For many years, Li Zheng had guarded her side, and the kindness he showed was evident to anyone. Lin He didn't believe for a second that she hadn't noticed, but the girl had always comfortably enjoyed his kindness, only ever thinking of herself and never considering others.

But seeing Chen'er's eyes red and swollen, her face etched with sorrow, Lin He couldn't bring herself to be too harsh. She tentatively asked, "Chen'er, what are you planning to do now? Just let Li Zheng get engaged to someone else?"

Chen'er, who had been sobbing, became somewhat angry upon hearing Li Zheng's name. "Hasn't he already made up his mind? What's the use of asking me? Besides, what does his engagement have to do with me?"

Hearing Chen'er's petulant words, Lin He smiled helplessly and countered, "Then, Chen'er, what do you think Li Zheng came over to tell you about the last time, specifically asking Xiao Bao to call you out?"

"Isn't it just to tell me he's getting engaged? What else could he be here for?" Chen'er pouted.

"Oh, is that what you think? Then why didn't he come to tell me? Or tell Xiao Bao when he saw him, or tell Father and Mother? Why did he insist on only notifying you?" Lin He continued to press.

"How should I know why he's suddenly acting crazy," Chen'er mumbled softly.

Looking at Chen'er's childish response, Lin He couldn't help but frown slightly. It seemed convincing this girl today would be a major undertaking. No wonder that for so long, no one in the family could figure out what was truly on her mind. The men in their family—Big Brother and Father—were both oblivious sorts and naturally wouldn't grasp Chen'er's subtle thoughts, and Xiao Bao was too young to understand these intricate matters.

As for the women, her own mother was quick-tempered and always treated Chen'er like a child, often overlooking what Chen'er felt in her heart. Over time, Chen'er naturally stopped sharing her true thoughts with her. As for her elder sister-in-law, given her nature, it was unlikely she could coax anything out of Chen'er either.

Lin He stood up, pulled Chen'er to sit on the edge of the bed, and looked at her patiently. "Chen'er, Big Sister knows you actually like Li Zheng, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have ended up like this these past few days. Since you like him, why wouldn't you agree to the engagement? Do you really not know that the last time Li Zheng visited, he actually wanted to propose marriage to you? Chen'er is smart; Big Sister doesn't believe you couldn't see something so simple."

Hearing Lin He's words, Chen'er leaned back against the headboard, her body deflating slightly. "The day he came, I truly didn't realize it. I only figured it out later, after I thought it over. But he's already going to be engaged to Lanhua now; whether I saw it or not, it's useless."

"Mhm. Then tell Big Sister the truth: if Big Sister could somehow arrange for Li Zheng to propose to you right now, would you be willing to marry him and spend a lifetime together?" Lin He asked again.

Chen'er looked elsewhere for a while, then shook her head after a long pause. "I was willing before, but now I'm not sure. Maybe I wouldn't be."

"Why is that?" Lin He asked, perplexed.

"Big Sister, I was being difficult before because even though you all often spoke of how good Li Zheng is to me and how much he likes me, I never heard it directly from his own lips. I wasn't entirely sure if he truly liked me, or perhaps I couldn't even figure out if I liked him."

"But after I stayed in town for a while, I often found myself thinking of him when I was bored, constantly concerned about him. That feeling was the same as when you said you fell in love with someone. I think I must like him. If he had come that day and spoken directly to me about the engagement, I think I would have agreed."

"But later, I recalled his words carefully. Although he was testing me then, there was another layer to his meaning: if I didn't agree to the engagement this time, he would find someone else. I intensely disliked hearing that sentence. Moreover, I felt he didn't like me very much, because I believe if someone truly likes another, they wouldn't give up so easily."

"Even though I don't fully understand these things, I use my own eyes to observe. Like when you and Brother-in-law were involved, you didn't agree to an engagement right away, but Brother-in-law waited for you for several years, and during that time, he stayed by your side. And with Big Brother's situation—the girl before he married Big Sister-in-law—even after they separated, Big Brother waited a long time before he was willing to marry Big Sister-in-law. But look at Li Zheng; what has he done?"

"I initially thought he was just talking, but a few days after he left, Aunt Xu sent word through someone about his engagement. If it weren't for prior arrangements, how could it happen so quickly? Perhaps to him, I'm just someone dispensable—nice to have, but easily replaceable by someone else. If that's the case, why should I marry him?"

This outpouring was the longest and most serious conversation Chen'er had ever had with Lin He in her entire life, showing that Chen'er had truly thought this through deeply.

Lin He had to admit that what Chen'er said held a certain logic. It seemed love truly caused people to mature; Chen'er was an example of this. In the short time she hadn't seen her, Chen'er had matured considerably, at least in matters of the heart.

At the same time, Lin He noticed Chen'er had fallen into a misconception. She kept comparing her feelings to those of Lin He and Big Brother, yet she failed to realize that the circumstances were entirely different.

Thinking this, Lin He stroked Chen'er's cheek. "What you've said, Chen'er, makes Big Sister very pleased. Chen'er has finally grown up and knows how to think independently about problems. Big Sister can be at ease about you from now on. But Chen'er, some things you've said are incorrect; your situation with Li Zheng is not the same as ours."

"That's right, when your Brother-in-law and I first started, I didn't agree to his proposal right away, and afterward, he did stay by my side. But at that time, I wasn't refusing; I just wanted to give us time to understand each other better. And during that period, your Brother-in-law and I still met and talked frequently; we cared for each other."

"Big Brother was the same. Because while he invested his feelings in that girl, he also sensed that she returned his feelings. That's why he waited until it was absolutely unavoidable before they parted."

"Now think about you and Li Zheng. Are you sure you let him feel that you had feelings and cared for him too, and that it wasn't just one-sided effort on his part? What you said just now was right: if someone gives up on a relationship so easily, they don't truly love. But has Li Zheng truly given up easily? He guarded you for so many years, and he even proposed once. Even after you rejected him, he remained by your side. But through all these years, you gave him no response. If you continue like this, how long do you think he should wait before giving up before you consider it true love?"