Holding a ring, he saw Shao Qi squatting at the door making a snowman. Despite hearing footsteps, Shao Qi didn’t turn.

Zhou You stood behind him for a moment, then playfully nudged Shao Qi’s rear with his toe, "Hey, what’s this? You bluntly mentioned getting a certificate earlier. What is this gesture? If this is a proposal, I’m not accepting."

Shao Qi stood up, his face slightly flushed. He stepped back and with a slap on the snowy ground, snow dispersed, revealing a heart-shaped red flowerbed below, each blossom fresh and vibrant. It was made entirely of roses.

"When did you prepare this? How did I not notice?" Zhou You approached, touching one of the roses to find it was real. Such an abundance of roses was hard to come by now.

"Heard that rings and bouquets are outdated for proposals now. Don't you find it cliché?" Zhou You teased.

"If you like it, it's not cliché. And do you think those in the city don't like these things? It's just that real flowers are hard for them to come by."

"How many flowers are here?"

"Nine hundred and ninety-nine flowers, and you haven't told me if you like them or not," Shao Qi hesitated, his real question being whether she'd accept his proposal.

The proposal was an impromptu decision, and when he casually mentioned marriage that day, it had lingered on his mind. On nights when Zhou You slept, he'd sneak out to gather the flowers. To ensure their freshness, he'd uprooted them and replanted them behind the livestock farm.

Snow continued to fall, quickly adorning the red flowers with a white blanket. Shao Qi brought out a tarp to cover them, lamenting to Zhou You, "If you don't say yes, I have to keep these fresh. It's not easy."

Zhou You gently brushed off the snow from the petals, her eyes squinting in a smile. She flashed her left hand, revealing a ring with a small gem that sparkled at certain angles.

It took Shao Qi a full minute to process, and then he was overjoyed. He rushed over to embrace and kiss Zhou You, swiftly placing the matching ring on his finger. Holding her hand tightly, he lifted her up, exclaiming, "Let's get our marriage certificate tomorrow!"

"Seriously? We're still on a break, aren't we?"

"Break or not, they'll work if I say so. Besides, it's just getting a certificate. Won't take long."

Zhou You, once he'd calmed down, raised her hand, "What is this ring made of? I can't quite tell."

Staring at the ring with pride, Shao Qi grinned, "I made these rings myself. The stone is chipped from the 'Heart Stone'. It's incredibly hard; this tiny piece was all I could manage. I hope you're not disappointed."

Zhou You gasped, "That can be broken? Would it harm you?"

"It's just a tiny piece. What harm could it do? I wanted to place my heart in your hands and have your name engraved in mine. Romantic, right?" As Shao Qi carried her upstairs, the tent in the yard collapsed under the weight of the snow, crushing the beautiful flowers and leaving a red splatter. Yet, that did little to dampen the ardor of the couple above.

The next day, the pair packed up and drove back to the base. On arrival, they heard news of Xuanmen School's recruitment and scanned the announcement with one curious and the other nonchalant.

"You two are finally back! Tomorrow is the selection day for the new school. Even those who didn't apply are heading there for the spectacle. We're all curious about their criteria," a city guard recognized Zhou You and eagerly shared.

Zhou You handed him a mutant bird they'd caught on the way, "Thanks. We might check it out. This is the first martial arts school for adults, right?"

"Yes, indeed! My relatives have applied. If selected, they could become warriors."

The societal divide had driven many towards martial aspirations. Zhou You believed more schools would emerge. She wondered when Shao Qi had started this initiative and why the secretive Xuanmen chose to reveal itself now.

On the way back to their villa, Zhou You asked, "Did you know about the school beforehand?"

"Of course. I negotiated with Elder Xuan. He demanded quite a bit," Shao Qi replied with a grimace.

"So, he was busy with this school all along? Where will it be built? If they're recruiting, has it been constructed already?"

"With the snowfall, construction can only start in spring. The site is outside the base. Xu Yintian plans to expand the city, establishing the school and a research base near the military zone. They also aim to domesticate low-level mutants for student training. Until the new school's ready, they'll use Yang City University's premises."

"They're moving fast."

"That's just step one. Next, I plan to encircle the Ancient Base as a secondary training ground."

"Then, the third step would be real-world field training. There's no shortage of locations for that."

Shao Qi shared, "I've donated all the books from the stone chamber to the school. We should have another chance to venture out this month."

"For what?"

"You'll see soon enough."

The two returned to the Lychee Manor, finding it bustling. The living room was filled with belongings as everyone was busy packing.

Seeing their return, everyone teased them playfully. However, when Li Yunxi noticed the rings on their ring fingers, she congratulated them. Their relationship had finally become official.