Take her as my wife

By the time Jiang Ni changed her clothes, went downstairs, and finished her makeup, it was already past 10 a.m.

"Jiang Fengyu should really learn from Tan Wen. His proposal to me back then was so perfunctory..." Liu Jiaren led Jiang Ni out of the house, pretending to be angry, "He couldn't wait for me to say yes. The rest of the process was just for show."

Jiang Ni already knew about Jiang Fengyu's situation from Tan Wen, so she spoke in Jiang Fengyu's favor: "If those things hadn't happened between you, and you had just had a normal relationship, I believe Jiang Fengyu would have seriously prepared a marriage proposal for you."

Liu Jiaren was just saying it, but she still reminded Jiang Ni: "No proposal, no wedding—don't be like me, pregnant before marriage. I was even planning to have my Huo Huo be your flower girl."

After she said that, Jiang Ni felt a little guilty.

Yesterday...they...didn't take any measures.

But Jiang Ni calmly replied, "Mm."

Instead, it was Xiao Yuling and Ye Tian.

They stood on either side of each other, each holding a light purple lisianthus flower.

After handing the flowers to Jiang Ni, Xiao Yuling recited the "lines" Tan Wen had given her: "The first time I saw you, you were standing at the alley entrance looking at 'me' in a light purple dress. 'I' thought, this lady is so beautiful, but you had just seen 'me' fighting with someone, so you definitely wouldn't pay attention to 'my' attempts to chat you up. But that night, 'I' couldn't stop thinking about you. It's just that at seventeen or eighteen, 'I' didn't realize that 'I' would love you even more every day from now on."

Last night, when Tan Wen sent this message to Xiao Yuling, Xiao Yuling's first reaction after reading it was to rub her arms and tease Tan Wen to Ye Tian, ​​"How could he write something like this? It's so cheesy!"

Ye Tian, ​​however, was particularly empathetic to Tan Wen, and even reminisced, saying, "I also remember the first time I saw you. You were fighting with someone in an alley, and after you won, you kept slapping that boy, saying, 'A moron like you dares to rob people and collect protection money? Hurry up, give the money back, and kowtow three times to apologize!'"

Xiao Yuling had no recollection of what he said: "Are you stupid? The first time we met wasn't on the basketball court, when your class was playing against our class."

At that time, they had just entered high school and had not yet been divided into classes. Tan Wen and Ye Tian were not yet deskmates.

At the time, Xiao Yuling thought this tall guy was quite handsome and dressed very fashionably, wearing all designer brands, making him stand out among a group of boys.

Unexpectedly, after the game, this tall guy even invited them to dinner.

Then they became friends, and somehow, they even started dating—Ye Tian pursued her.

Ye Tian remained silent for a long time before explaining, "We first met in junior high school. I was the one who got robbed. Back then, I... wasn't this tall or this strong."

He said, "That day you shoved the money into my hand, wiped the blood from my nose with my school uniform, and left..."

Like Tan Wen, he couldn't stop thinking about this girl all day long.

Despite her petite stature, she possessed astonishing strength and courage, managing to defeat a boy who was significantly taller than her.

"I never imagined that I would like you more and more every day from now on..."

Xiao Yuling's heart trembled as she finished reciting the last line.

At that moment, she seemed to remember—that was their first encounter.

In a daze, she suddenly turned her head to look at Ye Tian, ​​whose gaze was fixed on her.

Jiang Ni took the flowers, said "thank you," and continued walking.

After walking for a while, they encountered the Hu brothers.

The two brothers each held a pink rose in their hands.

The task of memorizing the script fell to the younger brother, Hu Jiarong. He cleared his throat and began, "Pink roses represent first love. When I learned this, I thought that the first bouquet of flowers I would give you would be these. The year you were in Ning County was the happiest and most painful time of my life. I wanted you to stay, but I also conflictedly hoped you would leave sooner so that I could face reality sooner. But the day you left, I felt like I was dying from the pain. That day, I made a decision—I wanted to become your man, even though I was only eighteen at the time, and in your eyes, I was still a child, not a man at all."

The Hu brothers handed pink roses to Jiang Ni. The roses were in full bloom, just like the passion and innocence of first love.

"Thank you..." Jiang Ni's voice was already slightly choked.

Further on.

He Xiaoling and Jiang Qiaonan were waiting for her.

They were holding a lily in their hands.

He Xiaoling began, "When the acceptance letter arrived at your home, I had already found you in Yicheng. Finding someone in a city of millions is quite difficult. For the first time, I was grateful that there was a network of relationships, one I didn't like, connecting us. That day, I took many photos of you and saved them in my album. I walked the route from my new school to your house using five different methods: bus, subway, bike, taxi, and walking. Later, when you bought a new house, I retraced my steps. Before you even knew the way to your new home, I had already memorized the route. I look forward to the day when I can walk openly beside you and accompany you home, to our home."

Jiang Qiaonan, the father-in-law, was deeply moved by these "confessions," let alone Jiang Ni.

The two elders handed the lilies to Jiang Ni and offered their blessings in unison: "May you have a long and happy marriage, Nini."

Jiang Ni's eyes stung with tears. She nodded solemnly and gripped the flowers in her hand tightly.

Jiang Qiaonan gently pushed her forward: "Go on, Tan Wen is waiting for you up ahead."

Jiang Ni calmed herself down and quickened her pace. Liu Jiaren didn't follow her anymore because they both knew that someone was waiting for her ahead, protecting her and preventing her from falling.

She drew closer to Tan Wen, the white chamomile brushing against her skirt.

Pink rose petals drifted down from the sky.

"Sister," Tan Wen suddenly appeared behind the rain of petals, "I'll walk the rest of the way. You stay here and don't move."

He was holding a ring box and a large bouquet of pink roses, which perfectly matched his pink suit.

Jiang Ni and the others remained where they were.

"I've always been someone who's determined to do what I set my mind to, but before I met you, I didn't really have many goals or directions. At that time, my thought was to earn more money to treat Da Guang and Xiao Rong's mother's illness, so that she could live a few more years; and later buy two new houses in the county town, one for my parents and one for myself, so I could live freely without anyone interfering. As for dating, marriage, and having children, I hadn't considered any of that at all."

"The day I decided to become your man, I thought, if eighteen isn't enough, then twenty-eight; if twenty-eight isn't enough, then thirty-eight... Now I want to go back and tell my eighteen-year-old self—"

As soon as he finished speaking, he was already standing in front of her.

He first presented the bouquet of pink roses that he had long wanted to give in person.

Then kneel down on one knee and unfold the ring box.

"Tell him he doesn't have to wait that long; at twenty-one—Tan Wen can become Jiang Ni's man at twenty-one."

"I can do it, right, sister?"