Chapter 585: 584: Proposing Marriage (Second Update)

In the ward, Xin Zaozao took the initiative to speak up, “Every time I meet Yin Qin, I ask him whether or not he wants to come up? He always shakes his head. Then he drives away.”

Xin Zaozao recollected the interactions with Yin Qin.

She truly felt the man was filled with regret now.

However, he didn’t seem brave enough to dare take that step.

Song Zhizhi said, “Yin Qin is really scared now.”

Scared of what?

Xin Zaozao looked at Song Zhizhi, “From my perspective, even though Yin Qin is really annoying and was somewhat excessive towards Xiaolang at first, but thinking in more depth, Yin Qin was merely choosing to hurt Xiaolang because he felt accountable to Ji Baixin. He didn’t do anything unforgivable and considering he and Xiaolang also have a child together, it isn’t impossible for the two to get back together.”

Song Zhizhi agreed with Xin Zaozao’s viewpoint, “But some people simply can’t take that step.”

Xin Zaozao knitted her brows.

“For instance… would you still accept Mu Cidian?” Song Zhizhi suddenly asked.

A sharp observation.

Xin Zaozao immediately stopped talking.

Exactly.

Sometimes, it only takes an instant for a heart to die.

Once truly hurt, there’s no going back.

She laughed, “Alright, you’re right.”

Song Zhizhi also laughed, then asked, “Mu Cidian will be out of prison in over a year, right?”

Xin Zaozao didn’t want to discuss Mu Cidian.

However, as long as Song Zhizhi wanted to chat about it, she would accompany her.

She was simply afraid that Song Zhizhi would hit a dead end.

Selfishly, she really didn’t want anything to happen to Song Zhizhi.

For her, she had no cherished family members in her life, only treasured friends.

She said, “That should be the case.”

“Time really flies by.” Song Zhizhi sighed.

“Mm.” Xin Zaozao nodded.

“How is Wan Quan doing now?”

“He’s completely impoverished.”

“So, once Mu Cidian gets out, he’ll have nothing left?” Song Zhizhi still felt some sympathy.

In her view, all that Mu Cidian had was not easily attained.

Yet his mother had squandered everything away without a second thought.

“If he still had anything, I fear he’d seek revenge.” Xin Zaozao admitted bluntly to Song Zhizhi.

“He went to prison for you.”

“After serving his sentence, he may come to his senses.” Xin Zaozao declared seriously, “He may even feel everything he has done was not worth it. Zhizhi, you never saw how merciless a man Mu Cidian can be.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Song Zhizhi supported all of Xin Zaozao’s decisions.

She simply brought up the man out of the blue.

Recalling how he used to be brimming with vitality, now, he’s fallen so low.

The two of them continued with their casual chat.

In another ward.

Luo Xiaolang had packed up all his belongings and completed all the discharge procedures.

Joe held Luo Xiaolang’s hand as they left the hospital.

The two of them walked towards the underground parking lot together, appearing very intimate.

Joe first put their things in the trunk, then opened the passenger door, gentlemanly allowing Luo Xiaolang to get in.

After Luo Xiaolang settled down, Joe returned to the driver’s seat.

Joe drove away.

He drove neither fast nor slow, showcasing a sense of steadiness.

The car left.

Far off, a black car was parked there, not daring to approach, just watching them leave.

Yin Qin sat in the driver’s seat, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Finally discharged.

Luo Xiaolang looked rather well just now.

Seems Joe took good care of him.

He was quite composed on the inside.

Now, he genuinely felt that as long as Luo Xiaolang was doing well, that was enough.

He also drove away from the hospital.

He went to work.

Lately, he had been shirking off work.

Always thinking of Luo Xiaolang during work, being drawn to the hospital subconsciously.

Each time at the parking lot, just sitting in the car, unable to see Luo Xiaolang, but somehow, that was enough.

Now that Luo Xiaolang was discharged.

He couldn’t even hang around the hospital anymore.

He simply drove with a calm demeanor, suppressing the discomfort in his heart.

The phone suddenly rang at that moment.

It was his mother who called.

He answered, “Mom.”

“Where are you now?”

“At work.”

“What work? The board is already calling your father, saying you’re never at the company and you don’t even attend the board meetings on time. What’s going on, do you think you’re above it all?” Qin Keqin ranted over the phone.

“I’ll be back soon, I had to step out for a bit.” Yin Qin was always obedient to his mother and never fought back.

After all, he couldn’t.

He still had to tread lightly to appease her, in fear of getting kicked out.

Maybe it was due to his age, but he was genuinely afraid of being abandoned.

So, he had to make an effort to present himself well at home.

Returning home punctually every day without spending the night out clubbing or drinking, without being on the phone all the time once he got home. Pretty much, he was taking care of his son and his younger brother all the time.

In short.

He was undoubtedly a devoted son and a devoted older brother.

Sometimes, he was even touched by his own actions.

“What do you mean ‘be back soon’? Come home immediately.” Her voice from the other end was resolute.

After leaving confinement from childbirth, Ms. Qin was like a chicken on steroids, swaggering around every day.

“Is there something wrong?” Yin Qin asked timidely.

“Nothing much, I just want to order you around!”

“…”

Yin Qin hung up and drove his car towards his villa.

Upon reaching the entrance of the villa.

Yin Qin was suddenly stunned.

Because he saw Joe’s car that had just left with Luo Xiaolang earlier.

So…

Did Xiaolang come to take Little Tiger away?

Rightfully so.

Xiaolang had recovered and could look after Little Tiger now.

He restrained himself for a while, didn’t stop, and instead drove away directly.

The moment he left.

Luo Xiaolang had already brought Little Tiger out of the villa, watching a car driving away in the distance.

Qin Keqin was seeing Luo Xiaolang out at this moment and also saw the direction Yin Qin drove away. She grumbled quietly in her heart.

Luo Xiaolang shifted her gaze back, saying, “Auntie, I’m going to take the little tiger away now.”

“Alright, alright. If anything happens, just bring the tiger back. You know your uncle can take care of one or two children.” Qin Keqin responded warmly.

Yin Bin stood aside, his face collapsing with annoyance.

If this continued, the upkeep he had maintained over the decades would be in vain.

He was still waiting… waiting to benefit from this.

Hearing Qin Keqin’s words, Luo Xiaolang couldn’t help but smile and nodded her head, “Okay.”

“You’re still recovering from a serious illness, don’t keep standing here. Go back early,” Qin Keqin urged.

“Okay.”

Luo Xiaolang held the Little Tiger and stepped into the car.

Joe sat in the passenger seat.

Wu Sao left with Luo Xiaolang too.

Qin Keqin watched as Luo Xiaolang’s car disappeared from her sight, sighing heavily, “No matter how I look at it…Joe, Xiaolang, and Little Tiger seem like a perfect family.”

Yin Bin shared the same sentiment as Qin Keqin.

Qin Keqin felt a bit dejected nonetheless.

If Yin Qin hadn’t messed things up, Xiaolang would still be her daughter-in-law… Thinking about Xiaolang becoming someone else’s wife made her heart clench with jealousy.

And when her mood soured…

She would vent her anger on two people – one was Yin Bin, and the other was Yin Qin.

Qin Keqin, in a bad mood, reached for her phone and called Yin Qin.

Yin Qin looked at the incoming call and picked it up, “Mom.”

“Don’t call me Mom!”

“Miss Qin.”

“What were you doing that you left when I told you to come back?” Qin Keqin’s anger was evident in her voice.

Not daring to provoke Qin Keqin, Yin Qin offered an excuse, “My secretary just called me saying there’s a crucial issue that needs me back…”

“What crucial issue? You simply couldn’t bear to see Luo Xiaolang and Joe acting all lovey-dovey, right?”

“Mom, do you really see me as that kind of person?”

“Yes, you are!”

“Alright, I admit it.” Yin Qin conceded.

“Can’t you behave more like a man?”

“Am I not being a man? I’m stepping aside to let them have their happiness. You know how much Xiaolang hates me. Isn’t it better for them if I’m not around?”

“Idiot!” Qin Keqin cursed.

And then she hung up the phone.

Although she was annoyed, she had to admit Yin Qin’s words made sense.

Since Luo Xiaolang no longer liked him, he should disappear voluntarily, to not spoil Luo Xiaolang’s fresh air.

Thinking and acknowledging were one thing though…

The feeling lingered.

The thought of such good prospects wasted by Yin Qin!

…

Luo Xiaolang arrived home holding the Little Tiger.

Inside the house that Joe had tidied up in advance, it still felt like home.

Wu Sao quickly started organizing the Little Tiger’s things.

Joe also energetically helped Luo Xiaolang organize her things.

Luo Xiaolang held the little tiger in her arms and watched Joe bustle around before her.

Joe was really good to her…

Good to the point…

She truly wanted to spend her life with him.

She glanced down.

Her attention shifted to the little tiger.

During her hospital stay, Qin Keqin came to visit her occasionally with the little tiger, but due to her health and her own son’s condition, it wasn’t frequent. Luo Xiaolang missed the little tiger a lot, so as soon as she had been discharged, she had brought him back home.

The little tiger was already one-year-old.

He had completely grown out of his premature state.

His growth was near average, and his intelligence was developing normally.

Looking back now, for the little tiger, it was a blessing in disguise.

Luo Xiaolang smiled beautifully at the tiger.

When Joe turned around, he saw Luo Xiaolang’s beautiful smile.

A surge of emotion welled up in his chest.

He truly thought Luo Xiaolang was the most beautiful girl in the world, and he was lucky, he had met her.

And his impulse to want to spend his life with her was overwhelming.

So.

One night…

Joe proposed.

There was no grand proposal scene.

Just the two of them in their room.

While Xiaolang was playing downstairs with the little tiger, he had his teammates buy lots of flowers, balloons, and candles to create a warm proposal scene.

When Luo Xiaolang came back with the Little Tiger and saw the scene, she was truly surprised.

She didn’t expect Joe to propose suddenly.

Their relationship hadn’t been going on for long.

She thought this was something for far in the future.

Holding the Little Tiger, she was stunned and speechless.

Joe held a bouquet of roses with a diamond ring, he was dressed in a formal suit and tie, his hair was neatly combed. He knelt down and said to Luo Xiaolang sentimentally, “Xiaolang, marry me.”

Luo Xiaolang was taken aback.

She stared at him.

“Xiaolang…” Joe’s eyes flickered.

The black of his eyes seemed to sparkle in the dim light.

She felt like she couldn’t refuse.

She smiled and said, “Joe.”

“Yes?” His voice was gentle with a hint of seductive charm.

“Could we…wait till after the competition?” Luo Xiaolang didn’t refuse, but didn’t accept either.

Joe looked at her.

Luo Xiaolang smiled, “I remember someone saying they’d only get married and have kids once they had won the world championship.”

That was the plan once.

But now that he had met her, the plan had changed.

Luo Xiaolang said, “I want to help make that goal a reality.”

Joe looked at Luo Xiaolang’s resolute appearance. At that moment, despite his burning desire to marry her right away, he conceded.

Not just because of his own longing for a championship, which was indeed an obstacle he’d been struggling to overcome, but more importantly, he didn’t want Luo Xiaolang to feel pressured.

He stood up from the ground.

Luo Xiaolang was smiling as she looked at him.

Joe leaned down to kiss Luo Xiaolang.

Luo Xiaolang recoiled slightly.

Since Little Tiger was still in her arms, Joe could only brush his lips quickly against hers.

He said, “Alright.”

After winning the national championship, he would propose to her in public.