Volume 1, Chapter 177: Wife, Hurry Up!

All the guests had finally departed.

Lu Xiaomu had also finished washing up and changed into her adorable pajamas, falling asleep after hearing two stories.

Even 2S had wandered off to some hidden corner to snore away.

The spacious villa was shrouded in profound silence.

Only Lou Ye stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, still in high spirits.

He gazed at the snow falling outside.

He gently swirled the champagne in his glass.

Taking a sip from time to time, a smile danced at the corners of his eyes and brows, making him look exceptionally pleased.

"Really that happy?"

Sang Wan cast a skeptical look at him. "Xiaomu isn't even your biological son."

"Of course I'm happy."

Lou Ye chuckled, turning around to pull Sang Wan into his embrace. "2S isn't your biological pet either, yet out of the vast sea of humanity, it picked you at first glance to be its owner. Didn't you feel quite smug about that for a long time?"

Sang Wan was momentarily stunned.

Indeed.

2S had darted over to her feet from the pouring rain, dragging her to the plant nursery for shelter, and then let her take it away without the slightest struggle.

She had lost count of how many times she had recounted this story to Lou Ye.

Even Jiang Huai, Jiang Ke'er, He Lan, and Little Star—when they wondered why she was so fond of 2S, considering it was just a stray cat with neither pedigree nor noble lineage—had heard her explain it clearly, over and over again.

To anyone else, it was merely a peculiar encounter.

But to Sang Wan, it was a moment of special favor bestowed upon her by fate.

It let her know that she was not left with nothing, and that the entire world had not forsaken her.

"I'm happy, firstly because of his approval, since they say children speak the unvarnished truth. As for the other reason..."

Lou Ye smiled mischievously, lowering his head to press a kiss to Sang Wan's temple. "The mere thought of Lu Linian being so furious that smoke practically billowed from his seven orifices gives me... quite a secret thrill!"

She wanted to ask if he could be any more childish.

Before Sang Wan could voice the words,

she heard Lou Ye continue, "Who told him to bring Lin Zhaozhao back then and upset you! I'm simply giving him a taste of his own medicine, he completely deserved it!"

So, in the end, it still all came back to her!

He was so radiant not because Lu Xiaomu had called him Daddy, but because he could use this to infuriate Lu Linian and avenge her past grievances?

"Why are you so... childish!"

Her words carried a hint of feigned anger.

Yet Sang Wan's eyes were brimming with deep emotion.

Lou Ye smiled, tilting his head back to finish the champagne in his glass, and cupping the back of Sang Wan's head, he pulled her in for a kiss.

"Oh right, I haven't given you your gift yet!"

When the kiss ended, Lou Ye took Sang Wan's hand and led her toward the study.

From yesterday until today, Sang Wan had received so many gifts her hands had grown sore.

Jiang Huai had previously given her that sprawling estate; right as the midnight fireworks ended last night, he had the estate's manager come over to acknowledge her as the new owner and handed over all the contracts, telling her that everything belonged to her from then on.

Coming over to the house today, Tan Baiquan had gifted her a plot of land, while He Lan had given her a hand-knitted scarf.

Even Little Star had toddled over holding a bouquet of flowers, sweetly declaring, "This is for the pretty auntie."

Jiang Ke'er declared she didn't have anything extravagant on hand, and with a grand wave, gifted Sang Wan permanent usage rights to all the sports cars parked in her garage.

Sang Wan had prepared gifts for Jiang Huai and the others, but she had prepared nothing for Lou Ye.

Because she truly had no idea what to give him.

Yet right now, Lou Ye claimed he had a gift for her.

Sang Wan felt a slight pang of guilt.

Lou Ye pulled open the desk drawer and retrieved a document.

Without letting Sang Wan read the contents, Lou Ye flipped straight to the final signature page and handed her a pen. "Sign first, I'll tell you what it is after you've signed."

Sang Wan hesitated, not moving.

Lou Ye offered an evil grin. "What, afraid you're signing away your life in servitude?"

"Indeed..."

Sang Wan nodded. "Afraid that once I sign, I'll be stuck with you for the rest of my life, and it'll be too late even if you regret it someday!"

???

Lou Ye froze for a fraction of a second, wearing an expression of mock regret. "If I'd known, I should have included a contract of indentured servitude as well, so you could sign it together!"

Sang Wan laughed.

Lou Ye handed the pen back to her. "It's not an indentured contract, but... it's pretty close. Do you dare to sign?"

She had already been through death itself; there was nothing left to fear.

Besides, this person was Lou Ye.

Sang Wan took the pen and signed her name.

Lou Ye's eyes sparkled like stars, radiating the triumphant satisfaction of a successful scheme.

It was a thick stack of documents, written entirely in English.

Yet Sang Wan was left speechless after reading just the very first page.

Lou Ye had transferred all of his overseas real estate holdings directly into her name.

And this document would officially take effect the moment she signed her name.

Sang Wan had no idea what Lou Ye's current net worth was, but the properties listed on this first page alone were worth an astronomical fortune.

The ancient castle ranked at the very top was one that had previously been broadcast on international news.

Sang Wan remembered it vividly; that news story had shocked the international community, and during a high-society banquet, everyone had been guessing which wealthy tycoon was the mysterious buyer who had acquired that ancient castle at such a staggering cost.

Yet Sang Wan had never dreamed in a million years that one day, through Lou Ye's hands, that very castle would become... her property???

And this was merely the first page.

No wonder he had joked that it was practically a contract of servitude.

"Lou Ye..."

Sang Wan looked at him in a daze. "Aren't you afraid I'll run off with all this wealth?"

"Run?"

Lou Ye smiled mischievously. "With such a massive fortune, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I'll hunt you down and bring you back!"

"Sang Wan..."

Lou Ye's gaze suddenly turned solemn. "I know today might not be the most appropriate occasion. But I don't want to wait another single day!"

Dropping to one knee, Lou Ye looked up at Sang Wan. "You were love at first sight for me, and even more so, the one I yearned for but couldn't attain. But now, my almost-complete life lacks only you!"

"Sang Wan, I love you! Will you marry me?"

Because of the alcohol he had consumed earlier, Lou Ye's eyes shone brightly.

The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up, the collar slightly unbuttoned, lacking the crispness and stiffness of early morning.

Yet framed by the earnest expression on Lou Ye's handsome face, everything was simply perfection.

She had always assumed this day was still a long way off.

Christmas.

New Year's Day.

Followed by the Spring Festival, Valentine's Day...

In moments of deep tenderness, Sang Wan had often harbored a quiet anxiety about how she would face it if Lou Ye were to propose.

She loved him, was willing to accept his unconditional love, and was ready to return it with an equally deep devotion.

Yet precisely because she loved him, whenever she thought of the Lou family, the Lou Corporation, and the attitude of Elder Lou, Sang Wan would invariably find herself tangled in hesitation and uncertainty.

At this very moment, meeting Lou Ye's affectionate gaze.

Sang Wan felt not a shred of hesitation left in her heart.

"Lou Ye, I do!"

With a radiant smile, Sang Wan reached out to take his hand.

A cool sensation brushed against her finger, and as if by magic, Lou Ye slid a plain band onto her ring finger.

"Baby..."

Standing up, Lou Ye pulled Sang Wan into his arms, pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck, and murmured, "Now I can officially and openly call you my wife, right?"

"Mhmm," Sang Wan acknowledged softly.

In the living room, a faint ticking sound echoed.

It was the ten-second countdown to the arrival of midnight.

Tick... tick...

"Quick, quick, we're running out of time..."

Lou Ye swiftly released Sang Wan, leaned his upper body across the desk, retrieved another black velvet box from the drawer, and pressed it into her hand. "Wife, hurry!"

Inside the box lay another plain band.

It was an exact match to the one on her finger, instantly recognizable as a pair of couple rings.

Tick... tick!

The ticking countdown continued, accompanied by Lou Ye's urging.

Sang Wan found herself growing nervous as well.

Her fingers even fumbled for a brief second as she tried to take the ring out.

...Clang!

Just in the nick of time, the final second before midnight struck, she slipped the ring onto Lou Ye's left ring finger.

Sang Wan and Lou Ye let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

At the stroke of midnight on January 2nd of that year, the circle of young elites in the capital's high society found their WeChat groups flooded once again, all because of a single post Lou Ye shared on his Moments.