Chapter 245: Proposal 8
The two of them chatted for a while on a swing in the Sky Garden. Shi Lan remembered that He Hanshi was still waiting for them below, so they didn’t talk for long.
She called Xiao Du back. Xiao Du had been having a great time playing, but upon hearing its master’s voice, it immediately came hopping back to her hand.
It had gotten a little dirty, however, so Shi Lan took out a handkerchief to wipe it clean. Xiao Du tilted its little green head, curiously looking at Yan Huoshui, who was standing beside Shi Lan.
He had undergone a Spiritual Connection with Shi Lan, and his sea of consciousness still held her mushroom imprint, so Xiao Du was familiar with his aura.
Once Shi Lan had finished cleaning it, Xiao Du jumped onto Yan Huoshui. It sniffed at him for a moment before returning, satisfied, to her sea of consciousness.
’Master, he’s a clean male. He doesn’t have the scent of any other females on him, only yours.’
’Shi Lan hadn’t expected Xiao Du to have such a talent. Does this mean if someone were to cheat in the future, she’d be able to find out instantly? Ahem. Of course, she trusted their character.’
"Lanlan, does your spirit body like me?"
Yan Huoshui leaned in, his handsome face, now magnified, just two or three centimeters from hers. He gazed at her with his seductive, fox-like eyes. His natural, alluring floral scent, mingled with the fragrance of roses, drifted to her nose. Her gaze grew hazy, and she found it impossible to say no.
Satisfied, he joyfully led Shi Lan back onto the gondola, and they departed the Sky Garden.
Even on the gondola, Shi Lan was still replaying their recent moment of closeness in her mind.
She covered her face. ’It’s really hard to resist when a fox like him decides to be charming,’ she thought. But the thought of Mu Tangfeng’s upcoming proposal, the final one, instantly re-energized her.
As the one performing the grand finale, Mu Tangfeng had been a nervous wreck the entire way.
After seeing the other proposals, he was plagued by self-doubt. But in the next moment, he’d recall the protagonists he’d seen on TV, and his confidence would return.
That’s right. In the end, Mu Tangfeng had drawn his inspiration for the proposal from television dramas.
Inside the Hovercar, he approached Shi Lan and crouched down, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Lanlan, can I blindfold you for a moment?"
Shi Lan readily agreed. "Okay."
He then took a white silk ribbon from his pocket and gently tied it around Shi Lan’s eyes.
The white silk ribbon was slightly translucent, but she couldn’t see anything through it. With her vision obscured, her other senses instantly became more acute.
She could hear the soft RUSTLE of fabric near her ear and the sound of his nervous, slightly rushed breathing. She could feel the searing heat of his fingertips as they occasionally brushed against her ear. She could also smell the strong, familiar scent of jasmine cologne on him—it was that bottle of *Jasmine* he’d gotten by mistake, now seemingly pouring out a constant response to his feelings for her.
Shi Lan’s ears flushed red. As Mu Tangfeng pulled his hand away, he couldn’t resist giving her earlobe a gentle squeeze before properly taking her arm and carefully guiding her out of the Hovercar.
Shi Lan couldn’t see that besides Mu Tangfeng, He Hanshi and the three other men were also guarding her, watching her every step to make sure she didn’t fall or get hurt.
No matter which way she might stumble, someone would be there to catch her.
Unable to see, Shi Lan naturally felt a loss of security and walked very slowly. Mu Tangfeng wasn’t worried, however. He reined in his usual impetuous nature and patiently matched her small steps.
He was tall, and walking so slowly made him look a bit like a sulking tortoise. But one glance at his face told a different story. He was beaming, his face flushed with delight, and every single strand of his orange-yellow hair seemed to radiate pure joy.
Shi Lan lost track of how long they walked. She felt herself climbing several steps before they finally came to a stop.
Just then, the sound of low, elegant music reached her ears. The silk ribbon was removed from her eyes, and her vision returned.
She looked up and found herself in what appeared to be a church. It was a sacred yet romantic scene, decorated everywhere with beautiful white tulle and roses. Balloons were tied to the chairs, where quite a few people were seated.
She recognized them all as Mu Tangfeng’s family. To her surprise, Jiang Yan was there as well. Everyone was smiling, and in a corner, a group of cellists was playing.
Shi Lan’s face instantly flushed.
’With this kind of atmosphere... it felt less like a proposal and more like a wedding...’
Mu Tangfeng was nervous, too. On TV, proposals always involved blessings from family and friends. He didn’t have any friends, but he had a large family, and he hadn’t forgotten to invite Jiang Yan.
Under the watchful eyes of so many friends and family, he knelt down, holding a bouquet of flowers. "Lanlan, I really like you. Can I be your Beast Husband?"
"I-I’m not a very patient person, but I’ll be... be forever patient with you. My temper is... isn’t great, but I’ll work hard to be a worthy Beast Husband. I’m so sorry for deliberately bullying you and losing my temper at you when we first met on Black Star. If you’re upset, you can hit me or yell at me, just... just don’t hate me. I’m a male; I’m tough. If you’re afraid of hurting your hands, you can pull out my feathers. I treasure my feathers more than anything, and I’ve collected a lot of them. If you have a wish, you can trade one of my feathers for it—any wish. As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen for you..."
He stammered his way through the speech he had started memorizing yesterday. Though he was nervous and faltered at first, his courage gradually returned. He took several beautifully arranged boxes of feathers from his storage space and, as if presenting priceless treasures, laid them all out before Shi Lan.
Hearing their son’s words, Mr. and Mrs. Mu had rather complicated feelings. Mostly, though, they were happy.
It was best for a male to be married to a female, after all. And with Shi Lan’s spiritual power being so high, their son would surely be safe from another spiritual power collapse. Most importantly, they trusted Shi Lan’s character. She wasn’t one of those troublesome females; she had a rare, gentle nature.
Besides, it was clear that she was also very fond of their son.
Hearing his earnest confession, the nervousness in Shi Lan’s heart slowly melted away.
Unconsciously, her world narrowed until it was just the man before her and the sound of his voice. She gazed intently at Mu Tangfeng. His offer to let her pull his feathers was both heartbreaking and amusing. When she looked down and saw that he had brought out all the beloved feather accessories he collected in his display case, her lips curved into a smile, and a stinging sensation welled up in her eyes.
She knew better than anyone how much he loved his feathers.
Back in the Black Star Prison, the first time she saw him, he had been carefully preening his feathers with his beak. He groomed them every day, meticulously collecting any that fell out. He would feel insecure and miserable for a long time whenever he lost feathers in a fight.
He loved his feathers so much. She could see the reluctance in his eyes, yet he was still willing to give her his entire collection.
’How could there be such a difficult, yet adorable, little bird?’
Shi Lan’s eyes grew misty, and tears finally dampened her eyelashes.
After a moment, she composed herself and let out a soft chuckle. "I could never bring myself to pull your feathers."
Mu Tangfeng watched as her dark eyes lit up, sparkling like brilliant stars.
"Lanlan..."
Shi Lan continued, "As for all these feathers, I don’t need them. All I need is for you to be good to me."
Hearing this, Mu Tangfeng stubbornly shook his head. "Lanlan, you have to take the feathers. You can trade them with me for wishes later. A true male’s word is his bond; I have to do what I promised."
Shi Lan looked at all the boxes brimming with feathers and accepted two of them.
"I don’t have that many wishes. These two boxes will be more than enough. You should keep the rest to decorate yourself. That way, seeing your handsome face every day will make me even happier."
"Okay."
’Mu Tangfeng knew Shi Lan was leaving them for him on purpose. How could anyone have only a few wishes?’
’How could his Lanlan be so wonderful?’
Mu Tangfeng blinked his misty, tear-filled eyes and couldn’t stop himself from pulling Shi Lan into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Ahem."
Mr. Mu coughed twice pointedly. Only then did Mu Tangfeng remember they hadn’t exchanged engagement rings. He dropped to one knee again, his bright, joy-filled eyes looking up at her.
"Lanlan, the rings."
Shi Lan took them out, and they exchanged rings. The "little bird’s" ring was an orange diamond, as brilliant as his hair.
Mu Tangfeng eagerly slid the ring onto her finger, then finally stood up and pulled her into another tight embrace.
From the pews, Mu Tangfeng’s family and Jiang Yan burst into warm, joyful applause.
He Hanshi watched the happiness in Shi Lan’s eyes. His own blue eyes dimmed slightly, but he applauded for his rival all the same.
’After all, he was happy for her. Lanlan now had one more person who would truly love and protect her.’
The other three men also clapped along.
Once he had the identity ring, Mu Tangfeng couldn’t help but let some of his proud, willful nature show. He shifted into his beast form, joyfully hoisted Shi Lan onto his back, and flew out of the church.
Shi Lan sat on his avian back, excitedly wrapping her arms around his neck and enjoying the feel of the wind.
The Bird of Paradise let out a long, clear cry. As if on command, the birds around the church began to circle the pair.
The magnificent, beautiful Bird of Paradise soared wantonly among the flock, showing off its beauty. Its long, orange-red tail feathers looked like a blazing fire burning in the sky.
Passing Beastmen looked up, their faces filled with amazement and disbelief at the magical sight, and one by one, they started taking photos.