Standing Next To You-Chapter 296: Can you marry me?

There was a moment of silence.

Lin Sunji hadn’t expected to hear such an answer.

Bei Sangyun was using Fei Chuan to feel happy? Because she needs him for those reasons? Who would believe such an obvious lie?

This... it was all an act!

"Tell the truth! What are you using him for?!" Lin Sunji couldn’t accept such nonsense and yelled loudly.

"Do I look like I am lying?" Bei Sangyun raised her brows. "I can lie about anything, but not this."

"I don’t believe you. You must be scheming something." Lin Sunji doubted Bei Sangyun’s sincerity towards Fei Chuan.

In her experience, people often lied about their ’sincere feelings,’ and their true intentions were eventually revealed. Especially in the Lin family, sincerity was a rare commodity. Someone like Bei Sangyun, who often clashed with her, couldn’t possibly harbor genuine feelings for someone.

Bei Sangyun didn’t care whether Lin Sunji believed her or not. She turned to Fei Chuan, the only opinion that mattered to her. "Do you think I am lying?"

Fei Chuan, who had been silent all this time, met her gaze. His clenched fist tightened. "...Are you?"

Bei Sangyun smiled gently. "I’m not." She handed the bottle to him. "If you like, I can answer anything you want to know. If it’s you, I’ll be willing to answer."

Zhong Cheng interjected with a sigh, "That’s not how you play the game."

He handed another snack to Lin Sunji. "Boss already answered. Why are you making a fuss? Let’s continue the game."

Fei Chuan disregarded Zhong Cheng’s interference and accepted the bottle Bei Sangyun offered. He tightened his grip on the bottle, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

His heart thudded loudly in his ears as he locked eyes with Bei Sangyun. Despite his attempt to muster courage, a wave of uncertainty washed over him. With hesitation, he asked, "...If I... were to like you back... what would happen?"

"I’ll marry you," Bei Sangyun replied without hesitation.

The three looked at her in stunned silence.

Fei Chuan tightened his fist, feeling overwhelmed by Bei Sangyun’s words. Bei Sangyun really had her ways to leave others speechless.

"...How can you say that so easily? You don’t know what the future holds. Our paths might not even cross in the future. And... you might meet someone else and... like them,"

Fei Chuan struggled to say the last sentence. But he needed to ask.

How genuine was she? Was she truly not toying with his feelings, taking this matter seriously? Before he delved deeper into this unknown, could he really trust her enough to take the leap and see what lay beyond?

"I am confident that I won’t like anyone other than you. If it’s the uncertainty of the future you’re worried about, don’t be. My feelings won’t change. Rather, I am actually looking forward to how the future will be when I spend it with you. I bet it will be exciting."

Bei Sangyun replied sincerely. This younger version of Fei Chuan was always doubtful and needed a lot of assurance. Fortunately, she had learned patience over time.

Bei Sangyun pointed to the dumbfounded Lin Sunji and the smiling Zhong Cheng, she declared, "These two are my witnesses. I, Bei Sangyun, swear to never like another man except Fei Chuan."

Lin Sunji and Zhong Cheng exchanged bewildered glances.

Lin Sunji: Why she was being dragged into this?

Zhong Cheng patted his chest proudly. "I serve as a witness, Boss!"

"Good," Bei Sangyun nodded, her smile deepening.

She turned to Fei Chuan. "It may seem like a meaningless promise to you now, but time will tell. I hope you doubt me less now."

Fei Chuan hadn’t expected Bei Sangyun to make such a strong oath in front of others, let alone find witnesses. Who else would pledge not to like anyone but him? Only Bei Sangyun could make such a bold vow.

Fei Chuan’s clenched fist slowly relaxed, the tension in his heart easing, though it was accompanied by a sense of shame and embarrassment.

He had lost control and asked such a shameful question. What was wrong with him? Had he truly gone insane?

"... Okay," he muttered, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Lin Sunji’s jaw dropped as she glanced between Bei Sangyun, who was smiling happily at Fei Chuan, and Fei Chuan himself, who was turning as red as a shrimp.

Earlier, she had doubted Bei Sangyun, firmly believing she didn’t have genuine feelings for Fei Chuan. But after witnessing this...

"See? Boss is head over heels in love that she’s willing to tie herself to Brother-in-law. What part of this doesn’t seem genuine to you?" Zhong Cheng leaned in and whispered goofily.

Lin Sunji was still too shocked to respond immediately.

Could it be true? Was Bei Sangyun really in love?

Zhong Cheng took the bottle from Fei Chuan and handed it to his Boss. "Boss, the sake isn’t finished yet. Let’s continue the game."

"Oh." Bei Sangyun happily spun the bottle, and it landed on Fei Chuan.

Bei Sangyun’s eyes lit up. "You can ask me anything."

"Boss, it’s your turn to ask him. Not the other way around," Zhong Cheng kindly reminded her.

"Right." Bei Sangyun waited for Fei Chuan’s choice.

Still feeling embarrassed from the earlier exchange, Fei Chuan chose casually, "Truth."

Bei Sangyun pondered for a moment before asking, "If you don’t have anyone in mind right now and in the future, can you marry me instead?"

Fei Chuan: "...."

Bei Sangyun gazed at him with hopeful eyes, silently urging him to say yes.

Avoiding her gaze, Fei Chuan reached for the cup and downed it in one go.

Lin Sunji and Zhong Cheng were both stunned. This was the second time Fei Chuan had chosen to drink. Was he truly more willing to endure the sake than to answer the question?

"He could have just said no," Lin Sunji commented on the side, finding his decision rather foolish. If Fei Chuan wasn’t sure about Bei Sangyun, he could have simply declined. What was so difficult about that?

"But Brother-in-law can’t say no," Zhong Cheng replied with a goofy smile.

Bei Sangyun felt a twinge of disappointment at not receiving an answer.

Fei Chuan spun the bottle again. Perhaps the effects of the sake and Bei Sangyun’s words had gotten to him, as he exerted too much force and the bottle that was supposed to land on on Zhong Cheng landed on Bei Sangyun instead.

Bei Sangyun was happy and boldly chose, "Dare."

Fei Chuan, who had been pondering a question, was taken aback. The only dare that came up in his mind was to ’drink the sake’ but he could not allow Bei Sangyun to do that.

Bei Sangyun blinked at him, awaiting his dare.

Fei Chuan avoided her intense gaze. Feeling somewhat awkward at her stare, he chose something easy to be done."...Run a circle."

Bei Sangyun obediently stood up and ran a circle, completing it in a matter of seconds before returning to her seat.

She spun the bottle, having already analyzed its weight and the friction against the floor during the previous spin, she learned Fei Chuan’s tactic.

The bottle landed on Fei Chuan at the opposite end.

"Why didn’t you answer my question earlier?" Bei Sangyun inquired, following up on her previous question.

Fei Chuan remained silent, opting instead to reach for the cup and take a drink.

Disappointed, Bei Sangyun clicked her tongue, and Fei Chuan quietly spun the bottle once more. This time, it landed on Bei Sangyun, just as he wanted.

"Don’t ask me anything about you," Fei Chuan insisted.

The bottle was spun again.

Bei Sangyun countered, "Then how about... yourself? Is there anyone you like right now?"

Fei Chuan drank once more.

The bottle was spun yet again.

Fei Chuan: "....Or ask any questions about myself."

The bottle continued to pass between Bei Sangyun and Fei Chuan, with the rules of the game often ignored.

Lin Sunji and Zhong Cheng exchanged puzzled looks.

"Do we even need to be here?" Lin Sunji wondered aloud, shuddering with disgust as Fei Chuan downed another glass. "Look, Fei Chuan was almost finishing the sake by himself. Does he actually like that stuff?"

Zhong Cheng was equally astonished.

Every time Bei Sangyun asked a question, Fei Chuan simply drank from the cup. He could have chosen "dare" to avoid answering, but instead, he seemed to mindlessly consume the sake.

Was Brother-in-law okay? Or did he forgot the rules of the game?