Chapter 680: A Marriage Proposal by the Sea
Chapter 680: A Marriage Proposal by the Sea
It wasn't until the plane took off that Lu Jiaxin finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought this trip to the Maldives would fall through again!"
Nie Zhan held her hand and smiled. "Don't worry, from now on, unless it's a matter of life and death, I won't stand you up again."
Even if it were a matter of life and death, Lu Jiaxin wouldn't be going on a solo trip anymore.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "I've been eating well lately and gained quite a bit of weight. This time in the Maldives, I plan to swim for two hours every day and see if I can lose five pounds."
Nie Zhan's eyes curved in amusement. "High-intensity training is needed for weight loss. Swimming casually like we usually do won't help. Also, you were too thin before. You're perfect now!"
"Really?"
"As true as my love for you."
Lu Jiaxin laughed. "I won't fall for your flattery. This time, I'm determined to lose those five pounds."
She couldn't get used to Western cuisine and preferred the French food at Feng Qinglei's home, which had been adjusted to cater to the tastes of Hong Kong citizens.
After chatting for a while, Lu Jiaxin yawned. "I think I'll take a nap."
Nie Zhan understood her habit and thought it was a good idea. Traveling could be tedious, and sleeping through it would refresh her spirits and make the journey less boring.
Nie Laoyazi tried to call Nie Zhan, but when he couldn't get through, he contacted Wang Shi. Upon hearing that Nie Zhan and Lu Jiaxin had gone abroad on vacation, he became furious. Instead of dealing with the trouble caused by his biological mother, his son was off vacationing with his fiancee. However, no matter how angry he was, there was little he could do without being able to see them in person. So, he called Nie Jingwen, hoping he would make a trip to see them.
Nie Jingwen was also reluctant to get involved. He didn't even bother with an excuse. "Grandfather, we already advised her against marrying and having children, but she didn't listen. Grandfather, Aunt Lu is fifty-three years old, not a three-year-old child. She should deal with the choices she makes."
Even Nie Zhan wasn't getting involved, so why should he, as a nephew, bother with all this? And if there really was danger, wouldn't they return to Hong Kong City? In his opinion, it was all because Grandfather had spoiled them. They did as they pleased, and whenever they caused trouble or made a mess, someone would always be there to clean up after them. But he and the others had their own jobs, wives, and children to take care of. They didn't have the time or energy to deal with these troublesome matters.
Nie Laoyezi said, "Her passport has been confiscated, and she can't come back."
Nie Jingwen thought this was a simple matter. All they needed to do was hire a lawyer to make a house call. This was a society governed by rule of law, and it would be illegal for the other party to detain her.
Seeing his grandson's reluctance, Nie Laoyezi could do nothing but accept it. "Then find two female bodyguards with good martial arts skills to protect your aunt."
This was a minor matter, and Nie Jingwen readily agreed.
There were three mansions in the Nie family's old house. To avoid disturbing the elderly Nie Laoyezi with their children's noise, Nie Jingwen and his wife lived in the third mansion.
Seeing the fatigue on her husband's face, Zhang Lanlan asked, "What's wrong? Are those shareholders giving you trouble again?"
She always compared her husband to Nie Zhan. But what was there to compare? Nie Zhan had borrowed heavily to hoard land, and they had thought it too radical. They were relieved when her husband took over the bank. Later, when Nie Zhan made a profit and Wan Sheng Real Estate grew in scale, they complained that her husband lacked the courage to take the bank to the next level. These people were nothing but fair-weather friends, driven by self-interest.
Nie Jingwen shook his head. "It's not that. It's about Aunt Lu wanting a divorce, but the man doesn't agree. He's confiscated her passport so she can't return to Hong Kong. Grandfather asked me to go to Switzerland to bring Aunt Lu and the child back, but I refused."
Zhang Lanlan found this strange. If anyone should be involved, it should be Nie Zhan, his biological son. Why was her husband, who was one degree removed, being asked to handle this? "Why are you being asked to go? What about your third uncle? Doesn't he care?"
Nie Jingwen explained, "When Aunt Lu had a difficult childbirth, didn't Third Uncle rush over? After the child was born, he was busy taking care of them both. But she said that he didn't even hold his own sister once and had no heart. Before Third Uncle returned, he told her that he wouldn't interfere in her matters anymore."
"Actually, Third Uncle was already very disappointed when Mina was diagnosed with leukemia. I can't believe she dared to say such things... Third Uncle isn't trying to scare Aunt Lu. He truly doesn't plan to get involved in her affairs anymore.
And so this time, she's causing a fuss about a divorce again, and Ah Zhan has left it be and gone abroad on holiday with Miss Lu."
Zhang Lanlan felt that this was long overdue. "Aunt Lu has become like this because Grandfather indulged her. Now that he can't control her, and you all are ignoring her, she'll think twice before causing trouble after suffering some losses."
Nie Jingwen nodded.
Sitting on a plane for seven or eight hours was tiring, but youth had its advantages, and a good night's sleep left them refreshed and energetic the next morning. Lu Jiaxin quietly left the bedroom, not wanting to disturb Nie Zhan, who was still sleeping soundly.
Their villa was right by the beach, and opening the windows revealed a stunning seascape. After freshening up, she called for Qian Xiaoxiao to join her for a walk.
Walking on the fine sand, Lu Jiaxin smiled and asked, "Xiaoxiao, when you went home, did your grandfather and parents rush you to get married?"
Qian Xiaoxiao laughed. "When I was little, my parents were worried that I wouldn't be able to get married. Now, their worst fears have come true. But my grandfather has spoken up and suggested that my younger brother have a child to carry on our family line, which I refused."
She then explained, "If I need someone to take care of me in my old age, I can always adopt a child from an orphanage. Why would I need my younger brother's child? People might even think I'm trying to steal my brother and sister-in-law's child!"
Marriage had never been on her mind. When she was younger, it was due to ignorance and a fear of the unknown, and now, she simply found the idea uninteresting.
After some thought, Qian Xiaoxiao said, "Boss, when I'm too old to be by your side, I'll help you train newcomers, and during vacations, I'll visit a few places I like."
Aside from the two years of overseas training, she had always been by Lu Jiaxin's side and had traveled to many places. So far, her favorites were Mount Tai and the Great Barrier Reef.
Lu Jiaxin felt that her bodyguard's goals were clear and well-defined, which was good.
After strolling by the sea for half an hour, they turned back. On their way, they ran into Nie Zhan. Smiling, Lu Jiaxin teased, "It's a rare break, why aren't you sleeping more?"
"I woke up naturally and couldn't fall back asleep."
After breakfast, the two of them went to the beach to fish. After fishing for about an hour, Lu Jiaxin went for a swim in the sea, with Nie Zhan joining her. They swam for almost two hours before heading back.
Lu Jiaxin had a habit of taking afternoon naps. After waking up at around 3 p.m., she saw that Nie Zhan was busy, so she took Qian Xiaoxiao out shopping. They didn't return until after 6 p.m.
After dinner, Lu Jiaxin wanted to go for a walk on the beach, but Nie Zhan pulled her back to chat in the backyard of the villa. He talked about his childhood, his university days, and the eccentric customers he had encountered while working at Goldman Sachs. He had never shared these stories with Lu Jiaxin before, and she listened with great interest.
The two of them chatted for over an hour when Nie Zhan suddenly said, "Jiaxin, I want to take you to a place, but you have to keep your eyes closed."
Lu Jiaxin smiled inwardly but played along.
Led by Nie Zhan with her eyes closed, they reached the beach outside the villa. After walking for five or six minutes, he told her to stop and open her eyes.
As soon as Lu Jiaxin opened her eyes, she found herself standing in a heart made of roses, surrounded by colorful little lights. Hmm, no candles, he loses points for that.
Just then, bang, bang, bang—fireworks burst in the air, illuminating the seaside as bright as day.
Kneeling on one knee, Nie Zhan held up a ring box with both hands and looked deeply into Lu Jiaxin's eyes. "Jiaxin, marry me."
Seeing the huge diamond ring in his hand, Lu Jiaxin smiled and stretched out her right hand.
Nie Zhan's hands trembled as he put the ring on Lu Jiaxin's finger, then hugged her and spun her around. "Jia—no, it's Mrs. Nie from now on."
She had actually guessed that Nie Zhan's initiative to propose a trip to the Maldives was for the purpose of proposing, but she hadn't expected it to happen at night.
(End of Chapter)
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