Chapter 168: Go die, you utterly shameless bastard

"Is this the incident that changed Li Lizhi's impression of you?" Gao Yang asked, raising her eyebrows.

Chen Yan said: "Of course, back then Xiao Sizi was critically ill, I saved her; to Li Lizhi, I was her sister's lifesaver, so she naturally felt gratitude toward me, and......"

He lowered his head, smiled at Gao Yang, and said, "and a sense of curiosity."

"Because you're engaged to me and our relationship is bad, back then you probably just felt surprised, and then there was nothing after that."

"But from Li Lizhi's perspective, that was a boy under twenty who displayed extraordinary medical skill, cured her sister, and was also trusted by His Majesty and Her Majesty, who personally sent their daughter to the Weinan Bo Fu to recuperate."

"And once a woman develops curiosity about a man, it means she has already been attracted by the value he displays, even if she herself isn't aware of it, she will unconsciously want to learn more about him."

"Next, you all brought Xiao Sizi over and came to the Weinan Bo Fu as guests; I, having gotten drunk, used a poem 'Invitation to Wine' to completely capture her attention on me."

"Hmph!" Gao Yang sneered, "Whether you were actually drunk back then is still questionable."

"Uh......" Chen Yan choked on those words, his face looking somewhat unnatural.

Family knows family affairs; that day when he started, he really hadn't been drunk.

But, conscience aside, he at that time only wanted to urge Li Chengqian to say something; he had no designs on Li Lizhi at all.

"How? Feeling guilty?" Gao Yang gave a look of contempt, as if she'd known all along.

"Cough cough!" Chen Yan gave a dry cough, "Anyway you remember, I did pretend to be drunk that day, but my purpose was to guide your royal brother; I never paid any attention to Li Lizhi."

"It's been so long since then; let's not bring it up—do you still want to hear?"

"Your topic shift is very awkward." Gao Yang snorted coldly and didn't say more.

Chen Yan's mouth twitched, he exhaled, then continued: "Next came opening a tavern to do business; I accomplished something she had never managed before, helping His Majesty share part of the financial burden."

"At that point, she must have already fallen for me in her heart, she just hasn't realized it yet."

"By now you should understand." Chen Yan began to analyze point by point, "Let's put ourselves in Li Lizhi's shoes and think."

"Her dearly loved, exceedingly well-behaved younger sister fell gravely ill; the imperial physicians were helpless, and then a man about her age appeared and cured her sister with little effort."

"At the same time, you must understand that Xiao Sizi's illness wasn't the only one—her mother, and even she herself, were suffering from the torment of illness."

"Against this backdrop, the value displayed by a man of similar age becomes all the more precious."

"Afterward, she also learned that this man was exceptionally talented, his writing flowed effortlessly, surpassing the so-called Chang'an Four Gentlemen by who knows how much."

"As you said, Li Lizhi has loved music, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood, and especially venerates poetry; thus the other part of my value I display now would attract her even more."

"Furthermore, third point: Li Lizhi once opened a tavern last year, hoping to earn money to ease His Majesty and Her Majesty's financial pressure, but she didn't know how to run a business and messed everything up."

"After I appeared, I reopened her previously closed tavern; on the first day it took in over a thousand strings of cash, taking her place in helping His Majesty make money."

"The value I display are things Li Lizhi desperately lacks or highly prizes; tell me, what reason does she have not to like me?"

Gao Yang was speechless.

Indeed, after Chen Yan's meticulous analysis, once she truly stood in Li Lizhi's shoes, she realized Li Lizhi's fondness for Chen Yan was not without reason.

If it were her, she'd probably be even crazier than Li Lizhi.

"......"

Gao Yang let out a faint sigh, "Please continue."

"All right." Chen Yan said with a smile, "I've been emphasizing the two words 'value' to you just now; although it sounds utilitarian, shallow, and vulgar, it completely ruins our yearning for beautiful love."

"But I said earlier, this is the essence of love."

"Two people attract each other; rather, they are attracted to each other's value."

"I know medicine; I can heal her, her sister, her mother. I have talent, I can write eloquently—no one in the entire Tang Dynasty can surpass me in this. I can make money, I can take her place in continually easing His Majesty's financial pressures."

"This is the value I use to attract her."

"At the same time, I promised to marry Li Lizhi, and am even willing to contribute; first, because Li Lizhi is beautiful and has a gentle, magnanimous nature."

"Second, because she is willing to forsake her previous education, endure great pressure to win me over, letting me see her determination and realize she truly likes me."

"For any man, such a woman is not to be missed."

"Otherwise, one would be struck by lightning."

"Furthermore......"

"What about me?" he hadn't finished speaking when Gao Yang interrupted him.

Immediately afterward, Gao Yang sat up straight, looked earnestly into Chen Yan's eyes, and asked, "Do I have any value that attracts you?"

"Yes." Chen Yan nodded with a smile.

"What is it?" Gao Yang's eyes lit up, she eagerly asked.

"You are also very beautiful."

Gao Yang: "......"

"No, nothing else?"

After waiting a while without hearing 'second' or anything else, Gao Yang asked in disbelief.

So the only point about her that could attract Chen Yan is her looks?

Moreover, in this regard she doesn't even measure up to Li Lizhi.

How could she possibly accept that?

"No way, you have to give me ten more!" Gao Yang exclaimed angrily, "If there aren't ten, I will never let Li Lizhi enter the door no matter what."

Chen Yan staggered, his expression growing softer.

Then he joked, "If you're willing to hear lies, forget ten—give me a few days and I could come up with a hundred."

Gao Yang snapped, "No, you must tell the truth; I want to hear your innermost genuine feelings."

"All right." Chen Yan pulled Gao Yang into his embrace, let her lean against him, and said happily, "First of all, naturally you're good-looking, your figure is far better than Li Lizhi's, so you won't have to worry about the kids going hungry."

Gao Yang: "......"

She lowered her head, glanced, and a flicker of pride flashed in her eyes.

What a joke—she's the naturally gifted Princess Gao Yang; of course she doesn't need to worry about the kids going hungry.

Li Lizhi can't match her in this regard.

Chen Yan continued: "Second, it's your personality. Previously, Li Chunfeng always said we were Eight Characters Heavenly Harmony, a marriage predestined by heaven; when I heard that, I even scolded him."

"But only after we got married did I realize that we might truly be Eight Characters Heavenly Harmony, a pair of bickering lovers."

"Happiness takes many forms; some pursue grandeur, some yearn for poetry and distant horizons, while others find the truest contentment in ordinary, everyday life."

"For us, even bickering counts as a kind of happiness."

Third......

You're a human-shaped martial arts training dummy; on days I'm unhappy, I can punch you twice to vent.

Gao Yang:......

Go die, you utterly shameless bastard!