This old man has some wisdom—I really underestimated him before.
"I get it now. I was so focused on treating Luo Yao perfectly that I overthought everything. What she really needs isn’t my cautiousness, but for me to love her freely and boldly."
It felt like he had grasped something crucial, as if his perspective had suddenly elevated.
"So that’s how it is. Uncle Fu, I see you’ve got some depth to you."
Uncle Fu smiled. It wasn’t that he understood better—he just had a clearer view as an outsider.
"Young Master Lin, wanting to love Miss Luo so much isn’t a bad thing. I’m truly relieved you’ve made the right choice in the end."
Lin Ran fell silent. Had he made the right choice?
No.
He hadn’t made a choice at all.
"It’s not that I chose to love her—my heart won’t allow me not to. That’s the truth of how I feel.""I love being close to Yao Yao. I adore every part of her. I love how she loves me, and I love how it feels to love her. Only by loving her can I be happy. Only by loving her can I keep living..."
"Stop, stop, enough! This old man can’t take such cheesy talk. Save these words for Miss Luo."
Uncle Fu had endured plenty of sweet moments between Lin Ran and Luo Yao, but even he shuddered at Lin Ran’s relentless declarations of love.
Lin Ran leaned back in his chair and gazed at the stars.
The city lights of Shanghai were bright, dimming the stars, but Lin Ran could still make out their faint glimmer through the night.
So this was how beautiful the night sky could be.
Even if the stars weren’t dazzling, it was still breathtaking.
"I’ll tell her. The rest of my life belongs to her alone."
At that moment, inside the villa, a figure stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. A single tear silently escaped.
"So… A-Ran really does love me this much…"
Did Luo Yao know she was an intensely possessive woman?
Of course she did.
But that possessiveness was reserved solely for Lin Ran.
For everything else, she couldn’t care less.
She had no interest in money, but because Lin Ran liked it, she worked tirelessly to earn it—even if it meant climbing over the entire Luo family to get it.
Luo Yao’s success today was inseparable from Lin Ran’s past words. She made money just to win his affection.
Because once, Lin Ran had joked, "When we grow up, give me half of what you earn."
And Luo Yao had replied, "I’ll give you all of it."
She had no desire for the title of family head, but to survive—to keep Lin Ran—she had to claim that position.
Her entire life had been lived for Lin Ran.
So her possessiveness toward him was justified, rooted in reason.
Yet when she stood before him, this man had rejected her. That was something Luo Yao couldn’t accept.
So she wanted to lock him away, possess him, even torment him.
Later, Lin Ran truly changed for the better.
During this time, Luo Yao had countless nightmares where the "reformed" Lin Ran would suddenly tear off his mask and sneer, "It was all an act."
That was her deepest fear.
Now, she was finally certain—her A-Ran had truly changed. He truly loved her and would never revert.
At this thought, Luo Yao let her tears flow freely.
Looking down at the teardrops on the floor, she smiled—a radiant, breathtaking smile.
If Lin Ran had turned around then, he would have witnessed a scene of heartbreaking beauty: "You smiled at me through tears." A masterpiece no artist could ever capture.
Without disturbing the two outside, Luo Yao quietly retreated to her bedroom, her heart overflowing with joy.
Pure, unadulterated happiness.
Meanwhile, the old man and the young man in the garden remained oblivious to her presence.
Lin Ran suddenly looked up at Uncle Fu. "Earlier, I did all the talking. You still haven’t told me why you sighed."
Uncle Fu closed his eyes, refusing to answer. Lin Ran’s eyes gleamed as he pulled out his phone.
"Let me show you something interesting."
When Uncle Fu saw the photos Lin Ran had sent—images of him and Jiang Feihua—his composure shattered.
"Young Master Lin, why would you do this? These photos are completely taken out of context! Our interaction was perfectly normal, but your framing makes it look questionable!"
Lin Ran smirked, relishing Uncle Fu’s rare moment of fluster.
"Just a casual snapshot. Why so nervous, Uncle Fu? Scared?"
Uncle Fu lowered his voice to a growl. "This was no casual snapshot! What exactly are you planning?"
"Me? Right now, I just want to know why you sighed."
Uncle Fu paused, hesitant. "You said 'this time'… Does that mean you’ll keep using these photos to blackmail me?"
Lin Ran feigned innocence, his expression a mix of righteousness and mock sorrow.
"I feel so guilty, you know? After all these years knowing Granny Wang, I’ve kept this 'evidence' from her. Can you imagine my torment?"
He wiped away nonexistent tears, though a closer look would reveal his suppressed laughter.
"Burdened by such guilt, yet I can’t even hear a simple story. Does that seem fair?"
Watching Uncle Fu’s twitching lips, Lin Ran swelled with satisfaction.
Then, he delivered the final blow.
"After all… you wouldn’t want the person you love to see what I have here, would you?"
Uncle Fu’s face darkened. He had underestimated Lin Ran—his cunning, most of all.
In an instant, his expression shifted to obsequious cheer.
"Ha! Is that all? Such a small request—of course, of course!"
Surrender came swiftly. Lin Ran had seized Uncle Fu’s weakness.
"The reason I’m out here so late is that I’ve been thinking of Dahua. Remembering all the hardships she’s endured over the years… it just weighs on my heart."
"That’s it?"
"That’s it."
Lin Ran raised his phone. "Then I suppose these photos aren’t the only ones I have."
Uncle Fu panicked. "Wait! Young Master Lin, since when did you learn to blackmail people? Earlier, I said you’d changed—surely you’re not regressing in character too?"
"Whether I ‘regress’ depends on whether you’re telling the truth."
Realizing he couldn’t deceive Lin Ran, Uncle Fu sighed.
"Fine, I’ll say it. I’m afraid Dahua will reject my proposal."New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
This time, it was Lin Ran’s turn to be stunned.
"Oh my god. Talk about being blind in your own affairs! Here you were lecturing me, yet you’re the one stuck in confusion."
"Let me ask you: if Granny Wang rejects you, what do you actually lose?"
Uncle Fu pondered. "My pride, maybe?"
Lin Ran rolled his eyes dramatically. "In matters of love, pride is worth less than a worn-out shoe insole to us men. Besides pride, what else?"
"Nothing, then."