Long Fantasy Romance Novel

〈The Reissued Youth〉11

46. The Pressure of Being Urged to Marry by Sun Moon Lake

By the side of Sun Moon Lake, the afternoon sunlight poured through the large floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room of the Shih family mansion. The sparkling reflections on the lake surface shone upon the spotless white floor, filling the entire space with a quiet and elegant atmosphere.

In a corner of the living room, Shih Mei-Lin sat cross-legged lazily on a large sofa, flipping through a European fashion design magazine in her hands. The magazine featured the works from the latest Paris fashion show. From time to time, she stopped reading and carefully examined the tailoring and design concepts behind those creations.

On the coffee table sat a large plate of fresh fruit. Grapes, strawberries, and sliced mangoes gave off a faint, sweet fragrance.

For her, such a leisurely afternoon should have been the most comfortable moment of all. However, a familiar sound of footsteps suddenly broke the silence.

Shih Yu-Hua walked into the living room carrying a cup of tea and sat down beside her daughter. Looking at her daughter’s focused expression as she read the magazine, she gently sighed.

“Mei-Lin, don’t pretend you didn’t hear what Mom mentioned to you last time!”

Shih Mei-Lin did not answer immediately. She simply closed the magazine slowly, reached out for a small bunch of white grapes, and elegantly peeled off the skins. She glanced at her mother with a helpless expression.

“Mommy, please, okay? What era are we living in now? And you still want me to go on blind dates?”

Shih Yu-Hua could not help but laugh, though there was a hint of helplessness in her smile.

“Complaining to me won’t help either!”

She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and placed it back on the table.

“You’ll be thirty in two years. Your grandfather keeps reminding me every few days, saying that I don’t care enough about your lifelong happiness. I hear him nagging me every day. My ears are practically growing calluses.”

Shih Mei-Lin bit into a grape and leaned back against the sofa. Her tone carried a trace of resistance.

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don’t necessarily need a man to support me! Nothing terrible will happen just because I don’t get married.”

Looking at her daughter’s independent yet stubborn appearance, Shih Yu-Hua shook her head.

“Your grandfather doesn’t see it that way.”

She paused for a moment, and her tone became more serious.

“Your younger uncle has never had children. Because of his health condition, he cannot have children, and he also never adopted any. Your grandfather’s greatest wish now is that someone from the Shih family can continue the family line.”

Hearing this, Shih Mei-Lin slightly frowned and placed the grape in her hand back onto the plate.

“Oh, please!”

She could not help but laugh.

“In this day and age, what man would be willing to marry into the wife’s family? Isn’t Grandpa’s idea a little too unrealistic?”

Shih Yu-Hua looked at her daughter and quickly explained.

“Your grandfather isn’t completely unreasonable. He has already changed his mind. He no longer insists that the man marry into our family. He only hopes that his future eldest grandson will have the surname Shih.”

She gently patted her daughter’s hand, her voice becoming softer.

“So, all you need to do is bring a boyfriend home soon and let your grandfather meet him. If he is satisfied, naturally he won’t arrange any more blind dates for you.”

Shih Mei-Lin did not answer right away.

She lowered her head, gently turning the stem of the grape between her fingers. Yet, without realizing it, a figure appeared in her mind.

It was the man sitting at the bow of the boat on the waters of Xiaoliuqiu, concentrating as he painted:

Tsai Shih-Nan.

Unlike ordinary businessmen who only knew how to run a business, he carried a calm and reserved temperament.

Behind those seemingly peaceful eyes was a passion for art, as well as a determination toward life.

Thinking of this, she herself was slightly startled.

Why had she suddenly thought of him?

Shih Mei-Lin quickly pushed the thought away and deliberately put on an impatient expression.

“Fine! Fine!”

She sighed.

“I understand. It seems like the whole world will collapse just because I haven’t gotten married.”

She picked up the magazine again and pretended to speak casually.

“I’ll bring my boyfriend home for Grandpa to see, but I have to make an appointment with him first.”

Shih Yu-Hua opened her eyes wide and looked at her daughter.

“Really?”

Her voice was filled with disbelief. It seemed she could hardly believe that her daughter, who had always rejected blind dates, would suddenly agree.

Shih Mei-Lin raised her head and showed a confident smile.

“Really!”

Shih Yu-Hua looked at her daughter. Although she was still half doubtful in her heart, seeing her daughter finally loosen up, she eventually revealed a relieved and comforted smile.

Outside the window, the waters of Sun Moon Lake shimmered under the sunlight.

Yet neither of them imagined that the “boyfriend” her daughter had mentioned was, at that very moment, already quietly holding a place in her heart.

47. The Person in Her Heart

Night gradually covered Sun Moon Lake. The lights along the lakeside were reflected upon the surface of the water, gently swaying with the breeze. The Shih family mansion remained as elegant and peaceful as always; however, Shih Mei-Lin’s heart was far from as calm as the lake outside the window.

Inside the bedroom, soft lighting spilled across the ivory-colored bed. Shih Mei-Lin leaned diagonally against a beanbag-style backrest pillow at the head of the bed. In her ears played Celine Dion’s classic song “My Heart Will Go On.” The melodious tune flowed through the room, telling a story about love and promises. She closed her eyes and listened quietly for a while.

The pressure about marriage and blind dates that her mother had mentioned during the day had left her feeling restless. She had received her education overseas since childhood, becoming accustomed to independent thinking and pursuing her dreams through her own abilities.

To her, marriage should not merely exist to fulfill family expectations, nor should it become a task that had to be completed in life.

However, facing the expectations of her grandfather and mother, she could not bring herself to reject them completely.

“Do I really have to just find someone randomly and bring him home to satisfy them?”

She let out a soft sigh and reached for the handbag placed on the bedside table.

Suddenly, a business card slipped out from inside the bag’s compartment.

She lowered her head and looked at it, freezing for a moment.

The name on the card came into view—

Tsai Shih-Nan.

The man who had operated a sightseeing fishing boat on the waters of Xiaoliuqiu, yet sat at the bow of the boat painting.

The man who did not seem like a businessman, but more like an artist.

Shih Mei-Lin picked up the business card, her fingertips gently tracing over the printed words. In her mind appeared the scene of the two of them chatting on the fishing boat that day.

Under the sunset, he had talked about his dream of painting when he was young; he had talked about his choice to leave the technology industry and return to his hometown to start a business again.

His voice had been calm, yet carried a reassuring strength.

She looked at the business card, and the corner of her mouth unconsciously curved into a faint smile.

“This Tsai Shih-Nan...”

she murmured to herself.

“He actually seems pretty decent.”

She paused for a moment, and a playful glimmer appeared in her eyes.

If she only asked him for a favor temporarily...

If she only let him “make a guest appearance” as her boyfriend...

Perhaps she could avoid the pressure from her family to get married.

She picked up her phone, then put it down again.

There was still a trace of hesitation in her heart.

After all, she and Tsai Shih-Nan had only just met.

Would it be too strange to make such a request so suddenly?

However, when she thought about her grandfather’s insistence on continuing the Shih family bloodline, and her mother’s helpless expression, she felt that this might be the best solution for now.

She looked at the business card in her hand again, and her eyes gradually became determined.

“Anyway, it’s just asking him for a favor...”

she said softly.

“It shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

After a moment, as if she had finally made up her mind, she placed the business card on the table.

She took a deep breath and revealed a confident smile.

“Alright, that’s what I’ll do.”

Outside the window, the night scenery of Sun Moon Lake was as tranquil as a painting.

Meanwhile, far away in Xiaoliuqiu, Tsai Shih-Nan still had no idea that he was about to become the male lead in a “fake romance” plan.

Two lives that had originally moved along parallel paths began, because of a small business card, to slowly move toward an unexpected intersection.

48. The Spring Prelude Inspired by the Ocean

Inside the design department office of Focus Fashion Company, the afternoon sunlight poured through the large glass windows, shining upon rows of display racks filled with fabric samples. The walls were covered with the latest fashion trend analysis charts and design sketches, and the air was filled with the unique busy atmosphere of the fashion industry.

Shih Mei-Lin sat at her desk, lowering her head as she organized the design drafts for the spring collection. Her fingers gently traced the lines on the paper, but what appeared in her mind was still the seabirds flying above the waters of Xiaoliuqiu, and the blue ocean glittering under the sunlight as the sightseeing fishing boat chased after dolphins.

Just then, the office door was gently pushed open.

General Manager Su Ming-Yu walked in, holding a thick folder in her arms, with a delighted smile on her face.

“Mei-Lin,”

Su Ming-Yu walked to the desk and placed the folder down.

“I carefully looked through this design draft, page by page.”

She opened several pages of the design drawings, her eyes lingering on the smooth tailoring lines and vivid color combinations.

“Your spring collection this time has the imagery of a tropical ocean.”

She raised her head, her eyes filled with approval.

“Fresh, passionate, and full of vitality.”

Shih Mei-Lin looked up, and a confident smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“President Su, you really have a good eye.”

She leaned back against her chair and spoke softly.

“A few days ago, I went to Xiaoliuqiu and took a sightseeing fishing boat out to sea. That ocean gave me a very strong impression. Even now, the images of seabirds skimming across the surface of the sea and dolphins leaping through the waves still keep appearing in my mind.”

Su Ming-Yu’s eyes lit up as she listened. She once again looked through the design drafts in her hands.

“No wonder.”

She nodded.

“These works don’t feel like they were simply drawn. They truly have stories and emotions behind them.”

She pointed at one of the clothing designs.

“Each piece has its own unique character. I’m already looking forward to the day they are officially presented.”

Shih Mei-Lin smiled and reached out to take back several design drafts.

“President Su, these are only preliminary drafts. I’ll continue making revisions over the next few days.”

“No problem.”

Su Ming-Yu closed the folder and spoke in a firm tone.

“Once you finalize them, I’ll immediately notify the factory to begin production.”

The office became quiet for a moment.

As Shih Mei-Lin organized the papers on her desk, she suddenly looked up and asked:

“President Su, Manager Zhao hasn’t complained again recently, has he?”

Su Ming-Yu smiled gently and sat down on the chair beside her.

“That’s just his personality. He only looks at numbers and sales reports.”

Shih Mei-Lin nodded understandingly.

“That’s understandable. After all, sales performance affects the bonuses of their marketing department.”

Looking at her, Su Ming-Yu revealed a pleased expression.

“It’s good that you can think this way. So this month, I adjusted the bonus system and added incentive rewards. I hope everyone can cooperate with the company’s transformation without worries.”

Shih Mei-Lin nodded slightly.

She knew that changing the direction of a company had never been as simple as merely designing beautiful clothes. It required facing the market, employees, and the struggle between new ideas and old habits.

“By the way,”

Shih Mei-Lin gathered the documents on her desk and spoke as if casually,

“I want to go to Xiaoliuqiu again this weekend.”

Su Ming-Yu smiled.

“Go ahead! Bring back more inspiration. Good design has always required stepping outside and experiencing life.”

After hearing this, Shih Mei-Lin only smiled and did not answer.

She lowered her head and continued organizing the drafts, but a trace of anticipation unconsciously flashed in her eyes.

Xiaoliuqiu...

That place had not only given her inspiration for her designs.

There was also a person there who had unexpectedly left a deep impression on her.

However, this small thought hidden in her heart was something she did not want to explain to anyone just yet.

49. Reunion in the Sea Breeze

At Baisha Fishing Harbor in the afternoon, sunlight poured down onto the deep blue sea. In the distance, several fishing boats gently rocked with the waves. Along the pier, tourists came and went. Some held cameras, capturing the scenery of the harbor, while others sat beside the seawall, enjoying the breathtaking view where the sea and sky blended into one.

A deep and powerful engine sound approached from afar, breaking the original tranquility of the harbor. A heavy motorcycle slowly drove along the seaside road. The metallic body of the motorcycle shimmered under the sunlight, attracting curious glances from many tourists.

After the motorcycle stopped, Cai Shi-Nan took off his helmet while still sitting astride the bike. He shook his windblown hair and revealed a bright, long-lost smile.

At this moment, he was less like the steady entrepreneur he usually appeared to be, and more like a young man filled with confidence and carefree charm.

Shi Mei-Lin walked over from the direction of the shopping street. When she saw Cai Shi-Nan in front of her, she was stunned for a moment, then immediately revealed a surprised smile.

“Handsome guy, have you changed your personality?”

She looked him up and down and could not help laughing.

“Before, you always looked like a literary youth. Now you suddenly look so bold and so Man!”

Cai Shi-Nan took out another helmet and slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“Didn’t you say I was a literary youth?”

He deliberately raised his eyebrows.

“So, I just wanted to let you know that I also have another very Man side.”

Shi Mei-Lin burst out laughing.

“I was just saying it casually. I didn’t expect you to actually take it seriously.”

Cai Shi-Nan shrugged, showing a rare humorous expression.

“Men have their pride too, you know?”

Looking at his rarely seen playful side, Shi Mei-Lin’s eyes showed a little more appreciation.

Cai Shi-Nan patted the back seat.

“Get on. I’ll take you for a ride.”

He handed the helmet to her.

Shi Mei-Lin took the helmet. Suddenly, she moved closer and gently gave him a French greeting kiss on the cheek — La Bise.

This unexpected gesture of intimacy made Cai Shi-Nan freeze slightly for a moment.

Shi Mei-Lin looked at his expression and could not help laughing.

“What? Did I scare you?”

“No.”

Cai Shi-Nan pretended to remain calm as he put on his own helmet.

“I just didn’t expect your way of greeting people to be so special.”

Shi Mei-Lin put on her helmet and skillfully climbed onto the back seat.

“Luckily, I’m wearing pants today. Otherwise, sitting on this kind of heavy motorcycle…”

She lowered her head and looked at the motorcycle, deliberately pausing.

Cai Shi-Nan immediately continued:

“Otherwise, we would create all kinds of traffic accidents along the way?”

Shi Mei-Lin froze for a moment, then laughed so hard that her shoulders trembled slightly.

“You’ve become much more humorous after not seeing you for a few days!”

Cai Shi-Nan started the engine and answered with a smile:

“Men need to change too.”

After saying that, he stepped on the clutch. Accompanied by the deep roar of the heavy motorcycle, the bike slowly left the harbor.

The sea breeze swept past the figures of the two people, while the wheels continued forward along the island’s coastal road.

At the same time, a sedan was approaching the harbor from another road.

Behind the steering wheel, Zhang Ya-Hui had originally been concentrating on driving. However, at the exact moment when the two vehicles passed each other, she caught sight of that familiar profile.

She instinctively slowed down and looked through the rearview mirror at the motorcycle that was gradually moving away.

That was Shi-Nan, wasn’t it?

But sitting behind him was a foreign girl with red hair.

Zhang Ya-Hui held onto the steering wheel, her expression slightly stunned. A complicated feeling quietly surfaced in her heart.

“Was that really Shi-Nan?”

She silently asked herself.

“The red-haired girl sitting behind him… could she be his new girlfriend?”

She watched the motorcycle’s silhouette gradually disappear along the coastline, and another thought suddenly came to her mind.

“When did he buy such a cool and eye-catching heavy motorcycle?”

The sea breeze continued to blow across the harbor.

But at this moment, an indescribable ripple stirred inside Zhang Ya-Hui’s heart.

She did not know that this accidental scene she had witnessed would leave behind what kind of waves in her heart.

50. The Wish Plaque in Front of the Lovers’ Temple

The island-circling coastal road wound along the shoreline in the afternoon. The deep blue sky and the endless ocean intertwined, forming a vast and open scene.

The heavy motorcycle raced forward against the sea breeze. The wheels skimmed across the road, creating a light and cheerful rhythm.

Shi Mei-Lin sat behind Cai Shi-Nan, feeling the sea breeze brush across her face. She looked at the coastal scenery continuously retreating on both sides of the road, and a joyful smile remained on her face.

Before long, the two of them arrived at a small temple beside the island-circling road.

The heavy motorcycle stopped in the open space in front of the temple. After turning off the engine, Cai Shi-Nan removed his helmet and stepped off the motorcycle seat with a relaxed movement.

Shi Mei-Lin also got off the bike. She placed her helmet on the seat and curiously looked at the simple yet warm little temple in front of her.

Red lanterns hung in front of the temple. Around it were many decorations symbolizing romantic relationships and marriage destiny. Several tourists were taking photos in front of the wish plaques.

Cai Shi-Nan turned to look at her.

“I’m going inside to fulfill my vow. Please wait for me for a moment.”

Shi Mei-Lin was slightly stunned.

“Fulfill your vow?”

Before she had time to ask more, Cai Shi-Nan had already walked into the temple.

Inside the temple, incense smoke drifted gently through the air.

Cai Shi-Nan walked to the altar, put his palms together, and his expression became especially sincere and reverent. He closed his eyes and silently expressed his gratitude in his heart.

After a moment, he bowed deeply and worshiped three times in succession.

After completing the ritual, he turned around and walked out of the temple gate. The gentle smile he usually wore returned to his face.

Shi Mei-Lin stood outside waiting for him and could not help asking:

“What is this temple called?”

Cai Shi-Nan glanced at the plaque above the temple.

“The Lovers’ Temple.”

He smiled.

“I heard that it is very effective.”

Shi Mei-Lin raised her eyebrows, curiosity filling her eyes.

“You just said you came here to fulfill a vow. Then what wish did you make before?”

Cai Shi-Nan looked at her and deliberately kept her in suspense.

“You really want to know?”

Shi Mei-Lin nodded.

“Of course! Tell me.”

Cai Shi-Nan looked at her, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“I told the Matchmaker God…”

He paused for a moment and looked at her reaction.

“I wanted to see that girl named Shi Mei-Lin again.”

Shi Mei-Lin froze.

She opened her eyes wide and looked at him. Her expression was filled with both surprise and doubt.

“Really?”

She could not help laughing.

“This isn’t some scene you just made up on the spot, is it?”

Cai Shi-Nan deliberately put on a serious expression.

“You don’t believe me?”

He pointed toward the wish plaque archway beside the temple.

“Fine. I’ll show you the evidence.”

Cai Shi-Nan gently took Shi Mei-Lin’s hand and led her toward the wish plaque archway.

Shi Mei-Lin looked down at their hands held together and was slightly startled, but she did not pull her hand away.

Under the archway hung countless wooden plaques of different sizes. Some carried blessings, while others were written with the names of lovers. They swayed gently in the breeze.

Cai Shi-Nan carefully searched among them.

Not long after, he smiled.

“Found it.”

He pointed at one of the wooden plaques.

Shi Mei-Lin bent down and carefully looked at the words written on it.

On the wooden plaque, it said:

“Goddess of Love, please let me see Shi Mei-Lin again. Please bring her back to my side.”

At that moment, the smile on her face slowly faded.

Replacing it was a deeply moved emotion that she could not hide.

She looked up at Cai Shi-Nan.

This man had actually placed her inside his wish after their very first meeting.

But in order not to make the atmosphere too serious, she deliberately put on a playful smile.

“Is this how you usually pursue a girl?”

Cai Shi-Nan immediately raised his right hand, looking extremely serious.

“In front of the Goddess of Love, I cannot tell a lie.”

Shi Mei-Lin was amused by his seriousness.

“Alright, alright!”

She shook her head, while the smile remained at the corner of her mouth.

“But… you didn’t have to be so direct, did you?”

Cai Shi-Nan touched his head, showing a rare shy expression.

“Nothing I can do.”

He looked at her.

“It was love at first sight. The first time I saw you, I was completely struck by you.”

Shi Mei-Lin was stunned for a moment.

She looked at this man in front of her, who was usually calm and composed, but at this moment was as straightforward as a young boy.

She could not help revealing a beautiful smile.

“Don’t do this.”

She spoke softly.

“I’m going to feel pressured.”

Cai Shi-Nan smiled as well.

He knew that his confession might have been somewhat sudden.

But love was sometimes like this. When people met the right person, their hearts would leave behind a mark that could not be explained.

He turned around and picked up the helmets.

“Beauty Cave is ahead.”

He handed the helmet to her.

“I’ll take you nearby for a walk.”

Shi Mei-Lin accepted the helmet and smiled as she put it on.

The two of them got back onto the heavy motorcycle.

Cai Shi-Nan started the engine and carried her along the coastal road toward Beauty Cave.

The sea breeze brushed past their figures.

And the wish plaque hanging in front of the Lovers’ Temple gently swayed in the wind, as if silently blessing a relationship that had just begun.