Treasure Hunt: Tycoon's Priceless Runaway Wife
Chapter 143: Tongtong, I Like You!

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Tongtong, I Like You!

"I said, I will never pretend to be strong again in the future!"

Though, the original meaning of her words was not exactly like that.

But after all, it was still Luo Yifan’s birthday, so it was better to leave some things unsaid for now.

"I probably drank too much. My head’s a bit dizzy, let me sleep for a while..."

Afraid that Luo Yifan might say something else, Le Tong simply leaned her head on the back of the chair and closed her eyes to feign drunkenness.

Luo Yifan gave her a deep look, sighed silently, and drove the car out of his own parking lot.

All the way, Le Tong didn’t sleep. Her mind kept replaying Luo Yifan’s actions today and that hint of helplessness on his face just now.

Luo Yifan was probably a very patient person. From when she was eighteen until she was nearly twenty-four, for almost six years, he had never crossed any lines with her in words or action.

A long time ago, she thought he had given up.

But it turned out he hadn’t. He was just waiting for the right moment.

She wasn’t sure how he would confess his feelings for her without what happened with Zhang Yi, but from his behavior today, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to hold it in much longer.

"Tongtong, I like you!"

Just as Le Tong pretended to sleep while her emotions churned, she suddenly heard Luo Yifan’s voice near her ear.

The low, magnetic voice, against the hum of the car’s engine, seemed ethereal, somewhat unreal.

Le Tong hesitated whether to open her eyes or continue pretending to be drunk and asleep.

She heard Luo Yifan say again, "I know you’re not drunk, but just keep your eyes closed and listen quietly, so it won’t be awkward for us. I’ve meant to say I like you for a long time, but never did, not because my feelings weren’t deep enough, rather the opposite..."

Luo Yifan paused, seemingly arranging his words.

Le Tong obediently kept her eyes closed because, as Luo Yifan said, opening them now, she really wouldn’t know how to look at him, nor what to say in response.

"When I met you, you were just eighteen, and I twenty-two. You had the innocent charm of a young girl, yet possessed a delicate sensitivity and steadiness that Yuan’er didn’t have. Perhaps it’s because you and Yuan’er, who I know so well, are completely different people. The traits on you that attracted Yuan’er equally attracted me too. I believe you knew what I felt about you back then, but just as I was about to confess, you suddenly disappeared, and even Yuan’er didn’t know where you went. Later, I found out from Professor Liu that your mom was sick and you took a break from school to care for her."

These past events, Le Tong had always been reluctant to think about. Although it was only five or six years ago, it felt like a lifetime to her.

Once, just thinking about that seemingly endless and hopeless period, she’d fall into unexplainable anxiety, bewilderment, and immense terror, struggling painfully with inescapable feelings of self-loathing and rejection.

Even now, she still couldn’t break free from that entangling net, and recently, the suffocating pain had become even more intense and frequent than before.

She knew, she would have to carry this pain for life, but she deserved it!

"Your mom’s illness must have made you suffer a lot. After you came back, you had completely changed."

Luo Yifan’s words lingered by her ear, but Le Tong’s heart felt like it was instantly emptied by the past she didn’t want to recall.

She knew she shouldn’t blame herself. Under the circumstances, she had no other choices.

But she couldn’t help feeling guilty.

Especially recently, too many triggers made her deeply repressed guilt grow rapidly, like a seed thickened with fertilizer and sunshine, becoming a towering tree, pressing on her heart to the point where she couldn’t breathe.

"Yifan..."

Le Tong suddenly opened her eyes to look at Luo Yifan, who seemed focused on driving but was actually also stuck in pain.

"Hmm?!"

Luo Yifan turned his face slightly to glance at Le Tong, and under the dim light, she could still discern the gloom in his eyes. "My words made you uncomfortable, right?"

Le Tong wanted to shake her head, but in the end, she nodded instead because she lacked the strength to bear the painful memories.

"I’m sorry..." Luo Yifan turned his gaze away, focusing again on the road ahead.

Faced with such a yielding Luo Yifan, Le Tong felt nothing but guilt.

She took a deep breath, staring at his handsome profile.

"It’s me... who should apologize..."

This man is actually quite handsome, but alas, she doesn’t know how to appreciate that.

Or rather, she’s too afraid...

Le Tong forcefully stopped herself from probing deeper, determined not to let herself drown in the mire of memories when rational.

Luo Yifan didn’t look at her, "Tongtong, I don’t know what you’re afraid of, but I will wait!

Having known Le Tong for so many years, even if she hid it well, he could still vaguely sense her uneasiness and avoidance.

What Le Tong feared most was Luo Yifan’s persistence.

"Yifan..."

"You don’t need to persuade me. If I could have turned back, I would have long ago. However, you don’t need any burden. I’m still young, I can wait!" Luo Yifan interrupted Le Tong.

This side of Luo Yifan was giving Le Tong a headache.

Actually, over the years, there had been no shortage of pursuers, but under her cold demeanor, none managed to maintain interest in her for long. Only Luo Yifan had always hovered around her.

Initially, she deceived herself by thinking he just cared for Yuan’er and merely treated her well because of it.

But now that he had made things clear, she could no longer deceive herself.

"Yifan, you’re outstanding, and deserve a better woman. Don’t waste your time on me."

The only thing Le Tong could offer him was a merciless rejection.

But this mercilessness was precisely her expression of having feelings for him.

She was very clear that knowingly being unable to reciprocate his feelings yet dragging him along was being irresponsible to him.

"Tongtong, you don’t need to persuade me! Waiting is my business."

Luo Yifan’s stubbornness far exceeded what Le Tong had imagined.

Seeing that she couldn’t persuade him, Le Tong had no choice but to stay silent.

Afterward, the two remained silent all the way until the car stopped at Le Tong’s apartment building.

"I’ll walk you up then, it’s pretty late," Luo Yifan said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and looked at Le Tong.

"No need, everyone living here are old neighbors, no strangers. You’re tired too, go back and rest early."

Previously, Le Tong was very careful, trying to avoid being alone with Luo Yifan as much as possible. Now that he had made his feelings known, she naturally didn’t want to give him any more opportunities to be alone.

If it were in the past, Luo Yifan would mostly listen obediently and let Le Tong go up on her own, but today, he didn’t listen. He chased after her as she got out of the car.