Standing by the rails on the deck, Lily extended out her palm. She waited for soft petals to fall and land on her palm from the enchanting view. While her eyes wandered around the breathtaking view in front of her, Lin Que's eyes were locked on her.
The lights illuminated branches in their surroundings, bringing sparks to the blossoms on the side. As shades of pastel orange, pinks and reds entered their vision, petals danced along the soft breezes. Reflections of blues and pinks paved the path on the Sumida River as the cruise ran smoothly down the waters.
Colorful shades from lightest to darker shades of pink began to blend together under the full moon. The blurry distorted shapes of ovals and round edges tainted the surface like a dizzying spell. Combinations of turquoise blues wetting one side of various fallen petals created a bath of floral essence around them.
Sweet fragrance lingered in the air as breezes greeted the guests on the cruise. Smiles and chatters ignited as conversations rose about the festival lights and entertainment activities. While others were thrilled to see blossoms spreading on branches, Lin Que was unusually quiet.
Lily had noticed his odd behavior ever since they've left the resort. She thought it was her imagination, so she didn't say anything. After walking to the deck of the cruise, she had caught him staring at her for no specific reason.
Once in a while, Lily would take sneak glances at Lin Que. For the entire night, he seemed to be nervous about something, but she didn't know what he was worried about. She felt his palms moisten as he began sweating.
"Are you feeling alright? You've been in a daze since we've arrived. Are you feeling seasick? Should we take a seat?" She suggested a few solutions as she frowned at the thought of him forcing himself to stand by her side. If he was feeling ill, she wouldn't want him to hide it from her.
Pulling his arm to the direction where empty seats could be seen, she felt a small tug on her sleeve. She turned around to meet his calm gaze. He said, "I'm alright. We're almost at the highlight of the festival. Let's stay standing for just a bit more."
Though he was smiling, she still had doubts and worries in her heart. "Are you sure you're feeling fine? If you're not feeling well, you must not hold it in." She spoke strictly into his ears since the crowd heightened their voices.
"I'm really okay. Come, there are too many people here. There is a better spot to observe cherry blossoms." He tightened his grip on her hand and brought her to a quieter spot. Her eyes widened as she saw an even better view from where they were standing. Her lips parted in amazement and hand reached out to catch some falling petals.
"You're right! This is a better spot!" She smiled with eyes curved like a crescent moon. Since she had her hair updo specifically done for tonight's event, he couldn't ruffle her hair like his usually habit. Instead, he stuffed his hand into his pocket.
He raised his head and rotated his body to face the front. From his angle, he could see the approaching spot in the view. Slowly, he whispered, "Five...Four..Three...Two...One.."
As soon as he counted down to one, he pulled out the jewelry box from his pocket and held onto Lily's hands. The cruise stopped at the exact moment the couple had faced each other. Lin Que smiled as a shimmering light highlighted a heart shape around them. Looking up, the full moon was shining onto the heart shape created by cherry blossoms.
Lily gasped as she captured the sight of a heart from above. When her gaze landed back on the cruise, she realized what he wanted to do. She bit her bottom lip as her heart pounded like a fast-forwarded rock and roll jam in her mind.
Lin Que took a deep breath, trying to settle his emotions before making his speech. "Lily, we haven't dated for a very long time and this might seem out of the blue already...but I really want to tell you I love you. As a doctor, every second is precious in saving a life as well as bringing life to this world. But no matter how powerful my hands are in saving people, once a person is gone..I can't revive them."
His original speech was far from the words he was spouting out right now. However, these words followed his heart's truthfulness. It was his exact thoughts. It was thoughts that he had thought about countless times after meeting her.
"There is approximately seven point eight billion people living on earth, but there is only one you. Amongst the many people we could've met, we found each other and fell in love. You are my first girlfriend, but I also want you to be my first for everything else to come. I don't know how long we will live or how many times we will argue in the future, but I know I won't stop loving you. Even though we might have fights in the future, I'm sure we will get through it together."
"If my life span is meant to only live up to ninety-eight years old, then I can only love you for a little more than seventy more years. But that is an estimate considering nobody knows what would happen in the next second. While life is short, my determination has never been this strong and clear. Under the heart of Tokyo, I want to ask you.."
Kneeling down on one knee, he opened the jewelry box and revealed an elegantly carved platinum ring. "Lily, will you be my wife?"
Although his speech was more logical than sweet flirt lines, a layer of mist still covered Lily's eyes. As she stretched out her hand and spread her fingers, she nodded. "Yes. I will be your wife."
Carefully sliding the ring onto her engagement finger, he stood up to pull her into his embrace. He kissed her cheeks and closed his eyes as they forgot about the guests on the cruise who were watching them.
"Ahhh!!!!! We will become in-laws!!!" Toby and Yao Yao held each other's hands and shook them like business partners. When Lily and Lin Que tilted their heads sideways, they saw their family members snapping pictures of them. They were uploading it to their WeChat moments and sharing it to their friends circle. Although Lin Que didn't like posting pictures on social media, this was one of the times where he didn't mind.
He planted a kiss on Lily's forehead as they pressed their foreheads together with a blissful smile on their faces. After minutes of hugging, the couple's hug was broken by their family as everyone rushed over to look at the engagement ring.
On the side, Lucas leaned his elbow on Lin Que's shoulder. "Bro, congratulations." Lucas lifted his fist and waited for Lin Que to complete the hand fist action.
Smiling, Lin Que bumped his fist against his and ruffled Lucas' hair. "You should get a girlfriend soon."
"Pffffft, and then become a husband slave? No thank you!" Lucas remarked as he checked the date on his phone. 'Two more days until this trip is over..I wonder if mom will spare me when she finds out that I ditched school again. Hmm, maybe sister-in-law could help...'