Chapter 108

Xi Junjie looked at Zhenzhen’s excited expression and couldn’t help but laugh. “Shouldn’t you be shy at a time like this?”

“Oh, you’re right.” Zhenzhen quickly covered her face and tried her best to look bashful. “I’m feeling a bit embarrassed, so I’m not going with you.”

“No way. This was prepared just for you.” Xi Junjie pulled Zhenzhen into his arms and gently kissed her forehead. “Let’s go. It’s a long trip—we need to leave early.”

Zhenzhen’s hand slid to Xi Junjie’s waist, and she took the opportunity to squeeze his firm muscles twice. “Then you go out first. I need to change.”

Xi Junjie looked at her in her pure white dress, eyes full of admiration. “You already look beautiful in that outfit.”

Zhenzhen playfully stuck out her tongue. “I think I can look even better.” She pushed Xi Junjie toward the door. “Go wait outside. I promise I’ll be all dolled up so you won’t be able to take your eyes off me.”

“Alright.” Xi Junjie obediently went outside and sat on a chair nearby. Grandma Li came out of the house and saw him sitting silly in the sun and quickly called out, “What are you doing sitting out there like a fool? Come inside where it’s cool!”

“It’s fine, Grandma,” Xi Junjie quickly stood up and said. “I’m going out with Zhenzhen. She’s just changing clothes.”

“That’ll still take a few minutes.” Grandma Li came over and tugged his arm. “Come on, come on. I just cut up a sweet melon—so tasty.”

Xi Junjie glanced back at Zhenzhen’s window with a bit of hesitation. He was just about to refuse when Zhenzhen called out from inside, “Go hang out with Grandma for a bit—it’s going to take me a while.”

“See? Didn’t I say so?” Grandma Li smiled, then looked at the two of them with curiosity. “Where are you two going on such a hot day? Don’t get heatstroke.”

Xi Junjie’s face turned slightly red, and he rubbed his nose, unsure how to respond. Just then, Zhenzhen opened the window, stuck out her head, and grinned at Grandma Li. “It’s a big day! If everything goes well today, we’ll set the wedding date.”

“Well, that is a big deal.” Grandma Li saw Zhenzhen was still in the same dress from the morning and immediately got anxious. “Why haven’t you changed yet? Hurry up! Don’t mess up such an important thing.”

Zhenzhen gave Xi Junjie a playful glare. “Look at that—he’s not even my husband yet, and my grandma’s already taking his side.”

“Shoo, shoo.” Grandma Li shot her a look. “You’re always bullying poor Junjie.” Seeing the sun had turned Xi Junjie’s face a bit red, Grandma Li grew distressed. “Junjie, get in here and have some sweet melon. Zhenzhen, hurry up!”

“Got it!” Zhenzhen shouted, quickly wiped her face clean, applied some moisturizer and sunscreen, then took out an eyebrow pencil and gently brushed it on.

After Xi Junjie had eaten some sweet melon and a few grapes in Grandma Li’s room, he saw Zhenzhen’s door open. He stood up eagerly and took a couple steps before remembering he hadn’t said goodbye. He turned back and smiled, “Grandma, we’re heading out now.”

“Go on, go on.” Grandma Li smiled kindly. “Best to get such big matters settled early. Oh, are you two coming back for dinner?”

“We won’t be back.” Xi Junjie’s face was full of anticipation. “I booked a restaurant for tonight—planning to have a candlelight dinner with Zhenzhen.”

Grandma Li watched as Xi Junjie pulled a parasol from his backpack, ran over to Zhenzhen, opened it over her head, and the two of them waved back at her together. “Grandma, we’re off!”

“Alright,” Grandma Li nodded. “Be careful on the road!”

As she watched the two leave the courtyard, she muttered to herself and headed back inside. Wang Sufen, who was picking vegetables, glanced over. “Mom, what are you muttering about?”

Grandma Li sat down beside her, looking baffled. “Just now, Junjie said he and Zhenzhen are having a candlelight dinner. I was thinking, why turn off the lights and light candles when we finally have electric lights? It’s so bright at night now—why eat in the dark where you can’t even see the food? What’s so great about that?”

Wang Sufen thought for a moment and asked hesitantly, “Maybe the place they’re eating doesn’t have electricity?”

Grandma Li smacked her lips. “I got it—they must be going to see a fortune-teller to pick a wedding date. Zhenzhen said if today goes well, they’ll set the date. Those fortune-teller places are usually remote and probably don’t even have power lines.”

Wang Sufen gave her mother-in-law’s deduction skills a thumbs up. “You’re probably right, Mom.”

“Aiya, something this big, we should’ve gone with them. What do young people know? And the place they’re going is so remote—who knows when they’ll be back after dinner? Might be the middle of the night!” The more Grandma Li thought, the more anxious she got. “No, I need to go ask Xiulan where exactly they’re going.”

Now that both families were more connected, visits were more convenient. Grandma Li put on her shoes, walked past the corridor, and arrived at the neighboring main courtyard. Ling Xiulan was painting inside. When she saw Grandma Li, she quickly put down her brush. “Auntie, come in and have a seat.”

Grandma Li sat down and immediately asked, “Xiulan, did Junjie and Zhenzhen go see a fortune-teller today to pick a wedding date?”

“Huh?” Xiulan was puzzled. “I don’t think so. Junjie doesn’t believe in that stuff. He said the other day that he and Zhenzhen agreed to pick a Sunday when everyone’s free.”

“Well, now I’m confused.” Grandma Li recounted everything the kids had just said and looked at Xiulan with wide eyes. “So they’re not going to pick a date?”

Xiulan quickly figured it out and burst into laughter. “Auntie, I bet Junjie’s proposing to Zhenzhen today.”

“Proposing? What for?” Grandma Li was even more confused. “Isn’t a proposal something you do with the parents present, and a matchmaker and everything?”

Xiulan leaned in close and whispered with a grin, “It’s like this—Junjie’s probably prepared a beautiful spot with flowers, a ring, wine, all that. Then he’ll kneel on one knee and ask Zhenzhen to marry him. If she likes it, she lets him put the ring on her finger. If not, he’ll have to try again.” The more Xiulan talked, the more amused she became. “I was wondering why Junjie’s been out so much lately—turns out he was preparing for the proposal. I wonder how it turned out.”

Grandma Li stared at her laughing so hard she nearly toppled over and was dumbfounded. “You’re such a laid-back mom. Your son’s going to kneel, and you’re not stopping him?”

Xiulan watched the show with full amusement. “Well, if he doesn’t put in the effort, how’s he going to win his bride?”
—

Since the proposal spot was quite far, Xi Junjie had specially borrowed a car from Xi Changbo. Zhenzhen sat in the passenger seat, watching his focused expression and asked curiously, “Is your proposal spot really far from the city?”

“Yeah.” Xi Junjie drove along a dirt road, and when he saw no one ahead, he reached over and patted her hand. “We’re almost there. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried.” Zhenzhen leisurely crossed her arms. “I’m just looking forward to the surprise you’ve got for me.” Xi Junjie smiled, then stepped on the gas and shifted into the highest gear, speeding forward.

Just as they were about to leave the capital, the car stopped at the foot of a mountain. Zhenzhen looked at the familiar terrain and burst out laughing—wasn’t this the little mountain where Wangwo, Su Weiran, and the others once lived in seclusion? After the incident, Zhenzhen had leveled everything there. She even came by last year to clean up the ruins and regrew dense wildflowers and grass. She wondered how Xi Junjie had found the place.

Xi Junjie locked the car and excitedly grabbed her hand. “It’s going to be a bit of a hike—we need to get to the top.”

Zhenzhen chuckled. “Climbing a mountain is like walking to me. As long as you can keep up.”

Xi Junjie opened the parasol over her head. “I’ve already climbed it over thirty times.”

Zhenzhen looked up at the narrow footpath carved by footsteps and closed the umbrella, stuffing it into his backpack. “No need. The shade from the trees is nice and cool. Carrying an umbrella will only slow you down.”

“Some parts aren’t shaded, and the sun’s harsh. If you get sunburned, your face will hurt later,” Xi Junjie said worriedly, reaching for the umbrella again, but Zhenzhen pulled him along.

Strangely, even though Xi Junjie had climbed the mountain many times in scorching sun, today, after only a few steps, he noticed the trees along the path were unusually lush, completely blocking out the sun overhead—no sunlight could break through.

“These trees really grew fast.” He couldn’t help but praise, “Just a few days ago they still looked like saplings.”

Zhenzhen glanced up and casually said, “No way they grew that fast. Maybe you took a different path last time.”

Xi Junjie turned around and looked back. As expected, he saw several crisscrossing paths that all looked like they had been trampled out by people. He instantly grew nervous, unsure when these paths had appeared and worried that someone might ruin everything he had carefully prepared.

Noticing the unease on Xi Junjie’s face, Zhenzhen gently squeezed his hand and teased with a playful smile, “Isn’t it a little too early to be nervous?” Since they were already here, Xi Junjie stopped overthinking and grabbed Zhenzhen’s hand, running up the mountain.

Perhaps it was the joy of the occasion, but the climb felt unusually smooth to Xi Junjie this time. The wild grass and thorny bushes he used to push aside with a stick had vanished. A straight little path led them directly to the mountaintop.

As they approached the summit, Xi Junjie’s palms began to sweat from nerves. He swallowed hard and was just about to speak when Zhenzhen suddenly pulled a water bottle from her bag and handed it to him. “Have some water and relax a bit.”

Xi Junjie took two big gulps. Seeing Zhenzhen’s relaxed expression, he couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you nervous at all?”

Zhenzhen touched her chest and decided to be honest. “A little bit, but mostly I’m looking forward to it—looking forward to the special surprise you’ve prepared for me.”

Xi Junjie smiled, took her hand, and said solemnly, “Then please close your eyes. Let me take you to see the surprise I’ve prepared.”

Zhenzhen trustingly placed her hand in his. Her awareness remained fully inward as she followed Xi Junjie step by step toward the summit.

A gentle breeze blew as Xi Junjie led Zhenzhen to the best viewing spot. Only then did he slowly release her hand. “Alright, you can open your eyes now.”

Zhenzhen slowly opened her eyes. Once adjusted to the light, she first saw the lush trees on the opposite mountain. With her extraordinary eyesight, she could even spot rabbits darting through the forest. She blinked and let her gaze follow the slope into the valley—and suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief.

The valley, once overgrown with wild grass, had somehow been cleared. Roses had been planted to spell out: “Zhenzhen, I love you!” Zhenzhen covered her mouth and instinctively released her spiritual sense. She discovered that the roses weren’t just arranged in pots—they were all planted directly into the ground. Just by looking at the healthy roots in the soil and the blooming, dewy roses, she could tell that Xi Junjie had spent at least six months tending to them to achieve this effect.

Watching Zhenzhen move from shock to delight to tears of emotion, Xi Junjie took out a ring from his pocket and knelt before her. “This is the second time I’ve knelt before you. The first time was to ask you to be my girlfriend. This time, I’m asking you to be the one I’ll spend my life with. Zhenzhen, the luckiest thing in my life is meeting you. The happiest thing is falling in love with you. I want to keep that happiness going until the very end of our lives. Will you marry me?”

Gazing at the sea of flowers in the valley and the man kneeling before her, Zhenzhen’s eyes turned red, and she tried hard to put on a smile. “I was planning to make things a little difficult for you, but you’ve already moved me so much—I can’t bear to keep you kneeling any longer.”

Xi Junjie’s eyes sparkled with hope. “If you don’t want me to keep kneeling, then give me your hand, okay?”

Zhenzhen smiled and extended her hand. Xi Junjie gently took it and kissed it with deep affection before taking out the ring. The platinum band held a ruby as red as fire, surrounded by four teardrop-shaped diamonds. As he moved, the stones glistened brilliantly in the sunlight.

Xi Junjie slid the ring onto her finger. Just as he was about to stand and embrace his beautiful fiancée, Zhenzhen placed her hand on his chest and asked, a bit uneasy, “These diamonds and the ruby look like top quality. They must be expensive. You just graduated—how could you afford a ring like this? You didn’t ask Auntie Ling for help, did you?”

Xi Junjie puffed out his cheeks. “Shouldn’t this be the moment for a kiss?”

“Don’t play cute,” Zhenzhen pinched his lips shut. “Tell me the truth, or I’ll take off the ring and return it.”

“Alright! Alright! I’ll talk!” Xi Junjie raised his hand, and while Zhenzhen was distracted, he quickly pulled her into a hug and gave her a swift kiss. Then he confessed, “Back when my parents were living in France, they had some property. Before we left, they put it all under my name. Since we rarely go back, I had the rental income managed by the bank through fixed investments. Luckily, the returns were pretty good.” Xi Junjie tightened his hold on her. “Last year when my mom went back to France, I asked her to withdraw some of the money and buy this ring for me. Do you like it?”

Zhenzhen looked at him, heart aching a little. “You must’ve used up all your savings for this ring.”

Xi Junjie smiled. “It’s alright. The rest is more than enough to support you.”

Zhenzhen leaned against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Then I’ll be waiting for you to take care of me for the rest of my life.”

Xi Junjie pressed his forehead against hers, his lips nearing hers. “You have to keep your word.”

Zhenzhen let out a soft laugh and lifted her face to kiss him. Even though it wasn’t their first kiss, the moment their lips met, their hearts still raced. Xi Junjie held her tightly, his large hand stroking her back as the kiss lingered, feeling like it lasted an eternity before they finally pulled away.

Zhenzhen rested her head on Xi Junjie’s chest, her hand tracing along the muscles beneath his shirt. The tingling sensation made Xi Junjie’s throat bob involuntarily. He grabbed her hand and looked at her helplessly. “If you keep touching me like that, I might not be able to wait for the wedding night.”

Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really? Right here?”

Xi Junjie looked at her, both amused and exasperated, and pinched her nose. “Li Mingzhen, have you no shame?”

Zhenzhen chuckled and entwined her fingers with his. “It’s your fault for being too irresistible. The fact that I’ve held back for years proves I’m a person of virtue.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? You always steal my lines.” Xi Junjie rubbed her head and gave her a kiss at the corner of her mouth. “Come on, I’ll take you to see the flowers up close.”

Hand in hand, they strolled down the little path into the valley. From the mountaintop, they had seen the rose formation, but now, in the valley, they could admire each flower’s beauty. Zhenzhen squatted down and breathed in the fragrance of the roses, a little reluctant. “You’ve put in so much effort to grow these. It’s a pity to just leave them here.”

Xi Junjie pulled out a large pair of garden shears from a grass pile nearby. “Then I’ll cut them all and bring them back for you. That way, you can see the roses I gave you every day.”

Zhenzhen nodded. Xi Junjie cut rose after rose—hundreds of them—while Zhenzhen wove a grass rope to tie them together.

Carrying the bundle, Xi Junjie felt its weight and looked up at the path down the mountain. He let out a long sigh. “We should head out soon. Carrying all these flowers will probably take longer than when we came in.”

Only then did Zhenzhen realize this silly guy had been climbing over the entire mountain to get to this valley for months. She felt both amused and touched. “Why are you so silly?”

“Huh?” Xi Junjie looked confused.

Zhenzhen giggled. “I used to come here while hunting. There’s a cave over there that leads straight outside.”

Xi Junjie stared at her in disbelief. “No way… I never saw any cave!”

Zhenzhen took his hand and led him through the wild grass to a very well-hidden cave. In just five or six minutes, they were outside.

Xi Junjie looked at his car parked outside and then at the cave behind them, wanting to cry. “I climbed this mountain more than thirty times!!!”