Chapter 58 End of the Text.

The next day, Pei Qingci was still in bed with her.

Sheng Qingli raised her hand and poked his arm, her voice a bit hoarse. “Mr. Pei, what are you looking at?”

Pei Qingci lowered his gaze. “Looking at our trending topic.”

“……”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback and incredulously said, “It’s still trending?”

Pei Qingci replied, “It’s in the middle of the list.”

After a night, the discussion around Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci’s public relationship had indeed decreased somewhat, but only slightly.

The two were too popular, known in the industry as talented actors with both skills and fame. They had a massive fanbase, and many casual fans as well, so their popularity wouldn’t drop anytime soon.

Sheng Qingli was momentarily at a loss for words and said something a bit provocative, “Being too popular isn’t good either.”

Pei Qingci smiled and rubbed her head. “Do you want to get up?”

Sheng Qingli replied, “Yes.”

Pei Qingci smiled and extended his hand toward her. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Anything is fine.” Sheng Qingli wasn’t picky about breakfast. She closed her eyes, snuggling in Pei Qingci’s embrace as he carried her into the bathroom, enjoying the perks of being with him. “Whatever you make, I’ll eat.”

Pei Qingci chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. “Alright.”

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet,” Sheng Qingli teased him deliberately.

Pei Qingci, who was initially going to stop after one kiss, heard this and playfully bit her lower lip, his voice deep as he asked, “You can’t kiss if you haven’t brushed your teeth?”

Sheng Qingli replied, “Aren’t you worried about it being dirty?”

Pei Qingci readily accepted, “Not worried at all.”

“……”

After being intimate in the bathroom for a while, Pei Qingci went downstairs to make breakfast first.

Sheng Qingli lagged behind a bit, slowly finishing her morning routine before heading downstairs.

After breakfast, Sheng Qingli took out her phone to check the situation online.

As Pei Qingci had said, their popularity hadn’t completely died down. Netizens were still digging into when exactly they got together and where they secretly went for dates.

Some keen observers even discovered two sets of photos they had posted during the New Year, with a few pictures likely taken of each other.

To this, their shippers were ecstatic.

It turned out that while they hadn’t noticed, the main characters had been feeding their fans plenty of hidden sugar.

Netizens were imagining wildly, and Sheng Qingli chuckled as she read along.

From time to time, she came across some more risqué and slightly inappropriate creations featuring Li Yuwei and herself.

She suppressed her embarrassment as she finished reading.

Afterwards, she thought about blinding herself with her own hands. Her relationship with Pei Qingci really wasn’t that… vulgar.

In the following days, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci didn’t go anywhere.

The online attention was too high, and there were always reporters waiting outside the house where Sheng Qingli lived. Eventually, Lin Lin returned the trophy to Pei Qingci’s villa, and the two stayed at home, focusing on “raising children.”

Half a month later, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci secretly traveled, appearing at the airport late at night, flying back to Nancheng.

Upon landing in Nancheng, Mrs. Sheng and Sheng Qingli’s father, Cen Yanming, came to pick them up at the airport.

When they got off the plane, Pei Qingci inexplicably felt a bit nervous and asked Sheng Qingli a lot of questions about her parents.

Sheng Qingli was both amused and helpless, and she seriously told Pei Qingci, “Don’t worry, my mom will be easy to get through.”

Pei Qingci asked, “How so?”

Sheng Qingli looked at his face, raising an eyebrow slightly, “You’ll find out soon.”

“…”

The domestic airport was quite quiet at this early hour, with fewer people around.

After collecting their luggage, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci walked outside and saw her parents standing at the arrival gate.

Sheng Qingli’s eyes lit up, and before she got close, Ms. Sheng called out, “Baby.”

“…”

Sheng Qingli rushed into her mother’s arms, and the two embraced.

Cen Yanming watched Pei Qingci, who had lagged behind by two steps, raising an eyebrow.

“Uncle, Auntie.” Pei Qingci approached them, his attitude humble and gentle.

Ms. Sheng looked up at him, her face showing obvious joy, “Let’s get in the car; it’s not convenient to stay here.”

The four of them got into the car and left the airport.

Cen Yanming drove while Pei Qingci sat in the passenger seat.

Mrs. Sheng and Sheng Qingli took the back seat.

After a moment of silence in the car, Sheng Qingli broke the ice, “Should I introduce him to you now, or wait until we get home?”

Mrs. Sheng shot her a slightly speechless glance, “What do you think? Let’s talk about it at home; there’s no rush.”

Sheng Qingli responded with an “Oh.”

It took half an hour to get home without traffic.

Half an hour later, Sheng Qingli turned to Pei Qingci, “Mr. Pei, please.”

Pei Qingci got out of the car, glanced around the lively yard filled with the fragrance of flowers, and said softly, “Auntie is someone who loves life.”

Sheng Qingli chuckled, “This is all my dad’s doing.”

Pei Qingci: “…”

Sheng Qingli enjoyed his awkwardness, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes.

“I was just kidding.” She couldn’t help but laugh, “Let’s go inside.”

Pei Qingci squeezed her hand.

The four of them entered the house.

Sheng Qingli formally introduced Pei Qingci to her parents, “Mom and Dad, this is my boyfriend. You both know his name and have seen him in the cinema many times, so you should be familiar with him, right?”

Cen Yanming said, “…You kid.”

He nodded slightly at Pei Qingci, “This child is mischievous; please don’t mind.”

Pei Qingci shook his head, “Not at all.”

In fact, Sheng Qingli’s way of introducing him made him feel a bit more relaxed.

“Just treat it like your own home.” Cen Yanming said calmly. He wasn’t the type of father who would make things difficult for his daughter’s boyfriend; he clearly knew that Sheng Qingli liked Pei Qingci.

If he made things difficult knowing this, it would only make Pei Qingci uncomfortable, not himself.

Pei Qingci nodded slightly.

Mrs. Sheng smiled and said, “Don’t be nervous; we’re open-minded parents.”

Pei Qingci smiled back, “Qingli has told me about that.”

It was already late at night, not suitable for too much small talk.

Mrs. Sheng gestured, “The room is ready; you should go rest. We can talk tomorrow.”

Pei Qingci replied, “Thank you, Uncle and Auntie.”

“Of course.”

Cen Yanming and Mrs. Sheng were also tired. After taking Pei Qingci to the guest room, they went back to their room to rest.

---

After they left, Sheng Qingli looked up at Pei Qingci, “Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t lying?”

She had told Pei Qingci that her parents were very open-minded and definitely wouldn’t make things difficult for him, so he didn’t need to be too nervous.

Pei Qingci smiled gently, leaning his forehead against hers, “You didn’t.”

He had known from the start that Sheng Qingli wasn’t lying to him, but seeing the parents who had cherished her since she was little made him feel a little nervous.

“Mr. Pei,” sensing his affectionate tone, Sheng Qingli suppressed her laughter, “Are you trying to act cute with me?”

Pei Qingci responded, his breath deep, “Are you accepting it?”

“Reluctantly, but I have to remind you that it’s time to wash up.” If they didn’t wash up and go to bed now, neither of them would wake up in the morning.

The two of them flirted for a little while longer before they separated to wash up.

When Sheng Qingli finished washing up in her room, there were already several messages from Pei Qingci on WeChat.

She quickly replied: “Can’t sleep?”

Pei Qingci: “Aren’t you going to invite me to your room to take a look?”

Sheng Qingli: “Aren’t you afraid my parents will find out?”

Just after they separated, she had actually asked Pei Qingci if he wanted to sleep in her room. Mrs. Sheng and Cen Yanming had prepared a guest room just for appearances.

The guest room was on the third floor where Sheng Qingli stayed, clearly giving the two a chance for a secret rendezvous.

But Pei Qingci firmly refused, believing that sleeping in Sheng Qingli’s room on his first visit would leave a bad impression on her parents.

Pei Qingci: “I just want to take a look.”

He didn’t mean to stay overnight.

Sheng Qingli smiled, “Then come over.”

Half a minute later, Pei Qingci entered Sheng Qingli’s room.

Once the door closed, Sheng Qingli tilted her head to look at him, “Mr. Pei, please.”

Pei Qingci looked around the room with a smile in his eyes. This house was one that Sheng Qingli bought while she was in college.

The third floor was entirely her territory, with a walk-in closet and a spacious, bright bathroom designed into the room.

On the other side of the window was a balcony. She loved sitting on the balcony to read and daydream, so Ms. Sheng had bought a small table and rattan chairs for her to relax when she came home.

The overall design of the room was very retro, matching the style downstairs.

Pei Qingci knew that Sheng Qingli liked the retro style.

Looking around, he lowered his eyes at her and said, “Very beautiful.”

Sheng Qingli’s eyes curved into a smile as she replied playfully, “I think so too.”

The two exchanged a smile.

Pei Qingci reached out and pulled her into his embrace, whispering, “They love you very much.”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, understanding Pei Qingci’s meaning.

She raised her hands to wrap around his neck and initiated a kiss, saying, “If you behave well—”

“I behave well, and then what?” Pei Qingci gazed deeply at her, who had only said half of her thought. He lifted her and sat her on a nearby table.

Sheng Qingli dangled her legs and gave him a playful look, “You’re asking me on purpose.”

Pei Qingci chuckled lightly.

After a moment of silence, Pei Qingci suddenly said, “Li Li.”

Sheng Qingli asked, “What?”

Pei Qingci looked at her, leaned down, and kissed her, mumbling, “Let’s kiss for a while.”

“…”

After being unable to refuse, Sheng Qingli was held tightly in his embrace for quite some time. When he finally released her, he awkwardly returned to his room.

Sheng Qingli was left speechless.

Ten minutes later, she asked the person in the room diagonally across, “Mr. Pei, has your anger subsided?”

Pei Qingci replied, “Good night.”

If he didn’t think about her, it would be easier to calm down.

Sheng Qingli couldn’t help but chuckle, not teasing him further: “Good night.”

The next morning, when Sheng Qingli woke up, it was nearly eleven o’clock.

She took out her phone and saw that Pei Qingci had sent her several messages.

The first was sent around seven, saying that he and her dad had gone out for exercise.

The second was at nine, where he sent her a photo of a lavish breakfast and praised her dad’s cooking skills.

The third was at ten, informing her that he and her dad had gone to the market to buy groceries and asked her to reply once she woke up.

…

Sheng Qingli was astonished. How could he wake up early after sleeping so late?

After replying to Pei Qingci that she was awake, his call came in.

“Hello,” Sheng Qingli answered lazily, “Still at the market?”

Pei Qingci said, “On the way back, just woke up?”

Sheng Qingli hummed, “I’m a little hungry.”

Pei Qingci understood and gently said, “Go wash up first, I’ll be home with your dad soon.”

After hanging up, Sheng Qingli threw off her blanket and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Just as she entered, Mrs. Sheng came over.

“Mom,” Sheng Qingli said with a toothbrush in her mouth, “How did you know I was up?”

“Your dad told me.”

Sheng Qingli blinked.

Mrs. Sheng glanced at her and chuckled, “Go brush your teeth first.”

Sheng Qingli mumbled an agreement.

After graduation, Sheng Qingli had visited Nancheng less frequently. Each time she came back, Mrs. Sheng would cling to her a little more.

For example, at this moment, as she returned to the bathroom to wash up, Mrs. Sheng followed her and stood at the bathroom door watching her.

The atmosphere between the mother and daughter was harmonious.

Once Sheng Qingli finished washing up, she asked, “My dad and the others are back, right?”

Mrs. Sheng replied, “They should be.”

She raised her hand to ruffle Sheng Qingli’s hair, asking, “You and Xiao Pei have always interacted like this?”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback. “Like what?”

Mrs. Sheng asked, “What do you think?”

“…” Sheng Qingli felt embarrassed for three seconds, awkwardly touching her nose. “I guess so. You know I’m a bit lazy in terms of life.”

Mrs. Sheng softly replied, “I know.”

After a pause, she continued, “I chatted with him for a while this morning.”

Sheng Qingli asked, “And then?”

“Nothing much after that,” Mrs. Sheng said lightly. “You have good taste.”

Upon hearing this, Sheng Qingli became a bit proud, saying, “Of course.”

Then she looked at Mrs. Sheng and said, “Mom, I want… I’m a bit thinking about getting married.”

A couple of years ago, Mrs. Sheng had asked her similar questions, and back then, Sheng Qingli had firmly said she didn’t want to consider that until she was thirty.

But after getting back together with Pei Qingci, Sheng Qingli suddenly started to look forward to a future life with him.

Now, they were more mature than when they were in their early twenties and handled things more calmly.

Five years apart had not diminished their feelings for each other.

Sheng Qingli was the kind of person who acted on her thoughts.

She had previously thought that separating from Pei Qingci was good for both of them, so she quickly made that decision.

Now the thought of marriage had been lingering in her mind since she filmed “Love for a Long Time.”

At this moment, bringing Pei Qingci home again, Sheng Qingli reaffirmed that thought.

Thus, she shared it with Mrs. Sheng right away.

Hearing this, Mrs. Sheng was not at all surprised. She had always supported Sheng Qingli’s decisions. After pondering for a moment, she looked at her and said, “Do what you want to do; I won’t advise you to be cautious.”

Sheng Qingli responded with a hum and actively hugged her, saying, “I knew you would support me.”

Mrs. Sheng glanced at her, “But does Xiao Pei have thoughts about this?”

“Probably?” Sheng Qingli replied. “I’ll wait a bit longer. If he doesn’t take action by the New Year, don’t blame me for bringing it up.”

Mrs. Sheng understood her personality and patted her head, “Alright, we’ll wait for your good news.”

Sheng Qingli’s eyes brightened, “Okay.”

When the mother and daughter finally came downstairs after spending some time upstairs, the delicious aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.

From time to time, Sheng Qingli could hear Cen Yanming praising Pei Qingci, saying, “Xiao Pei’s cooking skills are impressive! Should we have a contest with Uncle?”

Pei Qingci replied, “I definitely can’t compete with Uncle.”

“…”

Listening to the two of them chat, Sheng Qingli raised her eyes to the sky, wondering why men always liked to flatter each other.

She was very pleased with the two gentlemen cooking.

Unsurprisingly, when Sheng Qingli returned home for her first meal, Cen Yanming and Pei Qingci practically served a grand banquet.

Before eating, she took a few photos with her phone.

It’s rather amazing that Pei Qingci, who wasn’t usually talkative, unexpectedly managed to make Cen Yanming and Mrs. Sheng exceptionally happy.

By the end of the meal, Cen Yanming and Mrs. Sheng praised him even more.

After eating, the four of them started playing mahjong.

Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci couldn’t go out during the day due to their identities, as they would easily be recognized.

So she decided to take Pei Qingci out to explore the Nancheng at night.

After playing mahjong for a few hours, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci went back to their room for a nap.

After dinner, they leisurely headed out.

Nancheng was relatively slower-paced compared to Beicheng; the streets at night were livelier, with neon lights glowing brightly and a strong sense of festivity.

Living here felt very relaxing and comfortable.

Wearing masks, the two strolled around, occasionally stopping at small stalls.

Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci were carefree, completely unaware that they had already been spotted and secretly photographed by fans, with images and videos posted online.

When they returned home, they found out they had been filmed.

Many netizens who knew Sheng Qingli was from Nancheng asked if Pei Qingci was following her home to meet her parents. Were they really progressing so quickly?

Others inquired on their Weibo and fan discussions if they were really getting married soon and whether they would inform everyone about the proposal.

Seeing the online discussions, Sheng Qingli felt a bit speechless, “They have so many questions to worry about.”

Pei Qingci agreed, pausing for a moment to ask, “Do you want to tell everyone?”

Sheng Qingli was taken aback and looked at him, “…Not for now.”

Pei Qingci understood.

He squeezed her fingers and smiled knowingly.

---

The two spent five days in Nancheng before returning to Beicheng.

After returning, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci began focusing on their respective jobs.

Pei Qingci had mentioned wanting to change careers and had been working hard toward that goal lately.

Sheng Qingli, on her side, had several events to attend.

Whenever she attended an event, she was naturally asked about her situation with Pei Qingci.

Her answer was always the same.

They were in a passionate relationship.

They were still dating, and she would inform everyone if there was good news.

Though this response became somewhat tiring, they would still be asked the same questions the next time they met with reporters.

Time flew by, and soon it was the end of December.

In November, Sheng Qingli received numerous invitations from television stations to attend New Year’s Eve parties.

Given her current status, she could have easily declined.

So without hesitation, Sheng Qingli turned down all the invitations. She and Pei Qingci had made plans to revisit old places.

Sheng Qingli had an inkling of what Pei Qingci wanted to do during their revisit.

However, since he hadn’t said anything, she chose not to pry further.

Occasionally, she wanted to leave herself a little surprise.

---

On December 31st.

After having breakfast, Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci headed out for their day of revisiting old places.

They discreetly visited several locations, and eventually drove to a convenience store to buy drinks and some oden before heading up the mountain to the location where the director arranged for them to cultivate their relationship while filming “Love’s Vow.”

Perhaps due to it being New Year’s Eve, the mountaintop was quite deserted.

The night breeze was a bit chilly.

The two got out of the car to admire the night view before quickly returning inside.

“Cold?” Pei Qingci asked as he warmed her hands.

“Mm,” Sheng Qingli replied, glancing at the time, “There’s still half an hour until the new year.”

Pei Qingci smiled and suddenly asked, “Do you still want to fly a kite?”

“?”

Sheng Qingli was stunned for three seconds, incredulously asking, “You brought a kite up here?”

Pei Qingci nodded.

Sheng Qingli said, “I want to.”

She hadn’t flown a kite in a long time; running around after getting out of the car might even warm her up a bit.

“Let’s sit in the car for a while first,” Pei Qingci said, kissing her lips softly, “I’ll call you once the kite is up.”

Sheng Qingli raised an eyebrow, “Okay.”

Pei Qingci opened the car door and got out, while Sheng Qingli sat in the passenger seat, enjoying the air conditioning.

Occasionally, she glanced at the rearview mirror to see what Pei Qingci was doing in the trunk, feeling curious about what he was up to. But as he didn’t let her out of the car, she complied.

However, it was a bit uncomfortable to sit alone, so Sheng Qingli couldn’t help but message Li Yuwei: “Do you know what Pei Qingci is doing right now?”

Li Yuwei replied: “He’s creating a surprise for you.”

Sheng Qingli: “?”

Li Yuwei: “Did I guess right?”

Sheng Qingli was surprised: “…Ms. Li, you should change careers to fortune-telling.”

Li Yuwei: “Hehe, I’ll switch careers when I stop filming.”

Sheng Qingli: “.”

Li Yuwei: “Is he proposing to you tonight?”

Sheng Qingli: “…I suppose so.”

Li Yuwei: “What are you wearing today?”

She was very concerned about this question.

Sheng Qingli: “On such a cold day, I’m definitely wearing a down jacket.”

Li Yuwei: “You know he’s going to propose, why aren’t you wearing something prettier?”

Sheng Qingli: “It’s just the two of us; it doesn’t matter if the pictures turn out badly. Besides, I’m naturally beautiful; I don’t need to dress up to look good.”

Li Yuwei said, “That’s true, but you should put on some makeup. What if Mr. Pei wants to take a photo with you?”

Upon hearing Li Yuwei’s words, Sheng Qingli couldn’t help but reflect; it seemed like there was some truth to that.

She turned to the side, picked up the bag from the back seat, and replied, “Alright, I’ll do my makeup. It seems Pei Qingci still needs a little time.”

Li Yuwei nodded, “Mm-hmm.”

Both of them busied themselves with their tasks.

When Sheng Qingli finished her makeup, Pei Qingci called out to her.

She set down her bag and turned to the person who had walked over to her, asking, “All done?”

Pei Qingci nodded and paused before saying, “It’s very cold outside. How about you come down after I set it up?”

Sheng Qingli slowly blinked, “Okay.”

Pei Qingci held a kite in his hand. Sheng Qingli squinted to see it better; it seemed to be homemade.

However, it was too dark around, so she couldn’t see clearly.

The area where the car was parked was a flat spot on top of a mountain. The wind was strong at the mountaintop, so there was no need to run; the kite soared slowly into the air.

Sheng Qingli’s gaze was on Pei Qingci. As he guided the kite string back toward her, his voice low and gentle calling her to look up, the surroundings suddenly lit up.

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, not yet able to process it when she first saw the butterfly-shaped kite in the sky light up as well. It seemed Pei Qingci had wrapped the kite with sparkling star lights.

At the same time, some drones flew in formation around them, and Sheng Qingli concentrated to discern the words they formed—

“Sheng Qingli, marry me.”

Sheng Qingli was utterly stunned.

She had guessed Pei Qingci was proposing, but she never expected him to do it in such a grand manner.

In her daze, Pei Qingci reached out to her, “Do you want to come down?”

Sheng Qingli instinctively placed her hand in his palm. Suddenly recalling something, she took off her coat and jumped out of the car.

Once she got out, Pei Qingci handed her the kite string, and before she could fully react, he knelt down on one knee in front of her.

Sheng Qingli’s breath caught as she watched him pull out a deep blue velvet box, opening it to reveal a small, turquoise gourd-shaped diamond ring. He looked up at her, his voice soft and tender, “Li Li, I love you. Marry me and let me always be with you, okay?”

He wanted to hand over his life to her, to let her control it, to be by her side forever.

No matter what happened, they would never be apart again.

After hearing Pei Qingci’s words clearly, Sheng Qingli felt her eyes heat up and nodded without hesitation, “Okay.”

She looked back at him with tears in her eyes, responding, “I love you too.”

Pei Qingci smiled knowingly as he slid the ring onto her finger.

As the ring slowly slipped onto her finger, the surroundings erupted in joyous cheers.

“Give her a kiss!”

Li Yuwei and the others appeared from who knows where, holding up their phones with glow sticks, cheering, “Congratulations, Mr. Pei!”

Sheng Qingli didn’t have time to think; Pei Qingci chuckled and kissed her finger where the ring was, then pressed his lips to hers.

For a moment, her mind went blank, and Sheng Qingli instinctively tilted her face up, responding to his kiss.

Li Yuwei and Gu Yu captured the scene, taking pictures and recording.

When the kiss ended, Sheng Qingli noticed that, besides Li Yuwei and Gu Yu, her parents, Pei Qingci’s father (whom she had briefly met earlier), Director Zhong, Ms. Wu, and even Sister Lin and Tong Tong were all present at the mountaintop.

“Congratulations.”

Sheng Qingli accepted the blessings from her friends and family, touched to the point of tears.

When Pei Qingci asked her, she said she didn’t want to be proposed to in public. Later, when he mentioned revisiting old places, Sheng Qingli thought it would just be the two of them.

She never expected he would invite friends and family.

This proposal was exactly what Sheng Qingli liked.

A group of people on the mountaintop celebrated, wishing each other a Happy New Year.

On the first day of the New Year, Sheng Qingli became Pei Qingci’s fiancée.

“Happy New Year.” Pei Qingci said, intertwining their fingers, “Fiancée.”

Sheng Qingli smiled, recalling something, “Didn’t you say you wanted to move in?”

“Then should I be the fiancée?” Pei Qingci asked, “That works too.”

Sheng Qingli chuckled, “Let’s discuss that later.”

“Alright.”

After all, whether it was who became the fiancée, whether it was marriage or moving in, as long as they were together, nothing else mattered.

It was too cold at the mountaintop.

After taking photos and removing all the lights, the group discussed going down the mountain.

Sheng Qingli originally thought the kite would just fly away like that; she didn’t expect she would actually pull back the kite Pei Qingci had set free.

On the way back, Sheng Qingli curiously asked him, “How did you think of bringing a kite?”

Pei Qingci replied, “Forgot?”

Sheng Qingli asked, “Huh?”

“We didn’t manage to fly the kite that day because it rained.” That incident was Pei Qingci’s regret, and years later, he wanted to make up for all the regrets between them.

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, “I didn’t forget.”

She was just surprised that he remembered such a small thing.

“I thought you forgot,” Sheng Qingli said.

Pei Qingci replied, “How could I?”

He paused, then suddenly smiled, “I remember everything that happened that day very clearly.”

That day, they had both ducked into a convenience store.

Coming out of the convenience store, they went up the mountain and huddled in the car to watch the rain.

While watching the rain, Sheng Qingli had already felt very sleepy. But Pei Qingci hadn’t slept, and she felt embarrassed to sleep.

At that time, the two of them still maintained a certain degree of shyness and unfamiliarity. Sheng Qingli was embarrassed to sleep alone, so she dozed off while chatting with Pei Qingci, mumbling quietly. She didn’t even know what she was saying.

Pei Qingci looked at her sideways in that moment.

It was also at that instant that he found Sheng Qingli very adorable, a thousand times cuter than in the crew.

His feelings for her became distinctly tangible that night.

“You don’t mean to say—” Sheng Qingli turned her gaze to him, staring intently, “that you liked me back then, right?”

Pei Qingci admitted calmly, “I was intrigued.”

Sheng Qingli was pleasantly surprised, “No wonder you wanted to protect me from trouble.”

Pei Qingci raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you?”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

After a pause, she candidly admitted, “I was.”

That night, not only Pei Qingci felt his heart flutter; she did too. It was that night that she developed a subtle, barely perceptible feeling for Pei Qingci.

After descending the mountain and parting ways with the others to return home, Mrs. Sheng openly allowed Sheng Qingli to follow Pei Qingci back to his villa while they stayed in a hotel for the next few days.

Once inside, Pei Qingci told Sheng Qingli that the kite had another meaning.

“What is it?” Sheng Qingli asked.

Pei Qingci placed the kite in her hands, and then put his palm on hers, softly saying, “From now on, I will be your kite.”

He placed the kite string in her hands, saying, “Wherever you go, I will accompany you.”

He would follow her forever.

Sheng Qingli was taken aback, suddenly remembering, “You said—”

Before she could finish her sentence, Pei Qingci raised a hand to her lips, smiling with his eyes, “My fiancee is really clever.”

Sheng Qingli’s eyes widened.

Pei Qingci chuckled, gently stroking her face, “There’s one more thing I want to say again.”

He told her word for word, “I love you.”

He loved her very, very much.

The exact time and place he fell in love was unknown; he only knew that when Sheng Qingli appeared, his love emerged.

He thought about avoiding it, but it was unavoidable.

Pei Qingci willingly fell for Sheng Qingli for the rest of his life.

The future was still long.

They still had many years ahead of them. From this moment on, through all four seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, they would walk hand in hand.