Lonely Man and Woman Only Talk at Night

Chapter 6: A Man and a Woman Alone… Just Talking Through the Night

The moonlight on Big Bear Mountain was beautiful, and the wind was gentle.

The red leaves covering the mountain rustled softly in the breeze, promising a good night's sleep.

Two tents were connected front to back, nestled close together. It was now late, the time for sleep.

Lin Yuan lay in the outer tent. Although the lights were out and he couldn't see anything, his hearing seemed to sharpen in the darkness.

Liu Yifei lay in the inner tent, several meters away, yet her breathing sounded as clear as if it were right beside his ear.

It was just ordinary breathing, but to him, it sounded pleasant, like a gentle breeze caressing his heart.

Despite being exhausted from a long day, Lin Yuan couldn't fall asleep.

Is she asleep? Should I ask?

"Lin Yuan, are you asleep yet?" Before Lin Yuan could even hesitate, Liu Tianxian's voice came from the darkness.

"Not yet," Lin Yuan replied.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for what? I had a great time today too."

"Thank you for everything in the past, thank you for appearing in my life."

Lin Yuan knew she was thanking him for his care over the past few years.

She had come to New York from China with her mother in 1997.

When she first arrived, she was unfamiliar with the place and couldn't speak the language.

As a classmate, Lin Yuan, out of consideration for their shared nationality, did his best to help her overcome the language barrier and gradually integrate into local life.

This wasn't a particularly significant favor, though. Their current relationship was more due to their compatibility.

"It's nothing. Compared to hanging out with those guys, I definitely prefer spending time with you."

"Haha, speaking of which, those guys are hard to get along with. How did you become friends with them?"

"At first, they didn't pay much attention to me either, so I treated them to food. Once they'd eaten my food, it was easier to get close," Lin Yuan summarized. "If you can't win their hearts, win their bodies first."

What a terrible analogy! Liu Yifei's ears turned a little red.

"Ew~ That analogy is full of male stink," Tian Xian said with disdain.

"Now that we advocate for gender equality, it's not just men who can 'buy' the bodies of the opposite sex. Women have that freedom too," Lin Yuan teased.

His jokes weren't excessive. American teenagers were quite mature, and experimenting with forbidden fruit was no big deal.

Liu Yifei was also more mature and had more developed ideas than her peers.

"I've always had this idea that feminism might be a conspiracy created by men to make it easier for them to 'hunt' women," Liu Tianxian replied.

"Oh? How so?" Lin Yuan asked, curious.

"Encouraging women to liberate their minds, liberate their bodies, and enjoy themselves to the fullest. Everyone is happy. This way, women's defenses are lowered. Doesn't feminism make it easier for men's desires to be fulfilled?" Liu Yifei said.

Lin Yuan thought about it and had to admit she had a point. "Indeed, but this only benefits the strong among men. Men who lack competitiveness would rather use traditional constraints on women to ensure they at least get a partner."

"So, do you encourage women to liberate themselves?" Lin Yuan could hear the smile in her voice even in the darkness.

This little girl is setting a trap for me!

If he said yes, she would immediately accuse him of being a scumbag who used feminism to take advantage.

If he said no, she could call him selfish and conservative, a man who objectified women.

"Whether men or women, neither should try to take advantage of the other. Fair exchange is always the foundation of a healthy relationship," Lin Yuan wisely avoided her trap.

"Fair exchange? Many people feel that if the fair outcome is unfavorable to me, why would I want fairness?" Tian Xian's viewpoint was as sharp as ever. "I'm quite pessimistic about human nature, and I even think people like that are the majority. How should one interact with them?"

Although Liu Yifei was both talented and beautiful, her life couldn't have been all smooth sailing. Women were naturally prone to jealousy, and she must have faced considerable hostility from other women.

In fact, with her qualifications, she didn't need to care about others' opinions. She could forge her own path with ease. What substantial harm could a few hostile glances cause?

A successful life was simply unreasonable like that.

She was still young and a bit lost now, but in a few years, when she matured, she wouldn't be confused about these things anymore. Lin Yuan, her "brother," decided to help her overcome this early.

"No matter how many times you turn around, your backside is still behind you. No matter what you do, someone will dislike you. Because to them, your existence is a mistake," Lin Yuan said.

"But does an elephant need to care about the thoughts of a mosquito?" Lin Yuan continued. "Ordinary women who possess beauty are already blessed by heaven, but you've clearly received a buffet from paradise."

"Pfft..." Liu Yifei burst out laughing. "Am I really that good?"

Lin Yuan immediately understood her subtext. So, she liked hearing him praise her. In that case, he should say a few more words.

Saying nice things doesn't cost money. Liu Tianxian's exclusive cheerleader is online!

"I used to hear people say 'beauty and wisdom combined,' but I only had the concept, not the image, until I met you."

"You are the kind of woman that the vast majority of men, upon first glance, know they will never have a story with."

"Hahaha... Am I really that good... You're so exaggerated... Haha..." Another familiar burst of laughter.

The laughter gradually subsided, and another question was thrown his way. "Then, do you belong to the vast majority of men?"

!!!

Lin Yuan's mind blared with alarms, a deafening ring!

Another one of those no-win situations?

Answering yes would make him seem cowardly, revealing a total simp mentality.

Answering no would immediately invite criticism: "Am I not good enough? Or are you just too arrogant?"

Women are natural masters at playing hard to get, tugging you back and forth. Men who can only play direct are truly asking for it.

"I'm one of the rare men who truly appreciates you."

"Hmph~ That's a nice thing to say~" Celestial Fairy scoffed.

Lin Yuan's next move followed closely: "Haven't my actions over the years proven it?"

Recalling the past, Liu Yifei couldn't help but feel a warmth in her heart, her tone softening: "I suppose you have been thoughtful..."

"It's the only way to express my respect for a Goddess!"

"You call me... a Goddess?" The voice from the darkness carried a hint of embarrassment and annoyance.

Liu Yifei's face was flushed in the darkness, which Lin Yuan couldn't see.

But he quickly realized that calling a high-quality girl a Goddess wasn't a common practice yet.

Currently, it only brought to mind "the Prince of Xiang's desire, but the Goddess's indifference," or perhaps the "Ode to the Luo River."

Both implied a man's admiration for a beautiful woman.

"Even women with mere looks in ancient times could be called Goddesses. What's strange about respectfully calling our talented and beautiful women today a Goddess?" Lin Yuan laughed it off, feigning ignorance to get past it.

"Don't call me that again, I can't handle such praise..." Liu Yifei also played along, letting the matter drop.

The two, with great understanding, didn't bring it up again.

In our youth, we liked to pretend to be wise when we were actually ignorant, fearing others would think we didn't understand.

As we grow older, we prefer to pretend to be ignorant when we understand, because many things aren't ready to be revealed.

The night was deep, but their desire to chat only grew.

"You say the crowding in modern cities brings people physically closer, but why do our emotional distances grow further apart?"

"If people's hearts change so easily, is there still a point in trying hard to build intimate relationships with others?"

"Why do women, as they get older, start to like gold and bright red?"

"Is it the greasy preachiness of middle-aged people? Or the lecherous shamelessness of the young? Which is more disgusting?"

They talked a lot that night, from studies to life, from concepts to ideals, feeling an increasing sense of soulmate connection.

As they chatted, they didn't know when they both fell asleep.

Before sleeping, in a daze, the song echoed in Lin Yuan's mind again:

"The promise we made growing up, so sincere, endless stories with you..."

This time I know, you won't be the love I missed!