Absolute Choice

Chapter 555: Finally asking the question

Stronger than Reverend Misery Sea?

Shi Xiaobai was stunned but he acted calmly. “Strength isn’t a problem.”

Shi Xiaobai felt he was an authority on the matter. So what if the woman was strong? Could she be stronger than Kali? His strength and Kali’s were probably several worlds apart.

When Speechless heard that, he said with a chuckle, “The woman is twenty-eight this year. She’s more than ten years older than me.”

Shi Xiaobai shook his head and said with a laugh, “Age is even less of a problem.”

Shi Xiaobai felt that he had even more authority on this matter. Kali had claimed to have lived for about ten thousand years. Their age gap was more than ten thousand years apart. If Dawn was the Hero King from three thousand years ago, then they were three thousand years apart as well. Speechless’s ten or so years was only making a mountain out of a molehill. It was nothing worth mentioning.

When Speechless saw how confident Shi Xiaobai was, he felt more emboldened. He thought to himself that Shi Xiaobai was not only a love saint, he was also a beast. If age wasn’t a problem, then didn’t it mean that young loli or mature women were not spared?

Speechless gulped a mouthful of saliva and felt that he had consulted the right person. He continued, “That woman and I have blood relations. Well, let me be direct. That woman is my mother’s younger sister. Which means, she’s my…young aunt.”

Shi Xiaobai was dumbfounded. Blood relations? Hey, that was something he had no authority on!

Shi Xiaobai coughed lightly and bit the bullet, saying, “If it’s permitted by the laws of China, it’s not…a huge problem. Ahem…”

Speechless said with a laugh, “Temporarily, China’s laws do not permit marriage between close relatives but there will come a day when I’ll void that law.”

Shi Xiaobai remained speechless and thought to himself, “As long as you are happy.”

Speechless suddenly sighed and said, “That actually isn’t a problem. The biggest problem is that woman will not have feelings for me. She has always idolized the Hero King and said publicly that unless she meets a man like the Hero King, she would rather stay alone all her life and not compromise. Therefore, she remained unmarried at the age of twenty-eight, nor has she ever dated. There’s not a single scandal. I once believed that by imitating the Hero King, there will be a day I will become a man like the Hero King and that I would have that bit of chance. However, a year ago, I failed to endure it further and confessed my feelings. In the end, she rejected me and told me the truth. The Hero King was just a shield she used. In fact, she hates all men and likes…women.”

Shi Xiaobai was left dumbfounded.

Speechless shrugged and said, “But even so, I still like her. Am I hopeless?”

Shi Xiaobai fell into a prolonged silence and said stiffly, “There is no mistake to liking.”

Speechless nodded approvingly and said, “You are indeed a love saint. You got the gist with a single sentence. She likes women, I like her. No one is at fault. Although I’m unable to change her orientation, that doesn’t mean that she can force me to give up. Hence, even if such matters of the heart are incurable, I would not try treating them. However, towards the other girl, I can’t ignore her. Be it acceptance or rejection, there is a need to make it clear. The longer it gets dragged out, the deeper the girl will sink. I, Speechless Li, might fall in love with a woman I shouldn’t love but I absolutely do not wish to become an incurable male scum. So, what should I do now?”

Speechless widened his eyes as he looked at Shi Xiaobai with a look of anticipation. He was like a tiger cub that was unsure if it should bite down on a lamb as it awaited orders from a big bad wolf.

However, how would Shi Xiaobai know of a solution?

He could not steel his heart to reject the person he should reject.

He had cheapened himself to love a person he should not have loved.

What else could be done?

Shi Xiaobai also found it despairing.

Shi Xiaobai racked his brains and finally, a stroke of brilliance flashed in his head. He raised his hand and pointed at Speechless, saying very earnestly, “Shouldn’t you be very clear as to what should be done? Think back carefully. What sort of feelings did you use to describe that girl and the woman? Clear up the differences and seriously ask yourself deep down. Your heart has long had an answer but you have been avoiding it unknowingly. This King can only point you in the right direction but you will be the one that needs to muster the courage to face the path ahead! There are gains and losses in everything. There is no such thing as having your cake and eating it. How can you sell the cow and still drink its milk? Speechless Li, ask yourself. Which one would you hate to part with more, the cow or the milk!?”

Speechless immediately widened his eyes and muttered to himself, “Cow and milk. Which one will I hate to part with more? Cow and milk…”

Shi Xiaobai heaved a sigh of relief. This bowl that seemed to be filled with grand reasoning was actually a poisoned bowl of chicken soup that did not resolve any problem. But from the looks of it, he had temporarily choked up Speechless!

However, this could not be dragged out any further. If the fellow were to suddenly realize something, it would be troublesome!

Shi Xiaobai hurriedly coughed and said, “This matter is in no hurry. You will not be able to easily come up with a conclusion with deep thought over it for three full days and nights. If not, it will be irresponsibility on your part. Let’s return to the main topic. Unknowingly, you have gone off on a tangent again.”

Speechless looked up with a dazed look. He uttered tersely in response but it was obvious that his mind was preoccupied.

Shi Xiaobai shook his head helplessly and looked deeply into Speechless’s eyes. He clenched his fists slightly and after a moment of hesitation, he asked in a deep tone, “Why?”

Speechless asked in a daze, “What why?”

Shi Xiaobai drew in a deep breath as his expression turned solemn. His eyes were all serious as he asked softly, “Why did you fake your death?”

Speechless was first left stunned before he woke up from his reverie. He recovered from his preoccupied thoughts and stared intently at Shi Xiaobai. He said with a chuckle, “This is a question you should have asked from the beginning. Yet, you have dragged it out to this point before asking. You sure are good at enduring.”

Shi Xiaobai said with a bitter smile, “You might not believe it but This King has always been fearless but this question is something This King feared asking. This King had hesitated to this moment before finally mustering his courage to ask.”

Speechless nodded and said seriously, “I understand. Regardless of how interesting I have decorated this ploy to be or how happy my tone is while narrating this story that will bound to hurt many people, I have committed a mistake. I have caused all of you harm which cannot be mitigated at all. Whether this story is black, gray or if there exists a tinge of pure white does not depend on my ability to narrate a story. It does not matter how sincere I am while admitting my mistake. Instead, it depends on why I did it. What goal was it that I was willing to harm you. That is the true crux of the issue. Shi Xiaobai, you have a forthright and innocent heart so you place more emphasis on the reasons and the goals. You are not like some wicked tiger who only cares about the outcome. This is very valuable in my point of view. It is commendable and admirable. Of course, this has also caused you to drag the question you should have asked from the beginning to this moment. It’s because you were afraid of hearing an answer beyond your expectations. You were worried that the Speechless Li you knew was, in fact, not an upright gentleman but a hypocritical wretch who would sell his friends because of his own desires. You do not wish to lose a friend like me so you did not dare ask. I’m very happy and very honored. In fact, I have been waiting all this while for you to ask this question. I was feeling nervous and uneasy but I also felt a tinge of anticipation. Although my conscience is clear towards my answer, I’m unsure how you would view my answer. Whether you agree or object to it, praise or criticize it, I honestly am not sure. However, I know how you would view the…true Speechless Li.”

The true Speechless Li.

When Shi Xiaobai heard this phrase, he suddenly felt a weight in his heart. However, he looked straight into Speechless’s eyes and bravely said, “Tell This King the answer. Let This King see the true Speechless Li!”

“Alright!”

Speechless’s eyes were bright as a faint smile suffused his face. He said softly, “The reason why I faked my death is…”