Ashley finished speaking and felt a bit embarrassed. She had never had this kind of lifetime commitment conversation with Valentin before. She stared at Valentin's face, wanting to see his reaction.
But Valentin stood there motionless as if he had lost his soul. There was no response from him, not even a blink of an eye.
'What's wrong?'
Ashley scratched her head in confusion.
After hearing what Ashley said, Valentin felt as if a bright white light exploded in front of him. His rationality shattered. His heart seemed to stop beating.
Only Ashley's words echoed in his ears.
"Let's celebrate future anniversaries together, like the second anniversary, third anniversary, and tenth anniversary."
Valentin had prepared himself for all the possible replies that Ashley might give him. He had thought about Ashley rejecting his pursuit and divorcing him.
He had thought about Ashley not making a decision and considering further. He had even thought about Ashley compromising and trying to be with him after he got hurt.
He had considered all possibilities except for this kind of answer.
Ashley talked about the future, such a distant future.
She mentioned the tenth anniversary.
She placed him, Valentin, in her future.
Seeing Valentin's lack of reaction, Ashley waved her hand in front of his eyes. Still, there was no response, and Ashley grew anxious.
"Are you okay? Why aren't you moving?"
'He couldn't have fainted again, could he?
'Can someone faint with their eyes open?' she thought.
"Don't scare me." Ashley nervously hugged him, even considering calling the doctor.
Ashley's body, warm and soft, was in his embrace once again. Finally, his eyes moved. He was like a deep sea, calm on the surface but with tumultuous waves beneath.
He looked deeply into Ashley's eyes and uncertainly asked, "Can you say it again?"
Ashley paused for a moment, cooperatively repeating the previous words. "Don't scare me."
Valentin said, "Not those words, the one before."
Ashley said, "Are you okay? Why aren't you moving?"
Valentin was speechless.
Ashley blinked her watery eyes. Finally, she realized what he wanted to hear. Annoyed, she said, "I spent so much time preparing and racking my brain to come up with the confession, and it turns out you didn't hear it clearly?"
Although Ashley was unhappy, she decided to fulfill his wish. "Okay, even though you didn't hear it clearly, I'll forgive you and say it again.
"I said we couldn't celebrate our first wedding anniversary together this time. But in the future, for the second anniversary, third anniversary, and every year after that, we should celebrate together. Did you hear it clearly?"
Valentin looked at the beautiful and radiant Ashley in his arms, his expression changing unpredictably.
Nothing, not even a multi-billion-dollar business deal or gaining envy-inducing power, could compare to the surprise of this answer. It felt as if all the blood in his body had stopped flowing.
"So, you won't divorce me, and we'll be together for the rest of our lives?"
He was overwhelmed by the immense surprise but still somewhat uncertain.
Ashley's eyes darted around like a cunning little fox. Jokingly, she said, "No, just now I was joking, teasing you."
Valentin's face changed, and he tightened his grip on her waist, pulling her closer.
"Calm down," Ashley immediately said, then playfully touched the back of his hand. "I'm serious. I wasn't joking."
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