I Fell In Love With My Rival - Chapter 52.2 Extra 2.2

The audience murmured in curiosity as Xu Chang and Yang Yuxia craned their necks toward the stage. Fu Erqiu stood calmly under the spotlight, letting the attention wash over her.

The gentle intro of the backing track filled the air as she began to sing:

“Do you remember that summer

The coconut trees by the shore

The sun too bright to bear

You kissed my cheek so softly

The plane flew over the sea

Drawing a smiling arc—

You are the most beautiful scene in my life

Breaking my heart, yet I’m hopelessly drawn to you…

…To have loved like this

Is such a blessing.”

(Note: From “Confession Night”)

The bar erupted into whistles and cheers. Strangers clapped and swayed to the rhythm, moved by the heartfelt moment.

Su Chunyin stood frozen, eyes fixed on the glowing figure on stage. Fu Erqiu had always been quiet and reserved, rarely singing or indulging in entertainment. The last time she heard her sing was five years ago.

She never imagined hearing it again on this night.

Under the stage lights, Fu Erqiu shone. Her voice was soothing and rich, her pale skin glowing against the red dress. Su Chunyin overheard murmurs nearby—“Is she a celebrity?”

As the song drew to a close, warmth and emotion welled up in Su Chunyin’s heart, brimming to the edge. She was just about to rush forward and take out the ring box—

Her phone rang.

The sudden noise deflated her soaring emotions. Annoyed, she answered the call. It was her colleague from the flower shop, clearly drunk.

“Susu-jie, come drink with us!”

“I’m busy,” she snapped, hearing the song’s final chords behind her.

“Busy? Busy with what? What’s more important than drinking—”

Su Chunyin took a deep breath. “I’m fucking proposing!”

With that, she hung up, turned off her phone, yanked the ring box from her bag, and tossed the handbag aside in one smooth motion.

Not even the Emperor of Heaven could stop her now.

“Fu Erqiu.” Su Chunyin steadied her breath and took a step forward. Then another. Then a third…

Just as she reached the stage, the music abruptly shifted into a cheerful, bouncy love song. The stage lights flickered with girlish whimsy—hearts, pinks, yellows. From the ceiling, petals, ribbons, and balloons rained down, and the backdrop morphed into a cascade of lace and tassels.

Su Chunyin paused mid-step.

This… wasn’t the decoration she had arranged with the bar owner. But it was too late to care. Compared to the proposal itself, these were just minor distractions.

She took a deep breath and continued walking.

“Qiuqiu-jie, I…”

She hadn’t even finished her sentence when—bang!—another loud sound rang through the bar. All the lights suddenly went out!

Su Chunyin froze on stage, glancing around in confusion. Everything was pitch-black. The sudden darkness seemed to have stunned the crowd as well—everyone had fallen into an eerie silence.

Damn it, what the hell is going on?

Even on such a joyous day, Su Chunyin couldn’t help cursing inwardly. Just as she was about to turn around and look for the bar owner with visible frustration, someone suddenly grabbed her hand.

“Niǎoniǎo.” Fu Erqiu’s voice was as cool and calm as always, but this time, it carried a tenderness and warmth unfamiliar to Su Chunyin—along with a faint trace of nervousness.

Su Chunyin turned back around, and to her surprise, the lights in the bar had come on again at some point. A soft spotlight now illuminated Fu Erqiu. She was wearing a red gown, her expression solemn and composed. One hand was tightly holding onto Su Chunyin’s.

Su Chunyin had never seen Fu Erqiu look so serious. She stood there in a daze, eyes slowly drifting to her other hand—where a guess had already started to form in her heart. Her pulse quickened with anticipation and disbelief.

In Fu Erqiu’s other hand was a small box, lined with red velvet, almost identical in size to the one Su Chunyin had been planning to take out herself.

In an instant, all the night’s strangeness made sense—Fu Erqiu’s sudden makeover, the unexpected gathering of friends and family, the bar owner’s odd behavior, and the stage setup that looked nothing like what

Su Chunyin had arranged.

So that was it!

Su Chunyin’s gaze returned slowly to Fu Erqiu, her body stiff, her mind frozen. She could only stare blankly at her beloved Qiuqiu like a fool.

Fu Erqiu took a deep breath, and along with it, a rare expression of unease and nervousness appeared on her face. Even the hand holding the red velvet box trembled slightly.

She opened the box and held it out to Su Chunyin, then slowly knelt on one knee. In a voice full of solemn sincerity—like making a pact with her soul—she asked:

“Niǎoniǎo, will you marry me?”

Su Chunyin nearly lost control of her emotions—she barely managed to stop herself from crying on the spot. Her lips curled up into a smile, again and again, until she finally managed to give the brightest smile she could:

“Yes.”

She offered her hand to Fu Erqiu and watched as she gently slid the diamond ring from the velvet box onto her ring finger. The bar lights lit up again in full. Looking at Fu Erqiu kneeling before her, Su Chunyin was momentarily overcome by a sense of déjà vu—as if she saw them from years ago, still in school uniforms, with youthful faces untouched by the world.

Now, the two girls had grown up and could finally make their own choices in life.

She reached out and pulled Fu Erqiu up. Caught off guard, Fu Erqiu fell into her arms, and without hesitation, Su Chunyin leaned in and kissed her—her target clear, her heart steady.

In front of the crowd in the bar, they shared a long kiss—not one of passion, but of pure emotion.

The cheers and applause from the dance floor nearly blew the roof off. The bar owner brought over a white bridal veil, Xu Chang and Yang Yuxia clapped with excitement, and even Song Rao offered her heartfelt congratulations.

Su Chunyin placed the veil on her head, then knelt down on one knee just as Fu Erqiu had. She finally brought out the small black box she had been clutching all night.

“Then, Qiuqiu-jie, will you marry me?”

Inside the black box wasn’t a diamond ring, but a small, rustic wooden ring.

This ring had a history—it was made from the wooden pen holder Su Chunyin had gifted Fu Erqiu for her birthday years ago.

After they broke up, Fu Erqiu had returned that pen holder to her. Su Chunyin had kept it close ever since. Sadly, the pen holder had deteriorated over the years due to poor craftsmanship, so she eventually decided to repurpose it. A few days ago, she had it sanded down and reshaped into this proposal ring.

Though the ring looked plain, its craftsmanship was anything but. A renowned woodcarver from Jiangcheng had restored the original designs from the pen holder onto the ring with exquisite precision.

Fu Erqiu stared at the ring in a daze, seemingly lost in old memories.

Su Chunyin grew anxious, afraid she might be rejected. She babbled nervously, “Qiuqiu-jie, it’s the same wood from before. I know it’s not as fancy as a diamond ring, but that old guy Li made it—it must be worth tens of thousands! It’s not that shabby…”

Fu Erqiu suddenly smiled—not the awkward, forced grin Su Chunyin had just managed, but a radiant, heartfelt smile so stunning that for a moment, Su Chunyin thought she was witnessing the northern lights.

Then, Fu Erqiu spoke, her voice gentle as she gave her answer: “I do.”

Su Chunyin’s heart pounded wildly for the woman before her.

She felt like the clumsy little girl she once was, clumsily reaching out to slide the ring onto Fu Erqiu’s finger, clumsily taking the veil from the bar owner, and draping it over Fu Erqiu’s head.

The bar was still roaring with celebration, but Su Chunyin could no longer hear a thing. All she could see was Fu Erqiu. When the veil came down, Fu Erqiu smiled again—and through the veil of time, it felt as though the cold, aloof top student of yesteryear was smiling at her too.

Su Chunyin instinctively held Fu Erqiu’s hand. She knew that from this moment on, they would walk through life together—whether rich or poor, in sickness or in health.

From school uniforms to wedding dresses.