Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Tiantian texted Yang Ruoxi his room number when he checked in at the hotel.
The hotel room felt lonely, but he felt happy that he was at least closer to Yang Ruoxi now.
When he had arrived, everything had been pitch -black. The streetlights werenât bright enough to illuminate the path, much less show him the surroundings. The night had been cold, so Tiantian had only focused on reaching as soon as he could and didnât pay attention to the place.
When Yang Ruoxi left her house, dawn was breaking. There was a wholesale market in Changrong Town. However, the market was open only in the morning. Yang Yiren didnât doubt his daughter when she said she was going to meet Lin Wan to buy some seafood.
Yang Yiren also had to head to the graveyard for a while.
âDad, Iâll be back in the afternoon to pick grandma up for lunch.â Yang Ruoxi was afraid that her father might be worried about her grandmother.
âAlright. You two have fun, okay? Iâm old now. Itâs not always good for me to visit other peopleâs houses frequently. I donât know how your father and Han Jie are with each other. I donât want to burden her. â Her grandmother waved her hand.
âNo, Grandma! Mama Bao was blaming me for not bringing you along yesterday. Are you really not coming with me?â
âNo. Iâm going to stay home today. You young people have fun.â
âXixi, just let grandma stay. Her teeth arenât what they used to be. I know you young people like chewy food. You donât need to alter your food preference because of grandma,â said Yang Yiren.
âThatâs alright. I donât mind,â said Yang Ruoxi.
âWhat about Lin Wan and the others? Itâs alright. Your grandmother still cooks a feast even when I tell her to rest. Sheâll be fine.â
âAlright,â said Yang Ruoxi. âGrandma, you call me if you need anything at all, okay? Iâll rush home.â Yang Ruoxi hugged her grandmother.
âGo now. Get lost. Drive carefully,â said her grandmother.
Yang Ruoxi drove straight to the hotel. It was half past five, and the sky was still dark.
In the hotel, Tiantian brushed his teeth and waited for Yang Ruoxi.
He pulled open the curtains and saw that it was still dark outside. The winter here was exactly like where he lived. The day started too late.
He had wanted to call Yang Ruoxi, but he didnât want to wake her up so early.
After all, she must have gone to sleep very late at night yesterday.
Tiantian closed the curtains again and turned on the TV.
In the hotelâs parking lot, Yang Ruoxi found a spot closest to the elevator to park her car. She looked at the rearview mirror to make sure her makeup was okay. She then took the elevator to the upper floor.
Tiantian heard a knock on the door. He knew it was her. He rushed to open the door.
âXixi!â Tiantian pulled her to him and closed the door behind her. Yang Ruoxi wrapped her arms around him.
âXixiâ¦â He kept calling out her name.
The sun slowly rose and filtered through the curtains.
Two hours later, Tiantian put on his clothes. âXixi, take me home with you. I donât want to stay in this lonely hotel room after this.â
Yang Ruoxi was so tired that she couldnât even lift her eyelids. âMy father went down the mountain. Only my grandmother is at home. Do you want to sneak in tonight?â
Tiantian chuckled. âI can climb through your window, but why does this all feel so illegal? Itâs like we are having an affair.â
Tiantian knew how conservative people were in villages. If word got out that he sneaked into her room, it would be a big deal.
Tiantian sighed. âForget it. Iâm not sneaking in. If someone sees me there, theyâll badmouth you. Xixi⦠do you⦠should I ask my family to visit your family and ask for your hand in marriage? Weâll graduate next year. We can get married if you want.â
Yang Ruoxi was taken aback. She and Tiantian hadnât even been together for a year. Wasnât it too soon to get married? âYou donât want to?â asked Tiantian. âItâs alright.â
âNo⦠I do. But isnât it too soon?â
âWeâve been together for eight months now. Almost a year if you take the Spring Festival into consideration.â
âI⦠I need to ask my father first. I just told him yesterday about you. He wanted to meet you. Iâm going to tell him youâre here. Do you want to meet him?â âOf course,â said Tiantian.
âDonât tell him you arrived last night. Iâll just tell him you reached here today. I lied to him and said I was going to the market and came here. My father still sees me as a little kid. He might think less of me if I tell him I came to meet you at the hotel,â said Yang Ruoxi.
âOf course. I will do whatever you say,â said Tiantian. âI brought gifts for them.
Oh⦠I got something for you, too.â
Yang Ruoxi saw gift bags in the closet. âYou didnât need to!â
Tiantian took out a small red box and opened it. It had a gold necklace inside. âMy grandmother sent this for you. She said itâs our family heirloom. My great-grandmother passed it onto her. And now⦠to you.â
Yang Ruoxi was stunned. It was an old design. The necklace was really heavy. Because it was entirely made of gold. âThank you⦠but I canât accept something so expensive and precious.â
Tiantian pretended to be annoyed. âReally? Come on! Donât tell me you donât like me anymore! You really donât want to get married to me?â
âItâs not that! Do you think Iâm playing around? I just⦠I canât accept such a chain. Itâs a family heirloom. Itâs too expensive and precious. I canât accept it. I
feel bad.â
Small gifts were fine, but such an expensive and precious gift was difficult for her to accept.
âI still have something to give you,â said Tiantian as he took out an alloy bracelet that he had chosen for her..