"I thought... you wouldn't be prejudiced against any profession or any person." Chi Li lowered her eyes, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "After all, you grew up in an environment full of prejudice, you must know how unreasonable those prejudices are."
In those days, women who went out to do business were considered by some to be "showing their faces in public".
Her natural contempt and jealousy will inevitably subject her to a lot of intentional or unintentional abuse and malice.
Those who once broke free from the shackles of prejudice have now become the ones weaving those shackles.
It truly proves the saying, "The dragon-slaying youth eventually becomes the dragon himself."
"You..." Old Madam Shen couldn't help but tap the ground with her cane.
She must be angry.
Because she never felt that there was any man in the world who could compare to her, she naturally hated it when people compared her experiences to others.
But seeing the boy's resolute and fearless expression, he couldn't muster any anger.
"I had someone investigate you." She changed the subject. "You're a thoughtful, planned, ambitious, and capable person."
"... So?" Chi Li tilted his head slightly and asked softly.
"So, if we let you grow up..." Old Madam Shen seemed to be showing the typical concern of an elderly person for their younger generation, "That boy might not be able to keep you here."
Shen Xunye's strange illness is ultimately related to her 'special treatment'.
Therefore, she had to hold onto the only 'medicine' that could cure him tightly, without allowing any mishap.
If Chi Li is allowed to grow up freely, his horizons will inevitably broaden. At that time... will he still look at Shen Xunye?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
But all she wanted was 'know'.
Keeping someone close by might seem a bit rough, but it's very reassuring.
"I can't make any promises for the future." Chi Li preferred to speak the truth rather than empty words. "But I can assure you that right now, our feelings for each other are genuine."
Old Madam Shen: "Since it's true love, then you should be willing to make some sacrifices for him."
"I think you've misunderstood," Chi Li, remaining composed. "The sacrifice you speak of isn't for him, but for you. Feelings that insist on someone making a sacrifice are unhealthy. This applies to love and family relationships alike."
"Sharp-tongued..." Old Madam Shen was rendered speechless.
Throughout the entire Shen family, no junior member had ever dared to be so presumptuous in front of her.
"To put it another way, if I agreed to this request, it would actually be a worse choice for Shen Xunye." Chi Li chuckled softly, her tense nerves gradually relaxing. "Do you know why I became his 'medicine'?"
Old Madam Shen was also very curious about this. "Why?"
"Because I am who I am." Chi Li's smile widened, a confident smile that showed he had everything under control. "If I lose the qualities that belong to me, then—how long will his initial attraction, his affection, last?"
The same seeds planted in different environments will inevitably produce different flowers.
Having seen flowers blooming in the wind, how could one possibly like flowers that have withered and died?
Old Madam Shen fell into thought.
She was clueless about matters of the heart, but a simple analogy would suffice.
For example, she admired Chi Li more than his parents.
"You're almost convinced," Old Madam Shen had to admit.
Chi Li: "Shall I continue?"
Old Madam Shen: "If you have anything else to say."
"The reason you want to lock me up is simply because you're worried that something might happen to our relationship, causing his 'illness' to relapse." Chi Li's smile faded, and her tone became serious. "But I can say with certainty that it won't."
Where does your confidence come from?
Didn't you just say you couldn't make promises for the long term?
"Not only positive emotions count as emotions." Chi Li made an assumption. "If we can't reach a consensus and I ultimately choose to break up with him, the negative emotions he experiences will at least prevent him from becoming bored."
After finishing speaking, Chi Li paused for two seconds, then added, "I'm not threatening you, I'm just stating the facts. Even if we can't reach an agreement today, I won't choose to break up before he or I get tired of this relationship."
"Alright." After a moment's thought, Old Madam Shen waved her hand. "You may leave."
She had to admit that her previous decision was far too impulsive and rude.
If she were younger, she would definitely have been able to understand what Chi Li was saying.
As people get older, it's inevitable that they'll make mistakes.
Chi Li stood up, bowed slightly, and slowly left the room.
The door closed, and Old Madam Shen sighed deeply, asking the housekeeper beside her, "Tell me, at my age, shouldn't I stop meddling in this and that?"
Butler: "You are the backbone of the entire Shen family. If you don't take care of things, the whole family will fall apart."
"..." Old Madam Shen glanced at the housekeeper speechlessly, "Do you want me to work myself to the bone until the very last second before I'm in my coffin?"
The butler immediately waved his hands in a panic, "I... I didn't mean that..."
"With Shen Yu and his father managing everything at home now, nothing will go wrong." Old Madam Shen, leaning on her cane, slowly stood up and walked towards the bedside. "From today onwards... I will be a kind and gentle old lady..."
On the other side, as soon as Chi Li stepped out of Old Madam Shen's rest room, Shen Xunye, who was waiting nearby, pulled her into his arms.
He didn't ask anything, he just held her tightly.
It was as if he were holding a lost treasure that had been found again.
This time, Shen Ling, who was not far away, was smarter; she only took pictures and didn't scream.
After letting him hug her for a while, Chi Li finally reached out and patted his back. "... Alright, if you don't let go, my bones are going to fall apart."
Shen Xunye immediately loosened his grip, but maintained the embrace, saying in a muffled voice, "... I don't dare to hear the result."
While waiting, Shen Ling, who had no tact whatsoever, kept talking about Old Madam Shen's great achievements and ruthless methods when she was young, which amplified his anxiety to the extreme.
When told to shut up, she looked completely innocent and said she wanted to be a legendary figure like the old lady in the future.
This means that even after people are punished, the amplified anxiety has not disappeared.
"What's there to be afraid of?" Chi Li chuckled. "You really don't trust me that much?"
Shen Xunye slowly released Chi Li, tenderly cupping his face in her hands. "I'm ready to have a secret relationship with you."
"Pfft..." Chi Li covered her mouth and laughed.
It seems that while he was 'negotiating' inside, his boyfriend was also trying to find a way out for their relationship.
However, the solution they found was rather mediocre.
Unless they never meet, their secret relationship will definitely not escape the notice of Old Madam Shen.