A beautiful summer night

Upon arriving at their destination, before Xie Qiyan's car had even come to a complete stop, Xia Wanzhi stared blankly out the window at the conspicuous signboard of Xingyao Mall.

Xingyao Building was originally an office building, mostly housing small companies, studios, training centers, and a few photography studios and wedding dress shops.

Now, Xingyao Building has been transformed into Xingyao Shopping Mall.

Everything has changed, but her studio is still there.

She stayed, in Xingyao, and in his heart.

She occupies a small space in Xingyao, and also occupies a special place in Xie Qiyan's heart.

Last summer was the most difficult time for Xia Wanzhi, but it was during that time that she met Xie Qiyan.

He scolded her yet pitied her, pretending to ignore her, but helping her behind the scenes time and time again.

She was at her lowest point, and he gave her hope.

She got soaked in the rain, and he held an umbrella for her.

He used his silver tongue to dispel all the gloom for her, adding a touch of joy to last summer.

He said he didn't know where the feelings began, but at this moment, Xia Wanzhi knew in his heart that from the moment he felt compassion, the red thread stretched out by the God of Love had already been tied to his wrist.

Just like the summer solstice when she was eight years old, she felt pity for him.

It doesn't matter who falls in love first; what matters is that after all the twists and turns, they eventually fall in love.

"Get out of the car, my princess." Xie Qiyan opened the door for her, his slender fingers resting on the edge of the car door. As he leaned down slightly, he curled his finger and tapped Xia Wanzhi's nose.

Xia Wanzhi snapped out of her daze, staring into his deep, affectionate eyes, a smile slowly spreading across her lips.

The night was enchanting, and a chilly wind suddenly rose. A bell was tied to the middle of the red thread that the Old Man of the Moon had tied to their hands.

The wind rises, the bells jingle, and my heart pounds.

He's the one for me.

Xia Wanzhi's throat was dry, and in that moment of stunned silence, her resolve hardened.

Her smile was so captivating that Xie Qiyan glanced at her a few more times, becoming increasingly suspicious of what she was planning tonight.

Before he could ask a question, Xia Wanzhi unbuckled her seatbelt and stretched out her warm hand to interlock her fingers with his.

Facing the wind, she pulled him forward as they ran.

"Have a seat first." Pushing open the studio door, Xia Wanzhi turned on the light and pressed Xie Qiyan down to sit in the chair. He was slightly out of breath from running so fast, and his breathing was a little uneven.

After entering the showroom and closing the door, Xia Wanzhi took a deep breath, took out the square box from her coat pocket, checked it over, and then put it back in after confirming that everything was in order.

I bought this coat specifically to hold this box.

Because the pockets are large, they can hold a lot of things.

When she opened the door, Xie Qiyan had moved to a different spot and was now sitting facing her, arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows slightly at her as she came out.

Xia Wanzhi looked away with a smile, walked over and took two cups, filling them halfway with water.

"Cheers!" Xia Wanzhi handed him the water with a forceful gesture, then solemnly held the glass with both hands and clinked glasses with him.

It's too cold. If she doesn't drink some hot water to warm herself up, she's afraid that if she gets nervous later, her fingers will be stiff and she won't be able to hold things properly.

Xie Qiyan raised an eyebrow: "Sworn brothers?"

"Who said I'd become sworn brothers with you?" Xia Wanzhi scolded him playfully. "Do you like becoming sworn brothers with your girlfriend?"

Xie Qiyan's eyes were clear: "I don't do sworn brotherhood, I only do wedding ceremonies, the kind where husband and wife bow to each other."

Xia Wanzhi: "..."

My heart felt warm, and my cheeks flushed.

I don't know if it was caused by that sip of hot water or by Xie Qiyan's flirtatious remarks.

Xie Qiyan chuckled: "Teacher Wanzi, let's drink to that first."

Before she could finish speaking, her raised wrist was suddenly grabbed, and Xia Wanzhi's hand slipped inside, forming a gesture of exchanging cups.

Xie Qiyan was slightly taken aback.

"Would you dare to drink the nuptial wine?" Xia Wanzhi asked with a half-smile.

Although Xie Qiyan didn't know what Xia Wanzhi was up to, he could sense that something was wrong with her tonight.

I seemed to have guessed something, but I didn't dare to guess any further.

I'm afraid of being overwhelmed by the huge surprise.

"I couldn't ask for more." With his hands clasped together and the cup emptied, Xie Qiyan stared at Xia Wanzhi's smiling eyes, his gaze slowly moving down to her moist lips.

The moment he leaned in to kiss her, Xia Wanzhi stood up and dodged, put down her cup, took his hand, and walked out of the studio, heading towards the rooftop garden.

The kiss missed, but Xie Qiyan's heart raced.

The rooftop garden has a glass door, and Xia Wanzhi keeps the key.

As soon as the door opened, the wind blew in from all directions, occasionally carrying wisps of floral fragrance.

It is the fragrance of winter plum blossoms in the cold.

"Wanzi." Xie Qiyan stood still, pulling down the hand that was wrapped around his arm and holding it tightly.

He didn't know what Xia Wanzhi was going to do, but his heart was pounding faster, as violently as a drumbeat.

Xia Wanzhi hung the key aside, took Xie Qiyan a couple of steps inside, and before pressing a switch, she glanced at Xie Qiyan.

"Ayan, don't look at me, look ahead."

As the last note faded and the button was pressed, the rooftop garden, shrouded in the hazy night, was illuminated by rose-colored lights.

Strings of colorful lights hung on the walls, on the flower branches, and twinkled like stars around the entire fence of the rooftop garden.

Look up, and you see light.

Looking down, there is still light.

Candles shaped like artificial roses were arranged in a giant heart shape, with various petals extending from the center, paving a flower-lined path to happiness for Xie Qiyan. But tonight, the wind was strong, and the petals were blown away, filling the air.

There was a painting in the center of the heart shape, covered by a floral cloth, waiting for Xie Qiyan to unveil it himself.

The flowers that bloom in the cold winter are vibrant and beautiful, vying to witness this romantic ceremony tonight.

Xie Qiyan's dark eyes reflected the flickering lights, filled with a passionate emotion that slowly spread throughout his body.

My heart was hit, and it was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.

Xia Wanzhi led him forward, as if walking towards the Aegean Sea, each step creating ripples.

Xie Qiyan's blood was boiling.

The night wind was biting. Xia Wanzhi raised her hand to brush away the hair that had been eaten, and looked up with bright eyes full of love: "Are you surprised, my dear Mr. Xie Qiyan?"

Xie Qiyan's eyes welled up slightly. As he opened his lips, the wind rushed into his mouth. He pressed his teeth together, seemingly cursing something under his breath. His broad hands wrapped around Xia Wanzhi's neck and aggressively took her trembling lips into his mouth.

Xia Wanzhi's body temperature, Xia Wanzhi's skin, Xia Wanzhi's return kiss.

Everything was telling him that it was true.

This is real.

it is true.

Not dreaming.

Xie Qiyan only stopped kissing her until she was breathless, rubbing her wet lips before pulling her tightly into his arms, his expression a mixture of laughter and scolding—

"Xia Wanzhi, you really are—"

"What a big surprise!"

The intense emotions surging within him were insufficient to express his shock. Xie Qiyan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he wished he could merge Xia Wanzhi in his arms into his own body.

Xia Wanzhi's tongue went numb. She had just been kissed to the point of ecstasy and almost lost her soul. She slowly calmed her breathing and, after regaining her senses, gently pushed against his chest.

"So, Mr. Xie, will you marry me?"

The wind blew, and the petals scattered all over the ground swirled in the air, seemingly forming a heart shape. When the wind stopped, the petals that had been swept up fell into Xia Wanzhi's hair and onto Xie Qiyan's shoulder.

Xia Wanzhi smiled and took out the square box from her pocket. She opened it, and two plain rings engraved with their anniversary were revealed to Xie Qiyan.

Just then, a petal fell into the box.

Xie Qiyan slightly raised his finger and took the petal away. Under Xia Wanzhi's smug gaze, he pressed her finger to close the box.

"Mamako-sensei, you always get to do everything first, so what's the point of having a boyfriend like me?"

Xia Wanzhi was stunned. As her breathing rose and fell, she saw him take the ring box and put it into his pocket, while with his other hand, he took out another box.

It was the box he prepared.

With a smile in his eyes, he opened his box, revealing the diamond ring that he had specially commissioned to be made months earlier.

The diamond ring shone brightly in his hand, his eyes were deep, and he took a step back with one leg.

At that moment, he knelt on one knee, full of sincerity, to propose to his princess.