Chapter 542: Candidly in Love

After Master Li finished speaking, every gaze at the table converged upon Zhu Ping’an. Most of all, Master Li himself stared him down with a murderous air—one that seemed to say that if Zhu Ping’an dared utter even half a word of refusal, a single slap would be enough to “humanely eliminate” him on the spot.

“I would.”

Zhu Ping’an, quick to read the situation, answered obediently.

Master Li nodded in satisfaction. Then, with his greasy palm, he pressed hard on Zhu Ping’an’s shoulder and gave it two firm pats before continuing, “Good. You said it yourself. If you ever wrong my Shu’er in the future, I’ll make sure you live up to those words.”

Cough, cough—

Zhu Ping’an nodded repeatedly, nearly jolted by the force of those heavy pats.

He understood perfectly well what Master Li meant. A threat this thick with killing intent was impossible to misinterpret.

“But tell me,” Master Li went on, his words slurring with drink, “just what is it about you that’s so good? How did you manage to catch my girl’s eye? So many noble young masters she ignored, yet she insists on marrying you! If not for Shu’er’s stubbornness, I would never have agreed.”

Reeking of alcohol, Master Li began to grumble openly. In his eyes, Zhu Ping’an was simply not worthy of his treasured daughter. Yes, he had achieved the top rank in the imperial examinations—but he came from a humble farming background, with shallow roots. His future in officialdom would be difficult, fraught with constraints and obstacles at every turn. If his precious daughter married him, she would inevitably suffer alongside him.

If not for Shu’er crying and making a scene—smashing vases, shattering jade ornaments, even threatening to cut off her hair and become a nun—he would have never consented.

Perhaps because he had drunk too much, Master Li let slip this deeply private matter: this marriage had not been his choice at all—it was Li Shu who had insisted upon it.

Zhu Ping’an, however, was not particularly surprised.

Ever since that time on the island, when he had come to understand Li Shu’s feelings, he had already guessed as much. Especially considering how Master Li had constantly found fault with him—this only confirmed his earlier suspicions.

Zhu Ping’an remained calm.

But Li Shu… was anything but.

For something like this to be exposed in front of everyone—especially in front of Zhu Ping’an himself—was utterly unbearable for someone as proud and tsundere as her.

Hadn’t she always called him a toad lusting after swan’s flesh?

Hadn’t she mocked him as a stinky toad, a wretched toad, looking down on him with lofty disdain?

Hadn’t she always claimed that this marriage was forced upon her by parental command and matchmaker’s words—that she had no choice but to accept it?

Hadn’t she always—

But now?

With just a few drunken words from her father, everything had been overturned.

If she called him a toad, a shameless toad reaching for a swan… yet cried and insisted on marrying him—

Then what did that make her?

And all those times she had pretended reluctance in front of Zhu Ping’an, acting as though she had no choice but to marry him—now he knew the truth. That it had been her who forced her father to agree.

There was no face left.

How could she ever stand before Zhu Ping’an again?

“Father!!”

Li Shu puffed out her cheeks, glaring fiercely at Master Li as she let out an indignant cry. A blush spread rapidly across her delicate face.

With that single exclamation—

She stomped her slender foot in embarrassment and anger, raised her small hand to cover her flushed cheeks, shoved aside the maid beside her, and fled the room—half hiding her face, half unable to bear the humiliation.

“Shu’er?” Master Li froze, sobering slightly in his shock.

“Miss! Miss!” the bun-faced maid and the other servant girls called out anxiously, scrambling to follow after her.

“I’ll go.”

Zhu Ping’an moved faster than all of them. Before the maids could even react, he had already risen and chased after Li Shu. As he passed them, he left behind a brief word, then quickened his pace, following the direction she had run.

He knew Li Shu’s proud temperament all too well—at a time like this, the fewer people around her, the better.

Following her retreating figure, Zhu Ping’an hurried out.

“Sigh… Father, Little Sister cares about her pride more than anything,” the second brother of the Li family said, shaking his head. Then, watching Zhu Ping’an’s departing figure, he curled his lips slightly into a faint smile. “Though perhaps… a blessing in disguise.”

“What do you mean?” the third brother asked, utterly baffled.

“Figure it out yourself.” The second brother cast him a sidelong glance and shook his head with a teasing smile.

The third brother scratched his head, still completely lost.

“Men chasing women is like crossing mountains. Women chasing men… is like a veil of gauze. This time, our brother-in-law is completely in Little Sister’s hands.”

—

Zhu Ping’an moved quickly and soon caught up with Li Shu.

He found her in the Li family garden—a place lush with verdant trees and blooming flowers. The air was thick with fragrance, and aside from the two of them, there was no one else in sight.

“What are you doing here?!” Li Shu’s face was flushed crimson, her expression a mix of embarrassment and anger as she bared her small tiger-like teeth at him.

“I—” Zhu Ping’an had just begun to speak when she cut him off.

“Did you come to laugh at me?!” she demanded, her cheeks puffed up as she glared at him. Her large, watery eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her voice cold yet trembling with humiliation.

“What are you talking about?” Zhu Ping’an frowned slightly.

“Don’t pretend!” Li Shu snapped. “If you want to laugh, then laugh! You must be laughing your heart out inside already. Go on, laugh! Just think of all those years I spent feeding a thankless wolf!

Yes! I like you! I like you, I like you—you stupid toad! Acting all noble and aloof—are you satisfied now?!

I’m shameless! I like you! Are you satisfied?! Go on—laugh if you want!”

Like an agitated little fighting cock, Li Shu stood amidst the greenery and blossoms, her cheeks flushed, her voice rising into a near hysterical cry. Even the hairpin in her coiffure had loosened from her agitation.

The proud, willful young lady—

Now looked so helpless.

It was the first time Zhu Ping’an had ever seen Li Shu like this—so undone, so vulnerable.

And then—

Tears began to fall.

He could almost hear the soft sound of a tear slipping from her bright, trembling eyes, striking her flushed cheek like a bead of jade falling onto a polished plate—clear, delicate, and heartbreakingly vivid.

Her tearful gaze carried both fragility and pain.

That single tear pierced straight through Zhu Ping’an’s heart, sinking deep into its core.

“All right… no one’s laughing at you.”

Zhu Ping’an stepped forward, opened his arms, and pulled her into a tight embrace. He held her close, pressing her face gently against his chest as he spoke in a soft, comforting voice.

At first, Li Shu struggled in his arms, twisting angrily as she tried to break free. But after a few moments, her resistance faded. She quieted, allowing herself to be held, her cheek resting against his chest as she closed her eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

“It’s all your fault! All your fault! All your fault!”

After a few seconds, Li Shu suddenly raised her small fists and pounded against his chest several times. Then, opening her mouth, she bit down hard—leaving a deep imprint of her teeth against him.