Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

The sun had completely set.

The streetlights came on, lined up along the riverbank, their warm yellow light softly illuminating the walkway.

The last vestige of color remained on the horizon, a mixture of deep blue and light purple.

Shen Yu'an sat on the bench, the back of her hand still gently touching Xize's sleeve.

He didn't move, and neither did Xize. The two sat quietly, listening to the sound of the river lapping against the bank and the occasional whistle of a cruise ship in the distance.

After a while, Xize stood up.

Shen Yu'an looked up at him, thinking they were going back. He stood up, dusted off imaginary dust from his pants, and prepared to walk towards the parking lot.

But Caesar did not go that way.

He turned around to face Shen Yu'an, his grey-blue eyes appearing even deeper than usual under the streetlights. His expression was so serious that Shen Yu'an was momentarily stunned and instinctively straightened up.

"gentlemen?"

Xize did not speak.

He stared at Shen Yu'an for several seconds. Then he took a half step back, bent down, slightly bent one knee, and squatted down until his gaze was level with Shen Yu'an's.

Shen Yu'an was stunned.

Xize is very tall, and he usually has to look up to see Xize, as there is always a height difference of almost a head between the two.

But now Xize has squatted down, and his eyes are at the same height as Shen Yu'an's. Shen Yu'an can look straight ahead and see the reflection of the streetlights and the light on the river in his pupils.

One knee was slightly bent. Not kneeling, but half-squatting, one leg bent, the other supporting the body. But there was something in that posture that Shen Yu'an had never seen before.

It is respect.

Utmost respect.

Caesar didn't want him to look up at those words. Caesar wanted him to look at him at eye level, as an equal, as an adult.

Shen Yu'an's heart was pounding wildly. He felt he should be able to guess what was going to happen next, but he dared not think about it. He was afraid he was wrong, afraid that he was just overthinking things.

Xize raised his head and looked into Shen Yu'an's eyes. The light from the streetlamp fell on his face from the side, illuminating his features clearly. His gray-blue eyes held a serious, determined light, without any hesitation.

"Xiao An."

His voice was softer and slower than usual, each word sounding as if it had been carefully considered many times, yet it was very steady when he spoke it.

"I've lived for thirty years and have never fallen for anyone."

Shen Yu'an's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

"You're the first one."

Xize looked at him without looking away.

"I don't know if this counts as love at first sight, but I still remember clearly the way you looked sheltering from the rain on the street that night. I shouldn't have stopped; I never make exceptions for strangers. But when I saw you, my hand moved on its own."

Shen Yu'an's eyes began to burn. He bit his lip, trying not to make a sound.

"Everything that happened after that—taking you home, fixing your heating, picking you up from school, taking you to concerts—was something I wanted to do, not out of politeness, not out of pity. It was because I wanted to be close to you."

Xize's voice remained steady, but there was a slight, barely noticeable tightness at the end.

"During the days you avoided me, I didn't pressure you because I wanted to give you time to think things through. Later, you came down in the rain, and I knew you were hesitant, but you chose to walk towards me. That day, I decided that no matter what you were afraid of, I would wait for you to be ready."

Shen Yu'an's tears finally fell.

One drop, two drops, slid down his cheek. He tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand, but new drops kept falling.

Xize didn't move. He remained squatting there, looking directly at Shen Yu'an, his gaze gentle yet firm.

"Xiao An, I want to take care of you."

Shen Yu'an's hand stopped at his face, tears blurring his vision, but he still looked into Xize's eyes.

"Not as a friend, not as an elder. I want to take care of you as your lover. All the tenderness and affection I have for the rest of my life will be reserved for you alone."

Xize paused here. His Adam's apple bobbed, as if he were swallowing some emotion. But his gray-blue eyes never left Shen Yu'an's face.

"You can take your time to think about it; you don't need to answer now. I'll wait for you."

Shen Yu'an couldn't stop her tears.

He stood there, under the streetlights along the Thames, before a half-squatting English man. This man was nine years older than him, a head taller, a hereditary duke of the country, and the most aloof and restrained man in all of London's high society.

But now he's squatting here, his gaze level with Shen Yu'an's, saying that this is the first time in his thirty years that he's fallen in love, that he wants to take care of him for the rest of his life, and that all his tenderness and affection are reserved for him alone.

Shen Yu'an felt that he would never hear anything more pleasant than these words in his life.

He sniffed, wiped the tears off his face hard with the back of his hand, and then took a step forward.

That step was small, but enough for him to stand in front of Caesar.

He lowered his head, looking into Xize's gray-blue eyes, his voice hoarse, tinged with tears, but firm.

"gentlemen……"

He squatted down.

She didn't just half-squat; she squatted down completely, curling herself up into a ball, and crouched in front of Xize. Their eyes were still level, but the distance between them was even closer than before, so close that Shen Yu'an could see the light from the streetlamp clinging to Xize's eyelashes.

"I don't need to think about it."

His voice was still trembling, but he was very serious.

"I like you."

Xize's pupils contracted slightly.

"The days I avoided you weren't because I didn't want to see you, but because I was afraid. I was afraid I wasn't good enough for you, afraid your feelings were just a passing fancy, afraid you'd find it troublesome if you knew how I felt. But later I realized that my feelings for you have nothing to do with whether I'm good enough for you or not."

As Shen Yu'an spoke, tears welled up in his eyes again. But this time he didn't wipe them away, letting them flow freely.

"I like you. I don't know when it started, maybe it was the day you cooked porridge for me, maybe it was the day you stood in the rain waiting for me, maybe it was the day you stood behind me in the tailor shop. Anyway, I just like you. You don't need to wait for me to think about it, I've already made up my mind."

Xize looked at him.

Under the streetlights, Shen Yu'an's tears glistened on his face, his nose was red from crying, and his lips were trembling. His eyes were bright, filled with seriousness, determination, and without a trace of hesitation.

Xize stared at him for a long time.

Then he moved.

He stood up, then squatted down again, this time truly kneeling on one knee, one hand supporting himself on his knee, the other hand reaching out to gently cup Shen Yu'an's cheek.

The hand was large, the palm was warm, the fingers were long and slender, and the ring was pressed against Shen Yu'an's temple. He wiped away Shen Yu'an's tears with his palm, the movement was very light and slow, as if he were touching a very precious object, not daring to use force.

"Xiao An."

His voice was hoarse, the kind of hoarseness that had been controlled for a long time before finally cracking open.

Say it again.

Shen Yu'an looked at him, at the turmoil in those gray-blue eyes, and felt a pang of sadness and a swelling in her heart, as if it were about to overflow.

"I like you," he said earnestly, emphasizing each word clearly. "Xize, I like you."

Xize paused for a moment.

That was the first time Shen Yu'an called him by his name, not "Sir," but "Xize."

Xize moved his hand from Shen Yu'an's cheek to the back of his head, gently supporting his hair. He leaned forward slightly, and his lips landed on Shen Yu'an's forehead.

It's very light.

Very restrained.

Like a feather falling, it stayed for less than two seconds before it was gone.

Shen Yu'an closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the kiss. The small patch of skin on his forehead was warm, and that warmth spread throughout his body along his veins, making him feel weak all over.

Xize straightened up, slid his hand down from the back of his head, and grasped his hand.

"Get up," he said, his voice regaining its steady tone, but softer than usual.

Shen Yu'an was pulled to her feet. Their hands were clasped together, fingers intertwined, just like at the art exhibition before, but this time the meaning was completely different.

That time it was a test; this time it's confirmation.

Xize looked down at him, his gray-blue eyes full of tenderness. He reached out and brushed aside the bangs on Shen Yu'an's forehead that were damp with tears, his fingertips pausing lightly on his brow bone.

"Crying like this."

Shen Yu'an felt embarrassed, lowered her head, and wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, whispering, "It's all your fault. Who told you to say those things all of a sudden?"

Xize's lips curved into a slight smile: "It's my fault."

The two stood hand in hand under the streetlight. The river breeze was still blowing, a bit cooler than in the evening, but Shen Yu'an didn't feel cold at all.

His whole body was warm, starting from the spot on his forehead where he had been kissed, all the way down to his toes.

He looked down at the two people's clasped hands.

Xize's hands were large, with distinct knuckles, and his fingers were encased inside, with only a few fingertips showing. On that hand was a family heirloom ring, the cool metal pressed against Shen Yu'an's fingertip.

Shen Yu'an gently pinched Xize's thumb.

Xize sensed it and looked down at him: "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Shen Yu'an said, her voice soft, tinged with a mix of shyness and barely concealed joy, "I just wanted to confirm that this isn't a dream."

Xize tightened his grip on his hand slightly.

"It's not a dream."

Shen Yu'an raised her head and looked into Xize's eyes. His own reflection was completely in those grey-blue eyes, the streetlights shining within them like two tiny stars.

He smiled.

Her eyes crinkled with laughter, her nose was still red, and there were traces of tears on her face. But that smile was genuine; it was the kind of happiness that welled up from the bottom of her heart and couldn't be suppressed.

Xize looked at him and smiled, the curve of his lips deepening. He took Shen Yu'an's hand and turned to walk towards the parking lot.

After taking a couple of steps, Shen Yu'an suddenly remembered something and tugged at his hand.

"gentlemen."

Xize stopped and looked back at him.

Shen Yu'an opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again.

"What should I call you from now on?" He blushed. "Still 'Sir'?"

Xize looked at his bright red ears, a smile playing in his grey-blue eyes: "You can call me whatever you want."

Shen Yu'an thought for a moment, then her ears turned even redder.

"Then... when no one's around..."

His voice grew softer and softer until the last few words were almost inaudible.

Xize bent down and leaned closer to him: "What?"

"Daddy." Shen Yu'an was practically steaming after saying those two words.

Xize paused for a moment.

Then he straightened up, and the curve of his lips transformed into a completely unrestrained smile that Shen Yu'an had never seen before. His eyes were full of bright light, like the surface of a winter lake melting in the sun.

"Mmm," he responded softly, his voice gentle and carrying an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Shen Yu'an lowered her head and was led forward by him. Her ears were bright red, her palms were sweaty, and her heart was pounding as if it would jump out of her chest.

But he walked very fast and with a steady pace.

Because he knew that from this day forward, he would no longer be that lone international student wandering the streets of London.

He has a family now.