Chapter 158 Forever and Ever

"I'm not good with words, and I've never been good at saying those fancy love words since I was little. I can't sing, I can't play the piano, and I certainly can't give you gold or silver or anything like that. I just want to sincerely ask you, can you let me stay with you from now on? For the next few decades, through wind and rain, as long as I have a breath left, I will definitely protect you, cherish you, and take good care of you."

His eyes shone as he said this.

Zhou Shufen stood still.

She had never been confessed to so formally and sincerely before.

She was stunned for a moment, unable to recover for a long time.

Guo Zhenyi felt a pang of anxiety when he saw that she didn't speak.

"Don't worry, I know I'm getting old, and I don't want anything from you. From now on, I'll listen to you on everything at home. I just want to be your partner, someone who can talk to you and protect you from the storms of life. Through thick and thin, let's walk through the rest of our lives together, peacefully and steadily."

After he finished speaking, he took a deep breath.

Then, with a "thud," he knelt down on one knee.

Then, he carefully took out a small velvet box from his inner pocket.

He held it in both hands and slowly raised it to Zhou Shufen.

The brothers Zhou Hairong and Zhou Haiqing stood a few steps away.

I watched this scene with bated breath, my eyes already wet with tears.

They had never seen a father figure treat their mother with such seriousness.

I never imagined that my mother would receive such a belated act of kindness.

The two of them had been looking forward to this moment from the bottom of their hearts.

"Wah ah ah..." A babyish voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then looked in the direction of the sound.

Qin Guifang walked forward with a smile, holding the chubby little girl in her arms.

"Mom, Uncle Guo, look how happy our little girl is, she's clapping her hands!"

Qin Guifang smiled broadly.

Zhou Shufen's gaze fell on the chubby little dumpling, and her heart softened instantly.

In fact, she had already agreed in her heart.

From the day Guo Zhenyi quietly helped her repair the roof.

From the moment he secretly made an extra bowl of soup and brought it to her.

From the moment he always remembered that she was afraid of the cold and always brought a scarf when he visited her in winter.

She knew that this person was reliable and trustworthy.

However, she didn't expect this day to come so soon.

"Okay, I agree."

She finally spoke.

Upon hearing this, Guo Zhenyi's expression instantly shifted from tense to ecstatic.

He hurriedly opened the small box in his hand, wanting to put the ring on her finger immediately.

But my hands were shaking too badly.

The ring had just been taken out when it fell to the ground with a "thud" and rolled under the sofa.

"Ouch!"

He exclaimed in surprise and immediately bent down to pick it up.

Zhou Shufen hurriedly squatted down to help, and the two of them groped around in the gap, their heads touching.

He chuckled softly as he searched, instantly lightening the atmosphere.

After struggling for a while, I finally found the little gold ring.

This time, Guo Zhenyi was even more careful, slowly slipping the ring onto Zhou Shufen's ring finger.

That evening, the family sat around the small round table in the living room.

Zhou Haiqing and his wife sat to the side, their faces beaming with genuine smiles.

"Congratulations, Mom! Congratulations, Uncle Guo! May your future be prosperous and long-lasting!"

The tone was sincere, and the blessings were abundant.

Zhou Hairong also chimed in from the side.

"That's right! Uncle Guo, from now on we're family. If you need anything, just ask, and I, Zhou Hairong, will never hesitate!"

Zhou Shufen sat in the middle.

She knew that from now on, she would no longer be alone.

After finishing their meal, the two strolled home leisurely.

Guo Zhenyi walked with light steps and a radiant spirit.

His smile was wide, radiating ease and satisfaction.

Now that you've proposed, don't drag it out any longer.

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly reached a consensus.

Strike while the iron is hot; only by getting the marriage certificate can things truly be considered settled.

So the next morning, as soon as the sun rose, they dressed neatly and went to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

After queuing for less than ten minutes, filling out a few forms, and pressing my fingerprint, the bright red marriage certificate was handed to me.

Guo Zhenyi carefully put it into the inside pocket of his clothes.

Huang Chuanzhen was unaware of this matter and spent her days at home pondering how to bring Guo Zhenyi and Pan Yun together.

She was planning to arrange a meal.

Letting the two get back together might rekindle their old flame.

But just then, rumors started circulating from the neighbor's house.

Guo Zhenyi and Zhou Shufen have already gone to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate!

When the news reached her ears, her face instantly turned from red to pale.

"You...you...you unfilial son!"

Her finger trembled as she pointed outside the door.

"You're going to drive me crazy! I'm old and just want a peaceful life, how can you be so insensible!"

She was already short-tempered, and this sudden shock caused her to fall backward.

Seeing that something was wrong, the neighbor quickly called 120 and took her to the hospital.

When Zhou Shufen heard that her mother-in-law had suddenly been hospitalized, her heart sank.

She wasn't afraid, but rather felt guilty.

She knew that Huang Chuanzhen had originally hoped that her son would reconcile with Pan Yun.

She sat on the sofa, her brows furrowed.

Guo Zhenyi felt a pang of pain in his heart when he saw her like this.

I walked over and gently took her hand.

But this thoughtfulness only made Zhou Shufen more upset.

Her nose tingled and her eyes welled up with tears.

He always felt that he had dragged Guo Zhenyi down with him.

In order to prevent Huang Chuanzhen from becoming agitated again, Guo Zhenyi decided to stabilize the situation first.

He gently persuaded Zhou Shufen.

"You should go back and rest first. We'll come to visit Mom again once her condition has stabilized. Right now, her emotions are unstable, and seeing you will only make her more upset."

Zhou Shufen nodded and silently packed her things to leave.

Guo Zhenyi escorted her all the way downstairs.

He watched her figure disappear around the street corner before turning back to the hospital.

No sooner had he left than Pan Yun arrived at the ward door carrying large and small bags.

As she carefully placed the nutritional supplements, she whispered to the nurse about her condition that day.

Then she took the initiative to cook soup.

Once the soup was ready, she personally tested the temperature and fed it to Huang Chuanzhen spoonful by spoonful.

The way he cared for her was even more than for his own daughter.

Huang Chuanzhen was originally upset.

Under Pan Yun's careful care, it gradually calmed down.

"You understand me so well... If Zhenyi can marry you, I won't have anything to worry about in this life."

"Please don't take it to heart."

Pan Yun whispered words of advice.

"Zhenyi is currently infatuated with her and his mind isn't clear. Once the novelty wears off, he'll naturally realize who truly cares for him. At that time, he'll come back."

Upon hearing this, Huang Chuanzhen opened her mouth, but ultimately did not utter the words "they have already registered their marriage".

She didn't want to discourage Pan Yun.

Besides, what's the point of bringing it up again now that it's already happened?

For the next few days, Pan Yun stayed by the hospital room almost every step of the way.

During this time, Zhou Shufen secretly came to visit one afternoon.

She was dressed simply and carrying a box of ordinary fruit.

I hesitated for a moment when I stood at the door of the ward.

She was afraid that there would be further discord between her and her mother-in-law, and she wanted to try to ease the tension.

But when Huang Chuanzhen looked up and saw her, the smile on her face immediately froze.