When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 150: Chapter 71: Prima Donna of the 1960s Cultural Troupe (10)

Xia Zhaoyun propped her chin on her hand, her eyes brimming with amusement. She watched him earnestly try to dissuade her, acting as if he had her all wrong.

For some reason, seeing him so seriously list all the reasons they were incompatible made her feel a mischievous itch, and she couldn’t resist teasing him a little.

”That’s no problem, sweetheart. I don’t mind any of what you said,” she said with a light laugh. ”They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Being stuck together all the time would be so boring. Seeing each other for a month or two a year sounds just fine.”

The man was stunned. ”You...” Mr. Xiao stammered, ”It’s better to have a man in the house. Otherwise, who will fix the lightbulbs, repair the pipes, and do all the dirty work and heavy lifting for you?”

”Every neighborhood has enthusiastic aunties from the Women’s Federation. I’m sure they’d be happy to help me with that,” Xia Zhaoyun said, pressing her lips into a smile and nodding. She then added, ”Sweetheart.”

”What if—what if someone tries to bully you? You’re beautiful. When people see there’s no man in your house, they might get the wrong idea. You’ll regret today’s decision then!” The man was practically gritting his teeth.

The girl wasn’t just beautiful; her voice was also extremely pleasant and soft, like that of a little kitten, leaving one with no power to resist.

’But women are troublesome creatures. Besides, I have no intention of getting married until I’m settled and can be sure I can protect someone completely under my wing. To be precise, ever since my mother left, I’ve given up on the idea of marriage entirely. I can no longer bear the suffocating expectations of another woman.’

Xia Zhaoyun tilted her head and thought for a moment. ”I keep a regular schedule, and I always do things with a group of people, so no one would have an opportunity to take advantage. Besides, I’ve made it this far just fine, haven’t I?”

”You little girl, do you really need me to spell it out for you? I don’t like your type, and I will not marry you and have children with you. Is that clear enough?” The man narrowed his eyes at her, a hint of hostility and fierceness in his gaze. Though he was holding back, he believed a naive little girl who had never tasted life’s hardships would surely back down.

’Besides, girls are usually thin-skinned. A direct rejection like this shouldn’t be a big problem.’

Xia Zhaoyun froze for a second. Then, she pressed her lips together tightly, her eyes shimmering with tears. In just a few seconds, large teardrops began to roll down her cheeks. ”You yelled at me!”

Her voice, soft and sweet, had a habit of drawing out its syllables to express her unique emotions. Even when she was angry and enunciated every word, it came out with a sort of kittenish fierceness.

The man clenched his fists, a headache blooming. He pressed his throbbing temples and, feeling defeated, coaxed her in a low, soft voice, ”Please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

’His face darkened further after he said that. This was the first time he’d ever tried to comfort a girl, and it was a serious blow to his masculine image!’

He closed his eyes and opened them again, his expression returning to its usual cold sternness. He decided to strike while the iron was hot and use this to his advantage:

”Fine, we’ll say I yelled at you. The truth is, I have a terrible temper. I fly off the handle and start kicking things—or people—from time to time. When I get mad, I don’t distinguish between men and women. I only raised my voice a little and you burst into tears. What happens if I get so angry I lose my head and actually hit you?”

”See? With a temper like mine, I’m not suitable for you at all.”

Xia Zhaoyun cautiously peeked at him, teardrops still clinging to her cheeks, and let out a soft little laugh. ”Oh, but you wouldn’t, sweetheart. You didn’t lay a hand on me just now, did you?”

”You just don’t have any experience with girls. But that’s okay. From now on, I’ll teach you, little by little.”

”I...” She shyly twiddled her index fingers together, sneaking glances at him. When her eyes met his, which were deep and full of frustration, she quickly looked away. ”I just happen to like paper tigers like you, who only know how to roar fiercely but don’t dare to show their claws. That kind of cute contrast is to die for! I—I’m going to go back and tell everyone that we’re going to keep seeing each other.”

”Sweetheart, you’re not allowed to reject me! If you do, if you do, I’ll cry! I’ll just keep crying until I cry myself to death!” As she spoke, she widened her eyes at him. Her beautiful, fox-like eyes, as if it were all a game, began to well up with tears again.

”You...” The man’s head was throbbing. ”What on earth will it take for you to give up on me?”

Xia Zhaoyun bit her lip, suppressing a smile. ’How have I never met such an amusing man before?’

She grinned triumphantly, revealing her cute little canines. ”Unless you become a woman. Then we could become sworn sisters and be inseparable every day. We wouldn’t even need to look for men!”

Before the man could say anything else, the lights in the auditorium suddenly went out. A single, bright spotlight hit the stage, and the heavy, wine-red curtains slowly parted. Two smiling emcees, a man in a Zhongshan suit and a woman in a qipao, stepped forward.