Han Tao returned with water, the fries and burger Qi Qi had ordered, and saw Wang Qi Qi staring intently in one direction. Following her gaze, he noticed a family of five. Knowing Qi Qi as he did, he figured she was looking at the fair-skinned, delicate little girl across the way. "One day, we'll have a beautiful little girl just like her," he thought. She looked so full of joy, and Han Tao found himself eagerly anticipating what their own child might look like.

Wang Qi Qi nodded. "Our child will definitely be beautiful. We’ll take them out to play just like that, too." Plus, a child that age was the most fun; even if they threw a small tantrum, it was certainly better than the worries that came with older kids. Add in the sweet sound of "Mommy" and all that dependence, and the more Wang Qi Qi thought about it, the more having a child sooner seemed like a good idea.

"Mhm, you’ll be carrying one child, I’ll be holding one, and one will be in the stroller." The thought of that scene energized Han Tao completely. For the sake of a beautiful and happy future life, Han Tao felt immense joy. He hadn't felt fatherly love growing up; his own children certainly wouldn't have that regret. "Our children will be very happy, and we'll grow old together, right?" Han Tao knew Wang Qi Qi was uneasy about some things, always sensing a faint barrier between her and everyone, including him. But sometimes, seeing her laughing so brightly with Shi Man and the others, he thought he was being overly sensitive. Now, seeing how much Qi Qi loved children, a sudden idea struck him: perhaps having a baby would finally dissolve that faint barrier around Qi Qi?

Han Tao set the food down on the blanket, wrapped his arms around Wang Qi Qi, and kissed her cheek. "We'll get married right after graduation, and then we'll have a child." Although Han Tao said it calmly, he was actually filled with uncertainty, rapidly trying to predict Qi Qi's reaction and how he would reason with her if she didn't agree.

Wang Qi Qi’s first thought upon hearing Han Tao was, You’re not going to propose to me, are you?

Han Tao had run through many potential responses from Wang Qi Qi in his mind—agreement, refusal, changing the subject—but he had never considered she would react so quickly, nor that she would ask that very question. "If you think I'm proposing, then I am proposing."

Ah, that answer left Wang Qi Qi speechless. What did he mean, if she thought it was a proposal, then it was one? Wang Qi Qi huffily turned her head away from Han Tao. "How is this a proposal? There are no flowers, no ring, and certainly no candlelit dinner." Even if they could forgo romance on normal days, Wang Qi Qi hoped for a surprise when it came to a proposal. Still, she didn't think this guy was capable of much surprise; just managing to pull off the scene she was picturing would be good enough. Wang Qi Qi genuinely felt she didn't need any more demands than that.

Han Tao actually had plenty of ideas for a proposal. The suggestions Dai Lijun gave—like laying out heart-shaped candles on the beach or proposing underwater—were decent, but Han Tao felt they weren't quite right. After thinking it over and over, he decided it was more reliable to subtly fish for information from Qi Qi’s mouth. If he planned something perfectly, it would be a great surprise, but only if Qi Qi liked it. What if he stepped on a landmine? It would be better to stick to a standard proposal format. He certainly didn't want Qi Qi to be dissatisfied and reject his proposal, especially after seeing her act a little petulant today, which solidified this thought.

"Ah, is that all you need?" Good heavens. This was the most basic scenario. Han Tao thought it really wasn't too difficult. He figured he could manage this task successfully just by finding a restaurant with a nice atmosphere and good food. But for some reason, he felt Qi Qi wasn't being entirely truthful. Staring into her eyes, he noticed the hint of helplessness there, and suddenly he understood. It wasn't that Qi Qi had no requirements for a proposal; it was just that she didn't think he could come up with anything romantic, so she defaulted to the most basic set of expectations.

Wang Qi Qi suddenly remembered something. "Oops, I'm the one proposing? I remember someone saying he was going to marry into my family." If he was marrying into her family, then it was up to her to propose. "Tao, what do you think of my proposal idea just now? If you think it’s good, should I arrange a candlelit dinner at home tomorrow night and buy a bouquet of roses and a ring?"

Han Tao didn't have a strong preference about who married into whose family, but regarding the proposal, he felt, "The proposal should be done by the man. I don't want you telling our future grandchildren someday that Grandma proposed to Grandpa." Besides, if Dai Lijun ever found out, how would he ever show his face? "Don't worry, I'll give you a big surprise."

Wang Qi Qi looked at Han Tao’s insistence that he must propose, shrugged, and signaled she had no objection. "If you insist on proposing, just know that I don't like the most basic way of doing it. As for other methods, as long as it's not too bizarre, I won't have any issue." Wang Qi Qi thought to herself that her actual standards for a proposal weren't high at all.

"Don't worry, don't worry." With a general scope established, Han Tao was relieved. Since Qi Qi’s requirements weren't demanding, he was sure he could handle it. He already had a rough draft and planned to discuss it thoroughly with Feng Xuanxiang when he got back. As for involving Dai Lijun, Han Tao felt such an important matter shouldn't trouble him; otherwise, things would only get worse. In Han Tao’s mind, consulting Feng Xuanxiang was much more reliable.

Wang Qi Qi and Han Tao stayed out until the sky began to darken. The two packed up some of the food they hadn't finished and slowly rode their bikes home. "I wonder if Dai Lijun is starving," Wang Qi Qi said, looking at the packed burgers, chicken wings, fries, and barbecue, thinking this should satisfy someone’s needs.

"Don't worry, he won't starve to death. When we get back, we can't look like we feel guilty about him, or else..." Han Tao thought to himself that their friend was a resilient kid; no matter how much trouble he faced, he could bounce back quickly.

Even if Han Tao hadn't said it, Wang Qi Qi understood. "If he throws a fit, I won't give him any of this. I can just eat it for lunch tomorrow."

Dai Lijun rubbed his stomach. "Stomach, oh stomach, just bear with it a little longer; we'll have good food soon." Dai Lijun sighed for the nth time, checked the time—it was almost eight—and wondered why the two hadn't returned yet. Dai Lijun suspected they might be deliberately coming back late, just like the day they left him, having eaten their fill so they couldn't stomach the delicious food they brought back. Thinking this, Dai Lijun resolved to hold out and not give in to the bread in front of him.

Dai Lijun forced his attention onto his computer, trying to chat with his girlfriend, Lu Qiaowei, to distract himself from the gnawing hunger. But the problem was his stomach kept rumbling. Finally, helpless, Dai Lijun picked up a piece of bread and slowly started eating it. As he ate, he comforted himself: he wasn't giving up on the gourmet food; he was just eating bread now to keep his stomach from getting so empty that he'd miss the real meal later. Thinking this, Dai Lijun felt slightly better.

Shortly after finishing one piece of bread, his stomach protested again. Just as he considered eating another, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs—he knew it must be Qi Qi and the others returning. He placed a hand on his stomach and muttered low, "Stomach, I know you're hungry, but you don't like the bread I ate, so just bear with it. There's nothing to be done; Qi Qi dragged the bad guy, Han Tao, out..." Dai Lijun sounded pitiful, with a slight quiver in his voice, enough to make a sentimental person truly weep if they heard it.

Wang Qi Qi and Han Tao were still a short distance from the door when they heard the complaining. They exchanged a look and simultaneously turned. "Tao, I just remembered there's that movie you said sounded interesting. Since you’re free today, let’s go watch it."

Han Tao readily agreed. "John saw it and said it was good. Idiot is in a bad mood now, he might even be crying. Let's not disturb him; he’d probably be embarrassed if we saw him cry."

"Exactly, exactly," Wang Qi Qi said, stepping onto the stairs, ready to go down. Hmph, make me feel guilty first? Not a chance.

Dai Lijun was stunned when he realized Wang Qi Qi and Han Tao had clearly heard his pitiful complaints but completely ignored him and were instead planning to go to the movies. "Ah! You guys are too mean!" Dai Lijun gave up complaining, knowing that if he kept it up, the terrible couple would definitely go watch the film.

In reality, Wang Qi Qi and Han Tao were exhausted and had no energy for a movie. They had already scheduled a viewing for the house with the property developer for ten the next morning, so tonight was for getting an early rest. When Dai Lijun caught up to them at the door, he saw Han Tao grinning, holding up a large plastic bag, and realized he had been tricked by the couple again. He could only console himself by looking at the delicious food and deciding to let them off the hook this time.

Dai Lijun snatched the bag and started heading toward the sofa. "Idiot, you are not eating on the sofa!" Wang Qi Qi yelled immediately. This guy was terribly messy when he ate; several times, he had left crumbs all over the sofa and floor, which she had spent ages cleaning up. Today’s food was oily, and she didn't want to do that heavy cleaning again.

Dai Lijun could only change direction and sit down at the dining table. "Was the market fun? When did you leave?"

"It was okay," Wang Qi Qi said, washing her hands and snatching a few skewers of barbecue from the bag. "Lots of people. Good for a family outing. They even had a band playing; it was really lively."

"A band?" Dai Lijun hadn't expected a spontaneous gathering to feature live music. That seemed a bit upscale. "Next time you have an event like that, call me." Even without a band, Dai Lijun would have wanted to go, if only so he wouldn't have to wait until this late hour for food.

Just as Han Tao and Wang Qi Qi were about to leave with their things loaded on the bike, Dai Lijun called from the second-floor window, "Are you leaving now? Will you be back for lunch?" Han Tao had told Dai Lijun yesterday about viewing the house and asked if he wanted to come along, but Dai Lijun had deliberated before deciding against it; he simply couldn't skip sleeping in two consecutive days off.

"If we secure the house, we'll go out for a nice lunch to celebrate," Wang Qi Qi said, thinking that if they actually signed the contract, it would be a truly memorable day. It would mean they had purchased property in a foreign land, symbolizing a new start, a definitive foothold in this country.

Dai Lijun grunted an acknowledgment, rubbed his eyes, and closed the window, heading back to bed. "Be careful on the road."

Wang Qi Qi and Han Tao arrived at the property exactly on time. When their figures appeared, the real estate agent’s expression shifted for a moment, looking less than natural. He hadn't expected to be hosting clients like them today; they certainly didn't look like people about to buy a house. But he quickly composed himself into a professional smile. "Hello. Are you the ones with the appointment to view the house? I'm Sandy."

Wang Qi Qi hadn't noticed Sandy’s fleeting awkwardness, but Han Tao had. He frowned slightly, but when he saw the agent quickly regain his composure, he let it go too. "Hello, we just wanted to take a proper look around."

Sandy led them inside, offering appropriate explanations along the way. "This property had an order placed previously, and we completed some of the internal arrangements according to the client’s requests. However, due to a job transfer, that person canceled the order."

Wang Qi Qi had toured it before but hadn't thought much of it, knowing some complexes came with basic finishing. She hadn't realized it had been a reserved property that was canceled. "Then let's take another look."

Han Tao was indifferent to the history, and Wang Qi Qi showed no change in expression. Of course, he wouldn't mention whether he liked it or not. "Oh, then let's look around some more." Still, the foreigner was quite honest; Han Tao realized he wouldn't have known otherwise.

Han Tao noticed the kitchen was quite nice, with a large oven. He opened it up. "It’s bigger than the oven we ordered for your sister last time. You can make your favorite cakes whenever you want."

Wang Qi Qi was quite pleased with the kitchen facilities, which included a sterilizer and an oven. The dining table was right next to it—a fully American-style large kitchen. Wang Qi Qi loved it, though she realized cleaning up after making Chinese food would be a bigger task. "There's a large window on the side; we could plant some flowers and herbs out there later." Although there was a surrounding wall, it wasn't very high, and the house was slightly elevated. Standing by the window, they could see the main road outside, meaning people outside could also see in.

Moving to the living room, Han Tao saw the large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the backyard. "It’s nice, good light, but I feel a bit concerned about privacy..."

"There are curtains; I like it," Wang Qi Qi said. She imagined cozying up in the living room, basking in the winter sun with a fireplace going. "In the winter, I can put a lounge chair here." Wang Qi Qi gestured near the fireplace. "There’s a small room downstairs; what do you plan to do with it?"

That room was actually intended as a family room, but Wang Qi Qi felt it was redundant with the living room, as they rarely had guests anyway. "How about making it a study and game room?" Wang Qi Qi suggested. That way, when they had a child, they’d have a place for them to play.

A study? Han Tao didn't comment on that suggestion. After quickly touring the first floor, they went upstairs. The second floor had three rooms, all admittedly small. Except for the master bedroom, which had an ensuite bathroom and a moderately sized walk-in closet/study, the others were genuinely quite tiny. "Compared to Mark's place, this house is really small." Although he kept telling himself that he didn't have a lot of money, and it was just the two of them, so they didn't need a huge house, and they didn't need to achieve everything at once. Han Tao recalled the surprise on many people’s faces when he mentioned buying a house so early; many people in their forties were still renting.

"The attic is nice. Just to be clear, it’s mine," Wang Qi Qi reminded him as she led Han Tao up to the loft area again.

Han Tao thought about the fuss over the attic yesterday. "I know; I won't take your attic." He mused that no matter how nice this attic was, it couldn't compare to the attic they lived in now—it lacked a terrace.

Sandy, trailing behind them, was increasingly confused. He couldn't tell from their expressions whether they were happy or unhappy as he occasionally sized up the couple. He was inwardly hoping this house would sell; he hadn't made a sale this month and was counting on this one going through smoothly.

Han Tao hadn't initially thought he'd be this interested in the attic, but the moment he stepped onto the landing and pushed open the door, he felt a pang of regret. The house had large, slanted glass windows on both sides of the upper space. His first thought was to place a bed under one window (Qi Qi had once mentioned liking to lie in bed and watch the stars) and a bathtub under the other. But then he considered that if he put a desk under the window, the lighting would be excellent, as the attic only had those two light sources; otherwise, the area was rather dim.

Wang Qi Qi didn't overthink it. "What do you think?" she asked, standing in the middle of the space.

Han Tao pursed his lips. "I think it's a bit dark. Even with windows on both sides, how is the ventilation?" Air circulation couldn't be poor.

"The windows open," Wang Qi Qi chirped, running over to a window and pushing it open with some effort. "I plan to put the bathtub under one window and set up a workspace under the other."

As for the sleeping area, Wang Qi Qi had a plan figured out. "I plan to put in a Japanese-style tatami mat setup here. If I need to work, I’ll bring out the table; if I need to sleep, I’ll put the table away." For the remaining space, Wang Qi Qi intended to put bookshelves against the wall and use the central area for yoga practice.

After hearing Wang Qi Qi outline her vision, Han Tao sighed. "Can I take back my regret? Isn't this much space a waste for just you?" Although the area was only as large as their current kitchen, living room, and bathroom combined, and it was a true attic space—low on the sides and high in the middle—those two windows truly brought the loft to life.

Wang Qi Qi knew he would regret it. "You always come home so late; giving it to you would be the biggest waste," she retorted, refusing to yield an inch. Hmph, the house isn't even ours yet, and he’s already eyeing it. Once we move in, he’ll probably want to turn the whole place into his own space.

Seeing Wang Qi Qi refuse to concede even a millimeter, Han Tao fell silent. He figured he could always try to charm his way into using it later; surely Qi Qi wouldn't deny him access entirely?

Han Tao turned to Sandy, who was following behind them. "I like this house. Roughly how much is it?"

Sandy didn't understand their previous conversation, but when Wang Qi Qi was constantly gesturing around the attic, he knew the deal was halfway sealed. If they weren't satisfied with the house, there would be no need to plan out the attic space. "Although quite a few things have been installed inside this house, since the previous buyer defaulted, the cost of the equipment is negligible." Sandy then quoted a price. "This price is the most favorable."

Wang Qi Qi and Han Tao exchanged a look. Wang Qi Qi had researched the market and knew this price was indeed quite reasonable—only slightly more than an unfurnished unit, and definitely cheaper than the cost including all the fixtures. This was unavoidable; houses that were nearly move-in ready always had a price advantage. Wang Qi Qi nodded at Han Tao, signaling the price was acceptable.

Although Han Tao hadn't actively followed the housing market, he had a general grasp of pricing. "What's the required down payment? I currently..." Han Tao briefly explained his financial situation. "I'm still a bit short. Do you think it will be easy to secure a loan?"

Sandy had been happy at first; this house was finally being sold. While the neighborhood environment was good, the specific renovations done according to the previous owner's wishes weren't to everyone's taste, and the developer was considering redoing the interior if it didn't sell soon. He hadn't expected to successfully move it. However, what the young couple said next made him conflicted. "That might be a bit tricky." Securing a loan for someone who wasn't a US citizen was indeed a hurdle. "I need to check back with my company."

"Let me know the outcome, whatever it is, so I can figure something out," Han Tao said. After looking around, he found the local environment pleasing, and from his earlier chat with the agent, he understood that most buyers here were in the IT industry, which made sense given the high concentration of IT companies nearby. This suggested the community had a good resident caliber, so future security wouldn't be an issue.

"You'll have an answer by tomorrow at the latest," Sandy replied. He thought the loan process would be slightly complicated but likely manageable. "We might need some documentation from your employer."

Han Tao understood. "Rest assured, I've already cleared this with the company."

Sandy hadn't expected this young Asian man to have already factored all that in. The company being willing to issue documentation for him was quite something; however, the fact that they would hire him as a full-time employee while he was still studying abroad clearly indicated he possessed genuine talent. Otherwise, why would the boss be willing to spend the extra money?