Su Jingyi wasn't sure how to react to his words. She would be a liar if she said she wasn't moved by his words and his effort to see her again like this, but hadn't she already decided to move on?

  If she allowed herself to be swayed by his words, Su Jingyi knew that the next heartache would be worse than the one she suffered before. Her eyes turned misty, surprising Yun Zhen.

  "Are you sure about this then?" She asked him straightforwardly but seeing the look on his face, Su Jingyi should know by now that Yun Zhen had truly made up his mind. The only question left would be if she was willing to give him a chance and allow herself to love him again.

  "I don't want to regret it, Su Jingyi. I'm sure of this, so would you please reconsider me?" Yun Zhen replied, hoping that she would see his sincerity this time.

  He didn't want to give up so easily and accept that she couldn't be with him any longer. Just the thought of not being able to see her or talk to her ever again had already pushed him to the brink of insanity.

  "But why me?" Su Jingyi swallowed the invisible lump in her throat and looked away. Compared to the empress, her looks were lacking. She didn't have the same regal aura Tang Moyu had. Her face wasn't as outstanding either, something one would easily forget over time.

  "Why not you?" Yun Zhen asked in return. "I think you are amazing as you are."

  Who in the world would be able to understand him better than Su Jingyi did? Yun Zhen didn't easily trust people and although he and Su Jingyi used to have arguments, they knew each other better than anyone else.

  How could he overlook this fact all these years? Yun Zhen had no idea. It was probably because his sight was on Tang Moyu that he had failed to notice a precious gem right in front of him. But he was willing to rectify his mistake. He wanted to win Su Jingyi's favor this time.

  Su Jingyi, who had gotten used to being overlooked as a friend by Yun Zhen for more than a decade. was rendered speechless by his words. She wasn't used to being given attention like this. This blockhead. What was he even thinking, asking her parents first before her?

  "If you are sure…."

  "I am sure. You should know by now, I won't easily accept defeat, Su Jingyi." Yun Zhen refused to wave the white flag without giving his best shot.

  The woman in front of him chuckled, dispelling the awkwardness between them.

  "What's so funny?" Yun Zhen frowned, not knowing what made her laugh at him. Had he said something wrong again?

  He admitted that the first time he proposed marriage to her, he hadn't given it a good thought. No wonder Su Jingyi shut him down and denied him, but he knew better now.

  Didn't she say that she wanted him to give her a reason to marry him? Yun Zhen wasn't good with words, but he could show her his sincerity through his actions.

  "You. Do you think this is another business deal that you have to secure?" She smirked at him.

  How can Su Jingyi not know that the face he currently had was his 'Game On' mask? The glint in his eyes, his straight posture told her more than words could explain to her.

  No one in their right mind would just show up on someone else's doorstep in the middle of the night, especially when she hadn't never given him the details regarding where her family lived and where she would be staying after she left Shenzhen. Yet it hadn't stopped Yun Zhen from finding her.

  Her eyes caught the four bags he and Su Jingli brought in. Yes, he had brought four bags with him and not just one. He was truly on a vacation and intended to stay longer near where she was staying.

  Su Jingyi took a few steps away from him. She felt invaded, not only in her own house but also in her mind. The past few weeks away from Yun Zhen, living in oblivion, had been perfect and now that he was here, she had a strange feeling that he had just caught up with her.

  "No!" Yun Zhen answered with a stiff expression on his face. "But you are someone I'm not ready to let go. My future and my happiness depend on this endeavor of mine, so please, don't cut me out of your life so soon, Su Jingyi. I'm willing to compromise if you must know. What am I supposed to do to prove that I……"

  "You what?" Su Jingyi held her breath as she waited for his answer. It was rare, even for her, to hear Yun Zhen talk this much about something that wasn't related to work. Was he truly over Tang Moyu now?

  She might have engaged with him in a battle of wits several times before, however, for some strange reason, she couldn't do anything right now but think how good he looked at the moment.

  Yun Zhen looked as good as she remembered. His hair recently trimmed in its usual hairstyle, his stature tall and a little more muscular than she remembered seeing him last time, before she left Shenzhen, except that tonight he wasn't dressed in a business suit but a casual wear with that prominent blue scarf wound around his neck.

  Yun Zhen covered half of his face with one hand and looked at her. Su Jingyi wasn't sure if she was seeing things as she saw a slight blush on his face as he looked away. Surely, she had been hallucinating, she told herself. That would be so out of his character if he did.

  "Su Jingyi, if you don't mind… if you don't mind accepting me, can you share the rest of your life with me?"