Chapter 55: Lover (END)

On the first day of the exam, Chu Zhi Lu wore a pale green qipao under a dark green coat. She radiated a sense of ceremony and beauty, resembling a vibrant new bamboo shoot.

The exam hall was open, but many students were cramming outside, desperately trying to memorize facts at the last minute.

Zhao Xunyu, however, remained completely calm. He hadn’t brought his notes and had no intention of studying that day.

Chu Zhi Lu nudged him. “Go into the exam hall and sit down to calm your nerves.”

Zhao Xunyu didn’t move. “I’m not nervous at all. I just… don’t want to leave you. It’s just like the first day of elementary school when my mother was dressed very beautifully, and I felt a little strange. When I was about to enter the classroom, she waved to me, and I suddenly felt reluctant to leave.”

They won’t be separated for long, and they’ve been separated before. He also felt strange about where this emotion came from.

A faint mist seemed to gather in Zhao Xunyu’s eyes as he gazed at her.

Chu Zhi Lu’s lips twitched into a smile. She couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke his cheek, her thumb gently brushing against his skin. “Good boy,” she murmured.

Zhao Xunyu pressed his cheek against her palm. Then he reached out to cover the back of her hand with his own as if to keep her from leaving.

“Anyone who saw us would think it’s your first day of kindergarten,” she teased.

Zhao Xunyu showed no shame at her teasing. He pinched his throat to mimic a child’s voice, “Mommy, I don’t want to go to kindergarten. Take me home; I’ll be good.”

Chu Zhi Lu, sensing the curious glances around them, withdrew her hand. “All right, that’s enough.”

Zhao Xunyu gazed at her with pleading eyes.

Chu Zhi Lu stepped forward and gave him a gentle hug. “May your path be smooth and your success immediate. Go on.”

The moment she let go, he pulled her back into a tight embrace and pressed a kiss against her cheek. “Wait for me.”

The two-day exams left no lasting impression on Zhao Xunyu. He felt neither panic nor smugness.

As the final exam concluded, he slowly descended the stairs with the crowd. He was sandwiched among students. Some sighed and lamented past regrets. Others looked relieved and invigorated. Most wore blank expressions, heads bowed, trudging forward alone.

Zhao Xunyu struggled to describe his own mood, knowing only that he desperately wanted to see Chu Zhi Lu. Driven by this urgency, he pushed through the crowd, scanning every figure ahead of him even before reaching the ground floor, fearing he might miss her.

His worries proved unfounded. Chu Zhi Lu was waiting for him at the foot of the stairs.

She stood beside the flowerbed along the main path wearing a cream-colored wool coat identical to his own; its cool elegance was softened by a hint of warmth. Dark blue jeans accentuated her slender, straight legs and were paired with ankle boots.

She held a bouquet of ice-blue roses, which complemented her ethereal aura perfectly.

As if sensing his gaze, she looked up, and their eyes met. In that instant, the world around them seemed to recede and fade away.

Without a word, Zhao Xunyu instinctively rushed to her side.

He stopped before her, and she handed him the flowers. “Thank you for your hard work.”

Zhao Xunyu wrapped his arms around her, pressing the flowers between them. “It’s no trouble at all. Seeing you fills me with energy.”

After a moment, he released her and glanced down at the flowers in her arms. Just as he reached out to take them, he noticed a small, sleek black box nestled among the blooms.

A powerful premonition surged through him, and his heart pounded like a drum.

He looked up in disbelief and asked, “Is this…?”

Chu Zhi Lu raised an eyebrow. “Get in the car first. We’ll talk later.”

Zhao Xunyu swallowed hard, noticing the curious glances from the crowd.  He took Chu Zhi Lu’s hand and hurried her out of the school grounds. As soon as the car door closed, he blurted out, “I do! I do! I do!”

Chu Zhi Lu paused, then reached for the small box. A rare hint of hesitation appeared in her eyes. “So… should I still say the lines I prepared?”

“Yes, say them! I didn’t say anything just now.”

His left hand was already suspended in the air, his ring finger extended eagerly. The mood that Chu Zhi Lu had worked so hard to create was completely shattered. “Don’t be so eager. I haven’t even opened the box yet.”

She opened the box. Inside were two understated yet artfully designed rings.

Chu Zhilu pressed her lips together nervously, then broke into a smile. “I had actually written out a whole speech. Just like when I was designing these rings, I revised the draft many times. And while I’m a little nervous right now, I haven’t forgotten a single word of it. It’s just… I can’t bring myself to say the first line. I realized that when you overdesign something, like the rings, it starts to feel too formal and not sincere enough. Maybe later, I’ll read you the speech I wrote and tell you about all the places I agonized over and revised.

But right now, I don’t want to recite that overly sentimental, polished draft that’s lost a piece of me. Seeing how anxious you are, I feel like I don’t have to say a word. I could just slip this ring on your finger because I have absolute faith that you wouldn’t say no.”

Yet she didn’t do that. Instead, she took out the men’s ring and held it up to Zhao Xunyu, her eyes earnest. “Marry me,” she said. “I promise I’ll always make you proud, and you’ll never envy anyone.”

Tears unexpectedly slipped down Zhao Xunyu’s cheeks, stinging his eyes. He held the bouquet stupidly, not knowing how to put it down. Awkwardly, he reached out to wipe his tears. His left hand was still raised, waiting for Chu Zhi Lu to put the ring on him.

“Y-Yes, I do. You’re my pride now. I’ve never envied anyone because you’re the best.”

Chu Zhi Lu took his hand and slid the ring onto his middle finger.

Zhao Xunyu bent his middle finger to stop her. “Shouldn’t it be on the ring finger?”

The ring continued to slide on, fitting perfectly. “We’re not married yet.”

Zhao Xunyu grew frantic. “Let’s get married right away! I said yes! We’ll get our marriage certificate on Monday!”

“… You’re not even 22 yet.”

“… Oh.”

Right. In his whirlwind of excitement, emotion, and impulsiveness, he had completely forgotten about that.

He had thought about getting married, but he hadn’t taken action yet because the biggest reason was that he was still a long way from turning 22…

The bouquet seemed rooted in his arms, impossible to put down. Awkwardly, he pulled out the woman’s ring. “Chu Zhi Lu, let me be your groom. I’ll always support you, protect you, and be forever proud of you.”

Chu Zhi Lu extended her hand, letting him slip the ring onto her middle finger.

After the dust settled, Chu Zhi Lu took the initiative to lean forward, and the two kissed each other.

After a long moment, their lips parted.

Zhao Xunyu’s mind was a jumbled mess. He gripped her hand. “The wedding rings… I don’t know anything about design! Would buying them seem too perfunctory?”

“You could just relax and wait to get married.”

“I’m serious. I want to choose the wedding rings myself, and I want to propose properly.”

Chu Zhi Lu gently took the bouquet from his arms. “I’m patient. I’ll wait for you to design rings that I love. Ten years to forge a sword—is that enough time?”

“… I’ll start learning design from my professor tomorrow!”

Chu Zhi Lu intertwined their fingers, their rings touching. A strange sense of unity resonated between them.

“You sometimes joke about being a ‘humble husband,’ and I’ve teased you that I’d lose interest if you were too ordinary or couldn’t keep up with me. I don’t know if those words ever truly affected you. But giving you this ring today is my way of telling you that, in my heart, you’ll never be ordinary, regardless of your studies or career. Even if you don’t get into graduate school, give up, and become a stay-at-home husband tomorrow, your knowledge of a simple bowl of congee will continue to fascinate me for a very long time.”

Zhao Xunyu buried his face in the crook of her neck, chuckling. “Me, the Top Scholar’s prized disciple? How could I possibly fail the graduate entrance exam?! You’re just saying that to trick me into taking over the porridge-making duties, aren’t you?”

A single tear slid down Chu Zhi Lu’s neck. He brushed it away with the tip of his nose. Chu Zhi Lu stroked his hair. “Yes, that’s exactly it. I just wanted porridge made by a graduate student.”

Zhao Xunyu huffed. “Honestly, was that line planned ahead of time? It makes my words sound clumsy in comparison.”

Chu Zhi Lu leaned back slightly and kissed him on the lips. “But it was so sweet.”

Zhao Xunyu wrapped his arms around her, their breaths mingling. “President Chu, next time, focus on the important part. When I said I am your ‘humble husband,’ the emphasis was on ‘husband,’ not ‘humble.’“

Chu Zhi Lu laughed.

Understanding his mental exhaustion, she let him rest in the passenger seat and took the wheel herself.

As the car glided smoothly down the road, Zhao Xunyu’s gaze was caught by the dazzling ring on Chu Zhi Lu’s finger as she gripped the steering wheel.

“Baby—“

“Hmm?“

“Zhizhi—“

“What is it?”

“President Chu—“

“Yes?”

“Promise me you’ll always love your humble husband.“

“I promise.”

Chu Zhi Lu glanced at him, her eyes shining brighter than any diamond.

—End—