Fatal Desire

Chapter 169 Song Xi, Will You Marry Me?
In wealthy and powerful families, there are many formalities and rituals. On important festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, one must visit one's elders to show filial piety.

On the fourteenth day of the eighth lunar month, Song Xi, Zhao Yansen, and Zhao Chengyou went to visit the Xiao family elders in a Hongqi car.

As usual, Zhao Zongting and Song Yunyu arrived a day later.

The midday sun was moving westward, and the sunlight was fading. Song Xi and Zhao Chengyou accompanied Old Madam Xiao for afternoon tea in the garden.

Grandma Xiao has two grandsons, Xiao Xunzhi and Xiao Kaizhi. The former married the daughter of the Wen family and has a son and a daughter; the family is happy and there's no need to worry. The latter is unsettled and causes concern.

“Sen’er has found someone now, but there’s still not a single word about your cousin Kai. He’s already thirty-two and still playing the elopement game,” Old Mrs. Xiao scolded.

Xiao Kaizhi has been engaged twice. In the first engagement four years ago, the woman found him too dull and unromantic, and the engagement was eventually dissolved. In the second engagement two years ago, the relationship progressed slowly because he was too busy, and they are still in the stage of cultivating their feelings for each other.

Zhao Chengyou remarked from the side, "You could raise a pig and eat it in two years."

The old lady said, "If You-ge'er knows this, how could Xiao Kai-zhi not know? He's just pretending to be deaf and dumb."

Song Xi poured tea for the old lady and comforted her, saying, "Grandmother, don't worry too much. I saw my second cousin shopping with his fiancée last time."

"Really?" the old lady asked suspiciously. She was more inclined to believe that Xiao Kaizhi was gnawing on tree bark than that he was shopping.

"Really," Song Xi said, "both of her hands were carrying shopping bags!"

Xiao Xunzhi got married when he reached the legal age. Zhao Yansen was always steady and wouldn't overstep his bounds. Of their generation, the one that worried the old lady the most was Xiao Kaizhi.

Upon hearing this, the old lady breathed a sigh of relief: "I still trust Xi'er and You'er the most."

On the other side, the lake surface was as smooth as a mirror, and a small boat floated quietly.

Old Xiao sat upright at the bow of the boat, fishing rod in hand. His leisurely retirement life had not diminished the dignity in his bones.

"Now you're in such a rush to get married again?" Old Xiao glanced at his grandson beside him.

“There’s no rush to get married.” Zhao Yansen’s gaze fell on the ripples on the water, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. “But if it’s with her, I’m in a hurry.”

Old Xiao said, "You're getting on in years, but Xi'er is still young. Maybe she wants to play for a couple more years."

Zhao Yansen tapped his fishing rod casually with his long fingers, his brows calm: "After taking care of her all these years, when has she not been playing around? Whether she gets married or not, I won't restrict her."

Upon hearing this, Old Xiao smiled and said, "You young people can make your own decisions about this."

They caught a lot of fish and returned home with a full catch. The fresh fish were transformed into a table full of delicious dishes by the chef's superb skills.

Song Xi ate to her heart's content, and was even a little full. After the meal, she took Grandma Xiao's arm and strolled in the courtyard to digest.

As dusk deepened, the sky transitioned from a bright yellow to a deep, rich blue.

As darkness fell and the moonlight became as clear as water, the temperature dropped sharply. Song Xi wrapped her shawl tighter around her shoulders and walked a short distance ahead, strolling with the old lady along the mountain path.

The stars twinkled in the sky, and the buildings were brightly lit, the two complementing each other and making the night quiet and beautiful.

“Over the years, your aunt has treated us two old folks well,” the old lady said. “Your grandfather and I both know that her marriage to Zongting was not her fault, but there’s always a thorn in our hearts that we find hard to accept.”

Song Xi nodded and said, "Auntie understands you two."

Less than three years after his daughter's death, his son-in-law remarried. Moreover, his attitude towards his daughter and his second wife was completely different, which would make anyone uncomfortable.

It was as if Xiao Yunshu was merely a tool for Zhao Zongting's marriage alliance, while Song Yunyu was his true love.

Grandma Xiao said with a smile, "The Zhao family is truly blessed to have you two, aunt and niece."

Song Xi looked at her maternal grandmother, about to speak.

With a "snap," several lights suddenly lit up on both sides of the walkway.

Originally, there were only a few scattered stone lanterns, and most of them were surrounded by lush vines and flowers. She didn't see clearly that the bare blue stone walkway that she had come from was now covered with peach blossoms, pink petals falling like snow, and a delicate fragrance lingering in the air.

She couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Wow!" "Isn't it already autumn? Where did all these peach blossoms come from?"

She shifted her gaze and realized that she had unknowingly been surrounded by all sorts of vibrant blue roses and palace lantern lilies.

Moving the gaze further afield, at the end of the plank road stood tall, long-legged men. They were backlit, so their exact outlines were not clear, but one could vaguely make out their tall, elegant figures, almost blending into the moonlight in the mountains.

Song Xi's heart skipped a beat.

The old lady smiled kindly and patted her hand: "Go ahead."

Song Xi immediately ran over, like a fluttering bird, without holding back any strength.

Zhao Yansen held a large bouquet of purple roses in one hand and wrapped his other arm around the girl who had rushed into his arms.

Song Xi hugged his waist, took a deep sniff of his scent, then tilted her head back and laughed, "You smell so good, did you take a shower?"

"Hmm." Zhao Yansen brushed aside the stray hairs on her cheek with his fingers, his deep black eyes gazing at her delicate and charming face.

Song Xi looked around and saw all kinds of precious flowers that did not belong here or in this season.

It was obviously transported by helicopter in an emergency.

Zhao Yansen handed her the large bouquet of roses. Song Xi held it in her arms, looked up at him, and perhaps guessed what he was about to do, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

"XiXi, I've never been one to express my feelings easily; I prefer actions to words."

Zhao Yansen's dark eyes reflected her image, and his voice was deep and earnest, "It was my fault that I couldn't make you feel my feelings before."

"I love you very much. From a long time ago, until now, and into every second to come, I will only love you."

Song Xi looked at him, tears welling up quickly and intensely in her eyes. She was so happy and joyful right now, she didn't want to cry, but the tears were beyond her control.

Zhao Yansen took out a black velvet box from his suit pocket and slowly knelt down on one knee.

“We were together before because you moved into the Zhao family home with Song Yunyu. Now I want to be with you because I love you.”

He looked intently at her and asked in a slow, deep voice, "Song Xi, will you marry me?"

She often said that he was her shaper, but little did she know that she had also shaped him.

Controlling his emotions is something he's been good at since he was a child.

But clearly, he wasn't good at suppressing his feelings for her.

He sometimes became narrow-minded about her, holding grudges over trivial matters, acting childishly unlike himself.

From the moment he knelt down, Song Xi's mind went blank. Large tears spilled from her eyes and fell onto the roses she was holding, soaking the velvety petals.

The evening breeze rustled through the treetops, lifting her soft, dark hair. She stared at him intently, nodding vigorously.

Having seen mountains, rivers, seas, and the vast world, she still loves him the most.

They always manage to disrupt the other person's thoughts, eroding the foundation of their heart inch by inch.

The conflicts and setbacks of those years are nothing more than a speck of dust on a book, which can be easily brushed away and disappear without a trace.

As time goes by, the paper may yellow, but the content remains unchanged. The emotions that settle between the lines only grow deeper with time.

Inside the expensive velvet box, a perfectly cut diamond ring gleamed in the dark night, like a teardrop adorning her eyelashes.

Zhao Yansen took Song Xi's left hand, put the ring on her finger, and then kissed her hand.

With teary eyes, Song Xi stared down at the new ring on her hand, still somewhat dazed: "Are we getting married now?"