Strings of love hang down like silk threads, candles light up to offer blessings
As soon as I approached, the door to "Inch by Inch of Time" opened automatically. I was greeted by his smiling face and a soft blessing, "Happy Birthday!"
"It turns out he hasn't forgotten." The thin ice solidified by the long day instantly melted into a sweet smile on the girl's face.
But when the boy came over and invited her to come closer, her smile was frozen in thick honey.
At this moment, the coffee shop is filled with love.
Countless red hearts dangled from the ceiling, like a red ceiling in the café. Each heart is hand-folded from red paper—a technique taught by Ke Yike. A closer look reveals that some hearts are embedded with small photos of couples. The pocket watches that once hung loom in the center, like a scale measuring the unpredictable nature of love.
The red hearts took on a noticeable change near their designated seats. The threads were longer, and the hearts were strung together, adding layers of red curtains to the seats. This contrasted beautifully with the heart Zhou Ying had crafted on the window.
Their familiar table had also undergone a transformation. A layer of glass had been added to the top, and beneath it sat a screen the same size as the table itself—a thoughtful gift from Qian Jianjun later that day, replacing the original design. The screen's light was soft, like a painting resting on a cushion. Now, it displayed a thick mass of rose petals, a naked-eye 3D effect so stunning that the women couldn't bear to brush away these beautiful, delicate petals.
"Are all these prepared for me?" Even after sitting down, the girl still couldn't believe it.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah! Thank you, I'm so happy!"
The girl's satisfaction made the boy smile through the thick lenses of his glasses. "To give you this surprise, Sister Yue and the others have been busy all day."
"They are such nice people! I must thank them when I get the chance."
The boy nodded vigorously, and then said, "I've ordered dinner. I hope you like it."
"Um!"
Soon, the appetizer bread brought the girls a surprise: it was Ke Yike's carefully crafted portrait bread. This bread has only appeared twice, and this time the pattern on the bread was replaced with a simple sketch of the two of them. The picture was so lifelike that the two of them, like Xue Jiuyue at the time, were reluctant to eat it.
"Ahem..." Ke Yike reminded with some pride, "There will be another loaf of bread of the same kind for you to take away later."
The stunning bread was just the beginning of the dinner. The salad that followed was a new dish that Ke Yike hadn't had time to present to Xue Jiuyue. It was a simple vegetable salad, but the plating was shaped like a classic Chinese lotus flower.
The lotus petals are made from sliced peaches that Ke Yike carefully selected, and the other green leaves and lotus pods are also made from various vegetables.
When the dishes were served, Zhou Ying explained directly: "We have photos of each dish, so you can eat it with confidence, and it will not affect your social media posts."
The next dish, the double-mixed pork steak, was familiar to Xue Jiuyue. However, it was the first time for a boy and a girl to meet, and they were still amazed.
As for the wine to go with the meal, Xue Jiuyue suggested "Love", but Ke Yike said that the color should match the color of the meat, so he gave each of them an extra glass of "Karimoqiu".
The final dessert was, of course, cake. It was the same cake that Ke Yike had made for Chinese Valentine's Day. However, the letters on the cake were changed to the initials of their names, as requested by the boy.
Ke Yike was not happy with the previous dishes, and when it came to the cake, he clearly objected. But he was not as good as Xue Jiuyue's words - "I have left my heart, but the form can move more people, this is the true love."
The cake was presented to the sound of Happy Birthday. The curtains were drawn and the lights were off, leaving only the screen display changing to a starry sky, emitting a dazzling glow of stars, as if a starry sky were rippling amidst the soft singing of the birthday song.
As the cake landed on the table, it transformed into a flowing sea of clouds. Slightly brighter than a starry sky, and even more dreamy, the men poured wine into two glasses, first forming a large heart and English letters to express their feelings to the women. Then, smoke curled from the cake, blending seamlessly with the sea of clouds on the table. Finally, a cylinder rose from the mist, topped by a sparkling diamond ring.
"Happy birthday! Marry me, okay?" The boy's voice came at the right time, and along with all the surprises of the day, it turned into tears.
The girl was speechless and could only nod with tears in her eyes.
As the boys said, love in marriage is a daily whisper, a murmur, even a look, a gesture, a silent understanding. So at this moment, it was quiet and blissful. There were no loud cries of "Marry him, marry him...", no excited screams or rapturous applause. Only candles lit up from the surrounding darkness, reflecting many familiar faces: Xue Jiuyue, Zhou Ying, Ke Yike, Lin Yiyi, Qiu Nian, Ge Xiaoduo... Many candles, shedding various tears, finally converged into a table of dazzling fireworks... The screen under the table also changed to a sky full of roses. Red light, red candles, red dresses, red hearts, red smiles, and the red love hidden in the heart and melted in the blood, filled the whole room with warmth and sweetness...
In the fusion of candlelight and tears, feeling a similar emotion, Xue Jiuyue thought of Ke Yike beside her, and Ye Yi in her memory, but more importantly, she didn't dare to think about Liu Che, who was still far away. She wished she could hear that gentle voice and say those touching words, for herself, for love... A torrent surged in her heart.
Despite a day of turbulent emotions, Xue Jiuyue didn't reveal them to her "strategist" that evening. At most, she seemed irritable during the card game, but she wasn't eloquent. It wasn't that she was avoiding the topic; she knew the direction she was heading from the moment she heard Cheng Qing's discussion of "Fight the Landlords." She was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist his earnest advice, and she wanted to give Xiao Ming another chance to take the initiative.
A mind that has made up its mind is at peace, able to make up for missed sleep in the sweet darkness of the night. Entrusting hope to the bright morning light, the fragrant croissant with Gynostemma pentaphyllum leaves no more confusion.
I waited from sunrise to sunset, the clouds came and went, but I didn't get the expected voice message on the phone, nor did I get the familiar figure that came into my sight.
No!
A familiar figure came, but it was not the one I wanted to see.
"Hello, Sister Mei, please sit down."
Xue Jiuyue greeted her politely. She felt the same way about Mei as before, perhaps with admiration or pity. The news she had brought her about Liu Che had strengthened her impression of her, but she still couldn't say she was particularly close.
Mei Rugu was straightforward, "I'm sorry, Xiaoyue, to trouble you again."
"You're welcome. How can I help you?"
"I just heard a lot of news and wanted to find you for advice..."
Mei Rugu spoke tactfully, but Xue Jiuyue answered frankly, "Yes, the so-called agreement between Mr. Qian and I no longer exists. I also told him that I signed it at your request. I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, it's okay. You didn't owe me anything. I'm the one who let you down..."
Xue Jiuyue continued to explain: "Sister Mei, because of a misunderstanding with Mr. Qian that day, I realized that my heart has found the one I love, so I can no longer let that agreement exist. I'm very sorry. I told the truth in order to make Mr. Qian give up, and also to take the opportunity to tell him your true feelings for him! I have always believed that you two lack effective communication, and I hope I can do my best in the end. I also clarified the matter of Gu Quyu with him, and Mr. Qian should have cleared up the misunderstanding."
"Thank you, thank you Xiaoyue. Jingzi is right, you are trustworthy."
"You're welcome, we're all friends..." Xue Jiuyue said vaguely.
"It's just that I came here today to ask your opinion on something. Do you know that my cousin, Gu Quyu, is also in love with Lao Qian?"
Xue Jiuyue was startled at first, but then she understood. "Gu Quyu told you, right? I know. I didn't tell you because I felt that even if you knew, it would only cause you more trouble."
"Ah..." Mei Rugu sighed deeply and bit her lip. "She is my cousin, but she... When she told me this, I felt like she had reopened my wounds that hadn't healed yet. It was so painful."
"That's unnecessary, Sister Mei. Love doesn't change because of your thin blood relationship. On the contrary, because you're her cousin, she loves you with great forbearance, and the pain she endures is no less than yours."
Xue Jiuyue's words made Mei Rugu look at him with suspicion.
"I'm not her friend. I'm just speaking the truth."
"Oh!" Mei Rugu lowered her head doubtfully.
Xue Jiuyue didn't elaborate further and returned to the previous topic. "If you weren't her cousin, perhaps she would be much more relaxed. She chose to confess her feelings for Mr. Qian to you herself, which also shows that she finally understands that from the beginning to the end, you have been an insurmountable mountain standing between her and Mr. Qian. After your divorce, she once thought I was a hindrance to her."
"I?"
"Yes, Sister Mei, you lack confidence in front of Mr. Qian. If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Qian has always loved you deeply. Deep love and deep hatred should be the best description of you two. So much so that Mr. Qian has been avoiding your relationship."
"Really?" Mei Rugu found a ray of light in the darkness.
"That's right, that was in the past! Before, Gu Quyu hid in your shadow and secretly loved Mr. Qian. It wasn't until you two divorced, and now I have withdrawn, that she officially challenges you as Gu Quyu. You don't have the advantage, do you?" Xue Jiuyue smiled playfully.
Mei Rugu reluctantly admitted, "Lan said the same thing as you."
"But what Lan doesn't know is that Mr. Qian might not be as evasive about the relationship between you and him as he was before, so you're not without a chance of winning."
"How do you know?"
"I'm very familiar with Mr. Qian's new assistant. She told me this. She said that Mr. Qian and Gu Quyu are back to their old ways, and he always brings Gu Quyu along for all his social events."
Mei Rugu was a little confused, "Isn't this still the same as before?"
"Mr. Qian is looking for a new assistant because he's learned about Gu Quyu's feelings. He's been entangled with his feelings for Gu Quyu and you, and has been trying to avoid both. Now he can finally face it normally. Isn't that a good thing?"
"You contributed to this, didn't you? Thank you!" Mei Rugu thanked Xue Jiuyue and asked a question, "Excuse me, is the love you found Dr. Liu?"
"Yes!" There was no need to be vague. It was Mei Rugu who helped to clear up the misunderstanding with Liu Che last time.
"Can you tell me why you're angry and want to cancel the agreement with Lao Qian?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
