He Chen didn't swallow the sandwich in his mouth for a long time.
He stared blankly at Huo Jiayuan... He knew Meng Yan more than just a friend; he had been close to the children of two major military families in Southeast Asia since childhood.
But he preferred visiting General Meng's house to General Nie's.
Especially when he was with Meng Yan.
He considered Meng Yan a friend and an older brother. When they were young, they played around with toys and did countless things that gave their parents headaches. In his memory, Meng Yan loved to laugh, and his laughter was like the warm and dazzling sunshine of Southeast Asia.
However, from the moment Meng Xi betrayed his country, Meng Yan never smiled again and gradually distanced himself from him.
Until that night at the entrance of the Grand Palace, He Chen felt as if he had been transported to another world.
"I...I don't know him," He Chen forced a smile. "How am I supposed to know your boyfriend!"
Huo Jiayuan blinked her large, bright eyes, half believing and half doubting.
He Chen lowered his head and frantically ate the sandwich.
This was something Meng Yan asked him to do; he didn't want Huo Jiayuan to know too much about his past.
But did this older brother ever consider that with the Huo family's little princess's cleverness, could she not see through the clues?
"Oh, by the way," He Chen couldn't stand Huo Jiayuan's discerning gaze, so he quickly changed the subject, "We're going to the factory at two o'clock this afternoon. There's an experienced craftsman staying there. You can see what effect your fireworks design will have."
Is there only one master craftsman?
"Okay." He Chen nodded. "The big factories are on holiday right now, so we'll go to a small factory this time. But don't worry, even in a small factory, the skill level of the workers is just as good!"
...
In the afternoon, He Chen brought Huo Jiayuan to the fireworks factory on time.
The factory, located on the outskirts of the city, was small and served as a downstream production line for the larger factory. Upon seeing the two, the factory manager warmly greeted them with a deep bow, saying, "It is a great honor for Your Highness to visit us!"
"This must be Miss Huo, right? The two of you standing together are a perfect match, a match made in heaven..."
"You talk too much!" He Chen glared at him.
The factory manager quickly stopped talking, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. So this was something that couldn't be said...
"Miss Huo and I are just ordinary friends, don't talk nonsense!" He Chen hurriedly clarified.
"Oh, yes!"
"Tell the craftsman to hurry up, we need to go back as soon as we see the results."
"Okay, okay!"
The factory manager readily agreed and said he would get to work as quickly as possible.
Huo Jiayuan looked around and questioned the environment. "This...is it going to work? It feels a bit run-down, isn't it too unprofessional?"
"Actually, this is my first time here too." He Chen looked at her apologetically. "But this is the only place we can see the results now. It's small, but the equipment is quite advanced. After all, it's a downstream production line of the royal factory, so it can't be too bad."
Although He Chen said this, he was still quite worried. Not because of the equipment, but because he found that the security here seemed rather inadequate.
He and Huo Jiayuan came directly from the school, but they didn't bring anyone with them.
He also had a vague sense of unease.
...
Not far from the factory gate, a person was lingering.
He would glance inside every now and then, though he couldn't see anything. He paced back and forth under the big banyan tree, and occasionally, as if thinking of something, a gentle smile would appear on his serious expression.
“Sir,” Uncle Feng chuckled softly, “it’s too hot. Why don’t you sit in the car and wait?”
"No need, you guys go back first." Meng Yan looked at him, "I'll wait for her here a little longer."
"The young prince is of noble character and would never do anything to Miss Huo..."
“Uncle Feng, what are you thinking?” Meng Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course I know who He Chen is, but I just want to wait for Yuan Yuan here… He Chen said that the fireworks she designed were specially designed for me. Ha… I’m useless. I didn’t even dare to go in and take a look.”
"Sir, please don't say that."
"If I wait here, wouldn't that be considered supporting her in her efforts?"
Feng Bo nodded.
Meng Yan chuckled and told Uncle Feng to go back first.
He continued to wait under the tree.
The air in Southeast Asia is humid and sweltering, and even the shade of banyan trees cannot completely dispel this heat.
Meng Yan took a deep breath and was about to wander off when she inadvertently caught a glimpse of a furtive figure flashing past the factory's side gate!
Security at the side gate is lax, making it easy to get in.
Meng Yan hesitated for a moment, but his innate sense of vigilance made him chase after the person without hesitation. However, the person was running very fast, and he was some distance from the side door, so he couldn't catch up in a short time.
His eyes darkened, and he considered calling the police, but hesitated just before dialing. What reason should he give? Someone had sneaked into the fireworks factory and gone missing?
What if that person is a factory worker? What if this is a misunderstanding...?
Just then, a loud "boom" came from not far away!
Meng Yan was startled!
The enormous noise seemed to drag him back into that lingering nightmare, with thick smoke billowing into the sky like black pillars rising from hell.
He stood frozen in place, a chill creeping up every vein in his body, his mind going completely blank...
“Yuan Yuan…”
He suddenly realized that Huo Jiayuan was still at the factory! "Yuanyuan!"
Meng Yan roared at the top of his lungs and ran desperately into the firelight.
...
The factory was in chaos; the explosion occurred in a warehouse where fireworks were stored.
When the explosion occurred, Huo Jiayuan and He Chen were not far from the warehouse.
Before the two could react, they were swept away by a huge heat wave. Huo Jiayuan felt her feet were off the ground, as if fire was burning her skin. Her body was in a state of weightlessness, and the next second she fell heavily to the ground!
Many fragments of unknown material crashed down, and she screamed in terror. In that instant, all she could do was instinctively cover her head and curl up on the ground.
He Chen was in no better shape than her; he too was thrown off balance by the heatwave and felt as if he had been shattered into pieces. Ignoring the pain, he crawled on the ground toward Huo Jiayuan, using his body to shield her from the falling cement fragments.
Immediately afterwards, a tongue of fire shot over!
He Chen dragged her outside, but a roof beam suddenly fell, nearly hitting them both on the head. Huo Jiayuan struggled to support herself; the pungent smell made her feel like she was about to suffocate.
"He Chen..." she managed to say, "You should go... Don't worry about me..."
"This won't do!" He Chen grabbed her tightly. "If Meng Yan finds out... he'll kill me!"
"What did you say?"
He Chen had no time to say more, desperately pulling her to escape. However, the factory was filled with fireworks; after the explosions, the flames quickly engulfed and spread, turning the entire factory into a terrifying inferno…
Huo Jiayuan felt increasingly short of breath, her limbs felt weak, and every step seemed to drain all her strength. Her consciousness gradually blurred, and she tripped over a loose rock in front of her, falling to the ground.
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