Chapter 15 Wen Ling, I've never been in a relationship either...

While waiting, fireworks suddenly burst forth, brightening the sky and making Wen Ling's face even more clearly visible. She forgot about the question she had just asked, her eyes sparkling with wonder as she marveled at the ever-changing fireworks, completely absorbed in appreciating the unconventional spectacle.

The surrounding area was filled with the exclamations of tourists.

Amidst the commotion, many people who were originally sitting stood up, and those in the back rows pushed forward to get a better view. Wen Ling's expression changed, and she also stood up. Someone bumped into her, and she almost fell into the crowd. A look of fear appeared on her face.

The next second, she was held firmly in someone's arms, and the person comforted her: "Don't be afraid."

He stood behind her, his feet rooted to the spot, silently shielding her from most of the force of the impact, and Wen Ling's frantic heartbeat gradually calmed down.

The thin blanket covering her was hanging half over her shoulder and half on the ground, being trampled on. She looked down and pulled it up. Shang Chen asked her, "What's wrong?"

In the noisy environment, Wen Ling's voice was so soft that you had to put your ear right next to her mouth to hear her clearly. Shang Chen did the same; he lowered his head and leaned closer.

The hot breath he was exhaling went straight into his ears, making them itchy and irritating.

"Blanket...blanket—"

Before she could finish speaking, a burst of cheers suddenly erupted from the crowd. They were amazed by the craftsman's skill and became even more excited, crowding around her. Wen Ling was already talking to Shang Chen with her head turned to the side.

Shoved like that, she crashed right into Shang Chen, her lips landing squarely on his cheek. Wen Ling froze, her eyelashes trembling, as if she had stopped breathing.

Before she could recover from the malfunction, another commotion erupted in the crowd. Wen Ling was jostled so hard that she had to stand on tiptoe. Her lips brushed against his face, leaving a messy lipstick mark.

Wen Ling: "..."

…

When Wenhe returned by phone, the fireworks display had already ended.

He returned to where the group had pitched their tents, stopped in front of the two girls' tightly closed tents, and asked softly, "Sis... are you asleep?"

Wen Ling opened her eyes in the darkness. Her face was still burning hot. It took her two or three seconds to calm down before she responded.

"Then you... should go to sleep early," Wen He said. "We need to watch the sunrise tomorrow morning."

Wen Ling's voice was barely audible: "Okay."

The roadside lighting was insufficient, so Wen He turned on his phone's flashlight, returned to his tent, unzipped the first and second layers, and was about to crawl in when he saw that Shang Chen was still awake, staring at him intently.

"What the hell? Are you crazy? Why are you pretending to be a ghost to scare people in the middle of the night?"

Shang Chen was so excited he couldn't sleep.

I ignored his impolite behavior.

The flashlight flashed past his eyes, and Wen He saw the lipstick mark on his face. He paused, seemed to think of something, and then smiled as if he had breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother, you're quite the ladies' man."

Wen He never imagined that the lipstick mark would be related to Wen Ling. He just thought that Shang Chen had been harassed by some bold girl. If Wen Ling had seen it, she would probably stay far away from Shang Chen from now on.

She didn't want to cause herself any more trouble.

In this way, even if Shang Chen has any feelings for Wen Ling, by the time he gets rid of her and comes back to pursue her, Wen Ling will probably have almost forgotten who he is, making it difficult to rebuild trust.

Shang Chen glanced at him, puzzled.

Without saying a word, I turned around and forced myself to sleep, knowing I had to watch the sunrise tomorrow morning.

-

The next morning at five o'clock, Wen Ling's alarm clock rang.

She woke up immediately, turned off the alarm, slept for another five minutes, and then slowly sat up.

Yan Qingli beside her stirred slightly, her eyes still closed, her voice soft and sweet: "...Sister Wenling, are you going to watch the sunrise?"

"…Um."

"I'm not going," Yan Qingli said. "I'm so sleepy, I can't get up. Please take some nice photos of me."

Wen Ling rubbed her eyes sleepily until they were moist, and replied, "Okay."

I rummaged through the snack bag at my feet and found a bottle of mineral water and a few packets of small cakes. I put them in my pocket, put on my coat, and unzipped it. A cold wind rushed in, and I couldn't help but shiver. The sky was turning a pale white, and the sun was about to rise, its golden light faintly visible.

However, the view in front of us was obscured by clouds and mist.

Only by getting close can you see your surroundings clearly.

She found a corner, struggled to unscrew the bottle cap, and tilted her head back to rinse her mouth.

Still half asleep, she walked back the way she came and woke Wen He up. On the way, she almost bumped into Shang Chen. Shang Chen grabbed her arm and said, "Wen He can't get up. He said he's not going to watch anymore."

Wen Ling looked up, intending to suggest she call him again, but then she saw the faint lipstick mark on his face, still damp from last night's events, and her heart pounded: "You..."

Does he not know he has this on his face?

Wen Ling's face flushed, and she turned on the selfie camera on her phone, making him look at the phone.

Shang Chen looked puzzled, glancing left and right, but couldn't see anything wrong: "What's wrong? Is my face dirty?"

"..."

Wen Ling silently typed: 【There's a lipstick mark on my face.】

Upon confirming that he had seen it, Wen Ling raised an eyebrow in surprise, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her face flushed even more, and she turned to run away.

"Hey, wait a minute." Shang Chen raised his hand to block her way. "I don't have any water to rinse my mouth. Give me the water you have."

Wen Ling's eyes widened. She had just drunk from the bottle, and there was only half left. Couldn't he see that? Seeing Shang Chen reach out to snatch it, she panicked and hugged him tightly.

"No...no no no!" Wen Ling showed no embarrassment, only an urgent desire to protect the water. "I...I, I...mine!"

Her face turned bright red, but her expression was very vivid.

Shang Chen smiled and mimicked her tone: "I want it, give it to me."

Ignoring Wen Ling's bewildered reaction, he snatched the pitiful half-bottle of water from her hand and urged her, "Go quickly, I'll wait for you at the usual place."

Wen Ling: "..."

_

Wen Ling still couldn't wake Wen He up.

He didn't fall asleep until 2 or 3 a.m. last night, which was when he was most tired. Considering that he would have to drive back later, Wen Ling didn't insist.

He went to his tent and got some more food and two new bottles of water before slowly walking towards the corner where they had watched the fireworks the night before.

The clouds and fog have thinned out a bit, and visibility has increased.

There were fewer people watching the sunrise than I expected; probably everyone was there to see the fireworks.

"Are you cold?" Shang Chen asked. "The blanket from last night got dirty, and I was afraid you'd dislike it, so I didn't bring it with me."

Wen Ling had just brought over a scarf. It was a bit cold, but she could manage. She shook her head and shared the snacks she had brought with him.

"Thanks."

The sun rose, its golden rays bathing the entire mountaintop. From afar, it looked like a golden mountain. The familiar awe-inspiring sight echoed in our ears again, yet no one spoke, as if afraid to disturb this sacred moment.

Wen Ling took out her phone, framing the entire mountain in the frame, but she was still somewhat dissatisfied with the composition. She didn't take many photos; he usually did.

After zooming in and out many times, Shang Chen couldn't stand it anymore. He grabbed her hand, tilted the camera downwards to frame the messy background below, and then pressed the shutter button.

Wen Ling didn't speak, she just didn't dare to breathe too loudly.

Holding his large, warm, and strong hand, her arm was supported without feeling any soreness.

After taking many beautiful photos, Shang Chen suddenly asked her, "Do you want me to take some for you?"

"...No... way."

Shang Chen said, "We have to take the picture."

This time, however, he used his own phone. In the camera's view of one person, Wen Ling always seemed shy. Shang Chen didn't seem to have any specific actions; he just told her to be casual, relaxed, or to pretend that he didn't exist.

The sun was fully up, its golden light bathing the earth. Wen Ling ate her bread, gazing into the distance, seemingly oblivious to the camera beside her.

Until, not far away, she heard some strange water splashing sound. Curious, she turned her head to look, but her view was blocked by a large hand.

Shang Chen gently pushed her face away and said, "Don't look, there's nothing to see."

She was clearly out of it and didn't know what was going on: "What...is that?"

Shang Chen looked at her and smiled: "They're kissing."

Wen Ling's face visibly flushed red. She stiffened, not daring to look around, and stammered as she stared at him, "You didn't see... how did you know it was..."

Is it because we've kissed before that we're so familiar with each other?

Shang Chen rested his chin on his hand, smiling as he looked at her: "What kind of answer do you hope to hear?"

Wen Ling was taken aback, subconsciously thinking that she had touched on his privacy, and explained, "No... I don't want any answer. If you don't want to say, that's fine too."

"Wen Ling," Shang Chen called out to her, "but I want an answer from you."

"What?"

Shang Chen asked bluntly, "Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"..." Wen Ling's face turned red again. "No."

Shang Chen then asked, "So what kind do you like?"

Wen Ling looked blankly at herself, thought seriously about her past, and then shook her head: "I don't know, I've never... liked anyone."

Shang Chen couldn't help but laugh out loud, playfully tugging a strand of hair that had fallen beside her ear, and said slowly, "So you're a good girl after all."

Wen Ling felt that Shang Chen was increasingly fond of teasing her.

Maybe this is how people are once you get to know them, but I can't resist the slightest provocation, and I blush and my heart races at the drop of a hat.

Wen Ling thought seriously, "So socializing with people can be this tiring, or is it just this tiring with Shang Chen?"

"Wen Ling, I've never been in a relationship either."

He suddenly said something that Wen Ling didn't understand, but she still nodded in response.

"Didn't we text each other yesterday? I had something to tell you."

Wen Ling suddenly remembered: "What...what should I say?"

Shang Chen seemed a little nervous. He took something out of his pocket and said, "Close your eyes for a moment."

Wen Ling tilted her head, wondering if Shang Chen was up to some kind of prank. But the moment she heard him say she could open her eyes, a bracelet suddenly appeared, dangling in front of her. She was astonished, but her gaze remained fixed on Shang Chen.

Shang Chen said, "It's a New Year's gift for you."

He smiled and said, "I'm very happy to have met you."

Wen Ling's heart was still beating a little fast. She probably didn't expect such a surprise so soon. Shang Chen pretended to put the daisy bracelet on her, but Wen Ling hesitated: "No... no, it's too precious."

She recognized that the bracelet was from a niche brand.

It's not very well-known; even the most basic models start at five figures.

Moreover, the yellow diamonds on those daisies are so dazzling, they must be incredibly expensive.

Is Shang Chen always this generous to his friends?

Wen Ling pulled back, but Shang Chen directly pulled her hand over, tied it himself, and then said with satisfaction, "Such a beautiful wrist, it's a pity not to wear some jewelry."

She tried to pick it, but Shang Chen scolded her and forbade her to.

Wen Ling felt very embarrassed. Shang Chen had put so much thought into preparing a holiday gift for her, but she hadn't thought of anything. She said hesitantly, "I...I didn't prepare a gift."

“No need,” Shang Chen said. “If the gift is passed around too much, it loses its original meaning.”

"I just saw it while shopping and thought it would suit you, so I bought it."

"If you insist on returning the favor, then treat me to a meal before winter break."

…

Wenhe, who was in the tent, felt more and more uneasy the longer he slept.

Feeling as if he had forgotten something, he tossed and turned, then reached out a hand from his sleeping bag to touch the side of him. It was ice-cold, and he suddenly woke up with a start.

What if Yan Qingli didn't go to see the sunrise either? Wouldn't that leave only his sister and Shang Chen?

He snapped out of his drowsiness in an instant. As a man, he understood that watching the sunrise from a mountaintop or fireworks at night was the easiest way to foster ambiguous feelings.

He was unaware of the situation last night; if he had known that Wen Ling and the other person were watching, he definitely wouldn't have made the call.

He sprang to his feet, put on his coat, and hurriedly ran outside. After searching for a while, he found the two people with their heads close together, doing something he didn't know.

In his haste, he shouted "Hi!" loudly, causing the two to separate their heads and look at him simultaneously.

Wen He laughed and stretched as he walked, saying, "I've come at just the right time; the sun has just risen."

With no chairs available, he squeezed himself between the two.

Shang Chen's body was mostly suspended in the air. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but Wen He ignored his mood and said, "Sis, what were you looking at just now? Let me see too."

Wen Ling was also squeezed quite a bit by him, but managed to sit still: "I'm looking at it, it was just taken, a photo."

Wen Ling flipped through the photos for him one by one, occasionally asking him if they were pretty. But when Wen He saw the bracelet on her wrist that was so dazzling it could blind anyone, he cursed inwardly.

Without even a second thought, it must have been a gift from Shang Chen.

Wait a minute, didn't he have a romantic encounter yesterday?

Wait a minute, Wen He suddenly noticed something scary: his sister seemed to have worn lipstick yesterday too.

Are things progressing between the two of them so quickly?

Wen He collapsed, clutching his head. Had his sister really been bewitched?

No, he'll definitely have to talk to Shang Chen about this when he gets back!