Meanwhile, Nangong Zhengde and his wife exchanged a few words with Ye Ling'er before leaving as well.

Nangong Ci led Ye Ling'er toward the parking lot, both of them in exceptionally good spirits along the way.

Ye Ling'er walked with her head down, her face flushed, and said, "Aci."

While immersed in joy, Nangong Ci slowly looked at Ye Ling'er and said, "Mm."

Ye Ling'er: "We're engaged."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Ci smiled slightly, placed Ye Ling'er's hand to his lips and kissed it, saying in a deep voice, "Yes, from now on you are my rightful woman, and also the future matriarch of our Nangong family."

"I've waited a very, very long time for this day." Nangong Ci gazed at Ye Ling'er with deep affection, as if she were a precious treasure.

Upon hearing this, Ye Ling'er asked in confusion, "A long time?"

"Mmm." Nangong Ci answered softly, his eyes full of tenderness and affection, "Actually, when I first saw you when you were very young, I already had a different feeling for you."

Ye Ling'er recalled how she always embarrassed herself whenever she met Nangong Ci when they were little, and her face flushed slightly. She said coquettishly, "You rascal, you pervert."

For a moment, she didn't know what to say about Nangong Ci, why he would be interested in a little crybaby like her.

They were both so young then, yet he said he had different feelings for her. Could it be that he had some special hobby?

Hearing Ye Ling'er address him, Nangong Ci didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Is liking you also considered being a scoundrel?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Ling'er said, "It's not that you liked me because I'm a rogue, but how old were we back then, and you actually did this to me back then... what else can you call yourself but a rogue?"

"Could it be that you have some kind of unusual fetish, such as pedophilia?"

Upon hearing this, Nangong Ci was speechless, unsure of what to say in response.

Then, he reached out and tapped Ye Ling'er's forehead, saying with helpless indulgence, "You, I don't know what you're thinking with that little brain of yours."

"What pedophilia? This is clearly affection, and it has nothing to do with age."

Ye Ling'er rubbed her forehead and said coquettishly, "Who knows?"

Nangong Ci reached out and stroked her head. "When I met you back then, you were such a crybaby, and for some reason, it aroused my desire to protect you."

I usually don't care about other people's feelings at all, but with you, it seems that every tear you shed falls into my heart, making me feel your pain.

From that time on, whenever the night was quiet, your face would involuntarily appear in my mind. Your face, which looked so wronged, made my heart ache. But at that time, I didn't know what kind of feeling it was, and no one told me.

Then something happened to your family, and you were sent abroad by them. We haven't heard from you since. Even when I asked your brother about your whereabouts, he never told me.

After listening, Ye Ling'er asked curiously, "When did you realize your own feelings?"

Nangong Ci looked at Ye Ling'er with sincere eyes and said, "After you left, as I grew older, I gradually realized my feelings for you, but unfortunately your brother was unwilling to tell me your whereabouts."

What made me decide to change our relationship was the time you were kidnapped by your second uncle and I went to rescue you. I knew then that I would never let go of your hand again.

Now, I've done it. You will soon be my legal wife, Nangong Ci's wife, fulfilling a wish I've held for many years.

Upon hearing this, Ye Ling'er recalled that when the two reunited after a long separation, Nangong Ci had revealed his identity to her. She immediately realized why he had done that back then, and said, "So you had been planning this for a long time."

Nangong Ci smiled and admitted, "Yes, it's been planned for a long time."

A month passed quickly, and soon it was time for Nangong Ci and Ye Ling'er's engagement ceremony.

The Ye family's old house.

Ye Ling'er looked at her face in the mirror, which was so heavily made up that she almost didn't recognize herself. She gently touched her cheek, momentarily unable to believe it.

Before she knew it, she had reached the age to get married.

It was as if the scenes of being bullied in the past were still vivid in her mind, but now she was a bride-to-be.

Just then, Jian Yixue walked in from outside.

The women who were dressing up and the servants all bowed and left.

Jian Yixue walked to Ye Ling'er's side, bent down and smiled, "Congratulations, bride."

Hearing this, Ye Ling'er snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Jian Yixue. "Sister-in-law, you're here. Didn't my brother come with you?"

After saying that, he looked behind Jian Yixue.

Jian Yixue said, "He's here, outside. This is your private room, it's not convenient for a grown man like him to come in. It wouldn't be the same if I came."

Hearing this, Ye Ling'er nodded, "It would be even better if my sister-in-law could come."

Jian Yixue said with a smile, "Ling'er looks beautiful today."

Ye Ling'er: "My sister-in-law is also very beautiful."

Immediately, Jian Yixue pulled her hand out from behind her back and said, "Come on, see if you like it?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Ling'er looked over and saw that Jian Yixue was holding a high-end wooden jewelry box.

When the lid was opened, a crown studded with hundreds of diamonds of the same size lay inside, sparkling and very beautiful.

She recognized the crown; she had recently seen it in a fashion magazine. It was a new seasonal design from L&S, and although it was said to be unpriced yet, jewelry appraisers estimated its value to be in the tens of billions, making it a highly collectible piece.

Ye Ling'er asked in disbelief, "A gift for me?"

Jian Yixue smiled and nodded, saying, "Otherwise what? Am I going to show off?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!