Chapter 4: 004 Gu Wanzhou’s heart was beating a bit fast.

Gu Wanzhou subconsciously felt.

That Li Zhiyan liking her was a mistake, as a young man should like young girls.

Like how Li Zhiyan should like her own daughter, Yu Sisi.

“I certainly know.”

“The term was coined by Sigmund Freud who borrowed a mythological storyline from the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles.”

Li Zhiyan found that after his rebirth, his memory had greatly improved.

Perhaps this was one of the benefits of being reborn.

“The name of this myth ‘Oedipus Rex’.”

“Oedipus in the story commits the two great sins of patricide and… marrying his Mother.”

Li Zhiyan’s words made the 42-year-old Gu Wanzhou’s pretty face blush slightly.

The culture in the country is very traditional, and as a woman born in 1969.

Gu Wanzhou’s heart was truly that of a traditional woman.

Meanwhile, she looked at Li Zhiyan with a flicker of interest in her eyes, although Li Zhiyan was very young.

Yet his knowledge seemed to be very profound, and he could even articulate the source of the Oedipus story, its author, and the one who coined the term.

“The level of culture in the country is relatively traditional.”

“About the story of Oedipus, it is a taboo subject that nobody dares to talk about.”

“The main reason for this is that men who like older women, especially mother.”

“Will be discriminated against by others, and even if some people like mature women, it is something hidden deep inside that they dare not speak of.”

Li Zhiyan knew that many people liked mature women, or else ‘Love Action Movies’ from that Cherry Blossom Country would not have a category dedicated to them.

“Discrimination?”

Gu Wanzhou looked at Li Zhiyan before her and felt increasingly that this young fellow was quite interesting, he was only 18 years old but seemed to understand everything.

“Yes, discrimination. In fact, I believe it’s very normal for a man to have an Oedipus complex.”

“Liking an older woman is not something to be ashamed of.”

“It’s just that our country’s culture has always been dominated by a patriarchal society, and it was only after the reform and opening up that it slowly started to reverse.”

“And the female desire for strength and the male competitive spirit have driven men to become more economically powerful.”

“In terms of partners, the comparison is who has a younger and more beautiful spouse.”

“For a man to find a partner older than himself.”

“Would be viewed by society and the general public as a lack of capability.”

Looking at Gu Wanzhou’s pretty face across from him, Li Zhiyan could increasingly sense that hint of mature charm.

“People always try to cover up their disgraceful aspects.”

“Therefore, Oedipus becomes a lifelong secret that most men who like mature women will bury, even if they have a girlfriend much older than themselves.”

“They would date secretly, afraid of being seen when out in public for fear of ridicule.”

Li Zhiyan’s well-reasoned words made Gu Wanzhou feel amazed, and at the same time, found them very persuasive.

However, she seemed to want to correct his incorrect thoughts.

Now why does it seem like she is being led by the words of this kid?

“So, under the influence of male chauvinism, this society discriminates against the act of ‘small horse pulling the big cart’.”

“I don’t think it’s wrong.”

“Even homosexuality can be respected and accepted, let alone the very normal, albeit sensitive, matter of liking mature women.”

“Aunt Gu, I know you want to say that I have an Oedipus complex, but this complex is not wrong or sinful.”

“Perhaps it’s because I was born ordinary and grew up in a single-parent family, lacking affection.”

“So I do indeed have some of that complex.”

Li Zhiyan spoke frankly, as everyone has more or less some quirks.

As long as one faces them correctly, there’s nothing that can’t be acknowledged.

“However, my liking for you has nothing to do with Oedipus.”

“It is simply a pure fondness for you, and I don’t think it’s a mistake or something that shouldn’t be.”

Li Zhiyan’s gaze was intense as he looked at the beautiful young woman across from him, his thoughts still on why he hadn’t realized how beautiful and attractive Gu Wanzhou was in his previous life.

Instead, he was fixated on the materialistic, green tea b*tch Yu Sisi every day.

But back then, my own life experience was so limited,

that even if I had developed feelings for Gu Wanzhou, I probably could only sneak a picture to look at under the covers at night.

As for anything else, there wasn’t even a need to think about it.

In this life, I’ve come to appreciate Aunt Gu’s many virtues.

Most young girls are gold-diggers, selfish and self-centered, never considering others’ feelings.

While someone like Gu Wanzhou, a mature auntie, knows how to care for others’ feelings.

It’s apparent from the fact that she didn’t outright reject me; instead, she drove me to the teahouse.

Moreover, she’s intellectual and elegant, possessing many qualities of the previous generation of women.

How could this not be countless times better than young girls?

Looking at Li Zhiyan across from her, Gu Wanzhou, who was so eloquent in business, found herself at a loss for words for a moment.

I had intended to educate him that this was just an Oedipus complex,

that his feelings for me were not genuinely liking me but merely adolescent desire and some fantasies.

But I hadn’t expected him to analyze the situation from so many angles.

He even said that his fondness for me was not because of Oedipus.

This truly made her feel incredulous; his speech was rational, organized, clear, and logical.

An 18-year-old kid, achieving this level, was really quite remarkable.

And thinking back to Li Zhiyan’s phrase about the small horse pulling the big cart (This is a Chinese proverb,小马拉大车, small horse = young man, big cart = mature woman, means young man likes older mature woman. This sentence is also used as a tag in some adult sex video categories.)

Gu Wanzhou felt her face slightly heat up.

“So, Aunt Gu, could you consider being my girlfriend?”

“I want to be with you.”

After being reborn, he clearly felt that his hormones had also surged a lot.

Always ready to spring into action.

The summer sun shone through the leaves outside the window, casting mottled shadows. A gentle breeze swayed the green trees, and the leaves rustled.

Li Zhiyan, now shaded by some of the leafy shadows the sunlight cast in, also looked somewhat handsome.

Seeing the seriousness of the youth in front of her, and his bright eyes,

Gu Wanzhou inexplicably felt her heart beat a little faster.

However, her rationality was still very clear.

Mature women, more often than not, would refer to their rich life experiences when thinking about the problems at hand.

“Oh, dear, I’m already 41 this year, a full 23 years older than you.”

“I could be your mother.”

“You should know that this is an impossible thing.”

“And society wouldn’t accept our relationship either.”

Li Zhiyan continued, “Aunt Gu, please don’t reject me, at least give me a chance.”

“Even though you are 23 years older than me, I feel that age is not an issue.”

“Just like in ‘Forrest Gump,’ life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get next.”

“Some things may not turn out well.”

“But if you don’t move forward, you can be sure that you’ll always be stuck in the same place.”

Gu Wanzhou was somewhat dizzy from Li Zhiyan’s words; she felt that unless she bluntly said she did not like Li Zhiyan, she could put an end to this farce, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say such hurtful words to a boy who could be her son.

But now, it felt as though she was being led by him.

This kid, how could he talk so well?

Somehow, she was reminded again of the phrase about the small horse pulling the big cart.