Han Luo was dumbfounded by Tang Yujin's sudden proposal. She was the least prepared for it.
It was hard to believe that he would accept her so easily. To think that he would propose directly, it was out of her imagination.
Right now, Han Luo's brain was completely blank. She didn't want to think of anything aside from her upcoming exams and here she got a proposal.
After Han Luo declined his proposal, Tang Yujin thought for a long time. He realized that if this continued, he could lose her forever. Since she forgave him, for behaving rudely at the hospital, she might have a soft spot for him.
Taking that opportunity, he proposed to her.
He thought that she would be surprised and happy at the same time after being proposed on her birthday.
However, her reaction was completely different from what he had been expecting.
Han Luo was nervous and there was no trace of smile or happiness on her face. She seemed troubled.
Finally, she opened her mouth and declared, "Big brother Yujin, I don't think I can accept your proposal. I'm sorry."
Tang Yujin paused before promising, "Little Luo, I swear I won't let you suffer after we get together and I will make sure that grandfather accepts you for who you are. You don't have to hide your other self."
"It's a tempting proposal but I like someone else," Han Luo lowered her head and rejected his proposal.
Tang Yujin was sweating. He hid his nervousness and told her, "It's normal to have affection for someone at an age like this. Just give it some time and those feelings will disappear."
"I love big brother Yuan," she dropped the bomb.
Tang Yujin halted. He didn't expect that it would be Mo Yuan. He saw how Mo Yuan avoided Han Luo and stayed cold to her. Even she avoided Mo Yuan and stayed out of his way.
So why now?
He clenched his fists and controlled his emotion. He questioned her slowly, in a low tone, "…Xiao Yuan… why is it him? Why can't it be me?"
Han Luo took a deep breath and explained, "That's because big brother Yuan wished to understand me the most. He wanted to know the real me. He was always there to take away my pain, my agony. I always had him when I needed someone. He never calculates how to capture my heart. He had sacrificed a lot for my sake and yet he never complained."
She continued, "It's not only me but also my heart that subconsciously leaned on him. I am in debt to him but more than that, I realized that it's hard for me to separate from him. No one can ever replace him."
She added, "I'm not saying that you can be replaced either. Big brother Yuan… had taken my entire heart and it would be meaningless if I can't be with him."
He stepped forward and asked her, "And, what if he doesn't like you? What if he rejects you?"
Han Luo nervously stepped back while answering, "Big brother Yujin, you don't have to worry about it. The reason I like him is not that I can have him or anything. I simply love him. If he ever rejects me and says that he sees me as his younger sister, I won't bother him again. If he wants to marry someone else, I will bless them from the bottom of my heart. It's completely all right if he doesn't love me back."
Although she said that, her heart was suffocating. She firmly believed that Mo Yuan had feelings for her or else they wouldn't do kissing, hugging, or marking each other's bodies.
Nonetheless, she couldn't help but think if Mo Yuan didn't have feelings for her and she had fallen for him, she would be devastated. Even so, she would wish for his happiness.
She thought that Tang Yujin needed to know in case he could give up on her.
Tang Yujin caught her arms and inquired, "You are ready to be heartbroken but still you won't be with me. Am I not an option for you? I thought you liked me."
Han Luo was surprised by his action. She hastily replied, "I… liked you and I had a crush on you for a long time and after your accident, I was ready to accept your proposal. However, when I went to tell you that, you were talking to a girl and told her that you couldn't accept me for who I am."
She added, "I know how kind you are. You couldn't say 'no' if I accepted the proposal. My mistake would make you unhappy. I didn't want to harm my kind big brother. That's why I decided to turn down the proposal. I'm sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Tang Yujin's black pupils shrunk. His body trembled. He slowly let go of her. He stepped back, turned around, and left.
From behind, he didn't look as mighty as before.
After he left, Han Luo clutched her clothes. 'I did the right thing but was I too harsh?'
---------
Mo Yuan saw Tang Yujin going upstairs and coming down after a long time. Although he said nothing, his expression didn't look good.
Mo Yuan was curious why he looked so terrible but stayed silent. He was more worried about Han Luo.
As per her demand, he decided to stay at her house. After his parents left and everyone went to bed, he silently went to her room.
She was sitting down in a spacious place right beside her window. There were several dolls there. She was hugging one of them and looking outside the window.
Mo Yuan soundlessly locked the door from the inside and strode toward her. He placed his hand on her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
Han Luo was startled by his word. She was so absorbed in her town thoughts that she didn't notice him.
After seeing him, she circled her arms around his waist and demanded in a spoiled manner, "Big brother Yuan, hug me."