1122 - Chapter 46

The apartment wasn’t very large. It had been purchased primarily for its convenient commute to the corporation, with no thought given to the possibility of later acquiring a shopping-enthusiast boyfriend who would stuff the walk-in closet to the brim just to dress him up.

Pushing open the door to apartment 1208 once more, Jiang Yi stood in the entryway, gazing at the familiar surroundings inside. The long-lost feeling left him somewhat emotional.

Sunlight filtered gently into the room, the breeze swaying the white sheer curtains. The photo of him and Yan Nanchen in the living room had been rehung both of them still smiling brightly, as if the glass outside the frame had never shattered.

Every decoration, every detail in the apartment seemed untouched by any mishap, as if he and puppy were still deeply in love during that passionate phase of their relationship.

Especially that black apron hanging beside the refrigerator in the open kitchen.

The memory of their argument and subsequent separation came to an abrupt halt in that instant.

Jiang Yi’s eyes reddened. He took deep breaths to steady his emotions, tilting his head slightly to hold back tears. But when Yan Nanchen reached out to embrace him, hands resting on his waist, he still ended up crying.

“Puppy, I was scared back then. After smashing everything, I regretted it a little.”

“I’m sorry for making you afraid.”

“But I was so cool breaking everything, I couldn’t just go back and clean it up afterward. That would’ve been pathetic.”

“It’s okay. I cleaned it up. I did it all myself, didn’t ask anyone else to help.”

Yan Nanchen lightly stroked Jiang Yi’s waist through his shirt. Though it was still flat, he seemed to sense something, even beginning to imagine things. Resting his chin on Jiang Yi’s shoulder, he buried his face against his neck, utterly infatuated.

Feeling Yan Nanchen’s attachment, Jiang Yi placed his hand over the one caressing his waist. “Puppy, you’ve never seen me with a big belly.”

“Only in photos.” Yan Nanchen caught onto the word, excitement flickering in his breath.

“What were you thinking when you saw those photos?” Jiang Yi turned around.

“I wondered who was by your side.” Yan Nanchen wrapped his arms around Jiang Yi’s waist, their foreheads touching. He cherished this closeness beyond measure. “I kept thinking how much better it would’ve been if it were me. How stupid I was, why didn’t I believe you could love me so much? Why didn’t I trust that honesty could make things right?”

“I thought about so many things.”

Warm breath accompanied tender words against his cheek.

“Did all that thinking help you understand?”

“No.”

Jiang Yi lowered his head, pressing a fleeting kiss to Yan Nanchen’s lips. Raising his gaze slightly, his light amber eyes behind glasses reflected the other’s image. “How about now?”

The corner of Yan Nanchen’s lips quivered almost imperceptibly before he restrained himself, pushing his luck with a deliberately sullen tone. “Still not clear enough.”

“How about now?”

When his palm slipped beneath the shirt, pressing directly against the flat waist, even though it had only been six weeks, the baby no bigger than a tiny sprout Yan Nanchen felt as if life itself pulsed vibrantly in his hand.

Jiang Yi guided Yan Nanchen’s hand to his waist and asked again, “Do you understand now?”

Yan Nanchen didn’t rush to answer. Instead, he gazed deeply at Jiang Yi, his eyes flickering slightly. After a moment, he finally smiled. “I’ve figured it out.” With that, he gently pulled Jiang Yi into his embrace.

“Figured out what?”

“Figured out that in the past, we weren’t brave enough. Figured out that regrets will always remain regrets. Figured out that now, we’re starting over. Figured out that now, I can stay by your side you loving me, me loving you. We’ll raise this child together, and our family of four will always be happy.”

“That’s it?”

“Mm, that’s it.”

The two embraced in their old home, their eyes fixed on the framed photo in the living room.

Seven years just a blink, yet so much time had passed.

“Yi Yi, let’s get married.”

Jiang Yi froze for two seconds. Seeing how solemn Yan Nanchen looked, he chuckled after a pause. “I thought we were already in a married state right now.”

“It’s not the same. Wait here.” Yan Nanchen let go of Jiang Yi and headed to the bedroom.

Curious, Jiang Yi followed him inside.

The bedroom was impeccably clean, as if someone had tidied it daily. The bedsheets were fresh, carrying the faint scent of laundry detergent.

He watched as Yan Nanchen opened the wardrobe, revealing a safe he hadn’t seen before likely installed later.

Yan Nanchen entered the code 520, followed by Jiang Yi’s birthday, 1208. With a soft beep, the safe door opened. Inside were two slightly crumpled but carefully flattened sheets of paper, weighed down by a ring.

Beside the ring lay a small black velvet box likely another ring.

At the sight of the black ring box, Jiang Yi was stunned.

“Isn’t this, the box you gave me with the house key before?”

“Mm, it’s a ring box. You kept it.” Yan Nanchen set the box aside for now, then took the two sheets of paper and the ring without a box, stepping closer to Jiang Yi. “This was the ring inside it.”

Jiang Yi’s ears flushed red, a mix of embarrassment and frustration. “H-How was I supposed to know it was a ring box? If I’d known, I would’ve—”

“Thrown it away?”

“I wouldn’t have had the heart to.”

Yan Nanchen chuckled softly before handing the two papers to Jiang Yi, his gaze earnest. “Yi Yi, these two sheets of paper and you are the courage that kept me going these five years.”

Jiang Yi looked down at the medical reports in his hands, his eyes widening slightly at the words on them.

The first, crumpled and familiar, was the pregnancy test he’d excitedly brought to Yan Nanchen years ago, the one he later threw at him. The second, an abortion form. What did it mean?

“This was what my father gave me back then. He said you didn’t want the baby.”

Jiang Yi’s eyes filled with shock. “What? I’d never, how could I not want the baby? I—” His voice faltered as he lowered his gaze. “I only said it in the heat of the moment. How could I bear to give up our child?”

He glanced up at Yan Nanchen.

Sure enough, the man was crying.

Tears of joy streamed down Yan Nanchen’s face as he held the ring, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Adjusting his trousers, he knelt on one knee before Jiang Yi, looking up with devout sincerity.

“Yi Yi, will you marry me?”

The ring held between his fingers wasn’t the traditional four-prong setting, but an elegant platinum arc with a circle of high-purity blue diamonds along its curve. The inner band bore intricate engravings of jasmine and violet patterns, with the initials J&Y subtly hidden within the floral design.

Jiang Yi looked at this ring, watching as Yan Nanchen knelt before him on one knee. In this moment, the sense of ceremony made him feel this was different.

Different from birthdays, different from anniversaries.

This was a ceremonial weight that settled deep in his heart.

He admitted that before getting back together with Yan Nanchen, he’d lived casually alone, never caring about ceremony or celebrating birthdays perhaps influenced by his family background, which never afforded him time or experience to dwell on such things.

Even subconsciously during these two years reunited with Yan Nanchen, he’d already considered them effectively married.

To him, marriage was just a formality, wedding rings merely symbolic as long as he could be with Yan Nanchen, nothing else mattered.

But Yan Nanchen wasn’t like that.

This Alpha had grown up privileged, not to mention coming from the famously loving Luo family. A child raised in such an environment couldn’t possibly turn out poorly. Moreover, Yan Nanchen had achieved remarkable success at a young age, becoming Asia’s wealthiest and the world’s second-richest with his family enterprise’s support, all of which naturally instilled in him a sense of ceremony.

So after reuniting, Jiang Yi could feel this difference, though he’d never paid it much attention or considered its value before.

But now, he couldn’t ignore or dismiss it.

This was a marriage proposal.

Jiang Yi raised his hand slightly, then hesitated. Just as he was about to lower it, Yan Nanchen caught his wrist.

The blue-diamond ring was thus “forcibly” slipped onto his finger by Yan Nanchen.

It turned out slightly loose.

Yan Nanchen’s expression darkened as he watched the ring slip off.

Of course, this ring had been custom-sized during their previous relationship, using measurements taken then. The blue diamond had been an auction purchase from that time too.

Unaware of Yan Nanchen’s thoughts, Jiang Yi laughed awkwardly: “I hesitated because I worried it might be loose. How about waiting until I gain some weight to wear it?”

After differentiating into an Omega, while his height remained unchanged, his physique had altered significantly, he’d lost over ten pounds compared to before, making his fingers naturally slimmer.

“Yi Yi.”

“Hmm?” Jiang Yi noticed Yan Nanchen’s hesitant expression. “What’s wrong?”

Yan Nanchen pointed at the blue diamond. “I won this at auction seven years ago. It cost about 400 million.”

Jiang Yi’s eyes widened: “!!!!” Staring at Yan Nanchen in disbelief, he massaged his temples. “Yan Nanchen, you constantly redefine my understanding of your spending habits. This tiny diamond cost 400 million?!”

“I also had cufflinks made for you. Our matching rings were cut from this same diamond, it’s a complete set.”

“You cut up an entire diamond?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Yi sighed quietly before taking the ring from Yan Nanchen’s hand. “Too expensive to waste. Even if it’s big, I’ll wear it maybe on a necklace.”

The corners of Yan Nanchen’s lips lifted. “That works too. After the baby comes, you can wear it properly. I’ll make sure you gain the weight back.”

Jiang Yi, seeing he still dared to laugh, pinched his cheek lightly. “You, don’t spend money like this. It’s terrifying.”

“Even if I spend like this now, Qiao Qiao and the others or our future grandchildren won’t be able to spend it all. Besides, I can still earn money. Don’t worry, it’s endless.” Yan Nanchen lowered his head to kiss him, gazing at him tenderly and affectionately. “So, you’re agreeing to marry me, right?”

“What else? What have we been these past two years?”

“Then when can we go register our marriage?”

“We can go now.”

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