Chapter 76 I'm Willing

Chen Yaoan changed her clothes and went out, but when she got to Xu Jialan's door, she hesitated to go in and lingered there for a while.

But whether he sticks his neck out or not, he'll still get hurt. After much deliberation, Chen Yao'an finally went inside.

Xu Jialan had been waiting for her for a while. "Why did it take you so long to get here?"

She didn't speak and stood motionless at the door.

Seeing this, Xu Jialan walked to the door and pulled her inside, "What's wrong?"

She remained silent.

Xu Jialan had no choice but to say, "I'll get you a glass of water. Please sit down first."

He turned to pour water, but halfway there he looked back at her. Seeing her sitting on the sofa, he then walked out.

Not long after, Xu Jialan returned with a glass of water and placed it in front of her.

She picked up her glass and took a sip before tentatively asking him, "You didn't contact me all day yesterday, but you asked to meet me today. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Xu Jialan carefully examined her expression and asked, "Are you angry because I didn't contact you yesterday?"

Chen Yao'an replied, "Not only yesterday, but you're not planning to contact me today either, if I don't."

“No, that’s not true,” Xu Jialan explained. “I was just about to contact you, but you sent me a message first.”

"Oh," Chen Yao'an replied, then fell silent again.

Xu Jialan couldn't tell whether she believed it or not, and didn't continue speaking for a moment.

The waiting time was always agonizing; neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere became somewhat stagnant.

Finally, Xu Jialan spoke first: "I have something I want to tell you."

Chen Yao'an suddenly raised her hand to stop him from continuing, saying somewhat reluctantly, "Could you please not say anything for now?"

She had a bitter look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Just don't tell me yet, let me prepare myself mentally."

Xu Jialan had a rough idea of ​​what she was thinking, so she didn't say anything, giving her enough time to prepare herself.

After a long while, Chen Yaoan finally mustered her courage. She took a deep breath and looked at Xu Jialan, "I'm ready, go ahead and say it."

"good."

“I read my mother’s letter.”

Chen Yao'an stared at him, pursed her lips, and nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“I know you’re worried that I’ll decide to go back to Beijing because of this. I want to tell you now that I won’t go back just because of what my mother says.”

Chen Yaoan finally breathed a sigh of relief, only to be replaced by other emotions.

A vague sense of guilt lingered in my heart.

"But... that was your mother's last wish."

“My mother has been gone for many years. That was her wish many years ago. Maybe her wish has changed now?”

"But……"

He interrupted her, sat down next to her, took her hand, and asked, "Do you think I'm an obedient son?"

Chen Yao'an thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think so."

"That's it. I've always been willful and disobedient since I was a child, and I've never listened to my parents. So, does my mom not know that I would disobey her?"

Chen Yao'an was momentarily stunned, "Is that how it is?"

“Of course.” Xu Jialan said with certainty, “Besides, I promised you and Grandma I would stay here, and I don’t want to break my promise. Besides, my mom doesn’t like children who break their promises.”

"You...you've really made up your mind?"

"Don't worry, I've already made up my mind."

"That's good then."

Chen Yaoan reached out and hugged him.

Xu Jialan could sense her unease and reached out to pat her back reassuringly.

It seems necessary to reassure her.

After this incident, life quickly returned to normal, and Chen Yaoan and Xu Jialan still managed to occasionally find time to meet up amidst their busy schedules.

Neither of them mentioned the letter again.

Spring has arrived again in the blink of an eye, and the flowers, grasses and trees along the roadside have begun to sprout, creating a fresh green scene.

Xu Jialan finally managed to free herself from her busy work, and Chen Yaoan thought the two would have plenty of time to date, but things didn't turn out that way.

In the past, she could go to his house whenever she wanted, but recently she has been met with all sorts of obstacles.

Xu Jialan was working overtime at the company that evening. She texted him around 8 p.m., but he had already finished work and gone home.

She wanted to see him, so she went to his house without telling him.

As soon as she stepped into the yard, Xu Jialan rushed out of the house in a panic, blocking her way into the house.

He grasped her shoulders and turned her around so she was facing the front door.

"What's wrong?"

What brings you here?

"What, can't I come?"

"Of course I can come. Is there something you need? Let's go outside and talk."

Chen Yao'an stood still, looking puzzled. "I'm fine. I just came to see you. Let's go inside..."

Xu Jialan interrupted her, "The house is too messy. How about I take you for a walk? It's been a long time since we went for a walk together."

“But I don’t want to go for a walk.” She had been standing in the store all day and now had no desire to walk. She just wanted to lie on the sofa and chat with him for a bit.

"Then let's find a place to sit down, and I'll take you to get some milk tea."

"I don't want to drink milk tea either, it'll make me fat if I drink it this late."

He coaxed her, "My girlfriend is so slim, how could she gain weight? She won't gain weight if you don't add sugar. Come on."

He forcibly pulled Chen Yao'an out the door, and the two went to a milk tea shop on the commercial street in the town center.

In the end, she did get to drink milk tea; Xu Jialan insisted on buying her a cup.

The two stayed in the milk tea shop until it closed, when they had to leave. When they got home, Xu Jialan took her directly back to her own home.

He told her, "Go to bed early."

"Goodnight." She waved to him and closed the door.

Chen Yao'an had long forgotten about how he had prevented her from entering the room.

As a result, the same thing happened again the next day.

Zhou Yao insisted on going to see Xu Jialan that night, so Chen Yaoan went with her. However, his front door was locked from the inside, and she knocked for a long time before he opened it.

However, he only opened the door a crack, and Xu Jialan looked at them through the crack.

"Open the door, my mom wants to play with you."

Xu Jialan stammered, "It's not convenient for me here."

"Why is it inconvenient again?"

"Ah...we'll go to your house."

Xu Jialan quickly turned around and went out, then closed the door tightly. "Let's go."

Chen Yaoan glanced at his tightly locked door and finally began to suspect what he was hiding inside that was so shameful.

At the Chen family home, Xu Jialan and Zhou Yao were playing in the yard as usual. Chen Yaoan felt increasingly uneasy; Xu Jialan's refusal to let her go to his house was definitely suspicious.

He's hiding something from her!

She wanted to find a way to go to his house and see what was going on.

Oh, right, she has a key to his house!

Chen Yaoan found Xu Jialan's house key in her bag, put it in her pocket, and walked out.

As she passed by Xu Jialan and Zhou Yao, Xu Jialan noticed her with sharp eyes and called out to her, "Where are you going?"

Chen Yaoan looked at him, "I...I'm going out for a walk."

Xu Jialan didn't let her go. She walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and wouldn't let her leave. "Tell me the truth, what exactly do you want to do? I won't let you go until you tell me."

Chen Yaoan spoke frankly: "I just wanted to go to your house and see. You're acting all mysterious, it's obvious you don't want me to know. I'm just curious."

Xu Jialan smiled helplessly. He knew he couldn't hide it anymore. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I have a surprise for you."

"What surprise?" Chen Yao'an's curiosity grew even stronger.

"I'm not ready yet, but you'll see when I am."

How much longer?

"In a couple of days."

Sure enough, one cannot know in advance that a surprise is coming. For the next two days, Chen Yao'an felt like she was being tickled, and she was extremely curious, but she could only endure it.

Fortunately, Xu Jialan didn't keep her waiting too long.

That evening after get off work, Xu Jialan specially picked her up from Youye and said, "I have a surprise for you tonight."

"Is it the surprise you mentioned?"

He nodded.

On the way back, Chen Yaoan waited anxiously.

Xu Jialan pulled her to his doorstep, stopped, and turned around to take out a silk scarf.

"We need to do this too?"

"Surprises should certainly have some sense of ritual."

"All right."

Xu Jialan blindfolded her with a silk scarf, then took her hand and walked forward.

She heard him open the door.

"Lift your foot, there are steps ahead."

She obediently lifted her foot and stepped over the stairs, and then he led her a few steps before stopping.

The silk scarf over her eyes was removed, and a ray of light shone into them. She adjusted her eyes for a moment, and then her gaze fell on what was in front of her.

Before me was a path paved with petals, green plants and flowers, with small night lights placed along the way, shining brightly on the lifelike plants, as if I had entered a fairyland.

"Go in and take a look," Xu Jialan reminded her.

Chen Yao'an walked along the path and entered the living room.

He had carefully decorated the living room, filling it with balloons, flowers, and their photos.

She turned to look at him. "I don't remember us taking this many photos."

Neither of them particularly enjoys taking photos, so there are very few photos of them together.

"Take another look."

She looked at them carefully again. Most of the photos were solo shots of her, including pictures of her eating with her head down, her busy figure in Youye, and her back view as she walked down the street...

Chen Yao'an's eyes gradually stung with tears. She had no idea when he had secretly recorded so many of her appearances, and she had been completely unaware.

Just as she was immersed in these memories she herself couldn't remember, Xu Jialan suddenly knelt down behind her.

"Chen Yao'an..."

She turned her head and saw him kneeling on one knee, holding a ring in his hand, the same one she had rejected last time.

"Yao'an, I know I'm not the best boyfriend in your eyes, and I used to be quite a jerk, but I will try my best to be a good husband in the future, to shelter you from the wind and rain, and to protect you. Whether I'm a big tree or a vine, I hope to stay by your side."

So... will you marry me?

As soon as he finished speaking, he stared at her with a nervous intensity, feeling his palms sweating.

Chen Yao'an had already started to shed tears.

She had initially thought it was just a surprise, but she never expected him to propose. Although it was sudden, Chen Yao'an knew very well that he was the one she had chosen to share the ups and downs with in the future, at least for now.

So, without hesitation, regardless of what might happen in the future, she agreed, "Okay."

As soon as she uttered that word, he breathed a huge sigh of relief, and his eyes welled up with tears, but he forced himself to hold them back.

With trembling hands, he took her left hand and placed the ring finger on her ring finger.

Then, he stood up abruptly and pulled her into his arms.

Intense, trembling.

"Thank you for agreeing to marry me."

She didn't know why he said thank you, but she didn't care. She just felt a surge of happiness that made her smile through her tears.

—

Although Xu Jialan had proposed to her and she had accepted, life remained the same.

It wasn't until Xu Jialan asked her where she would like to live after getting married that she found out.

"Marriage? So soon?" Didn't you just propose?

"What do you mean fast?" Xu Jialan was very dissatisfied with her reaction. "Even if T starts preparing for the wedding now, it will still take a long time, not to mention preparing the wedding house."

"That's true."

So, which wedding room do you want to choose?