The barbecue restaurant is doing good business and is quite lively.
As the songs of older brothers and sisters continued to play, Lu Yibei and Ji Qingqian had almost finished eating.
Let's check the time.
Two o'clock in the morning.
I don't know whether to say it's early or late.
The number of customers in the store has decreased by half compared to when we first arrived.
Lu Yibei noticed that his boss, Xiong Song, had become slightly more relaxed, and his gaze kept drifting towards this side, intentionally or unintentionally.
Their eyes occasionally met, but Xiong Song's eyes remained clear and filled with gratitude.
That's why, after thanking them, he didn't disturb the young couple's meal any further.
Lu Yibei got up to pay the bill.
Boss Xiong kept his word and refused to take a single penny from Lu Yibei.
Lu Yibei didn't argue with him and after exchanging pleasantries, they formally said goodbye.
Before leaving, Lu Yibei noticed that there were several self-study textbooks on the counter in Boss Xiong's shop.
He glanced at them, and although he didn't ask, Xiong Song noticed something. He felt a little shy and didn't want to say anything at first, but when he looked in Ji Qingqian's direction, he thought about what he had said in front of the two of them.
Xiong Song never imagined that he would meet Ji Qingqian, whom he considered to have "given him a hand," here today.
Because of this unexpected encounter, he felt that if he missed this opportunity, he might not be able to meet this "benefactor" again.
That's why I had to swallow my pride and go to thank them.
Although the words were all expressions of gratitude, they were still too abrupt.
If Ji Qingqian—or rather, her boyfriend—would overthink it, then he would have done something wrong.
So, after glancing left and right, he whispered to Lu Yibei the truth:
"To be honest, although I've given up on the college entrance exam, I still want to get a bachelor's degree—even if it's through correspondence courses, it'll still sound like I graduated from university. Hehe, because..."
He glanced cautiously in the direction of the kitchen again:
"The girl I like is a junior in college... She worked part-time here during winter break. I'm thinking that even if my academic qualifications aren't as good as hers, they shouldn't be too far behind."
Lu Yibei also looked towards the kitchen.
He was slightly surprised.
It wasn't because of that, but because Xiong Song would tell him.
"Correspondence courses are definitely not as good as regular full-time programs, let alone your top-tier universities. But working and studying at the same time isn't easy, it's exhausting, and I'm even thinking of giving up. Sigh—"
Xiong Song sighed wearily, then forced a smile: "But seeing Ji Qingqian again today, knowing that even an admirable girl like her can work so hard for the boy she likes, gives me motivation again."
As he spoke, he glanced at the "boy Ji Qingqian liked" in front of him, and then softly added:
Happy New Year, and I wish you happiness.
Xiong Song's wishes, though tinged with a touch of shyness from their recent acquaintance, were simple yet so sincere.
Lu Yibei smiled and said, "Happy New Year to you too."
"Come again later," Xiong Song said with a cheerful smile.
"Yes, I'll definitely come if I have the chance," Lu Yibei said.
Lu Yibei turned around and saw Ji Qingqian standing at the door, her arm around his coat.
Lu Yibei walked quickly toward her.
After taking the coat from Ji Qingqian, Lu Yibei called out loudly to Xiong Song, who was watching the two of them, "Goodbye, Boss Xiong!"
"Hey! Come again later!" Xiong Song said.
Ji Qingqian didn't speak, but she gently waved her little hand at the other end.
Opening the door, the air outside was still frigid, at minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius.
But Ji Qingqian felt warm and cozy.
"It's like I did a good deed." She said with a slightly innocent smile.
Lu Yibei tightened his collar and said:
"yes."
No one expected such a chance encounter tonight.
Even Ji Qingqian, the person involved, had no recollection of having such a senior from her previous school after the chance encounter.
But the fluttering of her beautiful butterfly wings at that moment inadvertently stirred up a warm breeze.
And this wind just happened to blow towards her this year.
"very nice."
After leaping lightly, Ji Qingqian hugged her boyfriend's arm and said, "Meeting Abei is such a wonderful thing!"
Lu Yibei looked at Ji Qingqian.
The little girl's eyes were curved like two crescent moons, cute and dazzling.
The two walked back to the entrance of Gunsan High School.
Lu Yibei looked up at the school again.
It was deserted and quiet.
"Maybe I should show you around the school."
Seeing Lu Yibei stop, Ji Qingqian said softly, just like when he took her to visit Xincheng High School before, but added, "Not to mention it's winter break now, we can't go in. Even if I took you in, we don't know anyone there, so I wouldn't know how to introduce you..."
She doesn't have many memories of high school.
Lu Yibei, with his hands in his pockets, stared at the "Qunshan High School" sign nailed to the rooftop and suddenly asked:
Have you ever set off fireworks in front of the school?
Ji Qingqian: ?
"Clang clang!"
Lu Yibei reached his hand out of his coat pocket and said in a Doraemon-like tone, "Secret gadget!"
Ji Qingqian glanced at it and immediately looked pleasantly surprised: "Huh? When did you buy this?"
It wasn't a high-powered firework.
—Leaving aside whether or not he could put that thing in his pocket, Lu Yibei had no way of stuffing something like a Gatling gun into his pocket.
What he held in his hand was a very ordinary sparkler, also known as a "fairy wand".
Calling this thing a "firework" is a stretch.
But as long as I can make my beloved little girl happy, that's enough.
"Good deeds should be rewarded."
Lu Yibei laughed: "When I went to pay the bill, I saw this on the counter, so I asked Boss Xiong for some. And then... ta-da!"
I also grabbed a lighter while I was at it.
Lu Yibei gave Ji Qingqian two sticks and then carefully lit them for her.
Like sparks of lightning, delicate brilliance burst forth from the little girl's hands, and the light was imprinted on her unblinking eyes.
Xiong Song described Ji Qingqian as cold and handsome, exceptionally sharp, and unconventional.
But in Lu Yibei's eyes, she was so quiet and well-behaved, just like this electric flower, beautiful but never harmful.
“…So beautiful.” Ji Qingqian exclaimed softly.
They are easily satisfied; they are happy with just a little coaxing—and happy even without coaxing.
Her bright eyes looked towards Lu Yibei.
Lu Yibei was looking at her and smiling.
“Yes, that’s great,” he said.
Ji Qingqian: "Hmm?"
“It’s so good that we met,” he repeated what the little girl had said earlier.
Ji Qingqian pursed her lips, about to say something.
But then she noticed a thin, dense line of light shining under the streetlight behind Lu Yibei.
"Abei, it's snowing!"
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