第19章 預謀提親19 Plotting a Formal Proposal

she got serious, there was an intimidating aura about her."I... I was taken away by my mother, later... Later I separated from my mother..." Yan Luoxi was pushed to the brink and told a poor lie with...Chapter 19: A Calculated Proposal

Sitting by the sofa, Li Yi, with his cold and rational nature, could tell that what Li An said came from deep contemplation.

Li Yi sighed inwardly. This clever little brother of mine is too cunning and cynical, playing mind games with everyone, making it hard for anyone to see through him, hence he ends up tripping himself when he’s most sincere about a woman.

No matter what Li An's intentions were, Li Haonan was finally convinced by his words.

Li Haonan remained silent for several seconds before raising his head and looking at his son with an indescribable expression. He eventually let out a sigh.

This child of Li An had always lived very self-centeredly, valuing his own feelings above all else, unwilling to be open with others, making it easy for women to feel insecure around him. But now, even after being severely beaten, he still insisted on marrying Yan Luoxi. Li Haonan believed this could not be a hasty decision but rather a clear stance, marking the transition from boyhood to manhood.

Even if his actions were somewhat extreme, his intentions were good. He had finally started living with a sense of responsibility. Whether male or female, one must have a strong sense of duty towards society and family to live a meaningful life.

When children grow up and want to marry, fathers naturally need to support them.

Li Haonan's expression was very serious as he asked professionally, like a priest at an altar, "Li An, are you now certain that your feelings for Yan Luoxi are genuine Are you ready to settle down with her and live a stable life without causing trouble outside or flirting around Can you have the courage to leave behind your previous reckless and free-roaming days"

"Dad, I have the courage. I will give up on the outside world and spend my life with Yan Luoxi."

Liyang's tone was clear and solemn, his dark eyes shining brightly.

The way he answered reminded Liyi of a groom taking an oath on a cross, making him feel nervous and almost too afraid to look at Liyang’s serious face.

His foolish little brother was willing to spend the rest of his life with one woman, forsaking the world outside. Was it worth it

Liyi didn't hear Lihao Nan's thoughts but he was very pleased with how his youngest son acted. He saw the sincerity in Liyang’s eyes and felt moved.

Although Liyang had many flaws, at least now he resembled him, being faithful and loyal.

"Alright, Liyang. Remember what you just said and dad will take care of arranging your marriage for you. If Yan Luoxi agrees to marry you, you must treat her well and cherish her; don't let down dad's face."

When he heard his father agree, Liyang jumped up in happiness, thanking his father profusely. "Thank you, Dad! You’re my good Dad; you love me the most..."

"Alright, enough of that flattery. Get a servant to prepare dinner because Mom must be hungry. I’ll go get her."

"Dad, aren’t you going to arrange our marriage" Liyang frowned anxiously.

"How did you suddenly become so stupid!" Li Haonan angrily hit Li An, saying, "You can't rush things. With the current tense atmosphere, Lanxi has been startled by your actions. Let's first have a good meal to ease her mood. If we create a harmonious atmosphere, she might agree without me having to propose formally!"

Lianan chuckled and rubbed his nose, saying, "Yeah, old ginger is still spicier than young ones!" His expression suggested that he thought Yan Luoxi had already agreed, and the sweetness of honey seemed to flow through his heart.

Gu Xiaobei was thrown into confusion by what happened with the three men in the villa. She pulled Yan Luoxi and walked distractedly around the garden without paying attention to the scenery along the way.

Yan Luoxi knew that everything happening today was because of her, which made her very uneasy and self-reproaching.

Having lost both parents in her early years, she was particularly adept at reading people's expressions. Seeing Gu Xiaobei looking gloomy, she took a deep breath and sincerely said, "Auntie Xiaobei, today’s trouble is all my fault. I’ve caused everyone to worry."

Gu Xiaobei snapped out of her reverie when she heard Yan Luoxi's words.

She had been spoiled by Li Haonan over the years and let her emotions run wild, only caring about herself, forgetting how her actions affected others, especially a little girl like Yan Luoxi.

In this situation, she felt guilty and self-reproaching. But compared to herself, Yan Luoxi must have had even more feelings of being hurt or wronged. She realized that the gloomy expression on her face would make it hard for the young girl to think clearly!

Gu Xiaobei was originally a generous and straightforward person; however, these sudden events had confused her. Realizing she had acted out of character, she hated herself and rubbed her face hard to force a cheerful smile. "Luoxi, Auntie doesn’t blame you at all. It’s those nasty men we should be blaming."

Yan Luoxi was too shocked to be relieved by Gu Xiaobei's simple words. She remained fearful and anxious, managing only a weak smile.

Gu Xiaobei lifted her face, smiling brightly, trying to emanate a sun-like warmth to comfort her, "Luoxi, the initial wrongdoing in this matter was entirely Li An and Li Yi; it has nothing to do with you. Auntie Xiaobei and Uncle Li are not unreasonable people. We don't blame you at all."

Yan Luoxi nodded slightly.

Gu Xiaobei held Yan Luoxi's hand, and the two sat side by side on a swing in the garden. She turned her head to look at this fair-skinned girl who seemed fearful and anxious; she saw herself from long ago reflected back at her.

She gently patted Yan Luoxi's hand, sighing almost imperceptibly, "Luoxi, don't think too much about things. Overthinking only hurts yourself. As the saying goes, when the boat reaches the bridge, it will turn naturally. No matter how difficult a problem is, there will always be a day when the clouds part and the fog clears."

From Gu Xiaobei's genuine and unaffected actions, Yan Luoxi could feel her true care for her. Looking at Gu Xiaobei's beautiful smile, which was particularly infectious in its openness, she felt her own mood lifting slowly.

Resting against the warmth of Gu Xiaobei’s body, Yan Luoxi couldn’t help but recall Voltaire's praise for a beauty: "You have incomparable beauty and divine grace; even trivial matters become enchanting when you handle them." This description suited Gu Xiaobei perfectly.

Gu Xiaobei stroked Yan Luoxi’s hair with tenderness, saying softly, "Come on, Luoxi. Tell Auntie Xiaobei what happened after you left the Li family It's all that rascal Li Yi's fault for telling me he had taken you away from your mother and kept us apart for so many years!"

The hard times Yan Luoxi endured in those years were never spoken of to outsiders. Generally speaking, no matter how deep or tragic the story might be, if one is not concerned about someone, hearing their tale will have little effect; hence she chose silence. cannot easily change. As soon as Xu Liping started talking about beauty, she couldn't stop herself and rambled on endlessly.Yan Luoxi wasn’t interested in this topic. Her eyes sparkled with a mischie...