082 As a Man, I Must Take Responsibility! (Please Add to Your Favorites)

Fu Lin let go of her hand, and Su Yunjin drew hers back, the powerful heartbeat that had pulsed against her palm suddenly gone. The lingering warmth was still there, leaving Su Yunjin a little flustered, but before she could say anything, she saw Fu Lin, his ears flushed red, muttering under his breath.

“A woman’s heart truly is a needle at the bottom of the sea. You were the one who said it, but now you act so fierce, as if I’m taking advantage of you.”

What?

Su Yunjin’s mind went blank for a moment.

Just as she was about to retort, Fu Lin spoke again, this time no longer muttering, but looking at her with grievance.

“Yes, I like you, and I’m pursuing you, but you can’t just toy with me because of that. I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t do it again. If you do, I’ll really be angry! To help you remember this lesson, you’ll need to treat me to a meal!”

With that, Fu Lin huffed with pride and turned to leave.

The entire sequence lasted no more than three minutes, leaving Su Yunjin completely stunned, while Fu Lin strutted off like a triumphant victor.

Even as he ran off, he didn’t forget to turn back and show off his satisfaction.

Su Yunjin wasn’t a fool; she understood perfectly well that Fu Lin had been playing the victim since just now, turning the tables on her.

Taking a deep breath, she forcibly suppressed her urge to hit him.

At least he was gone now.

In the days that followed, Su Yunjin tried to keep her distance from Fu Lin. Unfortunately, he seemed entirely unfazed, always finding ways to approach her. Sometimes he’d act clueless, other times he’d drag her into idle conversation. He was like a stubborn patch of glue, impossible to shake off.

By now, nearly everyone in the C-Position girl group knew that Instructor Fu Lin was chasing after Su Yunjin.

“Instructor Fu Lin, I’d appreciate it if you’d show some restraint. I’m engaged, after all,” Su Yunjin said earnestly, having invited Fu Lin to hike with her after training ended. They sat resting in a pavilion halfway up the mountain, talking.

“Yes, I know, to the Lu family, right? But haven’t you already decided to call off the engagement?” Fu Lin replied carelessly, holding a water bottle.

But his words struck Su Yunjin like a bolt of lightning. Her mind exploded. “How do you know that?”

Her engagement to the Lu family wasn’t common knowledge, not even among wealthy circles.

Yet Fu Lin knew all about it!

Unbelievable!

“Of course I know. Don’t forget—I’m military. There are always a few people with powerful backgrounds,” Fu Lin said with a grin.

On the surface, he was as calm as ever.

He wasn’t blindly pursuing Su Yunjin. He liked her, yes, but he knew that a forced relationship wouldn’t last. If there was even a chance between Su Yunjin and Lu Yiqing, he never would have stepped forward so recklessly.

He acted only because he knew Su Yunjin didn’t care for Lu Yiqing, and Lu Yiqing resisted the engagement as well.

He hadn’t been certain at first, but when Su Yunjin recently dumped her Lu family shares, it was as clear as day—she was publicly severing ties with the Lu family.

So why shouldn’t he go after her?

The political commissar always said: act when the time is right, a man should never be afraid of losing face. Pursuing the woman you love is nothing to be ashamed of!

“Is your unit’s intelligence really that good?” Su Yunjin raised her brows.

Fu Lin laughed heartily. “Not really, just that we’re pretty well-informed when it comes to gossip.”

Su Yunjin rolled her eyes. She prided herself on her composure, but somehow, Fu Lin always managed to unsettle her.

She fell silent, and the atmosphere became heavy. After a pause, she spoke again. “No matter what, I won’t start a new relationship while still engaged.”

“I understand.”

“So you should give up.”

“I won’t!” Fu Lin took a sip of water, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He turned to her, his gaze sincere and solemn.

“Why should I give up? You’re not married, you don’t have a boyfriend, and you don’t have anyone you like. Why should I—a grown man—give up before I’ve even started? That’s not my style. Besides, in my line of work, who knows if I’ll come back from a mission? I don’t know if I’ll live to old age. I refuse to settle. Sure, not settling can be unfair to others, but at least, if the worst happens, I can leave my compensation money for her.”

Su Yunjin was exasperated. “So you want me to be a widow?”

“That’s not what I mean,” Fu Lin denied immediately, but then a trace of sadness flickered in his dark eyes. “But…it is a bit selfish. No one wants that kind of outcome, but I have a duty to my country. As my wife, you’d have to carry a heavy burden. No matter how much I love her, that comes second. If anything happens to me, the people left behind will bear the pain—my wife, most of all. In that sense, yes, I am selfish.”

“But I don’t want to be selfless, either. I only live once. All that talk about next life or reincarnation is nonsense to me. Even if it’s just for a day, I want to be with the person I love. Whether it’s selfish or not can wait for later. If I’m lucky enough to live to eighty, I’ll have won big—my beloved, my children, and grandchildren, enjoying family happiness.”

“You’re very honest,” Su Yunjin said sarcastically, but in truth, she admired his frankness. As exasperating as he could be, he never pretended, not even about his darker side.

She had lived in the Seven Sects for many years, read more classics than she could count, but all she’d seen were hypocritical faces chasing profit.

Unable to help herself, she looked at Fu Lin a moment longer.

He was younger than her, yet much taller, his skin dark but pleasant. Clothed, he looked a bit lean, but his broad shoulders, the veins and muscles visible on his arms, all attested to the strength of his body.

His bright eyes gazed ahead, steady and clear.

Just as she finished speaking, those eyes curved with a sudden smile, his lips arching up, revealing two rows of white teeth.

Turning to her, Fu Lin grinned. “You call that honesty? Isn’t it just the truth? No point sugarcoating things. I’m a man; if I’m going to pursue you, I owe you the truth. Otherwise, it’s like concealing military intelligence.”

Well then.

A little praise and he gets all cocky!

Su Yunjin rolled her eyes again, unwilling to argue with him any further, and turned to walk out of the pavilion.

“Where are you going?” Fu Lin called after her, barely two steps away.

“Down the mountain!”

“Aren’t you going to the summit?”

“Not interested anymore.”

She had planned this hike to make things clear, to persuade Fu Lin to stop his pursuit.

But now it was obvious—he was unmoved. Not even her engagement could scare him off. If anything, she’d have to resort to hurting his pride.

But she didn’t want to do that. All things aside, she truly liked his honesty.