Chapter 139: The End of the Date

About an hour later, the two dishes and one soup were completely finished by Krystal and Chen Zhe. Although Chen Zhe was the main consumer, Krystal enjoyed the meal immensely.

Krystal gave exceptionally high praise to all four dishes prepared by Chen Zhe that evening, even placing the corn and pork rib soup on her personal list of the best soups she had ever tasted.

After dinner, at Krystal's strong insistence, Chen Zhe had no choice but to let her wash the dishes while he took on the role of her assistant nearby. Nevertheless, this turned out to be another wonderful way to bond.

As Krystal dried the bowls, chopsticks, and plates and placed them into the sterilizing cabinet, Chen Zhe washed several mangoes and skillfully peeled them with a fruit knife at lightning speed.

"As soon as I finish making these two yogurt and mango smoothies, we'll go up to the rooftop garden! The final surprise I originally planned to give you during the confession is still up there. And no stealing too many bites—these are for blending!"

Just as he finished peeling and dicing the mangoes into small pieces and was about to get the yogurt from the refrigerator, Krystal had already put away the kitchen utensils and was standing quietly behind him, curiously eyeing the slices of mango on his plate.

Turning around, Chen Zhe was startled by Krystal, who had approached without a sound. With a helpless smile, he tapped her on the forehead, murmuring as he walked toward the fridge.

Opening the refrigerator door to grab the yogurt, he didn't look back, yet acting as if he had eyes on the back of his head, he spoke up just as Krystal stretched out a finger to sneak a piece of mango.

"Alright, I know. I'm just going to eat one piece to see if the mangoes are fresh. I promise I won't eat any more, so don't worry!"

His voice successfully startled Krystal, causing the piece of mango pinched between her fingers to almost drop back onto the plate. Taking a deep breath and replying to Chen Zhe, Krystal finally popped the mango piece into her mouth.

"It's not that I don't want you to eat too many, but if we don't have enough mangoes left, the smoothie won't taste fruity enough, and the texture won't be nearly as good."

Seeing that Krystal seemed to have misunderstood him, Chen Zhe, holding the yogurt and a small jar of honey, placed them on the bar counter, reached out to gently pinch Krystal's scrunched-up nose, and smiled as he explained.

After all, besides juicing, a portion of these mangoes was meant to be used as toppings and garnishes for the yogurt mango smoothies. If he hadn't stopped Krystal and told her not to snack too much beforehand, given her known love for mangoes, she would likely have sneaked a piece or two every now and then, leaving only half the plate within a matter of minutes.

"Aha, I found it! So this is where that guy Bai Fan keeps the blender!"

After explaining to Krystal, Chen Zhe began rummaging through the cupboards, searching for Bai Fan's blender. After hunting for quite a while, just as he was about to give up on this particular cabinet, he pulled the door open, and the blender was sitting quietly inside. The moment he saw it, Chen Zhe couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Taking the blender out and rinsing it, Chen Zhe poured three-quarters of the diced mangoes into it, followed by the yogurt, and finally scooped in a spoonful of honey. He then secured the lid and started the machine.

The blender ran for about a minute before stopping automatically. Chen Zhe opened the lid, stirred the contents with the built-in paddle, and saw that it was completely blended.

He fetched two glass glasses and poured the yogurt mango smoothies evenly into them, maintaining an equal amount in both. Then, he divided the remaining mango pieces into two portions and dropped them into the respective cups of smoothie.

"Alright, let's head up to the rooftop garden. This is the final surprise for tonight!"

After tidying up the ingredients and utensils and washing them clean, Chen Zhe handed one cup to Krystal. As she took it, he reached out to clasp her free hand and led her toward the top floor.

Passing through the winding spiral staircase, the moment both of their feet stepped onto the pebble pathway of the garden floor, warm yellow lights illuminated beneath their feet, gradually extending toward the small pavilion at the center of the garden.

As the entire garden lit up, the booming sounds of fireworks burst forth one after another. The dark night sky was instantly illuminated by colorful fireworks, casting their brilliant glow upon the faces of the two standing at the entrance of the pebble path.

"This is the belated surprise. So let me ask you formally once more: Krystal, would you be willing to date me and become my girlfriend?"

As Krystal looked on with eyes full of surprise at the fireworks lighting up the night sky over Yeouido, Chen Zhe's voice—ostensibly serious yet unable to mask the smile in his tone—sounded softly by her ear.

Hearing his words, Krystal raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze reluctantly tearing away from the fireworks in the night sky, and turned to face Chen Zhe.

The first thing that caught her eye was a heart-shaped bouquet composed of pink and champagne roses—pink roses forming the outer heart, and champagne roses forming the inner heart.

The second thing Krystal saw was Chen Zhe holding the heart-shaped bouquet. He was looking at her with a tender gaze, and her reflection was mirrored in his eyes, as if at that very moment, she was the only thing in his heart.

Krystal stood frozen in place for quite a moment. Just as Chen Zhe began to wonder if he had messed things up again, she suddenly pushed off hard from the ground and lunged straight toward him using the momentum.

Although momentarily distracted, Chen Zhe reacted with impressive speed. Seeing Krystal charging at him, he quickly parted his legs and spread his arms wide, especially the arm holding the roses.

Using a stable posture, he caught Krystal securely in his arms. But then something unexpected happened: the moment she was safely embraced, Krystal suddenly reached out, cupped his face with both hands, and planted a direct kiss right on his lips.

In that instant, time seemed to pause. Who knows how long passed before their closely pressed lips slowly parted. Krystal's cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, and her breathing was slightly ragged.

"So, does this mean you officially agree to be my girlfriend now, my dearest Krystal noona?"

Gently pressing his forehead against Krystal's, their eyes locked as they caught their breath, Chen Zhe asked with a smile, playfully adding "noona" at the end to tease her.

"Didn't I just give you my answer? Why are you asking again? And don't call me noona—it always feels a bit weird when you do!"

Krystal's voice sounded slightly muffled, but the shyness in her words was impossible to hide.

"Well, I didn't hear it clearly just now. I want you to tell me in person again!"

Seeing Krystal's rare display of shyness, Chen Zhe naturally couldn't resist teasing her further. He leaned close to her ear to murmur a few words, then brought his face back toward hers.

Ambushed once more, Krystal merely tapped him lightly on the shoulder with a fist before wrapping both arms tightly around his neck and responding to the kiss.

——————————On the rooftop two buildings away——————————

Standing on the rooftop terrace, a man and a woman were both peering through binoculars, watching everything unfolding in the rooftop garden of the JK Haven Harbor Restaurant.

Upon seeing Chen Zhe and Krystal locked in an embrace and kiss, both of them let out synchronized sighs of relief and lowered their binoculars. The faces revealed behind the binoculars belonged none other to Bai Fan and Chen Yuqi, who had gone out for dinner earlier that evening.

"It worked!" "It worked!"

Accompanied by the two identical exclamations, Bai Fan and Chen Yuqi looked at each other, smiles breaking out uncontrollably across their faces. The next moment, hearty laughter echoed across the rooftop terrace.