The road up the mountain was carefully constructed, with a gentle slope that was perfect for a leisurely stroll. Along the way, there were pavilions of various sizes and shapes, each with clean food and water on stone tables inside, which was very thoughtful.

Shi Jin and Lian Jun walked hand in hand, chatting about everyday things without a care in the world. In order to take care of Lian Jun's leg, Shi Jin would ask to rest at every pavilion they came across.

After stopping at three pavilions, he finally realized something was off - the food in each pavilion was different. The first two pavilions had some pre-packaged snacks, nothing special. But at the third pavilion, there was a food box on the table.

Shi Jin couldn't deceive himself any longer. These snacks were prepared by the vacation resort for their guests. He looked towards Lian Jun and asked, "Did you have these snacks prepared for me?"

"Yes, I was afraid you might get hungry while climbing the mountain. It takes a lot of energy," Lian Jun replied. He took out a plate of osmanthus cake from the insulated food container on the table and placed it in front of Shi Jin. "This was made with the first batch of blooming osmanthus flowers this year. Try it."

The morning mountain breeze blew by, bringing a refreshing coolness and a faint aroma of rice wine.

Shi Jin keenly looked inside the food container. "Your sense of smell is amazing, you can sniff out anything," Lian Jun smiled as he took out a bowl of wine-infused pearl balls from the food box and placed it in front of him. "You can only have two bites, eating too much during exercise will upset your stomach."

"Well, why did you prepare so much food then?" Shi Jin muttered, but still ate two pieces of osmanthus cake and drank a few sips of wine-infused pearl balls. After finishing, he closed his eyes contentedly and sighed, "Delicious, so good!"

Lian Jun's smile deepened as he reached out and pinched his face. "Exaggerated acting."

"What acting? I really think it's delicious. Did the villa make these? Can I take a portion to go when we go back?" Shi Jin grabbed his hand and asked seriously.

Lian Jun held his hand tightly and nodded, "Okay."

Shi Jin leaned over and kissed him gratefully before standing up and continuing to climb higher with him hand in hand.

After taking breaks and walking for a while, the two finally reached the mountaintop after 10 o'clock. The sun was already high up, but it wasn't too hot because of their high altitude.

There was also a pavilion on the mountaintop, with a food box still sitting on top.

However, when they arrived, Shi Jin didn't rush to see what delicious food was in the box. Instead, he helped Lian Jun sit down and crouched down to touch his leg.

"It's okay, it doesn't really hurt," Lian Jun bent down to try and hold his hand.

Shi Jin frowned and looked at him, saying, "Your forehead is sweating, you're lying to me."

Lian Jun explained, "I'm just feeling hot."

"But the temperature in the mountains isn't high, and I'm not hot. Why are you?" Shi Jin wasn't easily fooled. As he spoke, he forcefully rolled up Lian Jun's pants and carefully kneaded his calf and knee. He noticed that Lian Jun's leg was trembling uncontrollably, and his expression became ugly in an instant.

Helpless, Lian Jun quickly reassured him, "It's just normal tremors after exercise. It'll be fine in a while."

"I know," Shi Jin replied, standing up and sitting on the chair next to him. He lifted Lian Jun's leg and placed it on his own, gently kneading it while looking down and saying, "Before, your whole leg would shake after exercising. Now it's just your calf trembling, which is much better than before."

Lian Jun looked at him with his head down and gently touched his head, calling out, "Shi Jin."

"It was my negligence. I should have let you come down the mountain earlier. Today's exercise was a bit too much," said Shi Jin, who had already adjusted his mood. He looked up and glared at him, saying, "You're not allowed to be so stubborn in the future. If you feel uncomfortable, tell me immediately. Our goal is to improve our health and cure our illnesses. We can't be careless."

Seeing him like this, Lian Jun couldn't say anything about being stubborn and said, "It's my fault this time. I apologize to you."

"Empty apologies are useless," Shi Jin deliberately snorted, indicating that he should stretch out his other leg.

Lian Jun obediently did so, then leaned over and brought the food box on the table, saying, "It's not an empty apology. I came prepared."

"I'm not hungry at all right now. Food is useless to me," Shi Jin refused the sweet talk, his attitude firm. With a smile, Lian Jun reached into the food box and pulled out something, holding it in his hand before handing it to Shi Jin.

Shi Jin reluctantly shifted his gaze to look at it.

Lian Jun opened his palm, revealing a beautifully cut deep blue diamond nestled in the clear lines of his hand. The sunlight shone upon it, creating a dazzling halo of light.

Shi Jin's hand, which had been gripping Lian Jun's leg, froze in place as he stared at Lian Jun in disbelief. "This diamond was originally supposed to be set on the engagement ring I gave you," said Lian Jun as he shook the small stone in his hand.

He playfully poked Shi Jin's face, creating a small dimple, and continued, "But then I hesitated. What if you didn't like this color or didn't like diamonds at all? So I subtly asked you and you said that gold looks the best." He looked at Shi Jin with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Shi Jin immediately felt embarrassed as he remembered his response when Lian Jun had asked him. At that time, he and Lian Jun were playing mahjong together. Suddenly, Lian Jun asked him what kind of decoration he liked to put on the hands of the characters in the game, using the excuse of wanting to change the skin of the couple.

He didn't think much about it at the time because the focus of playing mahjong was on the hands that touched the tiles, so it was normal to ask such a question.

Then he honestly replied, "Of course, the best-looking one is a golden thumb ring. Gold is better than diamonds and jade because it intuitively represents wealth! It means you can win!"

...As a result, it turned out that Lian Jun was testing his preference for rings.

He silently looked at the food box in Lian Jun's hand, and suddenly a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Lian Jun smiled at him and stuffed a blue diamond into his hand, then took something out of the food box and held it out in front of him.

Shi Jin stiffly swallowed his saliva. With his palm open, a golden ring designed to fit perfectly on his finger was now resting in the palm of Lian Jun's hand. The ring was extravagant and ostentatious, almost to the point of being obnoxious, and it made one feel as if they were breaking through a dimensional barrier.

"You...you actually..." Shi Jin's heart skipped a beat as he gritted his teeth and reached out to take the ring. "This one is perfect. I like it. I accept your proposal."

He had chosen the ring himself and was determined to wear it, even if he had to kneel down to do so.

Lian Jun was taken aback by Shi Jin's sudden acceptance. He chuckled lightly, lifted his leg off of Shi Jin's body, and embraced him. "How did you manage to get coaxed so easily?"

There were no flowers, no candlelit dinners, and no grand gestures of love. Yet, somehow, this man had managed to win his heart with just a simple ring and a heartfelt proposal. Shi Jin looked serious and said, "I'm not trying to deceive you. I believe in being honest and straightforward. We have a real relationship, so let's not play any games."

"Okay, I appreciate your honesty and straightforwardness," said Lian Jun with a satisfied smile. He kissed Shi Jin's forehead and then suddenly stepped back, taking the large gold ring from his hand. With a gentle twist, the ring snapped in half, revealing a hollow interior. A delicate chain appeared, and Lian Jun pulled it out to reveal a stylish platinum ring with a yellow diamond.

Shi Jin's eyes widened in amazement. "This is the engagement ring that I truly want to give you. I was planning on teasing you a bit more, but I didn't expect you to be so easy to talk to," said Lian Jun as he took off the ring and placed it on Shi Jin's hand.

He admired it for a moment, noticing that it was the perfect size, and couldn't resist kissing Shi Jin's finger before asking, "Do you like it? Although it's not made of gold, I designed it myself. If I set the small diamonds in a circle like this, it looks quite similar to a gold ring from afar."

But really, it didn't look anything like it!

The ring that Lian Jun gave was simple in design, thin and delicate. The colorful gems on it were pure and transparent, cut perfectly to reflect the light. Although it was a bright yellow, the halo effect of the small diamonds made it appear soft and gentle, completely different from the texture of gold.

Shi Jin was a bit stunned as he touched the ring and asked, "Did you design this yourself?"

"It's not all my own design, I also took advice from a few design masters," Lian Jun replied, then asked again, "Do you like it?"

How could he not like it! With this kind of thoughtfulness, he would definitely love it.

Shi Jin gave his answer with action, he leaned in and hugged Lian Jun, closing his eyes and kissing him. Lian Jun smiled and hugged him back, returning the warm kiss.

Suddenly, a small iron box slid down on a rope and landed on top of the pavilion with a bang. It opened up and released countless rose petals, which were blown by the mountain breeze and danced their way into the pavilion.

Startled by the sound, Shi Jin snapped back to reality and looked up to see the extravagant sight of petals raining down. "What the hell is this?" he asked, unimpressed by the overwhelming display.

"These are the flowers I got for you. A proposal without flowers is simply unacceptable, but it seems like you're not too fond of them," explained Lian Jun, as he reached out to catch a falling petal. Shi Jin's reaction was far from excitement, instead he wore a look of "so this is your kind of thing" mixed with a desire to express his liking but being unable to find the words.

He mentally noted down Number Two in his heart for this terrible idea, and then bent down to roll down his pants, trying his best to ignore the petals around him. He then stood up and took out a small cloth bag from the food box, handing it to Shi Jin.

"It's getting late, let's take the cable car down the mountain."

Finally, Shi Jin was relieved from the awkward situation of wanting to praise the beauty of the petal rain but not being able to find the right words. He casually picked up the small bag and put it in his pocket, then asked, "Is there a cable car here?"

"Yes, it's for guests who don't want to climb the mountain but still want to enjoy the scenery. The cable car station is on the other side. Just follow this fork in the road for a while and you'll get there," Lian Jun pointed to a side path on the right.

Shi Jin felt a little regretful, "So there is a cable car. I was planning to carry you down the mountain, how romantic..."

Lian Jun didn't think being carried down the mountain by his significantly younger lover was romantic at all. He gave him a deep look, then took his hand and led him towards the fork in the road.

"How about I carry you over there? Your legs..." Shi Jin persisted. Lian Jun interrupted him, saying, "I just rested for a while, it's okay, and the cable car is not far away."

Shi Jin heard his resistance and sighed regretfully.

......

The cable car was indeed not far away, and the two of them arrived after just a few minutes of walking. The staff were already waiting at the cable car station, and the two of them walked up, bent down, and climbed into a very spacious cable car... and then a table full of food appeared in front of Shi Jin.

Shi Jin was stunned again.

"Of course, a proposal cannot be without a big meal." Lian Jun helped him sit down, fastened his seat belt, and then sat opposite him, fastening his own seat belt as well.

He then signaled to the staff outside to start the cable car. The staff immediately began operating the cable car, which smoothly glided along the cableway and soon emerged from the mountain, suspended in mid-air. Looking out from above, the scenery of the mountains and the distant city all came into view, instantly making people feel much more open-minded.

Shi Jin was unconsciously mesmerized by the view.

In order to maintain stability, the cable car moved very slowly and it took a while before it reached the middle of the best scenic slide, where it came to a steady stop.

"Are you scared?" Lian Jun leaned over and gently asked Shi Jin.

Shi Jin snapped out of his trance, withdrew his gaze from the expansive scenery outside, and shook his head: "Not scared!"

Eating in the embrace of the green mountains and white clouds, this experience was truly exhilarating, and he loved it!

"We'll come back here next time to see the night view," said Lian Jun as he set up the tableware and poured himself a glass of juice. He poured a bit of wine for Shi Jin and raised his glass, "Next time, I'll drink with you."

Shi Jin looked at him with a warm smile and felt his heart melt. He picked up his glass and lightly clinked it with Lian Jun's, saying, "Okay."

......

It wasn't until after noon that the two of them slowly slid down the mountain. After getting off the cable car, Shi Jin, who had had a little bit of alcohol, asked the staff at the villa for an electric sightseeing car and let Lian Jun sit next to him. They drove around the villa on the electric car, enjoying the breeze.

"You're driving under the influence," Lian Jun joked, pretending to be serious.

Shi Jin snorted disdainfully and reached out to wrap his arm around his waist, only using one hand to steer the wheel. Proudly, he said, "What's there to fear about drunk driving? With a beauty like you by my side, even if I die the next second, it'll be a beautiful death."

Lian Jun slapped his hand away with a loud smack and gave him a warning glance.

Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Shi Jin quickly withdrew his hand and slapped himself on the mouth. He smiled ingratiatingly at Lian Jun and obediently used both hands to steer the wheel, driving towards the small building with great satisfaction.

On the side of the road, Number Nine caught a glimpse of this lecherous drunkard passing by with his stunning beauty. His eyebrows twitched and he quickly pretended he hadn't seen anything, rubbing his eyes as if they were hurting. He turned and headed towards his own house along another fork in the road.

Drunk and drowsy, Shi Jin had only intended to take a quick nap with Lian Jun after their joyride. But when he opened his eyes, he found that it was already dark outside and he was half-lying in the car on their way back to the club, cradled in Lian Jun's arms.

"Aren't we supposed to meet with Aunt Lu? Why are we going down the mountain?" Shi Jin was a bit confused, not realizing that meeting with Lu Shan was just a pretext.

Number Two, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and gave him a look that said, "Are you stupid?"

Lian Jun just smiled and didn't say anything, contentedly caressing the ring on Shi Jin's finger.

......

It wasn't until two days later, when Lian Jun took the time to accompany him to the orphanage to meet Jian Chenghua, that Shi Jin finally realized that their trip to the vacation resort was actually a date arranged by Lian Jun, and a proposal at that. In an instant, he was bursting with embarrassment and wished he could just kill his own dull self.

He mentally scolded himself, "Why didn't you remind me? My reaction to the date was so lackluster. Will Lian Jun be disappointed?"

Xiao Si stuttered, "I, I didn't realize either...but it's okay! Your reaction was perfect, and Lian Jun was very happy. Trust me!"

Shi Jin suddenly remembered how unusually quiet Xiao Si was during Lian Jun's entire proposal process and became suspicious. He asked, "Did you already know about Lian Jun's plan? You were too quiet this time, it's too suspicious."

Xiao Si's voice suddenly rose, "N, no way! I didn't eavesdrop on Baby and Number Two's phone call, and I didn't intentionally practice holding my breath to try to listen and watch. I, I'm innocent!"

"It's really a case of the pot calling the kettle black," thought Shi Jin angrily as he locked Xiao Si in a small dark room. He kept the poor thing in there for a full three minutes before finally letting it out. Ignoring its cries, he turned to look at Lian Jun beside him.

Lian Jun was dressed in a simple and dignified manner today, wearing a plain black long robe with a white brooch on his chest. Shi Jin glanced down at his own white shirt and black pants, and quickly composed himself.

The main reason for his visit this time was to go with Jian Chenghua to pay respects at Jian Jinwen's grave. Before coming, he had already told Jian Chenghua about his background over the phone, without hiding anything.

......

They met Jian Chenghua, who had been waiting at the orphanage gate, and together they set off towards their destination.

As they drove, Jian Chenghua kept looking at Shi Jin with a hesitant expression, occasionally sighing deeply. Upon seeing him, Shi Jin smiled and reassured him, "The past is in the past. I don't resent my birth. What's important is the future. And I'm doing well now, and I'll only get better. You don't have to worry about me."

Jian Chenghua couldn't hold it in any longer and sighed, "I just thought...never mind. It's good that you have a positive outlook. I was afraid you might be like Jinwen, sensitive and prone to overthinking. We need to look forward, and as long as you're doing well, I'll be at ease."

Shi Jin nodded, continued to comfort him with a few more words, and then changed the subject to his studies, diverting the old man's attention.

The atmosphere in the car lightened up, and Jian Chenghua felt relieved. He belatedly noticed Lian Jun, who had been silent beside Shi Jin the whole time, and politely asked, "I'm sorry, I didn't notice. May I ask who this is?"

"I have a boyfriend," Shi Jin proudly answered, gesturing to the ring on his hand and adding with a smile, "We're engaged."

Hearing this, Lian Jun smirked and politely greeted him.

Jian Chenghua was stunned, looking back and forth between the two of them, and responded a bit foolishly with a couple of congratulations.

Shi Jin thanked him with a smile, and took the initiative to grab Lian Jun's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He felt a little pleased - this could be considered as introducing Lian Jun to his parents, not bad.

Lian Jun glanced at him and gently squeezed his hand back. The interaction between the two was so natural and sweet that Jian Chenghua snapped out of his initial surprise and carefully observed their expressions. He noticed that when they looked at each other, their faces would unconsciously soften - it seemed that they really liked each other and weren't being forced into anything.

Jinwen's life was too short to have met the right person, but now that he had found someone to spend his life with so early on, it was good, really good.

The three arrived at the cemetery with their own thoughts and got out of the car one by one. When Jian Chenghua saw that Lian Jun needed a wheelchair, he visibly hesitated and furrowed his brows, glancing at Shi Jin with a hint of pity in his eyes.

Lian Jun noticed the change in his gaze and let go of the hand resting on the wheelchair's armrest, folding them on his stomach. Shi Jin pushed Lian Jun and followed Jian Chenghua to a cemetery under a tree.

Jian Jinwen's tomb was very simple, just a small square plot and a simple tombstone. That was all. There wasn't even a photo on the tombstone.

"Jinwen said he wanted everything to be simple after he died. I don't want him to be unhappy about the cemetery after he goes underground, so I'll follow his wishes," Jian Chenghua explained, squatting down to clean the tombstone.

Shi Jin quickly helped and carefully swept the tomb with Jian Chenghua, traced the words, burned paper money, and finally solemnly lit a stick of incense.

Jian Chenghua kept talking to the tombstone as if he were chatting with Jian Jinwen. He introduced Shi Jin and Lian Jun's identities, briefly talked about Shi Jin's background, deliberately omitting information about Shi Xingrui, afraid that Jian Jinwen would be upset if he heard it.

As the tomb sweeping was coming to an end, Shi Jin could sense Jian Chenghua's desire to ask for something but feeling too embarrassed to do so. He turned towards the tombstone and called out "Uncle". Jian Chenghua immediately became emotional, his eyes turning red as he wiped away his tears. He took out a red envelope on behalf of Jian Jinwen, saying it was a gift from his uncle to his nephew.

Shi Jin accepted the gift without hesitation and then called Jian Chenghua "Grandpa". Jian Chenghua was stunned, unable to hold back his tears as he hugged Shi Jin and spoke in a dialect that Shi Jin couldn't understand. Shi Jin gently comforted the old man and sighed softly in his heart.

If this could bring a little comfort to the old man who had suffered for a lifetime, then he was willing to take on the responsibility of a younger generation before the old man's passing.

In the end, Shi Jin left with two red envelopes and an ancestral jade bracelet from the gathering. Shi Jin had a serious expression on his face as he held up the bracelet and said, "Grandfather said that this is the heirloom of the Jian family. Every generation of Jian sons will receive this bracelet from their mother and personally put it on their bride's wrist during their wedding."

Lian Jun glanced at him indifferently and continued flipping through the documents.

Shi Jin, with his mischievous heart, approached him with the bracelet and tried to touch his hand while he was flipping through the documents.

Lian Jun allowed him to do so.

Shi Jin was overjoyed and happily tried to put the bracelet on Lian Jun's wrist. However, after struggling for a while, he was shocked to find that the bracelet was too small and couldn't fit. He was deeply disappointed and felt defeated.

"This bracelet was obviously made according to a girl's size. Although I am thin, I still have a man's bone structure." Lian Jun withdrew his hand, patted Shi Jin's head, and said, "You need to read more books."

Looks like he's saying that being foolish requires more reading. Shi Jin looked at him expressionlessly, shook his hand off, and walked away with the bracelet.

Lian Jun watched him leave, the warmth on his face fading away little by little. He glanced at the calendar on the table, his thin lips pursed tightly. Tomorrow, Shi Jin would have to report to school for physical examination and military training. At least two months would pass before he could come back.

Very long, he didn't want Shi Jin to leave.