NOVEL WEB Chapter 16 - A Girl’s Pride
Sitting beside Su Yu was a sunny young woman, lips curved in a smile. But unless his memory was playing tricks, this black-haired, exquisitely featured young woman with ruby-like eyes had just shown a terrifying expression moments ago.
An illusion? A trick of the eye?
“Su Yu, you’re the gentlest. You must want to be with me forever and ever, never apart, right?”
No, no, no, I don’t want that at all…
Su Yu’s mouth twitched. No doubt Gu Yanran liked him—loved him, even, to a twisted degree—but they couldn’t be together!
Still, she seemed to have regained her senses, not like that dark, unhinged state earlier.
Steeling himself, he met her eyes and said earnestly, “You know what I was about to say, don’t you?”
Gu Yanran’s body trembled, her voice quivering as she replied, “Su Yu, you…”
Seeing her pale, delicate face, Su Yu felt a pang of guilt. From the start, they’d been impossible. That talk of running away was just a joke.
“Do you think we could actually escape?”
Sure, Gu Yanran had talent—a rare martial artist—but against the Su family’s experts, she’d be powerless.
She refused to give up. “It’s not completely impossible.”
Su Yu nodded, keeping a sorrowful look, his tone heavy with loneliness. “Yes, not impossible. But even if we succeeded, if you took me away, what would happen after we left?”
“Huh…?”
Gu Yanran blinked, confused. What would happen? They’d live happily together, never parting, forever.
But catching his subtle expression, her heart skipped. “What would happen?”
Su Yu held up a soft, fair hand. “I’ve never lifted a finger in my life—raised on luxury, the best food, the finest clothes. Yanran, can you support me?”
“This…?!” Gu Yanran reeled as if struck by lightning, a crack splitting her heart. It hurt—badly!
Her young woman’s pride shattered. Unable to give her beloved a better life? For a woman, that was the ultimate disgrace.
Thinking it over, if she whisked Su Yu away only to make him suffer with her…
No, absolutely not!!
“I could manage,” Su Yu went on. “I’d eat dirt if I had to, work for money—but…” He lifted his head, eyes glistening as he looked at her. “Yanran, would you let me eat dirt?”
“How… how could I?!” Gu Yanran gritted her teeth.
In her heart, Su Yu deserved the world’s best—never to be wronged.
He pressed on. “You know how pretty I am. If I left the Su family, lost their protection, and ran into some thug you couldn’t handle, then…”
He trailed off, leaving plenty to the imagination. Gu Yanran’s face darkened, nails digging into her palms.
This world was dangerous—especially for a stunning boy like Su Yu. In the hands of a malicious woman, he’d be drained dry, his life a misery.
Her expression dimmed. Though her beloved was willing to run with her, money and power forced her to face reality.
“I get it. I was too naive. If I can’t give my love a better life, what’s the point of running away? But… Su Yu, you do love me, right?”
She reached out, clasping his hand, her eyes overflowing with adoration.
“Uh?” Su Yu froze.
Love? Not quite, but thanks to his memories, he did like her a lot—enough to weave these lies.
He nodded.
Her gaze blazed. “Then it’s fine. I was rash, didn’t think it through—that’s on me. You’re right; with my current strength, I can’t give you a better life.”
Humiliation flashed in her eyes as she clenched her teeth. “But I’ll work hard, become stronger than anyone, and then I’ll take you away. No one will ever separate us again!”
Because they loved each other, they had to part—to avoid a tragic fate, she’d suppress her burning passion. So what if he married someone else? She couldn’t let him suffer a bit. If she couldn’t handle a brief separation, what kind of strong woman was she?!
Besides, there were ways to ease her longing.
“Even if you get married, Su Yu, we could still meet sometimes, right?”
Su Yu’s eyes went blank.
Wait… wait, something’s off here, isn’t it?