As soon as Lin Qingyun entered the small courtyard, she was taken aback. The environment was far beyond her expectations.
"Is this your house?" Lin Qingyun asked, looking around.
"Yeah. What's wrong?"
Lin Qingyun shook her head without voicing her thoughts. She hadn't expected to find such an old and dilapidated place in this bustling city.
Glancing at Zhao Dong, she sighed softly. The two of them should have belonged to two separate worlds, with no intersection whatsoever. Who could have imagined what happened last night...?
Finally, Lin Qingyun bit her lip and said, "Can we step outside to talk?"
Zhao Dong glanced at Lin Qingyun, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.
Suddenly, the voice of his mother, Zhang Cuimei, came from the kitchen. "Dongzi, who are you talking to?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Cuimei walked out. The moment she saw Lin Qingyun, she froze, her eyes filled with surprise. How could such a beautiful young woman appear here? And her appearance, her attire... she looks like a celebrity from television, so beautiful it's hard to look directly at her.
"Xiaodong, who is this young lady?"
Zhao Dong felt awkward, unsure of how to introduce Lin Qingyun. "Mom," he said awkwardly, "she's... my friend."
"A friend?" Zhang Cuimei looked at Lin Qingyun, a meaningful smile appearing on her face. Would a mere friend come to a place like this? Could she possibly be my son's girlfriend?
Zhang Cuimei immediately beamed with joy and called into the house, "Old man! Hurry out, we have a guest!"
With that, Zhang Cuimei walked up to Lin Qingyun, grasped her hand tightly, and said excitedly, "Miss, please come inside and sit! I've just made some dumplings. You must try my cooking!"
Lin Qingyun felt awkward and hurriedly declined, "Auntie, thank you, but no. I came to discuss something with Zhao Dong."
"It's almost noon. Whatever it is can wait until after lunch. Come in and sit down!"
Without another word, Zhang Cuimei enthusiastically pulled Lin Qingyun toward the house.
Zhao Dong was incredibly embarrassed and quickly interjected, "Mom, she really is here on important business. Please let her go."
Zhang Cuimei frowned. "You child! What could be more important than eating? We can't have a guest in our home and not even offer her a meal. Whatever it is, it can wait until after we've eaten!"
Zhao Dong looked at Lin Qingyun and gave a wry smile. "So... how about trying my mom's dumplings? They really are quite delicious."
Lin Qingyun glared at Zhao Dong, wanting to refuse, but Zhang Cuimei was so enthusiastic that she had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
As they walked into the house, Zhao Kangyou came out, limping and leaning on a crutch.
When he saw Lin Qingyun, he too was shocked. How could such a beautiful girl exist in this world?
Zhang Cuimei secretly gave Zhao Kangyou a knowing look. He immediately understood and smiled. "Miss, please, come in and sit down. Make yourself at home. Your auntie and I will go get the dumplings."
The elderly couple left the room, leaving Zhao Dong and Lin Qingyun alone.
Lin Qingyun silently found a stool and sat down. Zhao Dong coughed and said, "Please don't mind them. My parents are simple, honest people, and we don't get guests often, so they can be a bit over-enthusiastic."
Lin Qingyun glanced at him but said nothing.
Zhao Dong glanced back at her. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Lin Qingyun replied, "Just look at the news on your phone. I don't want to say it."
Zhao Dong looked at her skeptically, then took out his phone and opened a news app. His expression changed after reading for just a few moments. He scrolled through several more articles, then shut off his phone and sighed. "I never expected things to develop like this. I'm truly sorry."
Lin Qingyun responded coldly, "An apology is useless. What I need now is a solution!"
"How do you want to solve this? I'll do anything I can to help."
Lin Qingyun looked at Zhao Dong and sighed softly. "There's only one way. Marry me."
Zhao Dong was stunned. Marriage?
Before he could process it, Zhang Cuimei and Zhao Kangyou returned with the dumplings. Zhang Cuimei smiled and said, "The dumplings are ready! Miss, eat them while they're hot!"
Seeing that neither Zhao Dong nor Lin Qingyun moved, Zhang Cuimei asked curiously, "Xiaodong, what were you two just talking about?"
Zhao Dong, still reeling from the shock, mumbled, "Nothing."
Lin Qingyun gave him a profound look but said no more, giving him time to consider.
They all sat at the table, Zhang Cuimei and Zhao Kangyou beaming. Lin Qingyun had stunning features and spoke eloquently, and her attire suggested she came from a wealthy family. At that moment, the elderly couple was simply elated. If she's really our son's girlfriend, the Zhao family's ancestors must be smiling down on us!
Only Zhao Dong remained silent. Marry Lin Qingyun? He let out a bitter laugh. It's absurd. A marriage with no emotional foundation, just based on a single, mysterious one-night stand? He couldn't do it. How could marriage be treated like a game?
He glanced at Lin Qingyun. Her features were as exquisite as a painting, her delicate and perfect facial features so beautiful they could leave one in a daze. She was truly worthy of her title as the number one beauty of East Sea.
For an instant, Zhao Dong's heart stirred. Who wouldn't be interested in such a beautiful and wealthy woman? But I've already been diagnosed with leukemia. I only have two or three months left to live. If I really marry her now, it would shield her from the public outcry, but what about in two months? Once my time is up, she'll be known as a young widow. That would undoubtedly be an even bigger blow. Besides, I just want to spend my final days with my parents. I really don't have the time to get tangled up in her mess...
After the meal, Zhao Dong and Lin Qingyun left the small courtyard and walked to a nearby riverbank.
By the river, Lin Qingyun said coolly, "You've considered it, right? Bring your household registration book. We're going to get our marriage certificate now." She was confident Zhao Dong wouldn't refuse. No man could possibly refuse her.
However, Zhao Dong remained silent. After a moment, he slowly uttered a few words, "I'm sorry. I can't agree to that request."
Lin Qingyun's body trembled, her face turning deathly pale. "What did you say?"
"I said I can't marry you. I can agree to any other solution, just not this one."
Lin Qingyun's emotions suddenly flared. "But this is the only way to solve this!"
Zhao Dong was silent.
Lin Qingyun's chest heaved violently. Through clenched teeth, she forced out each word, "Zhao Dong, are you playing hard to get with me? You're just a discharged soldier, and I am Lin Qingyun, the president of Lin's Qingyan Group. Do you have any idea how many men in East Sea are pursuing me? I am offering to marry you, and you're refusing?"
"What gives you the right to refuse me? Why are you refusing?!"
Lin Qingyun trembled with anger.
Zhao Dong exhaled a puff of smoke. "There's no why," he finally said. "I just can't marry you. I'm sorry."
"Zhao Dong, you bastard! You're not human!" Lin Qingyun's eyes reddened as two streams of clear tears rolled down her cheeks. To have my virtue taken by such a lowly man was one thing, but to be rejected after I humbled myself enough to propose marriage? For a woman, this was the most humiliating thing in the world!
Zhao Dong sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. One day, you'll understand."
With that, Zhao Dong turned and walked away without looking back. Lin Qingyun could no longer hold it in. She squatted down, buried her face in her hands, and began to sob quietly.
Finally, she wiped away her tears and stood up. With red eyes, she stared at the small courtyard in the distance.
"Zhao Dong... you don't have the right to refuse me. Just you wait!"
Zhao Dong returned to the courtyard and sat smoking in silence, the pile of cigarette butts at his feet growing. He was feeling melancholic when, suddenly, his head began to spin. Waves of pain washed over him—a sign that the cancer cells were spreading.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His face turned ashen, and his entire body began to tremble from the pain.
He tried to prop himself up, wanting to go inside and rest. He staggered to his feet and swayed toward the small house.
As he reached the door, his legs suddenly gave out. He lost his balance and fell into a pile of clutter beside the house.
From the pile of clutter, a yellowed, ancient book landed right in front of him!
Zhao Dong was startled. As he looked at the ancient book, a strange, inexplicable feeling washed over him.
Enduring the pain, Zhao Dong curiously opened the ancient book. The next second, his expression changed dramatically