Chapter 288: When You’re Ready

Ling Yue’s POV

Rows of red paper lanterns light up the stone walkway along the river, giving the entire street a bright, lively glow.

The night air is cool, filled with the delicious smell of fried dumplings and sweet pastries from the festival stalls lining the path. Groups of friends and families drift past, their chatter mixing with the music coming from the main stage down the road.

I step around a couple taking a photo, holding two warm paper cups of sweet fruit cider in my hands.

Jin Hao walks right beside me, matching his pace to mine. He wears a simple, soft-collared shirt with the top button undone, completely relaxed. Every few steps, whenever the crowd gets a little too thick, he casually steps slightly ahead of me, using his shoulder to keep people from bumping into me.

"Here," I say, passing one of the paper cups to him.

"Thanks," Jin Hao says with a light smile, looking at the cute panda face printed on the side of the cup. "You picked this stall just for the panda print, didn’t you?"

"The pear juice is good too," I defend, taking a quick sip and letting the sweet, warm drink settle in my stomach.

He laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners with that easy, bright humor that always seems to come out when we’re together. He reaches out, his fingers brushing against mine before wrapping around my hand, holding my fingers in a comfortable grip as we keep walking.

Ever since the night I invited him up to my apartment, our routine has quietly shifted into something sweet and comfortable. We spend our weekends together, going out for food or just relaxing, and whenever he finishes his schedule on time during the week, he comes over to pick me up. On the nights he gets held up, he always calls or sends a quick message in advance so I’m not left expecting him. He actually listened to what I said, making sure I never feel forgotten or left in the dark.

We follow the curving stone path until the crowd thins out near a wide pedestrian bridge spanning the river. The noise of the festival stalls grows faint, replaced by the quiet sound of water moving against the stone pillars below.

We walk up the steps of the bridge, stopping at the center railing to look out over the river. The dark water reflects the long rows of red lanterns along the banks, glittering like warm stars.

I rest my forearms against the cool railing, holding the warm paper cup between my palms.

"It’s really nice out here," I say, turning my head to look at him.

Jin Hao leans back against the stone, holding his cup in one hand. His posture is relaxed, but his eyes stay on my face, soft and attentive.

"It is," Jin Hao says softly, a small smile on his lips. "A lot better than formal dinners."

I pause for a second, a thought coming back to my mind.

"...You had dinner with your family again yesterday, right?" I ask casually, leaning my hip against the railing. "You mentioned it on the phone last night."

Jin Hao looks at me, taking a small sip from his cup before setting it on the wide stone edge beside his elbow. "I did."

"You seem to be having a lot of dinners at the main estate lately," I say, looking at him curiously. "I don’t remember your family calling for dinners this often before. Is something going on?"

Jin Hao’s smile lingers, though he stays quiet for a brief moment. He turns fully toward me, resting his hand against the railing.

"The elders were taking up a lot of my time," he admits lightly, his voice calm. "Mainly because of the conversations we were having."

"...Because you canceled the engagement announcement with Tang Suyi?" I ask softly.

"Partly," Jin Hao says. He looks straight into my eyes, his tone completely easy and unpretentious. "Mainly because I brought your name to the table."

My breath catches in my throat, my eyes widening as I stare at him. "My name?"

Jin Hao nods, his expression remaining completely open. "I told my father and the elders that I intend to marry you. I told them there wouldn’t be anyone else, no other matches, and no further discussions about my personal life."

A total silence settles over the bridge.

I stare at him in complete disbelief, my heart suddenly hammering against my ribs. "You... you told your entire family that?"

"Of course I did," Jin Hao says, letting out a short, easy laugh at my shocked expression. "Did you think I was going to keep hiding us forever? I told you I was going to stand by your side properly, Ling Yue. I meant every word."

A tight, warm feeling blooms right in the middle of my chest, so strong it almost takes my breath away.

I don’t know every detail about how Dingshan Real Estate operates, but I’m not stupid. I know how corporate families work. My family’s company is decent, but it’s nowhere near the scale of Dingshan, and our business doesn’t offer them any land deals or strategic mergers. To a board of elders who only care about profits and company growth, there was no way they would just smile and agree to Jin Hao marrying me.

"They didn’t agree, did they?" I ask softly, my eyes dropping to the paper cup in my hands as my voice trembles slightly. "Why would you tell them when you knew they’d fight you on it?"

Jin Hao rubs the back of his neck, a slightly sheepish smile touching his lips. "Well... they definitely weren’t happy at first. But I made a deal with my father. There was a major commercial acquisition the board had been trying to secure for months, a complex deal everyone was close to giving up on. I promised to take it over and close it within a month. In return, he had to stop opposing my choice and get the elders to respect it."

My gaze snaps back up to his face, my eyes widening in shock as everything clicks together in my head. "That’s why you were working late every night for those weeks...!"

"Yes. I closed the deal two days ago," Jin Hao says simply, his eyes shining with a quiet, bright satisfaction. "The board signed off on the contract, and my father gave in. They’ve officially acknowledged our relationship. Whenever we’re ready, they will welcome you properly."

I stand there on the quiet bridge, staring up at him as the cool night wind moves past us.

He had taken on a massive corporate deal, challenged his family’s expectations, and spent weeks working late, all to clear a path for us.

A sudden tightness fills my chest, so full it aches. My throat tightens, and I can’t even find the words to say anything.

Jin Hao steps a little closer, reaching out to wrap his fingers gently around my hand.

"I cleared things with my family because I wanted to fix what I broke," Jin Hao says, his voice dropping into a low, sincere tone. "But I’m not giving you a ring tonight, Ling Yue."

I look up at him, my mind still trying to process everything I’m feeling.

"I made the mistake of making choices about our future without asking you first," Jin Hao says softly, his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. "I assumed things, I kept you in the dark, and I hurt you. I’m never doing that again."

He looks straight into my eyes, his easy expression softening into something deeply respectful and honest.

"My family is ready, and I am ready," Jin Hao tells me, his grip on my hand slightly stronger. "But everything is up to you now, Ling Yue. Whether you want to take things slow, focus on your work as Vice Leader, or take time to just enjoy where we are, I will wait. Whenever you feel ready in your heart, you just have to tell me. Then I’ll ask you properly."

A shaky breath escapes my lips.

He isn’t pressuring me or rushing my answer. He’d fought his entire corporate board simply to put the power in my hands and let me choose our future on my own terms.

More than anything, I feel respected.

A low, deep rumble echoes across the sky, followed by a bright burst of golden light high above the river.

The festival’s midnight fireworks show begins, showering the dark sky in brilliant flashes of crimson, gold, and blue, their colors reflecting across the water below. Down on the river path, the crowds let out a collective cheer, their faces lit up by the lights above.

Jin Hao turns his head slightly to look up at the fireworks, a happy smile spreading across his face.

I look at his bright eyes, the relaxed look on his handsome face, and the patient, tender way he holds my hand.

I step up against his side, wrapping my free arm securely around his arm and resting my cheek against his shoulder as the sky lights up overhead.

"What are you thinking about?" Jin Hao asks softly, looking down at me with a warm laugh in his voice.

I smile, holding his arm a little tighter as another burst of golden light fills the sky. "I was just thinking... I promise I won’t make you wait too long."

Jin Hao laughs softly, his arm sliding around my back to pull me closer against his side.

"Good," he murmurs near my ear, his voice warm as another burst of golden light lights up the water.