Engagement?
She looked at him blankly: "But we’ve only been dating for a week?"
Ye Qian had told her that the rule of dating was to wait at least a year before considering marriage.
He Siyu didn’t seem to care: "So what?"
His nonchalant attitude made her wonder if she had misunderstood the rule.
Seeing her hesitate, He Siyu tightened his grip on the water glass. His calm eyes hid a trace of nervousness.
Those few seconds felt like an entire year had passed.
Sang Ning paused for three seconds, then suddenly lowered her head and picked up her phone.
He Siyu: ?
At such a crucial moment, she was still playing on her phone?!
He spoke impatiently: "Nan Sangning, are you even listening to me?"
"Wait a second."
"Wait for what?" He eyed her suspiciously.
Was she seriously going to ask the Nan family for permission?
Since when did she care about their opinions?
Sang Ning unlocked her phone and opened Baidu, typing in a serious search: [How long should you date before getting married?]
The answer popped up: [About a year.]
Sang Ning finally looked up at him: "No."
"Why not?!"
"Because we haven’t been together long enough. Marriage is too rushed." Her tone was firm.
He Siyu frowned—what kind of robotic answer was that?
"Who did you just ask on your phone?" he demanded.
Sang Ning placed her phone on the table: "Baidu."
He Siyu: …
His eyebrow twitched, unsure whether to be angry or amused: "Nan Sangning, you’re consulting Baidu about our marriage?"
She nodded: "I always ask it."
"…"
She made her stance clear: "Anyway, one week is too short. We barely know each other. Marriage is a lifelong commitment—we can’t make such a hasty decision."
More importantly, if they got engaged, all her hard work at Nan Corporation would go to waste.
Never mind the He Family’s stance—even if they agreed to the marriage, the Nan family would eagerly accept.
Then they’d prop her up like a delicate mascot, assigning her some honorary but powerless position in the company, just waiting to marry her off to the He Family and use her as their stepping stone to higher status.
Just like Nan Siya.
The moment she got engaged, she’d become an outsider to the Nan family. No matter how prestigious her marriage, she’d only serve to benefit them.
But why should she?
She deserved everything that was rightfully hers!
He Siyu took a deep breath: "Then how long do you think we should date?"
"A year." She wouldn’t budge.
"…"
Who the hell wrote that answer on Baidu?
But her resolute attitude left no room for negotiation.
They had just gotten together—he wasn’t confident enough to test their fragile relationship yet.
Pursing his lips, he stayed silent for a moment before loosening his tie: "Fine."
Sang Ning smiled.
Just then, the waiter arrived with their food.
Hungry, Sang Ning picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
He sat across from her, watching her eat with a thoughtful gaze.
Sometimes, he felt like she truly cared for him—but other times, she seemed just out of reach.
Sang Ning suddenly looked up and met his eyes: "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." He lowered his gaze and took a sip of water. "Where do you want to go this afternoon?"
Sang Ning grinned: "The amusement park."
He frowned: "What?"
What kind of childish place was that?
He hadn’t gone since he was eight!
"No." He refused outright.
Sang Ning pulled out her phone and placed it on the table, serious: "But I checked on Baidu—it’s a must-visit spot for couples."
The words "couples’ date" struck his ears, making his eyes flicker.
His tone was stiff: "Too childish."
She frowned: "But I want to go."
"Didn’t you go as a kid?"
"No."
"…"
He Siyu suddenly remembered—she grew up in the countryside.
He looked up and met her bright, expectant eyes. His lips pressed together: "Fine, let’s go."
"Great!"
After lunch, they drove straight to Jing City’s largest amusement park.
It was Sunday, and the park was packed. As soon as He Siyu stepped out of the car, he was met with a sea of people wearing ridiculous plush hats, the air filled with cheerful, noisy music.
His frown deepened—was it too late to back out?
But Sang Ning was thrilled, taking in the sights with wide-eyed wonder.
"He Siyu, do you want bubble tea?" She grabbed his hand.
He looked down as her small fingers slipped effortlessly into his palm. Amid the bustling crowd, they were the only two connected, knowing and loving each other.
His irritation suddenly melted away.
He suppressed a smile, tightening his grip on her hand: "Sure."
Sang Ning spotted a bubble tea shop and tugged him toward it: "Let’s go there."
The cashier greeted them politely: "Hello, what would you like to order?"
Sang Ning studied the menu carefully: "What do you recommend?"
She hadn’t tried this place before.
"Our classics are roasted brown sugar boba milk tea and super cheese strawberry pearl tea. Or you could try our new releases—taro burst pearl jasmine milk tea and strawberry sago boba green milk tea," the cashier explained enthusiastically.
Sang Ning blinked and turned to He Siyu: "What do you want?"
He Siyu frowned—what was with all these "boba" and "pearl" nonsense?
"Whatever."
Sang Ning narrowed her eyes: "Are you brushing me off?"
He Siyu: ?
"I’m not."
"Then what do you want?" she pressed.
The cashier smiled at him: "Sir, what would you like?"
He Siyu deadpanned: "Strawberry sago boba green milk tea."
Sang Ning beamed: "I’ll have the same!"
He Siyu: "…"
Was she doing this on purpose?!
Soon, their drinks were ready. Sang Ning took a sip—sweet and tangy, delicious.
He Siyu tried his and grimaced—cloyingly sweet.
Since it was her first time at an amusement park, Sang Ning dragged He Siyu onto every ride, including the ones he outright refused—bumper cars, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the merry-go-round.
As night fell, Sang Ning happily licked an ice cream cone, a pair of bunny ear clips adorning her hair: "I heard there’s a fireworks show tonight."
He Siyu flicked one of her bunny ears: "What’s so special about fireworks?"
Jing City had them all the time.
"It’s different here."
He sighed: "Fine, we’ll stay for the fireworks."
They waited half an hour as the crowd grew. He Siyu hated crowded places, and what was already packed had now doubled in size.
What was so great about a few lousy fireworks?
Then—BOOM!
The crowd gasped as the night sky lit up with bursts of color, the castle behind them glowing like something out of a fairy tale.
Sang Ning’s eyes sparkled: "Fireworks!"
He Siyu looked up and suddenly noticed several couples in the crowd beginning to kiss.
His eyes flickered faintly.
"Did you see that?" Sang Ning exclaimed excitedly.
"I did."
He gripped her wrist and turned her toward him. "Do you know the tradition here when watching fireworks?"
"What is it?" She stared at him blankly.
The flickering glow of the bursting fireworks illuminated his face as he smirked. "Kissing."
He leaned down, cupping her face in his large hands, and pressed his lips to hers.
It was Sang Ning’s first time kissing in public. Her mind buzzed, as if exploding along with the fireworks.
When he pulled back slightly, he saw her porcelain cheeks flushed a deep red under the dazzling colors of the fireworks.
A sudden surge of courage rose in his heart. "Nan Sangning," he called softly.
"Hmm?"
"Do you like me?"
