Love You Till the End Chapter 1125 - 1133: Since They Want to Play, I’ll Play Along

After sending the text message, Shi Aoju gave no reply. Believing he might have succumbed to sleep, she opted against further disturbance. Placing her phone on the bedside table, she reclined and extinguished the light.

The moment her eyes shut, a sharp rap echoed on the door, immediately followed by Su Manning’s voice, "Sister, are you asleep?"

Her tone was remarkably subdued, as if to avoid notice.

In days past, when Su Jiuyi was home, Su Manning seldom sought her out unless a matter was truly pressing. Typically, Su Manning would defer their conversations until the following day.

Su Jiuyi shifted and rose from her bed, forgoing the lightswitch, and felt her way to the door to open it.

"Sister, let's talk inside."

Su Manning appeared agitated and, without awaiting Su Jiuyi's consent, moved directly into the room, promptly securing the door behind her.

"What's the matter?" Su Jiuyi inquired.

"It's this way." Su Manning, unconcerned with the illumination, stated rapidly, "Mother and Father have arranged a blind date for you tomorrow, right here at our residence. It's the gentleman I mentioned this morning; I believe his name is Sun Zhihao."

A blind date arranged without her input? Not even a courtesy notification. Su Jiuyi found herself chuckling, "Since they wish to play games, I shall indulge them. It is merely a blind date, after all."

Su Manning had not anticipated such a calm reaction and appeared momentarily taken aback. Then, a frown creased her brow as she said, "Sun Zhihao's family possesses wealth, but he is somewhat advanced in years. Can you accept that, Sister?"

"How old is he?" Su Jiuyi asked.

"In his early forties, and he has been married previously. Now divorced, he has custody of an eight-year-old daughter," Su Manning disclosed.

"Oh," Su Jiuyi replied, then calmly remarked, "That sounds acceptable."

"Sister..." Su Manning's brow furrowed further, her concern for her sister evident.

"You should return now. I understand." Su Jiuyi issued the dismissal, not out of a desire for estrangement from Su Manning, but because she felt this affair was not Su Manning's concern and she did not wish to involve her. After all, she and Su Manning were not cut from the same cloth.

"Alright." Recognizing the futility of further discourse, Su Manning nodded, stating, "Then I shall return to my room."

Having spoken, she grasped the doorknob, turned it, opened the door, and stepped out. Before departing, she cast a backward glance at Su Jiuyi, but the dimness rendered her expression unreadable.

Su Manning lingered at the threshold for an instant. Before leaving entirely, she imparted, "If it is within your power, Sister, you should depart. I have already served as a pawn once; I do not wish for you to be ensnared as another of Father's pawns. Moreover, Sun Zhihao pales in comparison to Song Zhike. Even if his character is commendable, he remains a man who has navigated marriage and divorce. He is two decades your senior and has experienced far more than you. If such a man lacks genuine sincerity towards you, you will face considerable suffering."

Su Jiuyi found her words to hold no small amount of reason and, in fact, found herself agreeing with the assessment. Despite having gained some measure of experience through enduring hardships over the years, it could not rival the profound understanding of a man two decades her senior. Thus, Su Manning's anxieties were not unfounded, as even Su Jiuyi herself felt that a union with such a man might render her future akin to an existence in Purgatory, a fate worse than death.