“Are you crazy?” Su Qingran almost blurted out instinctively.

Pei Jingyan, however, looked at her calmly and spoke unhurriedly: “Qingran, I’m very clear-headed. Stripped of all my titles, I’m just an ordinary person in need of security. And an engagement alone clearly doesn’t provide the sense of security I’m looking for. That’s why I hope we can make it official.”

Su Qingran was too shocked, finding it hard to respond.

Seeing that the chestnut had cooled, Pei Jingyan peeled a fresh, hot one and placed it in front of Su Qingran.

Her mind buzzing, Su Qingran instinctively picked it up and put it in her mouth.

The sweet, soft texture filled her taste buds.

Pei Jingyan asked, “Is it good?”

Su Qingran nodded. “Yes, it’s delicious.”

Pei Jingyan continued, “I bought it from another shop. The line wasn’t as long as at the one near Nanluoguxiang, and there aren’t any online reviews about it either.”

Su Qingran didn’t know why the topic had shifted to which chestnut shop was better, but she replied honestly, “It’s no worse than that one.”

Pei Jingyan continued peeling the chestnut for her and then said slowly, “So sometimes, if we don’t take that first step, we’ll never know what it truly feels like.”

When Su Qingran worked, she liked to have her assistant Xiaoyun light a special sandalwood incense for her.

At this moment, with the sandalwood wafting in the air, Su Qingran looked at the thin strands of smoke, and her mind, which had been muddled all day, began to slowly follow Pei Jingyan’s logic.

“You have to taste it to know?” she asked.

Pei Jingyan looked into her eyes. “So, let’s give it a try.”

His eyes were still that deep shade of black, but she could faintly see hints of starlight within them.

Su Qingran suddenly felt her throat go dry. She curled her fingers, pursed her lips, and wanted to say something, only to realize her emotions were still a mess.

And then Pei Jingyan spoke up again. “Yesterday’s engagement, with so many witnesses, wasn’t a show, nor was it out of revenge against anyone. The engagement is real, and so is our relationship now. So, given that, why not choose a way that makes us both feel more secure?”

If Su Qingran’s mind were fully clear now, she would have realized that Pei Jingyan’s repeated initiatives and persistence seemed entirely different from the reserved and composed person she thought she knew.

But she was still caught in this wave of emotion, giving Pei Jingyan the perfect opportunity, making her never question his intentions or motives.

Silence filled the air as Pei Jingyan continued to peel the chestnuts for her without pressing her for an answer. Only his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his current emotions.

The sweetness lingered on her taste buds, and in her daze, Su Qingran thought, yes, she and Pei Jingyan had gotten engaged yesterday in front of all her family and friends.

They had walked down the aisle together and placed rings on each other’s fingers.

It was all real, not a joke.

Even though she couldn’t tell if her decision yesterday had been out of defiance or for some other reason.

But there was no going back now.

She had read somewhere before that the hardest thing for a person to achieve was to live without hesitation in the first half of life and without regret in the second.

Su Qingran raised her eyes to meet Pei Jingyan’s gaze and said, “I think these chestnuts are really good, so yes, let’s try for something with more security.”

Pei Jingyan froze, his hands pausing mid-peel.

The chestnut he picked was hotter than the rest, yet he didn’t seem to feel it.

With his heart racing wildly in his chest, he steadied his slightly trembling breath and replied, “Alright, Qingran, let’s go to your place now and get your parents’ approval.”

Su Qingran nodded. “Okay.”

As she stood up, her nerves made her bump the chair, causing a sharp scraping sound.

Pei Jingyan quickly took a step to the side and held her lightly to keep her from tripping over the chair leg.

Once she was steady, Pei Jingyan noticed his fingertips had gone numb from trembling.

He still remained calm, however, walking alongside her out of the room, nodding politely to Xiaoyun as they passed. “Please help clean up the chestnut shells. Thank you.”

Xiaoyun nodded. “Will do!”

Watching Su Qingran and Pei Jingyan’s departing figures, she hesitated for a moment but quickly collected herself and went back to clean up the shells.