As soon as the words fell, a line of people stood neatly outside the courtyard.
Each person wore bright red attire, and every two people carried a lacquered wooden chest between them, decorated with large red silk flowers.
Mr. Grant entered from the doorway, dressed in a dark red Tang suit.
He walked in, cupping his hands in greeting: "Mr. Yun, Mrs. Yun. My respects."
Everyone present stared in shock, mouths agape, unable to react for a long moment.
This... what... what's going on?
Mr. Yun and Mrs. Yun were the first to realize what was happening!
This is... a marriage proposal!
The current head of the Yin Family is Charles Yin himself. He does have a father, but it’s as if he doesn’t.
The old master of the Yin Family passed away many years ago, so the only male relative qualified to propose on his behalf is his uncle, Mr. Grant.
The Grant Family, where Mr. Grant comes from, is also a prestigious household. For Mr. Grant to personally come and propose—this was a huge honor for the Yun Family.
Eric Jiang stared blankly at his father, unable to process what was happening.
No wonder, when he was about to leave, his father asked if he wanted to go together…
So that’s what he meant by 'go together'!
Mr. Grant looked spirited and dignified, exuding the poise of a seasoned businessman.
Seeing him arrive, Mr. Yun hurried forward to greet him: "I never expected you’d come in person, Mr. Grant. Please, have a seat!"
You know, the guests invited by the Yun Family today are all of similar status.
The big families only sent their younger generation, like Max Mo and Julian King.
None of the elders showed up!
Mr. Grant’s sudden arrival left everyone stunned, and soon, all eyes turned curiously to the lacquered chests being carried in, wondering what the Grant Family was up to.
Cecilia Gu was the first to react, her face full of shock as she looked at Mr. Grant.
Was he about to propose to her on behalf of Charles Yin, following ancient traditions?
Mr. Grant exchanged a few polite words with Mr. Yun, then they took their seats as host and guest.
Mr. Grant laughed heartily and said, "Today, I’m here at the request of Grandma Evelyn Yin to formally propose to the Yun Family, asking for Miss Cecilia Grant’s hand in marriage to Charles Yin, heir of the Yin Family. Here is Charles’s birth chart, as well as the Yin Family’s gifts and offerings."
Cecilia instantly remembered that Grandma Evelyn Yin had once brought Charles Yin to the Gu Family to propose to her.
But back then, it was just a formality.
The so-called 'grand gifts' were just gold and silver items.
But this time, the proposal was completely different.
Grandma Evelyn Yin followed every ancient custom, sent a male relative to formally propose, prepared the birth chart, and brought betrothal gifts.
Some of these things might not be valuable, but in this day and age, gathering all the traditional items is no easy feat.
Even for a powerful family like the Yin Family, gathering all these gifts must have taken quite some time.
Cecilia Gu stood to the side, able to clearly see every item listed on the gift inventory.
None of the items had any trace of monetary value, yet each was priceless.
This was the Yin Family’s sincerity.
The Yin Family truly wanted to marry her—not just throw money at the problem.
Mr. Yun only glanced at the list, and immediately understood just how sincere they were.
No one understood better than him how much weight this gift list carried.
Take just the first item—a pair of Bronze Ritual Vessels from the Warring States period—which can’t even be measured by money.
This pair of Bronze Ritual Vessels once belonged to the State of Qi.
And the Yun Family’s ancestors were once people of Qi.
The other gifts were countless—each one a genuine treasure, each one a masterpiece.
The Yin Family even managed to find a Han Dynasty book made of gold leaf, carefully sealed for preservation.
To others, these might just be collectibles or flashy investments.
But for the Yun Family, every single item held extraordinary meaning.
Because each gift was intricately connected to the Yun Family in some way.
With this level of sincerity, how could anyone not be moved?
The Yin Family didn’t take the relationship between Cecilia Gu and Charles Yin lightly—they treated the Yun Family with utmost respect, sincerity, and patience.
If it were someone else, they might think, since the child was already born, there was no need for such a grand gesture.
The Yin Family could have easily done the same.
After all, they’d already had one wedding before.
But the Yin Family didn’t do that.
Instead, they showed utmost humility and sincerity, going above and beyond.
Faced with such sincerity, Mr. Yun was so moved he couldn’t speak for a long time.
Mr. Grant wasn’t in a hurry; he simply smiled at Mr. Yun and Madam Yun.
After exchanging glances, Mr. Yun spoke up: "With such sincerity from the Yin Family, of course we hope the two will end up together. According to tradition, it’s the parents’ decision and the matchmaker’s word, but this is a new era—I care more about what my daughter thinks. As long as Cici agrees, we’ll be happy to see it happen."
Mr. Grant nodded with a smile: "You’re absolutely right, Mr. Yun. Let’s leave it to the young people to talk things out."
Just then, melodious music began to play from outside the courtyard.
Everyone turned to look toward the doorway again.
Charles Yin walked in, carrying a delicate silver tray with a purple-red brocade box on top.
He wore a formal suit, moving forward with composure.
His eyes and brows were filled with deep affection and joy, and he walked over steadily, neither hurried nor slow.
He had spent a long time carefully selecting his look today, highlighting all his best qualities.
Today, he was like a deity.
So perfect it made people want to worship him.
Leaving the red lacquered chests behind, he slowly walked up to Cecilia Gu, knelt on one knee, opened the brocade box, and revealed a simple ring inside.
It wasn’t the dazzling diamond ring everyone expected—just a plain band.
Cecilia’s sharp eyes immediately recognized the ring—it was the one Charles Yin had given her before.
[Irrelevant system message skipped.]
"Cici, I’m so grateful to heaven for giving me this chance again—to kneel before you and pour out my heart." Charles Yin’s voice was incredibly gentle, enough to drown a person in emotion.
Cecilia stood before Charles, looking down at him, her eyes slightly misty.