Book 7: Chapter 2: The Careless Luo Li |
Luo Li’s 18th Birthday:
When Luo Li turned 18, Chen Heng organized a birthday gathering for her. Well, it was more of a birthday party with just the two of them.
It was not that Luo Li and Chen Heng had poor social skills and were utterly incapable of making friends; rather, it was Luo Li’s specific request. She made it clear to Chen Heng before her 18th birthday that she didn’t want anyone else around, just like on her 17th birthday. Back then, her relationships with others weren’t that great, and she preferred it to be only her and Chen Heng. At that time, Luo Li had been rescued by the Special Affairs Bureau, or more accurately, by Chen Heng, just three months before. Aside from Chen Heng, she didn’t really care much for anyone, including Mo Qingtong—or especially Mo Qingtong.
Even when Luo Li turned 18, she and Mo Qingtong didn’t get along at all.
“Elder Brother, will you ever leave me?” After blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, Luo Li suddenly asked this question out of the blue at what should have been a joyous moment.
“What are you thinking? Silly, how could I ever leave you?” Chen Heng thought Luo Li might be recalling the hellish times she went through over a year ago, so he comfortingly patted her head.
“But, Elder Brother, you’ll definitely get married someday, won’t you?” Luo Li moved Chen Heng’s hand away as he playfully ruffled her hair and looked up at him.
“Isn’t that obvious? I’m the last of the Chen Clan. How can I not get married?”
“But what if your future wife minds having me around?”
“But, Elder Brother, what if your future wife is Mo Qingtong?”
“This…can I say she’s a good person?” Chen Heng was so familiar with Mo Qingtong that he was somewhat immune to her charm. Luo Li’s sudden question left him unsure of how to respond.
Even though Mo Qingtong appeared perfect, have you heard of beauties scratching and picking at their feet? Chen Heng had seen it.
“Well, Elder Brother, what do you think of me?”
“Hah?! You? You’re just a kid who hasn’t even come of age yet. What’s this talk of marriage? Let’s discuss it when you’re older!”
“You said it, Elder Brother. No going back.”
“Huh? What did I say?”
“We’ll get married when I’m of age.”
“Huh? I didn’t say that, did I?”
“Elder Brother, am I pretty?”
“Well, yes, you’re beautiful!” Chen Heng couldn’t help but admit Luo Li was indeed very attractive. He genuinely couldn’t lie about this. He liked Luo Li’s white hair a lot and often found himself playing with it like he was doing now. Then he placed his hand back on her head.
“Elder Brother, do you like me?”
“Of course, Luo Li, you’re so cute, you could rival a 2D character.” After saying this, Chen Heng couldn’t resist playfully rubbing Luo Li’s face.
“Then it’s settled.”
“Erm…Little Li, are you perhaps misunderstanding the concept of marriage? Let me explain it to you…”
“Elder Brother, today is my birthday, and you promised to listen to me.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you. Are you satisfied now? So, shall we cut the cake? I heard the cakes here are delicious.” At that time, Chen Heng didn’t really take this matter to heart. He was just indulging Luo Li, like appeasing a child, and truth be told, he was looking forward to the cake.
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Skipping back to the present:
“Wait, Little Li, you’re not talking about marriage, are you? It was just a joke…”
“Yes, I’m serious.” Luo Li somehow produced two paper forms and handed one to Chen Heng.
“What’s this? Marriage Registration Declaration Form? Little Li, where did you get this? Doesn’t this require both parties to apply personally at the marriage registration office? How did you get hold of this?” Chen Heng was utterly bewildered when he received the paper form and realized what it was.
He even suspected that Luo Li might have stolen these two forms from somewhere.
“I bought them from the Dimension Administrators Association’s store. They’re absolutely official.” Luo Li seemed to have anticipated Chen Heng’s questions, calmly providing a well-prepared answer.
“The Dimension Administrators Association?” This was the first time Chen Heng felt genuine contempt for the Dimension Administrators Association.
Before the world reset, he could treat Luo Li’s feelings toward him as a joke when he celebrated her birthday. He could consider her words as those of an immature mind. But now, he couldn’t. Luo Li had detonated her time core to save him. He couldn’t ignore her feelings anymore.
Honestly, Luo Li seemed like a suitable girlfriend or even a marriage partner. She was obedient, good-looking, and very amiable, maybe not to others, but definitely to Chen Heng. Moreover, for some reason, his ancestor really liked Luo Li, which saved him the hassle of introducing her to his family.
For some reason, Chen Heng increasingly felt that Luo Li was indeed a suitable match.
“Yes, I bought these forms from the Dimension Administrators Association’s store. They are official documents with legal validity,” Luo Li affirmed her previous answer.
“But, Little Li, have you forgotten something?” As Chen Heng began to be convinced himself, he suddenly remembered something while looking at Luo Li.
“What is it?”
“Something very important.”
“Huh?”
Chen Heng looked at Luo Li’s puzzled expression and had to resist the urge to laugh. This wasn’t the time to burst into laughter.
Luo Li had indeed prepared meticulously and chosen the perfect moment—coinciding with Chen Heng regaining his memories—and her act of detonating her time core to reset the world deeply moved Chen Heng. She even had the marriage registration form ready in advance. However, Luo Li had genuinely forgotten something crucial.
This was typical of her in the past, occasionally being a bit scatterbrained; it was one of her quirks.
“How old are you this year, Little Li?” After all, Luo Li was still a child, in Chen Heng’s eyes and in the eyes of the world, so he couldn’t bring himself to agree to this.
I have to endure. I must endure. I absolutely cannot laugh now. Otherwise, Luo Li will give me a good thrashing.
“How old? A girl’s age is a secret, you know. But I’m already an adult—” Luo Li stopped speaking midway. Then, she vigorously crumpled the marriage registration declaration form in her hand into a ball.