63: Chapter 63 This promise, drawn for nineteen years, has finally been fulfilled today.

The red oil in the copper pot bubbled away, and the white steam diffused through the cramped living room, fogging up the window glass.

Chen Fan held his long chopsticks, precisely plucking a round fish eye from the rolling red broth. The thing was slippery, but his hand was steady, and he dropped it straight into Su Wanqing's bowl.

"Eat it while it's hot." Chen Fan also picked off the most tender piece of fish cheek meat and piled it into her bowl. "This is a beauty elixir. You used to love this the most, saying it would grant you eternal youth."

Su Wanqing was just about to put a piece of wide vermicelli into her mouth, but her movements froze.

She looked at the trembling fish eye in her bowl, and her eyes turned red without warning.

This scene was all too familiar.

Nineteen years ago, in that ten-square-meter rented room in the urban village of Guangcheng, it was pouring rain outside, and the roof was leaking. They were huddled around a small electric pot eating hotpot just like this. They were poor back then, unable to afford good meat, so they could only buy the fish heads left over at the market after closing time.

Back then, Chen Fan did the same thing, picking out the only fish eye for her and saying with a grin, "Wifey, eat this, and you'll be the prettiest girl in all of Guangcheng."

She was naive back then, believing his nonsense, thinking that as long as they had love, they could live on water, and even living in a basement would be sweet.

"What's wrong? Is it too spicy?" Seeing that she wasn't using her chopsticks, Chen Fan pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.

Su Wanqing didn't take the tissue but instead wiped her eyes haphazardly with the back of her hand and sniffled. "Chen Fan, you have a really good memory."

"Of course. Everything about you is etched in my brain." Chen Fan started his glib talk again.

"We were so poor back then." Su Wanqing interrupted him, her voice slightly hoarse. "To save two yuan on bus fare, we would walk five kilometers to buy groceries. To celebrate my birthday, you went to a construction site to move bricks for three days, just to buy that cake that cost a few dozen yuan."

The smile on Chen Fan's face slowly faded, and he put down his chopsticks.

"Wanqing..."

"Do you know why I followed you so devotedly back then?" Su Wanqing lifted her head, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moisture. "Because you knew how to sell dreams. You said that in the future, you would let me live in a big house, drive luxury cars, wear designer brands, and make me the happiest woman in the world."

She laughed at herself, stuffed that fish eye into her mouth, and chewed it fiercely a few times, as if chewing up the grievances of those years.

"That dream was painted so big, so fragrant. I knew it might be poisonous, but I still swallowed it like a fool. Later, you left, and the dream went sour, but I still couldn't bear to throw it away."

The room went quiet, with only the sound of the hotpot boiling remaining.

Chen Fan looked at the woman before him who had endured hardships and suffering with him, and who now had fine lines at the corners of her eyes. His heart felt like it was being tightly gripped by a giant hand.

He reached out and took Su Wanqing's hand across the table. Her hand was cold and a bit rough.

"Wanqing." Chen Fan's voice was as heavy as iron. "I was a jerk before, only good at painting empty pictures to satisfy hunger. But this time is different."

He stared into her eyes, enunciating every word. "This time, the dream is real. The flour is made of gold, and the filling is made of diamonds. I will use the rest of my life to bake this dream for you. If I ever let you suffer even a little bit of grievance again, you can take a knife and stab me to death, and I will never fight back."

Su Wanqing looked at him.

The shadow of that once-frivolous youth finally merged with the silhouette of the steady man before her.

She didn't pull her hand back, but instead lowered her head to take a sip of soup, holding back her tears.

"Eat." She said in a muffled voice. "The meat is overcooked."

After the meal, Chen Fan insisted on washing the dishes.

Su Wanqing sat on the sofa in a daze until Chen Fan came out, wiping his hands.

"Are you free this afternoon?" Su Wanqing asked suddenly.

Chen Fan was stunned, then ecstatic. "Yes! Definitely! Even if the sky falls, I have time! Why, are we going to get our marriage license?"

"In your dreams." Su Wanqing rolled her eyes at him, stood up, and straightened her clothes. "Come out with me for a stroll. I haven't bought clothes in a long time, and I want to... be better to myself."

"Shopping? Sure!" Chen Fan threw his apron aside. "Let's go, let's go right now!"

"Wait a moment, I'll go back to my room to change. I can't go out in these pajamas."

"Why change? You look fine like this." Chen Fan grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the door without giving her a choice. "Come with me to a place."

"Where are we going? Chen Fan, slow down!"

Chen Fan didn't speak. He pulled her out the door, but didn't go downstairs. Instead, he turned and walked to the security door next door, which had a brand-new "Fu" character decal on it.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

He entered a string of numbers on the keypad lock.

Su Wanqing saw it clearly; it was her birthday.

With a "click," the heavy armored door popped open.

A wave of warmth rushed toward them.

Su Wanqing was pulled into the house, and she was completely stunned.

This was no ordinary residence; it was as if a five-star hotel had been moved into this old, dilapidated building.

Underfoot was warm, imported teak flooring, and the whole house had underfloor heating, making it feel toasty when stepped on. On the walls hung several abstract paintings she couldn't understand but felt were very expensive, and in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was a set of leather sofas that looked incredibly soft.

"You... are you burning money?" Su Wanqing felt a pang of heartache. "Why keep the heating on so high when no one lives here? How much does this cost to run every day?"

"I've never turned off the heat, just waiting for you to come." Chen Fan closed the door and casually grabbed Su Wanqing's finger, pressing it onto the fingerprint scanner of the door lock. "Record your fingerprint. From now on, this is our home. The password is your birthday; you can come whenever you want."

"Who is 'our home' with you..." Su Wanqing said stubbornly, but she didn't pull her finger back.

"Come, look over here."

Chen Fan led her into the master bedroom.

The master bedroom was absurdly large, with a 2.2-meter bed in the middle. But Chen Fan didn't let her look at the bed; instead, he pushed open a hidden door on the side.

The sensor lights turned on.

Su Wanqing held her breath.

This was a huge walk-in closet, even bigger than her current bedroom.

The cabinets on both sides were filled with clothes.

Not messy, miscellaneous brands, but big-name items arranged neatly by color, season, and occasion. Chanel suits, Dior dresses, McQueen coats...

Every piece had the tags removed, had been dry-cleaned, and emitted a faint woody fragrance.

"I didn't know your current size, so I estimated based on your old measurements, slightly widened just a bit." Chen Fan leaned against the doorframe, watching her shocked back. "If they don't fit, I'll call the designers over to alter them."

Su Wanqing touched a cream-colored cashmere coat with trembling hands.

The texture was as delicate as a baby's skin.

This was a scene she wouldn't even dare to dream of. What woman wouldn't want a walk-in closet like this?

"Chen Fan." Su Wanqing turned around and looked at him. "Did you plan this long ago? Buying the place next door, emptying out the supermarket, buying all these clothes... are you so sure I'll forgive you?"

Chen Fan walked over and stood in front of her.

The two were very close, close enough to hear each other's breathing.

"I'm not sure," Chen Fan said honestly. "I even prepared myself for you never forgiving me for the rest of your life."

He reached out, gently grabbed Su Wanqing's shoulders, and turned her to face the huge full-length mirror.

In the mirror, the man was tall and upright, and the woman, though wearing old pajamas, still couldn't hide her charm.

"But I've made up my mind." Chen Fan looked at the pair in the mirror, his voice low and firm. "Su Wanqing, in this life, I'm stuck on you. If you don't marry me, I'll stay right next door and guard you for the rest of my life. If you date someone, I'll break that man's legs; if you grow old alone, I'll accompany you as an old man until we're both old and gray."

"You don't have to forgive me, but you can't drive me away."

These words were shameless to the extreme, yet also affectionate to the extreme.

Su Wanqing looked at Chen Fan in the mirror, looking at that desperate, all-or-nothing madness in his eyes.

The line of defense in her heart, that wall she had held up for over a decade, collapsed with a roar.

She was tired.

She didn't want to pretend to be strong anymore.

Chen Fan felt her shoulders relax, so he took a step forward and opened his arms, pulling her tightly into his embrace.

This embrace had been gone for nineteen years.

It was still warm, still broad, and still made her feel the urge to shed tears.

Su Wanqing buried her face in his chest, smelling the fresh soap scent on him, and closed her eyes.

After a long while.

"Chen Fan."

A muffled voice came from his arms.

"Hmm?"

Su Wanqing lifted her head, her eyes as red as a rabbit's, but with a streak of fierce determination.

"If... if you dare to lie to me again this time, if you dare to sell me empty dreams again..."

Chen Fan lowered his head, not letting her finish her harsh words.

He kissed her directly.

Blocking all the complaints, all the grievances, and also blocking out this long, nineteen-year span of time.

This time, it was real.