Chapter 250 - 247: Ping’an’s Crush

Chapter 250: Chapter 247: Ping’an’s Crush

"Your sister likes that girl, so how could I possibly let your sister down? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely introduce Miss Liu to a suitable match!" Li Xiu said casually. ’What is this kid doing? Has he forgotten that all his little schemes and tricks were taught by me? Is he trying to show off his meager skills before an expert? What an idiot!’

"No, Jin Chen, this..."

Li Xiu ignored him and strode forward to meet Zhou Lian, who was standing at the study’s entrance. He gently took her hands in his and said with a hint of reproach, "Why did you come out? It’s freezing. Look, your hands are ice-cold!"

Watching Li Xiu incessantly rub her hands, Zhou Lian gazed at him, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "I’m fine," she said softly. "I don’t feel that cold. We just came out."

"If you felt stuffy inside, you should have put on gloves before coming out. You still say it’s not cold? Bao’er, look, your hands are all red!" Seeing her charming and delicate appearance, Li Xiu couldn’t bring himself to scold her and could only coax her dotingly.

Having never witnessed such a scene before, Miss Liu—Liu Shengnan—stared blankly at the couple’s public display of affection. A faint blush crept onto her spirited face, and Ping’an, trailing behind Li Xiu, caught a perfect view of it, instantly finding himself dazzled. ℯℯ𝑙.

After a moment, Ping’an snapped back to his senses and shot back irritably at Li Xiu, "Li Jincheng, can you get a room? Are you just showing off because my sister is your wife?"

Li Xiu, who was in the middle of being lovey-dovey with his wife, heard this and looked up at Ping’an standing at the bottom of the steps. He then glanced at the crimson-faced Miss Liu beside him, a wicked smile slowly curling his lips. Casually, he said, "Young Master Ping, I’m showing off my wife in my own home. What are you making such a fuss for? Have you finished your homework for today?"

"My sister told me to take the day off. Got a problem with that?" Ping’an shot back happily. ’Even if you do, you have to suck it up. It’s not like you can object!’

Gently taking Zhou Lian’s hand, Li Xiu turned to walk back inside, saying softly, "Miss Liu, after you."

Watching the couple walk into the house in an embrace, Liu Shengnan was completely dumbfounded. ’What is going on?’ Seeing her standing there looking stunned, Ping’an said helplessly, "Get inside. Are you just going to stand there in a daze?"

Liu Shengnan shot him a glare but didn’t say a word as she quietly walked into the study. Seeing Li Xiu and Zhou Lian cuddled up on the sofa, she felt a bit awkward. Ping’an, who had followed her in, reached out and pressed her down onto the sofa. He nonchalantly gave the other two a sidelong glance and said to her, "Don’t mind them. You’ll get used to it. These two are famous throughout Capital City for being disgustingly lovey-dovey."

"Oh, be quiet," Zhou Lian told Ping’an, before turning to Liu Shengnan with a smile. "Shengnan, last night your mother was saying she’s quite anxious that you don’t have a partner yet. I know plenty of young men who are great catches, both in character and talent. How about I introduce you to a few and see if you like any of them?"

"Ah? Oh, I..."

"Are you an idiot? You’re actually thinking of meeting them?!" Seeing that Liu Shengnan seemed inclined to agree, Ping’an cut her off, his voice rising in exasperation.

Looking up at the flustered Ping’an, Liu Shengnan’s lips curved into a barely perceptible smirk. Staring at him with a deadpan expression, she said, "What does this have to do with you? You can meddle in everything else, but can you also stop me from finding a partner and getting married?"

Her retort left Ping’an speechless. ’She’s right, what does it have to do with me? But the thought of her smiling radiantly at another man, marrying him, and having his children... it makes me want to kill the guy.’ In that instant, Ping’an, who was not a stupid person, suddenly realized something. His feelings for her were not as simple as a childhood friendship. ’What kind of childhood playmate can’t stand the thought of their friend getting married and having kids?!’

Looking up at Liu Shengnan’s deadpan face, Ping’an scratched his hair in frustration. "Wait a minute," he said helplessly. "Just let me be quiet for a second. I need to think. Right, I need to think!"

Liu Shengnan stared speechlessly as Ping’an sat beside her, cupping his face in his hands and staring blankly into space. She shot a discreet glance at Li Xiu and Zhou Lian, but their expressions startled her so much that she quickly looked down, not daring to peek again.

Zhou Lian watched the lost-in-thought Ping’an with a knowing smirk, her face all but screaming, "I’m enjoying the show." Li Xiu shot Ping’an a scornful glance before looking down dotingly at Zhou Lian’s animated expression. He gently played with her fingers, his eyes practically overflowing with adoration and love.

After a long moment, Ping’an, having finally figured things out, looked up and glared at his sister and Li Xiu. "How did you two know?" he demanded irritably. "When did you find out? Why did you know before I did?"

Seeing Ping’an’s dumbfounded expression, Zhou Lian couldn’t hold back her laughter and collapsed into Li Xiu’s arms. ’What an idiot.’ Seeing that Zhou Lian was laughing too hard to sit up straight, Li Xiu glanced at the utterly clueless Ping’an and said, "You didn’t know because you’re too dense. We knew because we’re not as dense as you."

"Li Jincheng, that’s a personal attack!"

"So what if it is? Am I wrong? You didn’t even realize who you liked, was I wrong to call you dense? By the time I was your age, I’d already married my wife, and we had a daughter and a son. And you? You’re just now foolishly figuring out that you like someone. You completely wasted the ’childhood friends’ card. Calling you dense is me being polite!" Li Xiu ruthlessly fired one arrow after another into Ping’an’s chest, each one a direct hit to the heart.

Barely restraining himself from coughing up blood in anger, Ping’an composed himself, glanced at Liu Shengnan beside him, and said softly to Li Xiu, "Jin Chen, have a heart. Go easy on me. Don’t burn your bridges; you never know when you’ll need them."

After shooting a glare at the detestable Li Xiu, Ping’an turned to Zhou Lian with a perfectly behaved smile. "Sis, could you give us some private space? I’d like to take care of a major life event, if you don’t mind."

Seeing Ping’an trying to suck up to her, Zhou Lian suppressed a laugh. She gave her hand, which was intertwined with Li Xiu’s, a gentle swing but said nothing, simply gazing up at Li Xiu with her big, beautiful eyes without blinking.

Hearing the door close, Ping’an stared at Liu Shengnan for a while before asking, "When did you know? And why didn’t you tell me?"

Shooting Ping’an a glare, Liu Shengnan snapped, "Know what? Tell you what?" ’This damned man made me wait for so many years, and now he has the nerve to ask why I didn’t tell him? Tell him that he was into me but didn’t even know it? Who’s the idiot here, him or me?!’

With a placating smile, Ping’an gently scooted closer to Liu Shengnan and said, "Well, I just wasn’t thinking about it that way! You know I never thought about us like that. Don’t be angry, okay? How about... how about I have my mom and dad go to your house tomorrow to formally propose?"

Seeing his expression, Liu Shengnan knew he had finally figured things out. But then she thought about how she’d been pestered about marriage for years while this man remained completely oblivious, and she decided she wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. With a blank face, she said, "Propose? What are you proposing? And to whom?"

Gritting his teeth, Ping’an knew she was messing with him on purpose, but he couldn’t just snap back at her like he used to. Instead, he reached out, pulled her into a tight hug, and whispered in her ear, "Hey... I’m sorry. I’m a late bloomer, and you had to put up with a lot because of it. Thank you for liking me... and for waiting for me."