Chapter 126 Yes, I do
At the wedding banquet, the reserved dance floor was occupied only by a few relatives' children, who ran around and played with balloons, their screams and laughter echoing. The upbeat live music blended with the surrounding chatter and the clinking of glasses, creating a slightly tipsy and lively atmosphere.
At a guest table near a floor-to-ceiling window in the back of a hall filled with round tables, Yuzuru Hanyu lowered his head, seemingly concentrating intently on his dessert, and quietly and calmly moved the second piece of egg pudding to his own plate. Beside him, Suginohara Raku's eyes wandered.
Strangers kept approaching, speaking Mandarin dialects she could or couldn't quite grasp. Hanyu Yuzuru nodded and smiled blankly at the eager greetings of his relatives, even his toasts of orange juice seeming a bit mechanical. The two seemed enveloped in a grand display of fireworks, unable to respond to the endless onslaught of intimacy.
Le then remembered that when she was helping Guan Yue with her makeup at the hotel this morning, the bride had whispered to her while applying her eyelashes: "You can quietly retreat when it's time for the toast. If I don't have time to remind you, don't wait around like an idiot."
She quickly glanced at Guan Yue who was toasting in the distance - the bride, dressed in a white veil, was holding Fang Li's hand and toasting with the guests at each table. Her smile had begun to stiffen, but her eyes met He Le's.
Their eyes met for a split second, and Le understood immediately, standing up and reaching out to grab Hanyu Yuzuru's wrist. He was startled, his mouth still half full of pudding, and before he could even ask, "Where are we going?", he was dragged through the crowd and quietly slipped out the side door.
Outside the banquet hall was a small beach area reserved specifically for this intimate wedding. As night deepened, starlight streamed down from the sea and sky, blending with the warm, half-yellow lights of the banquet area to create a contrasting hue of pale gold and deep blue.
A damp breeze blew from the beach, ruffling Yuzuru Hanyu's hair and lifting the silk threads of Le's skirt. He was just about to lower his head to remind her to tread carefully when he saw Le stop, remove her high heels with her other hand, and step barefoot onto the soft sand.
"These shoes are not suitable for walking," she explained, her voice casual and light, as if she had suddenly returned to a familiar rhythm.
"Eh? Aren't you cold?" Yuzuru Hanyu subconsciously wanted to take off his coat, but Le waved his hand.
"It's not really winter at the beach in spring. The wind is actually quite comfortable tonight." She said, turning back and smiling at him, "Hurry up."
Yuzuru Hanyu looked at her, smiled, squatted down, took off his leather shoes, rolled up the legs of his trousers, and then took her hand again.
The two walked side by side, their steps slow as if they didn't want to disturb the tranquility. They reached a small rock further from the banquet lights and sat down on the soft sand. Le put her shoes aside, hugged her knees, and stared at the sky. Hanyu Yuzuru sat down beside her.
"I never thought Chinese weddings were so complicated," he sighed, a hint of fatigue in his voice. "And I have to pay to snatch the bride all morning. Didn't we already agree to get married?"
He was not among the best men, but he mingled with the bride's relatives openly and even received a few red envelopes at the door.
"I don't really understand," Le shrugged. "I've never really attended any of my relatives' or friends' weddings. When my former dance colleagues got married, most of them asked me to be their bridesmaid. But they were usually in Europe, so the process was pretty streamlined."
"You were incredibly professional today," Hanyu Yuzuru said, glancing at her from the side. "You were putting on makeup for the bride, holding up her dress, blocking toasts for her, and you even had to take care of me. You were literally multitasking."
Le laughed out loud: "Because Yueyue is my best friend, she said I had to come to her wedding. I said that only if you hold the wedding at the beach will I consider it."
I didn't expect her to take it seriously, but that's why they came.
"But the process is really...rich." Yuzuru Hanyu blinked and chose a more appropriate adjective.
After all, from the morning till now, he had truly broadened his horizons. He had seen the tea ceremony at a Chinese wedding, the first look at a Western wedding, and the first dance at a dinner.
Le couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah...but Yueyue said that since we spent a lot of money to book this kind of private beach wedding, we have to use the budget to the fullest, otherwise it won't be worth it."
There was a hint of amusement in her tone as she spoke, but her eyes drifted slightly away, as if she were thinking of the bride in the dressing room, her hands practically shaking with nervousness. Hanyu Yuzuru listened quietly, watching Le's eyes curved with laughter, and was momentarily lost in thought.
"Do you have a favorite part?" He suddenly nudged her lightly with his shoulder, his tone coquettish, "Maybe I can refer to it in the future."
"Me?" Le tilted his head and thought for a while, then looked up at the starry sky, with light dancing in his eyes.
"I like the part where they say 'Yes, I do.'" She said this in a soft but firm voice.
Yuzuru Hanyu was stunned for a moment.
"You're suddenly into this kind of oath-taking thing now?" He grumbled softly, pouting. "You used to be the last person to believe in this kind of oath, saying it was all just a ritual and couldn't last long."
Le didn't answer him, but turned his head and looked at his puffy cheeks quietly.
That expression was so familiar. He was still the same as before, pouting like a fox that couldn't get its candy. Time seemed to have left no trace on his face—he was still the same stubborn and meticulous boy on the ice, jealous and patient, hiding all his emotions first in his heart, and then quietly revealing them through his expression.
She didn't say anything for a moment, but her fingertips unconsciously touched her ring finger.
The ring sat quietly embedded there, its silver metal gleaming faintly in the night. The wind ruffled her hair and brushed against her palm, and she felt a subtle warmth—a foreign sensation she hadn't quite gotten used to, yet she couldn't bear to remove.
She lowered her eyes, letting the sound of the wind and the distant crash of the waves drown out the rhythm of her heartbeat. She couldn't tell if it was because the breeze was so gentle, or if her heartbeat was so obvious, but she could almost hear the "boom, boom" of her heart, like a drum beating in a moment where the decision was made but the heart was still pounding.
"So why do you like the oath segment?" Yuzuru Hanyu finally couldn't help but speak. His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid of breaking the atmosphere, but also as if he was stubbornly hiding a little curiosity.
Le heard his question and turned to look at him. His face was hidden in the hazy night, revealing only its outline. His mouth was slightly pouting, a look of resignation. He looked very much like the fox she had seen as a child, lingering in the park and refusing to go home—a sly look in his eyes, his thoughts written all over his face, yet he was too stubborn to admit it.
She smiled and answered simply and frankly: "Because I thought of you."
Yuzuru Hanyu was stunned for a moment, blinking, as if he hadn't expected such a straightforward answer. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but swallowed it back silently. He simply tilted his head slightly, the subtle red at the base of his ear faintly visible in the moonlight.
Le smiled and said nothing more, and did not continue to tell him.
It was because when Fang Li heard Guan Yue say "Yes, I do," the happiness in his eyes was very similar to Yuzuru Hanyu's last night. Of course, that was the expression after that brief moment of surprise.
"Until time separates us, let's stay together. That's the answer."
Last night, the sound of music was gentle, like the evening breeze, yet it left Yuzuru Hanyu frozen in place. "That's the answer!" Those simple words seemed to take his brilliant brain a moment to process. The surprise in his eyes gradually faded, and the agility of a top athlete was fully demonstrated as he rushed back to the room. After a series of clanging searches, he carefully carried the small blue velvet box back to her, as if it were some sacred relic.
"Are you talking about this answer?" He stopped, his voice almost trembling.
She looked up at him, with a smile on her face: "Did you ask me anything else?"
"I asked too many questions!" he retorted hastily. "For example, I just asked you if you wanted to take a shower."
He wanted to bite his tongue the moment the words left his mouth—he couldn't change his mouth at the critical moment. He stared closely at Le's expression, afraid that she would back down because of this joke. But she didn't.
She just tilted her head slightly, and as usual, looked at him with an expression that said "Can't you be serious for a moment?", and then she smiled again.
Yuzuru Hanyu took a deep breath, the same one he took every time he stepped onto the ice before the music for his performance began. The familiar ritual steadied him.
Then he slowly and solemnly knelt on one knee and opened the velvet box in his hand.
Inside was the ring that she had been waiting to wear for a long time but had never had the chance to wear. The silver ring reflected the light in her eyes.
"Sugihara Raku," he said, his voice low and firm, "if time ever separates us—"
He paused, as if something was stuck in his throat.
She smiled and continued his unfinished sentence:
"Well, until then, let's all stay together."
As she spoke, she slowly stretched out her left hand and handed her fate to him.
"What do you think of me? You never said anything like that to me."
His ears were red and he kept mumbling stubbornly, but he didn't dare look at her, as if he was afraid that if he continued to look at her, he would lose the slightest bit of pride in his expression.
"But you didn't ask me how to answer the question?"
Le tilted her head, a hint of laughter in her voice. She spoke softly, the tail of her voice carried away by the wind, falling into the night like the echo of the lapping of waves.
Yuzuru Hanyu's shoulder moved slightly, as if someone had poked him lightly.
"Then I can ask now, okay?"
He spoke in a low voice, his voice a little hoarse, but so straightforward that no one could refuse.
After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly turned around, facing her, and covered her hands with his hands. The force was not strong, but the warmth of his palms was there.
He took a deep breath, as if making final preparations before the stage started, his mouth straightened, and his eyebrows were serious, almost a little clumsy.
That look reminded Le of his expression before he jumped on the ice - focused, determined, but with a hint of the teenager's unconscious nervousness.
"Ms. Suginohara Raku,"
He spoke each word clearly, as if reciting an ancient oath.
"Are you willing to marry Mr. Yuzuru Hanyu?"
At that moment, the wind blew her hair and starlight fell into her eyes. She looked at him, and those eyes reflected all his seriousness and embarrassment.
She didn't answer immediately, but just smiled - that smile spread from the corners of her mouth to the bottom of her eyes, soft and confident.
Then she nodded slowly.
“Yes, I do.”
The three words fell gently, like the waves of the night sea lapping on the shore, or like a long-suspended heart finally falling into the soft palm of a hand.
Yuzuru Hanyu stood there in a daze, then his whole face slowly turned red and even his breathing became irregular.
He finally laughed out loud, with a little disbelief in his voice: "Are you serious just now?"
"Of course." She laughed again, "This is the oath part."
Yuzuru Hanyu suddenly clenched his fists like a primary school student who had received a perfect score, and jumped up.
"yeah--!!"
He raised his hands high and jumped twice on the beach, as if he wanted to release all the joy in the world with one movement. Even the starry sky seemed to shine brighter because of his jump.
Le couldn't help but laugh, his eyes curved: "Can you please stop being so childish?"
"No." He answered confidently, "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"
She was amused again, stood up, patted the hem of her skirt, and bent down to pick up her shoes: "Let's go, let's go back. We have to get up early to catch a flight tomorrow."
She held her high heels in one hand and put her feet into the shoes with the other hand, but she just took a step when she suddenly frowned.
Yuzuru Hanyu immediately noticed her expression: "What's wrong?"
"Maybe I walked on the sand for too long just now." She frowned and looked at the back of her foot. "The blister has been rubbed open... It hurts a little."
As soon as he finished speaking, he squatted down with his back to her.
"Come up, then."
She was stunned for a moment before gently hanging the shoe on her wrist and lying on his back.
His back was broad and steady. She gently put her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder, letting the wind lift the hems of their clothes. Only their footprints remained on the beach, one in front, one behind, stretching quietly into the distance.
"It feels like I'm back to Gabriella's wedding a few years ago..." She whispered on his back, her voice soft, like the sea breeze brushing against his ear.
"Yeah." He responded with a smile, stepping on the beach neither hurriedly nor slowly, as if walking through a memory that was unique to them.
"That's when I realized... your shoulders are actually quite broad."
"Huh? Did you only realize it then?" Yuzuru Hanyu glanced back at her, his lips curled up. "Looks like I really have to thank Kevin."
"Why do you keep thinking about Kevin?" She smiled and patted his shoulder. "Didn't you say it was all in the past?"
"It's all in the past, but I don't mind getting jealous occasionally. It's always new."
"Your fans are right, you really are a fox," she muttered softly.
As the night deepened, the lights of the hotel shone in the distance. He carried her on his back, walking towards it step by step, as if returning to a long-destined direction. The wind blew gently, carrying the scent of sea salt and confession, and even the starry sky lent its blessing.
The footprints on the beach seemed to echo everything they had experienced since they met, walking side by side and relying on each other. And what lay ahead were the long years, the unfinished journey, the life still on the road.
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