Chapter 458: An answer with a question

Inside the reception area, Nana giggled as she saw Jianyu and Serena leaving almost one after the other.

She held Jinhai’s arms and looked at him with an excited and sparkled gaze. “Jinhai! Did you see it? Jianyu and Serena went together! Are you also thinking about what I am?”

Jinhai pinched her cute nose and chuckled. “Hmm…let’s see..”

Nana gasped. “You know something, right?”

“Perhaps…”

“Don’t tease me, Jinhai!” she hit him.

Jinhai hugged her waist. “Well, I think we will hear good news soon.”

“I think so too!”

Chen Liling hopped to their side and snatched Nana away. Suddenly, his arms were empty and felt cold. His brows twitched in displeasure and his lips pursed into a straight line.

“Nana, Nana! I am so excited! Jianyu is going to propose!”

Nana bloomed in joy. “Really, Aunt!? Then I think…”

“Yes, yes! I think so too. At least I am hoping for that.”

The two ladies were busy in their own world while Jinhai was completely sidelined.

Fuck Jianyu! I will make you pay for this. He gritted his teeth.

—

“Achoo!”

Jianyu suddenly sneezed.

Is someone badmouthing me? Who dares!?

“Are you okay? Have you caught a cold?” Serena asked.

“Ah, no. I am fine. Just the weather, I guess.”

Then there was silence.

Both of them were too nervous to initiate anything.

“Um…”

“Um…”

Both spoke at once. They froze but then chuckled.

Jianyu said, “You go first.”

“No, no. First, you.”

“It’s alright. Go ahead.”

Jianyu kind of felt relieved that Serena had to say something too. He thought if she spoke first, then he will know what she was thinking. He was dying to know anything that was in her mind.

Serena clasped her hands together and slowly nodded. She felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest.

Damn, I didn’t know that proposing was this hard!

“I…Jianyu…I want to say something important.”

Jianyu observed the tension and nervousness in her expression and couldn’t help but getting anxious himself.

What is she thinking? Why is she so tense? Fuck! Is she thinking of leaving the Chen villa?

“What I am going to say can c-change the dynamics of our relationship.”

Jianyu stiffened.

Don’t tell me that I am right!? Is that why she is hesitating? Is she really planning to end whatever we have right now between us?

Serena fiddled with the hem of her dress. There was a small pocket where she had kept the ring box.

“I-I know you might disagree with I have to say. You might even get angry…”

Jianyu slowly shut his eyes.

Is that it? She really wants to leave me…is it over?

Her voice was now more panicked rather than nervous. “But please, there is no pressure on you! I don’t want to destroy what we have now…y-you can reject if you are not ready.”

The more she talked, the more his heart was losing hope. Now, he was sure that she wanted to separate.

He sadly chuckled inwardly.

Reject it? How can I reject if you want to leave me? Even if it tears my heart apart, I cannot force you to stay by my side. You will not be happy.

He clenched his fists, and his eyes couldn’t help but tear up, but he quickly blinked his eyes to hide them.

I am so stupid to think that winning the tosses was such a great sign. Idiot me.

Serena took a deep breath. Her body was shaking and tingling all over. She had an urge to cry.

Please don’t let it ruin us…

She slowly took out the box.

Jianyu opened his eyes and was surprised to see Serena not in front of him but kneeling on the floor on one knee.

“What are you doing?” He was utterly perplexed.

Serena opened the box, and a beautiful ring came into view.

Jianyu stared at it with a silly expression on his face.

What am I looking at? What is happening? Isn’t she breaking up?

He stood frozen like an unmoving log of wood. His mind was completely blank.

Serena raised her head to meet his gaze and smiled, her eyes glistening with tears. “I love you, Jianyu. I…” she choked up a bit. “I love you a lot. I know I have h-hurt you a lot too. But trust me. The only man I ever loved is you, Jianyu. My feelings were never fake. I never lied to you about how I feel for you. I always cherish the moments that we have spent together.”

“I always imagine growing old with you and walking in the garden, holding hands and talking and laughing together. I always only think about you. I only want to be with you and Zixin. I don’t want the awkwardness between us anymore. I…I want us to go back to how we were because I cannot live without you, Jianyu.”

She gasped as tears trickled down her cheeks. “We live in the same house and the same room, yet I cannot be close to you, hug you, and kiss you. We are so close, yet so far away. We are just Zixin’s parents, not a couple. Not two people in love and a relationship, and I wish to have that back…I miss you, Jianyu. I really want you back, Jianyu…The Jianyu who was my boyfriend and not just Zixin’s father.”

Her hands slightly trembled, holding the ring box as she said, “If you wish that too, if you still think about me, if you still love me even a little bit, then…will you marry me?”

Silence. The only sound they heard was of that the waves crashing on the beach.

Jianyu was in a stupor as he gazed at Serena. His eyes never blinked even once throughout the time Serena confessed her feelings. He knelt, too, in a trance and held her quivering hands in his.

“I-is this what you wanted to say to me?”

Serena bit her lip and nodded.

“You want us to go back together?”

Serena’s heart raced in anticipation and nervousness.

“Yes,” her voice was so soft that it was hardly audible.

“You want us to get married?”

“Yes.”

There was a silence for a beat before Jianyu suddenly started laughing out loudly.

“Hahahaha!”

Serena blinked her eyelids as she was confused.

“I am so stupid. Just what I was thinking…”

He covered his face with his hands and shook his head at himself. He felt stupid at himself for jumping to conclusions.

His wet gaze met hers, and his lips were curved into a bright smile. He didn’t know if he was laughing or crying.

“You want to know my answer?”

“Yes,” her heartbeat quickened.

Jianyu took out the ring box from his pocket and opened it in front of her.

Serena widened her eyes, and her mouth opened and closed multiple times in just a few seconds.

“Yeah, this was my reaction when I saw your ring.”

Jianyu took out the ring and held it in front of you. “Let me answer you with my question.”

“Serena, will you marry me?”

Serena almost lost her balance and stumbled, but Jianyu wrapped her waist in his arms.

“Careful. I don’t want Uncle Huo and Huo Liwei to come at me with knives in their hands for making their princess fall.”

Serena laughed amidst the tears that continuously rolled down her cheeks. Then she finally broke down into tears.

The worst nightmare that she was imagining didn’t happen. He didn’t push her away, he didn’t look at her in hatred, and he didn’t walk away from her.

“Yes…yes, yes, yes!”

Both of them laughed and cried for a long time.

“You know, we aren’t supposed to cry,” Jianyu wiped her tears.

“It’s your fault. You made me too emotional.”

Jianyu chuckled. He held out his hand.

“May I?”

Serena put her hand in his. He quickly slipped in the ring on her finger.

It was hard for her to hold in her emotions as she stared at the ring. This felt like a dream to her. It was still unbelievable that Jianyu proposed to her too.

“You know, I am waiting for my turn.”

Serena grinned and put the ring on his finger too. Jianyu’s feelings soared high up in the sky as he saw the ring shining under the sunlight.

He pulled Serena towards him and pressed his lips on hers. She was startled for a moment but quickly wrapped her hands around his shoulders and kissed him back with equal fervor.

Their passionate kiss turned even more ferocious, and their tongues clashed against each other in no time. He clutched her head and pushed himself deeper and deeper into his mouth.

At that precious moment, the only thought that they had was.

God, it’s been so long! I missed this so badly!

As if all the reservations were finally broken, their lips kept meshing against each other for a long time. Nobody wanted to part from one another. They didn’t even care if they were breathless.

It took a great deal of resolve for Jianyu to pull back. His warm breath fanned her face, and he whispered, “I love you.”

Serena smiled. She pressed her forehead on his. “I love you too.”