Hello, World

Su Yang drove the white "Wuju" new energy vehicle, smoothly navigating through the evening traffic of Jingzhou with Lu Ruoxi in the passenger seat.

Lu Ruoxi gazed out the window at the rapidly receding cityscape.

She assumed the car would head toward their usual apartment near the company, as it always did.

But at the next intersection, Su Yang turned the steering wheel onto a road leading to the outskirts.

"Aren’t we going home?" Lu Ruoxi asked.

"Big Brother said we should pause and take in the view," Su Yang replied, his profile softened by the golden hues of the setting sun.

"I’m taking you to see Jingzhou’s most beautiful sunset."

The car continued westward, leaving the city’s clamor behind.

Soon, vast fields and woodlands flanked the road.

Eventually, they arrived at a scenic overlook on the Western Hills, offering a panoramic view of Jingzhou’s skyline.

They stepped out of the car.

The mountain breeze was strong, lifting Lu Ruoxi’s long hair.

Wordlessly, Su Yang positioned himself upwind, shielding her from most of the wind.

Side by side, they leaned against the railing.

Before them, a massive crimson sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

The sky blazed with a gradient of scarlet fading into indigo.

One by one, the city’s lights flickered on, eventually merging into a dazzling sea of stars.

"It’s beautiful," Lu Ruoxi murmured softly.

Her eyes reflected the glow of the city below.

"Yeah," Su Yang agreed, though he was looking at her, not the view. "Beautiful."

Lu Ruoxi seemed to sense his gaze and turned to meet his eyes.

For a moment, the air between them carried a quiet unlike anything in their lab—devoid of code, devoid of formulas.

Only the sound of the wind and their shared breaths remained.

Lu Ruoxi studied Su Yang.

This man who had followed her all the way from Anhe County.

He had been her back-row classmate, the perpetual second-place finisher, the shadow quietly chasing her footsteps.

When she was admitted to Jingzhou University, he fought tooth and nail to join her.

When she immersed herself in the dry rigor of mathematical research, he plunged headfirst into the equally demanding world of computer science.

Every theoretical model she crafted, he was its first reader.

Every line of core code he wrote, she was its first tester.

They were the most seamless of partners.

Each other’s only true confidant.

Over the years, she had grown accustomed to his presence.

To the neatly organized experimental data he prepared for her.

To the warm glass of milk he handed her during late nights.

To the unwavering gentleness in his eyes whenever he looked at her.

She had always assumed this was the ideal state of their relationship—rational, harmonious, efficient.

But earlier, when Big Brother said, "Life isn’t just about code and formulas," something inside her had stirred unexpectedly.

Now, standing here,

gazing at the man beside her who had grown into someone so steadfast and reliable,

she suddenly wondered if there could be more between them.

A thought crystallized in her logic-driven mind with perfect clarity.

It was the optimal solution.

And the answer she secretly wanted most.

So she spoke.

In the same calm, direct tone she used for academic discussions.

"Su Yang."

"Hmm?"

"Based on our eight-year history of interaction, emotional interdependence, and alignment in future life goals..."

Lu Ruoxi met his gaze, her eyes clear and utterly serious.

"The success rate of us getting married is 99.9%."

Su Yang froze.

His lips parted, but no words came out.

He had imagined countless proposal scenarios—on a championship podium, at their first product launch, even on some ordinary commute home.

But he had never anticipated being "reverse-proposed" to like this.

Noticing his stunned expression, Lu Ruoxi frowned slightly.

"Is there a flaw in my logic?"

"...No," Su Yang finally managed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

A hint of impatience, unfamiliar even to herself, crept into her voice.

"When are you going to propose to me?"

Su Yang stared at her.

At those cool, rational eyes now shimmering with something he’d never seen before—nervousness, anticipation, a flicker of starlight.

His heart flooded with overwhelming joy and tenderness.

Su Yang grinned like a fool.

Instead of answering, he turned and strode back to the car, opening the glove compartment.

From it, he retrieved a small velvet box.

Returning to her, he took a deep breath and dropped to one knee.

The box opened to reveal a simple platinum ring.

Inside the band was engraved a tiny line of code—his very first "hello, world" written for her.

"Ruoxi."

Su Yang looked up at her, his eyes slightly red but his voice steady.

"I’ve been ready for a long time."

"I was waiting for you to let me into your life—not just stand beside you."

Lu Ruoxi’s heart trembled.

Without warning, her vision blurred with tears.

Her meticulously analytical mind short-circuited, leaving only the raw pulse of her heartbeat.

"So now," Su Yang lifted the ring high,

"will you?"

Lu Ruoxi didn’t speak.

She simply extended her hand.

Her answer couldn’t have been clearer.

Hands shaking, Su Yang slid the ring—the embodiment of all his youth and love—onto her finger.

It fit perfectly.

He stood and pulled her into a tight embrace.

The mountain wind swept past.

Before them stretched the radiant tapestry of the city’s lights.

And in his arms, she was every star in his universe.

Moments later,

Lu Ruoxi’s phone vibrated softly.

She pulled back slightly and checked it.

A photo.

Unbeknownst to her, Su Yang had captured her hand wearing the ring against the backdrop of Jingzhou’s nightscape.

A small, involuntary smile touched her lips.

Then she hit send.

Recipient: Big Brother.

...

At Cloud Peak Residences,

Lu Chenyuan’s phone lit up.

He picked it up, blinked at the image, then chuckled.

Passing the phone to Mo Qingli beside him, he remarked,

"Seems my ‘slow down’ order worked wonders."

Mo Qingli smiled knowingly at the photo.

"More like someone finally had an epiphany."

She glanced out the window at the same glittering night view visible from the Western Hills.

"Chenyuan."

"Yes?"

"When does our home construction start?"

Lu Chenyuan set down the phone and picked up the preliminary blueprint she’d sketched earlier.

"Tomorrow," he decided,

his gaze lingering on the outlined space labeled "Children’s Play Area."

"I hope when An'an learns to walk, she can step on a rug you designed yourself."