In the nanny car after the performance, Kim Ji-won carefully held the gift box of the pair of crown earrings, and gently stroked the velvet surface with her fingers. The rain was still falling outside the car window, and the raindrops left winding water marks on the glass, staining the neon lights outside the window into blurred blocks of color.
Ouyang Guang sat next to her, still wearing stage makeup. He looked at Jin Zhiyuan's profile through the reflection in the car window and found that there were still dried tears hanging on her eyelashes.
"Are you tired?" he asked softly, his voice a little hoarse from continuous performances.
Kim Ji-won shook her head, the crown earrings on her earlobes that Ouyang Yang had put on for her at the performance gleamed slightly in the dim carriage: "Oh my God... Thank you so much."
Manager Lee Seung-hwan glanced at them through the rearview mirror and tactfully turned on the radio. Soft piano music filled the silence in the car, but no one spoke.
When the car stopped at the foot of Kim Ji-won's apartment, the rain had already subsided a lot. Lee Seung-hwan checked the time and said, "I'm going downstairs to buy a pack of cigarettes." He winked at Ouyang Guang, closed the car door neatly and left.
Suddenly, they were the only ones left in the enclosed space. Kim Ji-won adjusted the hem of her skirt unconsciously, the pearls on her pink dress glowing softly under the streetlights.
"Um..." Ouyang Guang suddenly asked, "Why aren't you wearing the pearl necklace that came with the dress?"
Kim Ji-won paused for a moment. "It's too conspicuous... I'm afraid it will cause you trouble." She lowered her head. "After all, you are an idol..."
Ouyang Guang sighed softly. He turned around and took out an exquisite box from the back seat: "I was planning to crown you with my own hands if you wore them..." He opened the box and found a small crystal crown inside.
Jin Zhiyuan opened her eyes wide and watched him kneel on one knee on the seat in the narrow carriage and carefully put the crown on her hair. From this angle, she could clearly see his trembling eyelashes and his Adam's apple rolling because of nervousness.
"It suits you very well." Ouyang Guang's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, "My husband."
The air in the car suddenly became thin. Jin Zhiyuan felt her heartbeat was surprisingly loud, and she was not sure whether Ouyang Guang could hear it.
"Actually..." She mustered up the courage to speak, "I have something I want to tell you for a long time."
Ouyang Guang looked at her quietly, his eyes so gentle that they made her heart tremble.
"I know we are filming a show," Kim Ji-won took a deep breath, "but my feelings for you...are no longer as simple as acting for the show."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ouyang Guang suddenly leaned forward and gently lifted her chin with his slender fingers. They were so close that they could breathe easily. Jin Zhiyuan smelled his faint fragrance, mixed with the freshness of rain, like musky amber after the snow mountain melted.
"Me too." His voice was gentle but firm. "Since the day you gave me Yangzhi Ganlu, I can no longer distinguish between the show and reality."
Outside the window, a drop of rain slid down from the leaves and hit the roof with a plop. This subtle sound seemed like some kind of signal, and Ouyang Guang slowly approached, and finally gently pressed his lips on her forehead.
"I like you, Kim Ji-won." His breath swept across her bangs. "Not the wife of the show, but the real you."
Jin Zhiyuan felt her face was burning. She subconsciously grabbed Ouyangguang's sleeve and found that his wrist was also trembling slightly.
"I like you...too." She whispered, her voice almost inaudible due to shyness, "but..."
"But what?"
"Your fans... your company..." Kim Ji-won bit her lower lip, "Can we really do this?"
Ouyangguang gently held her hand and placed her palm against his chest. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could feel his rapid and powerful heartbeat.
"I've talked to my agents," he said earnestly. "The company knows what I'm thinking... they just said it takes time to prepare."
Kim Ji-won opened her eyes wide in surprise: "When did it happen?"
"Since the day I started preparing for my birthday surprise." Ouyang Guang smiled sheepishly, "Junmyeon said I looked like a fool preparing to propose."
Li Chenghuan's deliberately heavy footsteps were heard outside the car. Ouyangguang quickly sat up straight, but his fingers were still tightly wrapped around Jin Zhiyuan's.
"I have another schedule tomorrow..." he whispered, "I'll come see you next time when I'm free?"
Jin Zhiyuan nodded, and suddenly took out a small box from her bag as if she remembered something: "This... is for you."
Inside the box was a simple silver ring with the letters SUN engraved on the inside. Ouyang Guang was stunned. He had never expected to receive this ring.
"I was planning to give it to you after you finish your exam..." Jin Zhiyuan explained with a blushing face, "but when I saw Tian's surprise, I couldn't help it..."
Li Chenghuan knocked on the car window at the right time, indicating that it was getting late. Ouyangguang took a deep breath and put the ring on the middle finger of his right hand.
"See you tomorrow, my girlfriend." He whispered in her ear, deliberately emphasizing the pronunciation of the last three words.
Jin Zhiyuan got out of the car with a red face, and the rain hit her crown, reflecting tiny rays of light. She stood at the door of the apartment, watching the nanny car slowly drive away until the taillights disappeared in the rain.
My phone vibrated. It was a message from Ouyang Guang: [I forgot to mention that you look really good in a skirt and a crown! ]
Kim Ji-won touched the crown in her hair and felt her heart pounding like a deer.
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