Chapter 72: Please, I Beg of You
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jin Nian was stunned. When she returned to her senses, she realized Lu An was holding her hand, and they were just exiting an alley. She could not believe it! It was too magical! Could Teacher Tan have been possessed?!
Jin Nian looked back even as Lu An led her by the arm. She was relieved that Teacher Tan was not chasing after her with a kitchen knife. Turning to Lu An, she noticed his carefree smile. Lu An had cut his hair nice and short when he went to Hong Kong, which made him look neat. Lu An almost looked cherubic in his drunken state with scarlet cheeks and b.u.mbling steps.
He held Jin Nian’s hand tightly as if he were holding a child. Buds of flowering cosmos swayed in greeting as they reached the parking lot. It reminded Lu An of something important, and he said to Jin Nian, “You still owe me a bouquet.”
“I know.”
“I want one now.”
“Where am I going to find a bouquet for you?”
Lu An stopped in his tracks, staring down at her.”… You owe me a bouquet.”
“I know! It’s not like I’m going to forget!” Jin Nian said, annoyed.
“You promise you won’t forget?” Lu An’s gaze remained fixed on Jin Nian, his eyes glimmering with starlight. Seeing him like this, Jin Nian’s heart softened. “The Monet you want isn’t easy to procure. As for the flowers, I’ve already reserved a bouquet from that flower shop you like. She said it’d take four to five days to complete the custom order, and she’d call me when it’s ready.”
Jin Nian had never thought of dealing dishonorably with Lu An. If she had wanted to cheat him, she could have simply given him the bouquet she had received from the Mermaid Princess earlier that morning. Grinning foolishly, Lu An said in Cantonese, “Silly pig.” Lu An would only grin like that when he was drunk. Somehow, Lu An reminded Jin Nian of a child.
Following his eighteenth birthday, Lu An began drinking from time to time. Once, he was so drunk no one dared to touch him. Not knowing what to do, his friends called her, saying, “Sister Nian, it’s an emergency. It’s Lu An…”
Jin Nian rushed over on her moped and found Lu An sitting on a bench, smiling foolishly. He had muttered to his friends then, “You guys… hie… should leave me here. Don’t… hie… worry about me. Jin Nian will… hie… pick me up.” The Lu An back then was no different from the Lu An now. Annoyed, Jin Nian scuffed his shoe with hers, cursing his inability to control himself.
To say Lu An was no different might have been a misnomer. Lu An’s features had sharpened, giving him an air of fierce maturity. He had more tattoos running along the length of his arm now than when he first became an adult. If he did not stick to long-sleeved clothes, he would look no different from a ruffian or hired thug. Jin Nian angrily pinched his muscular arms, mumbling, “You drank way too much again…”
“Dad wants me to drink. I can’t say no.” Jin Nian had agreed to let Lu An call her father, ‘Dad.’ She was still trying to puzzle over how they had learned about their relationship. “How did they find out about us? It’s so strange.” Lu An blinked, shaking his head to say he knew nothing about how her parents had come by information regarding their relationship.
Jin Nian suddenly remembered the ring in her pocket. She took it out and showed it to Lu An. “What is this?”
“it’s your wedding ring.” Lu An took the ring from her, and it looked like he was about to slip it on her finger. “You need a wedding ring since we’re married.”
Jin Nian retracted her hand. “I’m not wearing one.”
In his drunken state, Lu An could not catch Jin Nian before she retracted her hand. Instead, his arms flopped around her, pulling her into a crushing embrace. Using the light from the street lamp, he raised the ring to eye level, showing Jin Nian the words inscribed on it. “Do you see that? It’s our initials. I carved them myself a long time ago.”
Jin Nian could not escape from Lu An’s bone-crushing hug. “Wow,” she drawled, giving him a pointed look, “you really are a silly pig.”
Lu An lit up with a handsome smile, and he pecked her on the cheek. “Let me put it on for you.”
”1 don’t want to wear it!”
“Jin Nian, can’t you listen to me for once?”
“I’ll think about it if you beg me.”
“I beg you, your highness.”
“No. I want you to kneel and beg me.” Jian Nian only said what she did as a way to tease Lu An. She did not expect him to get on one knee without hesitation. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians around. Otherwise, Jin Nian would not have known where to hide to escape the embarra.s.sing situation. Lu An had caught her flat-footed. Not knowing how to react, she dropped into a squat to meet his eyes. “I’ll wear it, okay? Quick, get up!”
“No. I want to see you wear it.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll wear it now.”
Lu An put the ring on, inspecting it carefully. A thought popped into his head. “What about mine? Jin Nian, you have to give me one too.”
Why would she have bought a ring for no reason? Jin Nian told Lu An as such, only for the latter’s expression to darken. He insisted she purchased one on the spot.
“Oh please, great and wonderful, Young Master,” Jin Nian sighed helplessly, “I can’t afford something like that..”