Chapter 35

Xue Nan was speechless, completely speechless.

“Don’t tell me you’re like those second male leads in those novels, pretending your family is pressuring you to get married, forcing you to go on blind dates, saying you need to marry a partner in the shortest time possible to secure your position as head of the family, or else you’ll be kicked out. That old cliché.”

Xue Nan hooked Duan Shiyan’s shoulder, the corners of his mouth twitched, trying to force out a pixelated smile, “Quickly refute me, tell your good brother, you wouldn’t be so cheesy, right?”

Duan Shiyan: “…”

Xue Nan: ?

Xue Nan: “.”

This was like a knife in the butt, opening his eyes.

“You old geezer, I’m really done with you.”

Xue Nan acted like a worried old mother, full of disappointment, “Back in senior year, at the graduation ceremony, you almost lost your life trying to give her a bouquet of flowers. If it wasn’t for Fu Yucheng, that dog, being so unappreciative and cheating, you wouldn’t know how long you would have to wait! Ten years? Twenty years? Thirty years? Or a lifetime?”

“I say, you should tell her now, tell her how much you’ve done for her, make her fall head over heels for you!”

Xue Nan couldn’t understand.

This usually fearless, arrogant, and free-spirited young master of the Beijing circle, how could he willingly put himself in such a humble position as a bystander?

He would rather be a fool, secretly in love, silently guarding her, not daring to take a step forward, and even preparing a wedding ring for that dog, Fu Yucheng!

“Before, you didn’t confess to her because you were afraid of causing her trouble, afraid of her disliking you, but now she’s broken up with Fu Yucheng, what are you afraid of?”

As soon as Xue Nan finished speaking.

He heard the man in front of him, who was always proud and unrestrained, speak in a low voice, “I’m afraid she’ll feel pressured.”

“She liked Fu Yucheng before because he saved her when she was a child. She never received much love growing up, so she cherishes this hard-earned kindness.”

“But it was this kindness that hurt her deeply.”

Duan Shiyan whispered, “And now you tell her that actually, I’ve always been good to you, so you should like me, give me equal return, to be worthy of my years of dedication. Do you think she’ll be moved?”

“No.”

“She’ll only be scared, only be anxious.”

It’s like a little hedgehog who has never been properly cared for, thinking it has finally found someone who can give it warmth.

So it tries its best to chase after it, softens all its protective spines, and exposes its soft belly.

But that person tramples all its sincerity underfoot, leaving it scarred and wounded.

It no longer has hope for love.

It will put up all its spines again to protect itself, to guard against falling into the trap of the suspension bridge effect so easily again, and getting hurt again.

The little hedgehog has started to carefully build a solid wall for itself, and suddenly someone comes along and knocks down the fortress it has rebuilt.

He then boldly walks in, talking about all the things he has done for her, demanding that she dig out her heart and offer it to him to be worthy of all his past dedication.

How could she be moved?

She would only be confused and scared, wanting to escape.

“I don’t want that.”

“I don’t want her to feel pressured and force herself to accept me.”

Duan Shiyan raised his head, his deep and intense gaze fixed on Jin Wu in the distance, the corners of his lips slightly curved, “I want her to enjoy being loved, not be burdened.”

Xue Nan opened his mouth, the indignation on his face gradually calmed down.

“But…don’t you think it’s a pity?”

He sighed, “You’ve liked her for so long—”

“My liking her and being good to her has always been my one-sided wishful thinking.”

Duan Shiyan was still looking at Jin Wu, as if he was overlapping with the sixteen-year-old boy, his gaze burning like an inextinguishable fire, “She never needs to be responsible to me.”

The biggest difference between him and Fu Yucheng is that he never thought of using his dedication to hold her hostage.

Love shouldn’t be a cage.

It should be a vast sky that allows the moon to rise freely.

Xue Nan stared at Duan Shiyan, feeling like his brain’s CPU was about to burn out.

No wonder they say love is like a drink, whoever drinks it gets drunk.

If he hadn’t said it.

No one would believe that this arrogant and unruly son of heaven was once a clueless young man who didn’t even know how to get a girl’s attention and had to post on a relationship bot on Weibo for help.

“One last question.”

Xue Nan, acting like a worried old mother again, “I think you should have some sense of urgency, otherwise, aren’t you afraid that your sister-in-law will rekindle her old flame with that dog Fu Yucheng and leave you to get back together with him?”

This little rascal Duan Shiyan could be such a love-struck fool, suffering from unrequited love for ten whole years!

Not to mention Jin Wu, who used to have eyes only for Fu Yucheng!

What if that dog Fu Yucheng regrets it, then sweet talks her, softens her heart, and accepts his reconciliation?

Then it wouldn’t just be the end of unrequited love, it would be a shiny green hat! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!

Xue Nan felt like the eunuch in the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” who was more worried than the emperor.

“No, no, no!”

He was so anxious he wanted to grab Duan Shiyan’s ears, “Although I admit what you said just now makes some sense, but you can’t be too cautious!”

What’s the point of getting married?

Since you’ve already tricked her into it, you should strike while the iron is hot and nip all the danger in the bud!

Xue Nan whispered like a devil, “Be careful, your sister-in-law might run away, and you’ll go from a love-struck brother to a cuckolded brother.”

Duan Shiyan just lowered his eyes and chuckled.

“She won’t.”

He raised his chin, his gaze towards Jin Wu was firm and intense, “She won’t soften, she won’t turn back, she’s braver and more determined than you think.”

When faced with injustice, she would bravely stand up and speak for everyone.

She wanted to be a doctor, even facing disapproval and ridicule, even from Fu Yucheng, who she once had eyes for, she never wavered or gave up her dream.

She has always been a serious, resilient, and daring person who would stick to anything she set her mind to.

Once she made up her mind, she would never turn back.

Duan Shiyan’s eyes curved, his heart in his chest beating warmly for her.

It was this somewhat silly persistence that attracted him when he was sixteen.

From that moment, he was captivated by her youth, couldn’t forget her, his unrequited love was extended, waiting silently for a response.

“Oh… I understand.”

Xue Nan calmed down again.

But soon he pushed him away.

No, what good does it do if he understands!

What good does it do if the audience understands!

If the heroine doesn’t understand anything in the end, then everything is in vain!

“Haven’t you thought, if your sister-in-law doesn’t know about your past dedication, how will she know how good you were to her, and then like you?”

As soon as Xue Nan finished speaking.

Duan Shiyan raised his eyebrow slightly, drawing a bold and unrestrained curve.

“Then I’ll chase her again.”

His black eyes sparkled, the pride in his eyes was vibrant and dazzling, he was still that arrogant and unrestrained, rebellious and free boy.

As if time had left no trace on him, he was still as spirited as he was at sixteen, with countless arrogance and unrestraint.

“Before, it was unrequited love, now I’m going to start confessing my feelings.”

“I’ll chase her, once isn’t enough, I’ll keep chasing, until she’s willing to like me.”