EX-1

Three years later.

In Y Country, at a famous grassland tourist spot.

Wen Yixin and Qin Ruan strolled hand in hand across the vast expanse of the grassland, eventually stopping at a slightly elevated area.

From where they stood, they could see a vast expanse of greenery stretching out before them. A winding brown path meandered through the grassland, flanked by a few scattered, low-standing trees.

A gentle breeze blew past them, causing their hair to flutter. Wen Yixin adjusted her light beige knitted cardigan and turned to Qin Ruan with a smile. "Are you cold?"

Qin Ruan shook her head, smiling back. "Not at all."

Not only was she not cold, but she also found the breeze quite refreshing.

"Is Sister cold?" she asked.

Wen Yixin shook her head slightly. "Not really cold, just a little chilly when the wind blows."

"But now that the wind has calmed down, it's fine," she added, pointing to her cardigan with a smile. "And I have this to keep me warm."

Hearing that, Qin Ruan felt reassured, but she still suggested, "Sister, why don't we head back a bit earlier? The wind might pick up again as it gets late."

Wen Yixin shook her head. "No need to rush."

Then she pointed toward the winding path ahead. "Ruan Ruan, what do you see over there?"

Qin Ruan turned to look but saw nothing unusual on the empty path.

She stared for a while, making sure she hadn't missed anything, then turned back and started to speak, "There's nothing…"

But before she could finish, her words trailed off.

Qin Ruan froze, her gaze fixated on the sparkling diamond ring being presented before her. Slowly, her eyes moved from the ring to the person holding it.

The wind tousled Wen Yixin's hair, but her expression remained unwavering, filled with a gentle smile as she asked, "Ruan Ruan, will you marry me?"

"I heard we can get married here. Will you go with me to get our marriage certificate?"

Qin Ruan was stunned, unable to speak for a long moment.

Wen Yixin didn't rush her, patiently holding the ring with a calm smile.

After what felt like an eternity, a breeze brushed across Qin Ruan's face, bringing her back to her senses. The soft glow of the setting sun reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle with a golden hue.

"Sister." She called softly, her eyes curving into a smile as she finally said, "I will."

A bright smile spread across Wen Yixin's face. She gently took the ring from its box and slowly slipped it onto Qin Ruan's finger.

"It looks beautiful," Wen Yixin said, holding Qin Ruan's hand and smiling warmly.

She pulled Qin Ruan into a hug, resting her chin on her hair, and whispered, "Ruan Ruan, how about we go get our marriage certificate tomorrow?"

"I brought our household registration book with me."

Qin Ruan didn't hesitate and nodded immediately. "Okay."

She couldn't help but laugh. "But, Sister, why did you bring our household registration book when we came to Y Country?"

Wen Yixin chuckled, "Because I knew we could get married here."

"So I came prepared."

"What kind of wedding do you want?"

"Something simple," Qin Ruan replied without hesitation.

Wen Yixin's lips curled into a smile. "That's what I was thinking too."

Qin Ruan leaned on Wen Yixin's shoulder, gazing ahead, and hesitated before asking, "Sister, about Grandpa Wen…"

Two years ago, when they were still in K City, she had accompanied Wen Yixin back to the Wen family's old home and met Wen Yixin's family.

Wen Yixin's older brother and uncle's family were initially surprised by their relationship but gradually accepted it. Wen Yixin's cousin, Wen Miaoling, was particularly supportive.

However, Old Master Wen did not approve of their relationship and even tried to convince Qin Ruan to leave Wen Yixin. But Qin Ruan didn't listen.

Later, when Wen Yixin found out, she immediately went to talk to Old Master Wen alone. Whatever was said in that conversation remained a mystery, but after that, Old Master Wen never mentioned breaking them up again.

His stance seemed to be one of neither support nor opposition.

Not long after, they had moved to Y Country, which was the stronghold of Wen Yixin's grandmother's family.

Soon after arriving, Qin Ruan had met Wen Yixin's grandmother, who was a kind woman, seemingly the polar opposite of Old Master Wen.

As Qin Ruan reminisced about the past, she got lost in thought, only coming back to reality when she heard Wen Yixin's voice.

Wen Yixin raised an eyebrow, "Him?"

"Don't worry about him."

"We're not inviting him to our wedding."

"I plan to invite only Grandma and the others. If my brother and Miaoling are free, I'd like to invite them too. As for other friends, we can invite Xia Luo, Ji Xing, and the others. Does that sound good?"

Xia Luo, Ji Xing, and the others were friends they had made after moving to Y Country. They had gotten along well.

"Won't it be rude not to invite him?" Qin Ruan hesitated. "Maybe we should at least inform him. Whether he comes or not would be up to him."

Although Old Master Wen hadn't been particularly kind to her at first, he hadn't done anything extreme either. In fact, he had only tried to talk her into leaving Wen Yixin. He hadn't taken any actual action against her.

So if they got married without telling him, she worried it might cause unnecessary trouble.

Seeing the concern on Qin Ruan's face, Wen Yixin gently smoothed the furrowed brow with her fingers and said softly, "Alright, we'll do it your way."

"I'll let him know."

"With Grandma here, he won't dare do anything."

Old Master Wen and Grandma Wen had been living apart for a long time. From the memories Wen Yixin inherited, she knew their separation likely stemmed from the death of her parents.

Grandma Wen had always believed that Old Master Wen's ambition was too much, leading to her son's death. He had insisted they rush back to the capital in a storm to close a business deal, a decision that ultimately cost them their lives.

Thinking about it, Wen Yixin couldn't help but sigh quietly.

She hugged Qin Ruan closer. "Don't worry about anything, Ruan Ruan. I'll handle it."

Qin Ruan nuzzled her shoulder and softly agreed, "Okay."

The next day.

Outside the civil affairs office, Wen Yixin glanced at the newly acquired marriage certificate in her hand, then at Qin Ruan beside her, a smile blooming on her face. "Ruan Ruan, from today on, you're officially my wife."

Qin Ruan returned her smile, raising the red booklet in her hand. "And from today on, Sister is officially my wife too."

After saying that, she glanced around, noticing that there weren't many people nearby. She leaned in and gave Wen Yixin a quick kiss on the lips, the sound a soft "mwah."

After stealing a kiss, Qin Ruan's smile widened.

She grabbed Wen Yixin's hand, her eyes sparkling. "Sister, let's go try on wedding dresses."

It was one of the plans they had made for the day.

Wen Yixin looked at the mischievous smile on Qin Ruan's face and couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, let's go try on wedding dresses."

Half an hour later, they arrived at a bridal shop.

Since they had made an appointment in advance, a staff member was ready to greet them as soon as they arrived, guiding them to the bridal display area.

Various wedding dresses, ranging from intricate to simple, quickly came into view.

Wen Yixin's gaze swept across the dresses one by one until she paused on one. She turned to Qin Ruan, "Ruan Ruan, how about trying that one?"

"Which one?"

Wen Yixin pointed it out, and Qin Ruan followed her gaze.

The dress had a short train, a full skirt with layers upon layers of tulle, each layer adorned with delicate white daisies. The bodice was off-the-shoulder with a V-neck, and the daisies were densely embroidered, almost covering the entire bodice. Despite the dense embroidery, each daisy was meticulously crafted. The headpiece also featured daisies, complementing the entire ensemble with a unique charm.

Wen Yixin knew at first glance that this dress would suit Qin Ruan perfectly.

"How about trying it on, Ruan Ruan?" Wen Yixin asked with a smile.

"Okay, I'll try it on," Qin Ruan agreed without hesitation. The dress was both beautiful and suited her style.

"Which one will Sister try on?"

Wen Yixin looked around and pointed to a dress.

"That one."

Qin Ruan looked over and saw a simple yet elegant dress. The only embellishments were a large white rose on the waistline and a few smaller white roses adorning the headpiece.

It was indeed very fitting for Wen Yixin.

Qin Ruan smiled, "Sister, let's each try on our chosen dresses. If they're not suitable, we can pick others."

"Alright, let's try them on first," Wen Yixin agreed with a smile. "You go first, Ruan Ruan. I'll help you take a look."

"Okay." Qin Ruan didn't refuse and quickly agreed.

The staff led Qin Ruan and Wen Yixin to a spacious fitting room, bringing along the dresses they had chosen.

Soon, both dresses were delivered to the fitting room.

At Wen Yixin's suggestion, Qin Ruan went behind the curtain to try on her dress first.

Wen Yixin sat on a soft sofa outside the curtain, patiently waiting.

After a while, the curtain was finally drawn open, and Wen Yixin looked up, instantly captivated by the sight before her.

Qin Ruan walked slowly, her skirt swaying slightly with each step, creating a graceful, elegant movement.

She nervously clutched her hands together and asked, "Sister, does this look good on me?"

Wen Yixin snapped out of her daze.

She carefully examined Qin Ruan, a smile growing wider on her lips. "It looks beautiful."

"It's the most beautiful you've ever looked."

Qin Ruan was surprised, the anxiety in her heart easing a bit. "Really?"

Wen Yixin nodded with a soft smile. "Really."

She stepped forward, gently placing her hands on Qin Ruan's shoulders and turning her toward the mirror. "Look."

"Isn't it beautiful?"

Qin Ruan gazed at her reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but be a little stunned.

It really did look beautiful.

A smile blossomed on her face as she turned to look at Wen Yixin beside her.

Wen Yixin smiled back, her voice gentle as she called, "Ruan Ruan."

"Hmm?" Qin Ruan looked up, blinking, causing the veil on her head to sway slightly.

Wen Yixin was momentarily mesmerized and instinctively reached out to caress Qin Ruan's face.

"You look like a princess."

And this princess was about to marry her.