The shop owner said with a smile, “Actually when your boyfriend came this morning, he said that you might not agree to it because the two of you haven’t been together for long.”
Ruan Yang lowered her head and touched the ring. Just touching it gave her certainty that the size would fit a certain finger very well. Suddenly, she seemed to have recalled that last night, as she fell asleep, she could indistinctly feel someone touching her finger. Was he measuring her finger size then?
The shop owner continued to say, “I asked him what would happen if he failed and he said: so be it. He could just propose a few more times and you might just suddenly agree.”
Ruan Yang smiled when she heard that. That sounded like something he would say.
The shop owner sat on her chair and continued making her pottery as she said, “Actually, does it really matter how long two people have been together? When I was young, I also had a boyfriend. I was with him until I was 30, but he never said he would marry me. I only knew my current husband for three months before he proposed to me. I agreed to it. I was also very uneasy then. After all, we were only together for such a short time but we’ve still been very blissful until now. In this day and age, there can be a bunch of men who will tell you they love you but not many are willing to propose to you.”
Ruan Yang was stupefied.
She understood those words very well. When she was with Xin Ziao, there were never enough oaths and sweet talk, but he never proposed to her. The only thing he could say was: “Someday, we’ll definitely get married.”
Sometimes, she would think: when is someday?
She smiled and a hint of resolution flashed past her eyes.
—————-
Li Shaobin sat in the car, waiting uneasily. The heat was switched on in the car and after a while, he felt hot. He wound the window down and felt cold. This cycle repeated and after more than 10 minutes, he finally saw Ruan Yang coming out.
She was holding a box in her hands. He saw this box in the morning. The cups were inside.
He quickly got out of the car and opened the door for her. Ruan Yang didn’t look at him and bent down to get into the car straight away.
Li Shaobin returned to the driver’s seat uneasily. He licked his dry lips and watched her expression carefully. There wasn’t much expression on her exquisite face. He swallowed. “Yangyang, do… do you know about it?”
Ruan Yang glanced at his nervous face and suddenly smiled. She lifted her right hand, which was under the box. The big ruby on her finger made her fair fingers look very beautiful.
She tilted her head and said, pretending to be filled with concern, “Is this ring a little too dazzling?”
Li Shaobin blinked and was dumbfounded. What’s going on right now?
Ruan Yang continued to say, “But it’s pretty beautiful and it fits just right.”
Li Shaobin was elated but he was still in disbelief. Hence, he asked softly, “Yangyang, what you mean is… you agree to my proposal?”
“Why would I be wearing it if I didn’t agree to it?” Ruan Yang looked into his eyes with a smile.
Li Shaobin clenched his fists agitatedly and pounced over, trying to kiss her. Perhaps it was because his actions were too big and he was too impatient that he hit his head hard on the roof of the car again.
He held his head. It really hurt a lot, but at this moment, it didn’t feel painful at all. His face was filled with a silly smile. “Yangyang, you really decided to marry me so quickly?”
Ruan Yang felt a sweetness rippling out inside.
How silly. However, it was better for a man to be silly in a relationship. That would make a woman feel more secure. She raised her eyebrows purposely. “If you ask that again, I might not want to marry you again.”
“Aye, no, no, no, you can’t go back on your word for things like this. You have to marry me if you say so.” Li Shaobin quickly grabbed her hand tightly, afraid that she would take the ring off.
“Silly. I was just teasing you.” Ruan Yang smiled as she looked at his nervous face and felt as though a small hammer had knocked on her chest lightly.
Li Shaobin held her hand and put it to his lips, kissing it. His heart was beating profusely. “Yangyang, I really wasn’t sure you would agree.”
“You dared to propose without being certain?” Ruan Yang couldn’t hold her laughter back. “Did you decide on it last minute?”
“Mm, I suddenly had this idea while I was writing on the cup yesterday,” Li Shaobin said embarrassedly. “After we went back, we didn’t take the necessary precautions and I was afraid that you would get pregnant, so I became even more resolute. Besides, I want to be with you forever and I don’t want to use a condom for the time being. A condom doesn’t feel as good as going bare. Yangyang, I want to go bare with you legitimately.”
Ruan Yang was touched at first. However, when she heard until the end, she suddenly felt angry. She clenched her teeth. “Don’t tell me you proposed to me just so you could go bare with me?”
Li Shaobin blinked and grinned shamelessly. “It’d be alright even if I didn’t go bare, as long as you’re willing to marry me.”
Ruan Yang rolled her eyes at him.
Li Shaobin leaned over panderingly to give her a kiss on her cheek. “Yangyang, don’t be angry. Yangyang, wifey, wifey…”
No matter how thick-skinned Ruan Yang is, she still blushed after he called her that. “Who are you calling your wifey? Don’t give me names.”
“I’m calling you my wifey. Now that you’ve agreed to my proposal, you’re going to be my wife soon.” Li Shaobin was on cloud nine and wished that she could melt into his embrace.
“Cut it out. I’ve got a cold—I might spread it to you.” Ruan Yang pushed him.
“So be it. We can catch a cold together and take our medicine together.” Li Shaobin smiled foolishly.
Ruan Yang felt embarrassed from him staring at her like that and she lowered her head slowly to pretend to admire the cups in her hands.
Li Shaobin also recalled that when he rushed over in the morning, he saw the cup Ruan Yang made for him. There weren’t as many words like the one he made for her. There were only five words: Be good and listen well.
Those five words made him feel super sweet inside.
…
After lunch, Li Shaobin cuddled intimately with her in the suite for a while before they made their way to the airport.
Song Chuyi was going abroad to further his studies and there weren’t many people sending him off. Other than Yan Molun, there was only Zhan Mingwei.
When the two of them got there, they could see Changqing crying badly in Song Chuyi’s embrace. Song Chuyi was carrying his son in one arm and hugging his wife with his other arm.
Li Shaobin didn’t understand how it felt for a couple to part in the past. Now, he seemed to understand. If Ruan Yang needed to go to the States for half a year, he would probably be so mad he would tear the entire airport apart.
“Didn’t we agree not to cry? Look, Yan Wo is going to cry because you’re crying.” Song Chuyi comforted her gently. “If you miss me, fly over and visit me.”
“How can I do that with Yan Wo?” Changqing rubbed her wet eyes as she felt terrible inside. However, the thought of everyone seeing her like this made her feel embarrassed.
“Look, Yangyang. I wasn’t wrong, was I? I knew Changqing would cry badly,” Li Shaobin said at the side.
Changqing glared at him. “The two of you are all lovey-dovey now and don’t know the sorrow of our parting.”
Li Shaobin grinned and spoke in a way that was asking to be smacked: “I don’t. I’m in a very good mood right now because Yangyang agreed to my marriage proposal this morning.”
“Marriage proposal?”
Changqing, Song Chuyi, and the others all spoke at the same time. They were obviously very shocked by this news.
“Yeah, a marriage proposal. She agreed to it.” Li Shaobin lifted Ruan Yang’s hand to show off that dazzling ruby proudly.
Ruan Yang’s face heated up awkwardly. She wanted to keep it low-profile. In the end, he started boasting the moment he arrived.
Changqing was dumbfounded. “My gosh, are you two in a rocket? You’ve only been together for a month?”
“Don’t tell me you’re pregnant?” Zhan Mingwei clenched his teeth as he said a little enviously. He had been married to Siyao for so many years but she hadn’t conceived.
Li Shaobin glared at him. “Didn’t you hear Changqing say that we’ve only been together for a month? How could she become pregnant so quickly?”
“That’s hard to say.” Zhan Mingwei pouted. “You two might’ve had sex first before getting together.”
“We aren’t like that,” Li Shaobin said. “We only started having sex not long ago.”
“Enough; you don’t have to say such things publicly.” Ruan Yang glared at him while blushing. She really felt like stuffing his mouth with some paper.
Li Shaobin was afraid she would be unhappy so he quickly shut his mouth.
Changqing was so shocked by their good news that she forgot to cry. “When are you going to get your marriage certificate done?”
“That’s hard to say. Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” Li Shaobin said.
Ruan Yang continued to glare at him. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. My household registration booklet is still at my parents’ place.”
“In any case, I’ll have to congratulate both of you first.” Changqing was still a little dazed. “That’s really too quick. I haven’t had time to digest it all. Aye, I feel like you’re aggravating me and Chuchu. We’re going to part while the two of you are glued closer and closer. Why’s it like that?”
“It’s really too much,” Song Chuyi said coldly. “Must you build your happiness on top of our sorrow?”
Li Shaobin waved his hands with a grin. “We’re sharing our joy. Old Yan, look at how proud you were when you got a girlfriend before. You two got together during the first half of last year, right? And even now, you haven’t even gotten her to walk down the aisle with you. You’re so useless.”
Yan Molun: “…”
Zhan Mingwei coughed into his fist gently. “I didn’t think our Shaobin would be so outstanding when it came to looking for a wife. Old Yan, this is called catching up. You’d better work harder.”
