After listening to Su Shen ramble on for a long time, Lin Hao finally understood the other party's intention.
'So he wants me to leave her on my own accord. Perhaps... he really is better than me.' He thought to himself, a trace of sadness flickering across his face.
He felt it was logical, yet also felt unwilling. Over a decade of feelings couldn't just be let go of so easily.
Lin Hao looked at Su Shen. Appearance, talent, finances, power. Clearly, he was much more of a suitable match.
He sighed softly, his gaze seeming weighed down by an invisible heaviness.
'To love someone... is to want them to have the happiest life possible, not to desire possession. Perhaps... I should leave.' He thought silently, gradually reducing his resistance to this choice.
Although Yue'er had never explicitly told him about her family background, he wasn't blind. It was obvious she was afraid he'd feel pressured.
Letting her go might be the best way.
Su Shen's cultivation talent, while not as high as hers, was still very high. He had the qualifications to possess the strength to protect her.
While he himself would forever only be an ordinary person. In this world, though protected, one couldn't have a cultivator by their side at all times.
Su Shen saw Lin Hao lowering his head and sighing, then closing his eyes and sighing again, and furrowed his brow. He didn't understand the meaning but had a feeling he was winning.
"You see I'm right, don't you?" He asked, his eyes fixed on Lin Hao, awaiting the desired answer.
Lin Hao was momentarily stunned, then heaved a heavy sigh and nodded.
"Ha ha ha, good, very good." Su Shen grinned, laughing. This nod felt comparable to winning the jackpot.
His pupils dilated as if, at this moment, he had seen the gates of heaven.
Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes darting around as if weighing something.
He took out his phone, switched it to video recording mode, and looked towards Lin Hao.
"That's not quite good enough. What if you see her later and say something different? So look at the camera and tell me clearly. Tell her you're giving up on your own because you think I'm more worthy, not because I forced you..." Su Shen said, then paused for a beat.
His gaze changed, becoming sharper and more decisive.
"From the beginning until now, I haven't done anything excessive. If you lie, I'll turn that lie into reality."
Lin Hao looked at him with slight surprise, then nodded gently.
"I'm not so low as to fabricate things about others to gain her sympathy."
He paused for a moment, looking into Su Shen's eyes before asking, "As long as the content is like that, it's fine, right? I can say it however I want?"
Su Shen frowned, lowered his head to think for a moment, then nodded.
"It's fine. If you say it too badly or talk nonsense, we can redo it. I'm not short on that bit of time." he said, waving his hand to signal to the others.
The burly men understood and silently moved to stand behind him, not interfering with the recording.
Su Shen raised three fingers, lowering them one by one.
Lin Hao cooperated perfectly. The moment the last finger went down, his eyes looked straight at the phone, his expression serious, not at all like joking around.
"Yue'er, I have no cultivation talent. Although my academic performance is good, it's still not enough. In a world with some powerful but abnormal-minded individuals like today, a person without cultivation talent like me can never be qualified to protect you."
He paused, sighed softly, and then continued looking into the lens.
"I feel I'm not worthy of you. I think it's better for you to find someone else. Out there, there are many people with better family backgrounds than me, more talented than me, and with higher cultivation talent than me. Not speaking of far away, Su Shen is already many times better than me."
At this point, Lin Hao stopped, his gaze turning to Su Shen as if asking if that was good enough.
As for Su Shen, right now he was far too busy to pay attention to him. His face was beaming with joy, his eyes seemingly floating on clouds.
Lin Hao's entire attitude and words were truly beyond reproach. With this video in hand, he didn't believe Yue'er would still deny him a chance.
Dwelling in his stream of blissful thoughts for a moment, Su Shen regained his usual composure and cleared his throat lightly.
"Ahem, don't you have eyes? Still standing there like fools? Hurry up and take my esteemed guest back." Su Shen glared at the three and ordered.
The three burly, fierce-looking men trembled like mice seeing a cat upon hearing his voice. All three of them stammered, their words unclear.
"Y-y-yes... right away, boss."
Su Shen no longer needed Lin Hao now. He waved his hand dismissively, signaling for Lin Hao to get lost and not hinder his important work.
Lin Hao's face twitched slightly, but he wasn't unfamiliar with Su Shen's arrogant attitude.
'Dammit, do scions of powerful families have to be so arrogant? Wouldn't it be better if everyone were like Yue'er?' He cursed inwardly but didn't spare Su Shen another glance.
He followed the three men out to where the bikes were parked.
"Do you need to blindfold me?" Lin Hao asked.
Actually, whether he was blindfolded or not wasn't that important; he already knew where this place was since he'd passed by it a few times before.
"No need. You've been very cooperative, so we'll be courteous to you," one of them said.
Looking at the three of them now, there wasn't a hint of thuggish behavior left. Their attitude was very polite, like good citizens. They were probably Su Shen's trusted bodyguards.
Lin Hao nodded and got on the bike, his mind now in utter turmoil.
'What I did... is it really for the best?' He asked himself a question, then shook his head.
He had made up his mind to leave her side so she could have the best possible life. He absolutely could not harm her because of his own personal feelings.