Chapter 57

"Josh, will you?"

In his third year at Liu Weifeng's company, Chen Zhiyu was able to lead a team independently and successfully earn a share of the profits from projects.

Before graduating from university, he paid off all his debts, and after graduation, he simply stayed at Liu Weifeng's company.

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Last year, Liu Weifeng established a branch company, and Chen Zhiyu followed Liu Weifeng's son to the branch company, where his career gradually stabilized.

From the moment he paid off his debts, he handed over his salary, but Josh actually had his own salary, and since the two of them didn't have many expenses, he never touched the money in his card.

Last month, Chen Zhiyu was leaving early and returning late, seemingly plotting something big behind Qiao Xi's back, which successfully caught her attention. But before she could even ask, he readily confessed.

He wants to buy a house.

The apartment is in a great location, very close to Josh's workplace, just two subway stops away, and surrounded by amenities.

But Josh felt that their current place was fine, and there was no need to take on a mortgage again after just paying off their debts. Actually, the couple had bought a car in the past two years. Josh usually gets driven to and from work by Chen Zhiyu.

But there are bound to be times when you don't get to meet them.

Chen Zhiyu's face darkened upon hearing this, and his words were full of accusation against her: "Have you ever checked how much money is actually in that card?"

Josh thought to himself, "I don't have that kind of free time."

They didn't spend much money and had no interest in exploring these things.

Chen Zhiyu became even more unhappy after hearing this, complaining that Qiao Xi was distant from him.

Josh was puzzled after hearing this. They eat, sleep, and live together every day for so many years. Why are you talking about a sense of estrangement now?

Without saying a word, Chen Zhiyu forced her to look at his salary account.

Josh saw the numbers in the card.

She really hadn't thought of it. Although she wasn't as rich as those wealthy people, the amount in her account was enough to buy a house outright.

Later, at Chen Zhiyu's insistence, they went to see the apartment together. The apartment wasn't very big, just two bedrooms and a living room, but the location was good.

At that time, Chen Zhiyu was wearing a dark long coat, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, backlit, and frankly told her, "I actually wanted to buy it for you a few years ago, but I didn't have the ability to buy it in full at that time."

Now, he has finally done it.

The contract was signed quickly, and the property deed was in Josh's name. This is why he wanted to buy it in full.

Chen Zhiyu also confidently promised that he would get her a bigger one later.

After buying the house, the two of them started preparing for the renovation.

I never imagined there would be so many intricacies involved in home renovation. Buying the house was a one-off deal, but the renovation turned out to be a source of endless worries and anxieties.

Entrusting everything to someone else seems unreliable. Taking it into your own hands, however, is both time-consuming and laborious.

Moreover, both of them are very busy right now.

Josh was promoted in the first half of this year, so he naturally couldn't take care of her. Chen Zhiyu's career was just starting out, so he didn't have time either.

So they could only wait until the weekend to squeeze out some time to do their homework on the renovation, which caused the two of them to have many arguments.

In the end, the two of them cut their losses in time and decided to outsource the renovation. However, they couldn't entrust it to strangers. After thinking it over, Qiao Xi and Chen Zhiyu had the same idea: Liu Weifeng, who had been staying at home idly and bored lately.

Since his son, who had been living abroad, returned to take over the company, Liu Weifeng has become a hands-off manager. While his son and wife are working hard on the front lines of the company, he has focused on providing solid support from behind.

His son works at a branch office, his wife works at headquarters, and he stays at home.

In the past two years, with nothing much to do, Liu Weifeng has spent his time either drinking tea at home or enjoying gardening and cooking.

"Are you two alright?" Liu Weifeng was in his garden, busy pruning the flowers. When he heard their suggestion, he almost killed his favorite flower with a single snip of his shears.

"I've finally had a few years of peace and quiet and I'm preparing to retire. Do you think I'm a good fit?"

The two people opposite nodded in unison. Perfect, just perfect.

Who told you to be so idle?

After much persuasion, the two finally convinced the man to ask Liu Weifeng to come and oversee the process.

"By the way, since that's the case, why don't you two have a grandson for me to play with?" He wasn't really pressuring them to have children, but he couldn't get his own son to do it, so he started to wonder why the two of them, who had been together for so many years, hadn't taken any further steps.

Ignoring Chen Zhiyu's winks and gestures, Liu Weifeng silently turned around and continued pruning his precious flowers.

Josh rolled his eyes at him. "You should go out more. The aunties in our neighborhood don't pressure us to get married and have children anymore."

This way of thinking, how come it seems to be going backwards as I get older?

However, since they were asking for a favor, Josh didn't say anything too harsh.

After leaving Liu Weifeng's villa, Chen Zhiyu and Qiao Xi felt relieved. They had been sacrificing their dating time to deal with the house renovation.

Now that she'd relaxed, Josh sat in the passenger seat, turned to look at Chen Zhiyu who was driving intently, and suggested, "Since we're free anyway, how about we go on a date?"

"A date at home is fine." Chen Zhiyu gave her a look.

"Get lost." Chen Zhiyu's irreverence earned him a curse from Qiao Xi. "How old are you and still have no manners?"

Chen Zhiyu laughed, "If I were to talk to you like I would in a company meeting..." He suddenly stopped talking, and now that he thought about it, it didn't seem like a bad idea.

"We're having a serious talk."

Chen Zhiyu naturally chimed in, "Mine is also very serious." Afterwards, he stopped joking and turned at the intersection ahead, asking, "Do you have any suggestions?"

Josh's idea was just a spur-of-the-moment thing; he didn't have any good dating suggestions. In the end, the two of them followed the most old-fashioned dating style, going out for a meal and then, on a whim, going to see a movie.

After watching the movie, Chen Zhiyu was in a hurry to drag Qiao Xi home.

Josh originally wanted to browse the mall, but he forcefully dragged her away, which made her very upset. She was still angry with him even after getting out of the car. "Are you sick? The sun hasn't even set yet, why are you in such a hurry to go home?"

Chen Zhiyu didn't say anything, but just held Qiao Xi's hand and started walking home, but suddenly stopped in front of the door.

As we approach early winter and the weather turns cold, the elderly people who used to take walks in the neighborhood are mostly staying at home and not going out much.

A woman was lingering at the entrance to her own building.

The reason Chen Zhiyu stopped was because he had seen her in the neighborhood when he left home that morning.

The woman appeared to be in her early fifties, wearing an expensive cashmere coat, her hair meticulously styled, and while her face wasn't particularly refined, she had a good foundation.

When the woman noticed Josh and Chen Zhiyu approaching, she immediately cast a probing glance at them.

No one spoke.

A moment later, the woman stepped forward but then suddenly stopped. From a distance, she smiled at them, a hint of apprehension in her expression, and asked, "Excuse me, does an elderly gentleman surnamed Hou live in this unit?"

"Hou?" Chen Zhiyu had lived here for several years and had never heard of a family with the surname Hou in this building. He was about to turn his head to look at Qiao Xi.

But he felt the hand that Josh was holding suddenly tighten. Chen Zhiyu glanced over and saw Josh smile at the woman. "We don't have that old man you mentioned here."

"Maybe it's from another unit," Chen Zhiyu added.

He didn't know why, but this woman always gave him a very familiar feeling, though he couldn't figure it out.

The woman opposite them stared blankly at Josh and his companion, her eyes filled with an indescribable meaning. After a few seconds, she slowly said, "Then perhaps I've come to the wrong place." After walking half a meter away, she suddenly turned back, this time keeping her eyes fixed on Josh, and said again, "Excuse me."

Watching the woman's departing figure, Chen Zhiyu kept recalling her appearance, her hesitant expression, and her eyes.

That's right, it's the eyes.

Chen Zhiyu called softly, "Qiao Xi".

Josh seemed to have just come to his senses and responded in a low voice.

"That lady just now..." Chen Zhiyu hesitated, seemingly considering how to express his thoughts.

Josh looked up at him, trying to lift the corners of her lips. "Your eyes are beautiful, aren't they? I think so too."

Hearing her say that, Chen Zhiyu hummed in response and then remained silent.

The lady from earlier had the same big, beautiful round eyes as Josh.

*

Liu Weifeng proved to be reliable, quickly completing the tasks assigned to him. During this time, Qiao Xi and Chen Zhiyu visited the new house several times and were very satisfied, after which they entrusted it entirely to him.

This visit was the first one the two had taken after the interior decoration was completed.

I didn't expect the living room to be decorated so warmly, with gray marble tiles on the floor, a simple color scheme for the TV background wall, and a huge TV set embedded in the center.

According to Liu Weifeng, this was a housewarming gift for the two of them.

Josh, on the other hand, was very fond of her.

The living room sofa is upholstered in fabric; it's large and comfortable, and Josh has even started to imagine the happiness of snuggling up here in the future.

The dining room is connected to the living room and features a rectangular wooden dining table, much larger than the one in the house. A delicate chandelier hangs above the table, casting a soft glow.

The kitchen and dining room are separated by a door, and the interior is fully furnished.

Josh was very satisfied; she even wanted to stay the night. She kept describing to Chen Zhiyu what life would be like living here in the future, "We can invite friends over, have meals together, and chat."

She rushed into the bedroom excitedly. The guest room was smaller, but it was still cozy. Josh turned around and pushed open the door to the master bedroom.

What came into view was an acrylic door panel. Josh was about to complain when he saw what was drawn on the door panel with a paintbrush, and he froze on the spot.

"Josh." Chen Zhiyu's voice came from behind. Josh turned around and looked at the kneeling figure.

As dusk settled, the dazzling lights streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting their silhouettes onto the glass.

Chen Zhiyu took a deep breath, and under Qiao Xi's surprised gaze, slowly pulled a box from his pocket. He remained kneeling on one knee, looking up at Qiao Xi with deep concentration, his Adam's apple bobbing with each breath, "I..."

His voice trembled without him even noticing, and his breathing became heavier involuntarily. He forced a natural smile and said, "Josh, I love you." There was so much more he wanted to say, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and his eyes welled up with tears as he gazed at the motionless Josh.

Chen Zhiyu had actually planned this for a long time, but he always felt that he was not capable enough. After his job stabilized, he felt that he had not yet given Qiao Xi the best guarantee, so he waited until he bought a house.

"Would you give me a chance? A chance to take care of you for the rest of my life?"

He suddenly didn't want to talk about whether or not to marry me. He only wanted to use this ring to reserve the opportunity to take care of Josh for the rest of his life. As for the rest, it didn't matter.

That's enough.

As long as I can stay by Josh's side for the rest of my life, that's enough.

Everything is up to Josh.

"Didn't you already buy a ring?" Josh asked softly.

The two rings, sparkling under the lights, were still on their hands.

Chen Zhiyu gave a more straightforward reason: "This one is better." He carefully selected both the diamond's carat weight and the ring's style.

"Josh, are you willing?" Chen Zhiyu mustered his courage.

After a long while, Josh impatiently reached out his hand to him, urging him impatiently, "Then what are you waiting for! Hurry up and put it on me."