Winter Night Proposal
The flame cracks on Jiang Ziyao's face did not subside. It had spread from his cheeks to his neck, covering his blood vessels. It was taking root, growing, and nourishing itself with his flesh and blood.
"Brother Jiang?" Bian Chengsi took a breath when he saw this strange scene.
"What's wrong with you?" Wang Yu said.
Jiang Ziyao shook his head calmly.
"What happened?" Bian Chengsi asked, "You all look unhappy."
"Just stay where you are and don't move." Huo Chi warned them. He only took a quick glance, wasting his time.
"Don't move." Jiang Ziyao repeated.
Jiang Ziyao and the other Huo Chi did not move, Bian Chengsi and Wang Yu just stood there.
Huo Chi raised a finger at them and shushed them. He did not give any explanation, but just told them to be quiet. The time was too short, and he did not need to pay attention to other people or things. Just looking at Jiang Ziyao was enough. He wanted to take one more look, a little more...
"We are married."
Huo Chi took the ring off the necklace and his fingers carefully stroked the indentations on it. He was familiar with every detail of the lines on it, and now he wanted to return it to its original owner.
"I've kept it for you for a long time. I should return it to you. Don't lose it again."
"I may not exist in the future, but I will still miss you until the end of time."
He held the ring in his hands.
He will send his lover away with his own hands. No matter what the result is, they will never see each other again.
Jiang Ziyao stretched out his left hand, and Huo Chi put the ring on his ring finger.
Then, Huo Chiting straightened his back and kissed her fiercely. At first, his kiss was heavy and intense, making it hard to breathe, but slowly it became very light, like a feather touching the lips, as if it had never existed.
Huo Chi greedily held Jiang Ziyao's face, copied his face over and over again with his eyes, then lowered his head and kissed the back of his hand with the ring.
Jiang Ziyao opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Huo Chi loosened his hand, and Jiang Ziyao saw him turn around.
"Is this your farewell?"
Jiang Ziyao said.
"Are you crying?"
Huo Chi turned his head slowly. Jiang Ziyao thought he was crying, but he wasn't. It was just that his reluctance and sadness were more painful than crying. He controlled his bitter and trembling tongue and said in a calm tone, "I'm afraid I don't want to let go."
"You will make up the lost time, walk through what you lost, and then you will return to the end, and when you reach the end you will remember everything."
"Tell him, you have to tell him that you are there too, let him save you, and save him as well."
He finished, smiling gently.
With a buzzing sound——
Jiang Ziyao seemed to hear the sound of the clock hands ticking. The bell rang, and the silver ring in his hand emitted a bright white light. Time gently caressed his cheek, and the cracks on his body gradually disappeared. The key of time turned on the door switch, and his body was swallowed up by the light.
Huo Chi walked silently to his side and held his hand.
Jiang Ziyao stared at the person in front of him and took one last look at Huo Chi. He just stood there quietly, his body hidden in the depths of the darkness, still standing tall and straight. In the very end, his pair of affectionate eyes were also swallowed up in the darkness.
Large schools of fish rushed towards them. Jiang Ziyao felt cold. The cold wind blew past his ears and his nose felt cool.
It is a drop of water, water melted from snow.
Jiang Ziyao saw the falling snow.
With two bangs, a new round of fireworks began to be launched, with deep red tails dotted with golden fireworks. He was a little dazed, reaching out to catch the falling snow, his skin was cold, and his throat made a sound by itself: "Huo Chi, it's snowing again."
Huo Chi was squatting on the ground. He exhaled a breath of hot air, picked up the phone again, and with a click, he quickly took a photo of Jiang Ziyao.
"It looks good." He stared at Jiang Ziyao and started recording again, freezing the video in front of Jiang Ziyao.
Jiang Ziyao felt a little cold, and he rubbed his hands: "Have you seen enough?"
"A lifetime of watching is not enough." Huo Chi said.
"I was talking about fireworks." Jiang Ziyao couldn't laugh now, the snow made his mouth a little cold.
"I'm talking about you." Huo Chi said, he swallowed, his eyes suddenly became firm, he suddenly knelt on one knee towards Jiang Ziyao, put the phone on his toes, insisted on recording, then, with trembling fingers he took out a red box from his coat pocket.
Jiang Ziyao immediately knew what was inside the square red box.
"Brother Jiang, I want your whole life."
Huo Chi's cheeks were trembling. He pretended to be calm and said what he had rehearsed many times, "Will you marry me?"
He maintained the same posture, his hands shaking, not sure if it was because of the cold or because he was too nervous.
Jiang Ziyao burst into laughter immediately. He covered his mouth with his hands and his eyes looked like two crescent moons. Huo Chi blushed when he saw this.
"Brother Jiang..." Huo Chi stammered, staring at him straight. His gaze was both passionate and dazzling, and he was eager and nervous to hear the answer.
"Put it on me." Jiang Ziyao stretched out his hand slowly.
Huo Chi immediately put the ring on him. The size of the ring was just right, but it was difficult to take off after putting it on. This might be intentional by Huo Chi. He raised his palm, shook it in front of his eyes, and asked Huo Chi: "Does it look good?"
Huo Chi was stunned for a long time, he just stayed there, saying nothing and doing nothing.
Jiang Ziyao said: "I'll bring you another one."
He raised his head and saw that Huo Chi's eyes seemed wet, "Huo Chi, are you crying?"
"I can't help it." Huo Chi said, tears squeezed out of his eyes, but he quickly forced them back before they fell. His eyes had already been filled with a figure.
"I won't cry at this time." Huo Chi's nose was sore from the cold. He wanted to laugh, so he grinned. He took in a belly full of cold wind, and his cracked lips would hurt when they were cracked. He laughed loudly while gasping for breath, and rushed over to hug Jiang Ziyao tightly.
"I'm happy, Jiang."
“I’m so happy.”
Huo Chi rubbed his head against Jiang Ziyao's clothes, then lifted Jiang Ziyao up and turned him around.
He shouted excitedly, but his voice was no louder than the sound of the fireworks. He could indulge in his own happiness.
The fourth day of the first lunar month in 3901 was the most exciting New Year's Eve in Huo Chi's twenty years. He prepared two rings, and Jiang Ziyao put the other one on him. They were like a groom exchanging rings at a wedding.
Huo Chi stared at Jiang Ziyao's hands. They didn't need to rely on marriage to maintain their relationship. He just felt that Jiang Ziyao should wear something on his fingers. A circle of silver rings on his slender joints would be beautiful.
Huo Chi couldn't sleep the whole night. The nerves in his head were having a party. Little people were singing and dancing, cheering for him as the winner.
"You have a fever." Jiang Ziyao suddenly said, his hand pressed against Huo Chi's forehead. "How long have you been in the snow? You deserve it for not wearing more clothes."
Huo Chi was mumbling something, but Jiang Ziyao didn't hear clearly. He frowned and said, "Wait, I'll go see if there's any antipyretic medicine."
"No need." Huo Chi's voice suddenly became louder. He bounced on the bed, covered himself with the quilt and hugged Jiang Ziyao tightly, for fear that he would run away and wake up to find it was all a dream.
His nose was a little blocked, and his voice changed: "Just stuff it in and the fever will go away."
The lights in the room were turned off, so Jiang Ziyao couldn't see his red face. He was still sweating. They rarely got sick, so Jiang Ziyao let him go for now.
But Huo Chi leaned close to his ear and said, "It is said that when you have a fever, your lower body will also feel hot. Brother Jiang, do you want to..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Ziyao covered his face with the quilt.
"Brother Jiang? Brother Jiang? This will make you sweat more easily." Before he could yell, Jiang Ziyao wanted to get out of bed, but Huo Chi still held him tightly.
"Don't go. Don't go."
"Brother Jiang, I won't say anything more. Don't be angry."
"I'm not angry." Jiang Ziyao said, he touched Huo Chi's hot face: "You have to take medicine when you need to. Now you have avoided it, but you have to take it again tomorrow morning. Huo Chi, don't get sick suddenly again."
"good."
"Then go to bed first."
"Brother Jiang, sleep with me." Huo Chi quickly touched Jiang Ziyao's hand. The ring was cold. He touched it many times, held Jiang Ziyao's hand, and kissed it again.
"You will be mine from now on."
"be mine."
Jiang Ziyao responded: "I am."
This winter was not long. Jiang Ziyao took two days off from his internship company to take care of the sick Huo Chi. After the spring, it was his graduation season. He attended the graduation ceremony and also received an internship certificate.
3901In the second half of the year, Jiang Ziyao's resume was successfully accepted by a company. He didn't want to stay in Guangqin City anymore. He thought the cities in the south were good. It happened to be the same city as Huo Chi's internship company. With a flight ticket in September, they came to a new place.
At the airport, Jiang Ziyao had just verified his identity and was leaving the station. He was holding a backpack and Huo Chi was dragging a suitcase beside him.
"Brother Jiang, shall we buy a house and settle down in this city in the future?" Huo Chi said.
"Why rush to buy a house?" Jiang Ziyao said, "If we need to plan, that will be a few years later."
"I prefer the south." Huo Chi said, "We don't start work until tomorrow, how about we just take a day trip here?"
"Where do you want to go?" Jiang Ziyao asked directly.
Huo Chi took out the map of the scenic spot displayed on the pavilion at the exit and smiled at Jiang Ziyao.
Jiang Ziyao and he stopped, and there was a constant stream of people flowing around them.
"Put your things in the rented house, and then you can take a taxi here." Huo Chi chose a location.
"Okay." The two of them agreed on a location, and Jiang Ziyao turned around. Just at this moment, he bumped into someone. To be precise, someone bumped into his arms, and warm liquid was splashed on his chest.
It's coffee.
He frowned, and the white shirt he was wearing was already stained.
"Don't you have eyes when you walk?"
Huo Chi was getting angry while taking out toilet paper from his bag. "Fortunately it wasn't boiling water. What if it scalded someone?"
Jiang Ziyao simply dealt with it with toilet paper, but the clothes could no longer be worn.
"Sorry, I was on the phone just now." The man who bumped into them bowed to apologize. He was a head shorter than Jiang Ziyao, a minor, well-mannered and with good taste in clothes, and looked like a young master who was not short of money.
He hung up the phone in a hurry: "I will compensate you, just give me your payment code."
Huo Chi frowned, breath still coming out of his nostrils. He snorted and handed over his cell phone.
Jiang Ziyao felt that the boy looked familiar, but he didn't know where they had met before, perhaps on a road to a middle school?
"There are many shopping malls nearby. You can choose to change clothes. I have wasted your time and I will pay you compensation." said the boy.
Huo Chi stared at him, but he soon received a reminder to collect the payment. His eyes widened even more, and he turned to Jiang Ziyao and said, "Fifty thousand in total..."
Jiang Ziyao was also surprised, because his clothes actually cost no more than two hundred yuan.
The boy nodded to them calmly and pushed his suitcase to leave.
"Bian Chengsi!"
A loud shout was heard in the distance.
It turns out that the young man's name is Bian Chengsi.
The boy turned around and saw a man walking towards him quickly and taking the suitcase from his hand.
"Brother Zhou? Why are you here?"
"Uncle Bian contacted us early in the morning. I happened to be on a business trip here. Since you are young, you can stay in my house first."
"The car is just outside the airport."
"Is Zhou Ting here too?"
"She's with dad. Did you have a fight? She rarely mentions you in front of me recently."
"Maybe." Bian Chengsi's expression suddenly fell. The young man called Brother Zhou touched his head and said, "It's just a child. It will pass after a temper tantrum."
"We are not small anymore."
"I know you're already a man. Come in the car with me. By the way, I have a friend at home. Don't be shy. His last name is Wen, and he's a very easy person to get along with."
There was a small car parked outside the airport. Jiang Ziyao couldn't help but take a closer look. Huo Chi booked a taxi using his mobile phone.
Jiang Ziyao noticed that there was a man wearing sunglasses standing next to the car. He first opened the door to let the young man get in, then opened the trunk and put the boy's luggage away. The boy sat in the back seat, and the two men were laughing secretly in the front.
Jiang Ziyao still felt that they looked familiar, perhaps he had seen them on the news?
"What a rich man." Huo Chi couldn't help but sigh. The sudden increase in income made him smile.
"Save this money, and when we get to the holidays, we can go to the next city and have fun for a few days."
"I need to change my clothes first." Jiang Ziyao and Huo Chi quickly got into a taxi. Their lives were comfortable and ordinary. Their future plans were to buy a house and a car. They both had stable jobs, no children, and no pressure.
Jiang Ziyao started working earlier than Huo Chi. They rented a house on the street closest to the two companies. The original head of the planning department was transferred because of maternity leave, and the higher-ups hoped that people in Jiang Ziyao's department could help relieve some of the pressure.
Jiang Ziyao, a young man, was forced to work overtime to do some chores. Working with him was a girl. They were both newcomers. Their company had an external cooperation, and the current main project leader was named Fang. He took over as the new supervisor.
Huo Chi sometimes complained that his company was shameless and asked him, a newcomer, to always work overtime.
Departments are always vying for efficient newcomers. Jiang Ziyao gets along well with his colleagues in the company. He leaves work on time after finishing his work and doesn't care about flattery in the workplace.
"That woman is just like a nun named Miejue. She is holding on to even the slightest bit of profit and even questioned us and asked us to make more concessions just because we changed the person in charge. It is totally unreasonable!"
"And the assistant next to her is really rude. She dislikes men with bellies. What man would dare to marry a woman like that? She should go home and have children and take care of them!"
Jiang Ziyao heard the complaint from Manager Fang. He frowned, turned off the computer at his workstation, and prepared to leave.
A young voice suddenly interrupted: "This shows that she is capable. You have to call her President Wang in front of her. If someone as capable as her can only stay at home to take care of the kids, then all the men in our company should get out of here, you bastard!"
The supervisor glared at the new employee who had spoken rudely: "Who told you to speak? You contradicted your superior. Go write a self-review and send it over."
The girl retorted: "I'm sorry, I'm not from your department. I'm here to do odd jobs. If you don't need me, I'll go back to my workstation. You can go find someone else to help with the project."
Her words made the supervisor blush with anger, and Jiang Ziyao laughed softly below.
Jiang Ziyao admired the girl's courage. The girl noticed him and came over to him to chat: "Do you also think this guy is stupid? We are from the same department after all. Shall we have lunch together at noon? Our department boss will treat us."
"No, my wife is waiting for me at home." Jiang Ziyao replied, unconsciously showing his palm.
The girl noticed the ring on his hand and was surprised: "You are married? How old are you?"
"But you said that..." The girl's expression became strange, "A full-time wife?"
"Yes, sir." Jiang Ziyao replied: "My husband is a man, and he also has a job."
"I have to go first, maybe he is waiting for me."
Then, he left his workstation and took the elevator under the girl's shocked eyes. Jiang Ziyao suddenly felt that it was not that difficult to admit a special relationship. He and Huo Chi had never made their sexual orientation public, and they had treated this issue as a trouble. But now that they had put on their wedding rings and had a new beginning, Jiang Ziyao could ignore these troubles.
He walked out of the company, and just as Jiang Ziyao thought, Huo Chi was waiting for him nearby.
Jiang Ziyao was not surprised, Huo Chi always did this.
"Next time, just go to the first floor lobby and wait for me."
Jiang Ziyao said.
Huo Chi smiled and said, "Okay."
"Brother Jiang, it's still the same old rule. The one who doesn't buy the vegetables cooks. But you work harder than me, so I'll let you do it this time. I'll cook today."
They laughed together.
Jiang Ziyao and his wife decided to buy a house in the south after working together for three years. The house in their hometown was too old, and their savings were just enough to pay for a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment.
In 3904, they returned to their hometown again. The life in their hometown brought some memories but more troubles, so they planned to move away the memorable things.
Their neighbor, Grandma Wang, was pretty nice to them. When Jiang Ziyao returned, she was guarding downstairs with her cane because someone had made her angry.
"Grandma Wang, Brother Jiang and I are back." Huo Chi went up to say hello.
Grandma Wang put on her reading glasses while responding, "Why did you come back?" She sat in a wheelchair, her face full of wrinkles, looking very serious, "Why did you come back to this shabby place? Are you looking for trouble?"
"I came to see you." Huo Chi smiled. "Whoever offended you, I will teach him a lesson."
"You are the one with the sharp tongue." Grandma Wang snorted: "You two should go to my room first, or leave here, and don't go back to the old house."
Jiang Ziyao asked: "What happened?"
"Here comes a farting guy."
Grandma Wang frowned and said, "She's a strange woman. She actually asked me where Xiao Jiang's mother is now. Bah! Xiao Jiang's mother has been buried for more than ten years. I can't let her disturb you."
"That's right..." Grandma Wang patted the back of Jiang Ziyao's hand and reminded him, "That woman looks a bit like your mother. My eyes are blurry and I can't see clearly. They dare to suck your blood just because you are young. I am old. I drove her away this time, but I don't know what will happen next time. You have to live well outside in the future. Remember to be careful and don't suffer from these people again, okay?"
Jiang Ziyao and Huo Chi have become accustomed to relatives coming to collect debts, which is one of the reasons why they left here.
"Grandma Wang, don't worry! You have to take care of yourself in the future. Brother Jiang and I won't be back often." Huo Chi said. He asked Jiang Ziyao: "Brother Jiang, how about we come back in a few days? Wait until those people leave."
Jiang Ziyao nodded.
"Hurry up, hurry up." Grandma Wang urged.
"Take care." Jiang Ziyao looked back, then turned and left with Huo Chi.
In the quiet afternoon, they watched the sunset, the afterglow of the sunset shining on them, and they walked forward.
There are only one year and forty-nine days left until the doomsday virus breaks out.
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