Chapter 42 unspoken understanding
"He wouldn’t think that way. I was the one who initiated this; it has nothing to do with you!" Mary declared, patting her chest. "Don’t worry. I..."
"Hey, why are you oversimplifying things?" I sighed. "An elder brother is akin to a father, and you hold a special place in your brother’s heart. Besides, we’ve known each other for less than a week and have already progressed this far, which is quite fast for most people. If your family were ordinary, it wouldn’t matter, as there would be nothing to gain. But the issue is, I’m a poor boy dating you, and in the eyes of others, I’m punching above my weight, harboring ulterior motives. Do you understand?"
"What’s the problem with that? I have friends who got married in the afternoon after a morning blind date. We are slow in comparison!"
I was at a loss for words. Were all modern women this open-minded?
"And, I’ve said it before, whether I’m worthy or not, it’s not for others to decide, it’s up to me!"
Her stubbornness was proving to be a challenge. I paused, gathering my thoughts before saying, "Mary, as a man, I can ignore everything, but I have to care about my self-esteem, right? At the moment, I’m a nobody, and being favored by you feels like I’ve used up all the good luck in my life. But I don’t want to be labeled a loser, do you understand?"
"You’re not a loser, you’re a hero in my heart!"
"Yes, in your heart, but what about in the eyes of others?"
My voice deepened, my gaze distant, yet intensely focused on her, "Give me some time, let me become stronger, not to match your brother, but at least to have enough confidence to stand before him."
"At that time, I will tell him myself, I want to be his brother-in-law! If he doesn’t agree, I’ll just whisk you away."
Perhaps moved by my earnestness, she looked at me with a touched expression. "Okay, I’ll listen to you." She was another innocent, unsuspecting girl.