Chapter 84 Proposal
The private restaurant that Qi Lang took a fancy to has a decoration style that is very much like Suzhou and Hangzhou. It has a garden-style entrance and a fresh and elegant flowing bridge. The dining tables are located on the pavilions and towers. Going up the stairs, you will see winding corridors. The dishes are all the most authentic Jiangnan cuisine.
Qi Lang used his iPad to order food without asking for their opinions, but the dishes the waiter served were what all three of them liked.
We have been friends for many years and have a great understanding of each other.
Bai He asked Yan Yi curiously, "How could a place like a hospital catch fire?"
Yan Yi speculated, "Construction and renovation work was underway inside the outpatient building. It's possible that sparks from the construction ignited materials, causing the fire. The specific cause requires further investigation by the relevant departments; I'm not entirely sure."
"It's terrible. What are the casualties?"
Before she could speak, Qi Lang, dissatisfied with their constant chatter, interrupted her: "You asked him? You work for a news agency. As a reporter, shouldn't you have full access to this kind of information? With such big news happening, why don't you go back to work overtime and have dinner with us here?"
"Come on, who's offering to treat me to dinner?" Bai He frowned, dissatisfied. "And the editor-in-chief knows I experienced the fire and won't let me handle this story. Why? I usually work overtime, and you say I only care about work, and now you're forcing me to work overtime again."
Qi Lang ate in silence and said no more.
It was clear that Yan Yi had escaped death, which was something worth celebrating, but he still felt uncomfortable...
"Qi Lang, I'll go to our plastic surgery hospital tomorrow and give them some instructions on fire safety." Yan Yi said, "This incident has sounded the alarm. A private hospital like ours can't afford a major safety incident like a fire."
"Hmm." He lowered his head and scooped up the soup with a spoon.
"Do you want to go and take a look together?"
"I have plans for tomorrow. You can take care of it. I'm at ease."
"Okay, I'll tell you in detail tonight."
Bai He looked at the strange atmosphere between the two. She was used to hearing them bickering and arguing, but it was hard to get used to seeing them suddenly being so friendly...
However, the friendly atmosphere did not last long.
Yan Yi answered a phone call and said to the two of them, "The hospital is going to hold an emergency meeting. I'll go there first."
Qi Lang frowned: "What's so urgent? You won't let me finish my meal. Isn't it said that family is more important than work?"
"It should be a meeting related to the fire. It's urgent and I can't refuse." After saying that, he picked up his coat and hurried away, pressing his hand on Bai He's shoulder to reassure her.
Bai He followed the man out the door, and when she turned around, she found Qi Lang's eyes fixed on her face.
She quickly picked up a piece of mandarin fish and put it in his bowl.
Qi Lang had no appetite for this meal.
Bai He noticed that he was in a bad mood and probably knew the reason, but she would not mention it on her own initiative, so Qi Lang naturally avoided her even more.
In the evening, Qi Lang didn't even wait for her to take a shower. After returning home, he grabbed her hand and walked into the room, closed the door, and pressed her against the wall and kissed her passionately.
The action was almost like a forced kiss. Bai He avoided him several times, but Qi Lang did not give her any chance to resist. He blocked her breathing and kissed her until she almost couldn't breathe.
"Um... Xiao Qi!"
There was desire in the man's eyes, as well as the passion that was still overflowing and he was trying hard to suppress it. He held her in his arms like prey, and this powerful aura made Bai He gradually realize... that it was difficult to escape.
Her face showed a panicked look of helplessness. She tried to resist, but Qi Lang grabbed her hand and pressed it against the wall, forcing her to respond to him as much as possible. His thin lips covered hers, trying to swallow her. The sharp breath made her unable to resist. His love burned so hot that it almost burned her to ashes.
"Click", they touched the light switch on the wall, and the room was instantly plunged into darkness. When Bai He was panicking, Qi Lang took advantage of the darkness, picked her up and threw her on the big bed. When she stood up, he had already pulled his tie over her.
"Qi Lang!" she screamed again, "Don't do this!"
"Have you done it with him?" The man almost lost all his sanity and kissed every inch of her snow-white skin from her ears, cheeks to her neck.
One of his hands held her chin in an absolutely possessive gesture, while the other hand had already reached into her skirt, pulling it down roughly and violently...
"Will you think of me when you do it?"
The next second, there was a crisp slap sound, and Qi Lang's left cheek began to burn.
He knelt on her, his head tilted to one side. The quiet moonlight enveloped his cold silhouette, and a self-deprecating smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
It’s true...I don’t love you anymore.
Bai He felt the numbness in her palm, the pain like a thousand needles piercing her skin, and tried to touch his face: "I didn't mean it, Qi, does it hurt..."
Qi Lang took two steps back. Without the support of his cane, he staggered and almost fell.
Bai He hurried forward to help him, but he pushed her hand away with force, endured the twitching of his knees and the pain in his heart, and staggered out of her room.
…
Late at night, after Yan Yi finished the follow-up work of the hospital fire, he dragged his tired body back home.
In the past, no matter how late it was, Bai He would always leave a night light on for him by the island counter, but tonight, the room was pitch black and cold...
He noticed that the atmosphere was not right, frowned, strode up to the second floor, and pushed open the door of Bai He's room.
The girl sat on the bed hugging her knees, the moonlight pouring down. She was sobbing softly, her clothes disheveled.
Yan Yi felt as if his heart was being crushed by a pair of invisible hands. He rushed forward, knelt beside the bed, and reached out to touch her cold arm. The moment he touched it, he immediately pulled his hand back, not daring to violate it.
"What's wrong?" Yan Yi's eyes were filled with anger. "Did he bully you?"
Without waiting for her to reply, he stood up and tried to stab the damn bastard to death with his knife, until her hand tightly grasped his sleeve.
Bai He raised her tearful eyes, looked at him, and said in a hoarse voice, "He knows."
"Know what."
Her hands made wrinkles on his sleeves—
"You know I can't help liking you."
…
The next day, Bai He walked out of the room cautiously. Hearing voices downstairs, she tiptoed to the stairs and glanced down guiltily.
I thought Qi Lang was very angry last night and would not stay at home, but I didn't expect him to be still sitting on his favorite soft leather chair by the floor-to-ceiling window as usual, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, basking in the warm morning sunshine, looking lazy and comfortable.
Yan Yi was wearing an apron as usual, cooking a delicious breakfast, and her back looked slim and straight.
When she turned around and saw Bai He, the little girl quickly retracted her head like a rabbit.
"Wake up, come down and have breakfast." Yan Yi called her.
Bai He was in a dilemma and had no choice but to go downstairs with heavy steps and a heavy heart.
When she passed by Qi Lang, she glanced at him cautiously with the corner of her eye and saw a very clear slap mark on the man's left cheek.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Qi."
"What are you saying sorry for?" Yan Yi glanced at Qi Lang with a sharp look. "Someone got drunk and crazy last night. I'm already doing him a great favor by not breaking his bones."
Qi Lang ignored Yan Yi and just waved to Bai He. Bai He glanced at Yan Yi and walked towards him nervously.
He pulled her to sit on the chair and reached out to touch her face. Bai He leaned back subconsciously, so Qi Lang didn't touch her. He picked up a strand of her hair and gently stroked it.
"Did I scare you last night?"
"No, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry, sometimes I can't control my emotions, especially when I'm drunk." He was like a hedgehog with its spines plucked out, softened and without any edge. "I shouldn't bully you. Don't be afraid of me, okay?"
"No, Xiaoqi, I'm not afraid of you." Bai He held the back of his hand and pressed it, "I was wrong last night too. I shouldn't have hit you."
Yan Yi placed a plate on the counter. It contained a fried egg with potato pancakes. It was simple, but he had carefully arranged it into the shape of a heart. "Don't be so cloying. Come and eat."
Qi Lang stood up, and Bai He immediately handed him the cane and sat with him at the west kitchen bar.
Yan Yi handed over the fried eggs and a ham sandwich.
"What happened at the meeting yesterday?" he asked Yan Yi casually.
"The cause of the fire is similar to what I suspected," Yan Yi said calmly. "Yesterday's meeting was mainly to remind medical staff not to disclose any information to the media."
After saying that, he glanced at Bai He.
"Don't worry, I'm not responsible for this news. Don't be afraid of me. Let's start by talking about the casualties. It would be even better if there are meeting minutes. Wait for me to get the recorder." After Bai He finished speaking, he turned around and tried to run, but Yan Yi grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
"Eat your breakfast, it will get cold later."
"Oh, okay."
After he prepared food for himself, the three of them sat together and had breakfast happily.
Qi Lang suddenly said, "Regarding what you said before about fair competition, I have thought about it."
The two people across from the bar put down their cutlery at the same time and looked at him.
The man raised his deep hazel eyes and glanced at them: "Bai He agreed to me this time, but it was indeed not out of sincerity. She just wanted to be with me, that's all."
"Qi Lang..."
He opened a box of diamond rings and placed it in front of Bai He. The huge, perfectly cut diamond ring shone with dazzling light.
The man's voice was calm and gentle. "I wanted to invite you to the annual meeting tonight. At the meeting, I would propose to you. And, in front of all the company employees, you would definitely agree and not let my dignity and decency be damaged in any way."
Translation: "Son of a bitch."
"Don't give me that." Qi Lang glared at him coldly. "Didn't you use the same method on the night of your eighteenth birthday? You even took advantage of your dead father. Let's not say anything."
"Xiao Qi, don't mention the past anymore." Bai He interrupted him.
Qi Lang took a deep breath and said to her again, "If I did that, I would be no different from him back then. What I said to Yan Yi on the bungee jumping platform back then is that the biggest difference between him and me is that I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do. What I seek is never physical satisfaction, but soul connection. I want your heart. If I can't get it, this marriage will not be happy for either you or me."
Yan Yi was very dissatisfied with his statement of praising one and criticizing the other: "I don't think you are as fresh and unworldly as you say. What difference has everything you have done recently made from my old self..."
"If you don't shut up, this ring will be on her finger soon."
"Try one on and see."
Qi Lang was too lazy to argue with him and just said to Bai He: "I told you a long time ago not to waste time on yourself and to listen to your heart. Now, Brother Qi Lang is giving you a chance to make a new choice."
When Yan Yi heard him say this, his black eyes looked straight at Bai He with eager anticipation in them.
Bai He digested Qi Lang's words, looked at the huge ring on the table, picked it up and played with it for a while, which made Yan Yi's heart tense: "Wait a minute!"
After saying that, he hurried up the stairs in two steps at a time, not forgetting to turn around and say, "Bai He, wait!"
He went back to the room and searched for a while. Qi Lang looked at the beloved girl in front of him with soft eyes: "Do you like this style?"
"Yeah, I like it very much, Xiaoqi."
He smiled: "At least, I understand you and your heart."
"You've always been the one who understands me the best." Bai He gently placed the ring back into the small black velvet box. "Did you go to the news agency last night?"
"It seems that we understand each other to an equal degree."
"Did you see it?"
"I saw it." A trace of bitterness flashed across Qi Lang's eyes. "On your desk is a photo of Yan Yi when he was a child. He was as thin as a sick cat, so tiny. When I first saw him, I even thought he wouldn't live more than two weeks. Now he has grown so big."
"At that time, you always called him a sick cat. I suspect the reason why he hates kittens so much is because of you..." Bai He laughed.
"Can you blame me for this?"
"Let you bully him often."
"I bullied him? I protected him countless times."
"So, you are the brother of both of us." Bai He looked at the man in front of her with deep affection. Even though his temperament had changed drastically, in her heart, he was still the same passionate and brilliant young man he was back then. "Always will be."
Qi Lang smiled, a bitter smile, and with trembling hands he slowly took back the ring box and hid it under his palm: "Okay, I promise you."
I will always be your brother.
Yan Yi ran down from upstairs and actually changed into a suit, which was a rare sight for him. She rarely saw him in formal attire. The well-tailored suit set off his slim and tall physique, his facial features were three-dimensional, his eyebrows and eyes were lively, and he walked up to Bai He with a bit of uneasiness and nervousness in his eyes.
"What are you...doing?"
Yan Yi took out a small velvet box and handed it to Bai He. With a "click", he opened the box.
Another diamond ring lay quietly in the box. Under the light, it was as brilliant and beautiful as a shooting star, just like the youthful time they had spent together.
Yan Yi was quick to notice that Qi Lang had already taken back his ring.
He walked to Bai He, knelt on one knee reverently, carefully picked up the ring with his slender and clean fingertips, and took her hand.
Before he could say anything, Qi Lang, who was leaning against the island counter, suddenly said, "Isn't this proposal too hasty? There are no flowers, no witnesses from relatives and friends, nothing, just a broken ring. What kind of marriage are you proposing?"
"There are flowers." Yan Yi took out an origami lily from his chest pocket. "Every day since we broke up, I've folded a bouquet of lilies. Now I've folded one thousand and eighty-two bouquets. Does this... count as sincerity?"
Bai He smiled with her lips pursed, but there was a hint of tears in her eyes.
She had never doubted his sincerity. Yan Yi had condensed his love for her with every minute and every second of the past ten years. It was his absolute uniqueness and absolute loyalty.
"As for the witnesses of relatives and friends." Yan Yi glanced at Qi Lang, "Besides you, who else is more worthy of witnessing the happiness between me and her?"
His words were extremely lethal.
Qi Lang suppressed the piercing pain, but looking at the girl's rosy cheeks and the gentle love in her eyes, he was willing to be a bystander.
Continuing his long night watch.
"Bai He." Yan Yi knelt on one knee, looking at her deeply. His voice trembled with excitement, and it seemed that he was crying uncontrollably. "We have known each other for almost seventeen years. When I first saw you at the age of six, I bit you and made you cry, but you held me tightly and didn't let go. From then on, you became my sister..."
His eyes were red. "For so many years, you have been with me, tolerated me, and transformed me from a vicious child who was stinkier and harder than stone into a man who seems pretty good now. I used to hate you so much. I hated why you didn't love me. I hated why you always thought about someone else during our love. Why? Why was it always me who was suffering? So I took revenge on you. I wanted to drag you down with me, to make you suffer with me... But after these years of separation, I realized that you have always loved me. This love has never lost to your love for him. This gave me the qualifications to hurt you unscrupulously..."
He choked up completely, almost breaking down in tears, and was filled with regret. "I don't know what to do. During my time at Harvard, I regretted it every day. I regretted it so much that I wanted to die. No matter how I tried to make amends, it was useless."
Bai He was also moved to tears by him. She held his face in her hands, tenderly wiping away his tears with her fingertips. "Let's not talk about the past, Yi. Don't think about it anymore."
"So, even if you choose him, I have nothing to say, really..." Yan Yi took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and stopped sobbing and choking. "I came back after I had prepared myself mentally, to be with you again. No matter what you choose, you will not lose me. I will stay by your side in a way that makes you feel comfortable."
Qi Lang rolled his eyes silently.
However, Bai He took the initiative to extend her hand to him: "Yan Yi, I didn't reject your confession back then because I didn't want to make you sad. Today, I won't reject your proposal either because... I want to be your wife, and I want to be with you forever. I'm sorry, it's a little late to say this..."
"Yanyi, I love you."
Hearing this, Yan Yi choked, tremblingly put the ring on the girl's ring finger, closed his eyes and kissed the back of her hand devoutly.
The back of her hands were wet with tears.
After kissing her hand, he knelt and hugged her, still crying... His thin body was trembling slightly with sobs. He was clearly a man now, but now he was holding her waist, his cheek buried in her body, just like when he was a child...
Bai He stroked his head gently. Although there were tears in her eyes, she had a smile on her lips. She leaned against his head and gave him a light kiss.
Qi Lang muttered impatiently, "Is this ever going to end? I've never seen a man cry when proposing. Yan Yi, don't be a coward and make me regret letting go."
Yan Yi wiped away his tears and calmed himself down: "I'm only crying this once, Bai He, I'm not a coward. I will give you a promising future, protect you from the wind and rain, respect you, take care of you, and love you..."
"I know."
But she felt that Yan Yi would still cry at the wedding.
This day when dreams come true and everything goes as planned is worth a tear.
Both she and he.
Qi Lang never believed in destiny, but at this moment, he suddenly thought of the night he and Bai He confessed their love in Gangcheng three years ago. He gave Bai He the Wishful Wishes Locket he was wearing, which doomed the outcome of their relationship.
From the beginning to the end, he only hoped that the girl could be content with what she wanted and no longer force herself to cater to the feelings and needs of others.
Over the years, she has forced herself to accommodate them many times. When she was in elementary school, Qi Lang wanted to be in the same class with her, so she said goodbye to her familiar friends and transferred to his class; every time they made a dinner appointment, Bai He would first ask them what they wanted to eat... There were too many things like this.
Qi Lang looked back on his psychological journey, from his belated realization to his gradual fall in love, and what he needed to keep in mind was his original intention, which was to make her happy.
So, he quit.
The night Bai He left Kitasato City and returned to Gangcheng, she felt sad but tried hard to hold back her tears.
But this time, she didn't run away. She and Yan Yi sent him to the airport together.
The private plane was waiting for Qi Lang at the runway not far away.
Facing separation is the beginning of growing up. From now on, she will never avoid choices or ignore her own heart again.
Qi Lang straightened the girl's collar for the last time, smoothed her soft long hair, and looked at her lovingly: "I'm just leaving for now. I'll come back for the wedding."
"Are you coming to our wedding?" Yan Yi asked in surprise.
"You ask that..." Qi Lang glanced at him with disdain, "Why not?"
"I thought..." He rearranged his words, "I thought you wouldn't want to witness her wedding."
"You see, this is what makes you and me different." Qi Lang smiled, but his smile was a little bitter. "My heart is not as small as yours. Even if we can't be lovers or husband and wife, I will still be her brother, forever."
"I hope you really treat me as your brother." Yan Yi said calmly, "Don't cause trouble for me at the wedding."
"I won't cause trouble, but you will definitely cause trouble at my wedding." Qi Lang fought back mercilessly, "You pervert."
"Smelly scumbag."
The two of them were just like always, they started pecking at each other after just a few words.
Bai He was clearly still immersed in the pain of separation, and the emotions she had brewed were ruined by these two people.
"Xiao Qi, go back and take care of yourself, eat hard, and stop being picky."
Qi Lang held the little girl in his arms with reluctance, hugging her tightly: "Xiao Baihe, whether it's work or life, or if he bullies you, don't hesitate, call me."
He whispered in her ear, in a whisper that only she could hear, "The upgraded Xiaoqi robot now has the code programmed to recognize you as a brother. It will love you like a family member, always."
Bai He nodded vigorously.
Seeing that they had been hugging each other for a while, Yan Yi separated them manually, pulled Bai He behind him, and said to Qi Lang, "Do you want to hug me for a while?"
Qi Lang looked at his cold expression and said uncertainly, "You won't stab me in the back while we're hugging, will you?"
"Give it a try."
The two male parrots finally hugged each other lightly, with expressions that showed a bit of disdain for each other, and they immediately separated as soon as they touched.
Qi Lang said to Yan Yi, "I've transferred the Peninsula manor to Xiao Baihe's name as her pre-marital home. You can move in, but she can also tell you to get out at any time."
"Thank you, no need, we will buy a new house ourselves."
"Whether you need it or not is not up to you. This house has nothing to do with you. It's a wedding gift from me to my sister."
"Don't act like a brother or sister. I don't know what you're up to. If you want to move into this house and live with us after we get married, how can I refuse?"
Qi Lang laughed: "What you said... Even if it's a new house you bought, and I want to move in, can you still refuse? In other words, if I want to be the godfather of your child in the future, can you still refuse?"
Yan Yi: "Do you think I will refuse?"
Qi Lang turned to Bai He, rubbed her head, and finally silently made a mouth shape -
"Goodbye, Sayuri."
After saying that, he supported himself with his cane and slowly walked into the security check passage.
Bai He looked at his back, tears still welling up in her eyes. Yan Yi put his arm around the little girl's shoulders, and they both watched his resolute back as he was gradually swallowed up by the surging crowd.
No looking back.
…
Qi Lang's biggest regret was that he never got to see his beloved girl put on ballet shoes and dance "Swan Lake" for him. So when there was a tour of "Swan Lake" later, Qi Lang bought a ticket and sat in the first row to watch the ballet quietly.
However, it seems that I am still not satisfied and there is a slight disappointment.
At the age of seventeen, he had already seen the most amazing black swan whipping and performing thirty-six turns.
And the girl who had amazed him for a long time also cast stunning glances at him again and again during her long youth.
That’s enough.
Holding on to the precious love of his youth is enough to accompany him throughout his long life.
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