Chapter 328 - 222: The Rest of My Life (Part 2)

Chapter 328: Chapter 222: The Rest of My Life (Part 2)

Shen Yu leaned in to gossip, "One room?"

Xu Juan scoffed. "As if. Two rooms, of course."

Shen Yu sounded a little disappointed. "Oh, two..."

Xu Juan said, "I feel like even getting two rooms was a waste of money. Do you know what that guy did last night?"

Jiang He was curious. "What did he do?"

Xu Juan pursed her lips. "You can ask him yourself later."

Chen Hao gave a couple of dry, sheepish laughs. "Drink your tea, drink your tea."

Xu Juan waved her hand dismissively. "Alright, alright, stop talking. You’re giving me a headache."

Chen Hao just chuckled, "Hehe, hehe..."

Jiang He clicked his tongue in amazement.

’Haozi couldn’t be *that* good, could he? Did he really score on the first meeting? No way, right?’

He would definitely have to ask him about it on the way back.

The four of them chatted idly.

After about ten minutes, Chen Hao snuck a peek at the time on his phone, then looked up at a waiter standing not far away.

The waiter gave a slight nod.

So Chen Hao stood up and clapped his hands. "Hey, Old Jiang, sis-in-law, the view here is amazing. Red leaves behind you, the lake in front of you. Come on, let me take a picture of you two to commemorate this!"

Shen Yu blushed at being called "sis-in-law," but she stood up obediently. "Okay."

Jiang He got up as well.

He took a deep breath.

’This is it! The moment of truth!’

Chen Hao pointed to the edge of the terrace. "You two go over there and stand by the railing. Yes, right there. The lighting is perfect."

Jiang He led Shen Yu by the hand to the railing.

An autumn breeze swept by. The scenery truly was beautiful.

Jiang He’s heart was pounding.

He was even more nervous than he had been before his first time performing a Whipple procedure as the lead surgeon.

Over the past few hours, he had rehearsed this moment in his mind countless times.

How to turn, how to kneel, how to take out the ring, how to say his lines.

’At a time like this... esoteric knowledge is crucial.’

Jiang He chanted inwardly: ’TikTok Music Class! Present!’

’...Wait, no, wrong one. It’s: I got this, I got this, I got this! Good luck, good luck, come on!’

"Okay, get ready!"

Chen Hao held up his camera a few steps away. "Old Jiang, you turn a little more. Sis-in-law, you look at the view, too. I’ll get a shot of your backs first. Then, I’ll count to three, and you both turn to look at each other at the same time. I’ll capture a natural moment, got it?"

"Got it," Jiang He replied.

He turned around, and Shen Yu did the same.

The countdown began.

Jiang He clutched the small box tightly.

He closed his eyes, and an image of Shen Yu’s lifeless face on a hospital bed from his past life flashed through his mind, followed by the countless sleepless nights, and the ecstatic joy he felt upon seeing her for the first time after his rebirth.

All those emotions were compressed, and compressed again, into this single moment...

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Turn around!"

Jiang He spun around.

And then—

He saw Teacher Shen holding an open, red jewelry box in front of her chest with both hands.

Jiang He was stunned. "!!"

He stared blankly at Shen Yu. "You..."

Shen Yu was just as dumbfounded.

She had been all prepared for Jiang He to be shocked, then moved to a blubbering mess.

But when she turned around, she saw Jiang He holding a ring box, too.

Instantly, all her prepared lines were stuck in her throat.

"You... how could you too..."

The two of them, each thinking they had completely fooled the other, stood there holding their respective rings like two clueless idiots.

Not far away, Chen Hao and Xu Juan gave each other a thumbs-up.

’The plan was a success!’

Then, they frantically started snapping photos and recording videos to commemorate the moment.

Jiang He looked at Shen Yu.

Shen Yu looked back at him.

After the shock came an overwhelming wave of emotion.

Jiang He’s eyes instantly turned red.

Shen Yu’s tears came even faster than his.

Then, unable to control themselves, they threw their arms around each other in a fierce hug.

"POP! POP! POP!"

Party poppers that had been set up around the terrace exploded all at once.

A sky full of colorful confetti and flower petals drifted down from above like a magnificent rain.

This rain held no Nibelungen, no sports cars—only two people who were truly in love.

Next, the melodious sound of music drifted from a corner.

Several waiters pushing a cart filled with ninety-nine champagne roses appeared quietly at the edge of the terrace.

The two of them just held each other tightly amidst the shower of petals.

They embraced for a full minute.

Only then did Jiang He loosen his grip slightly.

"Wait a second," Jiang He said, his voice thick with tears. "Even though the plan went a little off course, I memorized a little speech for a long time. You have to let me finish what I have to say."

Shen Yu sniffled and smiled through her tears.

She said, "I prepared one too... You go first."

Jiang He nodded.

He took half a step back and knelt on one knee.

He opened the box.

Jiang He looked up at Shen Yu.

His gaze was firm and gentle.

He said:

"Teacher Shen, I’m a doctor. After spending so much time in the operating room, everyone says I’m extremely rational."

"But whenever I’m with you, all my rationality goes out the window..."

"Did you know? I sometimes have dreams, dreams of a life without you."

"When I wake up, I find my face drenched in tears..."

"I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you, in my past life and in this one."

"Perhaps it’s because of that feeling."

"Although we haven’t known each other for long, I’ve already made up my mind."

"I want to be with you forever, to marry you, to build a family with you."

"I hope we can have our own children, and I hope our whole family can be healthy, free from illness and disaster."

"I hope I can be by your side for the rest of my life. No matter what happens, I’ll face it with you."

"Some people say we are all just made of particles from the Big Bang, and when we die, these particles will return to the universe."

"If that’s the case, then even if I become a particle, I want to be entangled with you."

"I can’t say these hands of mine can cure every illness in the world, but there is one thing I am absolutely certain of—

"I love you."

"Not just in the past, not just today, and not just tomorrow, but for every minute and every second of the rest of my life."

"Teacher Shen."

"Will you..."

"Marry me?"

Every single word of that speech was the honest truth, dug from the depths of his soul across two lifetimes.

Shen Yu covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

She held out her other hand. "...I will!"

Jiang He smiled.

He gently slipped the new ring onto Shen Yu’s finger.

From the handmade ring from the jewelry shop to this purchased one.

There was still one more change to come.

That time would be when they were truly married.

’From the middle finger to the ring finger... once it’s moved, it’s for a lifetime.’

The size was a perfect fit. Jiang He stood up, about to hug her.

But Shen Yu gently pushed him back.

"Wait a second, we’re not done yet."

Shen Yu wiped away a tear, lifted her skirt slightly, and knelt on one knee as well.

Jiang He was stunned. "You..."

"Don’t talk. Listen to me."

Shen Yu said, sobbing:

"Dr. Jiang, I know you always push yourself so hard. You always try to carry everything on your own shoulders. You’ve saved so many people; you’re a miracle doctor in everyone’s eyes."

"But with me, you don’t have to be a miracle doctor. When you’re tired, you can stop. When you’re sad, you can tell me. You don’t always have to be the one charging ahead. I can be your safe harbor, too."

"Actually, I fell for you the first time I saw you, too. It’s a feeling I can’t quite explain, but seeing you cry just makes my heart ache, and makes me want to hold you."

"I asked a lot of my friends who study psychology, and they told me it’s just a fleeting impulse, but I don’t think so."

"Dr. Jiang."

"You always say you want to take care of me, but I want to take care of you, too. I want to be part of your difficult moments, to be with you through the long nights of writing papers and performing surgeries."

"I’ll be moving to Southern China next year."

"Dr. Jiang, will you... let me stay by your side, and walk with you, forever?"

Hearing her words, Jiang He felt his heart shatter, only to be pieced back together, more whole and complete than ever before.

The loneliness of two lifetimes was healed by her words...

He nodded through his tears, held out his left hand, and said:

"I will."

Shen Yu smiled through her tears, carefully taking out her ring and replacing the one on Jiang He’s finger.

Once it was on, Jiang He swept her up from the ground into his arms.

Shen Yu’s feet left the floor as she wrapped her arms tightly around Jiang He’s neck.

Their bodies were pressed close together.

A moment later,

Jiang He asked softly, "Can I kiss you?"

Hearing this, she couldn’t help but laugh, retorting, "Do you need me to say ’I like you’ three times?"

Jiang He’s eyes were full of tenderness. "I’d love that."

Shen Yu looked into his eyes and said dotingly:

"I like you."

"I like you."

"I like—"

Before she could finish,

Jiang He kissed her.

It was a lingering, passionate kiss.

The colorful confetti was still dancing in the air, the wind rustled through the red leaves, and the distant sun slowly set in the west.

The star-crossed lovers, once treated so cruelly by time, had finally found their forever in the gentle breeze and setting sun.

Jiang He closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

In his heart, he once again told himself with unshakeable conviction.

’Shen Yu, I love you so much.’

’I crossed the boundary of life and death and swam against the river of time. I don’t seek a place in history, nor the admiration of thousands.’

’All I have done, all of this, was just an attempt to trade my twenty years of medical expertise for your lifetime of peace and safety...’