Chapter 23: I Would Marry You if I Wanted To
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Wait here for a bit. I need to call his form teacher.” The school security officer made a few calls, but none of them were answered, so he had no choice but to hang up. Looking at Ning Tiantian apologetically, he said, “I’m sorry, little girl. Li Yanmo’s form teacher must be busy right now. Nobody’s picking up.”
“Then, I’ll go in and look for him myself!”
Ning Tiantian started heading inside on her own.
“No, you can’t go in.” The school security officer quickly held her by her arm.
Ning Tiantian could barely hold it in anymore. Here she was, at the school, yet she still didn’t get to see Inky. Her tears fell like pearls from a broken necklace, and she was crying so hard that she could barely catch her breath. “I just wanna look for Inky. Why won’t you let me in? I’m not a terrorist. I won’t bomb the school. Inky… where are you, Inky? Tiantian is here for you…”
Ning Tiantian shouted at him with all the strength in her body.
“Little kid, stop shouting. Your voice is going to be hoarse soon.”
“Inky…” Her cries almost penetrated the roof. If one didn’t know any better, they would have thought someone was being tortured.
Li Yanmo was at the commissary at this very moment. The fountain pen he had just selected dropped to the floor and rolled into a corner, the nib breaking in the process.
Su Yi yelled and promptly picked up the fountain pen. “You shouldn’t be so wasteful, even if your family is well-off!”
Li Yanmo paid no heed to him. Tossing aside the stationery in his hand, he dashed out of the commissary.
“Where are you going?” Su Yi, who had his arms full of snacks, glanced at him in puzzlement.
Without turning to look at him, he replied, “It’s Tiantian.”
“How could that be? Didn’t you tell me this morning that your little fiancée was going on a school excursion?!” Su Yi shook his head at him in disdain. Puppy love was really a pain in the ass; it actually made the usual calm and composed Li Yanmo lose his cool.
Li Yanmo walked over to the reception area, covered in perspiration. The moment he looked up, he saw a bawling Ning Tiantian, her little body heaving with sobs. Her eyes were red and swollen, her pale countenance covered in grey and black patches, and her voice hoarse from crying.
“Tiantian…” He strode toward her, his brows furrowed.
“Inky!” Tears rolled down Ning Tiantian’s face again at the sight of Li Yanmo. “You’re finally here!”
She leaped into his arms and hugged his waist tightly.
“What happened?” He asked gently, as he looked down at her head, which still had leaves stuck to it.
Ning Tiantian was immediately assured by the sound of his voice. After explaining the gist of it to him, she wept softly. “I lost the engagement necklace…”
Li Yanmo was at a loss for words after hearing her story.
Looking at him through her wet lashes, she said, “Inky, would you still marry me if we can’t find the necklace?”
Li Yanmo placed his hand on her head, and said somewhat resignedly, “Tiantian, why do you still not understand? The necklace doesn’t matter. I would marry you if I wanted to, with or without the necklace.
“But what if you don’t want to?”
It wasn’t time for this discussion, and Li Yanmo was not ready to answer the question. Instead, he asked, “Why did you come over here like this, without informing your teacher or your classmates?”