“Good morning,” came his steady voice—the voice I’d hear every morning for the rest of my life, even into old age.
“Morning.” I smiled, imagining him right in front of me. “Are you at the office already?”
“I am. Are you wearing your ring today?”
“Of course. Is that the only thing you care about?”
“I’m sorry about what I said yesterday.” After years of being together, Hao Yi knew my temper well. Whenever we disagreed, he would always step back first and offer a compromise. “I thought about it a lot last night. What I want for the future is to live with you. Buying a house is secondary. There’s so much to plan for the wedding, and it’s going to cost a lot too. If you think it’s too early to buy, we can wait.”
Hao Yi had always said his biggest dream was to buy a home in Taipei, but now he was willing to compromise for the sake of marrying me. No one in this world could be a better partner for me than Hao Yi.
“Hao Yi, thank you for doing this for me. I know how important buying a house is to you...” Unknowingly, my eyes began to sting with emotion. “But seriously, that property yesterday was a no-go! The photos and reality were worlds apart!”
“Blame it on Mr. Li!” Hao Yi joked.
“Exactly, it’s all Mr. Li’s fault!” I laughed along. “By the way, what time do you get off work today? I want to go to the jewelry counter.”
“The jewelry counter? For... what?” Hao Yi sounded nervous, as if I might be planning to return the ring.
“The ring is too loose—I want to get it resized! Why are you so tense?”
“So, does that mean... you’re accepting my proposal?”
“Yes, from now on, please call me Mrs. Li.” I nodded firmly.
“Wonderful!” Hao Yi sounded genuinely happy. “Ah, I have to head into a meeting now. I’ll call you after work!”
After hanging up, I looked again at the engagement ring on my hand, feeling a deep sense of contentment. I realized that a proposal and a ring weren’t just symbolic gestures—they stayed with me, pulling me back to reality when needed. They reminded me that Chu Ke Huan and I were not on the same path.
I am not like Chu Ke Huan, who uses fleeting encounters to escape the challenges of a relationship. Nor am I like Ke Fei, who embodies the carefree urbanite, seeking solace in casual flings when faced with the uncertainties of marriage. Marriage may indeed be a grave, but at least I’ve chosen someone I truly want to share my life with as my burial partner. While Hao Yi and I may have slightly different visions for our “coffin,” I know his character well enough to believe this won’t cause major problems between us.
I held on to this belief—until the moment of destruction arrived.
0 Comments