The Scheming Ex-Husband's Courtship-Chapter 520 - 458: The Ending of Old Bai, Part 3

Chapter 520: Chapter 458: The Ending of Old Bai, Part 3
Seeing Bai Chengxi about to speak, the crowd immediately became even quieter, with Zhuo Yuqing looking at him curiously as he turned his gaze her way, his affectionate look falling squarely on her without any hint of avoidance.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today I would like to use this platform, with all of you as my witnesses, to do something I have wanted to do for a very long time," his warm voice rose, like a pebble thrown into calm waters, creating ripples and causing the crowd to look on with puzzled expressions; for they knew Bai Chengxi as someone quite low-profile, usually appearing only briefly in a guest capacity, without uttering even half a word.
Bai Chengxi continued looking in Zhuo Yuqing’s direction, his magnetic voice tinged with a thread of sentimentality: "I want to propose to a girl whom I deeply love, right here."
At this statement, the entire audience was taken aback, exchanging surprised looks as they all searched for the "deeply loved girl" Bai Chengxi mentioned.
It was only when they saw Bai Chengxi step down from the stage and head straight towards the press area under everyone’s watchful eyes.
Zhuo Yuqing realized what he was about to do the moment she heard his words, because she had once complained to him about not having a formal proposal, and he had kept it in mind—no, he must have planned to propose to her in public at an occasion like today’s. When she first asked him for insider information about the Jinghua Awards, he said it was a secret; that secret was what he planned for today.
Zhuo Yuqing looked at the man approaching and couldn’t help but feel moved to tears—this was his way of recognizing her in front of the whole world.
Bai Chengxi stopped in front of Zhuo Yuqing, his gaze remaining gentle and filled with affection as he met her moist eyes, smiling as he knelt on one knee, a small brocade box appearing in his hand at some point.
He opened the brocade box, inside lay a delicate diamond ring, glimmering brightly under the light. The blue diamond in the middle was shaped like a raindrop, surrounded by many small diamonds like sunlight, symbolizing both rain and clear skies, which exactly matched Zhuo Yuqing’s name.
Such a delicate object obviously couldn’t be created overnight; just the blue diamond in the center was hard to come by, showing that he must have prepared for a long time.
The scene of Bai Chengxi’s live proposal left everyone present utterly stunned, as no one expected such a proud and god-like man to kneel down in front of so many people, even in front of the whole nation, and to propose to a junior er.
Everyone had heard of Bai Chengxi’s marriage news and saw his marriage certificate posted on Weibo, but this was the first time they witnessed his other half, and so they began to speculate about the girl’s background.
"Yuqing, what are you waiting for? Say yes," Liu Lian couldn’t hide her excitement for her, nudging her gently. Only then did Zhuo Yuqing come back to her senses from the surprise. Glancing around, she saw that all cameras were pointed at them—at some point, everyone watching the live broadcast saw him proposing to her in front of the whole world.
There was no reason for Zhuo Yuqing not to accept, nor any reason to refuse; she was overjoyed and moved beyond words.
"Yuqing, marry me," Bai Chengxi looked up at her, "I will take care of you and our baby for a lifetime."
Zhuo Yuqing nodded vigorously through her tears, shyly extending her hand to him. Bai Chengxi smiled like a child, slipping the ring onto her ring finger.
Then, there was a moment of silence in the audience, quickly followed by thunderous applause and a chorus of congratulations.
Xi Yang, sitting not far away, felt a tinge of melancholy but seeing his junior sister obtain her happiness, he sincerely felt happy for her.
Bai Chengxi stood up from the ground, wrapping an arm around Zhuo Yuqing’s waist, facing her toward the cameras.
Zhuo Yuqing always captured others through her camera lens, and facing these reflective pieces of glass for the first time, she nervously clutched Bai Chengxi’s hand.
Bai Chengxi said indifferently, "I know many people are interested in our relationship and my wife’s identity. Here, I can responsibly tell everyone that we truly love each other and have already registered our marriage. My wife’s surname is Zhuo; her father is Mr. Zhuo Yao. I’m sharing this hoping that you will stop speculating, and I also earnestly request that everyone does not disturb my wife’s life, as she enjoys tranquility."
After Bai Chengxi finished his speech, he left with Zhuo Yuqing, leaving behind a crowd in shock.
Someone suddenly said, "Zhuo Yao? The Fifth Master Zhuo?"
In front of the television, Su Yingluo was sitting on the bed watching the award ceremony live. If it weren’t for her current state, she would have been the one standing in the spotlight.
What she didn’t expect was that she would see Bai Chengxi propose on the spot, the tender moment of him on one knee as if a heavy blow had struck her head. Su Yingluo stumbled over to the television, her hands clutching it, her face nearly pressed against the screen.
She witnessed his successful proposal, saw the happy smile on Zhuo Yuqing’s face, and heard the rounds of applause and congratulations from everyone.
Then, she heard Bai Chengxi introduce Zhuo Yuqing’s identity. When he mentioned "her father is Mr. Zhuo Yao," Su Yingluo’s body swayed. Surely, no one is unaware of Zhuo Yao, the CEO of N.E Corporation, with countless lands under his name across the nation. Even as an international movie star, she would seem insignificant in the presence of someone like Zhuo Yao, and Zhuo Yuqing was his daughter.
"So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is," Su Yingluo bitterly muttered to herself with a wry smile, then sat down on the cold ground. It turned out that from head to toe, she could never surpass Zhuo Yuqing. She had lost from the very beginning, yet she flung herself toward the flame like a moth, only to end up covered in scars.
"Haha," Su Yingluo could not help but laugh out loud, almost maniacally, tears streaming from her laughter.
~
Bai Chengxi and Zhuo Yuqing left the auditorium, stepping out of the venue on a night coinciding with the full moon, luminously bright.
Standing on the steps, Zhuo Yuqing couldn’t help but lift her hand adorned with the ring. The blue diamond emitted a subdued blue glow under the moonlight, and she found herself liking it more with each glance.
Just then, a firework suddenly soared into the sky on one side, its vibrant colors illuminating the night. Soon after, fireworks filled the sky, painting a magnificent tapestry against the night canvas.
Zhuo Yuqing looked up at the sky in surprise, knowing this was a surprise Bai Chengxi had prepared for her. She couldn’t help but wrap her arms tightly around his neck, happily saying, "Husband, thank you."
Zhuo Yuqing shook her head.
"When designing it," he looked into her bright eyes, "the designer said that these four words suddenly came to his mind, so he named it after them."
Bai Chengxi held her right hand and pressed it to his lips for a kiss, "To hold your hand, to grow old with you. Miss Zhuo Yuqing, would you spend your lifetime with me?"
Zhuo Yuqing didn’t expect the ring to carry such a meaning, moved once again by his deep consideration. Tonight, she found herself particularly prone to tears, and hearing his words made her eyes moisten once more.
All she could do was to hug him even tighter. Some people, when you have not met them, you do not realize their value. But once you do, you never want to let go. If it weren’t for having such a person in her life, she would have never known how much she could love someone, love all their good, their bad, and share all their joy and sorrow.
"Wife," Bai Chengxi suddenly whispered in her ear as if chanting, "I love you."