Chapter 302 - 302: Shen Lan
“Yes, but I can afford it. If you need money, I have lots of it. Don’t leave me, okay?” Shen Lan said stubbornly.
Zhou Li had said the same thing when they broke up before. But she could not figure out why Zhou Li did not want her cash when she had it.
Zhou Li felt a headache setting in. He only wanted to be a love con artist, not a scumbag.
Shen Lan had long been sheltered by the elders of her family and was very naive. Zhou Li had taken a liking to her naive side at the beginning. They were the easiest type to fool. As long as he whispered sweet nothings into their ears, the cash would come flowing in
When Shen Lan began to develop feelings for him and eventually expressed a desire to marry him, Zhou Li became suspicious. The naivete of Shen Lan had grown to be the most challenging factor.
He did not want to be tied down to one person for the rest of his life.
Zhou Li was aware of how much he preferred novelty to familiarity. Meeting new people made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. His marriage to Shen Lan would inevitably lead to an extramarital affair. He was financially pressed, but not so much that he would ruin their lives.
It was also not a good idea to cross the elders of Shen Lan’s family. He was well aware that if he took the plunge and married Shen Lan, he would be trapped in the mold of a model husband for the rest of his life.
Zhou Li had to make a choice between repressing his natural tendencies and inheriting the Shen family’s wealth. He could always find new streams of income, but he could not doom himself to eternal servitude.
“I don’t need a hell of my own right now. I’ve fallen in love with someone else. I don’t like you anymore.” Zhou Li said ruthlessly, ‘Can you let me go? Let’s part on good terms.”
Why?” Shen Lan cried almost instantly.
Could someone truly not love simply because they said so?
A month ago, they were still as close and sweet as ever. How could Zhou Li change overnight?
Zhou Li quickly handed her a handkerchief. “Don’t cry. Just treat me as a scumbag. You don’t need scumbags in your life.”
He had always been kind to the women he liked, and it broke his heart to see Shen Lan in such distress.
Shen Lan shook her head violently while clutching the handkerchief. “I don’t want this to end. You lied to me. I want this lie to continue!” She cried and threw herself into Zhou Li’s arms.
“You…” Zhou Li felt powerless. He could only give her a hug and dry her tears with his handkerchief. “I am just a random person who walked into your life. I am just a money-grubbing liar. What good am I? You will eventually meet someone better and learn to move on. I no longer love you, and I do not love your money.”
Shen Lan’s life had been relatively easy. She always had her wishes fulfilled. He was the first person Shen Lan could not get, which might explain the current situation. Zhou Li calmly surveyed the situation. Shen Lan could not possibly love him that much.
Everyone viewed their first love in a manner unlike any other. Shen Lan was only going through a certain phase.
Zhou Li gave up trying to convince her.
Zhou Li ruthlessly pushed her away. “It’s over between us. Take care.”
“Ah!” Shen Lan was caught by surprise and fell onto the sofa. She collided with the wall by accident.
Zhou Li was stunned for a moment. He had not used much force. “Are you all right?’
He wanted to approach her, but stopped himself. The walls of the private room were covered with soft, tufted cushions, so he could not have possibly injured her.
“I’m leaving. “Please stop bothering me.” Zhou Li’s voice tightened as he spoke coldly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he pushed open the door and strode out.
Zhou Li hurried away. He did not want Shen Lan to develop any illusions of nostalgia over his retreating back, so he did not see Shen Lan clutching her head in agony.
The pain came from the depths of her temple, not the back of her head.
Where was she? Why did her head hurt so much?
Was that Zhou Li? Why was Zhou Li here? Didn’t he already… How was he still alive?
Shen Lan tried to ease the pain by taking deep breaths, but it had no effect. She passed out from the agony.
An hour quickly passed.
Only one of the two visitors who entered the private room left.
No one had been in the private room for some time, and the waiter sensed trouble and opened the door.
“Ah! Are you alright?’
The waiter was taken aback when he saw Shen Lan passed out on the couch. His hand trembled as he turned on the walkie-talkie.. “Manager! Manager! There is a guest in the room! What? Is she breathing? I-I’ll take a look!’