Chapter 89

"We'll soon be able to grow old together."

A white Pagani Huayra sped along the mountain road, suddenly drifting and turning a steep bend, a splash of red on the hood like a burning flame.

It only took one minute to go from the top of the mountain to the bottom.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Cheng Jiamo pushed open the car door with trembling hands, staggered to the side, and leaned against a sal tree before vomiting with a loud "whoosh".

He Qingzhao unscrewed a bottle of water and walked behind her, patting her back gently with one hand and handing her the water with the other: "My speed today is ten times slower than when I was twenty. However, twenty was just the starting point for me on the field. Twenty-two is my peak."

Cheng Jiamo vomited for a while, then took the water He Qingzhao handed her, rinsed her mouth, and forcibly suppressed the nausea.

She glanced at the filth on the ground, quickly looked away, handed the mineral water bottle back to He Qingzhao, walked back to the car, and leaned against the car to catch her breath.

He Qingzhao took the mineral water bottle from her hand, and without minding that she put the bottle mouth in her mouth, tilted her head back and took a big gulp of water, swallowing it with her Adam's apple bobbing.

Cheng Jiamo watched his Adam's apple bob, her eyelashes trembled, and she turned her face away in a flustered state.

He Qingzhao chuckled, stepped closer to her, looked directly into her face, and said in a gentle voice, "Before I turned twenty-four, I did racing, bungee jumping, free climbing, BASE jumping, waterfall surfing, extreme rollerblading, as well as skiing, skateboarding, surfing, jet skiing, and other thrilling sports. Back then, all I saw were the stars and the sea, and my desire to explore and challenge this world."

Looking at He Qingzhao, who had experienced countless trials and tribulations, and listening to him recount the thrilling things she had never seen him do in a gentle and calm tone, Cheng Jiamo seemed to see his spirited and unrestrained youth.

That version of him was a He Qingzhao that Cheng Jiamo had never seen before.

Sunlight streamed through the branches of the sal tree, illuminating He Qingzhao's tall and slender figure and his face, weathered by time. Gone was the sharpness and vigor of his youth; now he was as gentle and warm as jade. Yet beneath that gentleness lay a composure and a fierce edge born from years of dealing with the world.

As she watched, she suddenly felt a little sad.

Eight years have passed, and it has all turned out to be a regret.

He Qingzhao raised his hand and gently stroked her face: "If we were the same age, and you met me when I was twenty, do you think I would still be attracted to you?"

Cheng Jiamo pursed her lips and remained silent.

She knew it wouldn't happen.

If she had met He Qingzhao when he was twenty, she wouldn't have attracted his attention, nor would she have ended up with him.

He Qingzhao smiled gently and affectionately: "Momo, we met each other at the best age. Maybe you feel it's a regret that you couldn't witness my youth, but for me, it was the best arrangement from heaven."

Cheng Jiamo's lips moved slightly, but all her unspoken words were conveyed through a silent gaze.

He Qingzhao sighed, sounding both helpless and indulgent: "During the six years from when I was eighteen to twenty-four, there were girls like you around me, but back then, I had no desire for any girl I was with. If you had met me then, we would have really missed each other."

Cheng Jiamo's eyes reddened from the mountain wind, and she tried hard to hold back her tears: "I never thought I would be with you, He Qingzhao, who is so flamboyant and unruly. When I met you, you had already settled down. It's just... it's just that the three years we spent together are still a bit hard to let go of for me."

Despite her deep resentment, she was powerless to do anything about it.

Because she knew very well that even if she could go back ten years, He Qingzhao would still be the same.

At that time, He Qingzhao was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, in the prime of his life. Having experienced the fierce battles of the business world, he possessed power and status that his peers could only dream of.

At such a young age, he holds a high position of power; the higher one climbs, the colder it gets.

It's hard for He Qingzhao not to be arrogant, with a cold and proud demeanor. He is unwilling to humble himself in front of anyone, let alone act like a naive young boy.

So when she asked him to write her a love letter, he didn't take it seriously at all and just lied to her as a joke.

She knew that He Qingzhao didn't dislike her; otherwise, given his status, he wouldn't have bothered to lie to her.

But she also knew that his affection for her had reached its limit.

Because he is He Qingzhao, a high-mountain flower she tried her best to pluck, but knew she could never pluck it.

If he could actually take it off, he wouldn't be He Qingzhao anymore.

It's true that he liked her, that he doted on her, tolerated her, and treated her well. However, it's also true that he had a fake marriage with Zhao Qingman. Everything he did was the best choice after weighing the pros and cons under the circumstances at the time.

Even now, when they meet again in Thailand, as he said, it's not that he can't live without her, but rather that she happens to be the best choice for him.

At this point, she raised her lips, smiling with a tone that seemed both relaxed and helpless, and said to herself and He Qingzhao, "I first met you when I was sixteen, fell in love with you at nineteen, and we've been through so much together, on and off, until now. You're thirty-eight, and I'm thirty. Youth is like flowing water, and half of life has passed. He Qingzhao, we..."

He Qingzhao pulled her into his arms and interrupted her, "Don't say it, let me say it."

-

As the car drove into Pattaya Manor, Cheng Jiamo looked at the exquisite manor with its classic European style and couldn't help but recall the first time she entered this place.

She was soaking wet, wearing He Qingzhao's suit jacket, and sitting nervously in the back seat.

When she got out of the car, He Qingzhao opened the car door for her, displaying gentlemanly manners and refined elegance, perfectly embodying the demeanor of a noble young man.

At that time, she really thought He Qingzhao was the best man in the world. During the more than half a month she lived there, all the servants said about He Qingzhao was "Mr. He is very good", and she also thought he was very good.

Having been warmed by such a man during her most desperate and helpless moments, it would be hard for her, a young woman just beginning to experience love, not to be moved.

She secretly watched him paint in his study, and secretly watched him lie in his rocking chair watching the sunset. His every word and action, like the sunset of that evening, was imprinted in her heart, so much so that after their reunion, she inevitably fell for him again.

What are you thinking about?

He Qingzhao gently touched her face with his slender fingers and smiled as he moved closer to her.

Cheng Jiamo felt a little uncomfortable and flustered, and turned her head away: "No, I wasn't thinking about anything."

After all these years apart, she could no longer be as familiar and at ease with him as before.

She could sense that He Qingzhao felt the same way.

He Qingzhao took her hand and walked through the elegant garden, along the winding cobblestone path, into the villa, past the Roman columns, through the long corridor, to the end, and pushed open a door.

Cheng Jiamo was stunned when she saw that half of the wall in the room was covered with photos, because they were all of her.

He Qingzhao took her hand and led her into the house, introducing her as he had done when he took her to visit an art exhibition years ago: "This is from the day you first came to the manor. You were so small and adorable."

In the photo, Cheng Jiamo is wearing He Qingzhao's suit jacket, looking thin and small as she follows behind him, like a pitiful little dog that has been soaked in the rain.

She glared at He Qingzhao: "Where is the cuteness? You look like a dirty, pitiful little dog. You're so ugly."

He Qingzhao laughed out loud: "I look at these photos day and night, and they are more and more adorable the more I look at them."

After saying that, he pointed to another photo and asked Cheng Jiamo, "Were you hiding behind the banana grove to watch me paint that day?"

His smile was playful, with a hint of mischievous teasing.

Cheng Jiamo firmly denied it: "No."

He Qingzhao put his arm around her waist and leaned down to press his face close to hers: "Now I actually hope you can meet me soon."

"Why?" Cheng Jiamo looked at him. "Didn't you say when you were on the mountain that you didn't want me to meet you sooner? You yourself said that even if I had met you then, you wouldn't have liked me."

He Qingzhao looked into her bright, clear eyes, which were still clean and pure, just like in college. He smiled but didn't say anything lewd.

He's already at this age, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to say such things so carelessly, especially since they just met today. He should be more restrained.

“This one,” He Qingzhao continued, introducing the photo to her, “is a picture from your sixteenth birthday.”

Memories of her youth became clearer with each frame of the old photos, and Cheng Jiamo's eyes reddened as she looked at them, her eyes becoming moist.

Her voice choked up a little: "The birthday cake that day was made by an aunt from southern Fujian. Her cakes were delicious, and you had a piece too."

There were still some things she didn't say. She prayed all day that He Qingzhao would come back before dinner.

Fortunately, He Qingzhao returned to Pattaya Manor that day.

He Qingzhao smiled at her: "You gave it to me yourself. That day, after I came back, I went into the study. You knocked on the study door, and I said 'Come in.' You peeked in with the cake, looking delicate and timid, with a pair of big, wet eyes staring straight at me, asking if I wanted to eat the cake?"

Cheng Jiamo lowered her head and smiled: "Actually, I was quite nervous that day, afraid that you would reject me."

He Qingzhao smiled: "I originally wanted to refuse, but looking into your watery, dreamy eyes, I couldn't bear to say it."

Cheng Jiamo asked, "Did you eat it later?"

He Qingzhao: "I tried a little bit. You know I don't like sweets."

Cheng Jiamo couldn't help but recall her twentieth birthday. On that day, He Qingzhao ate a lot of the three-tiered fruit and cream cake. As for how he ate it, she still blushed and her heart raced when she remembered it.

At that time, He Qingzhao smeared the cream from the cake all over her body, and then ate it all up.

He Qingzhao coughed, his fist pressed to his lips. He always had a good memory, and it was obvious that he had also thought of that scene.

Afraid he would reveal the answer, Cheng Jiamo preemptively asked, "How did you get these photos?"

He Qingzhao said, "AI technology extracts images from videos, and the restored photos are even clearer than the original photos."

After saying that, he put his arm around Cheng Jiamo and continued to look at the next picture, introducing it to her as he said, "This is a photo of you when you were nineteen, the photo of when we reunited."

Starting when she was nineteen, she took more photos, all of them taken after she got together with He Qingzhao, in all seasons, day and night.

Some photos were taken when He Qingzhao took her on a trip abroad, while others were taken in Nanyuan. Each photo is a memory.

Besides photos from her university days, there are also photos of the five years she lived in Dongguan, but there aren't many photos from those five years because she didn't take many photos during that time.

There are also photos from the year she first started teaching in Quanshui Town, the year He Qingzhao was pursuing her.

Cheng Jiamo looked at each one in turn until she saw that the woman was twenty-eight years old, and then she stopped.

He Qingzhao released her hand, leaned against the wall, and looked at her with deep eyes: "In the past two years, I have persisted, struggled, and thought about giving up. I wanted to give up because I knew you no longer loved me, and another reason was that I had lost the drive to do whatever I wanted."

Cheng Jiamo's throat tightened, and she asked, "Then why did you still come to the appointment?"

He Qingzhao raised her lips, the weariness in her eyes could no longer be concealed, and her smile was bitter: "Because I can't let go, I want to, I want to be with you."

Cheng Jiamo wanted to comfort him by saying, "There's no need to be so persistent. At our age, it doesn't matter who you're with," but she didn't even believe it herself, so how could she comfort He Qingzhao?

How could it be the same no matter who you're with?

If that were the case, how could she not have looked for someone for eight years?

In the past eight years, she has not waited for He Qingzhao, but she has also not met anyone she wants to date or marry.

Like many single people, it's not necessarily that they're afraid of marriage; it's just that they haven't met the right person, the one they want to spend the rest of their lives with.

Now that He Qingzhao has returned, even though she is still resentful and unwilling, he is He Qingzhao, and she has no choice but to follow her heart.

Remembering He Qingzhao's question in the car, she stepped forward, took his hand, and squeezed his well-defined fingers: "How have you been all these years?"

He Qingzhao's fingers, which were being held by her, twitched slightly, and her fingertips lightly scratched her palm: "You really want to know?"

Cheng Jiamo nodded gently: "Mm."

He Qingzhao looked at her jade-like face, grasped her hand in return, and pulled her into his arms with a slight force: "You should be able to guess."

Cheng Jiamo couldn't have guessed that her knowledge of sex came entirely from He Qingzhao. After breaking up with him, she hadn't dated any men, nor had she deliberately sought out knowledge in that area, so she hadn't even considered it.

"I don't know," she replied sincerely.

He Qingzhao wrapped one arm around her waist and hugged her tightly. Looking into her still clear and moist eyes, he lowered his head and gently bit her lips. He said in a low, husky voice, "Every day I fantasize, looking at your photos and videos, using the clothes you wore... I fantasize about every night I spent with you."

The truth is even more unspeakable than he said. He took all of Cheng Jiamo's underwear and bras abroad and used them to vent his feelings whenever he missed her.

He even bit the thin fabric in his mouth, as if he were biting her.

Cheng Jiamo was stunned for a moment before she realized what it meant. Even though He Qingzhao hadn't said it explicitly, she understood.

Her cheeks suddenly felt hot, burning like fire, and her heart started racing, her breathing quickening.

Hearing her slightly rapid breathing, He Qingzhao's eyes darkened, and he lowered his head to kiss her.

Cheng Jiamo hurriedly covered his face with her hands: "No, don't kiss me." She said with difficulty, "I threw up down the mountain, and I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

He Qingzhao gently bit her finger, his voice hoarse and trembling: "It's okay, baby isn't dirty, I want to kiss you."

Cheng Jiamo hurriedly turned around: "I'm going to take a shower."

An hour later.

Cheng Jiamo emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a bath towel. Having just showered, her fair and moist cheeks were flushed with a peach-blossom pink, and her exposed shoulders and neck were as white as snow, shimmering with a gentle, dewy glow.

She clutched the towel to her chest with one hand, glanced at He Qingzhao sitting on the edge of the bed, panicked, and quickly looked away from him, saying, "Go take a shower."

He Qingzhao kept staring at her, her charming and alluring appearance reflected in his eyes. As she approached, he narrowed his eyes, his eyes burning with desire.

Cheng Jiamo felt flustered by He Qingzhao's gaze and stopped, not daring to move forward or look at him.

He Qingzhao lowered his head, pressed his tongue heavily against his teeth, and suddenly stood up with a smile. He unbuttoned his shirt with one hand and walked towards her. When he reached her side, he placed his hand on her fair and smooth shoulder.

Cheng Jiamo's heart skipped a beat, her shoulders trembled, but she still didn't dare to look at him.

He Qingzhao moved his hand away, quickly unbuttoned his shirt, and walked into the bathroom.

Cheng Jiamo breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the edge of the bed.

She nervously clutched the bath towel, hesitating whether to put on clothes or not.

Not wearing it would seem too deliberate, but since we're already like this, wearing it again would seem too pretentious.

Just as she was struggling with her inner thoughts, the bathroom door opened, and He Qingzhao walked out with a bath towel wrapped around her waist.

Cheng Jiamo glanced at it once, then looked away again.

He Qingzhao didn't immediately go to the bedside to hug her. Instead, he went to the living room, carrying a bottle of red wine in one hand and two wine glasses in the other, and walked into the bedroom.

He placed the wine glass on the low sandalwood table at the foot of the bed, poured two glasses of wine, handed one to Cheng Jiamo, and drank the other himself.

Cheng Jiamo accepted the wine glass and said, "Thank you."

He Qingzhao sat next to her, legs spread wide, left hand on his thigh, right hand holding a wine glass and gently swirling it, turning his face to look at her.

Cheng Jiamo felt flustered under his gaze, so she quickly took a sip of her drink and, emboldened by the alcohol, met his eyes: "Why aren't you drinking?"

He Qingzhao smiled and said, "Drinking on its own is no fun."

Cheng Jiamo: "Why don't you have some snacks to go with your drinks?"

He Qingzhao moved closer to her, wrapped the hand holding the wine glass around her fair and slender arm, and looked at her with a smile: "I want to drink a toast with you."

Upon hearing such teasing remarks, Cheng Jiamo immediately tried to pull her hand away.

He Qingzhao spread his right leg apart, pressing his knee against her leg, and wrapped his arm tightly around her arm: "I'm nervous, let me have a drink to calm down."

Cheng Jiamo originally wanted to refuse, but looking at his red ear tips and taut jawline, she inexplicably softened and slowly raised her head under his affectionate gaze.

As they drank together, she watched He Qingzhao's sexy Adam's apple bob. The originally smooth and mellow red wine suddenly became strong, like strong liquor going down her throat, instantly burning her heart.

After finishing his drink, He Qingzhao placed the glass on the low table beside the bed, then hugged her and pressed her down.

Cheng Jiamo's heart was racing, her breathing was heavy, and her face was flushed as if it were on fire.

After being separated for two years, she was actually very nervous and uncomfortable doing this on the first day they met. But she knew that only in this way could the barriers and awkwardness created by time between them be completely eliminated.

He Qingzhao kissed her lips, his eyes open, looking at her face as he kissed her. He wanted to see her clear eyes become hazy, to see her fall for him again.

Cheng Jiamo closed her eyes and tilted her head back to respond to his kiss.

He Qingzhao stepped back, his voice low and hoarse: "Baby, open your eyes and look at me."

Cheng Jiamo's eyelashes trembled, but she kept her eyes tightly closed.

He Qingzhao abruptly pulled away from her mouth, grabbed her waist with both hands, and moved down.

The pure white jasmine he personally watered has fully blossomed into a delicate jasmine flower.

"My darling is so beautiful." He leaned in and kissed the white jasmine he had been longing for.

He kissed her as he had kissed the clothes she wore every night before, kissing her almost frantically.

Cheng Jiamo bit her lip and said in a soft voice, "He Qingzhao, no, don't kiss me."

He Qingzhao kissed her even more passionately, sucking and licking her with an infatuated look.

Cheng Jiamo closed her eyes and pursed her lips, letting him kiss her.

He Qingzhao raised his hand, put his arm under her neck and hugged her, restraining himself from kissing her lips, sucking on her lips and releasing them, then kissing her neck, and sucking on her pink earlobe.

The moment their hands touched, they gazed into each other's eyes, wishing they could see into each other's hearts.

Cheng Jiamo was so nervous that her breathing became erratic. She gripped his taut arm tightly, her hand sweating profusely, unsure whether it was her own sweat or the sweat from He Qingzhao's arm.

He Qingzhao used his other hand to gently stroke her face and kissed the corner of her lips: "Baby, don't be nervous, relax."

Cheng Jiamo found it hard not to be nervous, firstly because it had been so long since they had seen each other, and secondly because it had been so long since they had done this together.

To distract her, He Qingzhao didn't rush into anything but took the initiative to start a conversation with her.

He asked her, "How have you managed all these years?"

Cheng Jiamo's eyelashes trembled: "No, it's not really resolved."

He Qingzhao took her hand, intertwined their fingers, and pressed her hand down on the pillow.

From He Qingzhao's perspective, she appears very alluring and seductive.

He looked at her intently, and asked with restraint, "Did you use any toys?"

Cheng Jiamo didn't hide it; there was no point in hiding such a thing.

"Mmm," she replied softly, "I've used it."

He Qingzhao smiled and asked, "Is it easy to use?"

Cheng Jiamo turned her head away in a panic: "It's...it's alright."

Actually, it's not very useful. She had been with He Qingzhao and had an extreme experience. It's hard for anything else to replace He Qingzhao.

But she definitely couldn't say those things.

However, even though she didn't say anything, He Qingzhao insisted on asking, "Am I more useful or are the things you bought more useful?"

Cheng Jiamo remained silent.

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

He Qingzhao suddenly smiled meaningfully. Before Cheng Jiamo could react, he had already reached the bottom.

It's getting windy outside.

Cheng Jiamo turned her head to look out the window, where she saw banana leaves shaking violently.

He Qingzhao turned her face around, cupped her sweaty face in his large, veiny hands, and whispered in her ear, "Have you thought about me all these years?"

Cheng Jiamo opened her mouth, her voice trembling slightly: "I've thought about it."

He Qingzhao's voice deepened: "Do you still love me?"

Cheng Jiamo paused for a moment before replying, "I still love you."

He Qingzhao laughed, his voice low and deep: "It's okay if you don't love me anymore." He hugged her tightly, pressing her against him, his voice deep and resonant, "Having sailed through countless waves and crossed countless mountains, if you are willing to turn back, I have no other desires."

Cheng Jiamo couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face.

He Qingzhao kissed her eyes, licked away her tears, and gently and restrainedly moved his hands, saying in a low, husky voice, "Don't cry."

Cheng Jiamo: "I didn't cry, I just, I just..."

He Qingzhao bit her ear: "If you really want to cry, I hope your tears will flow in another way."

-

An hour later.

Cheng Jiamo lay on her side in He Qingzhao's arms, and He Qingzhao hugged her from behind.

Sensing his reaction, Cheng Jiamo moved forward slightly.

He Qingzhao held her down: "Don't move, let me hold you for a while."

Cheng Jiamo put her hand on his arm and scratched it: "You're already so old, how come you're still like this? I thought you..."

"What did you think I was, huh?" He Qingzhao turned her around and looked at her face. "You thought I was impotent?"

Cheng Jiamo suppressed the corners of her mouth that were turning up: "I don't think it's completely impossible, it's just that I feel it probably won't be like before..."

He Qingzhao held her, gently stroking her beautifully arched back, and kissed her forehead: "These things depend on your mood and the person. If it's you, I'd be willing to be eighty. That's why I can't let go, because I still crave you."

Cheng Jiamo didn't hit him shyly like before. Instead, she snuggled closer to him, pressing her face against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

He Qingzhao flicked her earlobe, rubbed his chin against the top of her head, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, still a little husky from the passion, "But you haven't changed at all, you're still the same as before."

Cheng Jiamo lifted her head from his embrace: "What do you mean, 'same'?"

He Qingzhao whispered in her ear, "Still so tight..." Before Cheng Jiamo could get angry out of embarrassment, he quickly added, "Nervous."

Cheng Jiamo didn't get angry; she just opened her mouth and bit his shoulder, then tilted her head and bit his ear, blowing a breath into his ear canal: "But you've changed."

He Qingzhao narrowed his eyes: "Transform into what?"

“Become more…” Cheng Jiamo grabbed his hand, wrote the character “天” in his palm, and said, “Remove the top horizontal stroke.”

He Qingzhao laughed: "Are you playing word games with me?"

Cheng Jiamo was afraid he would do it again, so she quickly pushed him away: "Is this how you celebrate my birthday?"

He Qingzhao picked her up and carried her to the bathroom, only taking her out an hour later.

As Cheng Jiamo covered herself with the blanket, she cursed, "You old scoundrel."

As soon as these words were spoken, they both laughed, and the slight awkwardness and discomfort completely disappeared.

He Qingzhao dressed in a white suit, then brought her an exquisite dress and a ruby ​​necklace that had been prepared beforehand.

Looking at his elaborately dressed appearance, Cheng Jiamo asked, "Are you still going out?"

He Qingzhao said, "Even celebrating at home should have a sense of ritual."

Cheng Jiamo put on a dress and sat in front of the dressing mirror to put on makeup. He Qingzhao took the eyebrow pencil from her hand, squatted down in front of her to draw her eyebrows, and then applied lipstick for her.

Looking at He Qingzhao's devout expression, Cheng Jiamo smiled and asked, "Who did you learn it from?"

He Qingzhao: "Watch the live stream."

Just as Cheng Jiamo was about to laugh, He Qingzhao lifted her chin with two fingers: "Don't laugh, or your lipstick will smudge."

These words acted as a remedy for laughter, and Cheng Jiamo indeed dared not laugh anymore, even maintaining a serious and stern expression.

He Qingzhao smiled and narrowed his eyes, the long, narrow corners of his eyes curving into a seductive arc.

After finishing her makeup, He Qingzhao pulled her outside.

As soon as I stepped out of the villa, I was greeted by a shower of rose petals, followed by a chorus of congratulations: "Happy Birthday!"

Cheng Jiamo froze, looking at the familiar faces, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

Zhong Qi was the first to step forward, smiling as he handed over the gift: "Happy birthday, Momo."

He Lin kicked him from behind: "You're asking for it, Momo. Who do you think you are to call me that?"

After saying that, He Lin smiled and handed over the gift: "Happy birthday, sister-in-law!"

Zhong Qi explained with a smile, "Old He and I are classmates, so it's not appropriate for me to call you sister-in-law."

He Zongxun pulled Zhong Qi aside, walked up to Cheng Jiamo, and formally called her "Sister-in-law," respectfully handing her the gift box: "Happy birthday, Sister-in-law."

Cheng Jiamo reached out and took it, smiling as she replied, "Thank you, but..." She wanted to say, "But don't call me sister-in-law," but she swallowed the words back and changed her mind, "But you look quite handsome today."

"Hahaha……"

Everyone laughed.

He Qingzhao squeezed his hand: "Am I as handsome as you?"

Cheng Jiamo said, "Whoever is younger is more handsome."

He Zongxun raised an eyebrow smugly.

The crowd laughed even louder.

Zhao Yue took the lead in cheering, letting out a wolf-like howl.

Everyone else was laughing.

He Jingyang hurriedly stepped forward and presented the gift with both hands: "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."

Cheng Jiamo smiled and stopped his apology: "It's okay, you're the younger brother, I can't hold a grudge against a kid."

These words immediately enlivened the atmosphere, and everyone laughed continuously.

In fact, He Jingyang is four years older than Cheng Jiamo, and even He Qingzhao's youngest cousin, He Zihong, is two years older than her.

However, He Jingyang could only obediently accept the title of "younger brother," because it was already destined that Cheng Jiamo would become his sister-in-law.

He Zihong also presented a gift to Cheng Jiamo, and then glanced at He Qingzhao before smiling and saying to Cheng Jiamo, "Happy birthday."

He Qingzhao glanced at him, and said in a seemingly gentle but actually very imposing manner, "You're rude."

He Zihong coughed and respectfully greeted, "Sister-in-law."

Then came Li Zhuyue and Ding Qiaoqiao, who went up and hugged Cheng Jiamo, handing her gifts one by one.

Ding Qiaoqiao said, "Wenqian is pregnant and going through morning sickness, so she can't come. Xia Mei is in her postpartum period, so she can't come either."

Cheng Jiamo smiled and said, "It's okay, we'll go see them together when I get back."

Li Zhuyue pinched her fair face, which had long since lost its baby fat: "Happy birthday, don't cry."

Cheng Jiamo: "I didn't mean to cry, don't provoke me."

She forced herself not to cry and accepted all the gifts, thanking them profusely.

He Qingzhao had the housekeeper accept the gifts from everyone on Cheng Jiamo's behalf, and then pulled Cheng Jiamo onto the lawn.

The wide lawn was covered with red roses, and there was a huge billboard that read "Happy Birthday, Cheng Jiamo," with He Qingzhao's handwriting clearly visible.

He Qingzhao took Cheng Jiamo's hand and walked to the middle of the lawn. Suddenly, the classic and beautiful piano piece "Liebestraum" began to play.

Cheng Jiamo already knew what He Qingzhao was going to do. Her heart was racing, and her heart was pounding so hard it was almost painful.

He Qingzhao hugged her, gently patted her back with his large hand, and whispered in her ear, "Are you scared? If you are, I can wait."

Cheng Jiamo smiled and said softly, "The atmosphere is already this tense, what can I do if I'm afraid?"

He Qingzhao: "If you don't like it, you can stop it anytime."

Cheng Jiamo tilted her head and bit his bright red earlobe: "I told you to stop just now, but you didn't."

He Qingzhao's already red ears turned even redder after being bitten, so red they looked like they could bleed.

Cheng Jiamo teased him with a smile, "He Qingzhao, your ears turn red very easily now."

He Qingzhao licked his lips, his smile deepening the fine lines around his eyes.

Actually, his heart was beating very fast, as if it were about to burst out of his chest. On the one hand, he was afraid that Cheng Jiamo would reject him, and on the other hand, he was genuinely nervous.

However, he pretended to be calm and said, "This is my first time proposing. I have no experience and I'm afraid I won't do it well."

Cheng Jiamo pushed him away and said loudly, "I think you're very experienced."

Zhong Qi asked, "What experience?"

Cheng Jiamo smiled and glanced at He Qingzhao: "Ask him."

Just as Zhong Qi was about to ask, He Qingzhao shot him a sharp glare, and Zhong Qi wisely retreated.

He Lin and He Zongxun, one on each side, lifted the bell and carried it away.

The drone in the sky was still scattering roses when suddenly a red velvet box fell from the sky, landing right in front of He Qingzhao.

He Qingzhao picked up the red velvet box from the ground, opened it to reveal a dazzling diamond ring inside, pulled up his trouser leg, and knelt on one knee in front of Cheng Jiamo.

Cheng Jiamo looked down at him, nervously biting her lip.

He Qingzhao placed one hand on his knee, nervously rubbing his trouser leg, and held the box containing the engagement ring in the other hand, handing the box to Cheng Jiamo.

Both remained silent, one looking down, the other looking up, gazing at each other.

The dazzling light reflected by the diamond ring in the sunlight was like an invisible barrier, separating the two people, yet also like a point connecting eight years of time.

The lawn was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; you could clearly hear the wind rustling through the coniferous trees and the two people's rapid breathing.

Zhong Qi shouted, "Old He, are you mute? Speak up!"

He Qingzhao lowered his head and chuckled, licking his teeth and dry lips with his tongue. He then looked up at Cheng Jiamo with deep and tender eyes, took her hand, his sharp, sexy Adam's apple bobbing up and down. His voice was hoarse, as if filled with grit, and trembled as he asked, "Momo, will you marry me?"

After proposing, He Qingzhao swallowed hard, as if finally releasing the emotions that had been suppressed in his heart.

"Cheng Jiamo!" he shouted in a deep voice, "Cheng Jiamo, I love you, I love you, I love you!"

He called out three times, then took her hand, kissed the back of her hand, and put the diamond ring on her finger.

Looking at the perfectly sized ring, Cheng Jiamo held back her tears and said in a choked voice, "How can you propose like this?"

He Qingzhao laughed like a rogue: "You know, that's just how I am." Then he knelt down and moved his knees forward, hugging her legs. "I'm sorry, Cheng Jiamo, I'm sorry. It was my fault back then. I did those awful things and made you leave in a huff."

Cheng Jiamo bit her lip tightly, trying her best to hold back her tears.

He Qingzhao burst into tears, his voice hoarse and low: "It's my fault, letting you wander outside for eight years." He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes filled with tears, "Now I want to marry you, I want to have a home with you, I want you to stop wandering, are you willing?"

Cheng Jiamo tried to hold back, but in the end she couldn't hold back anymore, and tears rolled down her cheeks like beads.

Her lips trembled as she looked at him through teary eyes.

He Qingzhao looked at her with bloodshot eyes, and smiled with red eyes: "If you are not willing, I can wait until you are willing."

Cheng Jiamo tilted her head back, trying to hold back her tears, but they couldn't, just like time itself, which can never be reversed.

She lowered her head again, large tears falling onto the back of He Qingzhao's hand.

He Qingzhao's tightly clenched fist trembled slightly, as if it had been burned by her tears, or as if it had been hurt by her tears.

Cheng Jiamo raised her hand and rubbed He Qingzhao's head, crying as she said, "He Qingzhao, you know I can't refuse you. Just like eleven years ago, when you first asked me to be your girlfriend, I knew you didn't like me at all back then, but I still agreed. Because for those three years when you didn't even remember me, I had silently and patiently loved you all by myself."

He Qingzhao stood up and hugged her, lowered his head to kiss her lips, stroked her head with his large hand, and almost frantically sucked on her lips, pressing his lips against her face and kissing away the tears.

The onlookers automatically turned their backs.

Cheng Jiamo was almost suffocated by his kiss and pushed him away forcefully.

She cried and hit him, saying, "What do you mean it's me? You're so cunning, you clearly planned this all along."

He Qingzhao pulled her hand to his face: "No, I've schemed against everyone in my life, but I've never schemed against you. Cheng Jiamo, if I really had schemed against you, I wouldn't have lost you for eight years. In those eight years, I suffered more than you."

Cheng Jiamo hugged his lean waist, buried her face in his chest, and wiped her snot and tears on his white, handmade haute couture suit.

He Qingzhao smiled gently and indulgently: "There's a pocket square for your suit; you can just take it out and wipe yourself."

Cheng Jiamo: "No, I want to use your clothes to wipe it."

He Qingzhao smiled and wiped her face with his hand: "Don't cry. If you keep crying like this, people will think that I forcibly took you away from you."

Cheng Jiamo wiped away her tears, sniffed, and said in a muffled voice, "For the sake of your friends and brothers, I'll temporarily accept your proposal, but there's no rush to get married. We'll get married when I'm ready."

He Qingzhao smiled indulgently and agreed, "Okay, whatever you say."

Cheng Jiamo added, "After we get married, you can't control me."

"It's none of your business, it's none of your business." He Qingzhao quickly agreed, "After we get married, you'll be in charge, you'll make the decisions, and I'll listen to you."

Cheng Jiamo: "You can't interfere with what I do."

He Qingzhao: "Sure, as long as it's not illegal."

Cheng Jiamo pinched his waist: "You're the one who broke the law!"

He Qingzhao said seriously, "We are husband and wife, and I will clean up the mess for you if you break the law."

Cheng Jiaming chuckled at his frivolous words, looked up at him, and said, "He Qingzhao, I do." As she said this, her eyes welled up with tears again. "I'm willing to come back to you, and I'm willing to marry you."

He Qingzhao's eyes reddened with laughter again, and he cupped her face and kissed her passionately.

"Hey, hey, hey." Zhong Qi's voice rang out from behind, "Old He, are you ever going to stop? Who proposes and keeps kissing like that?"

Cheng Jiamo blushed and pushed He Qingzhao away, giving him a reproachful look.

He Qingzhao picked her up and spun her around under the flower petals.

The falling petals had changed to white jasmine, small and delicate jasmine flowers, falling like snowflakes.

Cheng Jiamo was lifted high by He Qingzhao and saw the white hair hidden in his hair. Her heart ached and she reached out to gently stroke his head.

Delicate white jasmine petals fell, landing on He Qingzhao's head, shoulders, and the ground, covering the original red roses.

Cheng Jiamo picked up a white jasmine petal from He Qingzhao's hair, looked at him with eyes as gentle as water, and said with a tender smile, "He Qingzhao, we will soon grow old together."

He Qingzhao picked her up and ran: "But I don't want to grow old so quickly. I want to be a boy again and take you to chase the wind."

After saying that, he picked up Cheng Jiamo and ran away quickly.

He had barely run off when Zhong Qi and the others gave chase.

Zhong Qi chased after him, shouting, "Damn it, don't let him get away! Quick, spray him!"

As a criminal police officer, Zhao Yue was the fastest runner, having spent years chasing people. He shook the snow sprayer and chased after He Qingzhao like lightning, spraying He Qingzhao's back as he ran.

Cheng Jiamo hugged He Qingzhao's neck tightly with both hands, buried her face in his chest, and asked with a smile, "Why are you still spraying this? Isn't it for the wedding?"

He Qingzhao: "Because they are bad."

As they drew closer, Cheng Jiamo said, "Put me down."

He Qingzhao didn't let go, and continued running with her in his arms, saying calmly as he ran, "I won't let go, I've let you go for eight years."

Cheng Jiamo pressed her face against his chest, listening to his deep, powerful heartbeat.

He Qingzhao carried her and continued running forward, out of the lawn, onto the tree-lined path, into the banana grove, and onto the outdoor birthday party that had already been set up.

It's exactly twelve o'clock.

The fluttering petals stopped, but the wind didn't. A long wind blew, and the sound of a piano began to play softly; this time it was a birthday song.

He Qingzhao raised his glass, looking at Cheng Jiamo with deep affection: "Happy birthday to my Momo, may we have many more birthdays like this one every year."

Zhong Qi picked up a flower petal and threw it at him, laughing as she said, "You're the kind of person who sends blessings while also blessing yourself."

He Qingzhao smiled, a smile that was both languid and gentle.

Cheng Jiamo looked at him, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"He Qingzhao, I wish us many more years like this, and many more years like this."

She raised her glass to drink with him.

At this moment, she said goodbye to the past eight years and made complete peace with herself.

That youthful dream, though tinged with regret, ultimately found its perfect ending.

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(End of text)

[Author's Note]

All good things must come to an end, and every story must come to a close. Dear readers, this concludes the main text.

I sincerely thank every friend who has been with me.

I know this book is poorly written and falls short of expectations. I feel ashamed of myself. Thank you for your company and support.

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Later, I will write wedding extras, baby-giving extras, and some extras about daily life after marriage.