Shi Che's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched unconsciously. In the past, he would naturally have been able to just say no, unwilling to be involved with any woman other than Ling Chuxia.
But this was his mother. Even though they were never close, she was still his mother, the one who had given birth to him, raised him, and nurtured him.
Now, she lay seriously ill, perhaps not making it past this year. She looked at him with such hopeful eyes that when he tried to speak, his throat felt blocked by something, and he just couldn't open his mouth.
He couldn't bear to see the hope in his mother's eyes shattered again, nor did he want to see her furious over this matter, potentially hindering her recovery.
But to openly acknowledge that he was willing to get engaged to Ling Yunshu, he equally couldn't bring himself to say it.
His promises were made only to Ling Chuxia.
