"Leng Yingying, I want you to marry me," Qiao Gaoyang said.

He was shocked when he said those words.

At first, Qiao Gaoyang didn't think about any so-called reward. He just wanted to help Leng Yingying solve the problem of the Leng family. He didn't need any reward.

But when Leng Yingying asked the question, he knew it was just a joke between them, but he still couldn't help but tell her the truth.

That's right, what he wanted was for Leng Yingying to marry him. That was what he wanted most, and the only thing he wanted.

"Wh-what..." Leng Yingying stammered for the first time in front of Qiao Gaoyang.

[No way, what nonsense is this guy spouting? Why is he suddenly proposing? Isn't that a bit too fast?]

[Do I really have to marry him because of this?]

Qiao Gaoyang: "..."

The fervor that had just been fueled by a single sentence instantly vanished as if doused with cold water. He realized that this was not a good time; it seemed too much like he was taking advantage of someone's kindness.

How can you expect someone to repay you with their body right after you've helped them?

"I, I was just..." Qiao Gaoyang wanted to say that he was just joking, but it was even harder to say those words.

Because he knew he wasn't joking at all; his inner desires were real, intense, and undeniable.

But actually, marrying him doesn't seem like such a bad thing. Besides, we've been dating for so long, and given the pace of this era, it's quite reasonable to start thinking about marriage now.

[Besides Qiao Gaoyang, there's no other man who can catch my eye. Should I take this opportunity and say yes?]

Qiao Gaoyang: "!!!"

My heart, which had just been doused with cold water, was now instantly put on the hot seat of a fire.

No, it's not just fire, it's like an erupting volcano, enveloped in high-temperature magma.

Qiao Gaoyang was unable to describe his feelings at this moment in words. Any words would be so pale and powerless. He was only excited and overjoyed. Could it be that he had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel?

“Yes, that’s right! Leng Yingying, didn’t you ask me what I wanted? This is what I want. I want you to marry me, to be my wife, my rightful wife, and to become a real family!” Qiao Gaoyang said loudly, looking sincerely into Leng Yingying’s eyes with courage and expectation.

[What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly confessing your feelings...?]

But I did ask them what they wanted, and if I asked and then didn't give it to them, wouldn't that make me seem very rude?

The rapid pounding of his heart was almost shattering Qiao Gaoyang's eardrums. He felt like someone awaiting sentencing. Leng Yingying's next words would be his verdict, determining whether he would go to heaven or hell the next moment.

Therefore, Qiao Gaoyang decided to give it another try instead of foolishly standing there waiting.

"Leng Yingying, can you help me this once?" Qiao Gaoyang asked.

"Huh?" Leng Yingying was considering whether to nod in agreement when Qiao Gaoyang's sudden question stunned her. She asked, "Help you? Help you with what?"

"Help me win this time," Qiao Gaoyang said, taking Leng Yingying's hand and making a desperate gamble. "Yingying, I've already lost to Yueya once, I can't lose to Xinruo again, can I? No, where will my brother's dignity be then? You have to help me!"

"What do you mean you lost to Crescent Moon? Did you make a bet?" Leng Yingying pressed.

“It’s not a bet, but as the older brother, shouldn’t I get married before my sister? Okay, when Yueya was found and brought back to the Qiao family, she was already married to Lu Zhengjun, so I really can’t change that. But now Xinruo and that Zhou Jinglan guy seem to be very stable. If I don’t get married soon, won’t I become the last old bachelor in the family?”

At first, Qiao Gaoyang only used this as an excuse, but the more he described it, the more he felt that he was really pitiful. He didn't want to lose to Qiao Xinruo again!

[That's it? That's so idiotic...]

"So, can you help me or not?" Qiao Gaoyang asked. He knew this was the final verdict. If he couldn't convince Leng Yingying to agree, today would probably be the end of his world.

“Of course—” Leng Yingying put her arm around Qiao Gaoyang’s shoulder, looking like a close friend, and said frankly, “Sure! We’ve been dating for a while now, and you’ve been doing well, so okay, I’ll agree to marry you.”

"Really?"

Qiao Gaoyang was slightly taller than Leng Yingying, so it was an awkward position for her to put her arm around his shoulder like that. He tilted half of his body to maintain his balance, but his mind was not quite balanced. It took him several seconds to process what Leng Yingying had said.

"Shadow, you really agreed to marry me? Really! You said yes! Ahhhhhh—"

Qiao Gaoyang suddenly started shouting.

Oh my god, this is so embarrassing! I have to run before anyone sees me!

Leng Yingying turned and ran, trying to pretend she didn't know Qiao Gaoyang, so as not to be seen and embarrassed. But she had only taken one step when Qiao Gaoyang grabbed her around the waist.

"Don't run away, you're my wife, you can't escape now."

Qiao Gaoyang, like a large pendant, tightly hugged Leng Yingying's waist from behind, holding her tightly, especially afraid that she would really run away.

"Leng Yingying, you can't go back on your word." He buried his face in Leng Yingying's shoulder, feeling that this was the happiest moment of his life.

When Qiao Gaoyang first started dealing with Leng Qisheng, he never imagined that it would become the catalyst for his marriage proposal.

However, to his surprise, his impulsive behavior received a positive response from Leng Yingying. She accepted his marriage proposal, and they were finally going to have a legal relationship!

"Shadow, you're so kind..."

Leng Yingying: "..."

[Ugh, can't a grown man stop being so cheesy and acting like a baby? Help!]

Hearing her thoughts, Qiao Gaoyang smiled silently and then hugged the person in his arms even tighter.

At this moment, someone came out of the dormitory building and saw the two of them hugging like this. Leng Yingying had a helpless expression on her face, but in her helplessness, there was also a bit of amusing indulgence.

"You two... in broad daylight, shouldn't you consider going back to your dorm to hug?" A passerby couldn't help but kindly remind them.

This building houses special talents, and compared to the ordinary male and female soldiers' dormitories, they have a much higher degree of freedom.

Although Leng Yingying had been promoted to battalion commander, she did not request a house in the family compound. She continued to live in the dormitory as a member of the explosives research group, and she had gotten used to it.

But now it seems she probably won't stay here for long and will soon move into the Qiao family's house.