053
A semester has come to an end quickly, and another year is about to pass.
On New Year's Eve, after having dinner with her grandmother at home, Jiang Huali sat on the sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala.
Startled by the sound of fireworks outside, Xiao Hei crawled under the sofa and clung tightly to Jiang Huali's feet.
Jiang Huali was checking messages on her phone.
He Yuqing: [There's a fireworks show tomorrow night, do you want to go?]
Fireworks shows are held in the city on New Year's Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
Jiang Huali: [Where can I watch it?]
He Yuqing replied: 【The Bay Bridge.】
Jiang Huali thought for a moment: "Okay, shall we go see it together?"
He Yuqing: [Mm.]
On the evening of the first day of the Lunar New Year, after having dinner, Jiang Huali went out around 8 p.m. after informing her grandmother.
When she walked out of the alley, He Yuqing was already waiting for her there.
Jiang Huali opened the car door, got in, and greeted the driver, Uncle Wu.
The car slowly drove toward the bay bridge.
The road was bustling with traffic and very lively.
Jiang Huali and He Yuqing got out of the car near the bay bridge.
The two walked towards the bay bridge.
The fireworks show starts at 8:30, so there are still ten minutes to go.
Jiang Huali wrapped her scarf tighter around herself. There were many people around her, probably just like them, who had come to watch the fireworks show.
The Bay Bridge is a great vantage point, and many people come here to watch the fireworks.
Jiang Huali was wearing a brown scarf, and coincidentally, He Yuqing was also wearing a scarf of the same color tonight.
Jiang Huali asked him, "I don't think I've seen you wear this scarf before."
"Yes." He Yuqing nodded. "It's newly bought."
Jiang Huali had been wearing this scarf around her neck all winter.
Jiang Huali paused for a moment, then said, "...It's quite pretty."
She changed the subject: "How's that Endless Summer pot?"
"All the leaves have fallen," He Yuqing said.
"But spring is coming, and new leaves should sprout soon."
"Ruolin said that of the three potted plants she bought, two had died, leaving only one."
"She probably bought two pots of roses and one pot of gardenias. If you're a beginner, they're not very easy to keep alive," He Yuqing said.
Jiang Huali asked curiously, "How did you tell what kind of flowers she bought?"
He Yuqing turned to look at her and said, "I heard it when we were paying the bill."
Moreover, he later killed several of them.
Most of the flowers he planted in the yard died at first, but a considerable number of the second batch he added survived.
Jiang Huali had no idea that besides that pot of Endless Summer flowers, he also had a whole yard full of flowers.
This is He Yuqing's secret.
At first, Lan Qing tried to subtly inquire why he had suddenly started growing flowers.
Later we stopped paying attention to him because we couldn't get a single word out of him.
He Yuqing suddenly asked, "Do you like flowers?"
Jiang Huali replied, "I like it."
Beautiful flowers always bring joy and are pleasing to the eye, so of course she likes them.
"So... what's your favorite flower?" He Yuqing asked softly.
It was noisy around them, and Jiang Huali couldn't hear what he said.
Just as I was about to ask him to repeat himself, the surroundings suddenly became even noisier.
Jiang Huali glanced down at the time; it was 8:30.
"Bang--"
Bright and dazzling fireworks exploded in the sky.
"How beautiful!" someone nearby couldn't help but exclaim.
Many people took out their phones or cameras to capture the scene.
The whole city was filled with a festive atmosphere. As Jiang Huali watched the colorful fireworks, He Yuqing said to her, "Let me take a picture of you."
“Okay,” Jiang Huali said.
She stood by the bridge railing, a bright smile on her face, looking at the camera.
A huge, dazzling firework exploded behind her, scattering like shooting stars in an instant. He Yuqing pressed the shutter at that moment.
The person in the photo has a bright smile, and their gaze seems to pierce through the electronic device, looking right into their eyes.
He Yuqing smiled.
Suddenly, a girl with a camera walked over and asked Jiang Huali and He Yuqing somewhat shyly, "Are you a couple? Can I take a picture of you?"
She pointed to the camera in her hand and gestured in the air, saying, "You two look very well-matched."
An indescribable atmosphere spread among the three of them.
He Yuqing looked at Jiang Huali, then turned to the girl and said in a calm tone, "You've misunderstood. We're not a couple."
The girl was a little stunned. She glanced at the almost identical scarves around the necks of the two people in front of her, and their two handsome and perfectly matched faces. She suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
He Yuqing asked Jiang Huali softly, "Can we take a picture together?"
Jiang Huali had no objection: "Okay."
He Yuqing then turned to the girl, smiled, and said, "But could you please take a picture of us?"
"Oh, oh, oh," the girl paused for a moment before snapping out of her daze, then nodded quickly, "Of course!"
She made Jiang Huali stand together with her back against the railing, "A little closer, shoulders touching... Yes, just like that..."
Fireworks lit up the sky behind them, and the water shimmered beneath the bridge. They stood close together, closer than ever before.
Time stands still at this moment.
After taking the photos, the girl admired them for a while before showing them to Jiang Huali and the others.
"Let's exchange contact information? I'll send you the photos after I've processed them," the girl said to Jiang Huali with a smile.
The two exchanged contact information, and the girl put away her camera. "Then I won't disturb you while you're watching the fireworks. Happy New Year!"
Jiang Huali smiled and replied, "Happy New Year."
Just before the girl turned around, she quickly said, "And also, you two are a really good match!"
After saying that, she waved her hand and disappeared into the crowd.
Jiang Huali smiled and looked at He Yuqing, who was slightly stiff, and asked, "By the way, what did you ask me before the fireworks show started?"
He Yuqing was stunned for a moment. He looked at Jiang Huali's indifferent expression towards the girl's words, and a lot of words were swirling in his mouth.
He replied, "I said—"
What's your favorite flower?
This time, Jiang Huali heard her clearly. After thinking for a while, she said, "Essentials."
He Yuqing looked into her eyes, somewhat curious, and asked, "Why?"
Jiang Huali smiled mysteriously: "Do you know what the white lisianthus symbolizes?"
He Yuqing shook his head honestly: "I don't know."
Jiang Huali pulled him around to watch the fireworks, their voices becoming somewhat unclear in the noisy environment.
She said, "I didn't know at first either."
-
Some people say that time seems to pass faster as you get older.
When I was a child, I felt that the time from sunrise to sunset was very long. But as I grow older, I realize that a year, ten years, or even a hundred years are like a flying arrow that never turns back.
On the night before the final exams of the second semester of their junior year, Jiang Huali and He Yuqing returned to the classroom to study after dinner.
Wen Ruolin was standing to the side, reading a small booklet.
The booklet was a ranking of domestic universities that she had somehow obtained.
As Wen Ruolin watched, he couldn't help but sigh.
Jiang Huali turned her head and glanced at her: "Why are you sighing?"
Wen Ruolin put down the booklet in his hand and asked Jiang Huali, "Where do you want to go to university?"
"Why are you suddenly asking this? Where do you want to go?"
Wen Ruolin, resting her chin on her hand and with sparkling eyes, said, "I want to go to the North!"
"Why?" Jiang Huali put down her pen and asked.
Wen Ruolin said excitedly, "I want to see snow! I've heard that the snow in the north is as big as goose feathers! I've never seen snow before!"
"Just imagine, in winter, when such large snowflakes fall, it's that kind of scene—under the dim streetlights, the snow is falling gently—how romantic!"
She then asked Jiang Huali, "Where do you want to go?"
Jiang Huali pulled the booklet from her desk, flipped to the beginning, and pointed to the top with a smile: "I want to go here."
Wen Ruolin's gaze fell on the name of the top university in the country, and he gave her a thumbs up, saying, "You can definitely do it!"
Jiang Huali smiled and pushed the booklet back, saying, "Thank you for your kind words."
She suddenly became curious about where He Yuqing wanted to go to university.
Jiang Huali turned around and asked He Yuqing, who was studying, "What's your target university?"
He Yuqing had overheard their conversation long ago. Upon hearing this, he put down his pen and asked, "And you?"
Wen Ruolin turned the booklet around and pointed to the top: "Of course it's this one!"
He Yuqing nodded, looked at the name of the school for a while, and then said, "I don't know yet."
Wen Ruolin commented from the side, "If nothing unexpected happens, it shouldn't be difficult for you two to go anywhere you want, right?"
Jiang Huali was quite surprised by He Yuqing's answer.
In her eyes, He Yuqing was a person with very clear goals.
As many students prepare to enter their senior year of high school, they have a dream school in mind, and even those who are not yet clear about their future will have a preferred target.
But He Yuqing actually said he didn't know.
Jiang Huali observed his expression but couldn't tell whether he was telling the truth or lying.
She asked He Yuqing, "Why?"
He Yuqing just smiled gently and said, "Because I haven't thought about it yet."
Jiang Huali was skeptical, but He Yuqing told her again, "You'll find out later."
So she stopped worrying about the issue.
Wen Ruolin sighed, "Two-thirds of my high school life has already passed. I don't know if we'll ever see each other again after graduation."
“Maybe we might even live in the same city?” Jiang Huali said.
Wen Ruolin shook his head and sighed, "You don't understand. By then, you may never be able to find that feeling again."
Jiang Huali tapped the back of her hand: "Alright, go back to studying."
This final exam is directly related to the class placement in the senior year. Wen Ruolin took a deep breath, put away the booklet, turned around and miserably flipped through the review materials.
Jiang Huali also picked up her pen again.
He Yuqing didn't immediately continue reviewing, but instead watched Jiang Huali's back for a while.
He wrote a few words on the draft paper—
It's the name of the university Jiang Huali wanted to attend.
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