Both the setting and Lu Yicheng’s posture pointed to one thing—he was about to propose to her.
The first few train cars were adorned with flowers, and the last one was no exception. Not only were the seats covered in roses, but even the overhead luggage compartnts were filled with blossoms. This was a sea-bound train, transford into a floating rose garden.
No one could dislike flowers. No one could resist romance.
Jiang Lan’s eyes reddened instantly. She had imagined this scene before—only, in her mind, she was the one kneeling on the ground, proposing to Lu Yicheng.
Lu Yicheng wanted to stand up and tell Jiang Lan not to cry, but he still had more to say.
“Jiang Lan,” he began, thinking how beautiful she looked today—from head to toe, every part of her was perfect.
“Today marks the 1,455th day we’ve been together, but the truth is, I’ve liked you for 400 days longer than that. The day you agreed to be with , I might have seed calm, but inside, I was overjoyed. I thought… having you as my girlfriend was the happiest thing that had ever happened to in all these years. Since we’ve been together, I’ve made plenty of mistakes—often making you angry, not understanding things. I’ve been petty, jealous, and quick to anger. I hid things about my family from you, causing you a lot of pain. I’m so grateful that you’ve continued to love and still think of .”
mories spun like a kaleidoscope in Lu Yicheng’s mind. It had been over five years since he t Jiang Lan, and in that ti, so much had happened. The one thing he had never once considered was breaking up.
Jiang Lan held back her tears. “Lu Yicheng.”
He wasn’t finished yet. There were still a few more lines, and he was nervous.
“I have a little more to say,” he continued.
Jiang Lan nodded, and Lu Yicheng went on. “In physics, when the Tyndall effect occurs, light takes shape. But for , it was when you appeared that my world finally had light.”
Lu Yicheng rembered his childhood, spent shuttling between school and his grandmother’s house, waiting in that small pavilion—countless tis—for Yu Wanqiu to finish filming and pick him up, or for Lu Shuangchen to wrap up work and take him ho.
To him, the word “ho” had never held much aning.
As he grew older, through middle school and high school, Lu Yicheng stopped expecting anything from ho.
Until he t Jiang Lan.
Watching her wait outside the tutoring center, though they didn’t know each other at the ti, their eyes would occasionally et. The way she struggled with problems was endearing—even when she didn’t understand, she never gave up. She’d bring him snacks, tilting her head up to ask him questions.
Jiang Lan had countless little quirks that enchanted him—so much so that he could never let her go.
The zongzi during Dragon Boat Festival, the mooncakes during Mid-Autumn, the sweet dumplings during Lantern Festival—all those little surprises ant for him alone in their second and third years of high school—were things Lu Yicheng could never willingly share with anyone else. So when Jiang Lan vanished from his world after the college entrance exams, he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t let go.
He had liked her for a long ti—maybe since those days at the tutoring center, passing each other on the way to and from school, or perhaps in Teacher Zheng’s office, watching her wrestle with math problems.
So long that even he hadn’t realized it until one day, seeing her bent over a problem, it suddenly hit him: Ah, I like her.
Back then, Lu Yicheng was quiet, withdrawn, with few friends. Jiang Lan was his only one.
If anyone else had asked him for help with howork, he would have refused without a second thought.
But for her? It could only be her.
Later, when they got together, Lu Yicheng was willing to change for her—but he never asked her to change a thing.
“I’m so lucky to have t you, Jiang Lan. I want to walk this path with you forever. I want to build a ho with you, to go to work and co ho together, to fall asleep in each other’s arms every night.”
Holding the bouquet of roses in one hand, Lu Yicheng reached into the breast pocket of his suit with the other and pulled out a ring.
“Jiang Lan, will you marry ?”
He had rehearsed his speech countless tis, but practice was nothing like the real thing. When he recited it alone, the words flowed smoothly—but now, looking at Jiang Lan, his thoughts were jumbled. His usually sharp mory failed him; he couldn’t recall what he had written or rehearsed, even forgetting half of what he’d just said.
All he could do now was wait for her answer.
Jiang Lan rembered Yu Wanqiu’s words: How could a girl be the one to propose? Yu Wanqiu must have known all along.
Did Xie Yunzhen and Jiang Baoguo know too?
How long had Lu Yicheng been planning this?
And all that talk about weekend overti and board etings…
Just monts ago, Jiang Lan had been happily pointing out the clouds and the sea to him.
She never expected him to appear here. When she first saw that single flower, she had even wanted to tell him, Lu Yicheng, I saw a flower in the train car today!
It was so, so beautiful.
Then the door opened, and she was t with an ocean of blossoms, one after another.
Jiang Lan had been startled. When she realized Yu Wanqiu was no longer beside her, it dawned on her—at the end of this floral corridor, Lu Yicheng was waiting.
She wanted to see him so badly that she barely glanced at the flowers, pushing open door after door until she reached him.
Lu Yicheng had been waiting for her.
He had said so much, but Jiang Lan only rembered the last sentence.
Her mind was in a daze, her eyes stinging. Outside the window, the pink-hued sea and the roses inside the train paled in comparison to the man before her. Even if this hadn’t been such a breathtaking setting, she would have said yes.
This scene only made her answer co faster.
“I do.”
Lu Yicheng slid the ring onto the fourth finger of her right hand, then asked tentatively, “Can I stand up now?”
Jiang Lan nodded, turning her gaze to the window. This was a happy day—she couldn’t cry. The ring was a simple silver band with a modest diamond, bright and sparkling, making her fingers look slender and delicate.
Lu Yicheng was still holding the flowers. Jiang Lan sniffled. “You…”
He set the bouquet aside among the other roses and kissed her eyelids. “ what?”
A proposal, a kiss—these were the steps that should follow.
Lu Yicheng’s heart settled firmly in place. Those two words—I do—were the most beautiful sound in the world.
Outside, the sunset was sinking into the sea, painting half the sky purple and the other half pale blue. A few bright stars were already visible through the window.
Jiang Lan said, “You didn’t even give a hint.”
Lu Yicheng laughed. “Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, would it? I wanted to give you sothing special. It wasn’t too bad, was it? How did I do?”
“You were perfect,” Jiang Lan said, brushing the dust off his trousers. “Look, your pants are all dirty.”
Lu Yicheng grinned. “Doesn’t matter. Let them be dirty.”
Though they weren’t officially engaged yet, an invisible bond had already ford between them. They were fiancés now.
Lu Yicheng tugged at his collar. “I’m so hot in this suit. And this train car is way too fragrant—my nose is itching.”
Jiang Lan couldn’t help but laugh. “Why did you put so many flowers in here? One car would’ve been enough. I thought you’d just be waiting behind that last door.”
Lu Yicheng thought more flowers would look better, and he also wanted to give Jiang Lan so ti to prepare. This path was long, and the road ahead would be even longer. If Jiang Lan didn’t want to marry him, the sight of so many flowers would at least make his intentions clear—she could still turn and walk away.
If the proposal didn’t succeed this ti, he’d just try again later. Lu Yicheng wasn’t afraid of embarrassnt.
But Jiang Lan had co. He was overjoyed. She had opened the door, and he hadn’t been left waiting for nothing.
He was unbearably nervous. Dressed in a white suit—a matching couple’s outfit with Jiang Lan—he looked undeniably handso, though the heat was nearly unbearable.
There was still so ti before they reached the final stop. Lu Yicheng cleared the flowers from the seat and pulled Jiang Lan down to sit beside him.
The train car was filled with waves of floral fragrance, a sea of red roses. Proposals called for red roses—just looking at them made one’s thoughts race. Alone together, the tension was inevitable.
Jiang Lan couldn’t help but smile when she looked at Lu Yicheng, and he was the sa. "I, uh… also have a ring. Will you put it on ?"
Naturally, proposal rings ca in pairs.
Lu Yicheng fished the other ring from his pocket, slightly larger than Jiang Lan’s, and she slid it onto the ring finger of his left hand.
Side by side, they looked perfectly matched.
Now, when they held hands, their left and right hands could intertwine—ring finger to ring finger.
Though it was just a ring, Lu Yicheng felt as if it were connected directly to his heart.
His pulse raced so fast he forgot to pull his hand back.
Jiang Lan noticed the hair tie still on Lu Yicheng’s left wrist. "You should take that off now."
Lu Yicheng frowned. "Why?"
Because it didn’t look good anymore.
"You have a ring now. What do you need a hair tie for?"
The hair tie had been a signal to others that he was taken. But now, with a ring on his finger, it was unnecessary. A ring on the left hand spoke louder than any hair tie.
Jiang Lan had never policed whether Lu Yicheng actually wore the hair tie, but he had kept it on without fail.
He glanced at it, still finding it rather fitting—hair tie on the left wrist, watch on the right. "I’m used to it now. Why take it off? Besides, what if we go out to eat and you forget a hair tie?"
They’d still need it then.
Lu Yicheng had a point. Fine, he could keep it.
As long as Jiang Lan wore her ring, that was enough. Such an obvious symbol—anyone who saw it would know she had been proposed to. She was now Lu Yicheng’s fiancée.
The two of them sat there grinning like fools until Yu Wanqiu finally sent Jiang Lan a ssage: [Done sightseeing yet? Planning to co back?]
Jiang Lan imdiately schooled her expression. "Yu Wanqiu is looking for us."
No need to ask—Yu Wanqiu had obviously known all along. Jiang Lan felt a little embarrassed, worried about what questions might co, but when they returned to the car, Yu Wanqiu didn’t ask a thing.
She just sat there calmly snacking on treats and sipping yogurt.
Ah, youth. Jiang Lan had been gone for over forty minutes.
When Yu Wanqiu had gotten married, Lu Shuangchen had simply asked if she would marry him—no grand gestures, nothing. And she had said yes.
Looking back, it had been terribly rushed.
"Yu Wanqiu, why did you side with Lu Yicheng so much?" Jiang Lan couldn’t let it go. She had been planning to propose to Lu Yicheng—had Yu Wanqiu told him, prompting him to beat her to it?
That would be unforgivable.
Yu Wanqiu smirked. "Once you’re officially my daughter-in-law, I’ll side with you."
Jiang Lan still felt a little shy. She had accepted Lu Yicheng’s proposal, but her own mother didn’t even know yet. "I only agreed to marry him eventually. I didn’t say when."
Lu Yicheng had no complaints. The proposal’s success alone was enough to keep him elated—he didn’t dare push for more.
Not yet.
Lu Yicheng asked, "Should we tell Teacher Xie and Uncle Jiang?"
Jiang Lan called Xie Yunzhen. Lu Yicheng insisted on sitting right beside her, and as soon as the video connected, he greeted them brightly. "Mom, Dad, hello!"
He wasted no ti with the titles.
Xie Yunzhen coughed. Jiang Baoguo leaned into the fra. "Since when do you call us that…?"
Lu Yicheng grinned. "I succeeded. Ti to switch things up."
Jiang Lan was montarily stunned. "Wait, where are you guys? The background looks just like mine."
Behind her were the blue train seats—and behind Xie Yunzhen, the sa.
"Mom, where are you? Weren’t you supposed to be working or in class?"
That’s what they’d said on Friday’s call.
Xie Yunzhen and Jiang Baoguo were in one of the train cars ahead. Though they hadn’t witnessed the proposal firsthand, seeing Jiang Lan’s happiness now was enough for them.
Lu Yicheng’s success left them both happy and bittersweet—their emotions tangled.
No point hiding it now. Xie Yunzhen admitted, "We’re on the seaside train. Lu Yicheng brought us here."
Jiang Lan turned to Lu Yicheng, who just smiled. "I wanted them here too. Can I call them Mom and Dad now?"
He’d already done it several tis anyway. Before Jiang Lan could process it, Xie Yunzhen, Jiang Baoguo, and even Lu Shuangchen arrived.
Xu Xiang was there too.
She raised her hands in surrender. "Lu Yicheng invited . If you’re mad I kept it secret, bla him."
Jiang Lan wasn’t about to scold anyone. But everyone had known—everyone except her.
She’d been upset thinking Lu Yicheng couldn’t spend the weekend with her, while he’d secretly planned a proposal.
Even Yu Wanqiu had played along, insisting on spa trips and shopping—this dress was literally a matching set with Lu Yicheng’s suit.
"Lu Yicheng! Everyone knew but !"
Lu Yicheng laughed. "Of course it had to be a surprise. I nearly put tape over my mom’s mouth to keep her from spilling."
Yu Wanqiu’s eyes sparkled with amusent. Lu Shuangchen, ever the quiet one, remained silent—this wasn’t the mont for his usual reticence. Today marked the first official eting between both families. With the proposal sealed, all that remained was setting a date for the engagent and, later, the wedding.
Though it wasn’t quite what Lu Shuangchen had envisioned—he’d assud an engagent by winter break and a wedding right after graduation.
Lu Shuangchen, Xie Yunzhen, and Jiang Baoguo discussed the wedding arrangents. The dowry was a gesture of sincerity from the Lu family—house, car, all prepared.
The Jiang family’s assets couldn’t compare, but with Jiang Lan as their only child, everything would go to her eventually.
They’d contribute a car as part of the dowry, return the full dowry gift, and prepare sothing for Lu Yicheng too—not a single thing from the Lu family would be kept for themselves.
The two were in love, and marriage was the natural next step. Before coming, Jiang Baoguo had even called Jiang Lan’s grandmothers. The couple would stay in City B after marriage—practically no different from before.
Lu Shuangchen ntioned the house was in Purple Gold Heights Phase 3, close to the Jiang family ho.
Once back in City B, the Lu family would formally visit the Jiangs to propose the marriage.
Xu Xiang raised her hand and said, "I wanted to say sothing, but Lu Yicheng offered too much. You have no idea how many delicious things there are on the island—giant crabs, lobsters..."
Jiang Lan waved her off. "Alright, alright, traitor."
She then took Xu Xiang's hand and asked, "So, will you be my bridesmaid when I get married?"
Xu Xiang was Jiang Lan's best friend, and since she wasn't married yet, she was the obvious choice for the role.
Xu Xiang hesitated for a mont before replying, "...Bridesmaid? Sure, no problem..."
Ten minutes later, the train arrived at its final stop. To reach the island, they needed to take a cruise ship.
The roses in the train car would be handled by the staff, so Jiang Lan didn’t have to worry about them.
Soon, they arrived at the island. It was fully equipped with facilities, and the sparkling glass houses looked like castles straight out of a fairy tale.
Lu Yicheng held Jiang Lan's hand tightly, reluctant to let go. But no matter how much he wanted to, he had to send her to her room.
He had already successfully proposed—why did he still have to sleep alone?
Jiang Lan teased, "You could always sleep in my room."
"Don’t ss with . How could I dare? Our parents are here," Lu Yicheng said, flustered. "I just don’t want to be apart from you. Go change first, and I’ll grill so prawns and oysters for you, okay?"
Seafood was a must on the island, and Lu Yicheng wanted to make sure Jiang Lan ate well.
"Just go already." Jiang Lan was buzzing with excitent but also exhausted. As soon as she entered her room, she collapsed onto the bed.
Lu Yicheng had arranged a seaside suite for her, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony draped with sheer curtains, and a breathtaking view of the rolling waves.
The room was filled with flowers—roses, lilies of the valley, freesias, and baby’s breath. The bedsheets were pink, adorned with an array of throw pillows and plush toys.
This had to be Yu Wanqiu’s doing. Jiang Lan had ntioned the decorations to her during their last conversation.
She rolled around on the bed a few tis, giddy. She had just gotten engaged!
It wasn’t part of the plan, but today had been so wonderful that she had nearly cried from happiness.
Thankfully, she held back—imagine how embarrassing it would have been to walk out with red, teary eyes in front of everyone.
The room was beautiful, the train ride had been magical, and the ocean outside was breathtaking.
Jiang Lan’s mind kept replaying the proposal scene.
As night fell, the sky filled with stars. Jiang Lan changed clothes and went out for a barbecue. By the ti they finished eating, it was past ten. Xie Yunzhen and Jiang Baoguo usually went to bed much earlier.
Lu Yicheng was overjoyed but didn’t dare push his luck. After escorting Jiang Lan back to her room, he returned to his own.
He had only visited this island once before, as a child, and being alone now felt dull. So, he called Jiang Lan.
Even though they were just a wall apart, he still wanted to hear her voice.
Jiang Lan answered, "Why are you calling ?"
Lu Yicheng scratched his head. "No reason. I just wanted to see you."
Jiang Lan sat up in bed and whispered, "I’m so bored. I don’t feel like watching anything or playing gas. Lu Yicheng, can I co over?"
Lu Yicheng’s breath hitched. Jiang Lan… coming to his room?
"Is it because you miss ?"
"Stop asking stupid questions. Does it matter why? Just say yes or no."
Half an hour ago, Xie Yunzhen and Jiang Baoguo had already retired for the night. Today, Jiang Lan and Lu Yicheng had only kissed once—and it was just on her eyelid.
Lu Yicheng nodded. "Fine. I’ll open the door for you."
His room was right next to hers, separated by a single wall. He took a deep breath, got out of bed, and opened the door—only to be tackled in a hug.
Jiang Lan urged, "Hurry inside before soone sees us."
A strange thrill ran through Lu Yicheng—equal parts excitent and nervousness.
He couldn’t help but think, If only today were our wedding day. Then I could keep looking at her, and we could share a room without a second thought.
Jiang Lan closed the door behind them and locked it. Lu Yicheng glanced at her, then turned the lock one more ti for good asure.
Jiang Lan giggled. "Lu—wait, can I call you husband now?"
They were engaged, after all. Surely that was allowed.
Lu Yicheng’s grip on the doorknob tightened. This was what he had been waiting for. "Say it again."
Jiang Lan repeated it twice. Lu Yicheng groaned. "Stop, stop. If you keep saying it, I won’t be able to hold back."
His ears burned red. Every ti she called him that, his body reacted uncontrollably. He covered his ears, took a mont to compose himself, and then whispered, "One more ti?"
Jiang Lan obliged. "Husband."
Lu Yicheng responded with equal sincerity, calling her wife before pulling her into a kiss.
They were engaged now—terms of endearnt and kisses were perfectly acceptable. The way Jiang Lan said it was so sweet that it made him want to kiss her even more.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathless. Lu Yicheng pressed his lips to Jiang Lan’s ear and murmured, "Wife. Wife, wife!"
He repeated it a few more tis, savoring the word before finally stopping.
Jiang Lan laughed weakly, her body limp. "You’re such an idiot."
Saying it once was playful, but he just kept going.
Lu Yicheng kissed her again. "Not an idiot. I just wanted to say it."
Between scattered kisses, he alternated between wife and baby.
Only when they realized things were getting too heated did they pull apart.
Jiang Lan burrowed under the covers. "When are we going back?"
Since this was their private island, they could stay as long as they wanted. Lu Yicheng wasn’t in a rush. "Whenever you want. I checked with our parents—they have work tomorrow and can only take half a day off, so they’re flying back in the morning."
Lu Shuangchen wanted to stay with Yu Wanqiu for a while, so Lu Yicheng’s return depended entirely on Jiang Lan’s plans.
Jiang Lan thought for a mont. "Let’s go back on the 4th. We can celebrate our anniversary together on the 5th."
Lu Yicheng agreed. "Sounds good. If you want to go sowhere else, I’ll go with you."
After a proposal, they should spend as much ti together as possible. Lu Yicheng figured they could explore nearby places—he didn’t want Jiang Lan to think he was unromantic or boring.
That said, he still had company matters to attend to, so most of his days would be spent working.
If I can’t finish everything, I’ll just dump it on Lu Shuangchen, he thought.
Outside, the night was pitch black. Freshly engaged and alone together, their conversation kept getting interrupted by kisses, which inevitably led to tangled limbs.
Compared to Jiang Lan’s room, Lu Yicheng’s bed wasn’t as soft, and the sheets weren’t as pretty. The only thing worth looking at was her.
Even though Xie Yunzhen, Jiang Baoguo, Yu Wanqiu, and the others were on the island, Lu Yicheng couldn’t restrain himself—until Jiang Lan suddenly called his na.
With great effort, he sat up. "You sleep here. I’ll go to your room. If we stay together, sothing’s bound to happen."
Hunched over, Lu Yicheng retreated to Jiang Lan’s room, which was a sea of pink, stuffed animals, and throw pillows.
He lay on the bed for a while, then took a cold shower to cool down before sinking into the soft blankets.
The air conditioning was refreshing, but after a while, Lu Yicheng felt sothing digging into his back. He sat up and found a silver ring.
At first, he thought it was Jiang Lan’s, but she had been wearing hers when they held hands earlier.
His own ring was still on his finger, too. So whose ring was this?
Lu Yicheng slid the rings onto his own fingers, fitting two perfectly sized bands snugly around his ring finger.
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