Chapter 170: I Do Not Regret It

When the onlookers recognized that the leading man was Zehong Ye, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

Their faces were etched with sheer disbelief.

Particularly Zhang Xiaoxin and Xu Wenjie, who utterly refused to believe the scene unfolding right before their eyes.

Only a short while ago, Lu Yao was still acting as his and Qiao Wan'er’s pre-marital legal counsel.

Yet now...

Zehong Ye walked up to Lu Yao, his gaze burning intensely into her eyes, and reached out to clasp her waist, pulling her close to him.

A flicker of unease danced in Lu Yao's eyes as she lowered her voice and asked, "Don't tell me you deliberately arranged this proposal scene?"

"You don't like it?"

The amusement in Zehong Ye's eyes deepened, curving his lips into an even more handsome smile. He suddenly leaned in close to her, startling Lu Yao so much that she arched her back and instinctively stepped back, but Zehong Ye gave her no chance to escape.

With a firm pull of the arm resting around her waist, Lu Yao was left with no room to retreat.

Zehong Ye dropped to one knee, opened the ring box prepared by Yingtang Ye, and held it out before Lu Yao: "Lu Yao, I love you, marry me."

I love you.

Marry me.

Hearing these words spoken by Zehong Ye, Lu Yao inexplicably felt a sense of unreality.

His tone sounded somewhat distant, almost as if he were simply fulfilling a task.

Her eyes remained fixed on the ten-carat solitaire diamond, while something flashed briefly through her heart.

Zehong Ye looked up at her, the emotions in the depths of his eyes exceptionally complex.

He thought, she must be paralyzed with shock, right?

He thought, she would undoubtedly refuse, one hundred percent?

Catching sight out of the corner of his eye of Yingtang Ye standing not far away, watching the entire scene with a satisfied smile, his heart sank once more.

Lu Yao wore a dazed expression, staring at the dazzling diamond ring as a heavy weight pressed down upon her chest.

She glanced around at the bustling crowd, sensing a thread of unkind scrutiny landing upon her, burning with a searing unease in her heart.

Lowering her gaze, she murmured in a voice meant only for the two of them: "Are you serious about this?"

*Click, click*—the camera flashes never ceased.

Suspicious expressions appeared on everyone's faces, puzzled as to why the leading lady had yet to respond.

They were equally curious about what the protagonist and heroine were whispering to each other.

"The time frame was too tight, so there was no time to explain much to you. It's fine if you want to refuse; this proposal is merely a show arranged by my father," Zehong Ye confessed the truth, unwilling to deceive Lu Yao or let her harbor any misunderstandings. "He suddenly changed his mind and demanded that we marry as soon as possible."

Lu Yao's heart twitched slightly, a wave of relief washing over her.

She had known it; given Zehong Ye's personality, he would never pull off something so high-profile.

Taking a deep breath, she offered Zehong Ye a faint smile and, amidst the gaze of the crowd, extended her fair, delicate hand toward him.

Smiling, she replied, "I do." *I'll accompany you in finishing this performance.*

Zehong Ye looked slightly surprised.

He stared blankly at Lu Yao for a long moment before finally sliding the diamond ring onto her middle finger.

At last, the venue erupted into thunderous cheers, and pink heart-shaped balloons drifted down from the sky.

Zehong Ye pulled Lu Yao tightly into his embrace, pressing his lips against her ear as he whispered softly, "Why did you agree..."

"I didn't want you to lose face in front of so many people," Lu Yao replied with a relaxed smile.

Since it was just a show, it held no actual meaning.

Why would she want to humiliate Zehong Ye in front of all of Capital City?

Zehong Ye swept the gloom from his eyes, lowered his gaze to meet Lu Yao's, and revealed a gentle, shallow smile.

He said, "This show isn't just a proposal. We have to go through the entire routine—it's still not too late for you to change your mind..."

Before Zehong Ye could finish his sentence, Lu Yao stood on tiptoe and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"I don't regret it."