"Honglian, you've had too much to drink!" Qin Chuan said earnestly.
"Brother Qin Chuan, I know very well whether I've had too much," Shang Honglian shook her head. The light in her bright and beautiful eyes was bold and fiery.
"I've really liked you for a very, very long time!"
"Do you remember the scene of our first time together?"
"That night, you took me to the old town street for food, and we were targeted by a group of thugs. We ran into an alley, and I sprained my ankle and couldn't run. You didn't abandon me then; instead, you carried me on your back and kept running until we were caught by those thugs..."
"From that night on, you were deeply etched in my heart!"
Qin Chuan's memory rapidly rewound. He did indeed remember the incident. The situation was quite dangerous at the time. It was only after he used a rock to injure one of the thugs' eyes that they escaped.
"And later, that time we went to the provincial capital, I had lost direction in my life and didn't know what kind of life I should pursue. It was you who suggested I go to Zhongguancun in Beijing to explore..."
"Then I found what I loved in my heart!"
Shang Honglian continued speaking. Just as Qin Chuan was about to speak, he was directly stopped.
"Brother Qin Chuan, please let me finish!"
"And later, the next time we met was when you went to Beijing. You have no idea how touched I was when I saw you at the car market that day!"
As she spoke, glistening tears welled up in Shang Honglian's eyes and streamed down her smooth cheeks, looking incredibly pitiable.
"I was struggling alone in a big city like Beijing, with no true friends around, nor any relatives. My parents and brother didn't come to see me. Your arrival was like a lighthouse in the dark night, illuminating my life."
"However, at that time, I wasn't sure if I liked you. I just felt especially happy, warm, and secure whenever I was with you."
"Until today, during our dinner just now..."
At this point, a bright and captivating light burst from Shang Honglian's large eyes, fixing directly on Qin Chuan's handsome face.
"If you hadn't been here today, I believe my parents definitely wouldn't have allowed me to go to Beijing again. It was you who helped me once more, helping me achieve my dream together..."
"Brother Qin Chuan, when you stood up and helped me overcome difficulties again, do you know how excited I was at that moment?"
Shang Honglian emotionally grabbed Qin Chuan's arm tightly, her grip so strong that Qin Chuan felt pain.
"Honglian, don't you know I already have a girlfriend?"
Qin Chuan truly didn't know how to describe his feelings at that moment. Honestly, although he was a playboy, he had no impure thoughts towards Shang Honglian. His feelings were purely from the perspective of an elder brother.
In the old Qin family, there were three brothers, all involved in martial arts. There were no girls, so for girls younger than him, especially pretty ones, Qin Chuan instinctively felt a sense of closeness.
If they encountered difficulties within his capability, he would always choose to help.
Qin Chuan never expected that his unintentional actions would bring him trouble, and that Shang Honglian would actually confess her feelings to him.
Now, Qin Chuan's own love life was a mess. Caught between Li Ya and Teacher Yang, he was constantly in crisis and had to be extremely careful.
He dared not get involved with any other women, especially not a girl like Shang Honglian. If her parents, Shang Bingrong and his wife, found out, they would surely eat him alive.
"I know. Sister Li Ya, right? We know each other!" Shang Honglian said calmly.
"I admit, Sister Li Ya is indeed beautiful, with a great figure and full of feminine charm."
"But you two aren't married yet. Since that's the case, I have the right to fight for my own happiness. Isn't it against the law to like someone?"
Facing the sharp-tongued Shang Honglian, Qin Chuan really didn't know how to refute her.
Liking someone was indeed not against the law, and fair competition was fine. But the problem was, he didn't dare to attract any more romantic entanglements. He could barely handle two women, let alone three...
"Honglian!" Qin Chuan patiently began to counsel her.
"Have you ever been in love?"
Shang Honglian shook her head. "No, I've never had feelings for any boy before. You're the first."
Qin Chuan clapped his hands. "That's right!"
"Although I'm only a year older than you, my emotional experiences are much richer. I can understand the feelings of a first crush and the beautiful dreams of youth."
"But that situation is truly just your first infatuation's fantasy. Reality is much crueler than fantasy!"
"Let me ask you, do you know me?"
Shang Honglian hesitated, "I know a little!"
"That's just hearsay, or what you've seen on the surface!" Qin Chuan lit a cigarette and smiled gently, "If I told you I'm actually a very, very scummy playboy, a bad man who juggles two or even more women, would you believe me?"
Shang Honglian looked astonished, her expression quite adorable. Seeing this, Qin Chuan couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"Think about it. With my current status and position, there are far too many girls like you or other beautiful women who want to be with me. It's too many to count."
"Do you think I could resist such great temptation?"
Shang Honglian stared blankly. Qin Chuan reached out and patted her head. "It's getting late, let's go back! Tomorrow you'll be following Liu Dongqiang to Beijing to pursue your dream again."
"My help to you is truly from the perspective of an elder brother helping his sister, with no ulterior motives."
"When you go to Beijing, there will be many talented, capable, and handsome young men. You will find your own happiness."
Shang Honglian sat blankly in the passenger seat. Just when Qin Chuan thought he had convinced her, Shang Honglian suddenly shook her head like a rattle drum.
"No! That's not right!"
"You were lying to me just now!" Shang Honglian stared intently at Qin Chuan. "If you were really a scummy liar, you wouldn't be telling me all this."
"Don't think I don't know how bad guys think just because I haven't been in love. When they see a pretty girl, they almost always try to trick her into going to a hotel or something to spend the night."
"They can't wait to hit on a girl one moment and strip her clothes off the next!"
"Especially for a girl like me who throws herself at them, they'd be overjoyed and wouldn't refuse!"
Qin Chuan was dumbfounded, completely taken aback by the outcome of his painstaking efforts.
"Brother Qin Chuan, I know I have nothing right now, and I'm far inferior to Sister Li Ya!"
"However, I'm still young. Give me three years. In three years, I'll show you a completely transformed me. By then, I'll definitely be no worse than Sister Li Ya!"
After saying this, Shang Honglian got out of the car and ran off without waiting for Qin Chuan's reply, leaving him stunned in the car.