The next few weeks unfolded like a quiet, steady dream.
No dramatic twists.
No bushes.
No exploding firecrackers.
Just two people learning how to love in the simplest, sweetest ways.
Li Wei would bring Meilin breakfast sometimes.
Meilin would pack snacks for him when he worked late.
They walked home together, talked about their days, shared silly jokes, and laughed until their stomachs hurt.
It wasn't perfect.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was real.
And Meilin cherished every second.
---
The Official Confession
One evening, Li Wei messaged her:
> "Can we meet at the rooftop?"
Meilin climbed up with a nervous flutter in her chest.
The rooftop lights were softly glowing.
The sky was full of stars.
And Li Wei stood there holding—
A bouquet of soft white lilies.
Her breath caught.
He walked toward her slowly, voice warm and steady.
"Lin Meilin," he said, "I wanted to do this properly. Not in a bush. Not during chaos. Not because fate pushed us."
He placed the flowers gently in her hands.
"I like you.
Your smile, your honesty, your clumsiness, your kindness… all of it.
And I want to be the person who stands with you in every small and big moment."
He took a step closer.
"So… will you be my girlfriend? Officially?"
Meilin smiled, her eyes sparkling.
"I thought you'd never ask."
She wrapped her arms around him, and he held her as if she was something precious he didn't want to lose.
It wasn't flashy.
It wasn't dramatic.
But it was perfect.
---
A Love That Grew Slowly, Gently
As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, their relationship bloomed like the first warm day of spring.
Meilin found comfort in his steady presence.
Li Wei found joy in her unpredictable warmth.
They had silly moments—
like when Meilin burned noodles and smoked the whole kitchen.
They had sweet moments—
like when Li Wei would leave small notes on her desk saying "Don't skip lunch."
They had emotional moments—
quiet nights where they shared dreams and fears under the soft city lights.
Love didn't hit them like lightning anymore.
Love grew like a soft sunrise—warm, gentle, inevitable.
---
The Final Twist — A Promise
On their six-month anniversary, Li Wei brought Meilin to the same Lantern Festival where everything changed.
The lights were just as warm.
The night just as magical.
They wrote wishes again.
Meilin wrote:
"I want us to stay happy together."
When she asked Li Wei what he wrote, he hesitated—then handed it to her.
She read the words.
And her heart melted.
"I wish I can take her hand for a very long time…
even longer than she expects."
Meilin looked up, stunned.
"Longer than I expect…? Li Wei, what does that—"
He gently held her hand and whispered,
"It means I don't plan to let you go."
Her eyes softened.
A smile grew on her lips.
"Good," she said, squeezing his hand.
"Because I don't plan to let you go either."
They released the lantern into the sky—
watching it float upward, glowing softly, carrying their hopes with it.
As it rose higher, Li Wei leaned closer.
This time—
no firecrackers.
No kids.
No bushes.
Just the quiet night, warm lights, and a soft promise between them.
He kissed her gently.
A sweet, warm, quiet kiss that felt like coming home.
---
The End — But Also a Beginning
Lin Meilin never expected to fall in love with a man like Li Wei.
And Li Wei never expected a woman like her to change the rhythm of his life.
But love came anyway—
in spilled coffee, awkward moments, laughter, and soft confessions under lantern-filled skies.
Their story didn't end with fireworks.
It ended with something more powerful—
a steady, beautiful promise to walk forward together.
And sometimes, that's the best kind of ending.