“Baby, do you know what you’re saying?” He held her hand tightly, feeling a bit warm.
Penelope shook her head, and his heart sank. “I don’t know if I’ll regret it. I don’t know if I’ll grow tired of being with you one day,” she sighed.
His muscles tensed, and he replied, “Yes, you’re thinking right.”
Penelope continued, “But I loved you.” She held his face and gazed into his eyes. “I just wanted to be with you. I loved your sweet words, even when you teased me. I loved it when you guided me on what I could do. I wanted you to plan for me and help me shape my future. I preferred you holding me with one hand and holding Chris with the other…”
He stared at her, feeling like he was in a field of flowers and flying among the clouds.
“The most important thing is that I want to be with you, to have a family together,” she said with deep affection.
Warren asked, “Why didn’t you say these words earlier?” He tightened his embrace.
Penelope whispered, “I was ashamed…”
She thought to herself, ‘Just now, when he casually gave me a ring, it made me excited and shocked. I couldn’t calm down for a long time. I interpreted his simple gesture as having a profound meaning. This gap frustrated me. I was upset that I hadn’t fully won him over in bed so he wouldn’t think of other women in his life.’
He inquired, “What’s more important to you? Your dignity or me?”
“Dignity… you,” she replied firmly.
He took a deep breath and held her tightly. Then he asked, “Will you marry me?”
She lowered her head, the air heavy with tension, but she remained silent.
He felt a headache coming on, pinched her shoulder, and asked, “You get all shy at this moment… Is it amusing?”
Penelope buried herself in his chest, clutching his shirt. “I’m embarrassed…”
He couldn’t resist turning her over and delivering a few light slaps on her back.
“Ouch…” She cried out. Other people’s marriage proposals involved fancy restaurants with candles and roses. There were a few slaps on the backseat of the car.
He placed her on his lap and asked again, “Will you marry me?”
“I don’t want to!” She looked back at him angrily.
“You can do whatever you want to me if you can!” He challenged her.
He placed her back on the seat.
“If… if you slap me again, I… I…” She stammered in a hurry.
Warren asked, “What will you do?”
“Woo woo…” She sank into the seat, burying her head in it and crying for a minute before sitting up with tears in her eyes.
Warren continued, “You pushed me into proposing, but you don’t want to get married. Are you joking?” His expression was cold as he looked at her.
Penelope realized that he was genuinely angry, not joking. She became serious, climbed over, and held onto his waist. “Try again.”
Warren said nothing but didn’t push her away either. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and the people on the street became scarce. She was nestled in his arms and on the verge of falling asleep.
“Marriage isn’t a child’s game; you must be 100% sure about it. Are you?” He asked.
Penelope, barely awake, heard his voice vaguely. She reached out to grab his arm and mumbled, “… I love you.”
Teased by her, he felt a mixture of frustration and tenderness.
“Naughty girl.” He reached out to hug her and playfully pinched her cheek.
He rolled down the window, and the driver promptly approached. “Let’s head home.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver replied.
Penelope suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. She sat up, unsure of when she had fallen asleep.
She touched the sheets, trying to figure out when she had come home. Her face felt clean, and she started to remember bits and pieces. She turned to look at the man standing on the balcony, watching her through a glass door with a cigarette in his hand.
“Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?” She opened the door, feeling the warmth rush in.
Warren waved to her, and she walked over, clinging to him. “We’re registering for marriage next week, okay?” he asked.
Without hesitation, she nodded and replied, “Okay.”
He chuckled and extinguished the cigarette. “You’re so straightforward now?”
She hugged his waist, yawning. “I can’t control the future. At least I have no regrets at the moment.”
“You’re only twenty-one, and I’m thirty-five,” he said, placing his hands on the railing with a sigh.
Penelope responded, “I’m young and beautiful, and you’re rich. We’re a perfect match.” She whispered and looked up at him.
“I love you,” he said.
Penelope bit her lip, feeling a sweet warmth. “I love you too.”
“Can we sleep now?” She yawned once more.
He sighed helplessly, then picked her up and prepared to lay her on the bed so she could sleep.
She settled into the bed and instinctively rolled into his arms. “I know what you’re thinking…”
She nestled against his chest and said softly, “No regrets, that’s my answer.”
Penelope mused to herself without realizing it. “Why did he smoke on the balcony late at night? Why did he suddenly mention registering for marriage?”
Though she had been clueless before, everything became clear to her now. Like a gardener who had found a wildflower he loved, he wanted to bring it back to care for it, but he also feared that it would lose its natural beauty when transplanted elsewhere. He hesitated time and again. Now, the “flower” was speaking.
She had declared that she wouldn’t regret going back with him in the future, nor would she regret not staying in her original place. She wanted to be with him. After expressing her thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.
He chuckled and spent the whole night feeling happy. He held her in his arms and didn’t feel the need for sleep. If he had still been twenty-five, he might have despised himself. But at thirty-five, with plenty of life experience, Warren replied in a whisper, “That’s because you hadn’t met her yet.”