Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 184 - 183 You Deserve Better

Chapter 184: Chapter 183 You Deserve Better

Lin Xia was really about to be defeated by his stubbornness; her attempts at explanation only backfired.

"Lu Zheng, why are you being so silly! Seriously! I’m seriously analyzing our incompatibility for you!"

"How can you tell we’re incompatible just by the surface? Lin Xia... actually, since meeting you, I’ve had a good impression of you! You... are very special!" Lu Zheng seldom spoke like this, so he was somewhat hesitant and stumbling as he spoke.

But in his pursuit of the person he liked, he decided to face the challenge head-on.

Lin Xia bit her lip, "Lu Zheng! I only see you as my older brother’s boss! I have no other thoughts! So you should take back your words!"

"I don’t believe it!" Lu Zheng could feel she dared not look at him as she spoke, and her tightly clasped fingers said it all.

Seeing her silence, he spoke again, "Lin Xia! In fact, I heard that person saying he likes you! But you don’t like him, right?"

Lin Xia remained silent.

"Lin Xia, can you give me a chance? I also mustered a lot of courage to come here! Actually, I’ve never pursued anyone before, and I don’t know how to do it!

But I want to tell you my thoughts sincerely, to let you know I like you!"

Lin Xia clenched her teeth, knowing that Lu Zheng was speaking from his heart.

Since their first encounter, she knew that she had a deep connection with him, but she never dared to think deeply about it.

But this time, he had truly startled her, not only showing up directly at her home but also confessing to her like this.

One could say she had never experienced any of this in past lives or the present one.

She was fearful, she wanted to flee, yet she couldn’t help desiring to hear what he would say next.

It turned out she was vain too; she understood that with her looks and status, finding a man like Lu Zheng locally was simply impossible.

But she was truly afraid, afraid that after he got to know the real her, he would become bored, disdainful, and leave her.

Love was something she had never dared to hope for.

If it weren’t for her rebirth, at her age, she might still harbor fantasies and anticipation towards love and men.

However, having lived into her thirties in a past life, witnessing the tragic marriage of Lin Qiu, and observing the suppressed lives of many others, she did not want herself to be trapped in that mire.

That’s also why, at the beginning of her rebirth, she resolved not to seek a partner or get married, but to live freely on her own.

But, she had calculated everything except for Lu Zheng’s appearance.

To have such a person, bravely and directly tell her he liked her, not caring about the harshness and malice she worried about, not minding her dysfunctional family.

"Lu Zheng! I think, we should still consider things more rationally! Your liking me might just be an illusion!

Maybe because I’m different from the girls you’ve grown up with, you find me refreshing and interesting.

But actually, if you got to know me better, you would realize that I’m a particularly selfish and self-serving person.

I’m also quite ruthless, not just towards others, but towards myself!

My younger brother is only in his first year of high school; I have to see him through college before I consider my duty done.

Then there’s my younger sister, who I want to set up in a small business next year when she finishes her apprenticeship!

You know what my older brother is like; I’ll still worry about him!

So my heart is divided into many parts, how could there be room for you?

You deserve better! Really!"

She was indeed speaking honestly.

With such a family background as his, his family would certainly want him to find a partner beneficial to his career, and they wouldn’t agree to someone like her.

Lu Zheng’s expression grew solemn, "Lin Xia! Since you’ve put it that way, let me say something about myself too! Actually, I’m not as great as you imagine! I’m cold-natured and usually not very talkative..."

The two of them talked beside the river until it was almost sunset.

In the end, Lin Xia did not agree.

However, under Lu Zheng’s persistent efforts, she finally agreed to start off as friends, with frequent correspondence.

Walking back slowly, Lin Xia and Lu Zheng both knew that after this afternoon, their relationship had changed.

Lin Qiu had been waiting anxiously at home, having thought that her sister’s mention of going out for a walk was just that—a walk. Yet, as dusk approached, there was still no sign of them.

She wasn’t worried about her sister being in danger, because with Brother Lu around, ordinary people couldn’t harm them.

She just couldn’t help feeling concerned about what the two of them were actually up to.

When Lin Xia and Lu Zheng entered, Lin Qiu hurried to get them water to wash their hands.

Afterwards, she quickly served the food and rice from the pot.

The three of them sat down and had dinner together.

Lin Qiu distinctly felt that her sister and Brother Lu were different, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on how.

After dinner, Lin Xia wanted to make sausages, and Lu Zheng insisted on helping.

Lin Xia took out the funnel she had used previously, brushed it with soybean oil, and fitted the soaked casings onto it, securing them with white thread.

Then, Lin Xia began to stuff the marinated meat filling inside, occasionally poking it with chopsticks.

Lu Zheng held it for her, and gradually, his ears turned red.

But Lin Xia was oblivious, focused on her task.

When Lu Zheng saw her piercing the sausage with a fine needle, he curiously asked, "Why are you doing that?"

"To prevent it from bursting!" Lin Xia didn’t understand the principle either but remembered that this was how it was done.

Finally, they finished and started to steam the sausages. Lu Zheng washed his hands and then went outside.

Lin Xia thought he had gone to the toilet and didn’t think much of it.

In fact, Lu Zheng was standing in the yard, trying to calm himself down.

He looked around the yard, noting its cleanliness and tidiness everywhere.

He understood why Lin Xia had said those things to him before.

It was all in an effort to dissuade him from the idea of being with her.

But he truly didn’t care.

Because he knew that if the two of them really got married, many problems wouldn’t be problems at all.

However, he also understood that he couldn’t be so selfish; Lin Xia’s siblings were her responsibility.

He knew what kind of person Lin Chun was, and in the future, Lin Xia would have to take care of everything.

But he was willing to help her bear the burden.

Yet, she was so stubborn, refusing to give her consent no matter what.

Starting from friendship was fine too; after all, she was still young, just a twenty-year-old girl...

Lin Xia finished cooking the sausages but saw no sign of Lu Zheng returning. Suddenly, she remembered that her home’s toilet was quite dark and wondered...

She hurried out of the house, only to find Lu Zheng standing in the yard, gazing at the moon above.

"What are you doing?"

Lu Zheng turned to look at her, finding her with disheveled hair to have a different kind of charm.

"Watching the moon, Lin Xia! I will remember this day!"

Lin Xia also looked up slightly at the moon in the sky. It wasn’t the fifteenth, so it was a half-moon.

"What’s there to remember about today?"

He whispered in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Today is the first day of our beginning!"

Lin Xia really felt like hitting him. What did he mean by the first day of our beginning?

"Hasn’t even started, has it?"

Lu Zheng looked at her teasingly, "How has it not started? Aren’t we starting to be friends right now?"

Lin Xia: "..."