Pursuing Her Best Friend after Confession Failed

Chapter 472 - 183: The Golden Medal Mother-in-law Assistant, This Night is not Quiet_3

Only after his rebirth did he finally find a sliver of confidence to proactively approach Zhong Tingyue, this perfect Moonlight Goddess.

Li Yuan organized his thoughts and spoke in a low, profound voice, "Little Moon, from the moment I saw you, I wanted to get close to you. But I was also terrified and didn’t dare to take the initiative, afraid that being with you would only lead to me hurting you again. Yet, I still couldn’t control myself, and I did hurt you once more...

"In my previous life, or rather, in that incredibly real dream, my love life was complicated. I experienced things and met people that can’t be explained in just a few sentences... It led me to develop an extreme attitude toward relationships. I was torn between believing in love and being utterly disappointed by it. It’s as if I have a split personality..."

Li Yuan sighed softly; he wasn’t lying this time.

He truly felt that when it came to relationships, he did have a kind of split personality. On one hand, because of Bai Weixi, he was utterly disappointed with love and just wanted to be a complete scumbag. But deep down, he still harbored a fantasy for a love that was loyal and unwavering, one that could transcend life and death.

This was perhaps his true nature from his previous life, the fundamental color of his character. It was like a naturally kind person who, despite a drastic change in disposition for certain reasons, would still find kindness in their heart when faced with certain people or events.

Zhong Tingyue listened quietly to Li Yuan’s confession, her body trembling slightly, her heart a whirlwind of emotions.

She was now unsure if what Li Yuan said was true or false, if it was feigned affection or profound love. He clearly had other girlfriends, and they were in no way inferior to her. They were just as beautiful—whether it was his roommate, Bai Weixi, or the girl from another school with whom he’d sung a duet. She had already given him everything. Wouldn’t it be better to just forget each other and move on? Why did he have to come and pester her again? Is this really love?

Seeing the complex expression on Zhong Tingyue’s face and her silence, Li Yuan gently pulled her into his arms. Staring into her bewildered eyes, he asked earnestly, "Little Moon, I really, really don’t want to lose you. Don’t leave me, okay?"

Her body shuddered violently at his words. Looking at his side profile, she desperately wanted to ask.

What about them? Will you give them up?

But the words remained unspoken. She was afraid that asking would destroy any chance they had.

Zhong Tingyue remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Senior, how am I supposed to trust you again?"

Li Yuan was stunned by her question.

She’s right. In everyone’s eyes, I’m a complete scumbag right now.

Li Yuan said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Little Moon, never mind you; even I don’t know how to trust myself."

"I can only tell you this: time will be our witness. What I told you that day—’three lifetimes, ten miles of peach blossoms’—will be true forever."

Zhong Tingyue gazed deeply at Li Yuan and gave a quiet "mhm," so soft he couldn’t hear it.

For a moment, a wordless silence fell over the living room.

Just then, the voice of her mother, Gu Lanxin, came from the kitchen.

"Li Yuan, Little Moon, dinner is ready! Come wash your hands and eat."

Hearing Gu Lanxin’s voice, Li Yuan and Zhong Tingyue both visibly relaxed and stood up in unison.

Li Yuan reached out and took Zhong Tingyue’s small hand. He smiled slightly. "Little Moon, let’s go together."

Zhong Tingyue nodded without a word.

...

Gu Lanxin had prepared a magnificent feast that covered the entire table.

There was squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, cherry pork, spicy diced chicken, West Lake beef soup, and other famous dishes from Sucheng.

Gu Lanxin took off her apron, suddenly revealing her curvaceous figure, and looked at Li Yuan with anticipation.

"Little Li, try my cooking. Tell me what you think."

"Auntie, you’ve made such a lavish spread! Just by looking at these dishes, I can tell they’re perfect in color, aroma, and taste," Li Yuan answered sincerely. He picked up his chopsticks, first placing a piece of cherry pork into Zhong Tingyue’s bowl.

"Little Moon, Auntie made all your favorite dishes, so eat up."

Zhong Tingyue was surprised that Li Yuan served her before taking any for himself. It reminded her of the first time they ate together in the cafeteria, when he had also taken the initiative to serve her first.

"Thank you," Zhong Tingyue replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Seeing this, Gu Lanxin’s face lit up with a smile. "Little Moon, Little Li is so considerate of you. You should try some too, Little Li."

Li Yuan put a piece of cherry pork in his mouth. It was perfectly sweet and sour, rich but not greasy.

"Auntie, your cooking is absolutely delicious."

Gu Lanxin beamed, "If you like it, then eat more."

"By the way, Little Li, do you drink?"

Li Yuan paused, unsure of her intention, but nodded honestly.

"Good that you drink." Gu Lanxin smiled and took a bottle of red wine and three glasses from the wine cabinet, where they had been placed at some point.

"Come, have some red wine with Auntie."

"I think this is some kind of Lafite. Your uncle brought it back from France. I find it tastes quite good; you should try it."

As she spoke, she skillfully used a corkscrew to open the bottle and poured the wine into the glasses.

Li Yuan didn’t say the buzzkill words "I drove, so I can’t drink." He understood the subtext; his prospective mother-in-law was giving him an assist.

If he wasn’t mistaken, after dinner, Gu Lanxin would likely use his drinking as an excuse to prevent him from leaving.