54 Marlon

"Zhouzhou, will you marry me?"

Ma Long's voice, filled with tension and anticipation, rang out. He stared fixedly at Duan Nanzhou, not daring to blink, hoping that those gentle lips would utter the answer he longed to hear.

His friends nearby were also watching the heroine of this proposal with bated breath, hoping to witness a beautiful romance enter the sacred halls of marriage.

However, they knew nothing about Ma Long's previous "failed proposal," assuming this was the very first time, and held their breath in eager suspense.

Regarding that previous "failed proposal," Ma Long: *I refuse to look back.*

Yet, as the heroine remained silent and deep in thought for a slightly extended moment, both the surrounding onlookers and the leading man began to panic internally: *Oh no, is she going to reject me?!*

The expressions of the people around them were growing awkward, and Ma Long, down on one knee, was transitioning from hopeful anticipation to desolation, when Duan Nanzhou finally opened her mouth:

"I do."

Duan Nanzhou, having just recently returned, was indeed a bit dazed, her mind still preoccupied with her grand career ambitions. Caught completely off guard by the sudden proposal, she froze for a moment. But sensing that the atmosphere around her had turned somewhat strange, she quickly blurted out the words.

This unexpected answer left Ma Long—who had braced himself for another rejection—in a complete daze. It wasn't until the surrounding friends erupted into cheers and applause that he snapped back to reality and hurriedly slipped the ring onto his girlfriend's finger.

Ma Long's eyes were slightly red, and his hands trembled visibly as he slid the ring onto Duan Nanzhou's finger, betraying just how nervous and thrilled he was.

Once the ring was on, Ma Long scrambled up in excitement and pulled Duan Nanzhou into a tight embrace, whispering a grievance-laden secret into her ear in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"I really thought you were going to reject me again!"

Hearing this, Duan Nanzhou couldn't help but chuckle softly. The previous rejection had been entirely because she hadn't felt ready yet, compounded by the fact that Ma Long had looked so impulsive and immature at the time.

As for this time? If they counted the one-year breakup period, the two had been dating for roughly six years, and their relationship had grown quite stable. Moreover, Duan Nanzhou's career was currently flourishing; she had absolutely no reason to refuse.

That very night, Ma Long posted on Weibo: a group photo of everyone, a private photo of Ma Long with his arm around Duan Nanzhou, and a shot of their two hands wearing rings placed side by side. The announcement of their official status was unmistakable.

The comments below were a mix of utter shock and heartfelt blessings:

[Captain Long 666, that's some serious speed!]

[Wishing Captain Long and Sister-in-law Long a lifetime of happiness!]

[Captain Long has finally married himself off, it wasn't easy, boo hoo hoo...]

[You two are such a perfect match, congratulations!]

There were also some teasing, unserious comments:

[Captain Long's inner monologue: This time I've gotta tie her down tight! Can't let her dump me again! (Smirking)]

[Captain Long was terrified, scared of losing his girlfriend, so he moved lightning-fast to lock down her official title.]

[Who wouldn't be scared? Sister-in-law Long is such a massive beauty, I'm completely in love too!]

[Look at the way Captain Long is hugging Sister-in-law Long—he totally gives off the vibe of a shy little bride, hahahahaha.]

[Wild guess here: This is a dynamic of a powerful woman and a gentle man, hehehe.]

[Captain Long really looks so well-behaved and docile in front of Sister-in-law Long (Dog head)]

[I can't even imagine how gorgeous their "Dragon baby" is going to be!]

......

Following the resounding success of the proposal, their engagement and wedding schedules were immediately put on the fast track, and both sets of parents happily began making preparations.

In truth, during the year and more that the couple had broken up, both families had been terribly worried. Especially Dragon Dad and Dragon Mom, who adored Duan Nanzhou boundlessly. After learning about the breakup, Dragon Mom couldn't look at her son without frowning in displeasure, even though she didn't yet know the exact reason for the split.

Later, upon learning from her son that the fault lay mostly with him, Dragon Mom and Dragon Dad wanted nothing more than to smack him upside the head for being such a fool—ruining things and driving away such a wonderful daughter-in-law.

Ma Long: ......

Later, once the two reconciled, Dragon Mom was so happy her face nearly froze from smiling. Patting her "big, fine son" on the back of his head with exaggerated tenderness, she radiated motherly affection.

Ma Long, once again: ......

As for the wedding preparations, they mainly hired a reliable studio for the design, while the enthusiastic parents from both sides supervised and handled most of the legwork.

As for the bride and groom? One was busy with the station's institutional reforms, while the other was busy with team training; both were uniformly too swamped to pay much attention to the details.

However, during his less hectic windows—aside from matches and training—Ma Long actively reviewed all aspects of the wedding, buzzing with irrepressible excitement.

Duan Nanzhou had just returned to the broadcasting station, marking the busiest period of her career, and could barely spare a glance for wedding planning. She had communicated this to Ma Long, receiving his complete understanding and support. After all, Ma Long firmly believed his calling was to be the man standing successfully behind a successful woman (clenches fist)!

Upon learning this sentiment from her boyfriend, Duan Nanzhou was momentarily speechless, yet unable to crush his fiery passion, she offered her support and encouragement. Hearing this, Ma Long became even more enthusiastic.

The parents on both sides glanced over, then quickly looked away, unable to bear watching any longer. It turned out the netizens were right; their family truly operated on a "strong woman, gentle man" dynamic.

Duan Dad and Duan Mom: *It seems our daughter completely has her husband wrapped around her finger?*

Dragon Dad and Dragon Mom: *Our daughter-in-law is super cool, we love her to pieces!*

Their son? Oh right, he must be somewhere around here.

Ma Long found himself universally sidelined by his own biological parents. But seeing the doting smile on his future wife's face, Ma Long decided none of that mattered at all!

......

The wedding venue.

After the celebrant finished the vows and announced that the groom could now kiss the bride, they were greeted by a smiling bride and a groom whose eyes were so red and watery he was practically on the verge of tears.

Maintaining the utmost professional dedication, the celebrant managed to swallow their complicated feelings and smoothly carried on with the professional proceedings.

Seeing his ultra-sentimental bridegroom Ma Long looking ready to burst into tears and standing completely frozen, Duan Nanzhou decisively pulled him down and kissed him.

The brief kiss was over almost as soon as it touched, but it was enough to send the wedding guests—especially that band of mischievous friends—into roaring cheers. Armed with their phones, those troublemakers captured this rare, "shy bride" side of Ma Long. This was prime material and needed to be saved forever!

However, once the kissing segment concluded, things diverged from what Duan Nanzhou had practiced during rehearsal. Puzzled, she glanced at the celebrant, then looked over at Ma Long.

Right on cue, several groomsmen walked up onto the stage, each holding one of the framed gold medals Ma Long had won throughout his career. Because there were simply too many, the groomsmen had to line up in a row right behind Ma Long, holding them aloft.

Guests in the audience gasped in sheer astonishment at the sight, sensing they were about to witness something entirely unprecedented at a wedding.

Sure enough, the very next second, Ma Long took the microphone and launched into the speech he had drafted countless times:

"Zhouzhou, from the moment I fell in love with you at first sight, I have daydreamed of a day just like today. Right now, I honestly feel super, super happy and joyful.

......

We almost missed each other once, and I am so grateful that I managed to grasp your hand tightly once again, and so grateful that I was thick-skinned enough to do so.

......

Zhouzhou, I want to dedicate every honor I have ever won to you, because all of them are an indispensable part of my life. I also hope my future belongs to you and table tennis, and I hope I can welcome future gold medals by your side!

Finally, I just want to say: Zhouzhou, I love you so, so much!"

By this point in his speech, Ma Long was so nervous that he had completely forgotten every single sentence he had meticulously polished. He could only speak straight from his heart, blurting out whatever came to mind, with many of the lines turning out utterly cheesy.

Naturally, Ma Long choked up as he spoke, especially when recalling how he had nearly lost Duan Nanzhou and thought they would never be together. He looked as though he might actually start crying right then and there. At that moment, the sentimental Ma Long looked like a little crybaby, exceptionally endearing.

Hearing these heartfelt words from her personal crybaby, Duan Nanzhou couldn't help but gently stroke his head and murmur softly,

"Okay, I love you too!"

"Whoa~"

"Wah, wah, wah~"

"Way to go, Captain Long!"

With that conclusion, the friends in the audience broke into teasing catcalls and cheers, showering the newlyweds with blessings.

When the wedding concluded that evening, Duan Nanzhou looked over the preview photos sent by the wedding photographer with great satisfaction. Thanks to her formidable facial expression management skills, she looked stunning in every single shot.

As for Ma Long beside her... well, he was recognizable as himself, at least.

Once Ma Long finished tidying up and sat down beside his wife, wrapping his arms around her to look at the photos together, his face froze after barely a few frames. In every picture, he was either crying or on the verge of tears—which could be summarized by a single word: "humiliating."

"Hahahahaha, Longlong, smile a little! Look how cute you are!" Duan Nanzhou teased her husband without hesitation. She had wanted to stop him from crying earlier, but it had been utterly impossible.

"Zhouzhou, did you do that on purpose... making yourself look so gorgeous while I look like..." Ma Long's mournful voice drifted from behind her.

"I most certainly did not! I told you well in advance to mind the camera, hahahahaha, who knew you'd be such a softie!" As she spoke, Duan Nanzhou saved the images and even set a solo shot of Ma Long looking like he was about to burst into tears as her lock screen wallpaper. How adorable was that!

Watching his wife's entire operation unfold, Ma Long wanted to stop her, but knowing it was a lost cause, he let it go. Still, Duan Nanzhou found herself thoroughly worn out by him later that night, which served as his sweet "revenge."

Duan Nanzhou: *Such a petty man!*