Chapter 897: Li Xiuyu Lost Her Temper

Although Wang Li looked quite endearing at the moment, there is a saying

"Those who love you will not care about your flaws and shortcomings; only those who dislike you will nitpick and find a mountain of reasons to justify their dislike."

Thus, looking at the simple-minded Wang Li, Li Xiuyu took the initiative to reach out and place her hand upon his.

At that moment, Wang Li felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He froze instantly, but immediately afterward, a look of wild ecstasy washed over his face, and he gripped Li Xiuyu's hand with great force.

However, Wang Li was a bit too excited, and his grip was a little too tight. Li Xiuyu let out an "Ouch!" and frowned slightly, saying

"Be gentle! Why are you squeezing my hand so hard?"

Wang Li let out a confused "Huh?" and hurriedly released her hand.

He stammered repeatedly

"I... I didn't do it on purpose, I really didn't do it on purpose!"

Looking at the flustered Wang Li, Li Xiuyu shook her hand, which stung from the grip, and said

"Oh, it's fine. I'm not that fragile."

It must be said that a perfectly good romantic atmosphere had just been ruined by Wang Li.

The main point was that Li Xiuyu had acted on a sudden impulse; now that she had regained her composure, she naturally wouldn't be so impulsive again.

One must understand that in this era, girls were very reserved. Had Wang Li's previous words not moved her completely, Li Xiuyu would never have taken the initiative to reach out her hand.

Now, things had turned sour. Who knew how long Wang Li would have to wait before he could hold Li Xiuyu's small hand again.

The key was that this boy, Wang Li, had no idea what "taking the initiative" meant. If Wang Li were replaced by Wang An, things would have developed in a completely different direction.

For instance, when there was nothing to do, he might lead Li Xiuyu into a cornfield for a while, or run into a small grove for a bit of romance—these were all things worth exploring.

What Wang Li didn't know was that men and women are actually the same; boys have a strong interest in the anatomy of girls, but similarly, girls are also very eager to understand the anatomy of boys.

To put it simply: when dating, don't be a coward. You must be proactive—more proactive, brave—even braver.

Eventually, you'll discover that after all this time, her feelings for you are far more intense than your feelings for her.

After a while, Li Xiuyu spoke with a hint of worry

"Wang Li, do you think Fourth Brother can really drive away those loan sharks?"

Although she had already confirmed it with Mu Xueqing, Li Xiuyu was clearly still frightened and anxious about the matter.

After all, if Wang An couldn't resolve this, Li Xiuyu would remain in a state where she was afraid to return home.

Hearing her ask this, Wang Li suddenly realized that the reason Li Xiuyu agreed to date him was that Wang An had promised to help her deal with those usurers.

Simply put, this was actually a trade!

Realizing this, Wang Li looked at the girl he loved and suddenly fell silent.

Seeing that Wang Li wasn't speaking but was staring straight at her, Li Xiuyu asked in confusion

"Wang Li, I'm asking you a question. Why are you looking at me like that?"

As she spoke, Li Xiuyu slapped Wang Li's thigh.

After remaining silent for a while longer, Wang Li said softly

"Fourth Brother was very influential back when he was in the county town; he had a large group of people under him. Later, he got to know many high-ranking officials. Dealing with a few loan sharks in the township should be quite simple."

After saying this, Wang Li lowered his head and returned to his silence.

Li Xiuyu, however, let out a deep sigh of relief and said through gritted teeth

"Those animals... it would be great if they could all be arrested and executed, so they stop ruining people's lives."

It was evident that Li Xiuyu absolutely loathed those loan sharks.

After she spoke, she expected Wang Li to echo her sentiments. After all, they were dating; even if Wang Li couldn't solve the practical problem, cursing along with her would at least help vent her frustration.

But after waiting a long time, Li Xiuyu found that Wang Li was just hanging his head, lost in thought.

Consequently, Li Xiuyu became somewhat annoyed.

Fortunately, Li Xiuyu had some tact. She didn't question him directly, but instead gave him a sidelong glance and chose to sulk in silence.

Just like that, the entire east room became deathly quiet.

After a long time, Wang Li suddenly had a lapse in judgment—or more accurately, after thinking for so long, he said

"Xiuyu, if you don't want to spend your life with me, once my Fourth Brother finishes handling your business, you should go back home. We can just act as if we never dated."

At this moment, Wang Li looked solemn, as if saying these words was the result of deep and careful deliberation.

It must be said that if Wang An had heard this, he would have given Wang Li two slaps across the face and followed them up with several kicks.

He had gone through so much trouble to set Wang Li up with a partner—someone Wang Li had been longing for—and now Wang Li was just going to give up just like that.

Little did he know that while this act seemed noble, as if he were letting go for the sake of love, in reality, the only person moved by this gesture was likely himself.

Because love, by its very nature, is selfish.

Wang An's theory was: *I love you, so why the hell wouldn't you love me back?*

While Wang Li's thought was: *I love you, and I simply hope you live a good life.*

Hearing this, Li Xiuyu was stunned. She never imagined that Wang Li would come out with such a statement.

Once she recovered, Li Xiuyu couldn't help but reach out and hit Wang Li's shoulder, saying with a face full of irritation

"What are you talking about? What do you mean 'if I don't want to spend my life with you'? If I didn't want to spend my life with you, would I have agreed to date you for Fourth Brother's sake?"

Wang Li murmured

"Isn't it because my Fourth Brother is going to help you beat up those loan sharks that you reluctantly agreed?"

The moment she heard this, Li Xiuyu exploded. She immediately shouted

"When was I ever reluctant? Speak clearly! When was I ever reluctant?"

At this moment, Li Xiuyu was like a little tiger showing its claws—fierce yet cute, truly adorable.

Truth be told, while others didn't know who was truly in Li Xiuyu's heart or what she was thinking, her attitude during her conversation with Wang An had been absolutely fine.

(End of Chapter)