Chapter 291 Proposal
Both mother and daughter had red eyes. Ye Zhi Qiu had a relieved expression on her face, while Ning Jin Li's eyes were more solemn.
“Xiao Li has accepted my decision to divorce her father,” Ye Zhi Qiu said to Su Qing Lan.
Su Qinglan was dumbfounded. "Xiao Li, you...you just agreed to them like that?"
Ning Jinli's tone was filled with helplessness and bitterness, "The decision-making power for this kind of thing always rests with my parents. I think... they must have already thought it through very clearly, so I don't need to interfere."
Su Qinglan was frantic, pacing back and forth. "Zhiqiu! Look how sensible our Xiaoli is! She's clearly in so much pain, but she's still being considerate of you. Can't you two, as her parents, think about her feelings too?!"
Although Ye Zhi Qiu was also very upset, she tried her best to say calmly, "My divorce from Ning Shan does not mean that Xiao Li and I will no longer be a family."
Su Qinglan said angrily, "But you're divorced after all! A perfectly good family, just like that—"
“Godmother, there’s no need to say anymore…” Ning Jinli said softly, “I’m not a child anymore. As long as Mom and Dad are happy, and it won’t affect my relationship with them in the future, and they can get along peacefully, I think… it’s not a problem.”
“Sigh… Xiao Li…” Su Qinglan didn’t know what to say.
Ning Jinli could accept her parents' divorce, but she couldn't get over it right away. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became, and she turned and went to her bedroom.
Ye Zhi Qiu prepared to chase after them.
Su Qinglan wanted to try one last time to persuade him, so she quickly pulled Ye Zhi Qiu aside and said seriously, "Let the child stay by himself. Come on, let's have a good talk!"
Ye Zhi Qiu glanced helplessly at the closed door and sat down on the sofa.
Su Qinglan got into position and began a long, earnest plea...
Ning Jinli locked herself in her bedroom without turning on the lights. She didn't cry, and her expression was almost blank. She just stood by the window and silently looked at the night sky.
Although she appeared calm on the surface, her mind was in turmoil; she didn't even know what she was thinking.
...
Before I knew it, it was past midnight.
Inside the restaurant.
Xiao Qidi tried sending Ning Jinli several messages and making several phone calls, but there was no response to the messages and no answer to the calls.
The exquisite dishes in front of him had already been changed several times.
This allowed many of the restaurant's customers to enjoy a good meal for free, and several tables of customers came to express their gratitude to him.
Then, the restaurant owner walked over with a complicated expression and said in a low voice, "Mr. Xiao... it's so late, is your girlfriend going to make it in time? Perhaps..."
Xiao Qidi frowned. "She never breaks her promises to me. She must have something important to keep her on. Let's wait a little longer."
The restaurant owner sighed silently, "But I'm about to close up shop."
Xiao Qidi said, "I can pay extra, any amount is fine, thank you for your help."
The restaurant owner agreed, considering Xiao Qidi's generosity and easy-going nature.
Wait until the restaurant owner leaves.
Xiao Qidi took out his phone again, looking repeatedly at the unanswered messages and unanswered call records, his feelings were complicated.
He worried that something might have happened to Ning Jinli, or even that she might be in danger. But based on his intuition and rational analysis, he thought that the possibility was very small. First, Ning Jinli was capable enough to protect herself. Second, given her importance to China, if she were in any real danger, the country would definitely take immediate action.
Based on his understanding of Ning Jinli, the most likely explanation is that she has encountered something that requires her attention.
So all he had to do was continue waiting.
After thinking it over for a long time, Xiao Qidi put away his phone and tried to stay calm.
However, emotions are often not controlled by reason.
He felt a little down, so he got up and went out through the glass door next to the French windows, intending to walk on the lawn by the river to get some fresh air.
Boom...
A faint rumble of spring thunder echoed in the distance.
A cool breeze blew across the river.
Xiao Qidi stood facing the wind, gazing at the river surface reflecting the colorful lights, closed his eyes, and took a slow, deep breath.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, this place has been reserved by our distinguished guests..." Suddenly, a waiter's voice rang out.
Then came the pleading voice of a young man, "Just for a little while, please be lenient, it will be quick, I promise I won't disturb our esteemed guest. I can pay for it."
The waiter patiently explained, "I'm really sorry, it's not about the money."
Then, a young woman said, "Alright, alright, let's not make things difficult for the waiter."
Xiao Qidi stepped over and saw a simply dressed young couple.
When the waiter saw him arrive, he hurriedly greeted him, "Mr. Xiao, I'm sorry to bother you."
The young woman was about to leave with her boyfriend when he mustered his courage and said, "Are you the guest who booked this lawn for the restaurant? I'm so sorry, could you please make an exception and help me out?"
"Don't bother others." The girl tugged at his arm.
Xiao Qidi asked, "What can I do for you?"
A glint of expectation appeared in the boy's eyes. He pulled his girlfriend aside and coaxed her a few words, then politely walked over to Xiao Qidi and whispered:
"Sir, it's like this. Many years ago, this area hadn't been developed yet. Back then, my girlfriend and I were in high school nearby, and we often came here secretly for dates...hehe. Later, after graduating from high school, we didn't continue our studies and went to work in another city. Over the years, I saved up some money and planned to propose to her. I chose this place that held so many beautiful memories for us, but..."
The words "marriage proposal" immediately touched Xiao Qidi's heart, and he unconsciously revealed a strange look in his eyes.
Unaware that he was lost in his happiness, the boy began to talk, saying that although he couldn't afford a house in Xinghan City, he had bought a small apartment in his girlfriend's name in the small city where they worked, and that they would have their own home. He added that his girlfriend had been with him through thick and thin all these years, and he wanted to treat her well for the rest of his life.
What follows are a series of stories about how the two supported each other and walked step by step.
Xiao Qidi was somewhat dazed as he listened.
The boy suddenly snapped out of his daze, scratching his head awkwardly. "Sorry, sir, I just couldn't stop talking once I started talking about her..."
"It's alright," Xiao Qidi said with a slight smile. "I wish you happiness."
The young man said, "Thank you, sir! I... I know my request is against the rules, but we rarely come back here, and we're leaving tomorrow. Please give me ten minutes to propose here. I promise I won't damage any of the decorations. I'll pay you for it, sir..."
Xiao Qidi thought for a moment, then said, "I wish you success in your proposal. I won't disturb you any longer."
After saying that, he turned and left, briefly explaining something to the waiter before returning to the restaurant.
"Thank you! Thank you, sir!" The boy bowed repeatedly to him excitedly.
Then, the boy took the girl's hand and walked onto the lawn.
Just like when they used to secretly date, the two sat by the river, holding hands and leaning on each other.
“That gentleman was so kind; he actually let us stay in the space he booked for a while,” the girl said softly. “We should go back and thank him properly later. Oh, by the way, did you tell anyone that we need to pay for using this place for a period of time? Judging from how beautifully it’s decorated, that gentleman must have put a lot of thought into it and it’s going to be very useful.”
The boy grinned and said, "Of course I'll tell you. Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you for nothing."
The girl continued, "I think... the fee that gentleman paid to reserve this place must be quite high. Even if we calculate based on the time he used it, we'll have to pay him a lot... How about this, let's return the gold necklace you bought me while we were shopping today..."
Before she could finish speaking, the boy grabbed her hand and interrupted, "No, no, that was a gift I specially gave you. Even if we're going to return something, we should return the new phone you gave me today."
The girl chuckled, "Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore, otherwise time will fly by."
The boy hugged her, shifting the topic to reminiscing about the past, while secretly pulling out the engagement ring he had prepared from his pocket.
He was so nervous that he had to muster up his courage several times, and his palms were sweating, but he still couldn't bring himself to show the ring.
Xiao Qidi took in the boy's subtle actions through the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows.
Then, he glanced at his phone.
It was 1 a.m., and Ning Jinli still hadn't replied to the message or called.
He let out a sigh of relief, thought about it seriously, and then called the restaurant owner over and gave him a few instructions.
After hearing this, the shop owner looked at the young couple in surprise. "Mr. Xiao, are you... sure?"
Xiao Qidi nodded.
The boss's expression was complicated. "But these are all things you prepared for yourself..."
Xiao Qidi lowered his eyes and said calmly, "We might not need them today. Let's not waste them. Those fresh roses will all wilt after tonight."
"Alright, since it's your wish, we'll do as you say." The boss nodded and quickly left.
Soon, everyone in the restaurant who had been preparing for Xiao Qidi's marriage proposal sprang into action.
Suddenly, romantic and gentle classical music filled the lawn, and all the ambient lights were turned on, instantly transforming the place into a dreamlike realm.
The young couple paused for a moment, their faces lighting up with surprise as they looked around.
People strolling along the riverbank in the distance were also drawn in and looked over in this direction.
Immediately afterwards, a whooshing sound was heard in mid-air.
Countless rose petals were scattered from the upper floors of the restaurant.
Vibrant petals swirl and fall amidst the ambient lighting, creating a dreamlike scene.
The young couple in the middle of it helped each other to their feet, speechless with astonishment at the scene.
"So beautiful..." The girl stretched out her hand towards the sky, "They're actually real rose petals..."
Petals rained down on the two of them, carpeting the lawn with red petals.
More and more pedestrians strolling along the riverbank were drawn to the vicinity.
Since the lawn belongs to the restaurant, passersby simply stopped around and looked at the scene with curiosity.
The young couple, illuminated by the ambient lighting, undoubtedly became the focus of the dreamlike scene.
Before the two of them could figure out what was going on, countless drones lit up with colorful lights rose into the air above the restaurant, forming an intricate pattern in the sky above the river in front of them, with two hearts in the middle of the pattern.
Passersby gasped in surprise.
"Someone is expressing their love!"
"Oh my god, how romantic!"
Is it a marriage proposal?
"That's right! That commotion could be a marriage proposal or something! That couple on the lawn is so romantic! I'm so envious!"
The young couple were stunned by the magnificent sight in the night sky, unaware that they had become the stars of the show.
"What's going on..." The girl looked up, her eyes wide as she stared at the huge light screen pattern formed by the drones, and murmured, "What kind of event is going on here? We're so lucky to have stumbled upon it?"
The boy scratched his head, looking around, "I don't know either..."
Bang!
Fireworks began to launch into the sky above the restaurant, illuminating the area.
The boy was startled, and the engagement ring slipped from his hand and rolled away, disappearing instantly. His heart jumped into his throat, and he quickly lay down to search for it.
Swish—whoosh—
The drone swarm also began releasing fireworks.
A dazzling array of fireworks cascaded down like a waterfall of light, creating a spectacular scene enhanced by ambient lighting, music, and the fireworks display at the restaurant.
The passersby who gathered were all so shocked that many forgot to take out their phones to take a picture.
The young woman in this scene forgot everything at that moment, staring blankly at the stunning scenery before her.
As for the young man, he was already sweating profusely with anxiety.
The ring fell into the grass, and under these circumstances, it was impossible to find.
At the crucial moment, a figure quietly approached and handed him an exquisite diamond ring, saying, "Here, use this."
The boy looked up. "Mr. Xiao? You...you are here..."
Xiao Qidi stuffed the diamond ring into his hand, "It's for you, hurry up and propose to her."
Before the boy could say anything more, Xiao Qidi quickly left again.
The boy froze for two seconds, not caring too much about what he was thinking. He crawled to the girl's side, knelt on one knee, held up the ring, and shouted, "Xiao Xuan, I love you! Please... marry me!"
The girl lowered her head and paused for a moment.
The boy said in an even louder voice, "I want to marry you! From the first day we were together, I've dreamed of spending my whole life with you! Will you marry me? I promise I'll always be good to you, always love you, always—"
"I do!" the girl cried out before he could finish speaking, "I love you too! I've wanted to marry you for so long, you silly thing, proposing to me now... Waaah..."
Bang bang bang!
The last wave of fireworks burst forth all around the lawn, stretching to the riverbank.
The boy put the ring on the girl's finger, stood up excitedly, and embraced her, weeping.
Passersby applauded and cheered, offering their blessings to the couple who were complete strangers.
Once things calmed down, the boy took the girl's hand and bowed to the passersby from a distance to express his gratitude. Then, he told his girlfriend about how he had accidentally lost the engagement ring and how Mr. Xiao had suddenly given her the ring.
"Oh? Mr. Xiao has helped us so much?" The girl didn't hesitate at all because the diamond ring was very valuable. She took off the ring and said to the boy, "Quick, let's return it to Mr. Xiao!"
"Okay!" The boy pulled his girlfriend back to the restaurant.
When the two arrived, Xiao Qidi had already disappeared.
Only the restaurant owner was waiting for the two of them.
"Congratulations to you both," the shop owner asked with a smile. "Are you satisfied with the proposal setup?"
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