One hundred.

"Yuwei, will you get engaged to me and go with me to Europe?"

Ye Lifeng looked at Xia Yuwei with heartfelt sincerity, waiting for her answer.

Xia Yuwei stood there as if turned to stone. She struggled to steady her ragged breathing. So he knew everything. He knew about the murky entanglement between her and Lu Yichen, knew that Lu Yichen had hurt her, knew that her heart was wavering...

After leaving Lu Yichen's home, she had lost even more courage to face Xin Xin and Lu Yichen. Her thoughts were in knots. The cold look in Lu Yichen's eyes when he questioned her kept drifting before her mind. She could no longer tell right from wrong, truth from falsehood.

She was no saint. She could never embrace a man who had gone to another woman's bed and comfort him as though he were the one wronged. And yet, some faint guilt had still taken root in her heart.

Very well. She did not want to forgive him, and he did not want to forgive her. Then let it end there. Goodbye. The Lu Yichen who had once pursued her so relentlessly had vanished without a trace. And she, too, had changed her address and her number.

She still remembered the figure that had stood downstairs through a damp, windy night; she still remembered his wild rush out of the hospital on a bitter late-autumn evening to find her...

Perhaps she had grown used to his stubborn devotion, and his wordless departure had only made her uneasy by contrast.

But it was all over now, wasn't it? People always had to learn to look ahead.

Lu Yichen would never cling to her like that again, and she would no longer care about him either. Yes, everything was over.

"Yuwei..." Ye Lifeng placed a hand on Xia Yuwei's shoulder and called to her softly. What was she thinking about so deeply? Her expression was so lost, so distant...

Xia Yuwei came back to herself and answered quietly, "Lifeng, thank you. You have been very good to me."

"Yuwei, is that your answer? If you truly thank me, if you truly feel that I have treated you well, then please think seriously about my proposal, all right? Maybe this place has brought you too much pain. There is nothing wrong with leaving it behind, is there?"

"Perhaps." Xia Yuwei smiled at him gently and said in a soft voice, "Lifeng, give me some time to think it over, all right?"

"Yuwei, don't make me wait too long. I might not sleep at all tonight." Ye Lifeng smiled as well. An atmosphere that was too solemn, too tender, would frighten her. Besides, if he did not say it today, when would he? More importantly, just as he had expected, she had not refused outright. That meant he still had a real chance, didn't it?

He had long seen that Xia Yuwei was a somewhat indecisive girl, one who listened carefully to her parents and always tried to please everyone, unwilling to disappoint anyone who had been kind to her. Ye Lifeng himself felt that such a person must live a very tiring life, yet now he loved that very trait in her. Because of it, he had the chance to prove to her parents that he was someone who could bring her happiness, and her parents would help him persuade her to fall into his embrace...

"Lifeng..."

"Don't say anything. Say nothing for now. Yuwei, think carefully about my proposal. If one day you regret it, you can leave me whenever you wish. I will not stop you from seeking your own happiness."

Xia Yuwei was moved by his selflessness and generosity. Lately, she had truly felt exhausted. She wanted a shoulder to lean on. So when Ye Lifeng drew her into his arms, she remained quiet and did not resist.

Yes, his embrace was warm too... although she seemed deaf, unable to hear his heartbeat.

Far away on the beach, Wang Yanran and Xia Changxi watched as their daughter’s slender figure disappeared into Ye Lifeng’s tall embrace. They clasped each other’s hands and exchanged a smile.

"Xi, has our daughter finally found her happiness, the way I found you?" Wang Yanran leaned against her husband’s shoulder and said with feeling.

"Perhaps. These past few days, we have all seen it: Ye Lifeng is a good boy, steady and thoughtful, and his family is very traditional. I believe he will surely make Weiwei happy," Xia Changxi said with a smile.

"We can witness our daughter finding her own place in the world. In truth, we are happy too. In this lifetime, with you and Weiwei, I really want for nothing..."

"Mm. Me too..."

That afternoon, Ye Lifeng sent the three of them back to the Imperial Court Hotel.

Along the way, he took the initiative to tell Xia Changxi and Wang Yanran about his plan to pursue further studies overseas, and explained that he wanted to take Xia Yuwei with him, which was why he hoped to become engaged soon, while Xia Yuwei was still considering it.

As he spoke, a smile lingered at the corners of his mouth. Looking at the slightly flustered Xia Yuwei, he said casually, "Yuwei, isn't that right?"

"Ah? ... Yes, yes..." Xia Yuwei had not expected him to be so frank with her parents. She had wanted to digest it herself first. "I am... considering it..."

Wang Yanran and Xia Changxi exchanged another glance. Wang Yanran said, "This is a matter between the two of you; it should be decided by you yourselves. Still, I would like to know what your parents think. Can they accept Weiwei so quickly?"

"My parents are crazy about Weiwei. They tell me every day that I should work hard, bring a good girl like Weiwei home as soon as possible, and cherish her properly," Ye Lifeng said, half serious and half joking.

Xia Changxi took up the conversation. "Well, that's good. We were only worried that Weiwei is still young and not very worldly. Isn't it too early to get engaged now? And her studies aren't finished yet. To go abroad like this..." He voiced his concern.

"You needn't worry about that, Uncle and Auntie. I have already looked into it. The credits from D&T University are recognized by the top schools in Europe. Continuing in her major and at her current level will not be a problem. If I take her abroad, I will arrange the best school for her in Europe. Besides, because Weiwei is still young, I will take even better care of her. Uncle and Auntie should have faith in me on this point..."

Xia Yuwei listened quietly to their conversation. This was the first time she had felt that Ye Lifeng was a man with very deep thoughts...