When I returned to Suzhou, it was already past evening. I went directly to Kongcheng Music Restaurant, where Mi Cai and CC were still inside. CC was singing on stage, while Mi Cai sat with her chin resting in her hand, naturally immersed in CC’s unique musical style.
I placed my hand in my pocket and quietly sat down beside Mi Cai, then tugged at her sleeve. She finally snapped out of her trance and looked at me, asking, “Where have you been all afternoon?”
I took a deep breath and prepared to take out the diamond ring from my pocket, but I glanced around and felt the restaurant was too crowded and noisy. Proposing at this moment would lack any romantic atmosphere. I decided to wait until after the dinner rush hour to do this serious and sincere act of proposing.
I took my hand out of my pocket, smiled, and said, “I went to Shanghai.”
Mi Cai nodded, then turned her attention back to the stage. After CC finished singing, she asked me again, “What did you go to Shanghai for?”
“Just took care of something.”
Mi Cai looked at me, as if wanting to ask more questions. At that moment, the restaurant door opened again, and I turned my head in surprise to see Luo Ben and Wei Manwen with their guitars on their backs.
I stood up to greet them, and Luo Ben gave me a firm hug. I asked him, “How’s it going? Did you pass the preliminary round of the original music competition?”
Luo Ben, still maintaining his high level of pretense, casually replied, “Yes, I’m going to record the second episode next month.”
“Congratulations, congratulations…”
As I spoke, CC came to our side, smiled at Luo Ben and Wei Manwen, and said, “Long time no see, how are you?”
Wei Manwen nodded, but Luo Ben avoided CC’s gaze. Obviously, he didn’t know CC would return and, as fate would have it, brought these two people together who always felt awkward when meeting.
To ease the awkwardness, I patted Luo Ben’s shoulder and smiled, saying, “Today is a good day, and you’re just in time to come back…”
Everyone looked at me in confusion, and finally CC asked, “What makes today such a good day?”
Without saying a word, I took the guitar from Luo Ben and said to everyone, “I’ll go up and sing a song first. It’s been a long time since I last sang in public!”
…
I held the guitar, closed my eyes, and thought about what song I should sing to build up enough emotion before proposing…
After thinking back and forth, I finally chose “The Proverbs of Love,” which was Mi Zhongxin’s favorite song when he was alive.
I took a deep breath and strummed the guitar strings. Soon the familiar melody spread throughout the small restaurant, drawing everyone’s attention to me.
I finally began singing. From the very first line, I was completely immersed in the lyrics, recalling every moment I had spent with Mi Cai since we met, searching for evidence of my deep love for her within these memories…
As I kept singing, I no longer cared about the evidence, whether it existed or not, but my voice became choked up—unexpectedly choked up. I even forgot about the proposal and kept my eyes closed until I finished the entire song.
Applause echoed through the small restaurant. I finally opened my eyes, and the blurred outlines of people gradually became clear. Then I saw Mi Cai, with tears in her eyes. No matter how many times she heard this song, it still moved her deeply…
I put down the guitar and walked slowly toward Mi Cai until there was almost no distance between us. Then I stopped, took out the ring I had prepared from my pocket, and knelt on one knee before her, tears in her eyes, saying, “Marry me…”
Mi Cai didn’t speak. She seemed not to have fully recovered her emotions yet, only gazing at me…
The room fell silent, everyone holding their breath, waiting for the result of this proposal.
I spoke again softly, “I don’t know if what we’ve experienced together counts as much, and I don’t know if this is the way you wanted to be proposed to, but… I really love you. I’ve imagined countless times what our life would be like after marriage. Actually, imagination alone won’t bring any results, so I decided to propose to you… I hope you’ll say yes. I’ll try my best to make up for everything you’ve lost over the years and give you a happy and complete family… Marry me, okay?”
Applause and cheers finally filled the room again: “Marry him, marry him…”
CC also chimed in, “Mi’er, Zhaoyang, this wild and free-spirited man is really proposing to you. Quickly capture his heart. From now on, you two should support each other for the rest of your lives. We, your friends, will always bless you both!”
A smile finally appeared on Mi Cai’s face. She took the engagement ring from my hand and clasped her other hand with mine…
The tension in my heart immediately eased, replaced by overwhelming joy. I stood up and tightly embraced her, then kissed her lips amid everyone’s applause… I was finally getting married, and it was to such a woman who made my heart race. What would our future be like? How perfect could it become?
…
The night grew deep. Mi Cai and I held hands, walking leisurely along a riverside path lined with willow trees on both sides. I instinctively lit a cigarette and said to her, “The day after tomorrow is the weekend. Let’s go back to Xuzhou together and discuss with Ban Die and my mom to set a wedding date.”
“Okay, I’ll follow your arrangements.”
I smiled and continued, “Which city do you prefer for our wedding? Suzhou, Xuzhou, or maybe Shanghai?”
“How about holding ceremonies in both Xuzhou and Suzhou?”
“Great. Just relax and be my bride. I’ll come and marry you!”
Mi Cai nodded…
I stopped walking and looked at her for a long time before asking, “Why do I feel like you have something on your mind… Getting married has been something we’ve agreed on for a long time. Please don’t back out now.”
“How could I ever go back on my word? Being your wife has always been my wish…”
“Then could you at least look a bit happier?”
Mi Cai finally smiled at me, tightened her grip on my hand, and said, “The wind tonight feels so pleasant. Let’s run together… When we run, we won’t feel those annoying constraints anymore!”
I followed her pace, running against the wind. Suddenly, I understood her current concern: Once we truly set the wedding date, Wei Ran, who had reached a dead end in love, might really choose to take extreme measures!
But I couldn’t care about that anymore, nor would I retreat at this moment. I would firmly hold onto my love and career and live the life I had always dreamed of. No matter what, I would never allow another regret like the one with Jian Wei to happen again!
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