Strolling halfway, a little girl suddenly darted out from the grass.
The sky was already dim, and Wen Tingxue hadn't noticed, failing to dodge in time.
The little girl bumped into her, smearing her ice cream all over Wen Tingxue's skirt.
A gust of wind blew, sticking to her thigh, feeling cool and damp.
With no other choice, she had to return to change.
Yu Wenli wanted to accompany her, but she persuaded him against it.
She was afraid that if he followed, she wouldn't be able to leave the room.
Fortunately, he didn't insist, only saying, "Baby, I want to see you wear that red one."
Just moments ago, he had messaged her: [Can you wear the red one?]
He seemed quite fixated.
Wen Tingxue bit her finger, contemplating, "Should I… just fulfill his wish?"
After all, he definitely wouldn't be able to touch her today.
Such a small wish, it wasn't entirely unacceptable, was it?
With that thought, Wen Tingxue put down the avocado green slip dress she had already chosen and picked up the red one instead.
This dress was personally chosen by Yu Wenli.
It wasn't revealing, nor was it too long.
It reached just above her calf.
Paired with high heels, it looked exceptionally beautiful.
Especially the hem, like petals, making her look elegant and poised when she walked.
However, Wen Tingxue didn't particularly like wearing high heels.
So, this dress, after being bought, mostly remained unworn.
After a twirl in front of the mirror, confirming everything was in place, Wen Tingxue picked up a moon-white shawl and draped it over her arm.
Even though the temperature was high here, the nights could still be chilly.
"What are you doing?" Wen Tingxue asked, turning around.
Her gaze was wary.
Song Chenglv, ignoring everything else, took a step closer and asked, "Where is she? Did you hide her?"
"Who?" Wen Tingxue feigned ignorance. "I just came out, I didn't see anything, I don't know who you're looking for. Your head is bleeding, you should see a doctor first…"
"Stop f***ing talking nonsense, I'm asking you where Xie Jinyi is?!"
Song Chenglv, impatient, lunged forward, wanting to grab her.
"I told you I didn't see her!"
Wen Tingxue dodged again.
Just then, Que You swam up, saying smartly, "What's up? You looking for Xie Jinyi? She just went down in the elevator…"
Before he could finish, Song Chenglv was already gone like a gust of smoke.
Wen Tingxue let out a breath of relief, asking, "Why are you here?"
"I came to talk to Brother Yu about something, and I happened to hear some commotion over here. Where is Brother Yu?" Que You walked towards the room.
Wen Tingxue quickly blocked him. "He's not here!"
Que You glanced at the door, then at her, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "Xie Jinyi is inside?"
His tone was almost certain.
Wen Tingxue pursed her lips. "Let's go, Yu Wenli is downstairs."
Que You didn't press further and followed her towards the elevator. "You're quite confident leaving her alone in there. Aren't you afraid she'll do something detrimental to you? After all, you're all in the same circle."
"She won't."
"You trust her quite a bit," Que You pouted, reminding her. "But speaking of which, you'd better keep your distance from her. Song Chenglv hates her to death right now. If you interact with her too much, Song Chenglv will definitely shift his attention to you."
Recalling Song Chenglv's frantic state just now, Wen Tingxue also felt a pang of fear, her face paling slightly. She nodded.
"Mhm, I understand."
-
The two reached the ground floor and found Yu Wenli wasn't where he was supposed to be.
There was no sign of him around.
"Huh?" Wen Tingxue frowned, searching left and right. "Where is he? I told him to wait for me here before I went up. Where did he go?"
She took out her phone, preparing to call him.
Her thigh was patted.
"Sister~"
A boy in a small suit called out to her in a milky voice.
His little face was tilted up, rosy and soft.
Wen Tingxue immediately forgot about Yu Wenli, crouched down, and met his gaze. "Good boy, why are you here alone? Where are your parents?"
"For you," the child extended his right hand, which he had been hiding behind his back, towards her.
It was a rose.
Vibrant and dew-kissed.
"Flowers complement beauty, Sister must accept it, or I'll be unhappy."
The child's words were not fully formed, but his flirtatiousness was quite convincing.
Wen Tingxue was amused. She reached out and pinched his soft, tofu-like cheek, asking, "Where did you get the rose?"
The child's eyes rolled. "It doesn't matter, you have to accept it!"
He thrust it into her hand regardless and scampered away nimbly.
"Hey!"
Wen Tingxue wanted to call him back, but he had already run far off, his little bottom wiggling.
There was no sign of him stopping.
"?"
What was going on?
Wen Tingxue curiously examined the flower, then turned to Que You, asking, "What's the situation? Did you arrange this?"
Que You quickly denied, "Nothing of the sort!"
As soon as he finished speaking, another little sister with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking like a doll, approached holding a lily, smiling and calling out, "Sister, here's a flower for you~"
By this point, if Wen Tingxue still didn't understand, she would be truly foolish.
"Thank you."
She bent down, accepting the lily from the little girl's hand, and thanked her softly.
Then, in English, she asked, "Can you tell Sister where the brother who gave you the flower is now?"
The little girl didn't answer but pointed towards the lawn opposite with her finger.
The lake, clear and green like a mirror, lay in the middle.
Above it was a winding wooden bridge.
Decorative streetlights were placed intermittently on both sides, without railings.
It looked elegant and tranquil.
But because it was too far,
She couldn't quite make out the situation on the other side.
It was dark, not appearing to be occupied.
"Let's go."
Wen Tingxue, holding the two bouquets, lifted her skirt and walked towards it.
This hotel was the most expensive in the area, offering good privacy.
The environment was also top-notch.
As she strolled over, her mood began to lighten.
With the last step, she still didn't see Yu Wenli.
Wen Tingxue frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure it's here?"
Que You met her gaze, smiled without speaking, and pointed behind her.
She turned around.
The surrounding lights gradually illuminated.
Que You, unable to wait, gave her a nudge, urging her on.
Wen Tingxue snapped back to attention and began to walk forward.
She had guessed that there would be a proposal today, but she hadn't expected the scene to be so grand.
She was so nervous that she almost forgot how to walk.
Que You smiled, took a walkie-talkie from his pocket, and instructed, "Start the music!"
…
"It was the first time I was placed in your palm."
"Bound by your love, locked tight."
"It was the first time I felt you and I."
"Belonged to the same realm."
As the music began, couples emerged, forming two neat rows.
Men on the left, women on the right.
Each holding a rose and a balloon.
Wen Tingxue walked past them, receiving two roses.
And a blessing.
Each phrase was different, but the meaning was the same.
All wishing for happiness and longevity.
By the time Wen Tingxue reached Yu Wenli, her arms were already full of roses.
The music also reached its crescendo—
"Please believe I'll be happy with you."
"You are my happiness."
"Please believe I'll always care about you."
"I will give you happiness."
As the last note faded, hundreds of balloons were released simultaneously.
All red, heart-shaped.
Like a sea of flowers flying into the sky.
"Wen Tingxue."
Yu Wenli's voice sounded from above, tinged with palpable nervousness.
The young girl's cheeks flushed red as she turned back, her eyes glistening, gazing intently at him.
The lawn returned to a quiet stillness.
In the vast space, only his confession and the rustling of the blessing wind could be heard.
"From the first moment I saw you, I fell in love with you."
The young man who never got nervous during any competition, challenge, or scheme,
Was now incredibly tense.
The tips of his ears were red as blood.
"It was my long-planned, carefully orchestrated approach, to get close to you, to be near you, to care for you."
Memories resurfaced in both their minds.
Clear, piece by piece.
Like pages of a book, turning one by one.
Carrying the creases of time and the unspoken love between them.
"Perhaps, sometimes, I didn't take as good care of you as I should have, making you angry, making you wronged, making you sad. But believe me, I will correct them one by one. I will always, always, prioritize you in everything."
The distinguished young man took a step forward, took her hand, and knelt on one knee.
"So, can you give me a chance to care for you for the rest of my life?"
He looked up at her, his eyes blazing, as if the heavens and earth paled in comparison to her.
His gaze was deep and lingering.
"Yes…"
Before the word of acceptance could leave her lips, tears began to roll down.
Then, a commotion erupted around them.
She looked up to see friends they had known for many years, who had appeared from nowhere.
They were all holding instruments, playing "Let It Be Me" in unison.
It was an interlude from the movie "Flipped."
Both she and Yu Wenli loved it.
Mu Chen's heartfelt singing directly transported them back to the atmosphere of watching the movie together.
"Get up quickly."
With so many people watching, the young girl shyly tugged his arm.
Yu Wenli, however, insisted on kneeling, waiting for an answer. "So, did you agree? To let me care for you for a lifetime."
[Author's Aside]: Hmm, I drank a little today and am very sleepy.
There's one more chapter, which I'll post together tomorrow night. Good night!