Fireworks that failed to appear

On the evening of New Year's Eve, the sky darkened early, but it wasn't completely black. Instead, it was bathed in a hazy, warm deep blue light, illuminated by the city's bright lights and the occasional burst of fireworks.

After finishing their New Year's Eve dinner at home, Fang Chi helped clean up the dishes. Then, amidst the lively chatter of his parents and visiting relatives, and the background noise of the Spring Festival Gala on TV, he sat anxiously for over an hour. The hands of the wall clock slowly climbed toward eight o'clock.

"Dad, Mom, I'm going out." He picked up his coat, which he had prepared beforehand, and said to the elders who were playing cards around the coffee table in the living room.

"So early? Where are you going?" Mrs. Fang looked up from the card game.

"I made plans with my classmates to stay up all night at Xing Jiayan's house." Fang Chi tried to make his voice sound normal.

"Oh, with Jiayan and the others? Go ahead then." Fang's mother smiled and waved her hand. "Have fun, be careful, and don't come back too late."

"knew."

Fang Chi fled the house as if escaping. The hallway was quiet, a stark contrast to the noise inside. A blast of cold air hit him; he took a deep breath, the icy sensation rushing to his head and clearing his mind, which had been somewhat groggy from the heating.

The streets were much quieter than usual, with most shops closed. Only the streetlights and the warm glow from the windows of every house provided any light, along with the faint aroma of food and the smell of gunpowder in the air. In the distance, sporadic firecrackers could be heard, as if warming up for the upcoming festivities.

He walked quickly, his footsteps echoing clearly on the empty sidewalk. The restlessness in his heart, a mixture of anticipation and vague unease that had been lingering since the afternoon, grew stronger as the distance shortened.

Xing Jiayan's appearance at the basketball court this afternoon, and that abrupt "If I can't go tomorrow," kept replaying in his mind. That pale face, tired eyes, and hesitant expression... all felt like a thorn pricking his heart.

He shook his head, trying to banish these chaotic thoughts. He was probably overthinking it. Xing Jiayan might just be lacking rest lately, or perhaps there was some minor trouble at home. He said he'd go. That brief "See you tonight" was, at least, a promise.

When Fang Chi arrived at Xing Jiayan's building, it was exactly 8:30. He looked up at the familiar window; the light was off. Perhaps he hadn't arrived yet? Or was he in the basement activity room? Without thinking much of it, he rang the doorbell.

After waiting for a while, no one answered.

He pressed it again, put his ear close to the intercom, and could only hear a monotonous electronic buzzing sound coming from inside.

Not back yet? Fang Chi took out his phone, intending to call Xing Jiayan. His fingertip hovered over the name in his contacts for a moment, then he let go. Never mind, maybe there's traffic, or something's holding him up. He decided to wait.

A cold wind blew in from the stairwell. Fang Chi wrapped his coat tighter, leaned against the wall, and watched the occasional car pass by outside. Time ticked by, the motion-activated lights in the stairwell turning on and off repeatedly. The time on his phone screen jumped from 8:30 to 9:00, then back to 9:30.

That feeling of unease, like vines, slowly climbed up my spine, wrapping and tightening around me.

He rang the doorbell several more times, but still no one answered. He called Xing Jiayan's cell phone, which rang for a long time before finally going to voicemail.

Fang Chi's irritation grew heavier. He left the stairwell, walked into the residential area, and stared up at the dark, empty window. Almost every household in the building had their lights on, and faint sounds of laughter and television could be heard, but that one window remained silent, like an empty eye socket.

He began to wander aimlessly through the neighborhood, his eyes scanning every corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar figure. The basketball court was empty, and the benches in the small garden were deserted. Only a few children were playing with firecrackers in the open space, the popping sounds particularly jarring in the quiet night.

My phone vibrated; it was He Chen sending a message in the group chat.

[He Chen]: @Fang Chi @Xing Jiayan, where are you two? Tan Si and I are downstairs at Jiayan's house! We knocked on the door but no one answered! Where is Brother Yan?

Fang Chi's heart sank, and he quickly walked back. Just as he reached the bottom of Xing Jiayan's building, he saw He Chen and Tan Si standing at the entrance of the building. He Chen was jumping up and down, trying to look through the window, while Tan Si stood quietly to the side, carrying two large bags.

"Fang Chi!" He Chen called out as soon as he saw him, "Why are you coming from outside too? Where's Yan Ge? Didn't we agree on something? It's almost ten o'clock!"

"I don't know." Fang Chi walked over, his brows furrowed. "I just arrived recently. I rang the doorbell but no one answered, and I called but no one answered."

"What the hell?" He Chen muttered, taking out his phone to dial, but the result was the same. "It's off? That's not right, it was fine in the group chat this afternoon."

Tan Si didn't speak, but looked up at the unlit window, then at Fang Chi's obviously anxious face. A look of understanding flashed in his eyes, but he remained silent.

The three stood in the cold night wind, the atmosphere somewhat awkward and confused. The planned lively New Year's Eve celebration hadn't even begun before the main character inexplicably disappeared.

"Could he have had something come up and gone out? Or maybe his phone died?" He Chen guessed, but he himself didn't quite believe it. Today is New Year's Eve, what urgent matter could be more important than a gathering that was arranged long ago? Besides, Xing Jiayan isn't the kind of person who would cancel a date without a reason or even after being notified.

"Let's wait a little longer," Fang Chi said, his voice a little dry. His mind was in turmoil, and a bad premonition was growing stronger.

They waited for almost another hour. During this time, He Chen tried to contact other people who might know Xing Jiayan's whereabouts, but to no avail. Tan Si placed the braised food and snacks he had brought on the fire extinguisher box in the hallway, leaned against the wall, and looked down at his phone, but much less frequently than usual, clearly also keeping an eye out for any movement.

The neighborhood grew increasingly lively, with fireworks and firecrackers becoming more frequent, and dazzling bursts of light occasionally exploding in the sky, illuminating smiling faces looking up. The excited screams of children and the laughter of adults poured in from all directions, making the corner where the three of them stood seem all the more desolate and out of place.

Around 11:00 AM, He Chen finally couldn't take it anymore and scratched his hair in frustration: "I'm not waiting anymore! I think he's just standing us up! Damn it, this is the New Year, and he pulls this stunt!"

Tan Si glanced at him, said nothing, and simply picked up the bag that was on the fire extinguisher box.

Fang Chi didn't move. He was still staring at the window, feeling as if a hole had been torn in his heart, letting in a cold wind. Xing Jiayan's pale face and the words "If I can't go" from that afternoon reappeared before his eyes, so clear, carrying an ominous premonition.

"Fang Chi, let's go." He Chen tugged at him. "I doubt they'll come back. Shall the three of us find somewhere to sit? We can't have come all this way for nothing."

Fang Chi shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "You guys go ahead, I'll wait a bit longer."

"Still waiting?" He Chen's eyes widened. "What time is it?! If he wanted to come, he would have arrived long ago!"

"What if he comes back soon?" Fang Chi said stubbornly, not even knowing what he was insisting on. Maybe he just needed a definite answer, even if it was bad.

He Chen wanted to say something, but Tan Si stopped him. "Let him wait," Tan Si said calmly, then looked at Fang Chi, "We're leaving now. Let me know if you have any news."

He Chen glanced at Tan Si, then at Fang Chi, and finally sighed, "Alright, alright, be careful and go home early." With that, he followed Tan Si, turning back every few steps.

In the bustling night, only Fang Chi remained. The deafening sound of firecrackers and the continuous bursts of fireworks overhead stretched and shortened his shadow on the ground. All that liveliness and celebration seemed to be separated by a thick layer of glass; he stood outside, unable to touch it, unable to blend in.

Time slowly crept toward midnight.

Fang Chi was almost frozen stiff; his feet felt numb. He stopped looking at the window and instead lowered his head, watching his breath dissipate rapidly in the cold air.

His phone kept vibrating in his pocket, flooded with messages from class groups, family groups, and various New Year's greetings. He didn't look at a single one.

Just before midnight, my phone vibrated again; this time it was my mother calling.

"Xiao Chi, where are you? Why aren't you back yet? It's almost midnight!" The mother's voice was filled with worry.

"I...I'm still at a classmate's house," Fang Chi said vaguely, his voice mostly drowned out by the sound of firecrackers nearby.

"Which classmate's house? Jia Yan's house? Are you together?" the mother pressed.

Fang paused for a moment: "...Hmm."

"Oh, okay, you guys have fun. Remember to wish Jiayan a Happy New Year too. Oh, right, I almost forgot, I ran into Jiayan's mom this afternoon, she..." Her mother's words were interrupted by the dense sound of firecrackers, becoming intermittent, "...she left...going abroad...urgent business...we'll talk when you get back..."

"Mom? What did you say? Who left?" Fang Chi's heart tightened suddenly, and he raised his voice to ask.

"...The signal is bad...I'll hang up now, come back soon!" The call ended amidst a lot of noise.

Fang Chi gripped his phone, the screen gradually darkening. The words he hadn't quite heard, "gone... abroad," lingered in his ears like a curse. He whirled around, looking again at the dark window, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head.

No way... impossible...

He started pounding on the building entrance door like a madman, causing the motion-activated lights to flash wildly. "Xing Jiayan! Xing Jiayan, come out! Xing Jiayan!"

His only response was an even louder barrage of firecrackers and the distant shouts of the Spring Festival Gala hosts leading the audience in a countdown on television.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven..."

The world is in a frenzy, celebrating, and welcoming a brand new beginning.

"Six! Five! Four! Three..."

Fang Chi stopped his futile pounding, leaned against the cold iron gate, and looked up. In the sky, countless fireworks exploded simultaneously, dazzlingly bright, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime. The brilliant light flashed across his stunned eyes, but could not penetrate the suddenly empty darkness.

"Two! One! Happy New Year—!"

Cheers, laughter, blessings, and deafening firecrackers reached their peak at this moment, merging into a sea of ​​joy.

Happy New Year.

Fang Chi felt that something had silently shattered in this moment of universal jubilation. Shattered so completely that not even a sound could be heard.

He slowly, very slowly, squatted down and buried his face in his arms. All the noise and light around him were instantly shut out.

After an unknown amount of time, the explosions gradually subsided, leaving only sporadic sounds. After the revelry came a deeper silence.

Fang Chi felt his legs go numb and he staggered to his feet. His face was icy cold, he didn't know if it was from the cold or something else. He took out his phone, the screen filled with various New Year's greetings. He swiped through them, found that familiar profile picture, and opened the chat window.

His fingers hovered over the screen for a long time, trembling slightly. Finally, he typed each word carefully.

[Fang Chi]: Happy New Year, Xing Jiayan.

send.

A small, gray exclamation mark appeared before the message.

The following is a system message: The message has been sent, but was rejected by the recipient.

He was blocked.

Fang Chi stared at the red exclamation mark for a long, long time. Then, he tried to force a smile, but failed. His facial muscles were too stiff to obey him.

He put away his phone, turned around, and slowly walked towards home, step by step. His steps were unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton.

The streets were littered with red debris from firecrackers, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Occasionally, groups of people returning home late would pass by, laughing and talking loudly. The streetlights cast long, lonely shadows behind him.

As he approached the entrance to the residential complex, he noticed the lights were still on at the convenience store downstairs. The elderly woman tending the store was still awake, sitting behind the counter watching a rerun of the Spring Festival Gala on a small television.

The old woman saw him and waved with a smile: "Little Chi is back? Did you have fun?"

Fang Chi stopped and looked at the old woman's kind smiling face. His throat felt like it was blocked by something, and he couldn't make a sound.

"What's wrong, child? You look so pale. Did you have a fight with your classmate?" the old woman asked with concern.

Fang Chi shook his head, remained silent for a while, and then said in a very low voice, "Grandma, I might... not be able to find him."

The old woman paused for a moment, then seemed to understand something. The smile on her face faded, turning into a soft sigh. She stepped out from behind the counter and patted Fang Chi's cold hand.

“It’s the Lunar New Year, child,” the old woman’s voice was gentle, carrying the composure that comes with age, “on this important day, shouldn’t we wish the people we care about a Happy New Year?”

Fang Chi's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. He blinked hard, forcing back the moisture.

“I said yes,” he said in a hoarse voice, “but he might… not receive it.”

The old woman looked at the ashen and bewildered look on his young face, so out of place with the festive joy, and said nothing more, only gently patting his hand again. "Go home, child. It's cold outside. Some things can't be rushed. There's still a long way to go."

Fang Chi nodded, whispered "Happy New Year, Grandma," and then walked into the stairwell.

The lively atmosphere at home hadn't subsided; relatives were still chatting and playing cards. When they saw him return, his parents asked him a few questions, which he vaguely answered before heading straight to his room and closing the door.

He shut out all the sounds outside, leaned against the door, and slid down to sit on the floor.

The room was dark, with only the occasional glimpse of fireworks outside the window, which would flash briefly, illuminating the familiar furnishings before quickly plunging the room back into darkness.

The phone screen was still lit, displaying the last chat he had with Xing Jiayan. Above it was that glaring red exclamation mark, below it was the unread "Happy New Year" message he had sent.

He stared at it for a long time, then exited, opened his contacts, found the name, and pressed the delete button.

The system prompted: "Are you sure you want to delete the contact 'Xing Jiayan'?"

His finger hovered above the "OK" button, trembling slightly. In the end, he didn't press it. He stepped back, tossed his phone aside, and buried his face in his knees.

The city outside the window gradually falls asleep, and the new year unfolds its chapter in silence.

In the darkness of the room, only the boy's suppressed, barely audible breathing and the unsent blessings scattered in the void could be heard.

Happy New Year, Xing Jiayan.

No matter where you are.