When the little girl said this, there were still tears in her eyes. It was obvious that she had been wronged at home and ran away secretly.

He looked at the steamed bun in his hand and gave her the bigger half: "Here you go."

The little girl looked at the steamed bun in his hand and shook her head. Her stomach growled and she covered her stomach a little embarrassedly. Then she took a small piece of the steamed bun in his hand that had been broken open and smiled: "I'll eat this. I'm just a little hungry."

The little girl's smile was like a small flame in the cold winter, warming the barren land in his heart.

He forced a smile as well, a thin streak of blood seeping from his cracked lips: "Okay."

When he was young, he had tasted countless delicacies from land and sea, but none of them could compare to the half-cooled steamed bun in front of him.

The warmth that half a steamed bun brought him inspired him countless times every time he wanted to give up.

Even if he lived in the mud, he would crawl out and stand in front of her with dignity.

He would follow her and accompany her through every dark and quiet alley; when he found any thugs plotting against her, he would take care of them without making a sound.

However, when she was blamed and oppressed by her family and cried alone, he could not go forward to comfort or hug her.

However, as she grew older, she would avoid him like everyone else, and even look at him with fear.

She seemed to have forgotten that she had eaten cold steamed buns with him when she was young.

He hated himself for being like this.

He hated the growing distance between them.

But now, the person who was once out of reach is now right in front of him.

When Bai Li asked him, does he love her?

He doesn't know.

He originally thought that this might be the only way the two of them would be together in their lives, with her walking in front and him guarding behind, and his only wish was for her to be happy.

"Why are you looking at me?" Li Yang had turned her head around at some point, staring at him with her watery eyes wide open, unblinking.

Ji Huaizhi came back to his senses, smiled and shook his head: "Thinking about something."

"Oh." Li Yang nodded, obviously a little drunk, and picked up the empty wine glass again, "Come, let's continue drinking."

Ji Huaizhi held her wrist, took the cup from her hand, put it aside, and coaxed her softly, "Don't drink anymore. It will make you feel uncomfortable if you drink more."

"Humph." Li Yang withdrew his hand. "Stingy."

Seeing that the meal was almost finished, Ji Huaizhi stood up and helped Li Yang to the bedroom to rest, then came out to clean up the table.

By the time we finished everything, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening.

Li Yang bought firecrackers, saying he wanted to set them off at twelve o'clock in the morning, and also said that he wanted to stay up all night with him. Ji Huaizhi glanced in the direction of the bedroom, smiled and shook his head.

Little liar.

*

It was almost dawn when Li Yang was awakened by the sound of fireworks outside the window.

Li Yang rubbed his heavy head, not knowing when he fell asleep. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only a few minutes before twelve o'clock. He quickly put on his shoes and went out.

Ji Huaizhi was sitting in the yard. Seeing her coming, he pulled the chair next to him and asked, "Why are you up?"

Li Yang walked over in his slippers, rubbing his eyes: "Didn't we agree to stay up together to celebrate the New Year?"

Unexpectedly, he stumbled and his left foot stepped on the heel of his right shoe, and he fell forward.

Ji Huai subconsciously reached out to take her and hugged her tightly in his arms.

Li Yang just sat on Ji Huaizhi's legs, and because of fear, she hugged his head tightly with her arms, pressing against her... chest.

Li Yang’s first thought was: Oh no, her breasts don’t seem that big.

Ji Huaizhi: "..."

He struggled slightly, trying to signal Li Yang that he could let go.

Li Yang also reacted, and suddenly let go of him, swinging her body backward so much that her slender waist almost broke.

Seeing that Li Yang was about to fall off the chair, Ji Huaizhi stretched out his long arm, grabbed her slender waist, and pulled her back.

With a slight muffled sound, Li Yang crashed into his chest.

Just this action made her breathe slightly, and Ji Huaizhi's breath invaded her nostrils domineeringly, leaving her with no way to avoid it.

This time, she didn't dare to move.

Just at this moment, another firework bloomed in the sky, scaring her so much that she shivered and leaned into Ji Huaizhi's arms.

She didn't get up.

He didn't call her either.

Under the lively night sky, there are two people with turbulent emotions.

It was not until the sounds of firecrackers being set off by neighbors and people cheering for the New Year that Li Yang, who was trying to pretend to be dead, woke up.

Ji Huaizhi's voice rang out: "Um...I'm going to set off firecrackers."

Li Yang looked up and met his deep pupils. He still had the same handsome eyebrows and sexy thin lips... Maybe it was the residual alcohol, or maybe it was the night sky was too lively, but she suddenly felt hot-headed and held Ji Huaizhi's face: "Don't move."

The next second, she bent down and kissed his lips.

Slightly cool and trembling, it covered his.

The soft touch, slightly warmer than her own, reached her nerves with a slight delay.

She blinked, her face filled with shock.

Ji Huaizhi also maintained a slightly stunned expression, his whole body stiff.

Li Yang realized what he had done and subconsciously wanted to run.

She put her hands on Ji Huaizhi's shoulders and tried to stand up with the force, but just as she moved her hips a little, he pushed her back.

He held her waist, and took advantage of the situation to kiss her lips, which were slightly open due to surprise, and held her tightly in his arms. She heard his seductive voice: "Be good, this is how you kiss."

This was a feeling she had never experienced before, burning, warm, lingering, and suffocating. She looked up at the fireworks above her head, and it seemed that fireworks were also blooming in her mind, intense and wonderful.

Her hands clung tightly to his arms, and she didn't dare to look into his dark eyes.

She thought, no matter whether it was reality or a dream, just let it sink like this.

*

At the same time, in a small hotel, Xu Yanping and Fu Jin sat face to face.

Compared to Xu Yanping's uneasiness, a hint of impatience flashed across Fu Jin's face: "Is there anything that can't be discussed outside? Why meet here? My mother is waiting for me to come back."

Xu Yanping cursed Fu Jin inwardly for being unromantic. Thinking about the days ahead, she suppressed her anger and pretended to be gentle and understanding: "It's too noisy outside, and it's not convenient for us to talk."

As they were talking, someone happened to set off firecrackers. The sound of firecrackers drowned out the voices, causing Fu Jin to frown again.

Hearing this, Fu Jin didn't say anything else. He sat down beside the bed, waiting for Xu Yanping to talk about the so-called important things.

Seeing that Fu Jin had already sat down beside the bed, Xu Yanping was secretly delighted and sat down as well.

She placed her hand over his and called out shyly, "Ah Jin."