"So, He Jichen... you still want to be with me right?"
He Jichen had been staring out at the tall windows since Ji Yi started speaking, but when she finished, his gaze became a little dazed.
She said she liked him and she knew she liked him a long time ago.
She said she missed the days they spent together.
She also said she tricked him here today to propose to him.
For his entire life, this was something from his wildest dreams.
He wanted to tell her he wanted to be with her.
But the words boiled a million times over in his chest. Every time the words approached his lips, they were swallowed right back down.
He couldn't say them out loud because he knew far too well what it really meant to nod and agree to her.
It meant that people like those three women from the red plum garden tonight would be pointing fingers at her.
By then, people would no longer be giving Ji Yi nice nicknames like the "queen of tv ratings," or the "nation's first love." Instead, they'd be calling her the "murderer's wife" and saying that her husband killed someone.
She was the girl he truly loved and watched over from the time he was young.
She was the one who made him experience how it felt to like someone and know how to treat them properly. From her, he learned how to fall deeply in love with someone.
He expended an enormous amount of blood, sweat, and tears to successfully create the wonderful life she now lived today.
How could he bear to personally sully her wonderful life?
He Jichen didn't realize it until now, but the most painful thing wasn't when the person you loved didn't love you back. It was when you clearly loved each other, but you couldn't persuade yourself to be with her.
He really couldn't do it.
Even if what she just said really touched his heart; even if he could clearly see his heart being shaken up by her...
He still couldn't do it.
He couldn't allow her to unnecessarily bear the burden of the rumors and hateful words for him, He Jichen.
Deep in thought, He Jichen felt the grip on his back loosening up. He then lowered his head to see Ji Yi's hands had let go of his waist.
He heard a rustling noise from behind him as Ji Yi's hands quickly reached out in front of him.
Her fingers were pinching a diamond ring. The light shone down on the diamond ring which radiated bright rays of light.
"He Jichen, it took me a long time to pick out this ring. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Look on the inside. I even asked someone to engrave it. It's the word 'Ji'."
As Ji Yi spoke, He Jichen really did check the 'Ji' on the inside of the ring.
It felt like a lump was stuck in He Jichen's throat. It felt so bad that he wanted to swallow, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even do such a simple thing.
Sitting behind He Jichen, Ji Yi got up, walked around, and stood in front of him.
With her shoes off, she was so much shorter than him that she had to lift her head when she looked at him.
The crystal lights in the living room shone on top of her head, allowing the light to fall into her eyes, making them glisten.
There was a degree of sincerity in her eyes as she stared at him, and the corners of her lips pursed slightly. "He Jichen, you..." she said.
He Jichen guessed what Ji Yi was going to say as he didn't wait for her to finish speaking. As though by reflex, he interrupted her. "Xiao Yi, you deserve someone better."
Ji Yi almost blurted out: Will you marry me?, but after two seconds of silence, she quietly replied, "But I don't want someone better."
"I don't want someone better. I just want you."