The news of their relationship spread quickly through the school.
At the time, everyone expressed great surprise.
Lu Yanbei had always been indifferent, never even glancing at the beautiful girls who threw themselves at him. Yet, he was actually pursuing a girl!
Yes, it was Lu Yanbei who pursued Su He.
Su He was rather slow on the uptake when it came to romance. At that time, she was only thinking about repaying him for the clothes and not much else.
Lu Yanbei, however, was someone who, once set on a path, would pursue it relentlessly.
Once his heart was set on Su He, he would unyieldingly pursue her.
Of course, being his first love, he lacked experience. In the beginning, misled by his roommates, he kept going about it the wrong way. Not only did he fail to win the girl’s heart, he nearly made Su He dislike him.
Later, he learned to figure things out on his own, understanding Su He’s preferences and schedule, and then proceeding slowly. In order to create opportunities for chance encounters, he spent a large sum of money to obtain Su He’s class schedule and would seize every opportunity to attend classes with her.
He wouldn’t disturb her, simply sitting not too far from her, watching her silently. After attending so many times, even the art department teachers recognized him. They would often joke about the two of them, openly trying to set them up.
His roommates’ assistance was also instrumental in their getting together.
“Su, Lu Yanbei is so handsome. If you don’t like him, can you give him to me?”
“That’s right, a man this handsome and devoted is rare in this world. You should cherish him!”
“I heard he’s a doctoral student at Princeton? That’s incredible!”
“If a guy were to do all this for me, I would have melted and rushed into his arms long ago!”
Every time the roommates saw Lu Yanbei appear, they were filled with both envy and jealousy.
After being teased so much, Su He finally began to take the matter seriously.
Lu Yanbei truly put in a lot of effort to win Su He over. Knowing Su He liked sweets, he bought various tutorials and studied them himself. From initially making burnt and mushy messes to eventually creating dishes that were perfect in appearance, aroma, and taste, he wasted an unknown amount of ingredients.
Not only that, he would accompany her on sketching trips and to the mountaintop to watch the sunrise. He would ride his bicycle to take her to her part-time job at the library and help her complete her thesis.
When Su He realized she couldn’t do without Lu Yanbei, they naturally got together.
On the day she became his girlfriend, Lu Yanbei filled the classroom where he confessed with all sorts of roses. White, red, blue, purple, champagne, every kind imaginable.
The moment Su He was tricked by her roommate into entering the classroom, she was stunned.
Lu Yanbei was never a romantic person, but for Su He, he could do anything romantic.
Lu Yanbei’s confession was also unconventional.
He said to Su He, “For the rest of my life, everything I have, including this heart, belongs to you. Will you have it?”
This domineering question elicited screams from the crowd around them.
Su He’s face flushed with shyness at that moment.
Should she refuse?
Of course not!
Because she liked him too!
Su He ran over and threw herself into his arms.
She said, “Lu Yanbei, don’t go back on your word!”
The two embraced and kissed in the flower-filled classroom, becoming a model couple envied by all.
*
Su He stood at the foot of the teaching building, hesitating.
Lu Yanbei held her hand and asked, “Do you want to go up and take a look?”
Su He blinked. “The school is on vacation, we probably can’t get in, right?”
“How will you know if you don’t try?” Lu Yanbei held her hand and led her up the stairs.
As they got closer to that classroom, Su He’s heart beat faster.
So many years had passed since she left; she wondered if anything had changed.
The campus was very quiet during the break, so quiet that Su He could hear her own heartbeat. The moment she pushed open the classroom door, Su He looked at the beautiful scene before her and was once again dumbfounded.
She couldn’t help but turn to look at Lu Yanbei. “Did you do this?”
Lu Yanbei looked at her with a smile. “Surprised?”
Su He nodded, tears welling up.
“Even if you can’t remember, it doesn’t matter. I will still make you fall in love with me.” Lu Yanbei led her into the classroom surrounded by flowers, then knelt before her on one knee. “Su He, will you marry me?”
The sudden proposal caught Su He off guard.
She had thought he had decorated the classroom to help her regain her lost memories.
“How could you…” Su He covered her mouth, finding her voice only after a long while.
Lu Yanbei took a velvet box from his pocket and slowly opened it. Inside lay a ring the size of a pigeon’s egg. “I bought this ring five years ago. I had originally planned to propose to you when you graduated…”
“Although it’s a few years late, my love for you is still the same.”
“Su He, will you marry me?”
Tears streamed down Su He’s face uncontrollably.
She extended her hand to him and choked out, “Yes, I will!”
At this moment, people who had been hiding in the shadows suddenly emerged from all directions, wiping away tears and offering blessings to the deeply in love couple.
Su He looked at the entrance in surprise and found many familiar faces.
There were teachers who had taught her, roommates she had lived with for a long time, and members of her club. Their eyes were filled with tears, seeming more excited than she, the bride-to-be.
Some of these people had become renowned painters, some were married with children, and others had stayed at the school as teachers.
The fact that Lu Yanbei could find all of them demonstrated how much effort he had put in.
“Su, it’s so good to see you again!”
“You suddenly took a leave of absence, and we didn’t even get to say goodbye. I thought I’d never see you again!”
“Congratulations, lovers have finally found their happy ending!”
“May you be happy forever!”
They came forward one by one to hug Su He, and each person also placed a red rose into her hand.
The overwhelming blessings made Su He’s sense of happiness overflow.
*
This trip to Princeton had truly been a rewarding one.
Su He looked at the engagement ring on her finger and finally felt a sense of reality as a wealthy woman.
Lu Yanbei held her slightly cold small hand, a smile playing on his lips. “Haven’t seen enough yet?”
“Of course! This is a very expensive ring, I could look at it forever and not get tired of it.” As someone who loved money, she liked shiny things the most. This wasn’t just an engagement ring; it represented a long string of digits in her bank account.
“You’re satisfied so easily… I was planning to give you something else,” Lu Yanbei said playfully.
“You want to give me more gifts?” Su He covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes shining brightly with a captivating sparkle.
Lu Yanbei was drawn in by her gaze and leaned in to steal a kiss on her cheek. “I’m not planning to tell you yet. Otherwise, there won’t be any surprises.”
“No, I have to know.” Su He’s appetite had been whetted and she wasn’t about to give up easily. “Are you going to tell me or not? If you don’t, then I’ll…”
“I’ll sleep in separate beds!” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word “break up,” so she changed it to sleeping in separate beds.
Lu Yanbei was amused by her words, chuckling until his eyes curved. “Well, just some ten-carat jewelry, plus a yacht…”
Su He immediately put on a coaxing smile, wrapped her arms around his neck, and returned his kiss. “Given how sincere you are, I’ll bear with it for a little longer.”
“Bear with it?” Lu Yanbei raised an eyebrow at the word.
“Who asked you to always…” Su He was too embarrassed to say some things.
“Weren’t you enjoying it?” Lu Yanbei clicked his tongue and whispered into her ear.
Su He’s face instantly turned beet red.
She shouldn’t have teased him!