The news of the two dating quickly spread throughout the school.
At the time, everyone was very surprised.
Lu Yanbei had always been a man of ascetic habits, barely glancing at the pretty girls who threw themselves at him. For him to actually pursue a girl himself was astonishing!
Yes, it was Lu Yanbei who had actively pursued Su He.
Su He was rather oblivious when it came to relationships. All she thought about at the time was repaying him for his clothes, not anything else.
Lu Yanbei, however, was someone who was dead set on what he wanted.
Once he fell for Su He, he pursued her relentlessly.
Of course, this being his first relationship, he lacked experience. In the beginning, misled by his roommates, his methods were all wrong. Not only did he fail to win the girl's heart, but he almost ended up being disliked by Su He.
Later, he learned to figure things out on his own. He learned Su He's preferences and schedule, and then proceeded gradually. To create opportunities for chance encounters, he spent a large sum of money to obtain Su He's class schedule, and found every opportunity to accompany her to classes.
He didn't disturb her; he simply sat not too far from her, watching her silently. After visiting so many times, the art department teachers got to know him. They would often joke about them, openly trying to set them up.
His roommates also played a significant role in their eventual relationship.
"Su, Lu Yanbei is so handsome. If you don't like him, can you give him to me?"
"Yeah, a man this handsome and devoted is rare in this world. You should cherish him!"
"I heard he's a PhD student at Princeton? That's amazing!"
"If a guy were to do all this for me, I would have already rushed into his arms!"
Every time his roommates saw Lu Yanbei appear, they were a mix of envy and jealousy.
Su He, being teased so often, finally began to take the matter seriously.
Lu Yanbei put in a great deal of effort to win Su He over. Knowing Su He loved sweets, he bought various tutorials and studied them himself. From the initial burnt and ruined messes to later creations that were perfect in appearance, aroma, and taste, he wasted countless ingredients.
Not only that, but he would accompany her on sketching trips and to watch the sunrise from mountaintops. He would cycle 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 anymore, they naturally got together.
On the day she became his girlfriend, Lu Yanbei filled the classroom where he confessed with all kinds of roses. White, red, blue, purple, champagne-colored—you name it, they were all there.
The moment Su He was tricked by her roommates into entering the classroom, she was completely stunned.
Lu Yanbei was never a romantic person, but for Su He, he could do anything romantic.
Lu Yanbei's confession was also out of the ordinary.
He said to Su He, "For the rest of my life, everything I have, including this heart, is yours. Will you accept?"
Such a commanding question caused the surrounding crowd to erupt in cheers.
Su He's face flushed with shyness.
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 you dare 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, "Want to go up and take a look?"
Su He blinked. "The school is on break, we probably can't get in, right?"
"How will we know if we don't try?" Lu Yanbei took her hand and led her up the stairs.
As they got closer to the classroom, Su He's heart beat faster and faster.
Having been away for so many years, 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, her expression once again one of utter astonishment.
She couldn't help but turn to look at Lu Yanbei. "Did you do this?"
Lu Yanbei looked at her with a smile. "Surprise?"
Su He nodded, tears welling up.
"It's okay even if you don't remember. I'll still make you fall in love with me." Lu Yanbei led her into the flower-surrounded classroom, 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 recover her lost memories.
"How could you..." Su He covered her mouth, taking a while to regain her voice.
Lu Yanbei took a velvet box from his pocket and slowly opened it. Inside lay a ring as large as a pigeon's egg. "I bought this ring five years ago. I originally planned to propose to you after you graduated..."
"Although it's a few years late, my love for you is still the same."
"Will you marry me?"
Su He's tears fell uncontrollably.
She extended her hand to him, her voice choked with emotion, "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 doorway in surprise, finding 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, and they seemed even more emotional than she, the bride-to-be.
Some of these people had become renowned painters, some were married with children, and some 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 finally united!"
"May you be happy forever!"
They came forward one by one to hug Su He, each placing a red rose in her hand.
The overwhelming blessings made Su He feel as though her happiness was about to overflow.
*
This trip to Princeton had truly been rewarding.
Looking at the pigeon-egg diamond on her hand, Su He finally felt the reality of being a rich woman.
Lu Yanbei held her slightly cool hand, a smile playing on his lips. "Still not enough?"
"Of course! This ring is very expensive, I could look at it forever and never tire of it." As someone who loved money, she adored shiny things. This wasn't just a proposal ring, but a long string of numbers in her bank account.
"So easily satisfied... I was planning to give you something else," Lu Yanbei said teasingly.
"You're still going to give me gifts?" Su He covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes sparkling with captivating light.
Lu Yanbei, drawn in by her, leaned in and stole a kiss on her cheek. "I'm not going to tell you yet. Otherwise, there'll be no surprise."
"No, I have to know." Su He's appetite had been whetted, and she wouldn't give up easily. "Are you going to tell me or not? If you don't, then I'll..."
"I'll sleep separately from you!" She couldn't bring herself to say "break up," so she cleverly changed it to sleeping separately.
Lu Yanbei was amused by her words, his eyes curving into a smile. "Well, that's just ten carats of jewelry, plus a yacht..."
Su He immediately put on a fawning smile, wrapped her arms around his neck, and returned his kiss. "Given how sincere you are, I'll wait a little longer then."
"Wait?" Lu Yanbei raised an eyebrow at the word.
"Who told you that you always..." Su He was too embarrassed to say some things.
"Didn't you enjoy it very much?" Lu Yanbei clicked his tongue and whispered in her ear.
Su He's face instantly turned bright red.
She shouldn't have provoked him!