Han Yu was not at all pleased with the superficiality of Liu Fengying's response. Had she not noticed the surrounding decor? Did she not see the bouquet in his hand? He found it hard to believe that she was truly unaware of what was happening.
However, remembering that not long ago he had shown interest in her sister, Han Yu told himself it was only natural for Liu Fengying to look unfavorably upon his confession. He suspected that something along the lines of: "Excuse me? After failing with my sister, you thought you'd see if you could at least stand a chance with me?" was running through her mind. After all, what girl wouldn't feel insulted being treated as a "backup plan"?
To make matters worse, he had been rejected by her very half-sister, with whom everyone knew Liu Fengying was in conflict. It was highly likely she was determined not to accept what her sister didn't want, simply to avoid appearing inferior to her.
But if he was aware of all these things, why had he rushed his confession so much? Couldn't he have waited another two or three months, so that his attempt to woo Liu Zihan would no longer be relevant in people's minds? Or could he have taken a more discreet approach, such as trying to get closer to Liu Fengying under various pretexts for a while, so that the emergence of feelings for her would be easier to understand?
The problem, however, was that he neither wanted to, nor was he allowed to wait too long to convince Liu Fengying to be with him.
Why didn't he want to wait? That's easy to understand: what young straight man wouldn't be tempted by the option of winning over a girlfriend as attractive as Liu Fengying as quickly as possible? It was no longer even about calculations regarding how his reputation would grow if he were in a relationship with the most popular girl, or about the forces now supporting Liu Fengying; it was pure, carnal attraction.
From the moment he first saw Liu Fengying after her return to school, a consuming fire had ignited within him, overriding any trace of reason. It was that wild impulse that makes male bears fight to the death in the spring for the right to mate, or that drives male bees toward the act of reproduction, even though for them, it is a death sentence.
As for the reason he felt pressured to act as swiftly and decisively as possible in courting Liu Fengying, it was because he feared another young man would beat him to it; after all, he was well aware that what he found irresistible, others did too.
The day before, when no one had been brave enough to try and ask Liu Fengying out or confess to her, he could more or less tolerate the sense of urgency. However, today, after hearing from his friends that two boys had already approached her during the break between the first two morning classes, he began to feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Because of this, his desire and his reason finally reached a consensus. What did it matter what people thought? The most important thing was not to miss out on the girl of his dreams—or, more accurately, a girl he hadn't even imagined could exist in reality.
Thus, he decided to try and make Liu Fengying his girlfriend as quickly as possible. And he had to do it in grand style: on one hand, to prove that he liked her far more than her half-sister, and on the other, to show that his intentions were as serious as they could be. To achieve this, he immediately contacted his father to ask for his help.
However, the phone conversation did not go smoothly at all. As a politician who valued his reputation immensely, how could his father agree to have his influence used for trivial child's play? He sharply advised Han Yu to wait until after classes and confess at the school gate if he truly liked the girl that much.
But how could this be a good solution for Han Yu? Not only could much happen by the end of the school day, but it was highly likely that others would have the same idea. What if, besides him, one or two other boys were waiting for Liu Fengying at the exit? Aside from the fact that it would lower his chances of success, he would find himself in a truly ridiculous position: like a tomcat meowing alongside other tomcats in the alleyway in front of a house where a female cat lived.
So, Han Yu began to explain to his father how crucial it was to ensure his confession was a success, focusing especially on Liu Fengying's background, while also adding some rumors that had surfaced about her in the last two days to make her identity seem even more extraordinary in his father's eyes; in the end, it mattered little to his father how beautiful his future daughter-in-law would be; it was the money and influence she could bring to the family that interested him.
Even though Han Yu's father had held a position elsewhere while the Liu family scandals were the talk of the town, he still had a fairly clear idea of her current situation, just as he did regarding all the other wealthy or influential families in the city; after all, a king must know his subjects. Thus, upon hearing that the girl his son was interested in was Liu Fengying, he began to hesitate in his decision not to get involved.
As someone involved in politics, making money was not exactly simple for him; countless eyes were on his business dealings, so even the smallest suspicious transaction could become a topic of debate. And could a business truly grow large while following the letter of the law? Perhaps, but only if it offers a revolutionary product. Unfortunately, he had not been that lucky.
However, by marrying his son to a filthy rich girl, couldn't he increase his family's income without any risk? It wasn't that he was unaware of the obstacles Liu Fengying would face in trying to reclaim her mother's inheritance from her father's hands, but he was also aware that the law was on her side. And with his influence, wasn't he capable of ensuring that justice was served for Liu Fengying? He was confident he could make Liu Fengying's father "spit out" at least 90% of what rightfully belonged to his daughter.
Understanding just how popular Liu Fengying had become, Han Yu's father grew increasingly convinced that she would indeed be an ideal life partner for his son; it would be a point of pride if his son managed to obtain what others could only dream of. Furthermore, an excellent wife would greatly assist his son if he eventually decided to pursue a political career himself. So, in the end, he agreed to help his son, promising to make a few phone calls to ensure the school administration would cooperate with his plans.
The fact that his father approved of his pursuit gave Han Yu total confidence in his victory. The balloons were just for show—he didn't expect them to play a decisive role in her accepting his confession—but knowing his father wanted Liu Fengying as a daughter-in-law allowed Han Yu to make promises that had real substance behind them. Wasn't she in a conflict with her family? With his father's support, Liu Fengying wouldn't have a single worry from then on.
No sooner said than done, Han Yu delivered a confession that anyone would have considered impossible to refuse for someone in Liu Fengying's position.
"First, I would like to apologize if my initiative seems too abrupt, but I felt I had no choice. In the few months since I became a student at this school, we haven't had the chance to interact, so I didn't get to discover what an extraordinary girl you are. Fortunately, because of the rumors over the last two days, it was impossible not to notice you, and the more I learned about you, the more fascinated I became..." Han Yu began by addressing the very points Liu Fengying or the onlookers might hold against him. He wanted to project an image of sincerity and preemptively shut down any whispers that his "love" had appeared overnight in a suspicious way.
"Because of this, I felt that if I didn't take the initiative to get closer to you soon, I might regret it for the rest of my life. Since we will soon no longer even be connected as schoolmates, who knows if I'll ever have this chance again? Most likely, our lives would continue like parallel lines, or worse, like two lines drifting further apart..." he continued, his voice thick with emotion.
It could be said that Han Yu truly had a way with words; a few girls—especially those who harbored a secret admiration for the school's "grass" and perhaps those with a passion for geometry—were moved to tears by his metaphors.
Furthermore, seeing him so humble before the absolute power of feelings, how could the girls present not feel sorry for him? Honestly, they were starting to get irritated with Liu Fengying: why didn't she say a single word to put him at ease?
"In any case, it's not that I wish to pressure you into accepting me today; I only wanted to demonstrate how much I treasure you and that I am capable of doing anything for you..." Han Yu thought the time was right to cast the net. "And I am not the only one who feels this way; my family has been very impressed by you, and even if things don't work out between us, they have expressed a desire to treat you like a daughter, offering you all the support you need in the future. So please, tell me, Liu Fengying, will you grant me the honor of getting closer to you with the hope of building a serious relationship?"
As soon as Han Yu finished his plea, a clamor of encouragement and praise erupted around him; aside from a few jealous boys rolling their eyes, everyone was on his side. One could certainly say he hadn't disgraced the politician's blood flowing through his veins.
However, besides Han Yu's rivals, there was someone else who wasn't at all pleased with the situation: Hua Shu. Or rather, she was the most disgruntled of all, glaring at Han Yu as if she were ready to cut him in two.