"Of course, our 'good start' is a very auspicious phrase."

Xi Qingxu was washing her face at the tap when she heard the voice and thanked him, "Thank you."

Perhaps because of the festive atmosphere, Lu Linqi said to him again, "I'll take you to set off firecrackers after dinner, it's on me!"

The city was strictly controlled, so Xi Qingxu had never actually set off a cannon before. He didn't understand what kind of cannon the man was talking about. "Firecrackers?"

Lu Linqi scoffed mercilessly, "Firecrackers! You don't know all kinds of small fireworks?"

“They don’t allow it in the city, but I didn’t release it.”

"Hehe, just wait, I'll show you something new tonight."

Xi Qingxu asked in confusion, "You don't seem to be older than me."

Lu Linqi rolled his eyes. "Are you an idiot? This means I consider you a brother!"

"Tsk, no wonder you have no friends."

"..."

Lu Chuqing, who was eavesdropping: See? I told you long ago that my second brother was all talk and no action. In reality, he's just an arrogant, sharp-tongued, and immature teenager who loves to act like everyone else's older brother.

*

The Lu family is large and has a good family atmosphere; the days before and after the Lunar New Year are very lively.

Xi Qingxu experienced a warmth she had never felt before here.

When they were in the provincial capital, they would sometimes go shopping together, and Lu Chuqing would take the initiative to pull him to buy things. After arriving in Yangcheng, they found that the city was full of market days, and compared to big cities, the people in small towns were more warm and simple.

Not only would the girl drag him to buy snacks, but Lu Linqi would also put his arm around his shoulder and take him to places he had never seen before.

Although he never told anyone, he actually had a strong impression of Yangcheng.

His maternal grandparents each gave him a large red envelope, and his uncles and aunts also gave him New Year's gifts.

Until the night before he left, he was watching TV with everyone in the living room. The elders were chatting about everyday things, and his grandmother said with a smile, "After just a few days, this child finally has a smile on his face."

He was slightly stunned when he heard this, his mind still replaying what he had just heard.

Upon hearing this, Lu Linqi said, "Of course! Just look at the atmosphere in our house, how could he possibly put on a long face!"

Lu Chuqing casually propped up the corner of the boy's mouth with her hand. With a strawberry-flavored lollipop in her mouth, she spoke with a sweet, candy-scented voice, "Only when the corner of your mouth is this big can you say you're smiling. This is just him not putting on a serious face."

Seeing Xi Qingxu's forced smile, Lu Linqi sneered again, "Hehe, don't ever show that kind of smile, it's uglier than a ghost."

Cai Min genuinely liked Xi Qingxu, and slapped her grandson on the head, saying, "You little rascal, Xi Qingxu is so handsome, he looks good even when he's not smiling. You're the same; when you smile, it's just a forced, unnatural smile!"

Lu Linqi winced in pain and said deliberately with dissatisfaction, "You old man, you can't hit my brother, so you hit me instead. I'm your own grandson!"

"So what if he's my own grandson? I'll beat him just the same way!"

"You're my grandma, can't I just run away!"

"..."

The old woman and the child quickly began a chase. Lu Chuqing swiftly took out her phone and started recording, determined to show Lu Chengyang when he returned.

Although he's gone, Lu Linqi has taken over his job.

Thinking back to when Lu Linqi was gloating over Lu Chengyang being chased and beaten by Cai Min, and now he was experiencing those familiar experiences, Lu Chuqing couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Xi Qingxu watched her record the video from the side. Seeing her unrestrained smile, he also felt a smile on his lips where Xi Qingxu's fingertips had touched her.

Seeing this, Lu Ying and Xi Jun, who were sitting side by side, exchanged a glance and both smiled.

Watching the fireworks from the rooftop, the dazzling displays burst open in the sky, accompanied by cheers and applause.

Lu Chuqing kept her promise and video-chatted with her friends. The sound of the fireworks exploding was so loud that she had to shout to answer her friends' questions.

Zhao Jiayan saw Lu Linqi flash by in the camera's view and asked with wide eyes, "Who was that just now? Your whole family is so good-looking!"

Lu Chuqing answered loudly, "That's my brother!"

The camera flashed Xi Qingxu's face again, and Qu Fusang instantly exclaimed, "Ahhh, it's that handsome guy!"

She still remembered the time she went to the arcade with Lu Chuqing, and the handsome young man who worked there.

Sensing something amiss, Zhao Jiayan pressed for an answer, "Who, who, who?"

Lu Chuqing knew they were gossiping, so she quickly said a few words and hung up the phone.

Xi Qingxu overheard a bit and asked curiously, "Why don't you tell them who I am?"

She just told them that Lu Linqi is her brother.

Lu Chuqing didn't know he would care about this. It was the same thing with Lu Linqi before. She was afraid he would mind if others knew about their relationship, so she didn't tell anyone.

Lu Linqi didn't notice it himself, and he didn't know for a long time afterward. They were even in the same class. She thought he didn't want others to know, so she didn't deliberately remind Lu Linqi afterward.

The same thing happened earlier; she thought he didn't want others to know that they were a blended family, though not closely related.

Hearing his question, the girl's eyes lit up, and she had a joking idea. "Because you're too good-looking."

"Beautiful things should be kept hidden, which is why I didn't tell them. It wouldn't be good if too many people knew!"

Fireworks exploded one after another in the night sky above, their brilliant colors reflected in the girl's eyes.

Before Xi Qingxu could react, Lu Linqi put his arm around her neck and led her aside. "What are you daydreaming about? Let's set off fireworks."

The fireworks were beautiful that night, snowflakes were falling from the sky, and the wind blowing on my face was warm.

It was at that time that Xi Qingxu learned what those missing emotions truly felt like.

【end】

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