Chapter 264: My Little Treasure Can't Be Left Behind
"Ah Zhu... where are we?"
Holding her boyfriend's hand, Ping Xinyan had been shyly running along with her head lowered. As her embarrassment finally began to fade, she looked around nervously.
"Didn't they say non-students aren't allowed to wander around campus?"
Qin Yuezhu stopped, turned to gently hold her hand, and gazed quietly at her slightly worried expression. His heart swelled—how could this girl be so adorable?
After a moment, he leaned down slightly.
"Kiss~"
Through her soft bangs, he lightly kissed her smooth forehead. Only then did he smile and say, "We're almost at the Sea God Lake shore."
"Sea God Lake shore…" Ping Xinyan touched the spot on her forehead where he had kissed her, a slightly dazed expression on her face. "But can I even go there?"
"It's fine. I spoke to the outer court teacher in charge of keeping order, and he agreed." Thinking of the way he had pleaded with the teacher earlier, Qin Yuezhu's expression turned a bit wry.
Luckily, the teacher had a kind heart and turned a blind eye to the rules. If it had been a stricter teacher, he might not have been able to bring Xinyan here.
If that had happened, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.
"Alright then." Hearing his explanation, Ping Xinyan breathed a sigh of relief.
Allowing him to lead her, she quickly passed through a small forest and came to a soft, grassy clearing.
In front of her stretched the breathtaking Sea God Lake, its surface as dazzling as a massive sapphire. Golden branches from the surrounding trees shimmered like fireflies, glowing softly in the moonlight.
"This place is so beautiful~"
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the scene before her—a stunningly picturesque paradise. She couldn't help but marvel in awe.
"Take a seat."
Qin Yuezhu casually sat down on the soft grass, patting a patch of Blue Silver Grass beside him.
"Mhm!" Ping Xinyan nodded sweetly, sitting close beside him. Resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes slightly, she breathed in the comforting scent of her boyfriend and couldn't help but mumble softly.
"Ah Zhu~"
"Hmm?"
"Did you know, when I saw you standing with the other male participants by Sea God Lake earlier, I really thought you didn't want me anymore." Recalling how she had felt at the time, Ping Xinyan pouted slightly.
"I figured as much." Qin Yuezhu sighed helplessly, gently tapping her pouted lips with his finger until she stopped. Only then did he lower his hand.
"Then… if you knew I might misunderstand, why didn't you tell me earlier?" She lightly bumped her head against his shoulder, grumbling in dissatisfaction.
"This whole thing took me by surprise too." Qin Yuezhu gave a wry smile. "Mo Qi didn't tell me in advance. He only begged me to help him just before the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival began. At first, I didn't think much of it—I thought I was just helping him chase the girl he likes."
"It wasn't until the event began that I realized you'd be watching from the stands. Knowing how prone you are to overthinking, I figured you might end up crying if you saw me there." Qin Yuezhu tightened his arm around Ping Xinyan's shoulders, lowering his head slightly to kiss away the faint traces of tears on her cheeks.
"Sorry, Xinyan, for making you worry."
"Don't apologize, Ah Zhu!" Ping Xinyan nudged her head against his shoulder again, muttering softly, "It was my fault. I should have trusted you more."
"Foolish girl." A gentle light flickered in Qin Yuezhu's eyes as he stroked her soft hair.
"Xinyan, do you know what this place is?"
"Isn't it the Sea God Lake shore?" Ping Xinyan blinked.
"It is, but not just that."
Qin Yuezhu pushed himself off the ground, standing up. "Wait here for a moment, okay?"
Ping Xinyan tilted her head curiously, watching him.
Qin Yuezhu began wandering back and forth through the nearby forest, as if searching for something. Before long, he exclaimed excitedly, "Ah! Found it!" and emerged slowly from the woods.
In his hand was a paper bag.
"What's in there?"
"Two cups," Qin Yuezhu replied.
As he spoke, he took two cups out of the paper bag… along with a bouquet of flowers.
His expression turned a bit more serious as he cleared his throat and began to speak slowly.
"Miss Ping Xinyan, would you be willing to stay by my side forever, never parting from me?"
With that, he placed the cups to the side, held the bouquet with both hands, and slowly knelt on one knee.
The bouquet was so close to Ping Xinyan that, under the moonlight, she could clearly see the dewdrops glistening on the petals.
The flowers weren't particularly rare or expensive. In fact, she'd noticed similar blooms along the path they'd taken to get here. It was likely Qin Yuezhu had picked them from the surrounding area.
Even so, each flower in the bouquet was unique, and every one bloomed brightly and beautifully. It was clear he had put great thought into choosing them.
Suddenly, an indescribable warmth surged through Ping Xinyan's heart. Her eyes began to glisten with tears.
"Silly Zhu—I do. I do!"
She carefully accepted the bouquet from his hands, holding it close to her chest like a treasure, afraid to damage even a single petal.
Looking down at the flowers she held, she giggled foolishly for a long while before finally raising her head to look at him. "Ah Zhu, why are you suddenly giving me flowers?"
"This was carefully planned," Qin Yuezhu said with a smile. "Xinyan, do you know what happens after the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival concludes? How the couples who hold hands during the event receive the legendary Sea God's Blessing?"
"That…" Naturally, Ping Xinyan didn't know. She shook her head, looking slightly confused.
"Look, the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival is over there." Qin Yuezhu pointed toward a faint glow across the Sea God Lake. From this distance, the light pillars and lanterns on the boats were reduced to a dim gleam. "That's where we came from."
"Every year, after the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival concludes, the couples who successfully hold hands take a boat from the event site to this very spot. It's said that this is where the Sea God himself once descended and planted the Golden Tree."
"That's why the Blue Silver Grass here is much lusher than in other areas along the lakeshore."
Seeing Ping Xinyan still looking slightly bewildered, Qin Yuezhu chuckled and gently pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her forehead.
"The so-called Sea God's Blessing is when the couple comes here, the boy presents a bouquet of flowers he picked himself to the girl, and then…"
Qin Yuezhu closed his eyes, his voice soft and tender as it whispered into her ear.
"The two drink the water from the Sea God Lake together."
"Ah Zhu…" Ping Xinyan's eyes had already blurred with tears. She lifted her head slightly, her warm lips pressing gently against Qin Yuezhu's. "I love you."
"Xinyan, I love you too."
"Wait here for me. I'll go fetch some water now." Qin Yuezhu grinned, picking up the cups and eagerly jogging toward the Sea God Lake.
"Even though we couldn't participate in the Sea God Fated Blind Date Festival together," he called back cheerfully, "whatever other people's sweethearts have, my sweetheart must have too!"
<+>
if you want to see more chapters of this story and don't mind playing $5 per month to see my latest update, please go to my Patreon[1]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed[2]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 362: The Special Effect of Dinghu Shangsu[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/133891194?collection=67255[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/133891194?collection=67255
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/133891194?collection=67255