Lin Che stood frozen for a long time.
The words lingered in the air, heavy and electrifying, as though time itself had truly paused, waiting to see how she would react. Her mind went blank. She could only stare at Gong Feng, dumbfounded, her eyes wide as if she were looking at something utterly unreal.
Marry me.
Those words—simple, direct, devastating—had come from his mouth.
She searched his face desperately, almost frantically, trying to find even the faintest trace of mockery, impulse, or deception. Surely this had to be a joke. Surely this was a moment of misplaced sympathy, a reckless comment spoken without thought.
But she found nothing.
His gaze was steady. Calm. Serious in a way that made her chest tighten. There was no teasing curve to his lips, no glimmer of amusement in his eyes. Only sincerity—bare, unguarded, and frightening in its intensity.
For Gong Feng, the moment the words left his lips, he was shocked too.
It was as if something deep inside him had acted before his rational mind could intervene. For a brief second, he wondered how he could say such a thing so casually, so decisively. Marriage was not a topic he treated lightly. It was not something he offered, nor something he even considered.
And yet…
The shock faded almost immediately.
What replaced it was an unexpected sense of calm. A quiet certainty. He did not regret saying it. In fact, repeating it felt natural.
"Marry me," he said again, his voice low but firm.
Lin Che's heart slammed violently against her ribs.
She snapped out of her daze as if someone had poured cold water over her head. Heat rushed to her face, creeping up her neck, burning her ears.
"Young Master Gong," she blurted out, her voice unsteady, "you must be joking."
"I'm not," he replied immediately.
The decisiveness in his tone left no room for doubt.
Her breath caught.
She didn't understand—didn't understand anything about this moment. They hadn't known each other for long. Their interactions were few, strange, emotionally charged, but still… marriage?
Her hand was still in his grasp, and only now did she realize how warm it had become. Too warm. The place where his fingers wrapped around hers felt as though it were burning.
Instinctively, she tried to pull away.
"Think about it," Gong Feng said, tightening his grip just enough to stop her escape, not enough to hurt. "When you're ready, come find me with your answer."
Then, just as suddenly, he released her.
The loss of contact startled her more than the touch itself.
Lin Che didn't wait. She turned and fled from the room as if something terrifying were chasing her. Her steps were quick, uneven, almost reckless, the hem of her dress swaying wildly as she hurried down the corridor. She didn't dare slow down—not even for a second—afraid that if she did, he might appear behind her again, ask that question once more, and completely unravel her already fragile composure.
She didn't stop until she reached the hallway outside the East Wing.
Only then did she freeze.
She turned around slowly and stared at the closed door behind her.
For a moment, she could only think one thing.
He must be crazy.
Marriage—spoken so lightly, so abruptly. Who did that? What kind of man proposed like that, without romance, without promises, without explanation?
Another thought followed quickly.
Maybe he just feels sorry for me.
He was the patriarch of the Gong family, after all. Perhaps he didn't want scandal. Perhaps he felt responsible for the chaos his family had caused, and this was his way of cleaning up the mess—offering himself as compensation.
But that idea didn't sit right either.
Gong Feng wasn't that kind of person. He didn't do things out of guilt. And he certainly wasn't someone who would sacrifice his own future for appearances.
Besides…
Lin Che knew better than anyone how sought after he was.
Even earlier at the party, Nan Lu hadn't been exaggerating. Many of the women there hadn't come for Gong Rui at all. Their gazes had kept drifting elsewhere, scanning the room for someone who hadn't yet appeared.
They were looking for Gong Feng.
Women from powerful families. Elegant, confident, beautiful women who were practically born into privilege. Women who would leap at the chance to marry him.
So how could he—how could he—so casually ask her to marry him?
Her steps wobbled as she continued walking. Her heart raced uncontrollably, thundering in her ears. Everything that had happened tonight crashed into her all at once—the engagement announcement, Gong Rui's words, the humiliation, the kindness of warm food, and now this impossible proposal.
Behind her, Gong Feng stepped out into the night.
He watched her retreating figure, the way she almost stumbled in her haste, clearly unused to the heels she wore. Under the dim lights lining the path, she looked flustered, overwhelmed, and utterly defenseless.
It was… adorable.
A rare smile curved his lips, softening his sharp features.
"Very cute," he murmured to himself.
Then he turned and went back inside.
Lin Che had barely made it down the corridor when she nearly collided with someone running toward her.
"Lin Che! Lin Che!"
Nan Lu's familiar voice rang out, full of panic.
Before Lin Che could react, Nan Lu was already in front of her, pulling her into a tight hug. She could feel the worry radiating off her friend, fierce and protective.
"Where have you been?" Nan Lu demanded breathlessly. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Lin Che didn't answer immediately.
Nan Lu leaned closer and whispered fiercely into her ear, "Just say the word. I'll go back in there and flip the entire place upside down. I don't care who they are."
Lin Che shook her head slowly.
"There's no need," she said quietly. "He's already chosen his path."
Nan Lu pulled back and looked at her carefully. "You're not going to do anything about it?"
The same question again.
Lin Che's lips curved into a weak, hollow smile.
"What can I do?"