of


    Summer as well.


    After a moment, seeing no new reply, Leonard finally turned from the screen. "Summer and I have had simr experiences. They also felt from @great height and were forced to give up what they loved most. But they did it for themselves, not for someone else. They said, ''Instead of Berg drawn to the strong,t''s better to be strong yourself.'' Their philosophy ispletely different from Aurora''s. Aurora will use any resource or connection to achieve her ambitions. Summer wouldn''t do that. Summer believes that while it''s fine to have ambition, you can''t let it rule you."


    Simone listened, stunned. It all sounded so absurd. "But brother, your own methods don''t exactly align with Summer''s, do they?" And yet, Leonard spoke of Summer as if they were a kindred spirit.


    "Summer doesn''t believe that being


    ruthless is inherently wrong,"


    Leonard said. "Everyone''s upbringing


    and experiences are different. When


    you''re just trying to survive, you don''t have the luxury of debating high-minded principles."


    "Summer said all that?" Simone asked, dumbfounded.


    "Yes."


    At that moment, Simone finally began to understand why Leonard saw Summer as a confidante.