Chapter 294
“Can’t you just put down the other important matters you have? Your hand needs to be bandaged and it won’t take long…”
However, Lu Lixing ignored her and exited the elevator. Holding her hand, he walked towards the beach and brought her to the reef.
The sea breeze was very strong. Ji Qingqing still felt cold even though she was wearing a jacket. However, Lu Lixing was just wearing a thin long-sleeved white shirt and his sleeves were even rolled up to his elbows. While Ji QIngqing held his hands, she felt that his palm was like ice-cold iron that sucked out the warmth from hers.
As she walked, the sand below her feet turned soft. Ji Qingqing treaded unsteadily as she followed Lu Lixing and walked along the beach. There seemed to be something on the beach beside the reef, but she couldn’t see it clearly as the moonlight was too dim and the area had no lights.
Lu Lixing stopped walking. His lips pressed tightly together and he turned around to gaze at Ji Qingqing silently.
The two of them were very close to each other. Even though there wasn’t any light, Ji Qingqinng vaguely noticed his expression was a little strange. He seemed to be nervous and uneasy.
Ji Qingqing had never seen him show these two emotions before.
“Why did you bring me here?”
Lu Lixing took a deep breath. He gazed into Ji Qingqing’s eyes and slowly went down on one knee.
Ji Qingqing widened her eyes in surprise. She was so shocked that she instinctively took a step back. Even so, Lu Lixing continued to grip her hand tightly. She wasn’t sure if the warmth came from Lu Lixing’s hand or hers, but right at that moment, that ice-cold palm grew warmer and she felt that it was slightly burning up.
Ji Qingqing’s breathing became a little unstable. She dazedly stared at Lu Lixing. The heart in her chest was thumping furiously like a war drum. After a while, she finally pulled herself together.
“You’re….”
Proposing?
During the daytime, they witnessed Chen Shuyi and Lin Zhen’s wedding proposal. She would be an idiot if she couldn’t guess what was going on now.
As she thought of that, Ji Qingqing took a deep breath that was filled with a mixture of feelings. Part of her felt touched while the other half was at a loss of what to do.
It was a very strange feeling.
This morning, when she saw that blue sapphire ring, she was eagerly waiting for a scenario where Lu Lixing prepared a ring box to store the ring; then he would open it in front of her and slide the ring onto her middle finger*. Even though the surprise was gone as she had already seen the ring, she still hoped for it to happen.
*T/N: According to Chinese tradition, engagement rings are worn on the middle finger.
She had attended Chen Shuyi’s proposal and watched that ring get worn on Lin Zhen’s hand. At that very moment, it was like her anticipation had gotten doused by a bucket of cold water. Those feelings of hopefulness were completely gone.
Now a spark had suddenly ignited again and seeing Lu Lixing kneel made the spark burst into little flames.
He told her softly, “Close your eyes.”
Ji Qingqing closed them. She felt Lu Lixing release her hand that he had been tightly gripping.
Continuous fizzling sounds were heard around her and she smelled the smell of firework powder. Even with her eyes closed, she could still sense the brightness.
As Ji Qingqing tightly clasped her hands together, she sensed that the glow was getting brighter. The scent of firework powder filled her nose and it had grown stronger. She wanted to open her eyes but decided to listen to Lu Lixing and keep them closed.
“Okay, you can open them now.”
Ji Qingqing opened her eyes slowly. When she saw the scene before her, a giggle escaped her lips.
This type of wedding proposal was similar to how the students at school did it. It was amateurish and crude.
Lu Lixing had set up sparklers around her. They were the firework sparklers that she used to play with during her childhood. When you looked at the scene from afar, the sparklers formed the shape of a heart and she was standing in the middle of it.
Her heart, which had felt cold because of the sea breeze, seemed to have ignited and turned warm due to these sparklers.
Lu Lixing knelt on one knee and presented a white seashell before her.
“I know this is very old-fashioned and it’s also not very romantic. But I prepared everything here all by myself. I wanted to do my very best to give you everything that I have to offer. I promise you that it’s not just for this moment. From now on, I will give you my everything, protect you, and love you.”
He opened the seashell. A white diamond and a blue diamond were interlinked together on the ring that nestled quietly inside. The diamonds were like a pair of wings. Under the glow of the sparklers, they shined like stars and their brilliance was reflected off the seashell.
“Will you marry me?”
Ji Qingqing’s gaze collided with Lu Lixing’s. That feeling of bewilderedness filled her once more. She knew she should say “Yes” but instead she just stood blankly at the same spot and dazedly looked at Lu Lixing.
Lu Lixing didn’t receive a reply for a long while. He couldn’t help but clench the injured hand that was resting at his side. His jaw tightened and the muscles at his neck tensed up. His eyes were restless and full of nervousness.
Hesitation meant unwillingness.
Since Ji Qingqing didn’t reply, does this mean that she is hesitant and unwilling?
Well, that’s no surprise. After all, only two months had passed, so it was normal for her to hesitate.
“I’m willing.”
Lu Lixing was briefly surprised. The feelings of nervousness and apprehensiveness faded instantly from his eyes. His brow relaxed and he was filled with an overwhelming frenzied surge of exhilaration.
“What did you say?”
Ji Qingqing pressed her lips together and smiled. “I said, I’m willing.”
Lu Lixing wanted a full reply and probed her further. “Willing to?”
Ji Qingqing chuckled. “I accept your wedding proposal. I’m willing to marry you and be your wife.”
“Say that again.”
Ji Qingqing answered him loudly, “I said, I’m willing to marry you and be your wife!”