Shen Liu confessed his feelings like this, leaving Lian Manman with no room to escape or avoid. Was she supposed to grow old with Shen Liu?

Lian Manman had long known that in this era, marrying and bearing children was a path girls had no choice but to follow. It could be said that this was the only path allowed for girls in this era. Therefore, Lian Manman was mentally prepared. Unable to change reality, the only option was to adapt to it.

As for her future husband, future in-laws, and future married life, Lian Manman had envisioned them before. Her demands were not high; her husband should be a good person, and her future in-laws should be upright, kind, and well-mannered. As for married life, a simple and uneventful existence would suffice.

Regardless of the era, love is a luxury, something desired but not necessarily attainable. If found, it’s a fortunate blessing; if not, life must go on regardless. Lian Manman wished to live a life that was stable and healthy, to live as long as possible, and over the long years, to cultivate a familial bond with her future husband that was even stronger and warmer than love.

Being a good person herself and finding another good person provided the basic foundation for a simple and stable life. If that person wasn’t a complete stranger, if she and he could share some common topics and interests, if they could appreciate each other, that would be even better.

Lian Manman didn’t dare to expect too much. After all, in this era, marriage was about the union of two families, emphasizing the parents’ orders and the matchmaker’s words. It was quite common for a couple to meet for the first time at the moment when the bride’s veil was lifted in the bridal chamber, and merely maintaining the formality of marriage, while living a life with different dreams, wasn’t rare either.

Lian Manman didn’t dare to think too much because the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. People are like this; when things don’t go as desired, it’s easy to breed resentment. Living life with a content heart and striving earnestly might more easily lead to happiness and satisfaction.

When Lian Manman thought about these matters, Shen Liu and the Shen Family had never been within her scope of contemplation.

Yet, Lian Manman glanced at Shen Liu. At that moment, Shen Liu was looking at her intently, waiting for her answer. The warmth from his hand seemed to grow increasingly intense. It seemed that Shen Liu was determined to win her over.

Lian Manman had never considered Shen Liu and the Shen Family as possible candidates, and this was entirely accurate at some point in the past. From inadvertently saving Shen Liu and subsequently forming a connection with him and the Shen Family, to receiving assistance from them, she had also helped Shen Liu and the Shen Family a lot. Lian Manman had always made an effort to maintain a good relationship with Shen Liu and the Shen Family, while also keeping some distance.

When she realized that she and Shen Liu got along very well and that Shen Liu possessed many qualities she admired, the idea of becoming real friends with Shen Liu due to his status was fleeting. This left her somewhat regretful, but reality must always be faced, and the sooner, the better.

However, Shen Liu expressed goodwill several times and didn’t shy away from demonstrating his special feelings for her in front of confidants or even in public. Since that time at Phoenix Tower when they watched the snowfall, Shen Liu had made various ambiguous gestures toward her.

The meaning behind Shen Liu’s actions became increasingly apparent, making it harder and harder for her to avoid; she was forced to confront them step by step.

And today, they "happened" to meet again at Jiuyun Mountain. This encounter was clearly orchestrated by Shen Liu. If Lian Manman still didn’t understand by now, she would truly be foolish. Every step from this encounter till now was part of Shen Liu’s plan. His confession was not a spur-of-the-moment impulse but a well-thought-out, carefully arranged, natural result.

Thinking of this, Lian Manman suddenly remembered the time before Old Master Lian passed away, when the family was in Prefecture City. Shen Liu had called Lian Shouxin for a talk, and after Shouxin returned, there were many odd behaviors between him and Lady Zhang. Since then, both Shouxin and Lady Zhang, especially Lady Zhang, seemed to have paid more attention to Shen Liu. And in the past two years, they hadn’t rushed to arrange her marriage.

During these two years, it wasn’t as if no one had approached them about a marriage proposal. Although it was inappropriate to finalize a marriage during Old Master Lian’s mourning period, it wasn’t uncommon for both parties to tacitly agree on the engagement in private.

This was something she overlooked because the mourning period had kept her from thinking in other directions. But now, as she connected all the dots, the truth gradually became clear. It must have been during that time in Prefecture City when Shen Liu hinted to Lian Shouxin. Because of Shen Liu, Shouxin and Lady Zhang refrained from hastily arranging her engagement.