Zhou Cibai seemed to be confused by the ups and downs between these two sentences. He stood there, somewhat unable to believe what Gu Jiqing meant.
Until a worried shout came from the Bluetooth headset: “Hey, Zhou Cibai, are you a fool?! Gu Gu angreed with you already! Kneel down quickly!”
Zhou Cibai suddenly came back to his senses, and the stars came alive in an instant, emitting the hottest and brightest light and hope again.
He immediately knelt on one knee, holding up the ring, looked at Gu Jiqing, and asked seriously and gently, “Gu Jiqing, I love you, and I will always love you, and I will always love you the most, so are you willing to believe in my oath, accept my loyalty, and become the lover who will spend the rest of my life with me?”
Gu Jiqing lowered his head to meet his gaze, the moisture on his eyelashes slightly blurred the brilliance of the stars, and everything became just right.
So he held out his hand and said, “I do.”
The moment the exquisite and simple dog-tail ring wrapped around Gu Jiqing’s fair and thin middle finger, the sea view villa, which was originally so quiet that the sea breeze could be heard, suddenly burst into a “bang” sound.
Gu Jiqing was stunned for a moment, then looked up and saw handfuls of rose petals falling from the roof, accompanied by Xia Qiao’s excited screams.
“Ahhh!!! Our Gu Gu agreed! He agreed! Hurry up and scatter the petals! Didn’t you guys eat? Scatter them as hard as you can! Wuuuuuu, Shen Zhao, I’m so touched, I want to cry, wuuuuuu, scatter them for me quickly!!!”
Lu Ping, Chen Ji, and Wang Quan, who were supervised by him, lay on the edge of the roof, scattering flower petals diligently while shouting, “Mr. Zhou, you’ve already proposed marriage, when are you going to invite us to the wedding banquet? And Gu Gu, we have prepared all the CPU, durian, and keyboard that Boss Zhou will have to kneel on in the future. Don’t worry, we all are your in-laws in the future. If Mr. Zhou bullies you, just tell us! We brothers will beat him to death!”
“And me, and me! We, the in-laws, will help you beat him!” Su Yuebai said as she ran out, holding a bottle of champagne that was still bubbling, followed by Zhou Xiaoyue, who was wearing a small bow tie and holding a glass of red wine.
Seeing all this, Gu Jiqing turned back in confusion: “No, Zhou Cibai, they…”
“I’ve said that what other people have, my boyfriend has all of them too.”
Zhou Cibai stood up and kissed Gu Jiqing with a smile.
Before Gu Jiqing could react to what this meant, he was knocked to the ground by Zhou Zhou, who was running at him at a speed that left all four limbs off the ground.
It hadn’t seen Gu Jiqing for a long time and wanted to run out when it heard Gu Jiqing’s voice, but was held down by Su Yuebai. Now that it was finally free, it immediately pounced on its beloved master at the fastest speed, so fast that Gu Jiqing couldn’t catch it and had to be knocked to the ground on the beach by it.
Then he let it hold him and lick his face, which made Gu Jiqing feel so itchy that he could only lie on the ground, smiling and rubbing its neck helplessly, soothing its grievances and longings, and feeling soft and fond in his heart.
He used to wonder who Zhou Zhou resembled in personality, but now it seems that he is exactly like his biological father.
But since Su Yuebai and Zhou Xiaoyue are both here, doesn’t that mean…
He turned his head and saw Father Zhou and Mother Zhou, Zhou Zhenbai and his wife, and Grandpa Zhou walking slowly out of the house.
Gu Jiqing didn’t expect that, in addition to Xia Qiao and Lu Ping’s group of cronies, Zhou Cibai actually invited all the elders.
He quickly stood up, straightened his clothes, stepped on Zhou Cibai a little embarrassedly, and whispered, “Why did you alarm Grandpa and the others?”
As a result, although Grandpa Zhou was old, he had sharp ears. He leaned on his cane and said, “If you don’t alarm me, then you two guys will get engaged to each other secretly? When you are in love, you have to be lively and open! Otherwise, you might as well shave your head and become a monk!”
After saying that, he nodded his chin towards Zhou Cibai and said, “Not bad, you have inherited the good genes of our Zhou family. Keep up the good work.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.” Zhou Cibai accepted the compliment with a smile and held Gu Jiqing’s hand tightly.
Gu Jiqing felt his ears slightly hot.
Chairman Zhou looked at them and laughed, “I was wondering why my youngest son suddenly became so hardworking and willing to work on the construction site. So you just have your eyes on my land in order to find a wife ah?”
Mrs. Zhou immediately glared at him and said, “You want to receive a daughter-in-law on a piece of shabby land on an undeveloped island? You’re dreaming!”
After that, she said to Gu Jiqing, “Don’t listen to your dad. This piece of land is worthless and is still hundreds of kilometers away from Beijing. I’ll give it to you for your vacation and rest. Later, mom will give you a wedding house in the city.”
“En, I think it’s feasible.” Zhou Zhenbai also nodded. “Since Xiao Gu has settled the bill, the money I promised you before still counts. When you have your wedding, I will add it to Zhou Cibai’s dowry. But Xiao Gu, I didn’t come here to see Zhou Lao Er propose. He doesn’t have that much face. I mainly want to hear you talk about the research project you are doing in the United States. The department is very interested and wants to see if we can focus on training you.”
His research actually aroused Zhou Zhenbai’s interest?
Gu Jiqing was so flattered for a moment that he didn’t even think of refusing the gift of another wedding house.
Before he could figure out how to answer Zhou Zhenbai, he heard a familiar “Zhizhi” behind him.
He turned around and saw Yin Lan standing in the sea breeze, her skirt slightly lifted, and the light made her smile look particularly gentle.
She walked towards him step by step, took out two necklaces, gave one to Zhou Cibai, and carefully tied the other around Gu Jiqing’s neck.
After tying it, she took a step back and said with a smile, “It looks really good.”
There were tears in her smile.
Gu Jiqing lowered his head and found that the pendant of the necklace was his father and Yin Lan’s wedding rings.
He had seen it in a photo before but never found it again. He thought it was sold by Yin Lan during the most difficult times.
It turns out it’s not.
Zhou Cibai whispered beside him, “When I proposed just now, the piano piece was played by mom.”
Gu Jiqing stroked the pendant, wanting to say that he knew.
Because moving a small stool and sitting next to the old piano to listen to his mother playing the piano was the most romantic thing in his entire childhood.
But later, his mother sold the piano because of his illness, and he never heard it again.
And now, the sound of the piano that had been forgotten in his life for sixteen years has finally returned to him.
So the world is always willing to treat him well.
He had no choice but to hate, so he was given warmth and forgiveness.
Gu Jiqing raised his head and looked at Yin Lan with a pure and warm smile in his eyes: “En, thank you, Mom.”
Yin Lan held back tears, smiled, and touched his head. “Silly boy, why thank? Mom will always love you, and Dad will protect you in heaven. Our Zhizhi has found someone who loves you very much, so you will definitely be happy for the rest of your lives.”
Maybe it was because the atmosphere at that moment was too sentimental, or maybe it was because the moment when everyone reconciled with the past was particularly moving.
Xia Qiao’s nose felt sore, and he fell into Shen Zhao’s arms, choking and saying, “Shen Zhao, I want to cry so much. I’m so happy for Gu Gu, but I just want to cry so much.”
Shen Zhao hugged him, rubbed his head, and said, “It’s okay, cry if you want to, I’ll block it for you, they won’t see your runny nose.”
Lu Ping was also a tough guy with a soft heart. He followed suit and bumped into Chen Ji’s hard shoulder, howling: “Chen Lao Er, Lao Si is finally married. I’m so touched and want to cry, but why am I the only single dog? I’m so happy for them, but sad for myself. What should I do? Wuuuu…”
Chen Ji had never seen such a disgusting hunk cry. After feeling Lu Ping’s snot and tears flowing, he immediately pushed him away with disgust: “Get away!”
“I don’t want to! Give me a hug! You are the only one I have in the whole dormitory!”
“Lu Ping!”
“Ah——”
With a scream, Chen Ji accidentally knocked over the flower basket on the rooftop railing when he pushed Lu Ping away. Several large pots of petals immediately fell down like a waterfall.
Zhou Zhou’s dog head was hit, and his face was confused. The petals also covered his eyes. He immediately started to spin around in place, howling in panic.
The dog’s tail swept across, and Su Yuebai, who was holding the champagne, screamed and dodged, and the red wine in Zhou Xiaoyue’s hand also splashed directly onto Yin Lan’s skirt.
Yin Lan screamed “Ya,” and the white skirt turned into a dark red dye.
Their sister-in-law stepped forward and took her hand shyly. “I brought a change of clothes, you come with me to change. And I heard from Xiao Gu that you are very good at desserts and flower arrangements. Can you teach me if you have nothing to do tonight?”
“Okay, Zhi Zhi said you’re studying art, then the flower arrangement will definitely be very beautiful.”
“Laopo! If you go, what about Zhou Xiaoyue?”
“Take care of your son yourself.”
“Zhou Xiaoyue! That’s wine! Not grape juice! You can’t drink it!”
“Aiya, my great-grandson is a little man now, so what’s wrong with drinking a little?”
“That’s right. We should drink on such a good day. Son, bring Xiao Gu and come into the house. Mom will make you guys something delicious.”
So, on such a night filled with crows and magpies, the first glimmer of fireworks rose in Gu Jiqing and Zhou Cibai’s home.
After Zhou Xiaoyue drank a gulp of red wine, he hugged Zhou Zhou and fell asleep on the sofa with his butt sticking up. Zhou Zhenbai patted his back helplessly.
After drinking too much, Grandpa Zhou pulled Wang Quan, Chen Ji, and a few other young people aside and told them about his heroic deeds in the past. They were stunned and applauded.
Xia Qiao held the bottle of red wine and cried as he talked about how difficult it had been for Gu Jiqing in the past few years. When he spoke about his deep feelings, he wiped his nose with Shen Zhao’s clothes, then continued crying and forced Zhou Cibai to acknowledge him as his brother-in-law.
Mrs. Zhou and Yin Lan held each other’s hands, wiped their tears, and talked about the sadness, helplessness, and difficulty of being a mother. But for some reason, as they talked, the topic changed from how sensible Gu Jiqing was to which brand of skin care products was the best.
Su Yuebai was singing a love song to herself, and as she sang, she wanted to say that she wished her cousin and his wife a happy marriage.
The inexplicable bustle in the room drowned out the noise of the sea and the sweet words of a newlywed couple after their long-awaited reunion.
Gu Jiqing, who was slightly drunk, leaned in Zhou Cibai’s arms, looking at the people, the mess, and the noise in the room, and suddenly felt that some tiny gaps deep in his heart were finally filled up after so many years.
That is not futile compensation, but it lets him know that he is actually a child who is always loved.
It turns out that he really has everything that others have.
For example, home, love, the courage and commitment to believe, and true healing and reconciliation with oneself and the past many, many years later.
What brought him all this and filled him up was the love of a boy named Zhou Cibai.
It was the best thing he had ever had in his life.
He tilted his head to look at the person next to him and said softly, “Zhou Cibai, would you like to go out for a walk with me?”
Zhou Cibai kissed his forehead and said, “Okay.”
They held hands and tiptoed out the door.
However, just as they went out, Zhou Zhou seemed to have noticed something. It opened its eyes suddenly, saw their movements, and jumped in front of Gu Jiqing, spinning around anxiously, as if it were worried that Gu Jiqing would abandon it and run away again.
Zhou Cibai could only helplessly pull up its dog leash: “You only know how to be a light bulb between your dad and your father.”
Gu Zhouzhou had no idea of all this. It only knew that after it was not left behind, it happily pulled Zhou Cibai forward immediately, with such great strength that Zhou Cibai could only quickly keep up with it.
Gu Jiqing just watched their backs get farther and farther away and followed them slowly with a smile on his face.
Until a wave suddenly hit, Zhou Zhou was so scared that he ran to the shore crying, and Zhou Cibai’s pants were splashed with water. The man and the dog were in a miserable state.
The corners of Gu Jiqing’s lips curled up in a gloating arc.
A man and a dog were fighting on the beach, as if they were accusing each other. However, as they were fighting, they seemed to suddenly discover something. After the waves receded, they began to squat on the ground and dig the soil together.
Gu Jiqing stood in the distance and squinted his eyes. Before he could see clearly what the two big stupid dogs had dug up, Zhou Cibai had already brought Zhou Zhou to run towards him quickly from the other end of the beach.
“Gu Zhizhi, look, there are starfish and shells, so beautiful, how about I make a bracelet for you?”
The young man, wearing a well-tailored, expensive shirt and suit pants, held a few small starfish and shells with the fresh moisture and soil of the sea water and placed them in front of him like offering treasures, with a beautiful smile in his eyes.
So Gu Jiqing didn’t look at the shell but just looked into his eyes, smiled, and said, “Okay.”
Zhou Zhou, who was running after Zhou Cibai breathlessly, seemed to sense Gu Jiqing’s affection. It immediately put down the ugly little crab in its mouth happily and ran back to the place where the waves had hit, wagging its tail.
Zhou Cibai also hurriedly followed: “Gu Zhouzhou! Are you stupid? You can’t make a bracelet with crabs for your dad, you have to pick up these small shells!”
“Awoo——”
“Yes, that’s it.”
“Awoo, awoo?”
“This one won’t work.”
“Awoo!”
“Gu Zhouzhou, you actually found a pearl oyster. Be good, go back and make it into a brooch for your dad, okay?”
“Awoo~”
The sea breeze in the early morning of summer, carrying the warm moisture of the monsoon belt, comes from afar and shatters a pool of flowing stars.
There was a hint of paleness in the sky, which was the sunrise that would occur early in the morning at around four in the morning during the summer solstice every year.
Behind him, the one-of-a-kind villa in the world built for him has its lights on all night long. Inside are his family, his friends, his warmth, and his blessings.
In front of him, his lover and his dog were clumsily trying to find his gift from the gifts of the sea.
They loved him that much and were so loyal to him.
At that moment, Gu Jiqing suddenly remembered a sentence he had read in a book and liked very much: The world loved me first, so I couldn’t help but love it. [1]
He had seen the coastline covered with broken ice at sunrise in winter, and it was so deserted that even the sun seemed lonely and desolate.
But the sun always acts as the sun, fulfilling the duties of a star, tirelessly trying to awaken the sleeping winter with its scorching temperature and light.
Until one day, someone revived in the winter night and fell in love with the temperature that was hotter than the summer. Then the waves became the bride’s white wreaths, and he became the lifelong lover of the sun.
So he was always willing to believe that it was this world that loved him tenderly first.
Even though the love the world gave him was not so obvious or strong at the beginning, he used to feel lonely, helpless, confused, and gave up because of it.
But that love eventually bubbled out with the melting of ice and snow, the blooming of spring, and the bubbling water after being violently shaken in the summer. Even the lid could not cover it up.
He has the best unconditional love in the world.
He looked ahead and called out softly, “Zhou Zhou.”
The man and the dog immediately turned their heads at the same time, as if they were willing to go through fire and water for him as long as he gave the order.
But this world doesn’t require so much risk and suffering.
They are just ordinary people living in an ordinary world. If there is any difference, it is that they love each other.
So he looked at the bigger stupid dog and curled his lips gently. “There is something I have been forgetting to tell you today.”
Zhou Cibai held the pearl he had just found for Gu Jiqing and looked at him in confusion.
Then, when the first ray of sunlight appeared above sea level, Gu Jiqing smiled and said to him, “I love you, and I will love you forever. I will always love you the most.”
I also love this world that has become gentle because of you.
That will be where I will spend my life with you.
——End of text——
T/N: Sweeeeeeeeet. ZCB is literally a whole forest. (Extras will be posted from tomorrow onward as usual ^^)
