The moment she mentioned it today, Chen Linyun instantly understood. It was something that was left hanging from their last phone call. He had tried calling her again and again but at first she did not pick up, 'Right, she has a meeting.' Chen Linyun remembered. That same night they communicated through videocon.

The lady seemed troubled that night. "Chen Linyun, there's something I need to tell you." She started with such a serious face.

Chen Linyun got nervous that night.

"I'll get this straight, Chen Linyun. There are more suitors flocking around me now more than ever."

There was silence in the other end of the line. "I know. Guangxi told me about it."

"Chen Linyun… Please don't doubt my sincerity…" Xue Jinxu implored solemnly.

"I have never doubted you, Xue Jinxu." Chen Linyun said.

Xue Jinxu's screen became blurry. The lady's hand that was holding the phone quivered.

"No matter how many suitors there are or if I'm already betrothed, or if they even appear likable on the surface, I want you to know that my heart only beats for you. I will always choose you, Chen Linyun. Only you. Understand?"

"I have thought long and hard about this."

"I had made a resolve today."

"I certainly love you, Chen Linyun."

Chen Linyun was taken aback by the development of their conversation. The lady was confessing her feelings. His senses tensed in a good way. He excused himself from the phone then jumped in joy around his living quarters.

'Yes! Yes! Yes!' He was extremely extremely ecstatic.

When he went back to the screen, he said, "Finally, Xue Jinxu! You make me extremely happy!"

Xue Jinxu smiled slightly. Chen Linyun sensed something. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to keep secrets from you, dear. A suitor came today. I was nearly scammed! But I stood my ground, dear. No matter what, my heart is yours alone. That's an irrevocable truth."

Chen Linyun was pondering at the other end of the line.

During their camping, he had said, "Please don't give up or give in. I will come back for you. I promise." He had foreseen that while he's away, annoying flies, not to mention the betrothed, will hover around his queen. After all, Xue Jinxu was a G.o.ddess, the Xue's princess.

He was already grateful that she chose him, and that she had finally come in good terms with her heart. Finally!

"You are doing well." He traced the screen with his finger. "Be strong, hold on for a while longer, alright? I'll be back soon."

"Can you say it again?" Chen Linyun requested.

"What?" Xue Jinxu got confused and blinked several times.

"That you love me." Chen Linyun endearingly requested.

Even on Videocon, the lady's lashes flickered bashfully. "I love you." She said, turning surprisingly obedient.

-----

At Apartment 301.

Chen Linyun did not even have to bring the matter up. The lady brought it up herself. Probably she was unsettled by it.

She was being consistent with her straightforward personality regardless whether she's being demure or whatnot.

"I may have said something out of the ordinary in our last phone call. It was embarra.s.sing." She covered her face again.

Chen Linyun's face was bright red.

'Tomato-face.' She thought, but her face wasn't any different.

Chen Linyun brushed her hand with his own index finger, urging her to speak up. However, the lady still kept silent.

"Can you say it again?" Chen Linyun requested. Even his eyes were pleading.

Xue Jinxu buried her face again on her palms. "It's embarra.s.sing." She admitted. Now that they are face-to-face, the pressure was ever so stronger. It's different during a phone call or in WeChat, and it's so much different in real life.

"What's there to be embarra.s.sed about? I longed to hear those words from you for a very long time." Chen Linyun urged her more. "Can you say it again please?" Chen Linyun begged.

A few moments pa.s.sed. He was waiting patiently. He thought that she would not oblige, but there seemed to be something coming from her.

Still covering her face, she had said, "…" It was m.u.f.fled and barely audible.

He was taken by surprise. He really thought that she wouldn't do it, after all, she's not obedient at all.

"What was that?" Chen Linyun probed again. She said it so softly, no more than a whisper. On top of that, she was covering her whole face.

"…" She repeated. It was the same. It was almost a whisper that it was barely barely audible.

"Xue Jinxu. Only you can hear it." He pointed out.

Xue Jinxu was getting hyped up. She's not covering her face anymore, rather she's ma.s.saging her forehead with her fingertips. Suddenly, she turned towards him and put her head just beside his right ear. She grabbed his left cheek with her right hand, and said. "Chen Linyun, I love you."

Then she hurriedly stood up to flee. Chen Linyun reflexively grabbed her wrist just in time. She was not able to flee. She panicked, tugged her wrist free, but for naught. She was caught!

Her heart was racing frantically. She had planned it along, but her plan of fleeing had failed.

Chen Linyun stood up to stand next to her. Through her wrist that he was holding, she was pulled into his embrace. He was hugging her too tightly.

"I have waited for so long to hear those words from you. I have imagined them for several times and several different ways, but not even one of those came close as to how it had been in reality. It was such a wonderful, wonderful gift. Thank you Xue Jinxu. I only love you, Xue Jinxu. Always remember that." She was trapped in his warm embrace.

She hugged him in return. She wrapped her arms around his waist. She was not embarra.s.sed anymore. "I love you Chen Linyun. Those words are for you alone. I love you too much. My heart only beats for you."

Chen Linyun tightened their hug. He was being greedy. "What are 'we' again? What do you call us?"

"Almost-couple." She said, in a whisper. Only Chen Linyun could hear.

"What should I do for us to be officially a couple?" Chen Linyun wanted to know so badly.

She escaped from their hug to look at his eyes before answering.

"Marry me." She said. She was d.a.m.n serious. "That would seal the deal." She tightened her hug possessively.

'Oops.' She thought. She had spoken out of turn. She seemed to have forgotten something important. She pursed her lips.

Chen Linyun seated himself again on the couch. She followed suit and seated herself beside him. She behaved herself while looking down on her hands that were resting on her lap. She was rubbing her thumbs with each other.

She was getting nervous again, simply because she had touched the taboo. During their camping escapade, Chen Linyun had forbidden her to ever mention anything about their own marriage. It was a sensitive topic for him. He had made it clear that he should be the one proposing, and he will do it at the right time, when everything's in order already. It had something to do with his pride and ego, and about giving him some face.

She could feel the cold temperature of the room emanating from the very person beside her.

"Sorry." She said. There was no reaction from him. She tugged his sleeve once. Still no reaction. She tugged his sleeve again. "Hey. Are you angry?" She had not seen him get angry yet.

He was, in fact, quite affected by her words. Not that he was angry, but her words got him thinking about his efforts. He really needed to make it work.

His woman was 100% serious this time when she had said "Marry me" unlike the first time during the camping trip, which had some influence of desperation at the time. This time, he could tell, that it was out of love. 'It's up to me now.' He was pressured, yet he welcomed it.

After a long silence, he spoke. "How do you want to compensate?" He was playing hard-to-get.

"Huh?" Xue Jinxu asked to clarify. "What should I do? What do you want me to do?"

"You have to be punished. You have to do something for me." Chen Linyun said teasingly. There was mirth in his eyes.

"Master Chen, what do you want me to do?" Xue Jinxu retorted playfully too.

He inched himself forward slowly and stopped. Afterwards, he gave her a peck on the lips. "Cook for me. Serve me today, Milady."

"That's it?" Xue Jinxu blinked repeatedly. She was confused because it was not that hard for a punishment. Even if it weren't as compensation, if he requested for it in any other day, she would very much likely to oblige.

Chen Linyun intertwined their hands together then kissed the back of her hand. "Yeah. Pamper me."