Upon receiving the message that the couple had arrived downstairs at the hotel, Li Zheng couldn't help but feel a wave of nervousness.
Waiting inside the room, he jumped to his feet the moment he heard movement at the door.
Right outside the door, Jiang Mo pulled a silk ribbon from her bag, gave it a little flick, and reached up to cover Gu Ye's eyes.
Gu Ye looked amused and teased her, "What's this? Did you prepare a surprise for me?"
"Behave and don't move. You'll find out once we go inside," Jiang Mo said. Standing on her tiptoes, she reached around to the back of his head and securely blindfolded him with the ribbon.
Gu Ye obediently let her handle him, grasping Jiang Mo's hand. "Then you'd better hold onto me tightly."
The two of them walked slowly into the living room. The spacious area had already been beautifully decorated.
At Jiang Mo's signal, Li Zheng tiptoed over to switch off the main lights, turning on the ambient lighting they had prepared beforehand.
In an instant, a vast, glowing galaxy of stars filled the room. Soft music began to play, and a pre-made confession video appeared on the large screen.
Jiang Mo untied the ribbon.
Gu Ye opened his eyes with curiosity. After taking a couple of seconds to adjust to the light, he took in the room full of romantic decorations and the photo of the two of them on the big screen.
No words were spoken; there was only his focused gaze. The video chronicled every little moment of their romance over the past few years.
From spring to winter, it swept through the four seasons, ultimately flying toward a warm nest.
Jiang Mo had playfully yet thoughtfully added her own voiceover to the video.
Ever since she decided to propose, she had been scouring her phone for all kinds of footage, using her breaks to edit the video and record the audio.
She remained silent, just standing quietly beside Gu Ye, watching it with him.
As she watched, it suddenly dawned on her that he had been a part of every single important moment in her life over the past few years.
The video played slowly until it reached its end.
As the final notes of the music faded, Jiang Mo gently pulled her hand free from Gu Ye's. She took a ring out of her pocket and turned to face him.
"My dear Mr. Gu Ye, I'm actually incredibly nervous right now. I think it's only in this exact moment that I can truly understand how you felt when you first confessed your feelings to me—just as anxious and restless as I am now."
"We've walked hand in hand for over three years now, and I think it's time we change our titles and step into the next chapter of our lives. I want to live a beautifully ordinary life with you. In the future, we can go for walks to watch the sunset together, and maybe even raise two adorable babies to keep us company. So, Mr. Gu Ye, will you accept my proposal?"
Having said her piece, Jiang Mo took a deep breath. She could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Gu Ye couldn't keep the corners of his lips from turning up. He affectionately ruffled Jiang Mo's hair, his eyes shining brightly. "You silly girl, it's everything I could ever ask for. But I should have been the one to propose."
After all, they were both still young. Gu Ye had been worried that Jiang Mo might not want to get married so early, so he had held off on making a hasty proposal until he saw a clear sign that she was ready for marriage.
"There's no rule saying a girl can't be the one to propose. Besides, I really enjoyed the whole process," Jiang Mo said as she slid the ring onto his finger. "Mhm, a perfect fit."
Gu Ye then took the women's ring and slipped it onto Jiang Mo's finger. "I love you, my wife."
He leaned in, wanting to kiss her, but then he noticed the glaring third wheel filming them from the side and held himself back.
Li 'Third-Wheel Photographer' Zheng was holding up his phone, snapping photos and recording a video of the couple.
As he worked, he couldn't help but marvel at how well this kind of romantic gesture worked on anyone, regardless of gender. Just look at how moved his brother-in-law was—he looked like he was about to cry.
Hmm... why did he himself feel a little choked up too?
Jiang Mo had also ordered a bouquet of fresh flowers in advance, which she now presented to Gu Ye.
Holding the flowers in one arm and pulling Jiang Mo close with the other, Gu Ye looked at Li Zheng. "Brother-in-law, take a picture of us."
Li Zheng grinned from ear to ear and snapped away furiously.
"Thanks for all your hard work. Did you bring all these props with you all the way from Jiangcheng?" Gu Ye asked.
Jiang Mo nodded. "Of course I did."
"My sister brought them, sure, but I was the one who set everything up. I'm exhausted!" Li Zheng chimed in from the side, eager to claim some credit.
Gu Ye was in high spirits. Without missing a beat, he sent over a money transfer. "I'll have to trouble you to clean all this up later, brother-in-law."
Seeing the amount of the transfer, Li Zheng flashed a sycophantic smile. "Sis, brother-in-law, you two go get some rest. I'll take care of the cleanup!"
Gu Ye nodded. "Zip up all the photos on your phone and send them to me. The original files."
It wasn't long before Jiang Mo saw a post with photos and a caption pop up on Gu Ye's WeChat Moments.
"Today is a day worth remembering. My girlfriend proposed to me!"
Below it, she could already see the comments from the Gu family.
Gu Baotian: "Such a lucky guy!"
Su Yunjin: "Oh, you lucky boy. What a blessed life you have."
Gu Xun: "..."
Gu Ye specifically replied to Gu Xun's comment: "Big bro, no need to be too jealous of me."
