Chapter 154 An Imperfect Proposal

Two old photos, stitched together, appeared on the screen.

On the left is a wrinkled baby wrapped in pink swaddling clothes, staring curiously at the camera with its big, dark eyes.

On the right is a boy named T, who looks about five or six years old. He stands straight in front of his own courtyard gate, with a serious expression and handsome appearance.

Lin Yu had a vague premonition of something, and unconsciously gripped the cup in his hand tightly, staring intently at the automatically switching images.

This document records all the important moments between her and Jiang Chuan from birth to adulthood.

Each photo is like a fragment salvaged from the depths of time, piecing together two originally parallel life trajectories that have quietly intersected.

Mifa and Hido, who had been playing around nearby, were also drawn over. They quietly tilted their heads back, wagged their tails, and sat quietly in front of the curtain.

The photos gradually transition to the period after they met.

There's her silhouette chasing fireflies in the grass on a summer night, her adorable sleeping face with her head on a book in the study, and that profile shot captured by Lin Jianguo, showing the two of them quietly gazing at each other beside the border marker.

These seemingly ordinary daily moments, these fleeting instants that she had never even noticed, were all quietly recorded by Jiang Chuan, and now he is solemnly returning them to her in this way.

It was as if the scattered memories had suddenly come to life, and all the time spent with him came back to life at this moment.

The images flipped through like pages of a book, finally settling on a blue-background ID photo with yellowed edges.

The girl in the photo has her hair tied in a high ponytail, and her shirt is buttoned up to the top. Her eyes are clear, but they also reveal a sense of naivety and inexperience.

Lin Yu was taken aback. She remembered that this was her first job interview photo. Back then, she always thought it was too immature and only used it once at the job fair before graduation. She didn't know where Jiang Chuan had found it from.

The piano melody softened, the screen darkened, and then slowly brightened again. Jiang Chuan's figure appeared in the center of the screen.

He sat at a piano, wearing a simple white shirt with the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows. Warm yellow light gently diffused from behind him, casting a pale golden halo over his profile.

He smiled nervously at the camera, then lowered his gaze slightly and lightly touched the piano keys with his fingers.

"So-so." His deep voice came through the speakers. "If you're watching this right now, it means our plan is at least half successful."

Lin Yu subconsciously covered his mouth, his eyes involuntarily welling up with tears.

"I know you must be very disappointed today, and you might even feel... that I forgot what I promised you."

He paused slightly, gazing tenderly at the camera, as if looking directly into her eyes through the screen. "But actually, I've kept every word you've said in my heart."

"So, I didn't actually go anywhere today. I stayed here all day, preparing the first surprise of the new year for you."

The projection went dark again, but the piano music continued, seemingly drifting from not far away.

Cheng Shi quietly stood behind Lin Yu at some point, and before she could react, he tucked a white veil into her hair.

"Go ahead." She carefully adjusted her veil, gestured towards the door, and gently pushed Lin Yu on the back. "He's still waiting for you."

"You...know about it too?" Her voice trembled slightly.

“Everyone knows,” Cheng Shi nodded with a smile. “We’ve only kept it from you.”

Lin Yu's heart pounded violently in her chest. Only now did she finally understand why her friends had all left early, and why Jiang Chuan had suddenly gone missing today.

She took a deep breath, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked outside following the sound of the zither.

Not far away stands a brightly lit building, an old church abandoned for many years. In this age of lost faith, it stands quietly at the end of the road, waiting for the arrival of the last believer.

The music grew clearer as Lin Yu approached, her heart pounding. The church door was ajar; she hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and pushed it open.

A carpet of ranunculus petals came into view, layer upon layer forming a soft flower path that stretched all the way to the altar at the end. The mottled walls on both sides were covered with the photos that had just been shown in the projection.

This church, which should have been dilapidated, has been restored to its long-lost glory under Jiang Chuan's meticulous arrangement. It's as if time has turned back, returning to its most glorious era.

The mastermind behind all of this was wearing the same white shirt shown in the projection, sitting in front of the old piano in front of the church.

As Lin Yu pushed open the door, he had just finished playing the last note. With the lingering melody of the piano, he looked up and met her gaze.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Lin Yu stood frozen at the doorway, her veil gently stirred by the night breeze that slipped in through the crack.

She gazed at Jiang Chuan, at the man with whom she shared a deep bond, and at the dreamlike scene before her, and suddenly felt that everything was unreal.

Jiang Chuan smiled and extended his hand to her. Lin Yu unconsciously moved closer step by step, walked to the piano, and sat down next to him.

"Where did you get this piano?"

"Borrowed from the town's cultural center," Jiang Chuan said casually, tilting his head slightly.

“This place…” She looked around. “Isn’t it going to be demolished soon?”

“Yes.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Lin Yu’s ear. “So it’s perfect. Everything today will become eternal, along with this place, leaving behind memories that belong only to the two of us.”

"Attorney Jiang is being so sentimental..." Lin Yu lifted his chin, teasingly laughing, "Is he going to propose? But my makeup's all ruined, so it might not be appropriate..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Chuan pulled a lipstick from the inside pocket of his suit.

“I was prepared.” He tapped Lin Yu’s forehead, unscrewed the lid, and gently lifted her chin with his other hand. “Don’t move.”

Lin Yu obediently tilted her head back, plunging into Jiang Chuan's gaze, which was so close to hers. Those eyes were like a deep, still pool, clearly reflecting two real, transparent versions of herself. She suddenly felt that Jiang Chuan seemed to understand her even better than she understood herself.

"Are you ready now, Ms. Lin?" He touched up her makeup and smoothed her slightly disheveled hair. He put away her lipstick, his fingers lightly gliding across the piano keys, a gentle smile on his face.

Lin Yu nodded gently, watching Jiang Chuan stand up from the piano bench.

The piano started playing automatically, the familiar melody continued, and he took a step back and knelt on one knee in front of her.

“Banban…” He took a deep breath and recited the lines he had prepared for a long time. “As a lawyer, I am used to assessing risks, clarifying responsibilities, and anticipating the worst-case scenario.”

Jiang Chuan's voice trembled slightly. "But only with you do all my rules fail. I start to allow things to be misplaced, allow your cardigan on the sofa, allow unplanned chaos in life."

He paused, his gaze deepening. "Because I discovered that all that so-called chaos was a trace of your presence. And your presence transformed that once perfect yet cold space into a warm home."

Lin Yu recalled that when he first met Jiang Chuan, Jiang Chuan's obsessive-compulsive disorder was everywhere.

She always carries a small bottle of medical alcohol with her, her clothes are always crisp and new as if they were just opened, the books on her bookshelf must be arranged neatly according to height, and even the spice jars in the kitchen must have their labels facing outwards.

But she didn't know when it started, but Jiang Chuan's habits seemed to have quietly changed. These subtle changes, like spring rain seeping into the earth, were only noticed by her at this moment.

He has become so at ease and comfortable in this environment, which he would otherwise have rejected and which is full of traces of life.

"I...I..." Jiang Chuan suddenly paused, pulling Lin Yu's wandering thoughts back to reality.

She looked up and saw his Adam's apple bobbing, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. A little embarrassed, he cleared his throat, hesitated for a moment, then simply took out the manuscript paper from his pocket—a paper that had been revised countless times—brought it to his eyes, and obediently continued reading.

“I used to think that love was about possession, protection, and giving. But now I know that love is about trust, about believing that even if I give you my most vulnerable self, I won’t get hurt.”

"I have drafted countless rigorous legal documents, but this is the first time I have discovered that what I most want to write well is a contract about the future that cannot be fully defined by clauses."

"Pfft..." Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw his unprecedentedly nervous appearance, but the warmth in her eyes became even more obvious.

"Don't laugh, I've never been this nervous in my life." Jiang Chuan was interrupted. He looked up at her, his embarrassment deepening. He stared at the manuscript for a few seconds in silence, then suddenly took a deep breath, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it aside.

"Start over."

He raised his head and looked deeply into Lin Yu's eyes. "Banban, I prepared a lot of things to say and memorized them for three whole days. I wanted to say them as well as I could, but now I can't remember a single word."

This was the first time Lin Yu had seen him like this; his nervousness was tinged with a cautious probing. "Do you remember what day it is today?" he asked in a low voice.

"New Year's Day." Lin Yu asked knowingly, but her heart had already softened.

"It was the day you promised to marry me." Even though it was postponed for two whole years.

Jiang Chuan tried to take the ring out of his pocket, but his kneeling position limited his ability to do so, and he failed several times.

He had no choice but to stand up, but perhaps because he had been kneeling for too long, or perhaps because he was so nervous that he was at a loss, he tripped over his own leg as soon as he put one leg up, stumbled, and fell to his knees in front of Lin Yu with a thud.

For a moment, both of them were stunned.

The next second, Lin Yu's shoulders trembled, and he finally couldn't hold back any longer, covering his face and bursting into laughter. "Jiang Chuan... what are you doing?"

She asked with a laugh, her voice slightly choked with emotion, "Are you proposing, or do you want to become sworn brothers with me?"

Jiang Chuan laughed along, his ears turning bright red, but his gaze remained fixed on Lin Yu, his dark eyes, filled with the darkness of night, staring intently at him. "Perhaps, this is more like a 'proposal'."

He forced himself to remain calm, maintaining his kneeling position, and looked up at Lin Yu, who was laughing so hard he was falling over. He decided to just go all out. "I've already knelt down. If you don't agree, I'll kowtow to you two more times."

Lin Yu's initial tears of emotion were stirred by his disheveled yet sincere appearance, leaving her with a bittersweet feeling, but she deliberately put on a stern face. "Attorney Jiang, empty words are meaningless. Why should I agree to your request? You have to... show some sincerity."

Jiang Chuan seemed to have been prepared, and pulled a USB drive from his pocket. He handed it over with both hands, his eyes burning and his tone serious.

"A complete list of all my assets and ownership documents are here. If you agree, we can go to the notary office immediately to have these..."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately: "Transfer it all to your personal property. This is the most concrete expression of sincerity I can offer right now."

Lin Yu took the USB drive, tears welling in her eyes, but didn't immediately respond. Jiang Chuan then took a deep breath, leaned closer, and took the ring out of the velvet box, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly.

The design of the diamond ring is simple yet unique, with a circle of small diamonds surrounding the main stone. It's not an exaggerated pigeon egg, but it's so beautiful that Lin Yu can't take his eyes off it.

“Banban, the scales of justice must always remain balanced.” He held up the ring, his voice filled with utmost reverence. “But my scales will always tip in your favor.”

Lin Yu's eyes were burning and her nose was sore, but she still couldn't help but tease him with a tearful voice: "Jiang Chuan, I've known you for so long, and today is probably the most uncool day you've ever had."

"Then let's go all the way with the rustic charm," Jiang Chuan laughed. "There are ninety-eight photos hanging in this room, from our birth, to growing up, to meeting, getting to know each other, and falling in love..."

He paused, then finally asked the most crucial question. "So, Banban, would you allow me, in a new capacity, to help you complete the ninety-ninth page...?"

He held the ring on his hand forward again. "Wedding photos."

“Speaking of this…” Lin Yu raised his hand and pointed lightly at the wall, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Where did that ID photo come from?" It was a full four and a half years before they met.

"Remember, Banban?" Jiang Chuan didn't answer her question directly. His gaze was calm, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips. "I told you, we were destined to be together long ago."

A gentle evening breeze stirred, causing the overhead chandelier to sway softly in the wind. The sparse light and shadows from outside the window swept across Jiang Chuan's deep features, making the anticipation and nervousness in his eyes all the more vivid.

Lin Yu looked at him, but the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.

"Jiang Chuan, how many more secrets do you have that I don't know?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiduo suddenly ran in from outside the door with a ball in its mouth, put it at Jiang Chuan's feet, and barked twice as if urging him to play with it.

Hearing the sound, Mifa also came closer, gently nuzzling Lin Yu's palm with her head. Jiang Chuan, however, remained unmoved, kneeling on the spot, his gaze never leaving her face for a moment.

"Promise me you'll tell me slowly later."

Just as she was about to speak, the lights on the top of the church suddenly turned on, and a beam of strong light shone directly on her face.

Lin Yu was so startled by the stun that she instinctively closed her eyes and raised her hand to shield them. In that brief moment, Jiang Chuan quickly stood up, took her left hand, and slipped the ring onto her ring finger.

Lin Yu lowered his hand, looking at the ring that had appeared on his finger, a fleeting look of surprise flashing in his eyes. "You're cheating!" She glared at him, but her gaze held no threat.

"All's fair in war." Jiang Chuan finally let out a long sigh of relief, looked behind her, and a relieved and extremely satisfied smile appeared on his face, along with a touch of childlike pride.

Rushing footsteps and hushed laughter came from outside the window. Lin Yu turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw that the group of people who had just been talking about health preservation were now gathered at the door, smiling at them.

"You two are taking too long..." Qi Sheng teased, "Our legs are numb from standing!"

"Jiang Chuan, I'm about to ruin my camera shutter by pressing it so many times!" Zhang Hengyuan's voice rang out immediately. "A man's knees are worth gold. Your kneeling is worth at least 20,000 taels of silver. This marriage is a sure win!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Mifa and Hido seemed to sense the extremely joyful atmosphere as well, and excitedly circled around them.

Lin Yu glanced at the light controller in her brother's hand, and exclaimed in realization, "Oh, so someone was in cahoots with you!"

"Wrong," Jiang Chuan readily admitted, his fingers intertwined with hers. "It's teamwork, overcoming difficulties."

The night sky was suddenly illuminated as soon as the words were spoken.

They both turned to look out the window. Through the colorful stained glass, large bursts of fireworks exploded in the sky. One after another, their vibrant colors filled the night, as if crowning this moment.

Jiang Chuan pulled Lin Yu into his arms. His heart was pounding, the sound penetrating through his thin shirt to Lin Yu's ear, mingling with the booming of fireworks.

"Do you like our guesthouse, so-so?" he whispered in her ear.

"I like it." Lin Yu reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face deep in his burning chest.

Do you like the puppy I gave you?

"like."

Do you like me?

“No…” She shook her head, tilting her face up from his embrace. Her eyes, still glistening with tears, shone brightly as she looked into Jiang Chuan’s stunned gaze. “It’s love… I love you, Jiang Chuan.”

The last firework burst open in the night sky, transforming into a shower of stars that slowly fell, making the night even brighter and more dazzling, like a blessing from God descending upon the world.

On this New Year's Eve, everything is just right.

A few close friends and family, a playful dog, her favorite music, and the man before her who helped her become a better version of herself, and who in turn helped her become a better version of herself. Everything seemed destined, falling into place naturally.

Lin Yu's face belatedly turned red, but her smile became even brighter.

She suddenly realized that perhaps love is never a perfect ceremony, but a steadfast sincerity, a clumsy effort, and the panic of being at a loss when you see someone even when you are fully prepared.

But it is precisely because of this that it is so real and moving.

Just like tonight, just like this moment.

Just like every day of the rest of my life.