yasinovel Chapter 533 - 521: The Responsibility of a Man!
Chapter 533 - 521: The Responsibility of a Man!
"I agree to this marriage proposal!"
The words echoed in her ears, and Jiang Yino’s face flushed scarlet. Her once pale, bloodless cheeks were now burning hot. All the grievances and pain she had felt just moments before seemed to vanish like smoke with Ji Yi’s self-introduction.
"You said you’re Qin Fan’s older sister?" Jiang Yino asked shyly, her face still burning.
Thinking back on what she had said before, she desperately wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"Yes! Come on, relax! Don’t be nervous or hold back! I’m Qin Fan’s big sister, which means I’m your big sister, too! Come on, give your big sister a hug first!"
Sensing Jiang Yino’s overwhelming embarrassment, Ji Yi laughed. With her high emotional intelligence, she opened her arms and embraced Jiang Yino.
"Big Sister, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know about your relationship with Qin Fan. I thought... I thought—"
Jiang Yino couldn’t continue. The more she spoke, the hotter her face became.
"You thought what? That I was Qin Fan’s girlfriend? HAHA! Even if he wanted me to be, I wouldn’t agree. I have no desire to be his lover and his mother! You young people have your own ways of living. I’m getting old and can’t keep up with your rhythm!" Ji Yi laughed heartily, shedding any pretense of ladylike decorum.
"No, Big Sister, you’re still young! How can you say you’re old? You look like you’re only twenty!" Jiang Yino eagerly replied.
"Twenty? HAHA! Yinuo, your Big Sister loves to hear that! But I was twenty three years ago! It won’t be long before I’m past my prime. So, Yinuo, you have to cherish these years. Youth is for going crazy, for breaking the rules. All this talk about avoiding puppy love is complete nonsense! The most beautiful time in a person’s life is during their first love. That love is uniquely pure and it’s a part of life that is worth treasuring forever! Unfortunately, back then, your Big Sister wouldn’t even spare the school heartthrob a glance. Now, in the blink of an eye, several years have passed, and these hands of mine still haven’t found their fated one to hold. Alas, what a failed, failed life!"
Releasing Jiang Yino, Ji Yi sighed, looking down at her own hands in exasperation.
Although much of her speech was a ploy to encourage Jiang Yino to lower her guard around Qin Fan, the last part was a heartfelt lament.
It was true. Even now, at twenty-three, Ji Yi had yet to experience her first kiss, let alone her first love. She was still waiting for a fated partner who was truly right for her. For Big Sister, her motto had always been that she would rather have nothing than settle for less. Because of this, she had rejected enough men to form a line from here to Shanghai’s Huangpu River. It wasn’t that her standards were impossibly high, but that the spark she was looking for never materialized with any of her suitors.
Even the spoiled scions of Beijing were mere playthings in the palm of her hand, which gives you an idea of just how popular she was!
"Then, Big Sister, do you need me to play matchmaker and introduce you to someone?"
Just as Ji Yi finished her lament, Qin Fan’s voice drifted leisurely from behind her.
"Oh, for crying out loud! When are you going to change this habit of walking without making a sound?"
Her pensive mood was shattered by Qin Fan’s sudden appearance. Startled, Ji Yi clutched her chest and cried out.
Responding to her outburst with a noncommittal smile, Qin Fan simply said, "I’m used to it."
Used to it? Yes, he was used to it.
Hearing those words, Ji Yi felt an inexplicable pang in her heart, and her lighthearted demeanor vanished.
Although Qin Fan had only said three simple words, she knew what he meant. He was used to the days in the Qin household when he had to walk silently. It wasn’t just him; even Uncle Qin and Aunt Wei had to tread lightly. Walking too loudly would earn them scathing reprimands from other members of the Qin family, and sometimes even a slap.
As this memory surfaced, Ji Yi’s face filled with guilt and self-reproach for having touched upon such a sore subject. "Fan, I’m sorry!"
"Sorry for what? Big Sister, you’re overthinking it!" Qin Fan brushed it off with a lighthearted laugh.
He wasn’t referring to getting used to those days in the Qin household. He meant he had grown accustomed to it during his time on the Cangqiong Continent. As a Cultivator just one step away from becoming an Ascension Immortal, making noise while walking would have been an absolute joke.
However, Ji Yi didn’t understand this. She only thought that she had unintentionally brought up Qin Fan’s painful past.
But seeing his genuinely unconcerned smile, she finally let out a sigh of relief and changed the subject. "Ahem, anyway, Fan, since the interview with your classmate Yinuo is done, I won’t disturb you two lovebirds any longer. I have some things to take care of, but I’ll come find you another day to catch up! Also, I’ve paved the way for you. I’ve said what needed to be said and been as direct as you needed me to be. Whether or not you can win the beauty’s heart, and when, is all up to you now! Hehe! I’m off!"
With that, Ji Yi gave them a playful wink before striding away with a wave.
"Big Sister, you can’t be serious! We’ve only just reunited, and you’re leaving already?" Qin Fan called after her.
"Alright, alright, remember, you’re not the same Fan anymore, so stop trying to follow me around like a lost puppy! In short, I won’t interfere too much and cramp your style.
"Besides, I really do have things to do! Two of my companions are waiting to meet up with me; you know that! Go on and spend some quality time with our Yinuo. And let me tell you, if you make Yinuo feel the slightest bit wronged, you’ll have me to answer to!"
Throwing out a mock threat, Ji Yi waved again and walked away, laughing.
Just as Qin Fan was about to call out again, she seemed to read his mind and said with her back still to him, "No need to see me off! You’re a hazard on the road without a driver’s license, so don’t come bothering your Big Sister! Using Didi for a ride is so convenient these days!"
Faced with Ji Yi’s firm attitude, Qin Fan smacked his lips and shook his head helplessly.
How could he not understand his Big Sister’s personality? Once she made up her mind, anything more he said would just be empty words.
With that thought, he gave up trying to call her back and simply watched as she gradually disappeared from sight.
"Qin Fan, I’m sorry, I—I misunderstood you two!" Jiang Yino said, finally looking away from where Ji Yi had departed. She lowered her head, her voice thick with embarrassment.
"Misunderstood? Misunderstood what?" Qin Fan immediately played dumb.
"N-Nothing!" Jiang Yino said, her eyes darting away. She found the words genuinely hard to say.
"You didn’t think Big Sister and I had something going on, did you?" Qin Fan asked, feigning an exaggerated tone, having already overheard their entire conversation.
His comment only made Jiang Yino’s pretty face flush an even deeper shade of pink.
"Yinuo, Yinuo, do you really have so little faith in my character? I told you before, you will be the only woman for me in this lifetime, and that will never change. Don’t think I’m boasting, but I pride myself on one virtue in particular: I am a man of my word. Whatever I, Qin Fan, say, I will back it up with a man’s sense of responsibility!"
With that, Qin Fan decisively took Jiang Yino’s hand in his.