"Jian Ge, I heard you went on a date," Xu Mey pretended like it was a casual question but she was not being casual at all. She looked more like a woman looking for gossips.
"I wonder who's your informer. You're always up-to-date." He Jian answered in a free and easy way.
"I'm the Crown Queen, Ms. Know-it-all. Have to make an effort to keep this position." Xu Mey answered cheekily.
He Jian chuckled gently but didn't say anything.
"So...? Don't tell me you are being pressurized into this relationship," Xu Mey immediately became serious.
"They can pressurize me for the date but they can't make me say yes for the marriage." He Jian also answered in a serious way. "Also, I've only decided to give it a try. She seems like a nice girl."
"Does she now? How come she managed to impress you so soon?" Xu Mey's curiosity piqued.
"I asked her a question and... Let's say she bought me over with her answer." His face had a slight smile on it which surprised Xu Mey.
"What did she say?"
*Flashback*
He Jian entered the bamboo tree house for the date which had been postponed for months now. When he stepped inside the private room, he found a delicate looking girl sipping her tea. Her long lashes slowly lifted and she gave a small nod with her head to greet He Jian.
She looked beautiful with her soft features and her manners made her even more elegant.
"Sorry for keeping you wait," He Jian apologized and saw her smiling in return.
"Don't be. Perhaps I was too eager and came earlier than the time." She answered in her soft voice which sounded like wind chimes in a slow breeze of a spring night. "By the way, I'm Zhao Mi'er." The way she introduced herself showed that she was a confident young lady.
"I'm He Jian." He answered politely.
"I know." She answered with a smile again. Her smile and those bright, big eyes made him feel a bit flustered for some reason. But he didn't think much about her words.
After a bit of casual conversation, He Jian got to the point, "I'm sure you've heard about my... Previous relationship." Zhao Mi'er nodded her head. "You seem like a nice girl. I really don't want to ruin your life. So, let me ask you something, can you spend your life in a loveless marriage?"
"How will it be a loveless marriage?" She asked.
"Even if I say I can try to love you, I can't be sure about that." He Jian answered sincerely.
Zhao Mi'er smiled gently before saying, "Mr. He, you don't have to think so much. In my life, I've loved you enough that it can last a lifetime. I believe my love alone would be enough for both of us."
He Jian's eyes widened dramatically at her reply. "This is the first time we are meeting."
"Not really." She stated calmly while he looked at her with a raised brow. "I've known you for years. Precisely, from the day I saw you crying by Wu Weiwei's deathbed." He Jian's heart shook at her reply. "That was the day I decided that I wanted someone like you in my life. The pain in your eyes made me feel your torture. Your love for her was immense and pure. It made me envy someone for the first time in my life."
Taking a deep breath she continued, "I couldn't find anyone like you. Or perhaps, I couldn't stop myself from looking for you in others. So, when Auntie Bingbing told me that she wanted me to marry you, I was beyond elated."
"Relationships can't work on one person's love." He Jian stated after her word sank in his mind.
"No. But love is not the only thing that makes a relationship work. Understanding is also needed and no one can understand you better than me."
*End of Flashback*
"Did you say yes for the marriage?" Xu Mey asked listening to him.
"Not yet. We decided to spend some time together before coming to a conclusion." Xu Mey nodded her head in understanding.
"From what I heard, she's really a match for you," Xu Mey told him since she had heard a lot about Zhao Mi'er from others. "Hope you won't push her away."
"I'm not planning on pushing anyone. If she's really meant to be my other half, no one can change that. Right?"
"Agreed."