427. The Deadly Question
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It could be due to her habit of using magic to solve problems, but now whenever Lin Nan encounters trouble, she instinctively thinks of magic.
However, the magic that makes others obey her has long been attempted, and all she managed to unlock was a charming spell that only worked on men, lasting about an hour at best. Moreover, it had side effects, which led to Zheng Qian’s relentless pursuit of her last semester.
Even if this magic could work on Liu Ying, Lin Nan was not keen on using it.
After having a falling out with Liu Ying, both girls left the community garden from different directions, each lost in their own thoughts.
Lin Nan took a glance back at Liu Ying’s tall figure, snorted, and marched off toward Chen Yao’s house with a face full of displeasure.
She had thought her mother’s wedding plans would go smoothly when she returned this weekend, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.
All of this was Liu Ying’s fault.
Sure, she was pretty and had left a good first impression on Lin Nan, but after some interaction, Lin Nan found her feelings completely soured.
Grumbling under her breath, she knocked on Chen Yao’s door. Just two minutes later, the door creaked open.
“What’s up?” he asked, noticing Lin Nan’s exceptionally aggrieved expression, immediately panicking a little. “Who bullied you?”
“No one!”
Lin Nan replied curtly, kicked off her shoes, and padded barefoot toward the bedroom.
“You should wear some slippers! The floor’s cold; you’ll catch a cold!” he called after her.
“Not wearing them!”
Drowning in her own gloom, she knew it wasn’t fair to take it out on Chen Yao, but her tone was like a raging bull.
She pushed open the bedroom door and was taken aback to find Auntie cleaning in there.
Her face briefly panicked before she quickly composed herself and stammered, “Auntie, aren’t you going to the shop today?”
“If you’re here, I certainly have to take care of you at home!” Auntie looked up with her usual warm smile. “What’s wrong? Feeling down?”
“A bit, I guess…” Lin Nan sighed softly.
Auntie set aside the broom, straightened up, her eyes full of concern. “Want to talk about it?”
“I’ve lived for more than forty years; I could potentially have a solution for you,” she patted the bed beside her. “Come sit and tell me.”
For reasons unknown, Lin Nan felt her mood settle a bit at Auntie’s words.
She obediently sat next to Auntie, and Chen Yao strolled into the room, plopping into the computer chair, propping his legs up, ready to hear all about Lin Nan’s outing.
But as soon as Chen Yao settled in, Auntie shot him a glare; the warmth vanished in an instant. “Sit properly, will you?”
“Why do you have to be so picky at home…” Chen Yao sighed, lowering his feet.
Then Lin Nan began recounting the events of the day. It wasn’t a long story, and it wasn’t complicated; within minutes, she had painted the picture.
Auntie was a great listener, maintaining her silence while Lin Nan spoke, her head tilted slightly, fully focused.
“So, because of his ex-wife, his daughter absolutely refuses to let them get married, and your mom has to consider her own feelings too. If they can’t get married, she might even consider breaking up?” Auntie pondered for a moment. “Does your mom really like that uncle?”
Lin Nan recalled her mother’s smile when she met the uncle and nodded. “She seems to like him; he treats her well…”
At least Lin Nan had never seen her mother show that kind of sincere smile to anyone else.
It felt odd to be considering divorce before marriage had even started. After all, marriage meant spending a lifetime with someone else.
“The real problem is sorting out Liu Ying’s feelings,” Auntie said, looking slightly troubled herself.
It’s said that even the best judges can’t resolve family matters, and Auntie wasn’t a judge—she just owned a restaurant and had seen more than the average person.
Lin Nan couldn’t help but say, “But how can we resolve it?”
“Just promise no divorce,” Chen Yao chimed in.
“But who can guarantee that? Who knows what could happen in a few years? What if the uncle gets involved with something shady? Can they not get a divorce then?”
“Then sign an agreement?” Chen Yao suggested again.
That made it sound like marriage was a business deal.
Lin Nan didn’t respond, just sighed dramatically, frowning.
As it was, Chen Yao and Lin Nan weren’t married, which still left them as two separate families. Auntie couldn’t directly meddle in the situation; she could only offer some advice or suggestions.
But none seemed feasible.
“Don’t worry; your mom’s over forty, she has her own considerations,” Auntie said, ruffling Lin Nan’s hair. “Just don’t fret too much.”
“Okay…”
That logic made sense.
It was just hard to stop worrying.
“I’ll make you some dessert, and later I’ll chat with your mom about the engagement thing,” Auntie cheerfully turned the subject.
Mentioning that, Lin Nan, who had only just been anxious about her mom, felt her face heat up a tad. She shyly looked down, stammering, “Isn’t this a bit too soon?”
“You two are already living together; what’s the rush?” Auntie chuckled. “Besides, you both have Monday and Tuesday off; why not get the engagement sorted in the next few days?”
She shook her head vigorously. “Isn’t that too quick? Shouldn’t such things be discussed for a long time?”
“Auntie is also looking out for you, so Chen Yao doesn’t run off with someone else later. Getting engaged will give him pause if he sees other pretty girls,” Auntie added.
Chen Yao immediately objected, “Mom! Am I that kind of person?”
“Exactly, he wouldn’t dare,” Lin Nan agreed enthusiastically with him.
“What do you mean wouldn’t dare?”
Lin Nan smiled sweetly at him, but Chen Yao shivered. The nearly six-foot-tall man quickly backpedaled.
“I wouldn’t do that even if I had the courage of a lion!”
I’m only timid around Lin Nan because I like her, not because I’m afraid, yes.
“If you do, I’ll break your legs first!” Auntie shot him a glare.
If she didn’t use the engagement to secure Lin Nan first, what if that silly girl found a better guy later on?
Auntie stood up to make dessert. As she passed by Chen Yao, she playfully slapped the back of his head before leaving the room, satisfied.
Her child wasn’t that impressive, but thankfully, he snagged a great daughter-in-law like Lin Nan.
Who knows how many lifetimes of good fortune it took to earn that.
Once she left, the bedroom fell silent, and after a while, Lin Nan suddenly asked, “If in the future, a girl who’s prettier, has a better figure, and is nicer than me likes you…”
This was a deadly question!
Chen Yao’s eyes widened in shock, and without much thought, he responded firmly, “Even if that girl climbed into bed n*ked to tempt me, I’d run away! I’d be as immovable as a mountain!”
“You actually let her crawl onto your bed?! n*ked?!”
“???”
Lin Nan thought for a moment, a mischievous smile creeping onto her face. “If both me and your mom fell into the water and couldn’t swim, who would you save first?”
Where did you even learn all these deadly questions?!
