Chen Shihan was not to be befuddled by him this time, “Are you teasing me now? Are you saying that you like me? Do you mean to say that you do not want me to marry Zong Jinghao?”
Li Zhan refused to give up, so he looked dejectedly at Chen Shihan while he slowly withdrew to put some distance between them before he swallowed hard and said hoarsely, “If you think I am just messing around then be it. If there is anything that I have said which you should find unconvincing, you could just take it that you have not heard them.”
Upon finishing, he turned to leave but paused just as he got ahold of the door handle. Without turning back, he stated, “I was not lying when I said Zong Jinghao has some serious issues.
Even if you were to end up with someone else, I would still give you my blessings, but please know that I would not muster the courage to say what I did, had it not been that he was the one you wished to marry.”
Li Zhan immediately felt disgusted with himself and kept his back towards Chen Shihan in order to shield his contorted face. “I sincerely wish for you to find yourself a good man. However, if you insisted on marrying Zong Jinghao, by the gods, I would stop you even if it means having to crash your wedding as there is no way I will allow you to ruin your life through him.
When we were schooling, we heard of the idiom ‘Even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman’. I was disdainful of it until I realized the depth of the feelings I have for you. So do not tell me that I am disregarding our relations by divulging his secrets because I would gladly break a leg for your sake if you asked me to.”
Women were emotional beings and Chen Shihan was no different. Li Zhan’s heartfelt confession had left her somewhat rattled.
“Take care of yourself.” Li Zhan moved to pull the door open swiftly to not give Chen Shihan any time for consideration with the understanding that people tend to act irrationally when under duress.
His mind games paid off as Chen Shihan came after him and threw her arms around his waist, “You… did you really mean it?”
Li Zhan feigned anger and tried to brushed her off, “Everything was false apart from the fact of his twisted psyche!”
Chen Shihan’s arms then tightened around him, “I heard you admit that you like me so do not dream of walking back on that. You even went to great lengths to warn me about Zong Jinghao’s mental condition so you must be true to me. You know, you are not bad looking but it is just that…”
Li Zhan waited for Chen Shihan to finish.
“Forget it. Regardless, thank you for sharing.”
He turned around and clasped her by the shoulders, “But it is just what? Tell me!”
“You are just too green and not appealing to me.” Chen Shihan spoke candidly.
The corner of Li Zhan’s eyes twitched.
In what way am I green and not appealing?
“You… explain yourself! How on earth am I green?”
Chen Shihan strode up beside the bed, sat herself down and sighed, “Even if Zong Jinghao has some questionable quirks, I would still want to marry him.”
Li Zhan was stumped. Had all the effort I have put into that performance been for naught?
He could no longer keep up the charade and blustered as he thought to himself what a piece of work this woman was, “Have you gone mad, Chen Shihan?”
His look alone got many young lasses falling head over heels for him, but she felt that he is not appealing?
Never before had he felt so defeated as he spat angrily, “Damn it all, this is going nowhere! At worst, I will crash your wedding if that is what it is going to take to stop this marriage and should I fail, I shall no longer call myself Li Zhan!”
Deep down, this was what Li Zhan thought. By hook or by crook, he was not going to allow Chen Shihan and Zong Jinghao to get married. Otherwise, what would become of Lin Xinyan, Lin Yichen and Lin Ruixi?
Li Zhan’s strong words struck Chen Shihan as his resolve to prevent her from falling in with Zong Jinghao touched her profoundly.
To Chen Shihan, the determination of a man who would walk through fire and hell for her was simply irresistible.
Her eyes sparkled as she said, “Would you really do that?”
Li Zhan’s expression had contorted, “I will rack havoc at the wedding and no one shall get in my way!”
“I have no idea how truly madly deeply in love you are with me. Zong Jinghao has no genuine affection for me and this I have had my reservations about, but my father wished for me to marry into the Zongs, so I…”
Li Zhan squirmed.
Truly madly deeply in love with her?
Hmm——
Could this not be a little less cringe inducing?
Whatever. So long as Chen Shihan relents.
He made his way over to her and asked, “Have you changed your mind about this whole thing?”
“But I do not have any choice in this,” Chen Shihan responded with a helpless struggle.
Li Zhan’s brain kicked into overdrive and considered what he thought to be a solid plan – that they could approach both their parents and proclaim their desire to be together. But on second thought, Wen Qing and Chen Qing would likely object and then force through Chen Shihan’s marriage to Zong Jinghao anyway.
What else is there to do then?
Should he elope with Chen Shihan?
Hmm, that might do the trick.
He was about to speak but Chen Shihan got in before him, “My father expects much of me and I cannot let him down, so the only solution is to…”
Her face then started to turn red with bashfulness.
For some unfathomable reason, Li Zhan thought about backing off as he felt foreboding about what was coming next.
“And the only solution is?
Chen Shihan leaned onto his chest and spoke in a small voice, “Should you and I were to do what we must to conceive a child, the die will be cast and our families would have no choice but to approve of our union, or even perhaps be very willing to let us be together.”
She fantasied in alacrity about how jealous Li Zhan’s entourage of admirers would be if they found out that he was soon to become exclusively hers.
Inside his mind, Li Zhan cussed a million times at this suggestion.
