At this moment, not only did Xu Zhinan feel like she was in a dream, but Lin Qingye felt the same way.
He had never imagined that one day he could propose to Xu Zhinan like this.
Lin Qingye was a contradictory person.
Before, everyone thought he was heaven’s favored child, the young prince of Minsheng Group, uniquely gifted in music, famous and award-winning at a young age, extremely handsome, with countless girls who liked him—it seemed he could easily get whatever he wanted.
But no one knew how Lin Qingye, during that period, was wrapped in an indescribable sense of inferiority.
It was during that time that he met Xu Zhinan, never imagining that one day he could truly have her.
Later, he seemed to plunge into hell, surrounded by darkness with no visible path forward, with many people viewing him through colored glasses.
Yet he broke free from his former bonds of inferiority, shattered those shackles, completely breaking apart the distorted growth of his youth, and growing anew.
At that time, Lin Qingye had never set a specific goal for himself, what kind of singer he wanted to become, and Xu Zhinan had never pressured him in this regard.
Achieving all this now was completely unexpected.
Just like now, a simple and free-spirited concert, fans below, him standing on the bar stage with the Acacia Band behind him, as if everything had returned to the very beginning.
Xu Zhinan’s eyes were misty during his speech, forgetting to wipe away her tears. With each flutter of her eyelashes, tears fell continuously, making her nose ache terribly.
She and Lin Qingye shared the same feelings.
Not just because of this proposal, but because of the long, difficult years between them.
At this moment, everything finally came together naturally.
“Ah Nan,” he looked at her with a smile, asking again, “Do you want to?”
Do you want to marry me?
Xu Zhinan nodded, but worried he couldn’t see clearly amid the crossing lights, she also said “I want to,” though with a thick crying voice that barely came out.
“If you want to, then come down,” Lin Qingye said, raising the small black box in his hand. “I still need to give you the ring.”
Only then did Xu Zhinan remember to go downstairs.
She turned and came out, with first-floor fans all looking up at her, while people on the second floor made way for her.
Lin Qingye inserted the microphone back into its stand, jumped down from the stage, and walked toward the stairs.
Xu Zhinan also walked to the stairs and stopped when she saw him.
She was on the second floor, Lin Qingye on the first. Xu Zhinan didn’t continue downstairs, but instead stretched out her arm toward him.
Lin Qingye ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Rushing to his mountains and seas.
Everyone around them was cheering and screaming, with applause that was deafening, but they were all very conscientious about not surging forward, leaving that space for just the two of them.
Lin Qingye hugged Xu Zhinan tightly, and in the moment of their embrace, Xu Zhinan was even pushed back two steps by the force.
His neck and straight back bent down as he buried his face in her neck.
His breathing was a bit tight, his heartbeat fast.
Upon physically embracing Xu Zhinan, the nervousness he felt before proposing was finally released.
He placed his palm on the back of her head, gently ruffling her hair, repeating in a low voice: “Ah Nan.”
“Mm.”
“Marry me,” he maintained that embracing posture, his magnetic voice resonating in her ear.
Xu Zhinan sniffled and smiled: “Okay.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Lin Qingye knelt again on one knee. The strange, dappled lights illuminated his profile, making his smooth, strong contours appear even more chiseled.
Xu Zhinan watched as he opened the ring box.
The ring inside was beautifully and exquisitely cut, with a brilliant diamond set in the center of four prongs.
She had no idea when Lin Qingye had bought it.
Lin Qingye slowly slipped the ring onto her ring finger. Her fingers were slender, and the ring was custom-made, fitting perfectly snug.
Kneeling on one knee, he held her fingertips, looking at them for a while, then looked up at her with a smile. He looked extremely happy, different from his usual happiness—now he smiled without any pretense, looking even a bit funny.
Xu Zhinan was also amused by him, revealing her two dimples.
Lin Qingye smiled and said: “You’re mine now.”
Xu Zhinan had said these words to him before.
After she finished tattooing that portrait on his back, she had also told him: “You’re mine now.”
Now it was like Lin Qingye was giving a response to those words from years ago.
Everyone applauded and cheered, and soon the entire bar, both upstairs and downstairs, was chanting: “Kiss! Kiss!”
Guan Chi even played his drums to give everyone a rhythm, and people’s chants followed his drumbeat, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, all urging them to kiss.
Lin Qingye stood up again, raised an eyebrow, and asked: “Kiss?”
Xu Zhinan naturally heard the surrounding voices too, but was really not used to being intimate with so many eyes watching, and this video segment would be uploaded online immediately.
But she didn’t want to spoil the mood at a time like this. Looking at Lin Qingye, she solemnly nodded: “Okay.”
Lin Qingye chuckled again, stepped forward, pinched her chin to lift it, lowered his neck, and kissed her.
Soon, the entire video of Lin Qingye’s proposal was uploaded by fans who had recorded it, with views and popularity rapidly climbing.
Ahhhhhh so this is a divine love story of a reformed playboy!!!
Damn, Lin Qingye’s speed is way too fast! One year to make a comeback and return to the peak, one album, six music festivals, one concert with 80,000 people, and now, from going public with the relationship to proposing??
Oh my God!!! I’m crazy in love!!!
…
The music festival ended at eleven-thirty that night. After seeing off the fans, Guan Chi’s wife had also come today, and the two went home together, while Shi Si and Ji Yan also left together.
Xu Zhinan got in the car with Lin Qingye, ready to go home.
She held her phone, watching the video fans had taken, which was about ten minutes long.
After watching, Xu Zhinan saved the video to her phone, then stared absently at the ring on her finger.
Lin Qingye stopped the car at a red light and glanced at her: “Is it pretty?”
Xu Zhinan nodded: “Isn’t this very expensive?”
“It’s alright,” he said dismissively.
Xu Zhinan leaned back in the car seat, raising her hand to admire it from below: “How come you never mentioned anything to me? When you called my name on stage just now, I was really surprised.”
“Can you announce a proposal in advance?”
“…”
That was true.
Lin Qingye kept one hand on the steering wheel, using the other to hold and play with her hand: “When do you want to register the marriage?”
Xu Zhinan was stunned.
Everything that had happened this night was too fast. She hadn’t even fully accepted the fact that she’d been proposed to, and now Lin Qingye was bringing up marriage registration.
She blinked in confusion: “So soon?”
“After a proposal, isn’t the next step to register?” Lin Qingye said.
Xu Zhinan replied honestly: “I don’t know, this is my first time being proposed to.”
Lin Qingye was amused: “What a coincidence, this is also my first time proposing to someone.”
“Do you have to register the next day?”
“Mm, it’s a custom,” Lin Qingye said with a straight face. “Tomorrow is just when the National Day holiday ends, and the civil affairs bureau will be open.”
Xu Zhinan felt something wasn’t quite right, but didn’t say anything for a moment.
Lin Qingye pinched her chin and leaned closer. The nervousness from the proposal earlier had dissipated, and he returned to his lazy, casual demeanor. Looking down at her, the corners of his eyes held a trace of subtle laughter, seeming both mischievous and deliberately enchanting.
He deliberately made his voice deep and magnetic, the sound winding into her heart: “Do you want to marry me?”
The streetlights, moonlight, and headlights from other vehicles poured into the car, illuminating Lin Qingye’s features, making them even more handsome.
Xu Zhinan was successfully enchanted, nodding dumbly: “I do.”
“Alright, then as you wish, we’ll go register tomorrow.”
“…”
Exactly what wasn’t quite right, Xu Zhinan no longer wanted to figure out.
Back home, many of Xu Zhinan’s friends had also seen the proposal video online and sent congratulatory messages, which Xu Zhinan replied to one by one.
Early the next morning, the two set off for the civil affairs bureau.
Perhaps because of the preceding National Day long holiday, the civil affairs bureau was especially crowded today.
Although Lin Qingye and Xu Zhinan wore masks and hats when they entered, they were still recognized almost as soon as they stepped through the doors of the civil affairs bureau.
One of the girls sitting right next to Xu Zhinan smiled and said: “You guys are moving so fast! Last night my husband and I were watching that proposal video from the bar, and now you’re already here to register the next day?”
Lin Qingye had gone to ask about the subsequent procedures, so only Xu Zhinan was at the seat: “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do after a proposal, register for marriage?”
“Huh?” The girl was surprised. “Yes, you do need to register, but I think most of us get engaged first, and then pick an auspicious date to register after the engagement.”
Xu Zhinan: “…”
The girl continued: “But today is an extremely good date, that’s why there are so many people registering, and also a lot of people having weddings today.”
That was true.
On the way to the civil affairs bureau, Xu Zhinan had seen two wedding car processions.
After chatting for a while, Lin Qingye returned.
He was wearing a white dress shirt, common for taking ID photos, with dress pants. He rarely wore formal attire, but when he did, his entire aura changed.
It especially accentuated his excellent body proportions.
All along his walk, many people were taking photos with their phones, making way for him.
Lin Qingye held a small booklet of procedures in his hand.
Fortunately, after filming “Tattoo Talk,” Xu Zhinan was no longer as averse to these cameras as she once was.
“Hot?” Lin Qingye asked.
“A bit.”
Lin Qingye then used the procedure booklet to fan her, acting completely oblivious to others around them.
Xu Zhinan didn’t sweat much, but Lin Qingye’s forehead was already covered with a layer of sweat.
“Fan yourself.”
“It’s fine.”
Xu Zhinan took out her phone and looked. In the real-time feed, she could already see many people posting photos of them at the civil affairs bureau, with comments unanimously saying that the two were moving too fast.
Proposing one night, coming to register the marriage early the next day.
Xu Zhinan tugged at Lin Qingye’s sleeve, pulling him closer, showing him the comments on her phone.
Lin Qingye raised his eyebrows, seemingly not finding anything wrong: “Hmm?”
Xu Zhinan: “You lied, nobody goes to register for marriage the day after a proposal.”
Lin Qingye laughed softly, his finger gently twisting the ring on her finger: “What, now that I’ve already tricked you into coming here, you want to leave?”
“…”
When it was their turn, the entire process was quite quick, until the flash went off, capturing that photograph together.
Just as they came out of the civil affairs bureau with their two red booklets, Xu Zhinan’s phone rang.
The whole time she had been in a daze, feeling that everything since last night had been too fast.
Until she saw the two characters on her phone screen—Mother.
She woke up.
She had gotten her marriage certificate without saying a word to her mother.
The proposal video online came out very late last night, and by then her mother had already gone to bed.
Xu Zhinan didn’t know if her mother was calling now because she had seen the proposal video or because of rumors about the marriage registration.
She walked to the side and answered the phone: “Mom.”
Mother Xu: “Ah Nan, why am I seeing online that you and Qingye are at the civil affairs bureau?”
“Ah…” Xu Zhinan didn’t know how to explain for a moment. “Yes, we just got our marriage certificates.”
There was a long silence on her mother’s end.
“It was quite sudden, I forgot to tell you. We just finished registering,” Xu Zhinan, afraid of upsetting her mother, added, “I’ll come home with Brother Qingye to see you later.”
“That’s fine,” Mother Xu responded immediately this time.
After hanging up, Xu Zhinan turned around but couldn’t find Lin Qingye.
Looking back again, she saw him squatting on the steps, an unlit cigarette between his lips, holding the small red booklet, looking down at the photo inside with a gentle smile.
Xu Zhinan walked over: “Brother Qingye.”
“Mm?”
She also looked at the photo in the little red booklet in his hand: “Aren’t we moving a bit too fast?”
He chuckled softly: “What’s fast about it? It took more than ten years to finally trick you into getting this certificate.”