Chapter 136

  On the last day in Hong Kong, Qi Yichen took the stage to perform. In these days, he has visited all the rock sacred places on the island of Hong Kong and gained countless fans. The performance session on the last day almost became a fan carnival. Originally, he was scheduled to sing two songs as the finale, but after he got off the stage, the encore calls continued, and the organizer had to take care of the fans' emotions and called him back again. Four more encore songs were added, setting a record for the year.

  Li Jin had everything ready early and hid in the crowd to listen to the singer on stage. He was a rock music fan, and when the drumbeat and bass sounded, his blood rushed to his head. The young man next to him waved his arms and shouted loudly, infecting Li with the intense atmosphere, making him also shout out loud twice, just as he was about to raise his hands, suddenly remembering that he was already over thirty years old, after all, he awkwardly put down his hand.

  In this emotional state, even the best songs sound unenthusiastic. As people squeezed in during the switching of notes, no one bumped into him even a little bit. He gradually felt something was off, lifted his head, and Li Yiheng's smiling eyes were curved at him.

  Li Jin glared at him fiercely, took his hand and left the venue together. Li Yi Heng didn't drive here, so they strolled along the seaside. The time they had together was only this one evening, making it all the more precious. As they walked aimlessly along the bustling harbor, they came across a flower-selling child who sweet-talked them into buying his wares with great difficulty. Li Jin found it amusing and heartwarming, so she took out her money and bought all the flowers from the child's arms.

  "Give it to you." He handed it to Li Yiheng, and Li Yiheng held it in his arms. The rose had its thorns removed, leaving only a fragrant scent.

  Li Yiheng lowered his head and sniffed, the neon lights of the shopping mall in the background made him stand out, the gesture of holding flowers was gentle and beautiful, making people's hearts break.

  They turned right at the intersection, and in the alley was a small Catholic church where the choir children were rehearsing songs for the next big Mass. The door was open, and they walked in. The church was empty, with Li Jin sitting in the last row of pews, and Li Yi Heng sat down beside him. Candles flickered around them, casting a warm yellow glow that danced in the breeze, and in the dim light, Li Yi Heng's hands were clasped together, his nose touching his fingertips as he prayed devoutly.

  Not far away came the clean and melodious singing of children. Li Jin quietly looked at the people beside her, and inexplicably thought of a sentence.

  May you have a peaceful and stable life in this world.

  Vulgar to the extreme, yet hard to come by true feelings.

  The children rehearsed several times, and the pastor let them take a break. The children were wearing black robes and running around, with curious onlookers circling around them but not daring to approach. Li Yiheng beckoned to one of the children, pulled out a rose from a bouquet, and handed it to him, saying: "This flower is for you."

  The children gradually gathered around, either shyly or confidently coming to ask for his roses. A pretty little girl who looked like a small angel gently wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Li Jin couldn't help but laugh, and he took the last few roses himself to give to the children. As he handed them out, he smiled and said, "I gave you flowers, but you're using them to curry favor with others. You're really clever, truly clever."

  Li Yi Heng couldn't help but smile wryly and complained to the girl, "What's going on? You just kissed me, now this big brother is getting jealous."

  The girl tilted her head, looking puzzled, glancing at one and then the other, unable to think of anything to say for a long time. Li Jin glanced at Li Yi Heng sideways, patted the girl's head, and said, "Don't listen to this uncle's nonsense, brother didn't eat vinegar." After finishing, she pulled Li Yi Heng up, "Let's go, uncle, stop teasing the child."

  Outside, the cool wind was blowing, and Li Jin came out and shivered. Li Yi Heng's body leaned over, gently opening his windbreaker to wrap him in his arms, their warm bodies huddled together, causing Li Jin to subconsciously follow his instincts and lean into his embrace a little tighter.

  "Where shall we go?" asked Li Jin.

  Li Yiheng thought for a moment and said: "The organizer of tonight's rock music festival will set off fireworks at Victoria Harbour, do you want to watch?"

  Li Jin was taken aback: "How didn't I know?"

  "It's a special surprise, I shouldn't tell others casually." Li Yiheng said mysteriously, "I know a perfect spot to watch, want to follow me?"

  Li Jin: "So mysterious? Where is it?"

  Li Yiheng raised his hand and pointed at the tall building in the distance: "It's over there."

  Li Jing looked up and saw that the top of the building pierced into the black sky, with no other high-rise buildings around to compare with it. The view was indeed broad and spectacular.

  "Did you book the suite in advance when you were there?" asked Lí Jǐn.

  "No need to mention in advance, I have a permanent room there and can go at any time." Li Yiheng smiled.

  "Often?" Lai Kam narrowed his eyes, "You still often come to Hong Kong to watch fireworks?"

  "It's not often." Li Yi Heng said as he walked, "But throughout Hong Kong, it depends on where you want to watch the fireworks and which view is the best."

  Li Jing snorted and asked: "How can you be so sure?"

  Li Yiheng smiled wryly and shook his head, with a tone that was hard to recall: "Every New Year's Day, Victoria Harbour would have fireworks displays. That year I was young and reckless, it was my first time spending New Year's Eve in Hong Kong, I knew there would be fireworks, so I wanted to find the best spot to watch them. So I got someone to fly a helicopter around this area, circling who-knows-how-many times, before deciding on this location. It just so happened that it was a hotel room, and naturally, I booked it."

  "Reckless in youth?" Lei Jin asked, "How old were you back then?"

  "Twenty-five." Li Yiheng coughed.

  "It's been over a decade, Old Li." Li Jin patted him heavily on the shoulder.

  "Right, Xiao Li." Li Yi Heng gently patted his head.

  Two people walked and laughed, and in about ten minutes they arrived at the hotel. The room was regularly cleaned, and today's newspaper was still on the bedside table, as if someone had just left. Li Yin had seen Li Yi Heng come and go with a flourish before, and having been to the Li mansion where there were antiques everywhere, this room, no matter how big or luxurious, didn't seem like a big deal to him.

  The balcony was bathed in soft moonlight, with a small yellow night lamp hanging above the bed, making the room hazy and cozy. Li Jin walked onto the balcony, where the waves of the sea sparkled beneath her feet, and across from her lay Victoria Harbour, Asia's first, with the lights of high-rise buildings and the bustling crowds reflected in the rippling waves, truly a beautiful view.

  He leaned on the carved railing of the balcony, looked down at the time, and there was less than a minute left before the magnificent fireworks display began. The wait was tense and anticipatory, he turned his face to Li Yiheng with a smile, and Li Yiheng seemed to know what he was thinking, also smiling back.

  When the first firework burst, more than half of Victoria Harbour was lit up. A purple-red firework exploded in the sky above the city with a loud "bang", trailing countless sparks that scattered across the sea surface. Cheers erupted from the other side of the shore, and even Lai Kam couldn't help but sigh at such a beautiful sight. Immediately after, another cluster of golden fireworks rose up and burst open at the highest point in the city. Countless golden rays spread out, with the twinkling lights seeming to be within arm's reach, making one want to stretch out their hand to catch those dazzling flames.

  Suddenly, those hands were gently grasped by someone.

  Something small and hard fell into his palm with a faint coolness.

  Li Jin subconsciously clenched his fists and pulled his arms back from the railing, using the third burst of fireworks to take a look. At that glance, his heart felt as if it had been gently struck by something, and for an instant, it almost stopped beating.

  Li Yiheng knelt down on one knee beside him.

  "Li Jin," he grasped Li Jin's hand, the fireworks casting his face in a mottled color, while his eyes, as always, accumulated a deep and moving soft glow, "Are you willing to be my lifelong companion?"

  "What?" Must have been the firework's sound was too loud, so he couldn't even hear his own voice.

  "Li Jin, I implore you to be my lifelong companion. From now on, whether in misfortune or good fortune, wealth or poverty, illness or health, I will love you, cherish you, and even death itself will not separate me from your side." Li Yi Heng gazed at him, declaring slowly but firmly.

  "What...what are you doing?" Li Jin reached out and pulled him up, "Get up."

  "I'm proposing to you." Li Yiheng's solemn expression was broken, and he couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.

  "I know, but you... but you..." Lei Jin's lips were tightly pursed, "But the two of us..."

  "As long as you promise me, I'll take care of the rest." Li Yiheng grasped his hand and left a deep kiss on his ring finger.

  A current ran from her fingertips to her heart as she stared at him, suddenly unable to say a word.

  Proposal? Two men? Li Jin thought it was absurd, he thought Li Yi Heng must have gone crazy to do something like this, and not only that, but also prepared a ring with a straight face.

  He had a hundred reasons to refute him, or maybe just two words would be enough to refuse him, but why did he himself want to accompany him in this madness.

  "Promise me." Li Yiheng's tone was not severe, but it made him hard to resist.

  Innumerable fireworks burst forth at the horizon, their intense light illuminating Li Yiheng's eyes. Li Jin looked at him and suddenly felt that nothing else mattered.

  Absurd or ridiculous, fleeting worldly life, he thought, if he loves me and I love him, why can't we spend our whole lives together?

  He crouched down, putting the ring in his palm on his ring finger. The small white gold ring fit him perfectly, seamless. He raised his head and asked Li Yiheng, "Isn't there only one?"

  Li Yiheng spread out his palm, and the other ring lay quietly in his hand. The ring was extremely simple, with a diamond that dazzled the eyes inlaid on the white gold ring, and the initials of the couple's surnames were inlaid on the inside of the ring.

  Li Jin stroked Li Yi Heng's ring finger, bit by bit, and slid the ring onto it.

  "Whether it's good fortune or bad, wealth or poverty, illness or even death, nothing can separate us." Li Jin held him tightly in her arms.

  "Mm." Li Yiheng smiled and hugged him back, lightly kissing his lips.