After surviving death’s narrow mouth together, Ye Yanxi no longer bothered with restraint. In that instant only one impulse remained—marry Xiao Yu. No matter what the future held, this moment would be enough.
Women proposing to men was rare, but Yanxi refused to be bound by old rules. She followed only her heart. She trusted Xiao Yu with everything; after what they’d just been through, they could hand their lives to each other without hesitation. They were bound for life. She did not want to wait for him to stage some grand, ceremonial proposal—he hadn’t even properly asked last time, merely hinted at something that had happened sixteen years ago. If she waited on him, who knew how long it would take.
So what did it matter who said the words? Still, saying it aloud took courage—especially for a woman.
Her cheeks warmed when the words left her. She ducked her head hard into Xiao Yu’s chest, wanting to hide the flush. She felt ridiculous, like she could crawl under the bed and melt away.
Xiao Yu froze for a few seconds, stunned, until realization dawned on him: she was proposing. Yanxi hid her face in his arms, refusing to lift it.
He let a small smile curl his mouth and glanced down. The tips of her ears were the reddest part of her. Seeing him look, she sucked in closer, whispering, “Don’t look. Don’t—don’t look at me.”
She shifted awkwardly against him and accidentally brushed a sore spot on his side. He gave a low, involuntary groan. Yanxi jerked back a few centimeters, worried. “Oh—did I hit your wound? Is it—does it hurt?”
She raised her head and found herself staring into a pair of black eyes, deep as wells. There was no pain in his face—only a teasing smile, as though he were enjoying this.
Not injured? Yanxi’s mind clicked into place—he’d done it on purpose.
Her embarrassment flamed brighter. The water had left her skin pale, but the blush now painted her porcelain cheeks a delicate, tempting pink. The sight of her flustered tightened something in Xiao Yu; he couldn’t resist teasing. “What did you just say? I didn’t catch that. Say it again.”
She refused to look at him. She bit her lower lip, stubborn. “I—didn’t say anything. You must have heard wrong.”
“Hmm.” He drew the word out, then reached and pinched her chin, lifting her face. “But I distinctly heard someone say she wanted to marry me—wanted me to take her as my wife.”
There was mischief in his eyes, old-fox cunning. Yanxi swatted his hand away in annoyance, grinding her teeth. “I didn’t say anything. You misheard.”
“You did say it,” he countered.
Stung, she turned her back to him. She had mustered every ounce of nerve to say those words, and now he was teasing mercilessly. It was humiliating.
“I won’t admit it,” she muttered. If he hadn’t recorded it, there was no proof. She could retract it—pretend it had never been said. She inwardly regretted the impulsive confession.
Xiao Yu, as if conjuring magic, produced a small red box from somewhere. It appeared in front of her like a trick. Velvet, deep red—all the classic trappings of a proposal.
Her eyes widened. What stunt was he up to now?
He wrapped an arm around her and opened the box. Inside lay a simple, elegant diamond ring.
A ring.
Her breath caught. “This—”
“It’s better if the man asks properly.” He looked at her with slow, measured tenderness. “Ms. Ye Yanxi, will you marry me?”
Tears sprang to her eyes; her throat tightened. She hadn’t expected him to do it—he always seemed so aloof about such things. Her hand went up, lifting her ring finger by reflex. “But you already—”
“You were always upset about that so-called proposal,” he said, a corner of his mouth quirking. “You never considered it a real one. So consider this formal.”
That birthday incident didn’t count—he’d slipped a ring on her while she slept without a word. And now he presented another ring and knelt properly in spirit if not on the floor.
“But didn’t we already have a ring?” she frowned.
“Two rings won’t hurt,” he replied casually.
Two proposal rings? Yanxi almost laughed at the extravagance. Engagement and wedding bands were supposed to be unique symbols—one ring should suffice. “One engagement ring is enough. Two is wasteful.”
For a moment, his brow tightened. Then he snapped the box shut. “If you don’t want it, I’ll throw it away.”
He would throw it away—just like that? Yanxi blinked. That was so—him. That ring must have cost a small fortune. He was frivolous in the face of her practical concerns.
“You said it was extra. If you throw it away, what am I going to wear?” she protested.
“You said it was unnecessary. Why keep something that’s useless?”
His offhand tone infuriated her. That ring represented more than money—it was symbolic. “Who said it’s unnecessary? You just used this ring to propose to me. If you don’t put it on my finger, it doesn’t count.”
“Are you sure you want to wear it?” he asked.
She thrust out her hand without hesitation, daring him.
He smiled and looks softened. He slid the ring she’d been wearing—the one he’d slipped on before—into the box, then slipped this new ring onto her hand. Her fingers were slender and smooth; the diamond caught the light in tiny, persistent flashes. It made her hand look even lovelier.
She’d worn a ring before, but she'd been asleep and felt nothing. This time Xiao Yu put it on himself. The simple act struck her like a jolt of warmth. Joy flooded her until she felt dizzy, tears glimmering at the corners of her eyes.
She’d always lacked security, afraid he’d leave—but here he was: present, gazing at her with quiet tenderness. In that moment nothing else mattered. No one could be happier.
Xiao Yu bent and kissed the tip of her finger, gentle as press of a feather. “You’re wearing my ring now,” he murmured, hand cupping her cheek. “That means you’ve accepted my proposal.”
Yanxi pushed him away, eyes bright with mock seriousness. “Who said I accepted? On TV the man holds flowers and drops to one knee. You’re asking me in a hospital room.”
She had a point—the setting lacked romance.
He frowned in exasperation.
“But you put the ring on,” he said.
“You threatened to throw it away,” she shot back. “I only let you because you said you’d toss it.”
“Regardless, you’re wearing it, which counts as acceptance.”
Yanxi squirmed under the covers like a child refusing bedtime. “Who says wearing a ring means acceptance? Plenty of single people wear rings.”
She wanted to get one back for being toyed with. She turned her back to him and refused to look.
“Yanxi, you can’t weasel out now,” Xiao Yu snapped, lowering his voice to a heady whisper. “You proposed to me a moment ago. Don’t back out now.”
She pretended not to hear. “Who proposed to you? I’m so sleepy. I’m going to rest.”
“All right.” He leaned closer, a man settling an inevitable conclusion. “Tomorrow we’ll go to the civil registry and register our marriage. Just in case you deny it again.”
She made no reply, but the heat in her chest said enough.