Chapter 29
"I—I passed the second round."
"What?"
Gu Xichen wondered if he'd misheard.
They were at a newly opened Western restaurant on the Bund. Both the iconic Pudong skyscrapers and the classic Bund skyline were visible from the restaurant terrace.
He was a man who valued quality of life, so no matter how busy, he always took Lian Xia out for a nice meal on weekends.
Of course, Lian Xia wasn't the type to just receive without giving back. Every morning she got up early and ironed his white shirts and dress pants until they were crisp.
She called it working off her debt. Gu Xichen couldn't out-argue her, so he let it be.
"I said, I got in! I got in with my triple-cross application!"
Her voice was a bit too loud. The surrounding diners turned to stare. Gu Xichen was slightly embarrassed.
"Got it, keep it down, sit down and tell me..."
But not only did she not sit, she dropped to her knees!
Gu Xichen: "..."
No need for such formalities.
"I—I formally ask you," the girl's face flushed crimson, her teeth chattering from nerves, but she bravely held up the ring box in her hand: "Please marry me."
The words fell. Absolute silence.
Time seemed to slow. Everything became surreal, like a dream playing in slow motion. Through the soft swaying lights from outside the window, the man's expression was indistinct.
"I—I know I'm poor, and not that pretty, but I'll work hard to earn money, learn to do my makeup..."
She opened the box, revealing a pair of diamond-studded couple rings.
Besides the hundred thousand for the house, all her savings were in that small box.
"From now on, I'll respect your hobbies, appreciate your hard work, take care of myself, walk farther with you... though a lifetime isn't over yet, there's no one in this world better than you..."
"So, please marry me!"
After a stunned silence, the crowd around them erupted into louder and louder encouragement.
"Holy crap! First time I've seen a girl propose!"
"The girl is so cute! The boyfriend is handsome too!"
"Say yes!"
"Say yes!"
The young man helped her to her feet, his tone almost scolding: "Why are you proposing here?"
"I should've been first. How did you beat me to it?"
She stammered: "Because I—I couldn't wait..."
He couldn't help but laugh. His answer was a passionate, undeniable kiss!
The silhouettes of the young couple disappeared into waves of applause. They were about to enter the next stage of life, and no matter what the future held, neither would forget this day.
Passionate, romantic, magnificent—like a fleeting dream.
Not far away, an old man eating steak covered his ears with an annoyed expression: "Damn it, can't a person eat in peace?"
The young man sitting across from him shook his head: "Sigh, another pair of fools about to step into the marriage grave."
Chapter 30
Although Lian Xia was the one who popped the question, the proposal procedure was essentially complete—no regrets.
Now they just had to lock down the apartment and arrange the mortgage as soon as possible. Shanghai's housing prices rose with the wind—one price one day, another the next.
The two were anxious. That very afternoon, they took their household registration books to get their marriage registered.
Only when they arrived did they realize—they were the only couple there to get married, while the divorce line next door stretched all the way to the Bund.
A girl who'd clearly been waiting forever finally got her green divorce certificate in hand and sighed involuntarily: "Marriage is about finding a suitable, honest person—only to discover they're neither suitable nor honest."
"Pfft—"
Laughter rippled through the room. Glaring spotlights seemed to focus on the solitary couple.
Gu Xichen gave a light cough and used his tall frame to shield Lian Xia from the hostile stares: "Um, are you really sure about this, Lian Xia?"
The girl looked confused: "Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Think it through. My condition might hurt you. It's not too late to back out—like, with me... you know."
Lian Xia: ????
Gu Xichen took a deep breath and handed the decision to her: "You could choose to... break up with me."
As those two words left his mouth, the space around them seemed to fall silent, as if the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them.
Fulfillment is so hard. Separation is far more common.
"Look, I could have an episode at any time. Plus, my sick grandmother at home needs care. It's really not fair to you."
But Lian Xia held up a hand to stop him from continuing: "You gave fairness to me. Why don't you save some for yourself, Xichen?"
"I don't want fairness. I just want you."
With that, she snatched the document folder from Gu Xichen's hand and handed it to the clerk: "We'd like to register our marriage, thank you."
Since they'd had their photos taken in advance, the process was quick. Before Gu Xichen could even react, the clerk had already stamped everything and handed over the warm certificates in under a minute.
The divorcees were still queuing, staring wide-eyed as the girl skipped out happily, pulling her partner along.
Every one of those gazes was dim—impossible to tell whether they were indifferent, disappointed, or jealous.
Outside, Gu Xichen stood by the curb hailing a taxi, pretending to be casual: "Shouldn't we change what we call each other now?"
Lian Xia held his hand, looking adorably blank: "Huh? Why? Xichen is perfectly fine!"
"You should call me husband."
"Hus—" The word died on her lips. She hugged herself and shivered dramatically: "Ugh, so cheesy! Let's not!"
Gu Xichen: ...........
To get the apartment as quickly as possible, they went straight from getting their certificates to the bank for the mortgage.
A wedding was definitely happening—they just weren't in a rush. These days they were busy packing and moving, working up a sweat.
In the old rental, Lian Xia carefully took down the dreamcatcher from the overhead light, about to toss it in the trash when the door opened.
The man came in carrying groceries, using his foot to push the door shut: "Why throw it away? It's pretty."
"This thing cost ten yuan. Doesn't a million-yuan mansion deserve something a bit..."
Having bought a house, Lian Xia was getting haughty. She was starting to look down on ten-yuan shops.
"Keep it. We'll hang it in the new place."
Gu Xichen headed into the kitchen. Lian Xia complained verbally but still tucked the dingy thing away with great care.
People who cherish old things are often deeply loyal, so she was happy her boyfriend didn't mind her little trinkets.
While rummaging through the bookshelf, a few worn books fell to the floor. Red covers, gold lettering—looking very familiar.
"Huh, what's this?"
She recognized them at a glance—her high school exam prep books, well-thumbed to destruction, sponsored by an out-of-town entrepreneur. At the yellowing gutter of the pages was a brownish-red seal.
It should have been the donor's personal chop.
She studied the name on the seal closely and froze.
Chapter 31
Gu Xichen came out of the kitchen carrying two plates. After setting them down, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and silently vowed to install air conditioning in the new kitchen.
"Xiaoxia, time to eat!"
The girl was sitting in front of her open laptop, looking utterly distracted.
"What's wrong?"
He walked over just in time to see the words on the screen: "Haunted House Documentary? Since when are you into that kind of thing?"
"I'm not."
Lian Xia quickly shut the laptop. Gu Xichen eyed the cold sweat sliding down her cheek with suspicion.
He didn't believe for a second she'd be interested in ghosts and ghouls—after all, she was the type who fell asleep during horror movies!
Fine. If she didn't want to watch, he wouldn't pry. Loving someone means respecting them.
After dinner, Gu Xichen called the movers and began the gradual process of relocating to the new home.
Fortunately, they didn't have much stuff—just one trip. But Lian Xia was in a daze the whole time and nearly dropped something on herself.
That evening, they were taking inventory and felt like something was missing.
Gu Xichen checked repeatedly before confirming that the censer they'd left on the windowsill—the one coated in a layer of grime—was gone.
He had no idea what was so special about that two-yuan cheapie, but Lian Xia had been mumbling about it in her sleep, curling against him like a frightened little creature, crying and demanding they find that piece of junk back.
Even in her sleep, she gripped his shirt so tightly he could barely turn over.
Gu Xichen couldn't take it anymore. He found time to go back and retrieve the censer, and close out the rental agreement with the landlord while he was at it.
The thing was so beat up, though—all four legs were wobbly, like it might fall apart at any second. So he took a stroll downstairs, intending to buy a censer that matched their "million-yuan mansion."
Since he'd been there once with Lian Xia, he navigated easily and stopped at the shop selling incense, candles, and paper effigies.
That familiar incense smell—definitely the right place.
The young man from the neighboring stall poked his head out: "Looking to buy something, handsome?"
"Mm."
Gu Xichen was buying street goods for the first time and felt a little awkward.
At that moment, an old man fanning himself emerged from a pile of paper effigies—clearly the shop owner. Gu Xichen showed him the battered censer.
"Do you have a better one?"
The censer was in a clear plastic bag, but it still looked like a piece of scrap iron.
The old man took one look and nearly blew a gasket. His white-hazed eyes went wide: "Hey! That's my prized antique censer!"
The young man naturally saw it too, gulped, and started backing away.
The old man—with agility completely at odds with his age—leapt over the counter and smacked the young man on the shoulder: "You sold it? How much?"
The young man held up two trembling fingers.
"Twenty thousand? A bit low..."
The other shook his head.
The old man's face clouded with dread: "Two thousand? Two hundred?"
Gu Xichen: "Two yuan."
The old man swayed. "Damn!"
His weathered face instantly crumpled with tears: "My thousand-year-old antique, sold for two yuan?"
Gu Xichen pointed to the sign on the counter: "It says so right there."
"Goods sold are not returnable. The store takes no responsibility."
"Do you have any idea how old that artifact is?"
Seeing the old man on the verge of a stroke, and invoking the spirit of respecting elders, Gu Xichen caved first: "Alright, I'll buy some more incense."
He pointed to the incense burning at the entrance that made his whole being feel at peace: "This kind. A hundred yuan's worth."
The old man wiped his tears and packed the incense. Gu Xichen scanned the QR code and walked off.
Checking the amount, the old man was stunned: "Hey! You paid way too much!"
By the time he looked up, the man's tall figure was already far away—broad shoulders, long legs. The old man couldn't catch up and could only stop and curse.
"Damn it. Someone with that much karma deserves to live. I won't report you."
Chapter 32
Back at the new home, Gu Xichen turned on the light first.
"It's almost dark and you're not using the lights, you'll ruin your eyes."
In the living room, Lian Xia was studying at the table. Seeing him come in, she rubbed her eyes: "School starts soon. I'm busy preparing."
Seeing his bags, she jumped up to pour him water.
Since Gu Xichen liked exercising, there was always a cold-water pitcher and a hot-water pitcher on the table, so she could mix the temperature to his liking.
Lian Xia was truly a serious person—serious about life, serious about her studies, and serious about her partner.
Only he knew how lucky it was to be loved by someone like her.
After lighting the incense, he habitually leaned over the censer and inhaled deeply.
In this moment, Lian Xia didn't find it strange at all—she even offered helpful suggestions: "Want a bigger one? Something fancier?"
"No need. This kind is perfect."
"Really?"
"Really." Those elegant, narrow eyes turned to fix on her: "You're perfect just as you are."
"You're so cheesy..."
"Kiss!"
Her mouth said one thing, her body another. The two of them immediately stuck together, starting some rather inappropriate games.
The couch was soft. Sinking into it, their breathing grew heavier, punctuated by soft, wet sounds. A breeze stirred, and the gray dreamcatcher overhead swayed gently.
Startled by that ethereal sound, she suddenly pushed him away, her face full of alarm.
"Wait—you're not going to suddenly turn into Chen Xi in the middle of that, are you?!"
In the middle of that—which middle?
Good question.
The two stared at each other, feeling as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over their heads.
His intimate moment interrupted, Gu Xichen had no choice but to go take a cold shower. When he came back out, Lian Xia had composed herself and sat on the edge of the sofa, eyes red: "I'm sorry."
It wasn't really her fault.
He went over and kissed the top of her soft head: "It's fine. We'll wait a little longer."
A month was tolerable. A year was tolerable. He just didn't know when this endless torment would end.
Seeing her looking dejected, he offered an uplifting suggestion: "By the way, want to go pick out a wedding dress these next few days?"
Sure enough, the ever-direct Lian Xia took the bait: "Wedding dress? Are we having a wedding?"
"Yes! We can first invite our family and close colleagues for a simple dinner." The eloquent Gu Xichen deployed his rhetorical prowess: "Even though I can't afford much right now—with the mortgage to pay—a bit of luxury isn't out of reach."
Before she could ask how luxurious, he declared magnanimously: "Within three years I'll throw you a million-yuan wedding. Won't stop until every cent is spent!"
Lian Xia: "..."
Talk about aiming for the sky when you can't even afford a haystack.
The mortgage wasn't even paid off, and he was already preparing to drop a million on a Shanghai wedding-planning company.
She finally laughed through her tears: "Okay, treating our relatives and friends to a simple dinner is fine. We still owe the bank millions!"
The man laughed when she laughed, even laughing until tears came.
The atmosphere turned warm again.
In the middle of their embrace, Gu Xichen's phone rang. He answered, and his smile stopped abruptly.
Then he started putting on his coat, looking urgent.
"My grandmother just fainted."