Chapter 673: Proposal

Fang Ye laughed, "Calm down! I just wanted to discuss it with you first. If I were to propose formally, I would definitely be more serious about it. At the very least, I'd get a diamond ring and a bouquet of roses. It can't be so casual, right?"

He felt that girls placed a lot of importance on such moments and needed a sense of ceremony.

Lan Li shook her head and said seriously, "If you buy it, I'll only wear it for a while. If I wear it all the time, it would be inconvenient when washing hands or cooking, and how would I take care of you? If I put it away and don't wear it, it would be a waste. I don't need a diamond ring to prove anything, as long as you treat me well."

Fang Ye held her hand, gently stroking her delicate fingers, and said warmly, "Even if you don't need it, I still have to get you one. Otherwise, your parents might think I'm stingy and that I'm mistreating you. It's not about the money."

He thought to himself, diamond rings are indeed a bit cliché. Maybe a jade ring would be better?

Lan Li stretched her arms and pouted, looking a bit disappointed, "I thought it was a proposal, but I got happy for nothing."

Fang Ye laughed, "That's easy to fix. How about I propose formally right now? Come, sit on the chair!"

The red-whiskered bulbul chirped cheerfully from a branch, while Hua Hua lay comfortably in the sun.

Lan Li bit her lip, her heart pounding!

She had been waiting for this day for a long time.

Fang Ye picked a small bouquet from the vegetable patch, knelt on one knee, and held up the flowers.

He looked at her tenderly, "I want my cat to always be carefree, eating and sleeping well every day. Will you be my cat?"

Hua Hua opened her eyes, yawned lazily, and tilted her head to look.

In the sunlight, Lan Li's hair tips fluttered in the breeze.

Holding the flowers, she showed her white teeth and smiled brightly, "I will!"

At that moment, she felt an immense happiness.

They both stood up, gazing sweetly at each other. Fang Ye leaned in and gently kissed her forehead.

Looking at Lan Li's face with gentle eyes, he stroked her back tenderly, as if petting a cat.

Lan Li snuggled into Fang Ye's arms, giggling uncontrollably.

"Honey, when are we taking the next step?"

"What?"

"Getting engaged!"

When they got engaged, their parents would need to meet and discuss the wedding arrangements, including the dowry and the auspicious date for the wedding.

Fang Ye sighed, "Sigh~"

Lan Li looked up curiously, "Why did you sigh all of a sudden?"

Fang Ye explained, "When I was a kid, I went to weddings with my parents and saw the bride and groom greeting guests, offering cigarettes and drinks. The host would narrate, and the parents would give speeches. It seemed like getting married was a very troublesome and exhausting affair.

I thought that when I got married, I would just want to be with the person I love, without all those complicated procedures.

Human social rituals are so troublesome. In this aspect, animals have it easier.

But now that I've grown up, I realize my childhood thoughts were naive. These necessary steps can't be avoided!"

Lan Li understood Fang Ye's personality and said considerately, "Then let's get married quietly and keep it simple, or wait until you're ready."

Fang Ye pinched her nose and laughed, "We've been together for so long, and you've agreed. Why delay any further? Let's call our parents today and tell them!"

"Okay!"

...

Fang Ye went back inside and called his mom.

"Hello, Mom!"

At that moment, Fang's mom was in her office looking at spreadsheets!

But seeing Fang Ye's call, she immediately answered.

Leaning back in her chair, she smiled warmly, "What brings you to call Mom today?"

Fang Ye felt a bit embarrassed to say it directly, "Just calling to check in! How's work? Busy?"

"Busy! If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."

"Hey, wait, let's chat a bit. How's the weather over there?"

"Well, it's already autumn. We've had a couple of rains, and with each autumn rain, it gets colder. The temperature has dropped, and we don't need the air conditioning anymore. It's a bit chilly."

"It's still hot here! By the way, the apples we planted in the yard are ripe. They taste great. Why don't you come over during your vacation to try them? Oh, and there's something else."

"What is it?"

"We're planning to get engaged..."

Upon hearing this, Fang's mom leaned forward!

She was shocked and excited, holding the phone in disbelief!

Every time she called, she wanted to ask about his relationship progress, but she was afraid of being annoying.

Now, young people seem to have strong opinions about marriage and don't like being rushed.

She was waiting for him to bring it up, and today he gave her such a surprise.

Fang Ye heard no response for a while and checked the signal, puzzled, "Hello?"

His mom laughed and scolded, "You rascal, why beat around the bush about inviting us to eat apples? Just say you're getting engaged!"

Fang Ye: "Hehe!"

"Of course... We fully support it!"

After hanging up, Fang's mom quickly informed Fang's dad of the good news.

"Hey, Lao Fang, our son is getting engaged!"

Fang's dad was also stunned, "What!"

After a moment of silence, he sighed, "Although I knew our son has been dating for almost a year, I didn't expect him to get married so soon. It feels unreal."

"It feels like we didn't have enough time to dote on him. Ever since he went to college at 18, we rarely saw him. Now, in the blink of an eye, he's starting his own family. I still think of him as a child, and now he'll be even farther from us."

"Isn't this what you always hoped for?"

Fang's mom wiped her tears, feeling a bit sad, "Yes, but it's still hard to let go."

Fang's dad comforted her, "Hey, kids grow up and leave their parents. Our son is very capable and will have a good life. Getting married is a good thing for him, and we should wish him happiness."

Fang's mom's mood stabilized, "You're right. I remember when he was so cute as a child, reading fairy tales and mopping the floor at home, telling me he wanted to trade labor for honey."

Lan Li also informed her parents, and they had no objections.

During the Chinese New Year, they had noticed their daughter seemed to be in a relationship but didn't say anything. Later, she showed them Fang Ye's photos and talked about their relationship and Fang Ye's character, gradually revealing more details, and finally mentioned his family background.

Although they were a bit worried that Fang Ye's good conditions might lead to him breaking up with their daughter, every update showed that they were very happy together.

The parents of both families then called each other, politely discussing the dowry and engagement arrangements, and agreed to meet during the upcoming National Day holiday.