Her voice remained sweet and delicate, neither too loud nor too soft, yet carried a sense of immense determination. Jiang Baizhou was taken aback upon hearing it. This was the sentence he had dreamt of hearing, and now that it finally came true, he felt as if he was experiencing auditory hallucinations, as if it was too unreal. The only regret was that she was the one who broke the silence first.
What she said today was unexpected for him, though he had considered it in his heart before. Yet hearing it now, he still found it somewhat unbelievable.
The autumn breeze gently brushed by, bringing with it the warmth of the sun. The two stood side by side, although facing opposite directions. Jiang Baizhou remained silent for a long time, causing Cen Jin’s heart, which had initially calmed down, to start wavering again. Her fingertips gripping her clothes turned slightly white, with her heart in turmoil.
After a long while, Cen Jin finally heard a slightly hoarse and mellow voice beside her: "I don’t want to."
Cen Jin was stunned, her heart seemed to be slashed by something sharp, and her complexion changed instantly. Her gaze towards him gradually became watery, her lips trembling slightly as she opened her mouth and closed it again. The hand clutching his wrist slowly released its grip. It took her a while to find her voice, but her words were heavy with a nasal tone, and she forced out a smile that looked sorrowful: "So... are you rejecting me?"
Jiang Baizhou looked at the tears filling her eyes, his heart clenching. He turned towards her, reversing his grip on her now relaxed hand, lifted the other hand to encircle her slender waist, pulling her gently into his arms. The words that escaped his chilled lips were both hoarse and excited: "Fool, I want to marry you."
During his youth, his affection for her was a desire to be with her, to date her. Even now, his affection was still love, still a desire to possess her. The only change was that he no longer wanted her to date, but only to marry her, to spend their lives together.
Since initiating the relationship was her doing, then the proposal for marriage should be his to make, as a man.
For so many years, he struggled to understand her thoughts, which filled him with frustration. Now, being able to hold her felt incredibly lucky and joyful to him. Instantly, the wind brushing by felt warmer, and the sunlight shining on half of his body seemed much brighter than before.
Tightly held in his embrace and hearing his simple words, Cen Jin’s eyes widened bit by bit. Her restless heart suddenly calmed down, and the tears filling her eyes fell uncontrollably, turning into a tearful smile. She raised both hands, clutching his clothes tightly.
She thought she would lose her entire world. Now, breathing in the familiar, faint fragrance of his perfume, she too felt it was unreal.
Feeling the wetness on his clothes, Jiang Baizhou gently pushed her away. His previously cold, sharp eyes now overflowed with warmth, and his lips rarely displayed a sincere smile. He raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face: "Why cry? I waited for so many years, finally, I’ve waited long enough. How could I bear to refuse?"
"Then why didn’t you make your words clearer earlier?" Cen Jin chastised him with tears in her eyes, punching his chest, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and glared at him: "You kept gasping and played coy."
Jiang Baizhou chuckled, gently cupping her cheeks, meeting her gaze. Gradually, his head lowered. Cen Jin was startled, subconsciously closing her eyes, and with their lips just two centimeters apart, Jiang Baizhou suddenly paused, his thin lips pressing into a straight line, as if he suddenly remembered something.