Translator: Lynn
Long Zichen stared at Yuan Chao with a mocking expression and said, âOh, so the great Young Master Yuan, who was having a good time, has now come to us losers, huh?â
âHahaha, my friend, that doesnât matter!â Yuan Chao chuckled heartily, and then blushed shyly, âWell, Jingjing is currently at the spa, so I came to see you guys. Dachen, Iâve made up my mindâIâm going to propose to Jingjing tonight. I need your and Xiaojieâs help to design a romantic, beautiful, and touching marriage proposal ceremony. I hope sheâll be moved to marry me immediately!â He stared at Long Zichen with a sincere and eager look.
Although Long Zichen was itching to take revenge on Yuan Chao, he couldnât ignore his lifelong happiness. He rolled his eyes playfully and set some conditions, âI can help you, and Iâll do it for free, but you do realize how much my Xiaojieâs appearance fee is, right? Itâs 400,000 yuan, and donât think thatâs expensiveâitâs the discounted price for friends!â
âIs there a boss price?â Yuan Chao asked pitifully.
âAlright, letâs round it up, and for you, that will be 999 yuanâafter all, youâre the boss,â Long Zichen replied with a mischievous grin.
ââ¦Youâre really exploiting me here! Help me come up with a good idea, and I promise youâll get another MV for your Xiaojie later!â Yuan Chao exclaimed.
âThatâs a deal.â Long Zichen smiled slyly.
As Jian Jie enjoyed a relaxing massage, Long Zichen returned with a proud expression.
Jian Jie asked, âIs something wrong with Mr. Yuan?â
âIâve already arranged for both of us to propose to him. Your task is quite challenging. Chaoziâs lifelong happiness depends on you!â Long Zichen replied.
Having never experienced a marriage proposal scene before, Jian Jie was quite intrigued. He sat up and made a sincere promise, âIâll complete the task!â His innocent demeanor melted Long Zichenâs heart.
After finishing her spa, Ye Jing noticed that Yuan Chao was missing. She calmly headed to the resting area, where she sat down and had a drink. Shortly after, a waiter handed her a powder blue card with the following message: âMy most elegant, beautiful, and gentle little Kiss, please come to the resortâs bar, where your most handsome, kind, and loyal super brother is waiting for you~~â The card had several hearts drawn at the end.
Ye Jing chuckled and shook her head helplessly before picking up the card and walking towards the bar Yuan Chao mentioned.
The bar was dimly lit, but as Ye Jing arrived, soft music began to play. Yuan Chao was singing softly, with Jian Jie playing the piano to accompany him, and the band behind them providing the instrumental background.
âI canât believe youâre here with me. I canât believe youâre right in front of my eyes. Your smile captivated my gaze, your voice stirred my heart, and I canât calm down⦠The sweet moment begins now.â
They sang Jian Jieâs song âThe First Heartbeat,â and several spotlights focused on Yuan Chao. He held flowers, sang, and walked towards Ye Jing.
âJingjing, I was enchanted by your presence when we first met. Youâre beautiful and strong, my dream lover. I know Iâm not mature enough, but from now on, every day, Iâll make sure youâre happy. Iâll laugh with you when youâre happy and make you laugh when youâre sad. I wonât let you face any troubles. So, marry me!â
Yuan Chao knelt on one knee, presenting the ring to Ye Jing. The bar was filled with the graceful melody of âDream Wedding,â and numerous white sparklers bloomed around them.
Although Ye Jing had seen Yuan Chaoâs proposal arrangement, her eyes couldnât help but turn red. She hadnât cried in twenty years. Being intelligent and capable, she found it challenging to trust others easily. However, with this man, she felt an unmatched comfort and didnât need to worry about anything. He might not be the ideal marriage partner, but he was definitely the one who loved her the most.
Ye Jing never hesitated when it came to making decisions. She accepted the ring and nodded, âIâm willing.â
âAh, Jingjing, I love you!â Yuan Chao rushed to hug Ye Jing, his heart brimming with joy. He excitedly called out, âDachen, Xiaojie, come and see, Jingjing agreed!â He wanted to share his happiness with his best friends.
Ye Jing couldnât help rolling her eyes. Was he trying to make people watch the excitement? But for the sake of todayâs happiness, she forgave these rascals.
The behind-the-scenes heroes, Long Zichen and Jian Jie had already left the bar. They didnât want to disturb the coupleâs private moment. Inspired by the proposal, they both felt uplifted. The sun had set by now, and they strolled aimlessly along the resortâs path. The surrounding green trees and artificial hills were dusted with white snow, and neither of them spoke, still relishing the exciting scene they had witnessed.
They found a small pavilion and settled down. Long Zichen couldnât help but exclaim, âI never expected Chaozi to find such a stunning beauty. Hey, itâs quite surprising.â
Jian Jie was taken aback, âDoes Brother Chen also have someone he likes?â he asked with a tinge of surprise. He never thought that Long Zichen would have romantic feelings for someone, especially since Long Zichen had never confided in him about it. As close friends, Jian Jie felt a little uneasy in his heart, as if he had been kept in the dark, which left him feeling unhappy.
While still captivated by the touching scene of Yuan Chaoâs proposal, Long Zichenâs heart was brimming with emotions. He yearned to hold hands and embrace the person he cared about, to be close and intimate. Despite their closeness, he and Xiaojie had to suppress their feelings, and the internal conflict was deeply uncomfortable.
There are moments when people lose control of their emotions and do things they can hardly believe they would. And even though they may later regret it, in that moment, they seem to have forgotten all their fears and inhibitions.
As Long Zichen looked into Jian Jieâs innocent and bright eyes, he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to express his feelings. Why did he always cower and shy away? Why not try to be brave for once? Perhaps Xiaojie also felt something for him. With this thought, Long Zichen gathered his courage and held Jian Jieâs hand, stammering, âXiaojie, thereâs something Iâve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I was afraid that you would be upset with me, so I never dared to say it.â
Jian Jie was puzzled, waiting anxiously to hear some shocking secret, when suddenly Long Zichenâs face turned red and he blurted out loudly, âXiaojie, I like you. I donât even know when it started. I think about you every day and yearn to be with you. Xiaojie, will you give me a chance? I promise to always treat you well.â
Jian Jieâs eyes widened, and he was already too stunned to react. Long Zichenâs confession seemed to have lost its original meaning, and his mind was now a jumble of confusion, unable to comprehend what Long Zichenâs words truly meant.
âDoes Brother Chen like me?â Jian Jie was struck by immense shock, and it took a while before he withdrew his hand, as if he had been electrocuted. He stood up and retreated to the side, speaking in panic, âBrother Chen, we, weâre both men! Do you mean you like men?â
Seeing Jian Jie avoiding him, Long Zichen felt a sudden pang in his heart. He replied sadly, âYes, I know. Iâve never liked anyone before, but I genuinely like you.â
Jian Jie was deeply upset. He had always thought that Long Zichenâs care and attention were due to their close friendship, but it turned out that Long Zichen liked him romantically? He had never encountered such a situation before, especially with someone he respected like an older brother. He could only stammer, âBut, I donât like men, Brother Chen.â
âUnderstood. Iâm sorry, Xiaojie. You donât need to be afraid; I wonât do anything to you.â Seeing the fear in Jian Jieâs eyes, Long Zichen regretted his confession. He felt helpless, sitting there and gazing deeply at Jian Jie. âI was too selfish. I didnât want you to suffer. Itâs okay if you donât feel the same way; can we still be friends?â
Jian Jie turned his head away, giving an indifferent response. He no longer dared to look at Long Zichen and had the urge to run away as far as possible.
Seeing Jian Jieâs thoughts, Long Zichenâs heart tightened. He said dejectedly, âGo back and rest first. Iâll stay here for a while.â
Jian Jie nodded, feeling uneasy seeing Long Zichen so downhearted, but he genuinely couldnât accept romantic feelings for a man. He felt scared at the moment.
Jian Jie pursed his lips and left the pavilion in silence. Long Zichen watched his departure, feeling regret and sadness engulfing him.
âIn the future, we may not even be friends,â Long Zichen thought, feeling immense sorrow. He wished he could turn back time, for he would never have chosen to confess if it meant being hated by Xiaojie now.
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