Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

The news of the proposal wasn't kept secret for long, but Shen Yu'an was still unclear about how it got out.

That night, he was sitting in the living room scrolling through his phone when he saw the report and realized that someone had already written it.

He took his phone to Xize and held the screen up to him: "Did you see this?"

Xize took the phone, scanned it, and then handed it back to him: "I saw it."

Who told the media?

"The message I had someone release."

Shen Yu'an was taken aback: "You put it there?"

Xize put down the newspaper, leaned back on the sofa, and looked at Shen Yu'an: "Once the ring is on, some things will inevitably be known sooner or later. Rather than letting others hear rumors and embellish them, we'd better tell them ourselves first."

Shen Yu'an sat down next to him: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"I was afraid you'd overthink it," Xize said. "If I kept it a secret, you might think I didn't want to go public. But if I released it, you might think it was too high-profile. So I thought about it and decided to release it. I can't let you think I'm hiding you."

Shen Yu'an looked at him without saying anything.

He glanced down at the article again; the headline read "Leicester family heir to marry Chinese painter," accompanied by a blurry photo of a person from behind.

He placed his locked phone screen on his lap.

Aren't you afraid the media will write things up?

"Let them write whatever they want. What they write won't affect the fact that the ring is on your finger."

Shen Yu'an's fingers brushed against the edge of the phone, then he put it down, leaned back on the sofa, and rested his shoulder against Xize's shoulder.

"What should I say if a reporter asks me that again?"

"Just tell the truth."

"Tell me the truth?"

"You said you were sheltering from the rain at the bus stop that day, so I asked the driver to turn around."

Shen Yu'an turned her head and glanced at him: "You want me to tell the reporters this?"

"Otherwise, what should we say?"

Shen Yu'an smiled but didn't reply.

After the news was made public, more and more people offered their blessings.

Her grandmother already knew; she had been waiting since Xize called to tell her about his marriage proposal plans.

Xize's mother also sent a message, asking where the wedding would be held. Shen Yu'an replied, "Wherever you think is suitable," and his mother responded with a smiley face.

There are similar cases at the school. Once, after class, Shen Yu'an was stopped by a classmate who asked if it was true, and he said it was.

The other person congratulated him, and Shen Yu'an thanked them. He didn't encounter any uncomfortable reactions, which was much better than he had expected.

He also called his parents to tell them, and they wished him happiness.

He received more well wishes from Xize, but he didn't reply much, only glancing at them occasionally before swiping past them.

Wedding preparations have begun.

Xize asked Shen Yu'an what kind of event she wanted to host, and Shen Yu'an said it shouldn't be too big and should have fewer people.

Caesar suggested holding the event in London, choosing a smaller church, and limiting the number of guests to the closest possible group.

Shen Yu'an said, "I'll listen to you." Xize said, "It's not that you'll listen to me, it's that we need to discuss and decide."

The two of them actually sat down to discuss it. The location was a small, unassuming church in London's West End, but with a long history.

Xize said that the church was used when his grandparents got married, so it had some significance. Shen Yu'an said that was perfect.

Xize compiled a preliminary list of guests, which Shen Yu'an took a look at. There weren't many names, and most of them were people he didn't recognize.

He handed the list back to Xize, saying there were still too many people. Xize crossed out a few and brought it back to him.

Shen Yu'an crossed out two more, saying that was enough, that was all. Shen Yu'an then made a list of his own people: his parents, a few close relatives, and his high school friends.

When he sent it to Xize, he said their plane tickets might be a bit expensive.

Xize said he would cover the airfare. Shen Yu'an said, "You don't need to pay, I will."

Xize glanced at him and said, "Keep your money for new art supplies. The plane ticket is nothing."

Shen Yu'an thought about it and decided not to argue further.

Preparations for the dress began two months in advance.

Xize took Shen Yu'an to the tailor shop on Savile Row, the one where they first made their suits.

The old tailor was still there. When he saw Shen Yu'an come in, he nodded and said that this time it was more formal than last time. Shen Yu'an said yes, this time it was for the wedding.

The old tailor took new measurements. Shen Yu'an had grown a little taller than before, her waist remained the same, and her shoulders were slightly wider.

Shen Yu'an stood on the platform, while Xize sat on the sofa next to him watching.

After taking the measurements, the old tailor said to try on the rough sample in three weeks, at which time the details could be adjusted.

Shen Yu'an agreed.

The sample came out three weeks later.

Shen Yu'an stood in the fitting room and changed into the dress that wasn't quite finished yet. It was a white shirt with a light gray jacket. The fabric was very light and didn't weigh down her shoulders.

He straightened his collar in front of the mirror, buttoned it up, and then pulled back the curtain and went outside.

Xize sat outside and waited.

When Shen Yu'an came out, he was looking down at his phone. He looked up when he heard the noise.

His gaze stopped when it fell on Shen Yu'an. He held his phone in his hand without putting it down or locking the screen, leaving it suspended in mid-air.

Shen Yu'an felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, looked down at the hem and cuffs of her clothes, and asked, "Is there something wrong with it?"

Xize did not answer.

He put his phone on the table next to him, stood up and walked to Shen Yu'an, circled him once, and then returned to face him, looking down at the lines of his collar and shoulders.

"That's suitable," Caesar said.

"Then why didn't you say anything just now?"

"I'm watching you."

Shen Yu'an looked up at him. Xize's eyes were following the lines of his coat from top to bottom, from the collar to the shoulder line to the waist to the hem. His gaze moved slowly, as if he were confirming something with each step.

Shen Yu'an's ears slowly turned red under his gaze.

"Stop looking."

Why?

"If you keep looking at me, I'm going to change out."

Xize reached out and gently turned up the collar of his coat, saying, "No need to change, just wear it like this."

His fingers paused on Shen Yu'an's collar for a moment before withdrawing. The old tailor stood beside him, noting down the details that needed adjustment. As Shen Yu'an turned to the side to have his sleeve length measured, he felt that Xize's gaze never left him.

After trying on the sample, Shen Yu'an went back to the fitting room to change out of the clothes. He stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself again in the half-finished suit: a white shirt with a light gray jacket, the collar neat and the shoulders well-fitted.

He looked at it for a few seconds, reached out and touched the fabric inside the collar, then hung it up and walked out of the fitting room.

Xize stood at the door waiting for him.

Seeing him come out, I reached out and straightened his collar, which was slightly wrinkled after he changed back into his own clothes, my thumb brushing against the edge of the collar.

Shen Yu'an tilted her head and asked, "You looked at it for so long, did you think it was good or not?" Xize said it was good, that's why he looked at it for so long.

Shen Yu'an didn't ask any more questions and walked out of the tailor shop with him. The afternoon light on Savile Row outside was beautiful, and the two walked side by side on the sidewalk.

Shen Yu'an imagined what it would be like to wear that dress on the wedding day, and that Xize would also be wearing the same tailored suit from the same shop, standing in the church waiting for him to walk over.

His steps were a little lighter than usual. After a few steps, Xize reached out and touched the back of his hand, then withdrew it.