But even though he loved Ling Chuxia, he couldn’t approach her too blatantly, for he understood his mother; she would never allow him to have what he liked. It would become his weakness and cloud his judgment.
So, if he ever wanted to marry Chuxia in the future, he couldn’t get too close to her, couldn’t show his feelings for Ling Chuxia. At that time, everyone was rooting for him and Ling Yunshu. Making a mistake, he progressively got closer to Yun Shu, and when people said they were a couple, he never objected, even choosing Yun Shu without hesitation when the time came to decide. As expected, Mrs. Shi had him marry Chuxia. In that moment, he feigned calmness, but inside, it was as if a flower bloomed in his heart.
Everyone was watching Ling Yun Shu, but only he was looking at Ling Chuxia. However, Chuxia’s expression was not as joyful as he had hoped, which left him feeling somewhat disheartened.
Fearing that Ling Chuxia might have misunderstood him, he pondered deeply and decided to explain himself clearly and confess his feelings to her.
That night, he took slow and steady steps to Ling Chuxia’s room’s doorway, carrying a heart in his chest that thumped like a little rabbit. Always having learned to be composed and indifferent in his dealings, he found himself in that moment much like a young boy—eager, agitated, yet shy.
He still had his pride and his timidity, so he knocked on the door, and when he heard movement inside, indicating someone was about to open it, he stopped her.
He said, "Don’t open the door, I’ll just speak from here."
He said, "Chuxia, I chose your elder sister because I knew Mother would surely choose you."
Then his voice paused, dropped softer and full of gentleness, he said, "Chuxia, I like you, I’ve always liked you. Are you willing... to marry me?"
From the moment he began speaking, it seemed there had been no sound from inside, but Shi Che knew that Chuxia must be standing on the other side of the door, quietly listening to him.
His heart raced; after all, this was his first time confessing to a girl he admired. He didn’t know what Chuxia might think, didn’t know if she would like him back, or if she would be willing to marry him.
He waited a long while, but still no sound came from the other side; he couldn’t help but feel a bit panicked, not knowing if Chuxia was scared by his sudden confession or if she was unwilling to marry him.
After waiting a bit longer and Ling Chuxia still not making a sound, he thought that perhaps he should give her some time to process everything. So, he said, "I’ll wait for your answer," then turned and left.
In the days following his departure, he was filled with anticipation and restless unease; he didn’t know what kind of response Chuxia would give him. He longed to ask but didn’t dare.
Yet, up until the wedding, Chuxia never gave him a response. But since she didn’t refuse to marry him, he took it to mean, at that time, that Chuxia was willing—perhaps her silence was only due to shyness.
In his heart, her willingness to marry him was the best answer he could have hoped for.
In the early days of marriage, she was always reserved with him, no longer as relaxed and natural as before. Initially, he thought that maybe she just wasn’t accustomed to the sudden change of status, so he didn’t press her. He was willing to wait for her to slowly get used to being his wife.