Seeing Li Jinfeng's astonished expression, Zhang Xiaohua said smugly, "Young Master Li, tell me—if... this poor Daoist were to put in a good word for you before Ou Yan, how likely do you think it would be?"
"Pfft." After staring blankly for a moment, Li Jinfeng laughed. "If such matters could be bought and sold by force, what hope would I have left? Qiutong probably wouldn't think much of a poor scholar like me either. Even if, for your sake, Qiutong reluctantly agreed, what about our life afterward? Wouldn't we both be living beneath your shadow? If Qiutong wasn't willing from the bottom of her heart, then even if I begged you, what use would it be?"
Zhang Xiaohua was even more stunned. After standing there dumbfounded for quite a while, he gave Li Jinfeng a thumbs-up and said, "Impressive, truly impressive. You actually dared to say such things to Qiutong's... to Miss Ou Yan's sect leader senior brother. I really admire you to death. You... truly have guts!"
"You only realized that now?" Li Jinfeng curled his lip, with a faint trace of pride in his tone.
Then he leaned closer again. "Now tell me, what is troubling you?"
"Enough." Zhang Xiaohua waved a hand. "If I can't handle my own affairs, could you help even if I told you? Even if you could help, wouldn't I still have to handle it myself? And if I could come out and tell you about it, wouldn't I still have to handle it myself? Either way, I have to handle it myself, so why should I tell you?"
"This..." Li Jinfeng was clearly so thoroughly tangled up by Zhang Xiaohua's tongue-twister-like words that he could barely react.
At last, he waved a hand. "Fine, just pretend I never said anything!"
"Hehe!"