Chapter 501 - 439: Fairness
Chapter 501: Chapter 439: Fairness
If this were anywhere else, in front of anyone else, Bai Junfan would have erupted. Even if he could restrain himself enough to avoid serious consequences, his intimidating presence would have been enough to draw attention.
But faced with Gu Shaojun and Tang Manman, he had no choice but to rein in his turbulent emotions. The effort of suppressing his rage made his insides ache. His features twisted into a vicious snarl, and a hostile aura coiled around him, impossible to conceal.
Xiao Man sighed to herself. ’Is this really the same heroic, fearless, and cheerful heartthrob from the streets of Ping County two years ago? Bai Junfan had such an outstanding image back then—agile and valiant, poised and elegant, brimming with positive energy. He subdued a mad bull, and the whole street, old and young, men and women, chased after him, calling him a hero. How did he fall so far?’
’Oh, but strictly speaking, his character had already rotted back then. He cast aside his fiancée, Yang Liu’er, to get close to me for the sake of a marriage alliance, and even lied that Grandpa Tang had sent him! I didn’t know him well when we first met, so I was completely fooled by his act.’
Seeing Gu Shaojun take Xiao Man’s hand to leave, Bai Junfan subconsciously felt that he couldn’t just admit defeat. More importantly, he couldn’t lose this chance to connect with Xiao Man!
He blurted out, "Wait, I’m not finished talking!"
The two of them stopped. Gu Shaojun turned back. "Manman has clearly rejected you. This matter is over."
"No, this can’t be what she really wants! The Manman I know is gentle, graceful, and well-mannered. We had feelings for each other in Ping County; she would never treat me like this. It’s you. You’re constantly watching her, monitoring her. Of course she’s going to say what you want her to. This is unfair to me!" Bai Junfan took a deep breath, seeming to regain his confidence. He suddenly relaxed, his expression even regaining its usual arrogance.
Gu Shaojun’s expression turned solemn, and his gaze grew cold as he stared directly at Bai Junfan. "Why don’t you tell me about the ’fairness’ you want."
"First, everyone is equal when it comes to love. Everyone has the right to love and be loved. Two years ago, I developed feelings for Manman and confessed to her, and my heart hasn’t changed since. I left Beijing when I was young and had no idea the Gu and Tang families had a marriage agreement. So, my pursuit of Manman was not wrong; it was open and honorable! Second, I respect your engagement. After all, it was arranged by the older generation. But you can’t deny that it’s a feudal relic, reeking of decay. In this new, wonderful era of freedom and openness, it’s wrong to trap a passionate, vibrant young woman in such ancient shackles! Third, Manman is still young. Her views on life and love haven’t fully formed. You have no right to control her emotions and possess her... As long as Manman hasn’t agreed to walk down the aisle with you, I still have the right to pursue her! So, Gu Shaojun, I am announcing right here and now: I am going to compete with you. A fair competition!"
It was as if crushed ice had formed in Gu Shaojun’s eyes. Dark clouds roiled in their pitch-black depths, promising a storm of lightning and thunder. "Fair competition? Bai Junfan, are you even worthy? You’re challenging me, so how about a duel? We set a time and place. We both practice Ancient Martial Arts, but our power levels are different, so we won’t use that. We’ll rely only on basic military skills. One bullet each. We draw and fire. Whoever gets hit first, loses. Do you dare?"
Bai Junfan clearly hadn’t expected such a proposal from Gu Shaojun. He froze for a moment and was about to respond when Xiao Man spoke up. "I don’t agree to a duel. There’s no need for it. This is a simple matter, and you’re just making it complicated. Bai Junfan, you said that everyone is equal in the face of love, that everyone has the right to love and be loved. That sounds very reasonable. You must know a lot about this, right? So let me ask you: in your expert opinion, does this right to love and be loved have a time limit? For instance, how long will your ’feelings’ for me last? Will it be any longer than your love for Yang Liu’er? You have your own arranged marriage, you’re a couple with Yang Liu’er, so why can’t you stand to see Shaojun and me in love?"
Hearing Xiao Man’s final words, Bai Junfan froze as if he’d been turned to stone. His face went deathly pale, as if struck by lightning. He stood stiff and motionless by the fountain, like a statue.
Xiao Man pulled Gu Shaojun away.
When they reached the bottom of the steps, Gu Shaojun glanced back. Bai Junfan was still standing there, unmoving. Gu Shaojun gave the soft, warm hand in his a gentle squeeze. "Why didn’t you drop that bombshell sooner? We wasted so much of our precious time on him. It pisses me off just thinking about it!"
Xiao Man said, "He’s so unpredictable, he had me going back and forth. Yang Liu’er... Well, I ended up having to bring her into it after all."
"Who’s Yang Liu’er?"
"Didn’t Bai Junfan once use the name Yang Junfan? When he was in hiding, he lived with the Yang family, taking on the identity of Yang Liu’er’s deceased older brother. After the trouble passed, the Yang parents held a banquet and invited their elders to arrange a marriage between him and Yang Liu’er. He accepted. Yang Liu’er loves him very much, and they had a good relationship. Later, after he returned to the Bai Family, Bai Junfan was still planning to bring Yang Liu’er to Beijing. But obviously, he was two-timing her, ’pursuing’ me behind her back... Luckily, I wasn’t swayed and didn’t take the bait. It would have been a disaster otherwise."
"You have me, so how could you possibly be swayed? Am I not better than him?"
Xiao Man giggled. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she nuzzled her head against his chest. "Of course! He can’t compare to my Brother Shaojun in any way."
Gu Shaojun dotingly smoothed her sleek ponytail, correcting her without a hint of embarrassment. "Call me by my name! Don’t call me ’brother’ anymore. It makes me sound old. Call me Shaojun, just like you did by the fountain."
Xiao Man: "..."
’Calling him "brother" makes him sound old? In that case, does that mean I can’t call Shaozheng, Shaolian, and Shao Jin "brother" either? What am I supposed to do?’
Still, she wisely complied and called him by his name.
Gu Shaojun smiled with satisfaction, then asked about Yang Liu’er again. "How do you know her? Anyone who could fall in love with Bai Junfan has questionable character. Don’t let yourself be fooled."
"Bai Junfan’s character is terrible, but Yang Liu’er is actually very nice. She’s simple and straightforward by nature, and stunningly beautiful—a rare beauty, really. Otherwise, why would Bai Junfan be so reluctant to let her go? He clearly wants a marriage alliance with a young lady from a family of equal standing, yet he refuses to loosen his grip on Yang Liu’er."
"How did you find all this out?"
"Yang Liu’er told me, of course. Yang Liu’er..."
"Wait, the girl with the surname Yang is Bai Junfan’s woman. Why are you so familiar with her? Something’s not right. You haven’t really been tricked, have you?"
"No, of course not! That Yang Liu’er... she’s a very unique person. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it slowly later."
"How you met her—you need to be clear about that."
"She came looking for me on her own."
"She knew who you were? What was her goal?"
"Let’s save that for later. She told me she was Bai Junfan’s fiancée, so I decided to get to know her. We’re friends now."
Gu Shaojun was speechless. ’Becoming friends with Bai Junfan’s fiancée? What kind of situation is this?’
Xiao Man explained, "Bai Junfan dared to use my grandpa, treating me like an idiot to be deceived and toyed with. He schemed for a marriage alliance with a girl of equal social standing while trying to keep Yang Liu’er by his side and have them both. So, I decided to play his game. I’ve been doing my best to help Yang Liu’er, encouraging her to leave the Bai Mansion and become self-reliant. The Yang Liu’er of today is no longer the meek, weak woman who depended on the Bai Family and was looked down upon by them. She’s a confident university student and a business owner. She has connections, a bright future, and a steady income. Her horizons have broadened, her mind is clear, and she can distinguish right from wrong and weigh the pros and cons herself... The Bai family looks down on her for her humble origins, but in my opinion, whether Bai Junfan can even keep her is another question entirely! I’m really looking forward to it—seeing how Bai Junfan will cry when Yang Liu’er marries another man and lives a happy, fulfilling life!"
Gu Shaojun was speechless again. ’My little girl knows how to be cunning now? Is this her turning to the dark side?’
’Well, a little cunning is fine. It’s better than being bullied and deceived by others!’