216: I will love you forever

Wenwen was the youngest of the four members of the Self-Study Squad; although everyone was eighteen, she had the latest birth month.

"You haven't??"

Wenwen seemed to realize something.

She had been involved in almost all the daily interactions between Lin You and Du Zhaoyu since they reconnected during grade 12, so she knew they had been restraining themselves from officially starting a relationship before the College Entrance Examination.

Although they were somewhat intimate in their daily lives, they were still far from being a real couple.

They had been waiting until after the College Entrance Examination... but now it was already after the College Entrance Examination!

Sob, sob, sob... Wenwen was a little sad. Was Yu Baobao going to become Lin You's girlfriend tonight?

Wenwen cried and hugged Du Zhaoyu for a while, wanting to advise Yu Baobao that kissing was enough at first, and not to give Lin You too much sweetness... She also wanted to tell Yu Baobao not to give herself away for nothing... but after opening her mouth several times, she finally said nothing.

She looked at Lin You with red eyes, "Lin You, if you dare to wrong Yu Baobao in the future, I definitely won't let you off!"

What are you babbling about? Wenwen, you stinky little sister!

Lin You didn't know that Wenwen had already conjured up many scenarios in her mind; he just thought her intermittent lesbian tendencies were flaring up again, making her jealous.

Xinxin and Wenwen walked side-by-side toward another mall, with Wenwen constantly looking back.

Not until the two disappeared around the corner did Du Zhaoyu put her hands behind her back, lean her head forward toward Lin You, and ask, "Treasure You, what do you want to eat tonight?"

Lin You had only eaten barbecue at noon. Although his metabolism was fast and he had mostly digested it, he still felt a bit tired of heavy meat dishes in the short term.

He smiled and pinched Du Zhaoyu's face, which was now close enough to touch, and suddenly thought of something.

"Xiao Yu'er, how about... we go have a candlelight dinner?"

Du Zhaoyu froze instantly upon hearing this, and memories flooded her mind: their first meeting after grade 12... their first "date"... that candlelight dinner was where the dream began for her and Lin You.

Her ears quickly turned red, and the flush on her cheeks spread rapidly.

"You still remember..."

Lin You chuckled, "Of course, I will remember it for a lifetime, and I'll have to tell my daughter about it later."

Du Zhaoyu turned her head away, looking to the side, "Aren't you ashamed... Who said they want to have a daughter with you!"

Lin You pretended to be confused and said, "Huh, I didn't say I'd have a daughter with you. Someone just seated herself in the right spot."

"You, you, you..."

Du Zhaoyu couldn't bear to get angry, because she was truly overjoyed~

"Then, should we still go to that restaurant for stir-fry tonight? The dishes there are quite tasty~"

Lin You shook his head and said decisively, "No!"

Du Zhaoyu was a little disappointed, "Oh..."

Lin You smiled brightly, fully displaying his handsome nature, "Tonight, we are going for a real candlelight dinner!"

...Although Ancheng is a fourth-tier prefecture-level city, it is small but complete, having everything it should. There are multiple Western restaurants in the downtown area, and the mall they were originally planning to visit had one.

However, the Western restaurant Lin You planned to take Du Zhaoyu to was the best one in Ancheng.

This Western restaurant was located right in the city center, on top of an office building next to the cross-river bridge on Yanjiang Road.

The 20-story building wasn't the tallest among the surrounding office buildings, but it offered an unobstructed view of the river. From the window seats, one could see the expansive river surface and the scenery of both banks.

Today, Du Zhaoyu was wearing a pink and white long dress, her long hair untied and smoothly draped over her shoulders, looking soft, fragrant, and gentle enough to melt anything.

Lin You, purely by coincidence, was wearing a white shirt. Although his jeans and canvas shoes were not formal, the two looked perfectly matched standing together.

The two rode the electric scooter, and Du Zhaoyu didn't mind the ride, holding tightly onto Lin You's waist the whole way.

After arriving at their destination, they parked the vehicle and walked toward the restaurant.

Du Zhaoyu looked up at Lin You, "I'm a little nervous. I've never been to a formal Western restaurant before..."

Lin You replied casually, "So what if you haven't been? It's this Western restaurant's honor to have Xiao Yu'er visit. It's no exaggeration to say it adds brilliance and color. How often does this restaurant get a beautiful girl like Xiao Yu'er as a patron?"

Du Zhaoyu's face was flushed, and she tugged at Lin You's sleeve, "Stop trying to sweet-talk me..."

Lin You didn't mind. He tilted his head and looked at Du Zhaoyu's expression. Heh heh, aren't you enjoying this sweet talk?

Sure enough, the seniors hadn't lied; sometimes when girls say no, they mean yes.

The podium of the office building was a two-story mall. Lin You looked at the map on his phone for a while before finding the elevator that went up to the top-floor Western restaurant.

After stepping into the elevator, Lin You realized it was a glass sightseeing elevator. As the elevator ascended, the surrounding buildings slowly dropped away. The setting sun shone into the elevator, and Du Zhaoyu couldn't help but move closer to Lin You, holding his right arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

At this moment, Du Zhaoyu wished time would pass a little slower.

But given the building's 20-story height, the elevator reached the top quickly.

Exiting the elevator and walking through the lobby, they saw a glass door.

As they approached, the glass door automatically slid open to the sides, and a cool scent mixed with toasted bread, rich coffee, and high-quality incense wafted toward them.

Soft and soothing piano music drifted out. Lin You felt no nervousness whatsoever.

He was a pure straight man. A Western restaurant held no special filter for him; in his mind, it was just a place to eat, no different from street stir-fry, roadside stalls, or chain hot pot restaurants.

But to make up for the previous fake "candlelight dinner," he was willing to treat Du Zhaoyu to this "sucker's" Western meal, which was not only expensive but might also taste mediocre to him.

The interior design of the restaurant was simple yet stylish: dark wooden floors, warm-toned leather seats, and the most striking feature—the huge floor-to-ceiling windows that wrapped around the entire dining area.

At this moment, the setting sun was slowly dipping into the river, staining the sky and the water a brilliant golden-red, sparkling like molten gold flowing across the surface.

The city lights hadn't fully turned on yet, and the outlines of the buildings on the opposite bank appeared hazy and soft in the dim yellow sunset.

A waiter dressed in a crisp black vest smiled and approached them, "Good evening, sir and madam. Do you have a reservation?"

Although Lin You wasn't keen on Western restaurants, he was willing to "do as the Romans do." Furthermore, since he had money in his pocket, he felt no trepidation about entering a high-end restaurant.

He smiled, "No reservation. Do you have a quiet table for two by the window?"

Since it was a weekday, there weren't many diners. The waiter smiled, nodded, and led Lin You and Du Zhaoyu toward a table.

As they approached the floor-to-ceiling windows, the view they had only seen from afar expanded continuously in their sight.

Du Zhaoyu's gaze was immediately captivated by the scenery outside the window. She let out a soft "Ah," unconsciously slowing her steps, her face showing undisguised wonder.

"So beautiful... Treasure You, let's take a picture together later, okay?"

"Why wait until later?"

After they sat down, Lin You took out his phone and moved his chair closer to Du Zhaoyu.

In the phone's viewfinder, Du Zhaoyu's smooth long hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned slightly forward. The pink and white dress, under the warm lighting, made her skin look even more like jade, and she appeared to be bathed in a soft halo... As for Lin You, he was handsome... but he seemed to be a different style from Du Zhaoyu. He smiled broadly, his white teeth revealing his inner joy.

"Click!"

Lin You pressed the shutter. The two leaned against each other, with the golden-red sunset over the river visible outside the floor-to-ceiling window behind them.

"Send it to me quickly!"

Du Zhaoyu's face was flushed. After receiving Lin You's photo, she opened it and kept zooming in and out, her expression suggesting that just taking one picture had made her completely satisfied.

"It looks so good~"

"Are you saying you look good, or the scenery looks good?"

"Of course... Treasure You, you look the best!"

The waiting waiter wasn't annoyed. It was clear that the restaurant staff were well-trained, and there was none of the "snobbish waiter" or "Dragon King Face-Slapping" plot found in trashy novels.

The waiter looked at the two high-value guests and gradually realized they were likely high school students, but his face was full of a "shipping" expression, and he didn't feel it was inconvenient at all to wait for them to order.

Seeing that Du Zhaoyu had finished looking at the photos, the waiter handed over the menu. Lin You gestured for the waiter to let Du Zhaoyu order first. Du Zhaoyu then realized someone was waiting and looked a little shy.

Du Zhaoyu opened the substantial leather menu, and the waiter softly introduced the signature dishes to her.

Finally, Du Zhaoyu ordered a seemingly exquisite Pan-Seared Cod with Lemon Dill Sauce. The appetizers were a classic Caesar Salad and Foie Gras Pâté with Toast Points, and the dessert was the restaurant's signature Tiramisu.

Lin You took the menu, glanced over it, and rapidly ordered an Angus Ribeye Steak with Black Truffle Sauce, Black Truffle Cream Mushroom Pasta, Vanilla Risotto with Grilled Chicken Breast, and added extra sides of roasted baby potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

His main goal was to ensure he was full, regardless of how good it tasted.

As for the price... the current turnover of the Lin Meimei Milk Tea Shop was enough for Lin You to eat here every day until he was full!

After they finished ordering, the waiter politely retreated, leaving only Lin You and Du Zhaoyu in their quiet corner, enjoying their private world.

"Do you like it? How's the atmosphere at this Western restaurant? Is it better than that stir-fry place?"

"I love it!" Du Zhaoyu glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window. "I've never seen Ancheng from this angle before. It feels... like another world."

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Lin You, her dark pupils reflecting the light of the setting sun. "But the most important thing... is coming here with you~ And even if it were still that stir-fry place, I would be super happy~"

Faced with Du Zhaoyu's undisguised affection, Lin You's lips curled up unconsciously. He restrained the urge to sit next to Du Zhaoyu and snuggle again, and stood up.

"Xiao Yu'er, I'm going to the restroom. Wait for me."

Du Zhaoyu seemed to know what was coming. She gently bit her lip, her eyes filled with a hint of shyness, and nodded.

After Lin You left, Du Zhaoyu rested her chin in her hands on the table, tilting her head as she watched the sunset and the river view outside the window.

At this moment, she felt she was the luckiest person in the world. The College Entrance Examination was over, and soon she would go to university with the person she had loved for a long time. And tonight... Ten minutes later, Lin You returned and sat down at the table.

The waiter followed closely behind, bringing two candle holders with two long white taper candles standing in them.

The candles were lit, and the warm candlelight shone.

After the waiter left, Du Zhaoyu blinked at Lin You, "Tonight, are the lightbulb and lamp in your bedroom broken?"

Lin You froze, recalling the maneuver he pulled during their first "candlelight dinner." At the time, he thought he was incredibly clever... "Xiao Yu'er... When did you know?!"

Du Zhaoyu squinted and laughed, "I knew it back then."

Lin You: "..."

"Then didn't you think I was silly back then?"

"No way! I just felt happy then!"

The two chatted about many interesting things that happened over the past two semesters, and the atmosphere was relaxed and sweet.

The dishes were presented one by one, plated beautifully like works of art.

Lin You was a bit hungry, so he urged Du Zhaoyu to eat and chat simultaneously.

After Lin You had satisfied his hunger, he slowed his eating pace and admired Du Zhaoyu's ladylike manner of eating.

Some people eat like starving ghosts, even in the most upscale restaurants, like Lin You.

Some people can eat street food and still look like a beautiful lady, like Du Zhaoyu.

As night began to fall, the cross-river bridge and the neon light strips on both banks suddenly lit up, reflecting on the dark blue river surface like twinkling starlight, brilliant as the Milky Way.

Inside the window, there was flickering candlelight, exquisite food, and soothing jazz music; outside was the magnificent night view of the river. The entire Ancheng seemed to unfurl beneath their feet like a brilliant, flowing scroll.

Before long, the jazz music in the restaurant changed, and a familiar violin instrumental piece began to play, the lingering, melodious violin sound surrounding the two of them.

"Qing Tian."

It was the background music for Du Zhaoyu's WeChat video.

It was also the light music Lin You first heard before he reestablished contact with Du Zhaoyu.

Du Zhaoyu's eyes were full of surprise. She looked up at the solo violinist not far from their table, guessing that Lin You had arranged this during his absence.

Lin You chuckled. This was quite simple; all it required was 'Money Ability.'

He waved towards the distance, and then the previous waiter walked out, pushing a cart.

The cart was filled with fresh flowers: pink roses, champagne roses, and white violets, arranged together.

Lin You was originally resistant to romance, but for Du Zhaoyu, he was willing to be the most conventional person.

He rose from his seat, slowly walked over to Du Zhaoyu, and knelt on one knee, presenting a ring on his palm that he had hastily woven from the slender stems of daisies at the flower shop earlier.

The restaurant lights were all collaboratively dimmed, leaving only the area where the two of them were seated illuminated.

Outside the window were neon lights and the new moon; in front of him was a beautiful girl covering her mouth, her eyes gradually turning red.

Lin You's voice trembled as he spoke.

"Xiao Yu'er, I've held back my feelings for you for a long time. I believe you've felt it too, but today, I still want to tell you seriously..."

"Du Zhaoyu, I love you."

"I want to be with you. Will you be my girlfriend?"

The next instant, the tears pooling in Du Zhaoyu's eyes broke free. She stood up, helped Lin You rise, and slammed herself into his embrace.

She didn't look at the beautiful flowers or the crude ring; her eyes were only focused on the person in front of her.

"Wuwuwu... I do! I've been waiting for this day for so long..."

"Wuwuwu... Treasure You, I love you, I love you, I will always love you!"