Then she thought, it’s her birthday, and he hadn’t been able to celebrate with her in three years. She didn’t want to spoil the mood.
“How about a walk around Jinghe Park tonight? We’ve lived here a while but haven’t explored it all. It’s nice and cool tonight.”
Not only was it cool, but the night sky after the rain was beautiful.
Zhōu Shíyì: “So we’ll end up walking all the way to the Laboratory Building, right?”
Zhōng Yì smiled but denied it. “Don’t think ill of me.”
Zhōu Shíyì chuckled. “Then let’s just stroll the park. Let’s see how big it really is—maybe I can convince Min Ting to give me some land.”
At 9:30, the two returned from the restaurant to the park.
The park was still brightly lit.
Zhōng Yì held Zhōu Shíyì’s hand as they slowly walked along the lakeside.
“Let’s go running?” She had promised her father back in July to exercise, but hadn’t gotten up even once.
Zhōu Shíyì looked at her dress and didn’t agree.
Zhōng Yì said, “I definitely won’t run in a dress. I’ll change first.”
Zhōu Shíyì still refused. “It’s too late; no running.”
Changing into sportswear and then sweating all over would ruin the atmosphere.
Zhōng Yì hadn’t really wanted to run anyway, but she pretended to be innocent. “Didn’t you say you’d love me properly and go along with everything?”
She turned and hugged his waist, stepping backward.
Zhōu Shíyì lowered his eyes to look at her. “Tonight is special; I’ll walk with you.”
“When did you start liking me?” He changed the subject.
Zhōng Yì: “I don’t know.
Maybe he liked her from the very first day they were together.”
“Probably earlier than you think.”
Zhōu Shíyì lowered his head and kissed her lips. “Remember what I said tonight—don’t keep changing.”
Zhōng Yì laughed. “Am I that kind of person?”
“Hard to say. Your mind’s all on the model testing now; you might forget what you said once we get back.”
“Never.”
They circled the lake, then walked from the East Zone to the West Zone.
The Laboratory Building was in the West Zone; Zhōu Shíyì deliberately held her hand and led her that way.
They walked slowly. An hour passed without them noticing.
Zhōu Shíyì checked his watch: 10:29, one minute to go.
He gestured to Zhōng Yì. “There are a lot of stars tonight. Look.”
Zhōng Yì: “Just looked. Not as many stars as when I was a child in my hometown.”
Right after she said that, jazz music filled the night sky.
The cheerful rhythm resounded above the park.
Zhōng Yì suddenly looked up and saw the sky filled with dazzling “stars.”
Seconds later, she realized it was a drone firework show.
“Why a firework show at this time?”
The stars slowly turned into shooting stars sliding across the night sky.
“They originally planned to start at eight, but most people staying in the park tonight disagreed. They said from eight to nine they’d either be in the lab or the server room. Watching and then working overtime would kill the mood.”
So they moved the show to 10:30.
***
Choosing this background song was Yan Tinglin’s request. It’s what he listens to when happy. Recently, he’d been numb from listening to Cassilu’s music nonstop.
Tonight was Zhōng Yì’s birthday, so he wanted to share in the joy.
When the screen in the sky displayed the title of Laoshi’s work Qu, Zhōng Yì confirmed this drone firework show was for her birthday.
“Engineer Zhōng, happy birthday!”
Zhōng Yì looked at the thousands of drones forming the words, her eyes moistening.
She loved that title the most.
The show lasted nearly half an hour. The final drone displayed an off-road vehicle with the Kuncheng logo, soaring through the sky before the performance ended perfectly.
That was the model of the smart driving large model her team had designed, the future vehicle it would be equipped on.
To get it on the road soon, several teams had been working day and night to break through bottlenecks.
The “off-road vehicle” flew off, and the night sky returned to calm.
Zhōng Yì turned and hugged Zhōu Shíyì, her voice hoarse. “Thank you.
The regrets of birthdays past have all been made up for.”
Zhōu Shíyì rubbed her short hair and took her hand. “Let’s keep walking.”
They explored the West Zone thoroughly, but Zhōng Yì still hadn’t received any messages from Táng Nuòyún.
The tests must still be ongoing, with no feedback yet.
Heading back to the East Zone, they passed the Algorithm Building, its lights all off tonight.
Zhōng Yì was puzzled; it usually had lights on even late.
“Did our building lose power?”
Zhōu Shíyì: “It’s almost midnight. Everyone should have left.”
“But there should still be emergency lights on.”
Zhōng Yì took out her phone and messaged Níng Quē, asking if there was a power outage. He worked in the office and should know.
No reply.
No one else moved around.
She was about to turn her head when the Algorithm Building’s lights gradually turned on, floor by floor.
The glow suddenly illuminated the area around them.
“Must be an electrical problem in the office building,” Zhōng Yì said, turning to Zhōu Shíyì.
But to her surprise, the man was kneeling on one knee, reaching out his hand to her.
Zhōng Yì froze, forgetting to take it.
Zhōu Shíyì held her hand. “I wanted to propose on your birthday, so you’d have one less date to remember.”
It was two minutes past midnight on the sixth.
Before registering their marriage, Zhōng Yì had hoped for some kind of ceremony. But he never took the initiative and even asked her to tell him if she cared about traditions.
She hadn’t said anything, feeling the ceremony she wanted wouldn’t have any meaning.
Besides, their feelings at that time were complicated—they only got along as an engagement partner.
Nearly half a year after registering, with their relationship restored to its original state, she stopped thinking about proposals.
She thought the wedding vows he gave her were enough.
She never expected that after her birthday, still basking in the surprise of the drone show, he would propose.
Zhōng Yì suddenly realized the Algorithm Building’s power hadn’t gone out. The team must all be upstairs watching.
She also thought of why Táng Nuòyún hadn’t replied—maybe many of the chip team were upstairs witnessing the proposal.
Zhōu Shíyì looked up at her. “Last time I brought you home, you asked me what my mom said about you. I was too busy the past two months and forgot to tell you.”
“She said everything. That you’re as obsessed with your profession as Yan Tinglin, often busy until two or three in the afternoon before eating lunch.”
“That you’re very pretty, just not good at painting. That you like scarves but don’t want to buy them. That you love eating fish and sweets.”
“That you enjoy Hong Kong-style dim sum, like Ding Sheng cakes, and like to ride boats. That your home in the small town has a courtyard full of fruit trees and flowers. She also said you treat me well and being with you makes me feel content.”
“No matter if you come from a small town in Jiangcheng or are the daughter of Jiang Jingyuan, you’re the same to me. As long as you want to marry me, no matter how big the family gap is, I will marry you.”
He took off the ring from her ring finger and put it back on. “I love you the same—now and always.”