The Eight-Year Lie： Shattered Vows and a Vengeful Heart - Chapter 3
After I graduated from university, Xu Ge’s mother immediately began preparing our wedding home, carefully considering the location, facilities, and floor. All I had to do was wait for Xu Ge’s proposal.
Xu Ge proposed three years after our graduation. It was a scorching summer; the leaves shimmered in the sun, and the wind carried a faint scent of gardenias.
Xu Ge took me back to our freshman classroom. Fortunately, it was summer vacation, and the school was empty. When he pushed open the door, countless photos hung in the classroom.
I walked down the aisle and saw our first photo together, his face covered in cream, smiling proudly at the camera.
That day, I agreed to be his girlfriend.
There were also photos of our hike together, of our secret relationship becoming public, and of him styling my hair and putting a hairpin in it at our graduation.
My eyes began to sting!
At that time, all the students’ parents were celebrating their children’s graduation, but I stood there alone, at a loss. It was Xu Ge who walked through the crowd to style my hair and put a hairpin in it. The hairpin was handmade by him, a simple silver one.
Among so many photos, I immediately spotted Xu Ge. Everyone was shouting “Happy Graduation!” only he was shouting, “Jiang Li, I love you!”
I reached out and touched that photo. He looked youthful and vibrant in it. I turned to look at the person who had stolen my heart in my youth. The sunlight outside the window perfectly illuminated him, making me want to get closer. He hadn’t changed; he was still my young man.
When Xu Ge knelt on one knee, my tears were already welling up in my eyes.
He knelt on the ground and said, “Baby, our living room will be your favorite off-white, the curtains will be the lake blue you chose, we’ll only buy furniture you like, and the comforter will be your favorite Chibi Maruko-chan. I won’t argue with you anymore, as long as you let me on the bed, I’ll sleep with anything.”
His words made me laugh and cry at the same time.
The person on the ground suddenly fell silent for a moment. “Baby, you know I’ll love you dearly. You’re the family I personally chose, and I’ve waited too, too long.”
When the ring box opened, I completely lost control. Inside, besides the ring, was a photo.
It was a two-inch, red-background photo, showing us in our graduation gowns, smiling with crescent eyes at the camera. At that time, Xu Ge had already prepared the photo for our marriage certificate, capturing us at our best.
Xu Ge held the box, his eyes red at the corners, his voice choked several times. “Baby, I… we agreed on this.” He held up the photo. “You promised to marry me in freshman year.”
I watched his fingertips tremble with nervousness, and my tears fell uncontrollably. All I could do was nod. He was my Xu Ge! How could I not say yes to him?
