Zhu Yanyi looked at Yan Aohan with a mix of amusement and helplessness. "Why does your plan feel like someone drawing a big pie in the air for me?"
Yan Aohan sighed, looking resigned. "Normally, I shouldn't have a destined marriage. I suspect you don't either, because our destinies are tied to each other. No matter what happens, we will end up together. Knowing this now is good. It gives you time to prepare. You have at least ten years until you come of age. Ten years is enough time to get ready."
Yan Aohan did not desire what belonged to others, but she would not give up what was her. Although her feelings for Zhu Yanyi were currently just familial affection, she knew this bond could grow into love later. Since their fates were bound, she preferred to guide this process herself.
Zhu Yanyi had to admit Yan Aohan made sense. Yet, something felt wrong. She only wanted an ordinary marriage, a complete and peaceful life. Looking at Yan Aohan, she knew she was not from an ordinary family. Was she forcing her to climb higher and higher?
She thought to herself: Venerable Yanluo, can you be more reliable? This arrangement feels like a trap. No wonder she looked so strange when she left. There was a reason.
Yan Aohan saw Zhu Yanyi deep in thought and did not interrupt. She knew it would take time for her to accept her. But if she did not explain now, accidents might happen. Since it was destined, there was no need to hide it.
"I don't know what you do, but I am a doctor," Zhu Yanyi said, clarifying her stance. "I will only do medical work. I cannot help you much with other things."
She was not all-powerful. Even if she knew a little about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she would not rely on them for a living. She loved medicine the most and would continue to study and save lives. She once thought her initial heart was her final heart, but she later realized that while the starting point is sincere, the heart can change.
"I never thought of stopping you," Yan Aohan said seriously. "You must forge your own path."
She understood Zhu Yanyi well. She would never block her from walking her own road.
Zhu Yanyi tilted her head, thinking. She did not understand love well. If Yan Aohan was the partner, she could try.
"Okay, I have no objections now," she said. "But I am still a child. I do not understand love. We can only cultivate it slowly."
She did not reject Yan Aohan, perhaps because she had known her since she was five. Sometimes, she wondered if she lacked the sense of romance. In her past life, she saw couples in love but felt nothing. Regardless, she believed亲情 (familial love) was more reliable than romantic love. Starting with familial affection was a valid way of life. It might not be as intense as red wine, but it could be as plain and fulfilling as boiled water. Of course, this required Yan Aohan to share this understanding. Only with mutual agreement could their life be peaceful, warm, and filled with mutual dependence.