Chapter 28: Are You Treating My Young Mistress as a Substitute?

Li Jianhua gritted his teeth and said, "You little brat, I knew you were up to no good. Are you trying to pull some other stunt? Don't even think about it!"

Lin Yang’s face remained bright with a smile. He had only been joking, and he knew very well what kind of person Aunt Li was; she would never actually let him do the cooking.

As he expected, the moment Aunt Li heard him, she hurried toward the kitchen and called Li Xiaowan along with her.

Now, only Lin Yang and Li Jianhua were left in the room, staring each other down.

Li Jianhua couldn’t help but ask, "What exactly are you trying to do, kid? Just two days ago, you were head over heels for Sun Xiaorong, and no one could talk any sense into you. Now, you suddenly turn around and want to marry my eldest daughter!"

"What, are you using my daughter as a substitute?"

When he said this, he felt both angry and helpless. He was angry at Lin Yang’s fickleness, yet helpless because he knew his daughter’s heart was completely tied to this boy. If he tried to force them apart, who knew what kind of rash things Lin Yang might do? If they ended up running off to a haystack and making it a done deal, he would surely explode with rage.

Lin Yang wiped the smile off his face and said earnestly, "Uncle Li, I had a dream. It was a very, very long dream, so long it felt like a whole lifetime."

"In that dream, there was a girl who waited for me for over twenty years. By the time I returned, I only managed to see her one last time."

"Her eyes were filled with longing and sorrow. In that moment, I realized I had missed out on far too much."

"I owe her so much, and I want to spend this life making it up to her. That girl is Xiaowan."

"I know I acted recklessly before and made you angry, but this time I am sincere. I want to give Xiaowan happiness; I want to make her the happiest woman in the world."

Li Jianhua’s eyes widened like copper bells, as if they were spitting fire. He stared fixedly at Lin Yang and cursed with uncontrollable rage, "Stop spouting that nonsense to me! I don’t believe a single word of your fairy tales!"

"What dreams? Don't give me that garbage. In my eyes, you’re just doing this to spite me!"

As he spoke, he took a fierce step forward, his demeanor so aggressive that his finger almost poked the tip of Lin Yang’s nose. His tone was as harsh as a winter gale.

"You offered such a high bride price—do you think I don’t know what you’re plotting? You’re just trying to make that girl from the Sun family jealous!"

"Do you really think you can hide your little schemes from me? If that’s what you’re really thinking, believe me, I’ll break your legs right now to teach you a lesson!"

Lin Yang felt a wave of bitterness in his heart. He knew full well that no matter how he explained it, it would be futile in front of an enraged Li Jianhua.

He lowered his head slightly, pondered for a moment, then looked up with a firm gaze. "Uncle, I’ll say no more. You won’t listen no matter what I say, so just watch my actions from now on."

"If I were only doing this to spite Sun Xiaorong, how long do you think I could keep this up? It simply doesn't make sense."

"If you truly cannot agree to this, I will have no complaints. I can only blame myself for not doing enough to show you my sincerity."

"However, I promise you, I will never do anything to cross the line with Xiaowan. I genuinely want to treat her well and build a life with her."

Li Jianhua’s teeth chattered with rage, his cheeks bulging. He squeezed the words through his teeth, "But I don't like you! After everything you’ve done, you think I’ll easily nod and marry my daughter off to you? Not a chance!"

Lin Yang was not at all annoyed. Instead, he revealed a flattering smile and teased half-jokingly, "Uncle Li, it’s not like I’m the one living with you. It doesn't matter if you don't like me, as long as Xiaowan likes me and is willing to be with me, then I am content!"

"I believe that if you give me a chance, you will slowly see my changes. And I will certainly make you satisfied with me as your son-in-law!"

Hearing this, Li Jianhua felt like his lungs were about to explode. He trembled with fury, pointing at Lin Yang and stuttering, "You... you brat, stop trying to dodge the issue! Don’t think you can fool me with a few sweet words."

He glared at Lin Yang, not believing a single punctuation mark of what he had said. As the saying went, a dog can’t stop eating dung. Only a few days ago, this kid had been obsessed with the Sun girl as if he couldn't live without her. Now, after only a few days, he suddenly claimed to have had a change of heart and wanted to marry his daughter—there had to be something fishy going on. If he agreed so easily, he would truly be a senile old fool.

"Get out! I’ve already taken your letter of guarantee; don’t you understand what that means?"

Li Jianhua scowled and waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away an annoying fly.

"Before I change my mind, disappear from my sight! Otherwise, I really will break your legs—don't think I'm just scaring you!"

Lin Yang didn’t expect Li Jianhua to accept him all at once. After all, the absurd things he had done in the past had truly left the elders feeling utterly disappointed. Trust was not something that could be rebuilt overnight.

In his previous life, Li Xiaowan had waited for him for over twenty years. This deep affection was something he would repay with his life this time around; he had plenty of time to prove his sincerity.

"Uncle, I’ll be going then!"

Lin Yang, reluctant to leave, turned and walked away, looking back every few steps.

Li Jianhua watched Lin Yang’s departing figure, his expression growing even more somber. He was more convinced than ever that Lin Yang was just acting on a whim, merely wanting to prove to Sun Xiaorong that finding a wife was an easy task for him.

Li Jianhua was filled with worry that his daughter would get hurt. If that was truly Lin Yang’s motive, how could his simple and kind-hearted daughter ever have a good life with him? She would surely suffer no end of grievances.

Seeing Lin Yang leave, Li Xiaowan bit her red lips so hard they turned pale. A flash of disappointment crossed her eyes, but it quickly hardened into a firm resolve, as if she had made up her mind. She understood that since Lin Yang had written that letter of guarantee, it represented his heart. She was willing to choose to believe in Lin Yang and trust that his feelings for her were genuine.

Watching her daughter, Aunt Li sighed inwardly. No one knows a daughter better than her mother. From the complex yet determined look in her daughter’s eyes, she knew that her heart was set, and it would be hard to change things now.

"Girl, go and cook. I need to have a word with your father."

With that, Aunt Li gently took Li Jianhua’s arm and led him into the inner room.