Zhao Lihua subconsciously felt that it was wrong for Chen Haoran to like her—the young man should like young girls.
For example, Chen Haoran should like her daughter, Zhang Yiwen.
"I'm certainly aware."
"The origin of this term comes from Sigmund Freud, who borrowed a mythological plot from the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles to craft his own terminological concept."
Chen Haoran found that, after his rebirth, his memory had much improved.
Perhaps this was one of the benefits of being reborn.
"The title of this myth is 'Oedipus Rex.'"
"In the story, Oedipus commits two grave sins... patricide and..."
Chen Haoran's words made 69-year-old Zhao Lihua's pretty face turn slightly red.
The culture here is very traditional, and as a woman born in '69, Zhao Lihua's heart was truly that of the conventional traditional woman.
At the same time, she cast a somewhat intrigued look at Chen Haoran, though he was young.
But his knowledge seemed very profound, able to speak so authoritatively about the source of the Oedipus complex, the author, and the person who coined the term.
"The level of cultural tradition is quite strong in our country."
"Regarding the story of Oedipus, people indeed avoid it as a taboo, dare not discuss it."
"The main reason is that men who like older women"
"face discrimination from others, even if some people prefer mature women, they keep it deep within their hearts, not daring to speak out."
Chen Haoran knew that there were many people who liked mature women; otherwise, Japan wouldn't have such a specific film genre.
"Discrimination?"
Zhao Lihua looked at Chen Haoran sitting before her, finding the young man more and more intriguing; he was only 18, yet he seemed to understand everything.
"Yes, discrimination. Actually, I think it's quite normal for a man to have an Oedipus complex."
"Liking older women is not something to be ashamed of."
"However, our country's culture has always been dominated by a patriarchal society; it only started to slowly turn around after the economic reforms and opening up."
"And with women's admiration for strength and men's competitive nature, it leads men to want to become more financially capable."
"In terms of choosing a spouse, the competition then becomes about who has a younger and more beautiful partner."
"A man who finds an older spouse"
"is seen by society and the public as a sign of incapacity."
Watching Zhao Lihua's pretty face across from him, Chen Haoran felt increasingly aware of that mature charm unique to her.
"People always try to cover up their own disgraceful aspects."
"So Oedipus becomes a secret that many who like mature women bury for life, even if they have a girlfriend much older than themselves."
"They would date in secret, afraid to be seen in public for fear of being laughed at."
Chen Haoran's well-founded words made Zhao Lihua's heart feel surprised, yet they also seemed very reasonable.
However, she seemed to be trying to correct his incorrect thinking.
Now, why did it seem like she was being led by this kid's words?
"So, under the influence of patriarchal thinking, society discriminates against this behavior of 'the little horse pulling the big cart.' I don't think it's wrong."
"Even homosexuality can be respected and accepted, let alone liking mature women—a very normal but somewhat taboo topic."
"Aunt Zhao, I know you want to say that I have an Oedipus complex, but such a complex isn't wrong or sinful."
"Perhaps it's because I was simply born ordinary and from a single-parent family, lacking affection."
"So indeed, I have some of those tendencies."
Chen Haoran was very open; everyone has them to varying degrees.
As long as we confront them correctly, there's nothing we cannot acknowledge.
"However, my liking for you has nothing to do with Oedipus."
"It's just a pure liking for you, and I don't see it as a mistake or as something that shouldn't be."
Chen Haoran's gaze was scorching as he looked at the beautiful young woman opposite him, his mind still pondering why he hadn't realized how beautiful, how attractive Zhao Lihua was in his past life.
Instead, he had fixated on the gold-digging, green tea bitch Zhang Yiwen every day.
But back then, his experience...
Even if he had developed a crush on Zhao Lihua, he probably would have only managed to surreptitiously take a photo of her to stare at under the covers at night.
As for anything else, it wasn't even worth thinking about.
This time around, he had discovered so many of Auntie's merits.
Most young girls were gold-diggers and selfish; they never considered others' feelings.
Yet a mature woman like Aunt Zhao understood and cared for other's emotions.
This was evident from the fact that she didn't outright reject him and instead drove him to the teahouse.
And she possessed the intelligence and grace of the women from the previous generation, with many of their strengths.
How many times better was this than the younger girls?
Looking at Chen Haoran opposite her, Zhao Lihua, usually so eloquent in running her business, found herself at a loss for words for a moment.
She had intended to educate him that his feelings were nothing more than an Oedipus complex.
That it wasn't true affection for her but merely the desires and fantasies of adolescence.
Yet, she hadn't expected him to analyze the situation from so many angles.
He also insisted that his affection for her was not because of Oedipus.
His well-reasoned, clear, and logical arguments genuinely astonished her.
For an 18-year-old to achieve this was indeed remarkable.
And recalling Chen Haoran's earlier phrase, "a small horse drawing a heavy cart," Zhao Lihua felt her face grow slightly hot.
"So, Aunt Zhao, would you consider being my girlfriend?"
"I want to be with you."
Chen Haoran really wanted to shout out a name in front of Zhang Yiwen.
Xu Wenqi.
The peerless Jinling Vice Commander Wei Jianhua!
After his rebirth, he distinctly felt his hormones surging more than ever before.
Always ready for action.
The summer sunlight filtered through the leaves outside the window, casting mottled shadows. A breeze stirred the greenery, and the leaves rustled softly.
Bathed in the dappled shadows of the leaves, Chen Haoran looked quite handsome at that moment.
Seeing the earnestness and intense look in the eyes of the young man before her, Zhao Lihua inexplicably felt her heartbeat quicken.
Yet, her rationality was crystal clear.
A mature woman often used her rich life experience as a reference when considering current problems.
"My goodness, I'm already 41 this year, which is 23 years older than you."
"I could be your mother."
"You should know that this is impossible."
"Besides, society wouldn't accept our relationship either."
Chen Haoran continued, "Aunt Zhao, please don't reject me. Just give me a chance."
"Although you're 23 years my senior, I believe age isn't a problem."
"It's like what they say in 'Forrest Gump', life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
"Some things may not end well."
"But if you don't move forward, you can be sure that you'll never make any progress."
Zhao Lihua was somewhat dazed by Chen Haoran's words, feeling that only a firm rejection of his affections would end this charade. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to speak such hurtful words to a boy who could be her son.
But now, it felt as if she was being led along by him.
This kid, how could he be so convincing?
For some reason, the phrase "a small horse drawing a heavy cart" once again came to her mind.