Chapter 076

Since late June, Lu Jin had been living with He Ye and hadn’t taken her to Wangchao Mansion. He would go back to change clothes.

He Ye was still thinking about his pot of lotus flowers.

“Are they about to bloom? I saw buds last time.”

“Yes, I’ll take you to see when they open.”

“The lotus flowers bloom in the morning but close up when I go to see them after work.”

“Don’t worry, you will definitely see the first flower bloom.”

He Ye guessed Lu Jin’s reasons for delaying their visit.

On the day before her birthday, after dinner, Lu Jin took her to Wangchao Mansion.

He Ye changed into slippers and went straight to the master bedroom.

When she turned on the light, she immediately saw the lush green lotus flowers.

Lu Jin, a top student at Tsinghua University, also took great care of the lotus flowers, keeping the leaves fresh and green.

The top leaves were tall and round, with smaller leaves emerging from the bottom.

He Ye noticed six large flower buds: four were tightly closed, one was medium-sized, and one had yellow edges on its outer petals.

She glared at Lu Jin and pointed at the bud: “This one must have bloomed.”

Lu Jin didn’t deny it.

He Ye said, “You said I would definitely see it when the first flower blooms.”

Lu Jin replied, “This is the first flower. It opened on Monday and will bloom for two more days.”

He Ye was speechless; her boyfriend was playing word games!

Lu Jin pointed to another bud: “This one will probably bloom tomorrow morning.”

He Ye felt a bit satisfied, knowing her boyfriend was celebrating her birthday.

They went to bed early that night.

The next day, He Ye was awakened by Lu Jin. She opened her eyes to see him leaning down to kiss her between the eyebrows: “Happy birthday.”

He had washed up, his short hair still slightly damp, and his dark eyes reflected the night light and her image.

This was their first birthday celebration together since getting back together.

He Ye was no longer sleepy. She hugged his neck and rubbed his shoulder: “What time is it?”

Lu Jin replied, “It’s six o’clock. The flowers are blooming.”

He Ye’s eyes lit up.

Lu Jin sat up and opened the curtains with a remote control.

In summer, the sunrise is early, and it was already bright outside.

The sunlight illuminated the green leaves beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, along with three beautiful snow-white lotus flowers.

The flowers looked pure and clear, growing out of the water.

A light fragrance filled the air. He Ye lifted the quilt and walked to the window in her nightgown.

Green leaves and white flowers were truly beautiful.

She noticed Lu Jin holding up his phone and quickly ran over to block it: “I haven’t washed my face yet.”

_

Lu Jin lowered his eyes and looked at He Ye: “You look good now, too.”

He Ye replied, “No, wait until I change my clothes before we take photos.”

She quickly took out a set of clothes from the closet and went to the master bathroom. 

Once inside, He Ye saw a light green dress hanging there. It had a simple style, smooth fabric, and a matching belt at the waist, making it suitable for travel, photos, or work.

Next to the dress were a pair of white high-heeled sandals.

He Ye was surprised and called out to her boyfriend, who was waiting on the bed: “When did you buy this?”

They were almost always together, so she hadn’t even noticed.

Lu Jin asked, “Do you like it?”

He Ye responded by closing the door.

After showering, He Ye changed into the birthday gift from her boyfriend.

She styled her fluffy long hair in front of the mirror and felt a bit shy since she was about to go out.

She knew she might never be the lively girlfriend who dressed up beautifully to show off to Lu Jin.

When she opened the door, Lu Jin, still sitting on the bed, looked up.

He Ye tried to walk over casually, but the sound of her high heels on the wooden floor made her feel more embarrassed.

Lu Jin took her hand, looked at her carefully, and commented, “You’re already pale, and this color makes you look even whiter.”

Although He Ye seemed shy, she enjoyed hearing it.

Then Lu Jin added, “Except for your face, it’s too red.”

He Ye replied: “…”

She lightly hit him.

After the teasing, she regained her composure.

After taking photos, He Ye admired the flowers, including the round leaves.

While looking at the leaves, she suddenly noticed a drop of water on one.

It was the only special leaf among many!

The crystal-clear droplet quickly flashed and was soon blocked by other leaves as she changed her perspective. He Ye had to step back to find it again.

When she spotted the droplet, she was stunned and turned to look at Lu Jin.

Lu Jin raised his hand, revealing a thin, sparkling chain with a “water drop” shaped diamond pendant hanging from it.

He Ye: “…”

Lu Jin approached, took off the pendant, and placed it back on the necklace, explaining, “Last time I gave you a lotus leaf, this time it’s a dew drop. It’s perfect.”

He Ye asked, “…Is this one more expensive than the last?”

Lu Jin replied, “I don’t know. That one was sponsored by my grandfather, and this one I bought with my salary.”

At eighteen, Lu Jin didn’t want to take advantage of his grandfather; he just trusted his grandfather’s skill for making the “lotus leaf” necklace.

After assembling the necklace, he stood behind He Ye and helped her put it on.

Having practiced, Lu Jin was able to do it smoothly.

He Ye touched the necklace around her neck and whispered, “It looks nice, but I’m embarrassed to wear it outside.”

She was not used to being “high-profile,” especially at work.

Lu Jin said, “I have dinner with Zhou Xiangming and the others tonight. You can wear it after work.”

He Ye asked, “Besides Zhou Xiangming, who else is coming? Should we invite Zhu Qing?”

Lu Jin replied, “I don’t know. I only called Zhou Xiangming.”

He Ye: “…”

Did he really trust his close friends that much?

At five o’clock in the evening, He Ye and Lu Jin left work an hour early.

Once in the passenger seat, He Ye took out the diamond necklace from her bag and tried to put it on, but it didn’t fit well.

“I’ll help you,” Lu Jin offered, turning around as He Ye turned her back to him.

As he looked at her fair neck, Lu Jin asked, “What happened to the last one?”

He Ye lowered her eyelashes and whispered, “I’ll keep it with the other gifts you gave me.”

Lu Jin paused and asked calmly, “What else did you give me? I can’t remember.”

He Ye replied, “Forget it if you can’t remember.”

Lu Jin pressed on, “Where did you put it?”

He Ye: “I won’t tell you.”

Lu Jin: “That’s okay; I’ll find it when we get back.”

The necklace was finally on.

Lu Jin focused on driving.

He Ye lowered the car’s makeup mirror to check her neck again. She felt the teardrop-shaped pendant wasn’t too flashy but wondered if it was too shiny.

“How much is it?” she asked.

“With your annual salary, it’s not flashy at all,” he replied.

Since she couldn’t get an answer, He Ye stopped asking.

The Panamera drove across a cross-river bridge, navigating through the city’s heavy traffic before reaching a popular shopping mall by the lake around six o’clock.

He Ye asked, “…You’re not going to repeat last year’s birthday celebration, are you?”

Lu Jin held her hand, saying, “That can’t happen again. We are already together.”

When He Ye was eighteen, celebrating her birthday, Lu Jin was just a classmate, and she hadn’t played any games with him then.

They took the elevator to the restaurant floor. As soon as they got out, Zhu Qing and Wu Yuanyuan ran over and hugged He Ye excitedly.

He Ye often saw Zhu Qing but hadn’t seen Wu Yuanyuan for years. She was surprised to see her!

After they let go, He Ye noticed Zhou Xiangming and Li Liang approaching.

Wu Yuanyuan was a bit chubbier than in high school, while Li Liang looked mostly the same, except for a new hairstyle and a more mature vibe.

Wu Yuanyuan was very excited: “I wondered why Zhu Qing suddenly contacted me for your birthday celebration. We haven’t gathered in years! But then I realized this meal was not just for your birthday; it was to celebrate your reunion with Lu Jin, so she called us old classmates to witness your love!”

Li Liang adjusted his glasses and commented, “Times change, but Lu Jin’s preference for women over friendship hasn’t changed at all. If it weren’t for He Ye, he might not have thought to treat us.”

Zhou Xiangming joked, “Hey, you used to care about friendship, but now you care about love? You’ve said you wanted to date your girlfriend for so long!”  

Li Liang responded, “Lu Jin focuses on looks, while I’m more logical. You’ll understand when you have a girlfriend.”  

Zhou Xiangming glanced at Zhu Qing but quickly looked away when she glared at him.  

He Ye was listening to Wu Yuanyuan talk and didn’t notice Lu Jin glancing at Zhou Xiangming again.  

The six of them entered the room, reminiscing about old times and discussing their jobs and relationships. Even after six years apart, everything felt familiar.  

At 7:30 PM, Lu Jin kicked Zhou Xiangming under the table.  

Zhou Xiangming pretended to take a phone call, hurried out, and asked the waiter to bring the cake.  

When the cake arrived, Zhu Qing and Wu Yuanyuan exchanged knowing glances.  

He Ye noticed and felt nervous, expecting a typical TV drama moment, but luckily, the cake was normal and had nothing hidden inside.  

She relaxed, thinking they had only been together for less than six months, so it was unlikely anything major would happen.  

After the cake, Zhou Xiangming rushed back to work, taking Zhu Qing with him.  

Li Liang and Wu Yuanyuan also left.  

Lu Jin took He Ye to the lake.  

At 8 PM, the musical fountain started dancing, but the music was different from six years ago.  

He Ye walked with Lu Jin through the crowd and found the camphor tree that witnessed their past confession.  

He Ye leaned against the tree, while Lu Jin supported himself with one hand and held her with the other.  

The cool evening breeze was nice, and He Ye enjoyed it, though there were still many tourists around.  

She pushed Lu Jin away slightly, saying, “Can you stand a bit further away? People might think we’re doing something inappropriate.”  

Lu Jin replied, “I like it this way.”  

He Ye said, “Then let’s go home.”  

Lu Jin didn’t move.  

He Ye grabbed his waist, threatening, “I’ll count to three. If you don’t move, I’ll push you into the lake!”  

Lu Jin smirked, “Do whatever you want.”  

Even though Lu Jin hadn’t had a drink, he seemed a bit mischievous tonight.  

He Ye didn’t really want to push him, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head back to watch the fountain.  

Fifteen minutes passed quickly. Once the fountain show ended, the tourists began to leave, and it became quieter.  

Lu Jin then took out two small earplugs, giving one to himself and the other to He Ye.  

He played a song on his phone, and the familiar, beautiful melody filled the air—Amarantine.  

He Ye first heard this song on her eighteenth birthday when Lu Jin explained that it means “a flower that never fades” or “eternal love.”  

Back then, He Ye thought it sounded cheesy, but tonight, it touched her heart.  

“He Ye,” Lu Jin called softly in her left ear.  

Feeling shy, He Ye rested her forehead against his chest and replied, “Yeah.”  

Lu Jin held her hand, placed something in it, and whispered, “Marry me.”  

This wasn’t a question but a statement.  

He Ye looked at the waves in the lake, feeling conflicted.  

Is this how proposals work? Shouldn’t he kneel and ask sincerely?  

But her heart was already taken by the moment, and she found herself saying “yes.”  

Marry him, marry Lu Jin.  

Last time, she had vaguely agreed, but this time she felt certain.  

The Panamera drove through the night and crossed the river again.  

With the window down, the night breeze played with He Ye’s hair.  

She remembered Lu Jin’s proposal. She felt happy and sweet, but also thought it all seemed surreal.  

After all, they still needed to go home, shower, and maybe have some fun together…  

Suddenly, He Ye remembered, “I need to go to the supermarket.”  

Lu Jin asked, “What do you need?”  

He Ye replied, “I need to get some things.”  

Lu Jin suggested, “Let’s also buy brown sugar and red dates.”  

He Ye smiled, thinking about it.  

They split up in the supermarket; Lu Jin went to buy red dates and brown sugar while He Ye picked out sanitary napkins.  

After grabbing the napkins, He Ye headed to the snack aisle.  

Lu Jin, having bought his items, walked over with a shopping cart. He noticed He Ye before calling out to her.  

She was at the end of the aisle, wearing that light green skirt, standing on her tiptoes to reach a pack of instant noodles on the top shelf.  

Her fair skin, cherry lips, and serious expression made her look lovely, but she was unaware of it.  

After a moment, she turned to find Lu Jin waiting for her.  

“Want some instant noodles?” he asked.  

“No, the bag was crooked, and I was worried it would fall. Can you help me fix it?”  

Lu Jin smiled, took the items from her, and placed them in the cart. He then held her hand as they walked to the checkout.  

Bright lights softly lit up the empty aisles of shelves, and the sound of young men and women walking away filled the air.

The one you are meant to love,  

the crush at first sight, the crush at every sight.

-The End-

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T/L Notes:

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