CIATB Chapter 165 It's me, it's that I have someone in my heart, from beginning to end.
Chapter 165 It's me, it's that I have someone in my heart, from beginning to end.
The noise around the booth gradually faded away, leaving only the bubbling sound of the pot boiling and the silent silence between the two.
Su Wan knew she couldn't hesitate any longer; she couldn't waste any more of Lu Yuanfeng's time.
We must stop deceiving ourselves.
The lively atmosphere of the hot pot restaurant, along with the rising steam from the broth, gave her some courage.
She took a deep breath, slowly raised her head, her eyes showing a hint of awkwardness and detachment, and spoke softly.
"Um, Commander Lu..."
She deliberately avoided his name and chose the title "Commander Lu".
Every word and phrase exuded awkwardness and politeness.
It was as if she was deliberately drawing a line between the two of them, and even her tone carried a hint of cautious probing.
Looking at her like this, Lu Yuanfeng's eyes flashed with a hint of helplessness, but he still smiled and spoke gently, without the slightest displeasure.
Before Su Wan could continue, he spoke first, his tone crisp and decisive.
The inherent strength of soldiers was on full display at this moment.
"I'll go first."
Su Wan stopped speaking abruptly, instinctively shutting her mouth and looking at him with surprise in her eyes.
She hadn't expected him to be so domineering, not even giving her a chance to finish speaking.
"I like you, Su Wan."
Lu Yuanfeng's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and clear, penetrating the boiling sound from the bottom of the pot.
These words reached Su Wan's ears and touched her heart.
His gaze was incredibly firm, without the slightest hesitation.
That straightforward love was undisguised, frank, and passionate.
With the decisiveness unique to soldiers, without any impurities.
"I've been on many blind dates, but you're the girl I feel most connected with."
He continued, his tone calm, yet every word sincere.
"I'm a straightforward person; I don't like beating around the bush."
"Because after I finish my business with the Armed Forces Department tomorrow, I'll be leaving Seoul to return to my unit, so I wanted to ask you, what's your opinion of me?"
He paused slightly at this point, his gaze still fixed on Su Wan, his gentleness undiminished, but instead showing more understanding and empathy.
"Of course, one thing I'm very clear about is that from the moment we met until now, you seem to be very afraid of me and very resistant to me."
"Perhaps it's because I'm not good enough to catch your eye, or perhaps it's because I'm too assertive and scared you away."
"However, I am confident that I can win you over in the days to come."
His tone remained firm, carrying an unquestionable certainty.
"I only beg you, give me a chance, a chance to take care of you, a chance for you to get to know me."
Lu Yuanfeng spoke each word with utmost seriousness, without the slightest perfunctoriness. His straightforward expression of affection and unwavering love left Su Wan frozen in her seat.
My mind went blank, and for a moment I didn't know how to respond.
She just felt that Lu Yuanfeng was really direct and decisive.
Such a frank confession, such a firm plea, stirred a pang of guilt and a sense of helplessness in her heart.
However, since he had been so straightforward, she no longer needed to be coy.
I might as well make things clear once and for all, and put an end to his hopes.
Su Wan took a deep breath, suppressing the guilt and panic in her heart.
His gaze hardened, and he spoke softly and sincerely.
"No, Commander Lu, that's not how it is."
"It's not that you're not good enough; quite the opposite, you're so good that I feel I'm not good enough for you."
Her voice was slightly hoarse, and her eyes were full of guilt.
"It's me. I've had someone in my heart from the very beginning."
The moment those words left her lips, Su Wan felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. The panic and guilt that had been building up for so long dissipated, and she felt a sense of unprecedented relief.
Finally, I've said what I wanted to say.
"Commander Lu, I'm so sorry for taking up so much of your time and letting you down."
She lowered her head slightly, her tone full of apology, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet incredibly clear.
"Su Wan..."
Lu Yuanfeng's voice rang out again, still gentle, but with an undeniable forcefulness, interrupting her once more.
"Commander Lu, please don't interrupt me, okay?"
Su Wan suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of pleading and determination.
"Let me finish what I have to say. Before Weiwei and the others arrive, I'll tell you the whole story. It'll be a way of giving you and myself some closure."
Looking at the pleading and determination in her eyes, Lu Yuanfeng finally stopped talking.
He nodded slightly, his gentleness undiminished, but with added patience, signaling her to continue.
"Okay, I won't interrupt you, go ahead."
"The story begins like this..."
Su Wan spoke slowly, her tone much calmer, as if she were telling someone else's story.
But the emotions in his eyes were turbulent.
"Not long ago, I met a man named Lu Chenyuan, who works in the Criminal Investigation Brigade of Hancheng City."
"I fell in love with him at first sight. I had never felt that kind of excitement before, even though I knew that he had a girlfriend at the time. Of course, it was just a girlfriend in name only. We didn't have any real relationship and we never really liked each other."
"I must have been crazy back then. I disregarded shame and dignity and relentlessly pursued him. Even though he treated me coldly time and time again, even though he rejected me time and time again, even though everyone around me advised me to give up, I never wavered. My only thought was to stay by his side."
As she spoke, a hint of sourness welled up in her eyes, and all the past grievances and humiliations, and the desperate rush she had made, surfaced one by one.
"Just when I thought I was about to win him over, a misunderstanding occurred between us, and he unintentionally hurt me deeply."
"That feeling was like I had given my all to attend a grand feast, only to find nothing but a mess in the end. I was completely heartbroken and gave up completely."
She sniffed softly, suppressing the stinging in her eyes, and continued speaking.
"I'm tired. I don't want to chase anymore, and I don't want to get hurt anymore. So I thought I'd just find someone, someone who won't make my heart flutter or hurt me, and live a peaceful and stable life together."
"It was at this time that Lin Weiwei learned of my feelings and felt sorry for me, so she recommended you to me, saying that you were excellent, reliable, and someone I could entrust my life to."
Her tone was full of gratitude towards Lin Weiwei and guilt towards Lu Yuanfeng.
"You are truly outstanding, Commander Lu. I am unworthy of you. I was foolish to agree to this blind date, which has wasted your time and disappointed you."
"I was just too heartbroken and desperate at that time, and I misunderstood things. That's why I thought of escaping the pain of the past and starting a new life through blind dates."
Her voice carried a barely perceptible sob.
"But just these past few days, when I had completely given up on him and was ready to go on this blind date, he suddenly realized that he really liked me and couldn't live without me, so he came back to me."