The moment it struck midnight on Liang Yan’s birthday, Weibo was flooded with related birthday campaigns everywhere; the city’s key digital billboards and gathering spots for fans had all put up displays, some funded by solo fan clubs, some by shipper fan clubs.

Unfortunately, both Liang Yan and Qiao Qi had work that day.

Qiao Qi had an interview to record; Liang Yan had an event to attend.

The two of them weren’t even in the same city.

As a result, Liang Yan woke up that morning with displeasure already written all over his face before he’d even opened his eyes.

At seven in the morning, with the sky not yet fully light, Qiao Qi’s alarm went off; she struggled out from under the covers, fumbling for a while before finding her phone, turned off the alarm, and yawned as she started to sit up.

— Halfway up, a strong arm reached out from under the covers, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back down into bed.

Qiao Qi let out an “ouch,” complaining out loud even as her body honestly burrowed right into Liang Yan’s embrace, nuzzling against his neck a couple of times.

She wasn’t all that eager to get up either, really.

But there was already one bed-loving deadweight in the household — no need for a second one.

“Young Master Liang, up and go earn some money.” Qiao Qi said this, face buried muffled against Liang Yan’s neck.

Liang Yan, holding Qiao Qi, rolled over, forcing her to end up sprawled on top of him — the tumbling was enough to fully wake her up.

Liang Yan, however, wasn’t awake — and not only was he not awake, his remarks were unusually bold as well.

— The moment Qiao Qi finished speaking, he suddenly opened his eyes, his expression quite serious. “Let’s run away together.”

Qiao Qi, startled by this bit of lunacy, raised a hand to pat his face. “Are you actually awake right now?”

Liang Yan was indeed awake, and proceeded to whine and cling to Qiao Qi under the covers, complaining about how tired he was, how it was his birthday and yet he still had to work, and finally coerced Qiao Qi into saying a whole string of happy birthdays to him.

Only then did the two of them slowly crawl out of bed, head downstairs, and get picked up by their respective assistants in the underground parking garage.

The process was not without incident—

The first time, Liang Yan attempted to follow Qiao Qi into her car; caught in the act, Qiao Qi shot him a cold glare. “Don’t mess around.”

Liang Yan said “oh,” yawning lazily. “Not letting me in, huh?”

…However you sliced it, that sentence carried a certain suggestive undertone.

But to avoid Liang Yan accusing her of having a dirty mind, she said, straight-faced, “Stop fooling around, you’re about to be late. I’m about to miss my flight too.”

Liang Yan fell silent for a long moment. “Oh,” he said.

Qiao Qi thought that meant he’d settled down.

The next second, this man reached out and hugged her, attempting to abduct her straight into his own car.

“Then get in my car. I’ll give it to you.”

Qiao Qi: “…”

The two assistants nearby quietly averted their eyes, pretending to be busy in their driver’s seats.

Utterly exasperated, Qiao Qi pinched Liang Yan’s face, kissing and coaxing him for a good while, before finally being granted a pardon to walk to her own car alone.

Qiao Qi, deeply grateful, said, “Thank you, Your Majesty! Truly considers the bigger picture.”

Liang Yan arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you dare imply anything at me.”

“I wasn’t.” Qiao Qi blinked innocently.

“Hmph.” Liang Yan said, “You are dismissed.”

Qiao Qi immediately turned and got into the car.

The two cars passed each other.

Qiao Qi’s phone buzzed.

Melodramatic Princess Liang: You turned around so cleanly, didn’t even spare a glance at my deeply affectionate gaze chasing after you.

Qiao Qi: …Stop being dramatic.

Qiao Qi: Happy birthday, baby.

Melodramatic Princess Liang: And you won’t even give me a kiss.

Qiao Qi: [kiss]

Melodramatic Princess Liang: So half-hearted.

Qiao Qi: …I’ll only put up with you today. Tomorrow I’m settling the score.

Melodramatic Princess Liang: Do you love me?

Melodramatic Princess Liang: You don’t.

Melodramatic Princess Liang: Are you already sick of me?

Melodramatic Princess Liang: You are.

To this, Qiao Qi didn’t reply.

Instead, she selected part of the exchange, screenshotted it, and posted it to Weibo.

@QiaoQiV: Sorry, first time dating, still not very skilled at this. Do your boyfriends also act this spoiled and unreasonable on their birthdays?

Early that morning, the top comment read: @LiangYan, look at yourself, how worthless can you get!

Second top comment: Sorry, haven’t dated @LiangYan before, wouldn’t really know.

Third top comment: Damn it, @LiangYan is truly beyond help.

In response, Liang Yan himself reposted it with the caption: All these comments are just jealousy.

Netizens: I’ll jealousy you, my ass! Look at yourself, how worthless can you get!

Liang Yan, far from feeling ashamed, took it as a badge of honor, and sent a screenshot to Qiao Qi.

Melodramatic Princess Liang: Better marry me while I’m still cheap!

Melodramatic Princess Liang: Miss this village and there’s always… another shop down the road!

Qiao Qi: …

—

That day, Qiao Qi’s work performance was noticeably off — she seemed a little tense.

Though she wasn’t entirely sure what she was even nervous about.

That evening, she finished work before Liang Yan did, and boarded a pre-booked flight home, landing close to nine at night.

Then got mobbed by fans at the airport.

Qiao Qi: “?”

She looked at the fans who’d seemingly materialized from nowhere; she and her assistant, unable to move an inch, were finally forced to step out and ask, “What’s going on?”

The fans all started talking over each other.

Qiao Qi couldn’t make out a single word.

“What exactly is going on? Can one of you just send a representative to explain?” Qiao Qi glanced around casually, her gaze landing on the girl standing closest to her. “You tell me.”

The girl replied, looking utterly blank, “I don’t know.”

Qiao Qi: “…”

Was this some kind of joke at her expense?

Finally, a girl holding up a long telephoto camera spoke up — apparently the head of the largest fan account for their ship.

Qiao Qi instinctively took a step back from her at that. “Am I going to get accused of leaking my location again?”

The fan account head looked utterly resigned to fate. “The one leaking their location isn’t you — it’s your boyfriend.”

Qiao Qi: “?”

The fan account head: “Don’t worry about it, here, take this, and get going!”

Qiao Qi looked down and saw it was a card.

…Or rather, a note.

This man, Liang Yan — with a perfectly good phone and a perfectly good assistant at his disposal — had gone and secretly contacted a fan account admin to deliver her a note???

Was he actually…!

Qiao Qi was so exasperated she was rendered speechless, staring down the fan account head in a standoff, before finally being escorted out of the airport by a crowd of fans and put in her car.

Before she left, the fans, like members of some cult performing an incomprehensible ritual with their leader, all raised their fists in unison and shouted: “Good luck!”

Qiao Qi: “…”

As the car pulled smoothly away, one of the fans couldn’t resist asking, “Good luck with what, exactly?”

The fan account head shrugged. “No idea, but going through the motions of it can’t hurt.”

The other fans: “…”

Judging by the look on Qiao Qi’s face as she left, chances were… they’d just wasted their enthusiasm on nothing.

—

Following the address on the note, Qiao Qi found a restaurant. From the outside, the place was pitch dark, looking rather like a haunted house.

The most memorable detail: directly across the street was… an actual police station.

Qiao Qi stared at the police station for a long, speechless moment before finally being greeted by Liang Yan’s… assistant.

The assistant had, rather unusually, put on a suit, though the way he walked suggested he wasn’t quite comfortable in it.

“Sister-in-law, this way!”

By this point, Qiao Qi already understood she was about to receive some kind of surprise, and was grateful she’d had work that day, meaning she was already done up in makeup and a nice outfit.

Even though today wasn’t her birthday.

But her boyfriend’s style had always been this unconventional, hadn’t it?

“Where’s Liang Yan?” Qiao Qi asked.

The assistant hesitated, then said, with some difficulty, “So… he told me to ask whether you’ve prepared a birthday gift for him.”

Qiao Qi fell silent for a moment, then turned to leave.

The assistant let out several frantic “ah ah ah”s. “No, no, I was joking!”

He ran to stop her.

Qiao Qi obviously had no intention of actually leaving, but she also knew the assistant surely hadn’t been joking — Liang Yan had clearly told him to ask exactly that.

“Tell him, I didn’t prepare anything,” Qiao Qi said. “I came empty-handed.”

The assistant stood there, awkward, unable to say a word.

Fortunately, at that moment, the restaurant suddenly lit up—

The place had apparently been rented out entirely by Liang Yan; not a single other person was inside, and as it lit up, the whole restaurant glowed with a warm golden light.

Drawn by the sight, Qiao Qi looked over and realized every table had a lit candle. The restaurant’s door, too, had somehow been opened at some point.

Down the entrance hallway, all the way up the stairs to the second floor, candles lined both sides of every step.

From a distance, the candlelight seemed to pave out a path leading toward some unknown destination.

Qiao Qi came back to herself and was about to ask the assistant what was going on, only to turn and find he’d already vanished.

With no other choice, Qiao Qi walked into the restaurant alone.

It was already past ten at night; the city was wrapped in darkness, and this restaurant stood out like a source of light rising from flat ground.

Qiao Qi lifted her skirt and, step by careful step in her heels, made her way to the second floor.

The ceilings were extraordinarily high — even the second floor, given the building’s proportions, felt almost like the fourth floor of an ordinary restaurant.

At the central table by the floor-to-ceiling window, Qiao Qi saw a table set with red wine and a bouquet of flowers.

A setting distinctly different from all the other tables.

So Qiao Qi walked straight toward it. Following the light’s guidance, she made her way step by step to the final destination Liang Yan had crafted just for her.

She set down her skirt and sat in the chair.

The next moment, the entire restaurant filled with the sound of a beautiful piano melody.

The volume wasn’t loud, but every note came through with perfect clarity.

Qiao Qi turned her head and only then noticed a hidden rising platform tucked away in the far corner.

Except this platform had been deliberately concealed — now, as the curtain veiling it dropped, a white piano was revealed, and the man playing it tilted his head slightly, and from that not-too-near, not-too-far distance, sent her a gentle smile.

It was Liang Yan.

He wore a neatly tailored white suit, his hair styled with elegant grace.

Gone was his usual air of mischief — today, everything about him was earnest, solemn, sincere.

Qiao Qi, in a daze, felt some kind of premonition stirring.

She suddenly remembered — today wasn’t just Liang Yan’s birthday, it was also the very last day of the solar calendar year.

Once midnight passed, it would be a new year.

For every year from here on, by her side, she supposed, there would be him.

The thought made Qiao Qi’s lips curve into an unconscious smile.

Her eyes reflected the warm firelight, and she felt as if she’d fallen into a world wrapped entirely in warmth.

As the last note faded, Liang Yan rose to his feet, holding a single rose, and walked step by step toward her.

Qiao Qi hadn’t gotten up the whole time; she tilted her head up, watching the man stop before her, and said with a smile, “Isn’t today your birthday?”

Liang Yan made an “mm” sound, lowering his eyes to look at her.

“Then why does it feel like it’s my birthday instead?” Qiao Qi said.

“You never would’ve prepared a surprise for me.” Liang Yan took her hand.

Qiao Qi scratched at his palm. “Not true. I actually did prepare something.”

“Mm. The custom watch and necklace, right?” Liang Yan clearly wasn’t satisfied. “I already saw them.”

Qiao Qi: “Huh?”

She’d thought she’d hidden them well.

Liang Yan, delighted by her expression, couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her lips. He didn’t rush to straighten up, instead staying bent over, looking into her eyes.

The man’s peach-blossom eyes caught the light too, holding endless tenderness within.

“So silly,” he said.

Qiao Qi made a series of “mm-hm”s and said, “Not as clever as you.”

Liang Yan set the flower behind Qiao Qi’s ear and nudged her. “Scoot in a bit.”

Qiao Qi: “?”

“Shouldn’t we usually be sitting face to face in a situation like this?”

Liang Yan took Qiao Qi’s hand. “But I’m not usual.”

“…Okay.” Qiao Qi lifted her skirt and shifted over one seat. “It’s your birthday today, you’re in charge.”

“Really?”

The smoothness of Liang Yan’s follow-up question made Qiao Qi feel like he’d been waiting the entire time for her to say exactly that.

A setup.

So Qiao Qi said, very carefully, “No. Fake.”

“Tch.” Liang Yan didn’t seem too disappointed, and asked, “Hungry?”

“A little,” Qiao Qi said. “Didn’t eat dinner.”

The next second, Liang Yan raised his hand and snapped his fingers in midair.

Instantly, the restaurant’s lights came on, and through some unknown piece of high-tech wizardry, every candle on the tables extinguished at once.

The gentle music started up again, and from downstairs came a sound, followed by footsteps on the stairs, and then Qiao Qi watched staff bring dishes up to the table.

While the staff were present, Liang Yan sat with perfect posture, thoroughly composed and refined.

The moment they left, Liang Yan leaned over to Qiao Qi’s ear and whispered, “Handsome?”

“…You were, until you asked that — now it’s just cringey.”

Qiao Qi lifted a hand to remove the rose from her ear, placing it in a slender vase nearby.

Liang Yan attentively handed her the cutlery. “Cringey and handsome aren’t mutually exclusive.”

Qiao Qi: “But cringey and being an adult are.”

Liang Yan: “That’s because I’m your baby.”

Qiao Qi: “…Okay, my baby, let’s eat.”

The two of them ate the way they usually did at home, chatting back and forth, all the way until midnight.

Right after midnight struck, Liang Yan asked Qiao Qi, “Full?”

Qiao Qi nodded.

Liang Yan asked again, “Sleepy?”

Qiao Qi shook her head.

“Then let’s play a game.”

As he spoke, staff came up to clear the table, and Liang Yan took Qiao Qi’s hand, leading her to a table in the corner.

This table looked to be in the farthest corner of the restaurant, but actually had the best view.

Looking out, one could take in nearly half the city skyline.

Including the police station on the ground floor.

Qiao Qi couldn’t help but tug at Liang Yan’s sleeve. “Did you seriously pick this restaurant on purpose?”

“No, I seriously picked this location on purpose,” Liang Yan said.

Qiao Qi: “?”

Liang Yan: “This restaurant is yours.”

Qiao Qi: “???”

Liang Yan smiled, pinched her cheek, and leaned in for a kiss. “It’s yours. A gift.”

Qiao Qi froze for several seconds, almost unable to believe it. “R-Really?”

“Mm-hm.” Liang Yan’s face was full of pride.

Just then, Liang Yan suddenly snapped his fingers in front of Qiao Qi. “Baby, look outside.”

The moment he spoke, Qiao Qi heard a “boom,” and the night sky lit up.

Qiao Qi turned, stunned, to look outside, and saw fireworks filling the sky.

In this new year, at this new moment, the city glowed bright in the depths of night.

This was what Liang Yan had given her.

As if trying to let this light illuminate every moment of the rest of her life, starting from today.

The fireworks reflected in Qiao Qi’s eyes; her expression showed a flash of bewilderment, and then she suddenly saw, against the night sky, what looked like a hot air balloon slowly rising.

It rose until it leveled with Qiao Qi’s line of sight, and with another “boom,” a sphere attached to the balloon burst open, revealing two banners unfurling side by side, vertically arranged.

On the banners, yellow LED lights spelled out in large characters:

OF ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN THE WORLD, QIAO QI IS THE MOST LOVABLE! QIAO QI MUST MARRY LIANG YAN TODAY!

Qiao Qi: “…”

Not only that, the large screen at the intersection lit up too, playing footage from all the random videos Liang Yan had recorded of Qiao Qi over time.

Qiao Qi: “…”

Thanks. This had been genuinely romantic.

Now it had been thoroughly ruined by cheesiness.

She turned around; Liang Yan smiled, rose to his feet, stepped back, and dropped to one knee.

He pulled a red velvet box from his pocket — whether from nerves or something else, the box was upside down; when he opened it, he froze for a second, then fumbled to right it, revealing an unnaturally awkward smile.

At that moment, it finally made sense why Young Master Liang had been so distracted at dinner tonight — fumbling his chopsticks repeatedly, stumbling over his words again and again.

He’d always seemed so effortlessly composed, but in truth, his entire heart had been poured into this one moment.

The man who considered “silver tongue” his signature skill found himself, in this instant, unable to get the words out.

He looked at Qiao Qi, stunned for several seconds, until Qiao Qi’s expression broke into a smile, and only then did he, dazed, break into a smile of his own too.

“Will you marry me?”

This was the only time, in all of this, that he was this gentle, this careful.

Usually he always played it like a joke — but in this moment, he was nervous, hesitant.

He didn’t know what else to say, so he could only repeat, “Will you marry me?”

“What if I say no?” Qiao Qi tilted her head.

“Then I…” Liang Yan frowned slightly, glancing outside.

The hot air balloon, just as he’d planned, floated up into the sky, complementing the countless fireworks perfectly.

For this proposal, he hadn’t called in a single other person — but the whole city could see it.

In the most direct, most open way possible, he was declaring to the entire world: he was willing to pour every ounce of thought and effort into giving Qiao Qi something uniquely hers.

So he pulled his gaze back, looked into Qiao Qi’s eyes, and said, “Then I’ll just ask again in a bit.”

“I’ll keep asking until you say yes.”

Qiao Qi found, in this bit of shameless bullying, something achingly familiar and Liang Yan-like, and said, “Fine, forget it, guess it’s yes then.”

She stood, extended her hand toward Liang Yan.

Eyes curved into a smile, she said softly, “I accept.”

I’m going to marry you.

From now on, I’ll spend every spring, summer, autumn, and winter with you.

And at the start of every new year, I’ll look into your eyes and think:

Thank goodness I said yes.