Coveted for a Long Time 79

Chapter 79

The weather was cold, the biting wind like a sharp knife, with a tendency to snow. Qiao Xi returned home early, thinking she was the first one back. Unexpectedly, Fu Bei had already arrived.

The house was filled with many bright, charming red roses—on the counter, the coffee table, even on the floor. A high table was set by the living room window, with candles lit and a bottle of red wine. Outside the window were the brilliantly lit streets, creating a very romantic and beautiful scene.

Qiao Xi didn’t know what this was about. Fu Bei did this usually, just not with so much care. Thinking it was another ordinary romantic surprise, she didn’t think much of it, putting down her bag and changing shoes to wash her hands.

Coming out after washing her hands, Fu Bei was already waiting by the high table, with an exquisite dessert placed on it.

Qiao Xi was stunned. From this setup, she thought they were having a Western dinner tonight, but there was only one dessert. She didn’t understand the meaning; appetizers should come in pairs.

“What’s wrong?” she asked puzzledly.

Fu Bei didn’t explain, just pulling her to sit down. “Taste it, see how it is.”

Making Qiao Xi even more curious, confused, always feeling something big was about to happen. But her brain stalled for a moment, involuntarily led by the other party. Tonight’s Fu Bei was very different—gentle and tender, her whole being carrying an indescribable charm.

Qiao Xi tasted a bite, feeling the flavor was okay, so she praised, “Quite delicious.”

Fu Bei followed up gently, “Then I’ll make it for you from now on; you can eat it anytime.”

Qiao Xi paused, feeling even more that the person in front of her was acting strangely. Usually, it wasn’t like this. No matter how good Fu Bei was to her, she wouldn’t express it verbally. Usually, if she made something delicious, this person would accompany her on the side, eating while watching TV, silently going to wash the dishes after eating. How could she speak sweet nothings? She blinked, scrutinizing Fu Bei in confusion. Meeting the other’s eyes full of tenderness, her heart tightened, a warmth arising spontaneously, swelling and lingering in her chest.

“So nice today.” She stared straight at Fu Bei. “What are you up to?”

Fu Bei didn’t explain, instead raising her hand to tuck Qiao Xi’s hair behind her ear.

“Nothing.”

After speaking, she leaned in to kiss the corner of Qiao Xi’s mouth. Seeing Qiao Xi motionless, she stroked the side of her face with her fingertips, gently lifting her chin towards herself, carrying this kiss to the end.

Qiao Xi had been dazed since entering the door. Now treated like a treasure, maybe suddenly enlightened in this instant, a possibility abruptly came to mind. Her brain buzzed, her whole person dazed, palms tightening, back straightening.

Fu Bei was the proactive one from beginning to end, guiding this light kiss. After ending, she didn’t move away immediately, almost face to face with Qiao Xi. The slightly hot breath fell entirely on Qiao Xi’s lips. Clearly only a little hot, yet incomparably scorching, grinding Qiao Xi’s nerves, making her heart tighten into a ball, even her throat a bit dry.

“Qiao Qiao…” Fu Bei called softly.

Qiao Xi pursed her lips lightly, giving a hum.

The other party didn’t continue speaking but kissed her again. This time, the kiss was even more emotional than the last, still so gentle. When they separated, the atmosphere in the living room was vastly different. Warmth and affection flowed, as if an invisible thread connected the two, inseparable.

Qiao Xi thought something was hidden in the dessert, so she pretended not to care and continued eating, wanting to find it. However, until only a small bite was left, there was still nothing.

Fu Bei sat opposite watching, long eyes slightly lowered, silently observing every move of Qiao Xi.

Actually, just these few sentences and simple reactions were enough to intuitively understand the other party’s thoughts. The reason Fu Bei tested first was also out of respect for Qiao Xi’s wishes. Qiao Xi was five years younger than her; perhaps she didn’t want this yet. Fortunately, judging from Qiao Xi’s reaction, she was undoubtedly willing.

Unclear whether excited or expectant in her heart, Qiao Xi’s red lips opened and closed. She asked deliberately, “Just eating this? Nothing else?”

Fu Bei grabbed her hand. “There is.”

Qiao Xi didn’t look at this person. “Mmh.”

The next moment, Fu Bei suddenly pulled her up. Qiao Xi subconsciously followed the other party. Before she could react, she was pressed onto the soft sofa. Fu Bei leaned into her sensitive neck, planting one dense kiss after another. But unlike before, she didn’t continue immediately; only kisses, no other moves.

Qiao Xi was ticklish, unable to help shrinking away, only to have her waist clamped by the other party. Fu Bei used that same tone: “Don’t move—”

So she stopped moving.

Fu Bei pulled a prepared black cloth from the back of the sofa, looked down at it, then tied it over Qiao Xi’s eyes.

The black cloth was thick enough to block all light. Qiao Xi was a bit unaccustomed, only able to sense the other’s presence carefully. Fu Bei leaned over, hovering above for a while, doing something unknown. Before long, she leaned down again. Qiao Xi let this person do as she pleased, accepting everything one by one.

When both were emotional, Fu Bei pinned Qiao Xi’s hands firmly to her sides, also sealing her lips, capturing her breath. Only when it ended did she slowly let go.

Fu Bei kissed Qiao Xi’s earlobe, whispering seriously, “I love you.”

Saying these three words for the first time, yet so resolutely, without a trace of falsehood, nor coaxing sweet words, like a sincere vow, a powerful guarantee.

Qiao Xi’s lips parted slightly, wanting to speak, but all words were blocked in her throat. She curled her fingers, not responding, waiting for Fu Bei’s next move.

No need to guess what the next step would be. They had been together for quite a while. Adding the entanglements of these years, it wasn’t shorter than those couples in a ten-year marathon. For them, the current age was just right, neither late nor early, most appropriate.

This relationship didn’t come easily; reaching this step was hard. And the people supporting them behind the scenes were even fewer. During the time together, Qiao Xi hadn’t not thought about this day. She thought she could accept it naturally and calmly. But when the moment truly arrived, the palpitations and complexity in her heart were more indescribable than ever.

Fu Bei held her hand, bringing it to her lips, saying, “Qiao Qiao…”

Paused.

Because her eyes were blindfolded, Qiao Xi couldn’t see anything. Only in a daze, she felt a touch of coldness stuck on the tip of her left middle finger.

“Will you?” Fu Bei asked at this time.

Qiao Xi couldn’t speak, emotions unable to calm down. After a good while, she nodded.

The cold ring slowly slid onto her hand.

**

A proposal is a particularly important ceremony. Different people have different reactions—some cry, some laugh. There are also those like Qiao Xi, a thousand feelings surging in her heart, not knowing how to react. By the time she came back to her senses, she was completely tied down.

After experiencing this event, Fu Bei changed quite a bit, becoming more restless than before. Sometimes she would wake Qiao Xi up in the middle of the night. She expressed her love more and more directly and obviously, occasionally saying a sentence or two of love words, though not mushy.

Before dawn, it was dim outside the window, nothing visible at a glance. The room was also pitch black. Feeling the warmth on her body, Qiao Xi woke up for a while before smiling, moving her waist. “What are you doing?”

Just waking from sleep, her voice carried the unique slight hoarseness of fatigue. Probably tired and lacking energy, and the weather was cold, she raised her arms to encircle the other’s waist, moving into this person’s embrace.

“Nothing.” Fu Bei said, kissing her chin, asking meaningfully, “Very sleepy?”

Tossing and turning until one or two in the morning last night, now only around five; how could she not be sleepy? But Qiao Xi didn’t respond, probably having that thought too. After a while, she shrunk down a bit to kiss the flower branches of Fu Bei’s tattoo. Fu Bei propped up her arms. After a long time, stroking her face, the two switched positions before long, Qiao Xi lying prone on her.

…

Unknown when she fell asleep again. Waking up, it was already bright daylight. The sun had walked to the center of the sky, the light very dazzling.

The day after the proposal, Qiao Xi met Father Fu alone. Father Fu saw the ring on her middle finger but didn’t say anything or express an attitude. However, after this, he talked to Fu Bei, basically asking if she had really decided. Marriage isn’t child’s play; young people nowadays don’t take this seriously, acting on whims, most prone to impulsiveness. Fu Bei’s answer was firm, so Father Fu couldn’t interfere too much. Then observing for a while, seeing the two young people getting along so harmoniously, he never intervened again.

Qiao Jianliang was the first to know the news of the proposal. He was secretly urging before, but now his thoughts changed again, feeling Qiao Xi wasn’t too old, could consider it at twenty-seven or twenty-eight, could observe for another two years. But when Qiao Xi returned to the Qiao family and told him this with smiling eyes, he was speechless. Silent for a long time, he only said, “Your affairs, you decide yourselves. Anyway, my opinion doesn’t count.”

Soon, Liang Yuzhi and Mother Qiao knew. Liang Yuzhi was so angry her chest hurt, calling Fu Bei, but couldn’t get through at all. Being abroad, she had no way. Mother Qiao ignored it completely. Moreover, this news wasn’t notified by Qiao Xi but told by Qiao Jianliang. Qiao Xi didn’t even call her to inform her of such a major event as marriage, showing what her attitude was. Mother Qiao was sad about this for a few days. Grandpa Fu was the last to know the truth. Saying not a word, he silently went out with his cane, trembling alone for a walk outside.

Proposal is proposal; as for when to marry, discussion was needed.

Discussion naturally required referring to the opinions of parents on both sides. Qiao Jianliang had no problem. Finally, Fu Bei took Qiao Xi back to the Fu family.

Thinking they would face a bloody storm, unexpectedly, Grandpa Fu said nothing. Qiao Xi called him out of politeness; he nodded expressionlessly, putting on airs very high.

Mindful that the old man always disagreed, afraid of angering him, Qiao Xi and Fu Bei left hurriedly without staying long. Instead, Father Fu, thinking of choosing a good date, flipped through the calendar back and forth to find one. Grandpa Fu was too lazy to look at him, lifting his eyelids dissatisfiedly, saying with a face of indifference, “Sixth day of the first lunar month.”

Father Fu was stunned. “Eh?”

Grandpa Fu turned and walked away with his cane, refusing to say it again.

The old man being willing to accept Qiao Xi and Fu Bei from the bottom of his heart was something a few years later. People’s concepts aren’t easy to change. He was just like that—no way, rigid as a steel bar, temper simply smelly and hard. Anyway, the others didn’t care what he thought; whatever should be, would be.

**

Before the end of the year, Qiao Xi and Fu Bei went to the cemetery to visit the old lady, telling her the news of getting married.

The old lady lived too transparently when alive, knowing everything clearly. She had seen through the matter between them long ago, just never pointing it out. Until the day she passed away, she hadn’t figured out whether letting Fu Bei go abroad was right or wrong. Maybe she didn’t accept it much before, but didn’t oppose fiercely either. Because of hesitation, she didn’t help them. Maybe she figured it out at the last moment, asking Qiao Xi to make that call. Unfortunately, she passed away with regret in the end.

Fu Bei took Qiao Xi to offer incense and flowers to the old lady, bowing. Before leaving, she said, “Grandma, we plan to get married.”

Inexplicably, the corners of Qiao Xi’s eyes started to redden a bit.

What a good person the old lady was. In the Qiao and Fu families, no one could be better than her.

The wedding was set for the sixth day of the first lunar month the year after next. Too many wedding matters, requiring a long time to prepare. They didn’t plan a big banquet for guests, only intending to invite close friends and elders. The location was set at that beach they visited in City H last time.

Regarding the news of their marriage, the most shocked was undoubtedly Tang Yi. Her friend was getting married, while she was still single, her academic career still unfinished. But she was very happy for Qiao Xi, helping to choose wedding dresses and such.

“So fast. Feels like we haven’t known each other for long, and now you’re getting married.”

Qiao Xi was amused. “Seven or eight years; quite a while.”

Tang Yi also smiled. “Feels like it happened yesterday.”

Time is truly magical. As a child, felt it passed too slowly. Growing up, a few years passed in a flash. Feeling like having experienced many things, but seeming to have accomplished nothing either; just like that.

Qiao Xi was quite emotional about this, chatting with Fu Bei at home about what each did during the five years of separation.

Actually, much the same. Qiao Xi studied to graduate smoothly, making friends as fate allowed. Fu Bei too, most time occupied by study, but she had almost no friends, not socializing much.

Those topics that couldn’t be mentioned before were now irrelevant. The two chatted about these from time to time. The hurdles difficult to cross earlier had now become level ground. Qiao Xi asked, “Those years abroad, did you miss me?”

“Missed,” Fu Bei said.

“How much?” Qiao Xi raised the corners of her mouth, asking with a smile.

Fu Bei glanced at her. Originally wanting to answer, but seeing her, she was infected, also curving her lips involuntarily.

**

In March of this year, Qiao Xi and Fu Bei went to Cijing Town for a tour. This time they stayed at the Fu family’s house.

Peach blossoms were planted everywhere in Cijing Town. Now was the season for peach blossoms to bloom. The whole town was pink, brilliantly beautiful. When the wind blew, the fresh scent of flowers hit the face. Cijing Town was an ancient town, different from the bustling metropolis, revealing a quaint and peaceful flavor everywhere.

At dusk, the two came out for a walk, moving slowly on the old bluestone-paved street. The dim afterglow fell on the wall, dyeing this area gold. At that time, the streets and alleys were empty and silent, with few other pedestrians. Their shadows fell on the wall, overlapping together.

Walking along, Fu Bei called Qiao Xi’s name.

Qiao Xi turned her head.

Fu Bei took her hand at this moment, continuing to walk.

In the courtyard beside the street, lush peach blossoms bloomed all over the tree, pressing down the branches, stretching across the wall, welcoming the setting sun in the sky.

—”You come to the human world once; you should look at the sun, and walk on the street with your beloved.”

Coveted for a Long Time – Main Story – End