Yu Xi turned to look at Jian Ci and froze. Jian Ci was already on his knees, a ring box open in his trembling hands. His face appeared calm, but the slight quiver of his fingers betrayed the storm inside him.

"Babe..." Yu Xi whispered, startled.

Jian Ci swallowed hard. "I... I—fuck. I have been rehearsing this moment for so long." He chuckled nervously, taking a steadying breath. His eyes lifted, shining with sincerity. "Little Xi, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me... please?"

Yu Xi didn’t speak at first, caught in a daze. Jian Ci’s heart pounded, and just as he opened his mouth to launch into the speech he had prepared to sell himself as a good husband, Yu Xi suddenly laughed.

Jian Ci’s anxiety spiked. "What?"

Yu Xi grinned. "So that’s what you have been secretive about."

"Yes," Jian Ci admitted quickly. "I wanted it to be perfect... So what do you say? Would you like to be my husband?"

Yu Xi’s smile softened, his eyes glowing. "Yes. Yes, of course, yes."

Jian Ci’s breath caught. "Really?"

"Yes," Yu Xi said firmly, holding out his hand. "Hurry up and put the ring on me."

In his nervous excitement, Jian Ci fumbled and dropped the ring. "Oops."

Yu Xi groaned. "Are you serious?"

"I am so clumsy," Jian Ci muttered, panicked. "Where did it go?"

Both of them bent down, searching through the grass. The engaged couple spent a good minute crawling around until Yu Xi exclaimed, "Got it!"

When he raised his head, their foreheads bumped together. Both winced, then burst into laughter.

Jian Ci finally slid the ring onto Yu Xi’s finger, his hands steady now. Their lips met in a deep, lingering kiss, sealing the promise beneath the glowing sky.

What Yu Xi didn’t know was that the entire Virelia was lit up with the same display in all their capitals. This was not just a proposal; it was a miracle of fire and color, a declaration etched into the sky for all to see.

At the imperial palace, Jian Rui had been attending a gala when the heavens suddenly erupted. The nobles gasped, their conversations cut short as silver comets and golden wheels painted the night. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, voices rising in astonishment. "Who would dare such audacity?" they whispered, craning their necks to watch the spectacle.

Jian Rui only sighed, knowing exactly who was behind it. His brother had always been bold, but this... this was extravagant even by Jian Ci’s standards.

A hand brushed against his fingers behind his back. Jian Rui stiffened, then glanced sideways. Stannis was beside him, his expression calm, his hand now holding Jian Rui’s discreetly, far from prying eyes.

"You like it?" Stannis asked, his voice low.

Jian Rui smiled faintly. "Why?"

"Because," Stannis said, his tone carrying a hint of challenge, "your subject can put up a bigger display when I propose."

Jian Rui turned to look at him, eyes sharp yet amused. "I will be looking forward to your performance, Marshal."

He walked away, leaving Stannis frozen in place. For a moment, the Marshal’s mind reeled. ’Was that approval? Could I actually ask Jian Rui to marry me?’

Heart pounding, Stannis followed quickly. "Do you mean it?" he asked, almost breathless.

Jian Rui didn’t answer. He only chuckled, the sound soft and elusive, leaving Stannis both hopeful and tormented.

***

Yu Xi couldn’t stop staring at the ring. The emerald stones, set in a band of cool, polished platinum, caught the soft lamplight from the living room and fractured it into a hundred tiny, shimmering sparks.

He twisted it slowly around his finger, feeling the smooth metal against his skin, and a smile, so deep and genuine it felt almost unfamiliar, pulled at his lips.

He had been sitting there for an hour, a glass of champagne untouched on the coffee table, just looking. The weight of the promise it represented was a physical pleasure, a constant, low hum of joy in his chest.

Jian Ci found him there again, padding softly into the room from the bathroom. His robe, a dark navy silk, was loosely tied, damp tendrils of hair curling at his temples from his shower.

He saw Yu Xi’s focused, smiling profile and his own heart clenched with a fierce, possessive love. ’He’s still looking at it.’ Jian Ci walked over, the smile on his own face easy and knowing.

He settled onto the couch beside Yu Xi, his body warm and smelling of clean soap and subtle cologne. His arms slid around Yu Xi’s waist, pulling him close, chest to back.

"You like it that much?" Jian Ci murmured, his voice a low, intimate vibration against Yu Xi’s ear.

Yu Xi tilted his head, glancing sideways at his fiancé. The emerald caught Jian Ci’s eye too, bright and brilliant. "What do you think?" Yu Xi’s voice was light, playful, but thick with emotion.

Jian Ci kissed his cheek, a soft press of lips and said, "I am starting to get jealous now. You have more eyes for the ring than me."

Yu Xi chuckled, a warm, breathy sound. Then he shifted, moving with a deliberate, sensual grace. He got up from Jian Ci’s side only to settle back down, this time straddling Jian Ci’s lap, facing him. The position brought them close, Yu Xi’s thighs framing Jian Ci’s hips, their faces inches apart.

Yu Xi wrapped his arms around Jian Ci’s neck, his fingers playing with the hair at his nape. "I am going to take a shower," Yu Xi said, but his eyes were locked on Jian Ci’s, heavy with intent.

He leaned in and kissed Jian Ci’s lips. It wasn’t a deep kiss, just a soft, promising press. Yu Xi’s expression was seductive, a slight tilt of his head, the tip of his nose brushing against Jian Ci’s.

Jian Ci was entranced, captivated by the playful dominance in his lover’s eyes. He tried to lean in more, to chase that sweetness, to open Yu Xi’s mouth with his own, but Yu Xi held him back, just that faint pressure.

Yu Xi pulled back a millimeter, their lips almost touching. "When I come back," he whispered, the words a hot promise against Jian Ci’s skin, "I will show you how much more important you are than my engagement ring."