Chapter 263: Will You Marry Me?

Jingwei kept his hand over Zhiyi’s until her palm lay flat against his chest.

Her fingers were warm beneath his collar, and he could feel each small movement as she settled beside him.

He had expected to need more time before he could enjoy this without first making himself stay still.

Instead, he wanted her closer.

Zhiyi watched his face while her thumb moved gently against his skin. She watched him with a small smile, seeming content just to be beside him.

She seemed happy, which helped him relax enough to let go of her hand.

"You can keep doing that," Jingwei told her.

He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then let his fingers linger against her cheek. "I’ll tell you if I need you to stop."

"I know," Zhiyi replied, turning her face to kiss his palm. "You don’t have to wait until you’re uncomfortable."

He nodded and bent toward her.

He let himself enjoy kissing her instead of worrying about what came next. She kept her hand against his chest, and when he pulled back, she leaned closer to kiss him again.

The pillow shifted beneath his elbow and Jingwei adjusted it.

Zhiyi moved with him, settling so close that her knee rested against his leg. He could feel the warmth of her through their clothes.

Jingwei kept his arm around Zhiyi while the rain tapped against the window.

From farther down the corridor came Zeyu’s laughter, followed by Shichen saying something neither of them could make out.

Usually, Jingwei would have looked toward the door, listening until he knew whether someone was coming to find him.

This time, he stayed where he was, watching Zhiyi smooth a fold in his collar.

"You usually look up when you hear someone outside," Zhiyi said. She rested her fingers against his chest and studied his face. "Are you that comfortable?"

"I am," Jingwei replied, sliding his hand around her waist to draw her closer. "They know where to find us if they need something. Right now, I’d rather stay here with you."

She smiled as he bent to kiss her, her hand moving to his shoulder.

He had spent years leaving the chair beside his empty because she sometimes came to sit with him.

At first, he had learned to identify her footsteps so that she wouldn’t surprise him, but somewhere along the way, he had started listening for them because he wanted her company.

And it was always worse on those nights she didn’t come at all.

But now she was lying beside him, close enough that her hair brushed his cheek.

He wanted to kiss her again before she had even finished opening her eyes.

When her hand slipped around his side, Jingwei caught her wrist before he could stop himself.

Zhiyi went still, and he looked down at his fingers around her arm. His grip wasn’t tight, but the speed of his reaction bothered him. A moment earlier, he had been pulling her closer.

"Give me a moment," Jingwei said, loosening his fingers and bringing her hand back between them.

He kept his voice gentle as he met her eyes. "You didn’t do anything wrong. I just wasn’t expecting it."

Zhiyi rested her hand on the pillow without moving away. She seemed more interested in whether he was comfortable than upset that he had stopped her, which helped him let go of her wrist.

"Would you like to change positions?" Zhiyi asked. "You don’t have to stay like this because I’m comfortable."

Jingwei considered it while his breathing settled.

He didn’t want her farther away, and he was relieved she hadn’t assumed that was what he meant. Rolling onto his back, he held out his hand and waited for her to take it.

"Come here," Jingwei said, guiding her toward his shoulder. "Let me hold you for a while."

She settled against him, resting her palm on his chest where he placed it.

He stroked her hair, letting his fingers move slowly through the loose strands until his arm relaxed around her.

When she tipped her face up to look at him, he brushed his thumb along her cheek and leaned down to kiss her.

He let himself enjoy it without worrying about what might happen afterward. Zhiyi kept her hand against his chest, and when he pulled back, she lifted her face to kiss him again.

They shifted until they were both comfortable, although Jingwei caught the blanket beneath his knee and nearly pulled it off the bed in the process.

Zhiyi laughed as he freed it, and he found himself laughing with her.

After that, it was easier to tell her where he wanted her hand or ask her to come closer without making every adjustment into a discussion.

The light around the curtains faded while they lay together.

Jingwei could have reached the lamp, but Zhiyi had closed her eyes, her head on his pillow and one hand tucked beneath her cheek.

He stayed beside her, brushing a strand of hair away from her mouth.

"You’re still awake," Zhiyi murmured, opening her eyes just enough to find his face.

"I’m getting comfortable," Jingwei replied, pulling the blanket over her shoulder. He rested his hand beside hers and smiled when she reached for it. "Go back to sleep. We don’t need to get up yet."

He meant to stay awake a little longer, but the next time he opened his eyes, pale daylight was showing around the curtains.

For a moment, he lay still, trying to work out how much time had passed. His mouth was dry, and his stomach reminded him that they hadn’t eaten dinner.

Zhiyi was still asleep beside him. Her hand lay open between their pillows, and he touched her fingers gently before looking toward the clock.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept so long without waking to check the corridor.

He wanted to do it again.

He wanted to find her beside him tomorrow and the morning after that, with her brush by his sink and her slippers beneath the bed.

The thought stayed with him as he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Did you sleep?" Zhiyi asked, blinking up at him. She moved her hand over his on the pillow while he brushed the hair away from her face.

"More than I meant to," Jingwei admitted with a smile. "We slept through dinner. I should find us something to eat."

"We can have breakfast in a little while," Zhiyi replied. When he started to rise, she caught his hand and kept it beside her. "I’m not ready to get up."

Jingwei settled back onto the pillow, happy to stay.

Her wedding ring caught the light as she brought their hands together, and he found himself looking at it.

He remembered helping Hanchuan prepare for the wedding and watching Zhiyi walk toward him.

Even then, Jingwei had wanted to remain part of her life for as long as she would have him.

He didn’t know exactly when it had happened, probably some time between living with her full time and realizing just how far humans had fallen, he started wanting more.

He wanted to marry her.

He had thought about asking during quiet evenings at Xiling, then put it off whenever there was another repair to finish or another move to prepare for.

He had kept waiting for a time when there would be less to worry about, as though the world had given him any reason to expect one.

"Is my ring catching on something?" Zhiyi asked, following his gaze. She began turning it with her thumb, but he covered her hand before she could take it off.

"No, leave it on," Jingwei said. He stroked her fingers, knowing he needed to explain before she misunderstood. "I was thinking about asking you to wear one from me, too."

Zhiyi stopped moving. Jingwei sat up with her hand still in his, waiting while she settled against the pillows.

He had no ring to give her and no words written down, but he had her attention, and he knew what he wanted to ask.

"I’ve wanted to marry you for a long time," Jingwei told her. "I kept waiting until I could ask properly, with a ring and everything planned. But I woke up beside you this morning, and I don’t want to put it off again."

Her fingers tightened around his as he lifted her hand to his mouth. He kissed her knuckles, then lowered their joined hands to the blanket, watching her face as he spoke.

"We can decide how we want to do it together," Jingwei said. His voice softened, but he held her gaze.

"Will you marry me, Zhiyi?"