What happened back then
Lin Tingyue was taken aback by his sudden question and instinctively wanted to turn her head to look at him, but Chi Zhuo gently pressed her shoulder down.
"Don't move, your hair isn't completely dry yet."
She had no choice but to keep her back to him, but her heart was stirred by his question.
Do you regret it?
Actually, she had thought about this question before.
At first, she was indeed captivated by him. He was initially passionate, then turned cold and indifferent, leaving her completely enthralled.
When she was most ready to give up, he appeared before her again as the absolute victor, forcing her to bow down with the cruelest means.
She even thought that she might only ever be a puppet like this for the rest of her life.
However, she has accepted their current relationship. She likes Chi Zhuo, so she accepts everything, even though their marriage started as a forced union. But the current direction is positive, so she has no regrets.
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" she asked, her voice muffled and evasive.
Chi Zhuo continued combing her hair, his tone calm and even casual: "I just suddenly wanted to ask."
“At first…” she chose her words carefully, her voice very soft, “it was a little…”
She could feel his fingertips, which were combing her hair, pause slightly.
"Oh? Where?" he asked, his voice still steady.
Lin Tingyue answered honestly, "At the time, it felt like I was making a deal. I was afraid that I would make a mistake and ruin everything."
Chi Zhuo was silent for a moment, then continued his actions, his touch still gentle. "And now?" he pressed, his voice lower, "Do you still consider this a transaction?"
She shook her head, her voice soft but much clearer: "Now... I don't feel it anymore."
The person behind me seemed to chuckle softly, a low laugh with a slight vibration in the chest, which faintly traveled through my back.
“Then let me ask you another way,” Chi Zhuo leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her ear, bringing a slight tingling sensation, “Listen, are you happy to marry me?”
Lin Tingyue's ears felt hot, and her heart began to beat faster again, much to her dismay.
She bit her lower lip, her mind a jumble, but she still tried to sound tough: "It's... alright. Except that you're sometimes too nosy, and you always..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chi Zhuo suddenly put down the comb, grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and with a little force, turned her around, forcing her to face him.
He sat in front of her, his gaze level with hers.
The warm light from the bedroom fell into his deep eyes, as if a soft glow spread across them. He gazed intently at her, as if trying to see into the depths of her heart.
“But I’m very happy.” He interrupted her insincere words, his tone serious, without a trace of joking.
"I'm so happy to marry you," he repeated, as if reiterating his joy.
All of Lin Tingyue's unspoken complaints stuck in her throat. She stared at him blankly, momentarily forgetting to react.
What did he... say?
Chi Zhuo looked into her slightly widened eyes, in which his image was clearly reflected.
He raised his hand and gently rubbed her cheeks, which were flushed pink from her recent shower, with his fingertips, a gesture filled with a tenderness he himself was unaware of.
“I said, I’m so happy, listen to this.” He repeated, enunciating each word clearly, “Marrying you was the best decision I ever made.”
Lin Tingyue felt her heart pounding so loudly it was about to burst her eardrums, and her cheeks were burning hot.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat dry and unable to make a sound.
All of this is somewhat unbelievable.
"So...so..." She finally found her voice, her voice trembling slightly with disbelief, "What you said before about having ulterior motives...is it true?"
Chi Zhuo raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening: "You think I'm teasing you?"
The immense shock and indescribable joy intertwined, leaving her dizzy.
She instinctively shrank back, trying to avoid his overly intense gaze, but he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Still running?" Chi Zhuo chuckled, tightening his arms around her and pulling her closer. "You've finished asking your questions, now it's time to give me an answer, right?"
"W-what answer?" Lin Tingyue was still a little confused.
"Are you happy?" he asked again, his gaze fixed on her, giving her no chance to escape. "Be with me."
Seeing the expectation in his eyes and the unmistakable affection, Lin Tingyue's tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed.
She lowered her eyelashes, her long lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and then nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Um."
A bright light flashed in Chi Zhuo's eyes, and he let out a pleasant chuckle. He didn't give her a chance to be shy anymore, and lowered his head to kiss her soft lips again.
Lin Tingyue was initially a little stiff, but under his gentle advances, she gradually relaxed, tentatively reaching out to hold his neck and awkwardly beginning to respond.
This response undoubtedly pleased Chi Zhuo, and his kiss became deeper and more lingering.
When the kiss ended, both of them were a little out of breath. Lin Tingyue leaned softly against him, her cheek pressed against his warm chest, listening to his equally rapid and strong heartbeat, feeling as if she were soaking in a hot spring.
Chi Zhuo gently brushed his chin against the top of her head, his arms encircling her, holding her tightly in his embrace.
"From now on," his deep voice sounded above her head, "you're not allowed to be jealous of those irrelevant people anymore, okay?"
Lin Tingyue snuggled closer to him, finding a more comfortable position, and muttered softly, "Who's jealous..."
"Okay, you didn't eat." Chi Zhuo readily agreed, his tone full of indulgence. "I was just being petty, I couldn't stand you looking at other people even once, alright?"
Lin Tingyue said smugly, "That's exactly right."
She couldn't help but smile, her heart filled with sweetness, as if a honey pot had been spilled.
After drying her hair, Lin Tingyue lay back in Chi Zhuo's arms, still processing the amount of information she had gathered that day. She began to wonder about Chi Zhuo's inner thoughts.
"I'm curious, when did you start liking me? Was it when we first met?"
She did have an impression of the name Chi Zhuo, but at the time she simply dismissed it as a joke.
No, not at all.
Chi Zhuo is also honest.
Lin Tingyue was clearly disappointed that she didn't hear what she wanted to hear.
"Oh. I thought you fell in love with me at first sight."
Upon hearing this, Chi Zhuo smiled but remained silent.
-
Cheng Ji was in the arcade when Chi Zhuo called him over.
He arrived at the office, crossed his legs, and said casually, "What's up? I was just having a chat with my sister."
Help me plan a marriage proposal ceremony.
What?
Cheng Ji nearly slid off the sofa, his eyes wide: "A proposal?! Aren't you two already married?"
Chi Zhuo sat behind his desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface. "Well, we only got the marriage certificate back then, nothing else."
"Wow, you're serious?" Cheng Ji leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Really fallen for her? Been captivated by Fairy Tingyue?"
Chi Zhuo didn't answer directly, but only glanced at him, "So, just tell me, will you help or not?"
"Help! We absolutely have to help!" Cheng Ji slapped his thigh. "But you have to tell me, when exactly did you fall for her? I'm dying of curiosity!"
Chi Zhuo looked out the window, as if he had remembered something, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
In fact, their meeting wasn't limited to the time Lin Tingyue complained about at school.
At a charity gala, Chi Zhuo felt it was too stuffy inside and went out for some fresh air. He happened to be standing behind a clump of lush roses when he overheard two girls talking.
"Tingyue, I heard that the Chi family's son is here too. He doesn't have a girlfriend yet," a girl whispered.
"Which one?" He heard a clear, slightly lazy voice.
"Oh, it's the most powerful big shot, Chi Zhuo."
I don't care whether he has a girlfriend or not.
"But I've seen him, he's really super handsome."
Then he heard Lin Tingyue chuckle softly, "Oh, so what? I heard she's like a block of wood. Living with someone like that would be incredibly boring."
Her companion quickly pulled her back: "Keep your voice down!"
"What's there to be afraid of? He can't hear anyway." Lin Tingyue's tone carried a hint of smugness. "Anyway, he's not my type."
Chi Zhuo immediately thought the girl was quite bold. He peeked through the gaps in the flowers and saw her tilting her head and chatting with her companion. Her profile looked particularly fair in the night, and her eyes were sparkling.
He didn't feel much at the time, he just thought the girl was quite interesting.
To my recollection, no one has ever described him like that before.
No one else dares to be so blunt.
What truly made him remember her was a later business forum.
That day, Lin Tingyue represented the Lin family at the event, dressed in a smart white suit. She chatted eloquently with several senior business leaders, displaying clear viewpoints and meticulous logic, completely unlike the naive young woman she had been seen with before.
After the forum, she sat in a corner of the lounge, rubbing her feet that had gone numb from standing in high heels, and quietly complained to a friend on the phone: "I'm exhausted. It's really not easy to act mature..."
He felt a slight tremor in his heart at the time, but when he saw her holding hands with a boy and interacting intimately, a strange feeling arose in his heart.
He was unwilling to force her to do something against her will, and he let her bloom freely.
But that accident led her to deliver herself to him, yet she wanted to walk away without a care in the world.
There's no such thing as something you can just let go of so easily.
So, he seized the opportunity and used every means to bring her to his side.
"So," Cheng Ji said, dumbfounded, "you were scheming against her while simultaneously falling for her? What kind of twisted way of dating is that?"
Chi Zhuo withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "It's not important. What's important is that she's mine now, and," he paused, his tone firm, "she will always be mine."
"Alright," Cheng Ji resignedly pulled out his phone, "Tell me your thoughts, what kind of proposal do you want? Leave it to me!"
Soon, everything was agreed upon, but Cheng Ji still couldn't help but remind him.
"However, I still want to remind you that if the fairy finds out what happened back then, she will be furious."
Chi Zhuo's eyes were cold as he said, "Perhaps she will never know."
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