[Yan Yunning.] On the screen, the man smiled into the camera. [I’m so happy, and so fortunate, to have met you. And so fortunate that my love was returned.]
[Yan Yunning — will you be my wife?]
[Mm, yes.] The man answered on her behalf, perfectly at ease.
Yan Yunning smiled helplessly.
[Yan Yunning — Home is where you are.] The video continued to play.
[Yan Yunning — You are my heart’s desire.] With a sudden blaze of brilliant light, the dazzling spotlights came on. The man descended the staircase slowly, the light following his silhouette as it shifted. He walked toward her in the glow — sharp, dark brows, bright eyes, his striking handsomeness impossibly eye-catching.
Xuan Yanyu came to a stop before Yan Yunning, gazing at her deeply.
The girl stood in a blue-violet gradient full-length gown adorned with sparkling diamonds and sequins, her fair, fair neck and shoulders exposed, the glittering powder dusted across her collarbones catching the light with breathtaking brilliance.
Her lips curved the slightest bit, and her already beautiful, refined face, now made up, looked even more dazzling and alluring.
Xuan Yanyu’s deep eyes gleamed with light. “Yan Yunning — will you be my wife?”
The girl’s eyes curved into a smile. “I definitely agree.”
“Oh~ Congratulations, Yanyu-gege, may you get your heart’s desire.” A chorus of perfectly synchronized voices rang out, and then one after another the lights came on in sequence.
Yan Yunning looked up toward the second, third, and fourth floors as countless rose petals rained down from above.
The sound of cameras clicking continuously. Xuan Yanyu dropped to one knee, and from the pocket of his expensive suit, drew out a ring — white gold band, set with a rare pink diamond — and slid it onto the ring finger of Yan Yunning’s left hand.
“Miss Yan.” Ye’an held out a blue diamond ring to Yan Yunning.
Yan Yunning’s heart hammered wildly in her chest. She took the ring, helped the kneeling man to his feet, took his hand, and mirroring his gesture, slid it onto his ring finger.
The moment the ring was on, the man eagerly lowered his head and kissed her on her red lips.
“Oh~ oh~” Xie Yan and the others came down from the staircase.
All around were sounds of “oh oh” and “click click.” Yan Yunning closed her eyes, her hands hooking around Xuan Yanyu’s neck, and kissed him back softly.
Just as Xie Yan and the others were about to draw close, Xuan Yanyu released Yan Yunning and wiped the smudged lipstick from the girl’s lips with his thumb.
“Hello, sister-in-law.”
“Hello, sister-in-law.”
“Hello, sister-in-law.”
“……”
One after another they called out “sister-in-law,” and Yan Yunning’s ears turned pink. She cleared her throat and nodded calmly.
“See — this is what a proposal should look like. Not like you — when I was wearing a plain shirt and trousers with no makeup, telling me you had a surprise, and then it turned out to be a proposal. Just thinking about it makes me want to hit you.” Shen Ruoyi said, casting an aggrieved look at Jiang Zhibai.
Jiang Zhibai rubbed his nose sheepishly.
Nan Chu chimed in with her own grievance, “Yiyi, at least Zhibai proposed to you. What about me — I was the one who proposed in our relationship.”
Xie Yan, not daring to make a sound, raised his champagne glass and took a large gulp.
Xuan Yanyu paid no attention to their exchange. He asked the photographer for the video and photos taken just now, selected two, and posted them to his social media.
Caption: [2025/8/21. As I had hoped — she said yes. We’re together. I have a wife now.]
The post had barely gone up when Yan Yunning saw dozens of people like it in an instant, and the comments were a unanimous chorus of [Congratulations.]
She smiled and tilted her chin up playfully. “Congratulations~”
The man laughed softly and ruffled her hair. “Same to you~”
“Ooh, ooh, ooh~ Congratulations~” Mu Heng and the others teased in cheerful, exaggerated unison.
Xuan Yanyu gave a light cough and tilted his head. “Go eat.”
Xie Yan raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t that be ‘same to you’?”
Xuan Yanyu gave the insufferable Xie Yan a kick.
“Sister-in-law, aren’t you going to rein in my brother?” Xie Yan looked toward Yan Yunning with a grin.
Yan Yunning spread her hands — that was not her business.
Xie Yan feigned disappointment. “Well, I was hoping to see Yanyu-gege get scolded.”
Xuan Yanyu curved his lips into a thin smile. “I can scold you right now. Want to find out what that feels like?”
“Bang.” The sound of fireworks bursting rang out nearby.
Xie Yan got out a single word — “No” — and pulled Nan Chu running toward the outside of the hall.
“Do you want to go watch the fireworks?” Xuan Yanyu took Yan Yunning’s hand and asked gently.
“Did you arrange them?”
“Yes, sister-in-law — Yanyu-gege arranged a fireworks display just for you.” Mu Heng smiled, his lips curving. “We’re in for quite a treat.”
Yan Yunning’s clear eyes brightened. She looked at Xuan Yanyu and nodded. “Let’s go see.”
“Alright.” The man wrapped his arm around her waist with tender affection, and they walked toward the long corridor.
In the sky above, fireworks cascaded down like a waterfall of rainbows, blooming overhead.
Yan Yunning leaned against Xuan Yanyu, gazing up at the radiant fireworks — and she saw it: drones tracing out the letters in the sky: [XYY YYN Stay together forever.]
Then, in a flash: [Yan Yu.]
Yan Yunning’s heart quickened. Yan Yunning, Xuan Yanyu — Yan Yu.
She turned to look at the man beside her, the corners of her eyes growing faintly red. “How did you know our names share two of the same sounds?”
The man raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears forming at her eye corners. “I just thought of it suddenly. Ningning — next quarter, the new jewelry line and the women’s fashion and cosmetics the company launches will all be named ‘Yan Yu.’ It is our brand — and it is my engagement gift to you.”
“All ownership and profits of the brand are yours, and I am your most obedient employee.”
Yan Yunning burst out laughing. “Your most obedient employee?”
“Mm.” The man pressed a light kiss to the top of the girl’s forehead. “I promise to do whatever you say.”
Yan Yunning rose on her tiptoes and kissed the man’s jaw, smiling brightly. “I’ll hold you to that~”
Xuan Yanyu took her hand and held it over his chest, the corners of his eyes curving upward gently. “You can hold me to it forever.”
Yan Yunning leaned close to his ear, her smile soft and radiant. “I will hold you to it forever — my obedient boyfriend.”
Xuan Yanyu’s ears went warm. He turned his head and, unable to help himself, pressed his lips to the girl’s beautiful brows and eyes.
Until a sudden, urgent ringtone sounded. Yan Yunning caught her breath and stepped back two paces, putting some distance between herself and Xuan Yanyu. She steadied her breathing before picking up the video call.
“Yan Yunning?” Yan Jingjing’s furious voice came through, and even with the volume turned down it still couldn’t be contained. “I’ve only been gone a few days and you’re already in a relationship — how long have you even known each other? He kisses you and you don’t even try to dodge?”
Yan Yunning poked a finger in her ear. She remembered now — Xuan Yanyu’s social media post. One of the photos was of him with his arm around her waist, a beautifully captured kissing photo.
“You forgot to block my brother.” Yan Yunning said, looking at Xuan Yanyu.
“He was going to find out sooner or later,” the man said, leaning close to the camera, one long arm draped over Yan Yunning’s shoulder, in excellent spirits. “Isn’t that right — brother?”
“Ahem.” Yan Jingjing looked utterly despairing. Seeing the two faces on the screen pressed so close together, he demanded furiously, “Taking advantage of my absence to pursue my little sister — why couldn’t you have waited until I was back to confess?”