Chapter 426: Chapter 210: Argument and Reconciliation

He knew exactly what Qin Yuenan wanted, but it was something he couldn’t give her.

After all, marriage was one of life’s biggest decisions; it couldn’t be made lightly.

What’s more, Lin Shen had other women in his life.

He believed that for him to get married now would be an insult to that purest, most beautiful of relationships between a man and a woman.

’I’m not worthy.’

But Qin Yuenan paid no mind to his reasons, simply pouring out everything that was on her mind.

"I’m already 28. In two years, I’ll be thirty. Do you know what being thirty means for a woman?"

"It means my looks have started to fade. It means my skin is getting wrinkles. It means my body is starting to decline. It means... I’m not young anymore."

Qin Yuenan’s cool voice was tinged with a strange, mournful quality.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as the cool evening breeze lifted her soft, dark hair, letting it fall messily across half of her face.

It added a touch of disheveled, fragile beauty to her usual sharp, proud demeanor.

It was only then that Lin Shen realized that this ice queen—so aloof that she kept strangers at arm’s length, so strong and stubborn—was, in fact, more fragile than anyone.

More than anyone, she longed for a lifetime of companionship.

Lin Shen could make that promise, just not right now. He asked gently,

"Can you give me some time?"

"You’re only 25. You have all the time in the world to enjoy life, but I can’t wait any longer!"

Qin Yuenan slowly stepped forward and pressed her forehead against Lin Shen’s chest. There was no trace of blame or anger in her voice, only a faint sadness that seemed to fill the air around them.

"I’m a little tired today. I want to go home and rest. How about we just go our separate ways for tonight?"

"Okay."

Arguments between adults didn’t require hysterical outbursts. They simply required an exchange of thoughts and feelings, followed by compromise.

Besides, Lin Shen didn’t even feel like they were fighting. They had simply run into a disagreement.

At this moment, both of them needed time to calm down and think things over.

Lin Shen’s thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he needed to sort them out.

"Good night."

Qin Yuenan rose onto her tiptoes and gave Lin Shen a light peck on the lips. She flashed him a faint smile he hadn’t seen in a long time, then turned and walked away.

Watching her lonely, desolate figure retreat, something deep inside Lin Shen’s heart was stirred.

He’d never imagined that Qin Yuenan had this side to her.

’Being a player is so damn hard!’

Lin Shen sighed. When he reached the parking garage, he saw that Qin Yuenan’s Volvo S90 was already gone.

He got into the driver’s seat of his Jaguar XFL, adjusted the air conditioning and the playlist, rolled up the windows, and sat alone, quietly listening to several nostalgic songs from the nineties.

As the familiar melodies swirled around him, Lin Shen felt his body relax, and his chaotic thoughts began to settle.

Then, he started the car. With a roar from the engine, he floored the accelerator and sped out of the garage.

At 9:30 p.m., Lin Shen arrived home.

He followed his usual routine, first taking a shower. Then, for the first time in a while, he opened a bottle of Pavillon Rouge. After letting it breathe, he sat on his balcony, sipping the wine and admiring the city’s nightscape.

The swirling red wine in his glass reflected the dazzling skyscrapers, a mesmerizing sight.

Lin Shen thought about what Qin Yuenan wanted.

She wanted to get married.

But Lin Shen didn’t think it was the right time.

His career was just getting started, and he still hadn’t sorted out his relationships with the other women in his life. He hadn’t even let them meet one another.

If he suddenly got married, everything would fall into chaos.

Lin Shen felt he had to wait until everything settled down before he could consider it.

WHOOSH—!

Lin Shen let out a long breath. Having thought it through, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. It was as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his chest.

Just then, Qin Yuenan shared a series of funny, amusing short videos from TikTok, apparently trying to ease the tension between them.

She even sent him an apology on WeChat.

[Qin Yuenan: I’m sorry. I was being childish earlier. I miss you so much right now.]

The moment Lin Shen saw the message, his heart clenched.

Qin Yuenan rarely revealed her true emotions to anyone, not even to Lin Shen.

She would especially never say something like "I miss you," which exposed her vulnerability.

Not unless she truly couldn’t hold back any longer.

Lin Shen shot to his feet. Without a moment’s hesitation, he threw on his clothes, grabbed his keys, and rushed downstairs to drive straight to Qin Yuenan’s home.

「Jiayu Pavilion, Building 5, Apartment 1602」

After her shower, Qin Yuenan had her long hair wrapped in a bath towel. Dressed only in a thin silk nightgown, she lay on her bed, scrolling through her phone and sharing any fun videos she found with Lin Shen.

’I’ve been so weird today,’ she thought. ’It’s like my brain seized up and I couldn’t think straight.’

’I was perfectly fine, but as soon as I heard Zhao Jianing talking about marriage, I started acting strange.’

’Lin Shen is so good to me. He’s always giving me gifts, and he even founded Shennan in my name.’

’And what did I do? I treated him with such a terrible attitude!’

’I’m such a drama queen!’

Qin Yuenan lay on her side, chastising herself internally.

’So what if we don’t get married?’

’Even if we just date for the rest of our lives, as long as Lin Shen always loves me, what’s the problem with that?’

But even as she thought this, Qin Yuenan was still filled with anxiety.

’As I get older, I’m bound to lose my looks.’

’Will Lin Shen really still love me then?’

Qin Yuenan couldn’t be sure, which was why she wanted to use marriage to bind Lin Shen to her, to secure his promise that he would love her forever.

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