Vast snowfield
Waiting for midnight, Jiang Liu held the cake in his hands and sang the birthday song for the birthday girl. The candles danced with excitement, and Yu Ran clenched his fists, expressing his heartfelt gratitude with every word.
"May all be well with those I love."
The cake is not big and is divided into two halves equally. It is filled with hazelnut almond and matcha, and tastes very good.
“I made it myself.”
Yu Ran was shocked and regretted not savoring it carefully.
"Then you are truly gifted."
"Didn't you eat anything?" Jiang Liu asked seriously, staring from lips to Adam's apple. For a moment, his eyes really had the ability to see through the skin and flesh.
Yu Ran had just eaten something sweet, so his saliva wasn't abundant. He couldn't use the action of swallowing his saliva to recall the process of eating the cake, so he wasn't sure whether the soft filling contained any foreign objects.
But looking at Jiang Liu's expression, Yu Ran's first reaction was that the only thing that could be put into the cake was jewelry, and the most classic jewelry was a ring. He was not worried about it being eaten accidentally, but he was afraid that the gift was really a ring, which coincided with the wedding ring he had prepared.
"Oh, I'm so stupid. I didn't put it in. Then close your eyes and I'll leave it to you."
Yu Ran felt relieved. He closed his eyes and opened them again. The light in the room was dim, but he could use his experience to identify the color of the box in his hand: burgundy patent leather and a gold lock.
Yu Ran didn't know how to react if there really was a ring inside.
Open the lid and you'll find a ring embedded in the concave velvet pad. The ring is flat, not a ring.
Jiang Liu took it out and it turned out to be a key.
"Your name is on the property deed."
The key lay in Jiang Liu's palm, thin and flat, ordinary, but there must be a keyhole in the world that corresponds to it. What a perfect act, just like one person loving another, so perfect, both are destiny, both are destined.
Yu Ran was speechless. In his planned sequence, proposal, marriage certificate, wedding, wedding house, and happy life were like dominoes stacked one on top of the other. But Jiang Liu, with both the planning and coordination of a person in the game and the insight of a person who had a bird's-eye view of the whole situation, effortlessly brought the "wedding house" card to the forefront.
Jiang Liu didn't specify what the new house would be used for. Like children, they may seem innocent and chaotic when arranging their toys, but they often have answers and rules hidden in their hearts.
"I don't know what to say... I have never experienced this feeling before, thank you..." Yu Ran couldn't tell which emotion was the dominant one, laughter or tears. His heartbeat was suddenly pounding and a little disordered.
"It's okay. There will be time later. Even if you can't express it, I understand."
The candlelight of the birthday celebration turned into bright daylight. Jiang Liu had said he would treat everyone to a meal, and Yu Ran thought it was lunch, so he went hungry for breakfast.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Liu brought him back to Yu Qionglin's home. The mother and daughter returned home early just to celebrate Yu Ran's birthday. So, of course, they stayed here for lunch.
This means that their date will have to be postponed until dinner.
At worst, he could propose after dinner. Yu Ran knew there was enough time.
When I entered, the dishes were already out of the oven, and a pot of soup was simmering on the stove. Jiang Liu went into the kitchen to get the soup, but Yu Lei got there first. That familiar scent made me blush. Wasn't it the five-fingered ginseng and pork ribs soup?
Yu Ran looked into the pot and saw the bright yellow soup. He stirred it with a spoon, and the aroma of the soup danced with the rising heat.
The four of them sat down, and Yu Lei excitedly divided the soup, instructing them to savor her masterpiece. The broth, rich with poria cocos, red beans, and coix seed, blended with the meaty aroma of the spareribs, was mellow but not greasy.
Before Yu Lei could shamelessly ask for praise, Jiang Liu took the initiative to say, "Sister, your cooking skills are really good!"
Yu Lei asked, "Will it be sweet?"
Jiang Liu was about to say no, but Yu Lei continued to share her experience, "Pork ribs aren't a priority. If you like, pigeons go better with these ingredients. The whole pigeon can better lock in moisture and sweetness. What are you stewing at home, my dear?"
Jiang Liu was extremely embarrassed.
"He doesn't eat birds." Yu Ran said casually, and suddenly understood the meaning of the words. Did he mean that the pile of dry tree branches in his house were all the work of Yu Lei?
"Yeah, you're the only one who's kind. What do you think?"
"It's not tasty. There are too many side dishes, and they overshadow the main dish. It might be better to add celery and coriander. It's also a bit oily. I don't know if your brother can't handle oil. Please help me skim it off next time."
Yu Lei: “?”
Yu Qionglin was used to seeing the two bickering with each other, feeling helpless and disgusted, turning away. The smiles and frowns of her little son beside her were so endearing. It was truly a gift from God.
After lunch, the two drove to the outdoor ski resort. Jiang Liu, feeling generous, booked an entire beginner's slope. He spent an hour with a private instructor, one-on-one, and was amazed by their athletic talent. In Jiang Liu's few memories of Country A, the winter snow was a rare and lovely sight. He loved building snowmen and skiing, and though boredom was inevitable, he was frozen to the point where every moment felt like he was experiencing the coldness of this world for the first time.
Yu Ran was a purer form of athletic talent. His physical fitness remained intact even after his amnesia, not to mention he had long since recovered. Besides, if you had to compare, skiing wasn't any harder than skating.
After mastering some introductory techniques, the instructor left, leaving the two of us side by side in the vast expanse of snow. The snow here is all artificial, and the wide contact area between the snowboard and the snow gives us a certain sense of security psychologically.
Jiang Liu let go and walked down the slope. The winding patterns on the snow were renewed at a speed that was difficult to see with the naked eye.
Yu Ran bravely caught up with him. With speed, human skill was no match for gravity. Downhill with a tailwind, the drop caught the novice off guard. Add to that the flying snow, and his vision was blurred. Before he lost control, he made a dashing leap, and his fall into the snow didn't feel particularly real.
"Are you okay?" Jiang Liu slid over and pulled the man up.
Yu Ran adjusted to it and felt that the fighting was quite good. It aroused the desire to challenge in his heart. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt, it feels good."
"Okay, I'll wait for you downstairs."
Then he ran away.
Yu Ran tried his best to catch up.
Things were getting better and better, and suddenly I felt refreshed, it was snowing!
He landed steadily on flat ground, Jiang Liu nowhere to be found. All before him were the shadows of pine trees, their dignity undiminished even by the artificial snow. The winter sun's halo flickered through the forest, like a guiding light.
He clutched his skis, wading deep and shallow. The pine trees, natural guardians, wore sky-high green tassels, one standing every few steps, carving a snowy path. The snow hadn't fallen heavily enough to obscure any trace of a person. Yu Ran followed the footprints deeper.
ah……!
Yu Ran saw the scene clearly, and all the lifelong desires in his heart were thrown over his head, falling like snowflakes. Landing on shoulders, palms, and feet, blooming everywhere.
A thousand acres of white, breathing out roses, lilies, roses, and dozens of other lover's gifts, spread to the center of the lake. A clear blue frost formed on the lake's surface. Two snowmen stood in front of the heart-shaped flower stand, and an orchid and calla lily bloomed in the left heart.
Yu Ran walked forward and found that the snowman wearing the cattleya corsage was shorter, holding a small vine ring in his branch hand. The snowman wearing the calla lily corsage faced it and held out his hand.
"It's me, Yu Ran."
Yu Ran turned around and saw Jiang Liu, his helmet and goggles removed. His long hair and red lips were unparalleled in his handsomeness. He still wore his ginger ski suit, which accentuated his handsome figure. He knelt on one knee, holding a ring in his hand.
"Yu Ran, are you willing to marry me?"
Names, personal pronouns, common words, and even words that are easiest to find in dictionaries, Jiang Liu collected them, poured love into them, and forged them into a shining silver engraving that will last a lifetime.
Yu Ran blinked. He had always understood Jiang Liu's love, but being loved by him again still felt like the most refreshing thrill in the world.
He loved me, just as I loved him. How wonderful. Yu Ran shuddered in the snow.
"I do..." Yu Ran held out her hand, the ring, bearing the warmth of their two bodies, laced at the base of her ring finger. Bend her fingers, bring them together, stretch them out, and the ring's presence felt like breathing, blinking, a heartbeat, both tangible and intangible.
Yu Ran helped the person up, and of course he had to show the ring in front of the camera when taking a selfie, using the sea of flowers and the little snowman as the background. Before he knew it, the little snowman had also completed the exchange of rings.
"Happy birthday, and thank you for all the time." Jiang Liu held Yu Ran's face in his hands, and snowflakes danced around them. They competed to taste the coldness of each other's frozen lips.
The noise of the proposal quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers. Just as everyone was regretting not being able to witness this sacred moment, Yu Ran stepped into the crowd, feeling cheerful and happy. "Thank you everyone, I'm getting married to my boyfriend!"
"Wow--!"
…
On the way home, Yu Ran was driving. No matter how he changed hands, the bright spot in his left hand was always right above the steering wheel.
After a moment of silly laughter, he calmed down because his proposal plan was "preempted" by someone else, and went over the details of tonight one last time.
Winter brings short days, shadows and a new wave of cold. The return journey is long, and I've lost track of time. Yu Ran actually drove to the proposal location. Jiang Liu looked around and said, "Aren't we going to dinner? I've already booked the restaurant."
Yu Ran slapped his head and tried to get away with it by talking nonsense.
This restaurant eschews pretentious, innovative home cooking. The chefs, all housewives, have taken their culinary skills from the small confines of their homes to a wider stage, earning acclaim from diners. They're no longer judged by "mother's taste" but by "the taste of craftsmanship."
Jiang Liu met an acquaintance here.
Zhong Xia.
He didn't go up to say hello, but watched from afar, seeing the satisfaction in her sweat and the happiness in her hands. It was so nice.
After thinking for a while, he couldn't help but tell Yu Qionglin about this matter and share the dinner situation. Yu Ran sat opposite him and intentionally or unintentionally let his left hand enter the camera.
"You..." Jiang Liu smiled and held his hand.
"I, I want to ask you, do you have any plans after dinner?"
Jiang Liu's mind wandered, and he thought of something charming. He restrained himself and said, "Of course I'll follow your arrangements."
Yu Ran turned the knuckle ring on Jiang Liu's ring finger, checking whether all the details matched the design draft. After tonight, the base of his finger would be like a solid ring, like a hug, and he would never let go.
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