Free Web NovelChapter 98: Chapter 98: Marry Me
Liu Yuan rushed back to the village as fast as he could. But no matter how quick he was, the distance was great, and he was only just arriving.
He was excited to run into Gu’er, but when he saw her riding a bicycle, his heart sank.
’That’s the bicycle Sun Jiaming bought. She rode it all the way here, and there’s no trace of sadness or fear on her face... no joy at seeing me. Has she already accepted Sun Jiaming?’
’Am I too late?’
Liu Yuan felt dizzy, his heart aching. He clenched his fists, but he didn’t know who to punch.
Gu’er noticed Liu Yuan looked awful, as if someone had deeply offended him.
"Brother Liu Yuan, let’s go. We can head back to the village together. Are you here to see your aunt?"
Gu’er spoke again.
Liu Yuan looked at Gu’er.
’Her expression is the same as always, though she seems a little confused and concerned about how I look. Hasn’t it occurred to her that I came here for her?’
Liu Yuan took a long, deep breath. He glanced around; it was quiet, with no one else on the road. This was a good place to talk.
"Sister Gu’er, I heard you left the Zhou family?"
Liu Yuan decided to get a clear answer. He had to know, regardless of whether it was the answer he wanted to hear.
"Mhm."
Gu’er nodded. ’He found out so quickly,’ she thought. ’Wu Sanduo must have told him.’ She had nothing to hide anyway.
"You... you’re staying at Brother Jia Ming’s house? And you’re never going back to the Zhou family?"
Liu Yuan’s voice trembled slightly. His hands were clenched so tightly, he had no idea what kind of answer he was about to hear.
"I’m staying in the old house that belongs to Brother Jia Ming’s family. Brother Jia Ming helped me that day and let me live there. I won’t be going back to the Zhou family."
Gu’er stated it plainly.
Liu Yuan froze. ’She’s living in the Sun family’s *old house*, not *with* the Sun Family themselves? Then what was my aunt talking about?’
Of course. Liu Yuan understood now. His aunt must have said that because she didn’t want him to marry Gu’er. At this thought, endless hope surged in his heart once more.
"Sister Gu’er, then... then what are your plans for the future?"
This time, as Liu Yuan asked, his heart was filled with hope.
Gu’er glanced at him, falling silent. This was the second time in two days someone had asked her about her future plans.
What were her plans? She had thought it over carefully last night, but she had no clear vision for the future, especially when it came to marriage. She truly had no idea what to do.
She looked at Liu Yuan, and the brightness in his eyes almost hurt to look at. ’He... he likes me too, doesn’t he?’
’Liu Yuan?’
’It wasn’t as if she’d never considered it. Liu Yuan was handsome, a simple and shy young man. Spending a lifetime with him wouldn’t be so bad, would it?’
’But... but she always saw Liu Yuan as a junior, like a younger brother. She’d never thought of him as a potential husband.’
’Besides, Liu Yuan was a good man, which was all the more reason she couldn’t ruin his life. It was just like with Sun Jiaming—even though she had feelings for him, she didn’t want to marry him. She didn’t want to have children.’
’And his family would never agree to him marrying her anyway. He could find any girl he wanted; why would he saddle himself with someone like me?’
Having sorted out her thoughts, Gu’er smiled at Liu Yuan. "Me? I’m planning to go to the city in a few days to sell popsicles. Brother Jia Ming lent me his bicycle, so I need to go make some money."
She understood his intentions but could only feign ignorance.
"So, have you thought about marriage? What kind of man do you want to marry?"
Liu Yuan wouldn’t give up. He assumed Gu’er just hadn’t understood his meaning.
"I haven’t thought about it, and I don’t want to get married."
Gu’er shook her head.
Liu Yuan’s heart sank. ’Is she telling the truth? She really doesn’t want to get married?’ ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"Gu’er, what if... what if someone came to your door to propose?"
Liu Yuan pressed, needing a clear answer.
"I don’t want to get married. If someone proposes, I’ll just refuse them."
As she spoke, Gu’er could hardly bear to look Liu Yuan in the eye. She didn’t want to hurt him.
"What if that person was me? Would it still be no? Would you still be unwilling?"
Liu Yuan dropped all pretense and asked her directly. He had to know her answer.
Gu’er lowered her head, looking down at the handlebars. Her hands twisted nervously around the grips.
"Brother Liu Yuan, thank you. You’ve been so good to me ever since we met, and I’ll always remember that. But I really don’t want to get married. You’re a good man; you’ll definitely find someone who’s right for you someday. I’m sorry, I... I really..."
Gu’er couldn’t go on. After her rebirth, the only people who had been truly kind to her were Sun Jiaming and Liu Yuan. She had met Liu Yuan first and had always seen him as a friend, a younger brother. But after this, she feared it would be difficult for them to ever face each other again. freeweɓnøvel.com
Liu Yuan staggered back a couple of steps. She was rejecting him. He had laid his heart bare, but it was clear from her reaction that she had no feelings for him. She had never even considered him in that way. It had all been wishful thinking on his part.
The light in Liu Yuan’s eyes went out, his gaze growing dim.
A wave of pity washed over Gu’er. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. ’It’s better to be cruel now,’ she thought. ’I can’t lead him on or give him some vague answer. It would be far crueler to let him hold on to hope only to be disappointed later.’
’Now that I’ve rejected him, he’ll be upset for a few days, but once he understands, he’ll move on. He’ll forget about this once he meets the right person.’
’It’s better this way. It’s the responsible thing to do, for both of us.’
"I get it. You’re not interested in me. Is it because you’ve fallen for Brother Jia Ming?"
Liu Yuan felt a surge of indignation. ’I’m no worse than Sun Jiaming,’ he thought. ’Is this just because I wasn’t there for her when she needed someone most? But I don’t live in the village! I had no idea she was in trouble. If I had known, I would have stepped up to help her too!’
Gu’er fell silent. The mention of Sun Jiaming sent her thoughts into a flurry. ’If things don’t work out with Jia Ming,’ she wondered, ’will I be just as heartbroken as Liu Yuan is right now?’
"Gu’er, the people in this village treat you terribly. Why do you insist on staying here? Come to the city with me! I’ll help you find a house and a job. I’ll buy you a bicycle! I’ll treat you well—I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life! I won’t let anyone bully you. You don’t have to stay here. Isn’t it better to just leave?"
Liu Yuan suddenly grew agitated again. He lunged forward and grabbed the handlebars, his hand covering Gu’er’s. He was gripping them tightly.
Gu’er felt the force of his grip; it hurt a little. She could see his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
Gu’er didn’t cry out. Go to the city? It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered it. If she really wanted to go, she wouldn’t need Liu Yuan’s help. She could find a place, rent a room, and make a living on her own.
But she didn’t want to. All her memories from her past life were in the city, and not a single one was good. There was a place there, a place she never wanted to go near again. The wounds it had given her were impossible to forget, raw and bloody whenever she so much as thought about them. She was afraid. She pushed the thoughts away, avoided them. Even if she went to the city to sell popsicles and build a future for herself, she would make sure to steer clear of that place.
