Yes.
Du Junlin, who had not smiled nor cried since she was a child, now cried easily.
Seven years ago, she hadn't cried when Shen Yue broke her leg and she was to be expelled from the family!
But ever since Li Qianfan’s betrayal, she had cried too many times.
It was understandable that she was scared to tears by Chu Yazhi and Bai Ziyan.
But just now, Li Qianfan's sharp tongue had made her unable to hold back her tears, which was unbelievable for her.
Du Junlin was stunned.
After a long while, she murmured, "Why... why do I cry so easily now?"
"Because you are transforming from a piece of wood into a flesh-and-blood human."
After giving the most precise answer, Li Qianfan quickly explained, "I'm not being sarcastic. I'm just stating the facts."
He was truly afraid that if he provoked her further, she would do something foolish like commit suicide.
Du Junlin offered no comment on his explanation.
She simply stared blankly at the floor, murmuring as if in a dream, "Yes, I can feel it too. Ever since you betrayed me, I don't seem as strong as I used to be. And I don't feel indifferent to everything like I used to. When I was alone, I always thought about work, or how to improve my combat power."
"Is that so?"
Seeing that she showed no signs of exploding, Li Qianfan relaxed.
He sat down beside her, leaning against the headboard and lighting a cigarette. "If all you think about is work or self-improvement, what meaning does such a life have?"
"It has meaning."
Du Junlin pursed her lips and said, "Because besides work and self-improvement, I also think about you."
Think about me?
Li Qianfan was taken aback and instinctively scoffed, "Tch! Du Nian Nian, you think about me? Stop kidding!"
"I'm not kidding."
Du Junlin turned to look at him and said earnestly, "I've thought countless times about whether I could castrate you after marrying you and having more than two sons. After all, I can't allow the husband of Du Junlin to constantly cheat on me. But I must find the most suitable reason to do so. Only then can I prevent the Shen and Li families from turning against each other because of it."
Li Qianfan's face instantly turned pale.
The cigarette he was smoking no longer tasted good.
He could tell that Du Nian Nian was not joking.
A reasonable way to castrate him—
She might have seriously considered this question for over seven years!
This was also why she had almost succeeded seven years ago.
Du Junlin continued, "I have sworn to heaven. After I castrate you, I will completely change myself."
Li Qianfan's voice trembled, "How... how will you change?"
"Then, I will be your slave."
Du Junlin said in a flat tone, "I will endure any scolding and beating, even if you lead me through the dark streets, I will be submissive and try to please you."
Damn it!!
Li Qianfan quickly took a deep drag of his cigarette.
He managed to suppress the fear rising within him.
And felt even more fortunate!
To have begged and pleaded with Sister Wujiang for a six-month buffer period, and then on the last day, successfully married herself to Su Ziyu in Qingyun, thus avoiding the fate of becoming a eunuch.
"A woman like you, no matter how capable or beautiful, is destined to be disliked by no one."
Li Qianfan took another deep drag of his cigarette and said, "Because you are not a normal person at all. At least, you only heard rumors and thought I was that kind of man. Then you took it for granted and wanted to turn me into a eunuch. But in reality? It was only after I met Shen Chongchong that I became a real man."
Du Junlin fell silent.
A hint of unspeakable regret surfaced in her dim eyes.
Yes.
Her animosity towards Li Qianfan all originated from hearsay.
It was even from jokes made by elders or older siblings when they teased Li Qianfan.
But such things were normal in rural villages.
Many uncles would tease a young boy, "Son, do you want Uncle to find you a wife? Do you want one? How many do you want? Can you afford them?"
A child who understood nothing—
Might say he wanted eight, and he could definitely afford them!
Besides, Li Qianfan, who grew up surrounded by beauties, was most skilled in the art of "worming into skirts."
Furthermore, Yang Xiao's doting on his grandson had reached a point that even heaven couldn't bear.
With the rumors spreading and distorting, it was natural for Li Qianfan to become a super playboy who couldn't resist any woman.
Du Junlin, who grew up hearing these stories, mistook Li Qianfan for a scoundrel, thus viewed him with colored glasses, gradually came to dislike him, hate him, and wanted to castrate him, but dared not say it aloud, keeping it bottled up inside, which affected her temperament.
She became a piece of wood that could neither smile nor cry.
And because of this, it even affected her combat power!
Fortunately.
She cried easily now.
This was enough to prove that the piece of wood that was Du Junlin had begun to quietly sprout, grow branches and leaves, and bloom and bear fruit.
But it was too late!!
Li Qianfan had not only married Su Ziyu and had Shen Chongchong.
The Emperor's Blade, after Du Junlin returned it to Yang Xiao, had been completely destroyed.
Drip.
A crystal tear fell onto the floor.
Du Nian Nian cried again.
Li Qianfan didn't know how to comfort her, so he lit another cigarette and sat with her in silence.
After an unknown amount of time—
Du Junlin's voice was hoarse, "Li Qianfan, can I ask you for one thing?"
Li Qianfan replied in a muffled voice, "Speak."
"After the White Belly Bird plan succeeds and the brothers in Black Water Forest are rescued."
Du Junlin paused, then said, "You and Bai Ziyan, bury me on the spot in Black Water Forest, let me be with the brothers and sisters who sacrificed themselves there."
Li Qianfan's hand holding the cigarette trembled.
Du Junlin continued, "I don't want to go home anymore. And I don't want you to sweep my grave on Qingming Festival. Because if I see my mother, I will be sad. If I see you and Shen Chongchong and the others, I will regret it, get angry, and wish I could come back to life and die again."
Li Qianfan frowned, "Why can't you live a good life?"
Du Junlin slowly turned her head to look at him and asked, "Can you marry me?"
No.
I will never divorce Ziyu.
You should give up on this idea.
As Li Qianfan's lips moved, about to utter these words, he stopped himself in time.
"I know what you are thinking. You don't need to say it."
Du Junlin turned her head and closed her eyes. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."
Alright.
Li Qianfan got off the bed and quickly walked out of the room, gently closing the door.
He would never divorce Su Ziyu to remarry Du Junlin.
And the reason Du Junlin was Du Junlin was that she would marry no one but Li Qianfan!
If she couldn't marry him—
Then to remain forever in Black Water Forest, keeping company with Xingxing and the others, was the only destination she had set for herself!!
Li Qianfan understood this very well.
His heart felt heavy, as if a large stone were pressing down on it.
When he reached the living room, he realized that it was already dark outside the window.
Downstairs, outside the window—
This land of etiquette, which loved peace and claimed to be more East than the East, once again welcomed its most beautiful night.
Creak.
Li Qianfan looked back.
He saw Bai Ziyan peeking her head out from another bedroom and waving at him, "Bird, come here."
You are the bird.
Your whole family are birds—
Li Qianfan cursed inwardly, but walked into Bai Ziyan's room.
"I heard everything you said to her."
Bai Ziyan, who had not slept but was in much better spirits, closed the door after returning to the room. "You didn't close the door when you were talking. I didn't eavesdrop intentionally; I was forced to listen."
Li Qianfan gave her a sideways glance and said nothing.
After all, the words they spoke were not something shameful. What could it matter if she heard them?
Bai Ziyan sat beside him and handed him a bottle of mineral water. "I have a way to resolve her obsession with dying in Black Water Forest."
Li Qianfan was surprised.
He quickly asked, "What way?"
"According to the White Belly Bird plan, we will need at least fifteen to twenty days."
Bai Ziyan lowered her voice, "During this time, you need to make her pregnant!"
Huh?
Li Qianfan's mouth fell open.
Bai Ziyan unscrewed the cap and tossed it into his mouth.
Pfft!
Where are you throwing things?
Li Qianfan lowered his head to spit out the bottle cap, about to get angry.
But Bai Ziyan said, "Just now, after carefully reviewing last night's surveillance footage, I discovered that there was another super expert outside the Tanaka family's villa last night, who was helping us kill people."