Free Web NovelChapter 436: Chapter 432: Friends or a Woman?
"It really makes a difference having a woman around the house. Whenever I came over before, the room always felt so cold. This is much nicer."
Gu’er remarked with a sigh of admiration.
"Sister-in-law, I’m not his woman."
Feng Ling set a glass of water on the coffee table in front of Gu’er, gently refuting her.
"I didn’t say you were Li Zhi’s woman. You misunderstood. I just meant that having a woman in the home makes it much cleaner and cozier."
Gu’er gave her a small smile.
Feng Ling said nothing, taking a seat on a nearby sofa.
"Your grandfather asked me to come talk some sense into you, but I was worried you’d think I was being nosy. After all, we don’t know each other that well—we’re not at the point where we can share our deepest thoughts. So, if you feel like talking, I’ll listen. If you don’t, I’ll just sit for a while and then go. At least that way I can tell your grandfather I tried. You don’t need to worry about me."
Gu’er didn’t ask what had happened between Feng Ling and Li Zhi. She knew Feng Ling was a girl with a mind of her own; if she didn’t want to talk, there was no point in asking. Gu’er had no intention of prying.
Upon hearing this, Feng Ling looked up at Gu’er, her gaze sizing her up. She hadn’t expected Gu’er to speak so frankly. She had assumed Gu’er would try to persuade her, take Li Zhi’s side, and tell her she was in the wrong. She never imagined this. ’Does she really not want to get involved in my affairs?’
"Sister-in-law, does everyone think I’m ungrateful? That I don’t know what’s good for me? Li Zhi is handsome, his character is impeccable, and his family is well-off. He could have anyone he wants, so why does he have to choose someone like me? Before I met you all, my grandfather was a beggar and I was unemployed. We struggled just to eat and find a place to sleep. What right do I have to be picky? For Li Zhi to even notice me must be a blessing I’ve accumulated over eight lifetimes, right?"
Feng Ling asked Gu’er, her voice tinged with agitation.
"True. A lot of people would think that."
Gu’er nodded, her expression serene.
Seeing that Feng Ling was about to speak, she added, "But I don’t think that way. Everyone has the right to choose, and that right doesn’t change based on your status. Take Li Zhi, for example. Plenty of girls like him, but he’s turned them all down because he doesn’t have feelings for them. Just because he’s a great guy, it doesn’t mean people can force him into anything. It’s the same for you. Li Zhi likes you, but you have the right to choose, too. If you have him in your heart, then we’ll all be thrilled. If you don’t like him, or even despise him, then you’re right to turn him down. No one will blame you. The fact that you’re thinking like this, feeling so resentful—that’s a product of your own mindset. It’s not anyone else’s fault."
Gu’er was composed, but her words were blunt. ’Feng Ling might be a good person, but her way of thinking is a bit extreme. Something must have happened in her past to make her this way.’
"Is that what you really think?"
Feng Ling asked doubtfully. She had expected Gu’er to think she was being ungrateful, just like her grandfather did.
"I have no reason to lie to you. What’s in it for me?"
Gu’er retorted.
Feng Ling fell silent.
"What if I want to move out?"
Feng Ling asked.
"Then move out. No one’s stopping you. If you’re unhappy here, or if staying here makes you feel guilty, you should move. You’re earning your own money now; you’re capable. In fact, I think it would be better for you to move out."
Gu’er said, her tone serious.
Feng Ling fell silent again. Gu’er wasn’t in any rush. She simply picked up her glass of water from the table and took a sip.
"You don’t want Li Zhi to like me, do you?"
Feng Ling looked up and asked abruptly.
Gu’er was taken aback for a moment before giving a slow nod.
"Why?"
Feng Ling pressed, stunned that Gu’er had actually admitted it.
"Because I feel you’re a very complicated person. You’re a filial daughter and a strong, independent girl, but I can’t seem to figure you out. You’re incredibly stoic, and it feels like you’re carrying a lot of secrets. There’s something about you that unnerves me. Jiaming, myself, Dingzi, Grandma—we’re all simple people. We just want to live simple, happy lives. Marina and I get along great, and we all hope that when Li Zhi gets married, he finds a wife who can fit in with all of us. That way, there won’t be any friction between our families, and everyone can be happy. But you... I just have this feeling that if Li Zhi married you, you wouldn’t fit in with us."
Gu’er stated her thoughts openly, without reservation. ’With someone like Feng Ling,’ she thought, ’there’s no point in being anything but direct.’
"I believe you’re telling the truth."
Feng Ling’s gaze remained fixed on Gu’er. After hearing her out, she let out a bitter laugh.
"Actually, it’s not that I have no feelings for Li Zhi. Just like you all say, he’s a great guy, and my grandfather really likes him. If I married Li Zhi, we could all have a stable, peaceful life. Do you know why we were arguing just now?"
At this point, Feng Ling glanced at Gu’er before continuing, "I told him I wanted to move out, and he tried to convince me to stay. Then he told me he liked me and asked if I really felt nothing for him at all. I said that wasn’t it. I told him that if he really liked me, I had one condition. If he could agree to it, I would stay. He was thrilled at first and told me to name it. So I told him..."
As she spoke, a crazed glint flashed in Feng Ling’s eyes. "I said I wanted him to spend less time with your group in the future. I told him to keep his distance from you all, for us to just close our doors and live our own quiet life together. I wanted him to see less of Brother Jiaming and the others, to stop drinking with them so much. It would be best if you all just greeted each other in passing, without needing to be stuck at the hip all day. He looked at me like he’d seen a ghost and asked me why. I didn’t explain. I just told him to choose. He said he’d never imagined that getting married would mean separating from you all. He said that he, Jiaming, and Dingzi aren’t just friends—they’re brothers. He couldn’t abandon his brothers for a woman. He said he would never leave you, that he hoped his future wife could get along with you, that everyone could be like one big family. He said if I forced him to choose, he’d choose you. I said since he chose you, there’s no future for us. He was incredibly disappointed... and then he left."
Feng Ling recounted the whole affair to Gu’er. Her expression was placid, but Gu’er could see the pain in her eyes.
"You don’t like us? Is that why you made Li Zhi choose? I... I really don’t know what to say to you."
Gu’er shook her head. ’I always thought Feng Ling was smart, but I never imagined she could be this foolish. What kind of an ultimatum was that? Leaving aside the bond between Li Zhi, Sun Jiaming, and Dingzi, they’re business partners. How could they possibly cut ties? Besides, what’s so bad about everyone being close? Why force Li Zhi to make a choice like that? If he had chosen Feng Ling, what kind of man would that have made him?’
"I know you think I’m being foolish, but I don’t want to be this way. If he really liked me, couldn’t he stop hanging around with those people for my sake? Would his life fall apart if he didn’t go out with that bad crowd? Why must he have a huge group of friends around all the time, gossiping? Why should he listen to them and let them disrespect me? I hate it. I don’t want a life like that."
Feng Ling grew agitated, her eyes welling with tears as if a terrible memory had surfaced.
