Chapter 377: Fourth World: Two Essays And A Proposal

And it did. The guilt ate Su Xin up like a worm eating away a bright red apple from the inside while maintaining a healthy appearance outside.

Qie Xieling wasn't as guilt-ridden as Su Xin because he knew that his daddy was using this as an excuse to give them a teaching moment. If he was truly upset then not even Nana would have been able to cool his jets. Plus the punishment would have been handed down immediately not after dinner. The urge to run away vanished immediately praising himself for surviving the inevitable.

"What should the essay be about?" asked Qie Xieling rather curious. He liked school work anyway. To him, it was like a hobby. It was comrade Wen Qinxi over there who hated writing and language subjects. To ace such subjects in high school, he had to put in extra effort. He preferred dealing with numbers but now he was being forced to write an essay out of the blue.

"My handwriting is horrible. It's like chicken scratches," explained Wen Qinxi trying to plead with his boss slash husband. "How about a compromise?"

Qie Ranzhe had a long list of punishments to choose from but this essay was important because it had everything to do with himself.

He shook his head in refusal and said, "Write an essay titled why you appreciate me. Minimum a thousand words," while reaching out to massage Su Xin's lower back. One could say he was taking advantage of the situation to hear his husband praise him. Who doesn't like good old fashioned flattery from his lover?

"Oh boy," muttered Madam Qie recalling Master Qie did the exact same thing when he was still alive. As the saying goes, like father like son.

"Are you serious right now?" asked Wen Qinxi staring at him like he was some weirdo selling underwear at the zoo.

Qie Ranzhe drew Su Xin's wrist that was holding a pair of chopsticks with a juicy piece of chicken stir fry closer and ate it. "Do I look like I am joking?"

Well, he wasn't joking because an hour after dinner he had everyone sitting in the back porch. Madam Qie even printed out score numbers to judge the two's performance. Qie Xieling didn't disappoint feeding his father's ego like a pro. From his height to his mighty exploits, nothing was left out. A proud smile on Qie Ranzhe's face spoke volumes with Madam Qie awarding her grandson a generous score of 99%.

The score was high but Qie Xieling wasn't satisfied. His score should at least be 100% and above though mathematically it would be considered incorrect. "Why didn't you give me a hundred per cent. Do you know how much buttering up I had to do? For that I should get a total score," complained Qie Xieling sitting beside his stingy Nana.

Madam Qie ruffled his hair and said, "I would have given you a total score but nana didn't print two zeros so you have to settle for ninety-nine." She then pinched his cheeks while coaxing him with cake. "Now stop pouting and I will give you cake."

Wen Qinxi wasn't paying attention trying to make last-minute changes like a student in an exam after the examiner makes the last call. Qie Ranzhe tried to peek at what he was writing but Wen Qinxi blocked his view as though afraid he would copy his work.

"Let me see. It doesn't make any difference anyway," said Qie Ranzhe curious to see what Su Xin's handwriting looked like.

Wen Qinxi would rather read it than let this piece of paper see the light of day. There were so many crossed-out words and rewritten sentences. One could say it was the messiest piece of paper yet. He stood up all of a sudden running away from Qie Ranzhe's prying eyes.

Despite having to present in front of his in-game family, he was still as nervous as hell standing there like a statue. "Okay... um, don't laugh at me. I am a little nervous," he exclaimed while vowing to get back at Qie Ranzhe for this.

"Go, dad... I will give you a total score.... oh wait, ninety nine per cent since Mrs forgetful over here forgot to print two zeros..... ouch," said Qie Xieling that is before his ear was pulled by the angry grandma.

Wen Qinxi's eyes stayed glued on the piece of paper as he began reading his essay like a robot. It's safe to say he wouldn't ace an interview for a job as a reporter otherwise he would turn a serious news report into a comical scene.

The things Wen Qinxi did when he was nervous included plastering the paper so close to his face that one could barely see his countenance, tapping his fingers on the side of his leg coupled with pacing in circles like a puppy chasing its tail.

No matter how much encouragement Qie Xieling pumped into his dad, it was pointless. Even he had a what the hell expression on his face at some point. But if one overlooked his nervousness, the words Wen Qinxi wrote were simply beautiful that Qie Ranzhe couldn't help but feel touched. This essay could be considered as Su Xin's first love letter to him and boy it was special.

As soon as Wen Qinxi finished the last sentence, he finally stopped moving around and put down the piece of paper. Against is expectations, his family was suspiciously silent. That's because, in front of him, Qie Ranzhe was down on one knee with an open ring box in his hand. Even the vlogger Machu didn't miss this special moment hiding in the bushes with a camera.

The reason why he ran to the mansion was that Qie Ranzhe sent him to go and collect the engagement ring despite the jewellery store being closed. He had to go harass the owner at his home. The poor old man had to ditch his dinner and handle the finishing touches.

The good was that Qie Ranzhe had paid for it to be done in two days and he was also compensated for the house call. The old man delivered on short notice which meant Qie Ranzhe could propose tonight.

"Since you have all those good things to say about me then you might as well say them in front of everyone on our wedding day," said Qie Ranzhe. It was the most unromantic line in history but judging from Wen Qinxi's expression he didn't seem to think so.

"Say yes dad.... hahaha.... don't keep him waiting," said the excited Qie Xieling wishing he could just take the ring and directly slide it through his dad's fingers.

"How can he say yes when the idiot hasn't asked the question," interjected Madam Qie already imagining the wedding of the century.

Qie Ranzhe heaved a deep sigh trying to calm his palpitating heart. Mummy dearest was right, he hadn't asked the question properly so he made it right. "Su Xin, will you marry me.... again?"

System: So cheesy

'You, piss off,' replied Wen Qinxi to the irritating system while maintaining a joyous smile that reached his eyes.

"Yes, of course," he said but just as the happy couple was about to complete the final step a rustling sound coming from the bushes followed by a loud crashing sound spoilt the mood.

"Fuck! Pei! Pei!" swore Machu who had crashed onto the porch while trying to take a closer shot. With a face covered in mud and hair full of leaves, Machu stood up but he was still smiling despite falling flat on his face.

Everyone, "...."

What a way to ruin a perfect moment Machu.