Chapter 98 - In All The Glory And Passion (1)

After Song Luli tasted the desserts, Long Jie cleaned up, passing his phone to her. She looked at him questionably, but he gestured her to put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she said.

"Happy birthday, Luli," her twin greeted. "I'm sorry to have left so abruptly. I will be there soon, again, and then we'll have a proper celebration."

"You know that won't happen," replied Song Luli. "You and I don't celebrate."

Her brother laughed.

Song Luli smiled to herself. "Happy birthday to you, too, Zhen."

Song Zhen remained quiet on the other line until he began to speak again. "I'm proud of you, Luli."

"Why?" she questioned.

"You have become more confident and bold since you took over the company, as I knew you would."

Song Luli smiled again. "Thank you, Zhen," she responded softly. "It means a lot to me."

"Have a good night, Luli," he told her.

"You too, Zhen."

Song Luli hung up the call feeling refreshed. She returned Long Jie's cellphone, and he said, "Let's go."

Song Luli followed him out of the pavilion, as they walked towards a larger one, conceal by trees in front of a maze of them, and someone at the front greeted them.

"This is a maze full of mazes," said the man. He pointed at Song Luli, "the objective is to find an object that this key will unlock." He then showed her a tiny key, placing it in her hand.

Song Luli smiled broadly. She recalled playing games with Long Jie all those years ago, but a maze was something new. "A game? Fascinating," she said. "But, the object could be anything."

"The mazes are simple, with only a few items in each of them," the man replied.

"Can I get a hint?" Song Luli asked.

The man thought about it. "Hmm, no," he said, as he began to lead her to the entrance. "Hurry along now." Song Luli pouted and followed after him.

The man then paused and turned, stopping Long Jie and said, "You will be going through a different entrance."

"Eh?" Song Luli questioned. "That's no fun."

The man turned around to face her, "Oh the mazes interconnect at some points, don't you worry; you'll find him in there."

The man spoke like a character, and Song Luli enjoyed his consistent performance.

Song Luli stepped through the entrance, alone. The room she entered had white eggshell sheets with detailed yet straightforward patterned tapestries that hung over the white sheets. She realized that none of the tapestries would have something to open or unlock, so she continued to the next pavilion. The path led her to another room, transitioning darkly with black fluorescent lighting that made fake plants glow along with the patterns in the room. Song Luli looked at everything in awe; she wished Long Jie was standing next to her to see the view.

In the middle of the room stood a long fish tank like an aquarium that held swimming fishes with glowing tails. Song Luli chuckled in amazement, but there was nothing ornamental in the room to unlock.

She then kept walking when the next room led her to a hall of mirrors. She stumbled upon a reflection of herself, and she gazed over at the other mirrors that surrounded her. She continued to walk passed them when she noticed another reflection: Long Jie.

But he wasn't looking towards her direction.

"Long Jie!" her voice echoed.

He paused, almost as if he heard her, but he couldn't see where she was. He then started sprinting in the opposite direction. Song Luli bolted to chase after him, afraid of losing him.

"Long Jie!" she called out again, but he was far away. She kept stumbling upon reflections of herself until she found an exit. But the exit was another maze full of curtains and dead ends. She kept running through them, trying to go in the right direction. She desperately lifted the flaps aside, like running through a cornfield, hoping to catch up to Long Jie.

She paused abruptly when she heard the sound of the violin, making it easier to follow. She stopped running and decided to walk through. Her heart sped up to the point where she placed a hand over her pounding heart, trying to steady it.

She then fumbled out of the entangled curtains, realizing she was outside, at the end. She found Long Jie casually playing in a large, neatly arranged cropped-field. Paper lanterns lit up, illuminating a path of flower petals, from chrysanthemums to lilies to buttercups and roses.

Song Luli followed the path; her heart hastened nervously.

When she approached Long Jie, he paused the music, putting his violin aside. He stepped down a platform, placing a hand over her cheek, brushing his fingers through her hair. Song Luli closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

She then lifted the key, "where's the object?" she asked, still determined to find out. Long Jie smiled, taking it from her hand. He brushed a thumb over the piece of brass. His eyes then lifted to meet hers.

He reached out, removing the necklace from her neck, placing it over her hand. He then twisted the tiny key into the locket, opening it. Inside revealed a marquis-shaped diamond. It was a stunning white-gold jewel. But it seemed to have the rest of it missing, somehow. Song Luli's eyes then widened at the sudden realization.

"I have the rest of it." Long Jie said, going down on one knee.

Long Jie then pulled out a black squared box from his jacket pocket. Song Luli gaped at him, unbelieving.

Long Jie opened it, showing her the circle band with an empty slot for the jewel. "May I?" he asked her for the gem.

Song Luli slowly nodded; her lips spread apart. Long Jie took the jewel from her hand, placing it over the slot delicately. He then tightened it with a custom-made clasp.

He held the ring—in its beautiful, glorifying entirety—glistening in front of her eyes.

Her expression remained shocked as she didn't expect this. Long Jie looked at her nervously, and Song Luli could see his chest rising and falling profoundly.

He held it with both hands. "Luli," he began to say affectionately, "I know you weren't expecting this, which is why I chose to do it now. You never got the proper engagement you deserved; you never got the grand wedding that I should have bestowed upon you. And it's in my power to give you all those things now, and more, whatever you desire because it's what you deserve." He paused, maintaining eye contact.

"I love you," Long Jie added genuinely, "Will you do the honour of marrying me in front of witnesses, celebrating all the glory and passion that make our relationship?"

Song Luli sunk to her knees, her eyes darted around his face. In his expression, she found that he meant every word; that he loved her fiercely, something she wasn't sure would have ever happened before. She understood now; in the maze, she had to look for something, and it was him. She had to chase him, just like all those months and years, he pursued and waited for her.

"Yes," she whispered, meeting his eyes. "I want to declare, in front of everyone, just how much you're mine."

Long Jie smiled bashfully. He then took her left hand gently, placing the completed ring over her bare finger. He kissed her knuckles, bowing his head.

Song Luli then pushed Long Jie on the ground, tackling and embracing him tightly over the grass. She kissed him, over and over, on the face. Long Jie chuckled, as Song Luli pecked him downward. "It seems that we'll be having sex everywhere except our bed," Long Jie teased.

Song Luli lifted her face, meeting his eyes deeply. "Let's go home then," she suggested.