Chapter 35 Fireworks She doesn't like fireworks.

As we left the Herb Garden, the sun was already setting.

He Xintu said his new store was nearby, so he could take them there to take a look.

As the car drove to the foot of a mountain, Jiang Huai leaned out of the window and asked, unable to contain his curiosity, "Boss He, what were you thinking? How could you possibly think of opening a bar in a place like this?"

"Isn't that inappropriate?"

We're now walking along an uphill mountain path, surrounded by lush vegetation, with distant mountains veiled in a light mist.

After the rain, the sun came out, and the setting sun was hidden under the clouds, turning the sky a hazy orange.

Jiang Huai exclaimed, "It's not that it's unsuitable, it's that it's perfect! Once you open your business, I'll definitely come and patronize your establishment!"

He Xintu smiled and said, "That's great."

After driving for a while, a flat road gradually appeared ahead, and the space became more open.

He Xintu stopped the car.

As soon as He Man came down, she felt a chill creep over her: "Why do I feel so cold?"

Liang Yizhi also crossed her arms.

She suddenly felt a pang of regret. Luckily, she had listened to Gu Yinyan this morning and hadn't worn the dress she had tried on that morning; otherwise, her knees would be aching from the cold by now.

“The temperature in the mountains is a bit lower,” He Xintu said. “This location was taken into consideration; it’s cooler in the summer, making it suitable for escaping the heat; and although it’s a bit cold in the winter, it’s also more suitable for drinking alcohol to ward off the cold.”

He Man clicked her tongue twice: "Boss He is indeed a businessman."

He Xintu remembered that he had a coat in the trunk. He said, "Wait a minute, I'll get you a jacket."

He walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk. The coat was folded up and covered something. He picked up the coat and tucked it into his elbow, revealing a fancy cardboard box underneath.

He Xintu glanced at the group of people looking at the mountain scenery in the distance, placed his hand on the cardboard box, and lowered his head in deep thought.

She doesn't like fireworks.

Hearing voices, He Xintu paused, turned his head, and saw Gu Yinyan standing behind him at some point.

He slightly raised his chin, pointing towards the cardboard box in He Xintu's hand.

He Xintu turned to face him, leaning against the car, and found it somewhat amusing: "I say, aren't you meddling a little too much?"

Gu Yinyan said calmly, "I'm just reminding you."

"Should I believe your good intentions?"

Believe it or not, it's up to you.

He Xintu sized up the man in front of him with his eyes.

The sun had almost completely set, so the light wasn't good, and the surroundings were a dim, bluish darkness. Behind Gu Yinyan was a massive mountain, and as he stood before that imposing mountain, the background seemed to become an insignificant backdrop.

Gu Yinyan looked at him and said, "Fireworks are dangerous. Don't scare her."

He Xintu chuckled, but the smile vanished almost immediately.

Gu Yinyan's words were quite intriguing. He seemed to be offering well-intentioned advice, but upon closer examination, they also sounded like a silent warning.

He Xintu said, "I'll set off the fireworks. There's no danger, and nothing scary about it."

“But you,” He Xintu’s gaze was not friendly compared to Gu Yinyan’s.

Don't you think you're being a little too protective of her?

Everything that happened during the day, from being scalded by hot oil to walking across the suspension bridge, and now the fireworks. He Xintu witnessed every interaction between Gu Yinyan and Liang Yizhi.

He could sense that Gu Yinyan's care for Liang Yizhi was so meticulous and thoughtful that it exceeded what an ordinary male friend would do.

When he saw that Liang Yizhi was injured, he wouldn't let her go into the kitchen anymore; when he heard that she was afraid to walk on the suspension bridge, he immediately decided to accompany her back down the mountain; but when he saw that there was a box of fireworks in his car, he was worried that it might scare her.

Is Gu Yinyan worried about the fireworks, or him?

Gu Yinyan's explanation was simply: "Anyone else would have done the same thing."

“You are friends, so I understand some of your actions.” He Xintu nodded, then changed the subject.

"But you have no obligation to interfere in her affairs, much less the right to restrict her choices or her interactions with others."

"To be honest, I don't quite understand." He Xintu was wary, but since things had come to this point, he decided to be blunt and explain clearly:

"What's the point of you staying by her side like this? Do you want to watch her every move, to keep her tied to you? To have her in your sight at all times?"

He Xintu smiled sarcastically: "I already told you the answer when we drew lots last time. Let me give you a piece of advice: you won't get anywhere this way."

He Xintu made a harsh statement, closed the trunk lid, and ended the conversation.

As he turned around, Gu Yinyan caught a glimpse of his profile.

He Xintu's lips curled down, and because of his words, coupled with the pent-up emotions from their previous interactions, he seemed quite displeased.

Gu Yinyan watched him leave silently, then walked over to Liang Yizhi and He Man.

He glanced at the trunk of the car again, but ultimately said nothing more.

He Xintu's new store has just been renovated; the interior decoration hasn't even started yet. The store is quite large, and because nothing has been added, it looks even more spacious.

Several boxes of miscellaneous items were piled up in the center of the shop. He Xintu took off his coat, picked up the boxes, and moved them to a corner.

He was wearing only a thin T-shirt under his jacket, and the muscle outline of his back and shoulders could be seen when he moved.

"Wow! That's really strong!" He Man exclaimed, leaning against Liang Yizhi.

"See Boss He's muscles? He's really strong, I think he's much more robust than Xie Yun. I thought he was just a greyhound before," He Man said in a low voice.

"Isn't this a bad comparison?"

He Man: "You're already feeling sorry for him? I was praising him."

Liang Yizhi wandered around and came to a stone platform in the shop. She looked up and found that this position faced the window and offered a view of the mountains outside.

"How is it?" He Xintu walked to her side.

Liang Yizhi touched the cold stone and could almost picture herself sitting there, sipping wine and enjoying the scenery.

She said, "This is supposed to be a bar, right? It's a great location."

"Do you like it?" He Xintu said. "If you like it, this spot will be reserved for you from now on."

Liang Yizhi smiled and waved her hand, taking it as a joke: "Such a beautiful view, of course everyone should come and experience it."

Jiang Huai asked, "Mr. He, this shop's location must be very difficult to negotiate, right? Plus the renovations, it must cost quite a bit, right?"

“That’s true,” He Xintu said. “Fortunately, HOOK’s business has been pretty good these past two years, otherwise I really might not have been able to afford it.”

Liang Yizhi asked, "Did you invest in this shop all by yourself?"

He Xintu: "Most of it is me, and there are two other friends. I wanted to open a shop when I was in college, and I've saved up some money since graduation, and I've invested almost all of it."

Liang Yizhi's mouth opened slightly: "All by yourself? That's amazing... I thought your parents would help you or something."

“They don’t have the energy to deal with me,” He Xintu said, his tone turning slightly cold.

"Do you have a bad relationship with your parents?"

Liang Yizhi was certain that the two of them were very close, and He Xintu had heard what she said. But he pretended not to hear and turned to the others: "I'm thinking of creating a unique bar. Do you have any good ideas?"

Liang Yizhi thought that topics such as family background were probably always a sensitive area for He Xintu.

Ever since she learned that He Xintu hadn't had a happy student life, she noticed that he always avoided talking about such topics and wasn't willing to tell them too many details.

Liang Yizhi made up her mind that next time she would suppress her curiosity and not be so offensive.

The group discussed for a few more minutes, exchanging their ideas about the shop. As dusk fell, the temperature inside the unfinished building dropped rapidly, becoming increasingly cold.

After they left, He Xintu took them to a local restaurant where they ate authentic farm-style dishes.

Back at the villa.

The original plan for the evening was to have some drinks and play some indoor board games together.

However, He Man kept sneezing on the way back and kept complaining of aches and pains. Everyone was quite tired after a day of sightseeing, so they gave up.

Today's schedule is all finished. Back in the bedroom, Liang Yizhi told He Man to take a shower first to warm up and get some rest early tonight.

He Man entered the bathroom dejectedly, and the sound of water could be heard from inside. After a while, there was another knock on the door.

Liang Yizhi got out of bed and opened the door; the person who came in was He Xintu.

He looked Liang Yizhi up and down and asked, "You haven't rested yet, have you?"

Liang Yizhi glanced at the time and explained, "No, it's still early. He Man isn't feeling well and is taking a shower inside. Is there anything I can help you with?"

He Xintu beckoned to her with his finger, signaling her to come out and talk.

Liang Yizhi followed He Xintu downstairs. He Xintu was acting mysteriously and didn't say what he was going to do. They just walked all the way to the villa entrance.

He Xintu said, "Wait for me here. Come out again in a few seconds."

Liang Yizhi stared blankly as he opened the door and left. She couldn't guess what He Xintu was going to do, but judging from his actions, perhaps he was going to show her something?

Liang Yizhi felt a growing tension. She silently counted down in her mind, and when she felt the time was almost up, she pressed the doorknob, opened the door, and went out.

Outside the villa was a narrow path. She walked out along the path but didn't see He Xintu anywhere.

The sky was pitch black, and the air was chilly. Reaching the end of the road, Liang Yizhi turned a corner and came onto the main road.

Just as she turned the corner, someone rushed up to her and grabbed her arm.

It turned out that He Xintu had just run over from the other side, still panting heavily. He stopped in front of her and pointed a finger at the top of his head:

"look."

Liang Yizhi heard a faint sound, like the sound of a flame.

Then, with a whoosh, a loud explosion occurred in the sky.

Liang Yizhi was startled by the deafening noise. She looked up at the sky and saw dazzling fireworks exploding in the night sky, radiating out beautiful colors.

Liang Yizhi's heart contracted in an instant.

She squinted, instinctively shielding her eyes with her hand. Fireworks exploded one after another in the sky, and with each burst, her heart skipped a beat.

The sound was so loud that she panicked and caught sight of He Xintu beside her, who was looking at her with an expectant gaze.

His voice was muffled by the fireworks, but Liang Yizhi could still vaguely make out his lip movements.

He Xintu said, "This is a gift for you."

Liang Yizhi forced a smile.

She tried her best to look up and admire the fireworks, but her physiological instincts made her eyes wander.

Then she saw the cardboard box where the fireworks had been set off in the distance. She immediately took a small step back, even though the box was several meters away from them.

Due to the lighting, He Xintu didn't notice Liang Yizhi's slightly pale face. Or perhaps he was so engrossed in the surprise he had prepared that he overlooked Liang Yizhi's reaction.

That half minute was incredibly difficult for Liang Yizhi to endure.

Finally, after the last cluster of dazzling fireworks disappeared high in the sky, the surroundings returned to their original tranquility.

Neither of them spoke. Even a second of silence was enough to amplify the slightly awkward atmosphere, making the winter temperature seem even colder.

Leung Yik-chi also clearly noticed the awkward silence.

She forced herself to stay alert: "I really didn't expect that... When did you prepare the fireworks? Where did you buy them?"

He Xintu replied, "I bought it in advance. There are no activities tonight, and I was afraid you'd be bored."

In Yucheng, they all lived in the city center, where fireworks and firecrackers were prohibited, and even during the Lunar New Year, everything was quiet.

Before setting off, He Xintu thought that even if their planned trip to Tongzhen was disrupted, it wouldn't matter. As long as they created some special memories that only the two of them had, it would be a worthwhile trip. So he found an opportunity to call her out.

However... judging from Liang Yizhi's reaction, the effect was minimal.

Given her usual personality, if she were pleasantly surprised, her eyes would sparkle like jewels illuminated by light, instantly becoming bright and radiant. Besides her facial expressions, she would also shower her with praise, giving the most positive feedback.

He loved seeing her enthusiastic response.

It makes you want to entrust everything to her.

However, if the fireworks effect is just average, it doesn't matter, he has prepared other ones as well.

He Xintu took out a sparkler from behind him and said, "How about we use this?"

He handed one to Liang Yizhi, took out a lighter from his pocket, and brought it to the very tip of the sparkler, intending to light it for her.

Liang Yizhi was caught in a dilemma: to refuse or to agree.

Her hand trembled slightly as she took the item, and her heart pounded wildly. Her arm, holding the fairy wand, was stretched out straight, and she tried to keep it as far away from her as possible.

As soon as He Xintu's lighter came close, Liang Yizhi's hand involuntarily pulled back, and she couldn't light it no matter how many times she tried.

He Xintu then took her hand: "Let me do it."

Finally, a light appeared at the front. As He Xintu released her, fireworks burst forth in all directions.

Liang Yizhi was so frightened that she loosened her grip.

The sparkler, which had just begun to glow, was thrown to the ground, burned for a few seconds, then picked up dust and popped out.

He Xintu stared at the sparkler on the ground, now only partially lit, without saying a word.

Liang Yizhi immediately said, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to. It just caught fire, and I didn't hold it properly, so..."

Because of her reaction, He Xintu suddenly felt bored with all his actions.

Like a child, he lost interest in everything in just a moment of boredom.

He Xintu recalled Gu Yinyan's words.

He asked the person involved for confirmation: "It seems you don't really like fireworks."

Liang Yizhi was stunned, unsure how to explain to him, and knew that her stiff demeanor meant she couldn't hide it from him.

She looked dejected and admitted, "It's not your fault. I'm afraid of fire, so I'm not really into these things. I'm sorry... but thank you for the surprise."

He Xintu only called her out, which made the meaning quite clear. She didn't provide the emotional support she deserved, and she should feel apologetic for that.

He Xintu didn't delve any further, simply saying indifferently, "So that's how it is."

After this incident, both sides were in a bad mood. They made small talk for a couple more minutes before He Xintu said it was too cold outside and they should go back to the villa first.

Once again traversing the narrow path, the short journey back felt endless because of the silence.

They were each lost in their own thoughts. He Xintu became noticeably quieter, while Liang Yizhi was still feeling palpitations from the earlier flame.