239 – Wounded Pride

Inside the car, Rouxi sat quietly in the passenger’s seat, still upset over how Li Yun had treated her aunt. Maybe she shouldn’t have gotten upset, but her aunt was the one who took care of her after her mother had passed away. Despite her lifestyle as a grifter, her aunt had always treated her well.

Chu Mimi wasn’t the best guardian and her judgment wasn’t perfect, but the circumstances had forced them into that position. If Rouxi hadn’t helped her aunt out on certain scams, she would have been locked up earlier and Rouxi would have entered foster care. She thought Li Yun would be more understanding as someone who knew a lot of criminals and underground operators.

Li Yun appeared to know a lot, but his experience was really shallow. He didn’t know how difficult it was for most people to make a living. Knowing about another person's experience was different from understanding. But even understanding the person was also different from experiencing a person’s life firsthand; they all created different levels of empathy.

As her mind wandered off, the night stars entered her eyes. She suddenly noticed that they were heading somewhere off the road with no street light.

“Yun! Where are you going?” Rouxi turned to Li Yun and broke the long awkward silence in the car.

“Are you still upset?” Li Yun asked her as he pulled the car to a stop on the flat portion of the sloped area. They were off the side of a hill with very little light other than the stars. 

Rouxi glared at Li Yun, his stern face highlighted only by the car overhead light and not showing any signs of remorse. “Do you know why I’m upset?”

“I didn’t mean to insult your family, but you’re not helping them out by paying for their living expenses,” Li Yun explained. “The more you pay them, the more they feel that they are entitled to it.”

“If your parents were ever in need, would you help them out?” From Rouxi’s perspective, Li Yun was being judgmental. Maybe it was because he felt the need to protect her that he was overreacting. “I don’t need you to look out for me, I’ve been looking after myself for far longer.”

“So you never need me,” Li Yun needed her more to feel human, but she likely didn’t need him to survive. He got out of the car, slammed the door, and walked away. 

“Yun!” Rouxi called out to him as she saw him leaving, something she had said seemed to hurt him. She never thought he would be angry with her.

She quickly followed him out of the car, and up the narrow path. As she was wearing heels, the terrain made her trail further behind him. Unlike Li Yun who could navigate easily in the dark, she was lost within ten minutes. Her feet gave out and her heels slipped over a rock, staggering her over toward the ground.

Before her legs touched the ground, she felt a pair of hands reach up from underneath to support her, and then the surroundings lit up. Bright lights appeared everywhere, dangling from the bushes and surrounding them with warm sunny twinkles.

“Yun?” Rouxi watched Li Yun as he pulled her up to a standing position.

“Sorry for making you angry,” Li Yun smiled.

Rouxi teared up upon the sudden realization that Li Yun was only acting. “You jerk! You set this up!” Rouxi punched him in the chest but immediately regretted it as it appeared her fist was hurting herself more than him.

Li Yun laughed, “I’m sorry, but I needed to distract you.” He wrapped his arms around her, soothing the back of her hair, and whispered gently, “Sorry.”

“Why all of this? Do you want to see me angry?” Rouxi wiped away her tears on his shoulder.

“Yes, I want you to be angry if I overstep my bounds.” Li Yun knew Rouxi could be tough against others, but up against people she genuinely cared about, she would rather ignore confrontation. He noticed how easily she gave in to his requests, whether it was to stop streaming certain segments or by the way she dressed. If he didn’t know his own boundaries, he could take advantage of her. But when she was stuck between himself and her aunt, she grew flustered because she didn't know whose side to pick. “I don’t want to run your life, especially if you’re going to be my wife.”

“Whoever said I was going to marry you?”

Li Yun got on his knees and took out a little black case he had spent weeks searching for. “Marry me?”

A pink diamond ring appeared in Rouxi’s line of sight. She held back her surprise, she didn’t think he would propose early or had gotten a ring. “I thought you were going to propose after I graduate.”

“I was until Bufu added everyone in the chat group.” Li Yun was relieved that Rouxi wasn’t part of the text chain Bufu sent out about the ring. His friends weren't complete idiots, but he didn't count on them being completely quiet. With so many people knowing about it, the chances of her knowing were high. “You probably heard it from them?”

“No one mentioned anything to me, but I knew you had been talking to Ke An and Gaode about meeting with your parents,” Rouxi weaved her fingers through his hair. 

Li Yun found it difficult to believe that no one dropped any hints.

“Did you talk to my aunt?” Rouxi asked.

“I called her before we visited to let her know I was going to ask you.”

“So she was in on it!?”

“Well, she thought it would be fun, but are you going to make me kneel forever?”

“You deserve it!” Rouxi couldn’t believe he got her aunt to fool her. She turned away and found a bench to sit on, leaving Li Yun hanging.

“You’re really not going to respond?” Li Yun shuffled his knees toward her.

When he was within reach, Rouxi grabbed the black box from his hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

“I take that as a yes?” He asked.

“Yes to the ring, but you, no,” Rouxi tilted her hand slowly to see the glittering reflection of the diamond. 

Li Yun wasn’t sure if she was still angry or just playing around. He waited for her to respond. Some women preferred big romantic gestures, but some preferred time to think and consider the options.

“Yun, were you angry when I said I don’t need you?” Rouxi finally asked.

“A bit, but probably because you don’t realize how much I need you,” it also hurt him to realize how much more she meant to him. To a point where he didn’t think it was possible.

“I don’t need you to fight my battles, I don’t need you to look out for me, and I don’t need you to continue living. I mean that. But at the same time, I want you, so badly that I won’t be able to be who I am without you. Life would be a meaningless struggle for survival ”

“Is that a yes?”

Rouxi slapped his shoulders. “Are you trying to make me angry again?”

***

They stayed out until early tomorrow morning, watching the sunrise above Angel City. The day was mostly spent sightseeing at the state parks and museums.

There were people who entered the museum and felt inspired like Rouxi. There were people who entered the museum and felt bored like half the students who were in attendance. And there were people like Li Yun, who entered the museum and felt like all their energy was sapped out of them.

Some museums weren't strict on people touching the Roman and Greek artifacts, especially to accommodate people who were visually impaired and required a tactile feel to experience the museum. Li Yun was amazed by the sights he was seeing, but at the same time, it drained a lot of his energy.

Li Yun recuperated his energy during lunch and a little midday nap. Before departing back home to China, they visited Mimi and Gerry.

The aunt and uncle exchanged a look at Li Yun and wondered how it went. They didn’t see a ring on Rouxi’s finger, but their faces glowed once Rouxi revealed a pink diamond ring hanging around her neck. 

They had decided to keep their engagement a secret since their friends and family seemed to be expecting an engagement party after graduation.

Mimi and Gerry both hugged and congratulated the couple. Afterward, Rouxi scolded everyone for tricking her. 

“My acting is impeccable, isn’t it?” Mimi complimented herself.

“You were great honey, a leading actress contender,” Gerry replied. “I should also get an Ozcar for my supporting role.”

“You barely said any lines.”

Gerry raised his hand in classic Shakesperean form, “My expression of annoyance and wounded pride said it all!”

chocomug

And before anyone asks, Li Yun crafted the band and inserted the diamond.