Chapter 56: Memories of Fireworks
On December 31st, just as Shen Mengqing had predicted, her aunts organized a lunch gathering at her home, where the whole family came together for a lively celebration. To celebrate the holiday, the elders even brought a few bottles of wine. Shen Mengqing tried to decline, but in the end, she couldn't escape and drank a few cups with them.
The meal lasted until two or three in the afternoon. She had booked the restaurant for dinner with Li Qinghe that evening, and the meal was scheduled to start at 5:30, so as not to delay them from spending New Year's Eve with their families.
Shen Mengqing rested briefly before getting up and starting to put on makeup. After all, it was a holiday, and even when meeting friends, a sense of ceremony was still necessary, so she carefully selected an outfit to wear.
Apart from her third aunt who was busy at Hao Weidao's shop, her other two aunts were still chatting with Hao Meng at her house. When they saw Shen Mengqing coming out of the room dressed exquisitely, they couldn't help but praise her, saying that she was truly a product of her parents' good looks and demeanor, and wondered which man she would end up with.
Hao Meng laughed and covered her mouth, then followed up by asking when Shen Mengqing would find a boyfriend to bring home.
Seeing that the conversation was going in the wrong direction and that the group had brought up marriage and relationships again, Shen Mengqing picked up her bag and fled as if she were escaping.
She still drove Hao Meng's car. It was almost New Year's Eve, and the road along the river was extremely congested. Only pedestrians and electric bikes moved freely outside the window. She had left thirty or forty minutes early, but she still arrived at the restaurant right on time.
After sitting down at the reserved table, the waiter handed Shen Mengqing a menu, which she flipped through while waiting for Li Qinghe to arrive.
About fifteen minutes later, while the other tables in the restaurant were enjoying their meals, Li Qinghe still hadn't shown up, and she hadn't even replied to the messages she sent asking him about the situation.
To ensure high table turnover during holidays, the restaurant has a rule that everyone must finish eating within two hours of sitting down. Shen Mengqing waited a while longer before Li Qinghe called.
As soon as she answered the call, the person on the other end said, "Sorry, I probably can't make it."
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Shen Mengqing asked, closing the menu.
Li Qinghe's tone was full of apology, and he said with difficulty, "Yes, something came up at home. Can I explain it to you later? I'm sorry, I wouldn't have refused to come if I hadn't been unable to get away. I'll treat you when you get back to Beicheng."
Although she felt a little awkward sitting there alone for so long, she could understand the unexpected situation. Shen Mengqing comforted Li Qinghe for a few words and then hung up the phone.
Since they were already there, and having heard that this restaurant had some good signature dishes, Shen Mengqing called over a waiter and packed a few dishes to go.
The drive back was much smoother, and she was going in the opposite direction from the crowd heading to the riverbank for New Year's Eve. The hot dishes on the passenger seat smelled delicious, and Shen Mengqing, starving, planned to take them to her aunt's restaurant. She figured Hao Meng and Hao Qisi would be helping out there too, so she ate with them.
Hao Weidao is only open until 9 p.m. tonight. Most families have gone out to eat, and the people dining in the restaurant are mostly solo diners.
When Shen Mengqing walked into the restaurant carrying the groceries, her attire was too dignified and elegant, making her seem somewhat out of place in this small, unassuming eatery. She placed the groceries on the table at the far end and called over the others to eat together.
Auntie and Hao Qisi were busy, so they told her to eat first. Hao Meng glanced at her, sat down diagonally opposite her, and said, "Have you finished eating, or did someone stand you up?"
"Li Qinghe has something to attend to and can't come right away."
Shen Mengqing didn't seem to care much as he opened the lids of the food containers one by one.
Seeing that she showed no sign of sadness, Hao Meng sighed inwardly. It seemed that his daughter was indeed not interested in Li Qinghe.
The mother and daughter chatted idly for a while, and occasionally Hao Qisi would sneak a few pieces of meat to eat as she passed by. When the guests at the table near the door finished eating, Hao Qisi would conscientiously go and clean up the table.
Suddenly, the shop door was pushed open again, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, carrying with it the faint scent of the newcomer.
Hao Qisi was right by the door and was the first to see the person who came in. He was taken aback at first, and then went to greet him, still clutching a rag in his hand: "Brother Yu Xin?! What brings you here?"
Shen Mengqing was eating with her head down when she heard Hao Qisi's voice. Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked in the direction of the sound. She saw Yu Xin standing tall at the door, wearing a black leather jacket over a dark gray sweater. Like Shen Mengqing, his outfit seemed to have wandered into this little shop by mistake, but it matched her outfit quite well.
Perhaps because his hands had been exposed to the cold air, his fingertips and knuckles were red. Yu Xin's gaze swept over the people in the shop and landed precisely on Shen Mengqing.
Shen Mengqing's words caught in her throat, and she didn't utter a sound. Yu Xin quickly looked away and turned to Hao Qisi, saying, "Won't we disturb you?"
"Of course not."
Hao Qisi wiped the table until it gleamed: "Brother, sit here first. What would you like to eat?"
Yu Xinsong sat down casually, glanced at the menu, and said, "A bowl of wontons."
"Okay."
On his way back to the kitchen, Hao Qisi glanced at Shen Mengqing several times. Shen Mengqing gave him a look, signaling him to put the bill on her tab.
Hao Meng sat opposite, watching Shen Mengqing and Hao Qisi exchange strange glances. She leaned to the side, stuck her head out, and looked at the handsome, aloof stranger with a puzzled expression.
Yu Xin noticed her gaze and politely bowed and nodded.
Hao Meng smiled at him, sat up straight, and asked Shen Mengqing, "You know him?"
Shen Mengqing swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "My company boss."
Hao Meng's eyes widened in surprise: "So young?!"
Shen Mengqing said, "Yes, his father passed away not long ago, so he took over the company."
"Well, that's quite pitiful."
Perhaps because her own husband had also passed away, Hao Meng always felt compassion for children whose parents could not be by their side. She glanced at Yu Xin a few more times and thought that he seemed quite strong.
Just then, a customer at another table finished his meal, stood up, and started to walk out. Auntie San, with her sharp eyes, noticed and called out loudly, "Hey! Brother, you haven't paid yet."
Before Yu Xin's wontons were even served, he took a long stride and blocked the man's path.
The man was dressed very plainly, the kind of person you wouldn't remember after just one glance on the street. He had a stern face and spoke with a hint of malice: "What are you doing?"
"You didn't pay."
Yu Xin was not afraid of him at all, his expression was cold.
The man quickly glanced back. Most of the people in the shop were women who were helpless, but with Yu Xin and Hao Qisi as the two men, he felt more confident. He stretched out his arm and bumped into Yu Xin's chest, trying to push him away and run out of the shop.
Unexpectedly, Yu Xin was much stronger than him. Instead of pushing Yu Xin away, he was instead grabbed by the arm.
"Let go of me!"
Auntie San arrived in a hurry. She didn't know Yu Xin's identity and thought he was fighting with the burly man who had skipped out on his bill. She reached out to pull the two apart, but was instead pushed by the burly man. Her waist hit the corner of the table, and she gasped in pain.
Hao Meng went forward to help his third aunt back. Shen Mengqing hurriedly pulled Hao Qisi, who was washing dishes, out of the kitchen. As soon as they stepped out, she saw the burly man pull a small utility knife out of his pocket and raise it high.
"Mom!" Shen Mengqing cried out, her face ashen.
The next second, Yu Xin swiftly grabbed the man's hand holding the knife. Shen Mengqing couldn't see the movement of his wrist, but felt that he twisted the man's hand like a flower, and the tool knife clattered to the ground.
Hao Qisi stepped forward and took the knife in his hand to prevent the man from succeeding again.
"Who the hell are you?!" The man was enraged and was still trying to break free from Yu Xin's grasp.
Yu Xin's eyes narrowed, and he quickly twisted the man's arms behind his back, pressing his knee down on his back, instantly subduing him.
Shen Mengqing called the police, and they arrived within minutes.
After the man was handcuffed, the police asked them to give a statement. Yu Xin stepped forward, intending to volunteer to go to the police station, but Hao Meng waved him off and turned to Shen Mengqing, saying, "Qing, take him home to treat his wounds. His palms are still bleeding, so don't go."
Shen Mengqing was taken aback; only then did she realize that Yu Xin was injured.
She walked up to Yu Xin and asked him to open his palm. There was a cut in the center made by a utility knife, which was not shallow.
"Let's go, I'll take you to disinfect."
Fortunately, my aunt's shop is right at the entrance of her residential complex, making it convenient for her to go home.
Shen Mengqing led Yu Xin around the neighborhood. After entering the house, she didn't even bother to put on slippers before quickly finding the first-aid kit.
She used tweezers to pick up a wad of cotton wool soaked in iodine and carefully applied it to the wound on Yu Xin's palm, asking him, "Does it hurt?"
Yu Xin was silent for a while, then said, "Although I really want to say it hurts, I don't feel anything."
Shen Mengqing rolled her eyes at him: "Still pretending? It was so dangerous just now, and you still went head-to-head with someone. This kind of madman might have stabbed you in a fatal spot."
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand as if to slap Yu Xin's palm hard, but he didn't dodge at all, and his palm didn't move an inch.
“I didn’t think that much at the time,” Yu Xin said calmly. “Besides, those people are all your family members, how could anyone not be anxious?”
Shen Mengqing paused, then clicked his tongue awkwardly.
After disinfecting, Shen Mengqing put a band-aid on Yu Xin's hand. Yu Xin's gaze remained fixed on her, and she was very quiet.
As she finally finished treating her wound and was about to back away, several clusters of dazzling fireworks suddenly exploded outside the window, heading towards the river.
A grand and colorful burst of light instantly illuminated the entire balcony. The two of them looked out at the same time, their eyes reflecting the fireworks, which shimmered with tiny, sharp rays.
Shen Mengqing suddenly recalled the last time she watched fireworks, and a surge of warmth welled up from her heart to the tips of her ears. She subconsciously looked at Yu Xin, only to be met with his captivating eyes.
Those long-sealed memories inexplicably swept back, playing frame by frame in her mind. Even after such a long time, she still remembered them clearly.
Shen Mengqing knew that if she continued to look at him, the boundary she had painstakingly built would collapse again. She closed the first-aid kit and was about to get up and move away from him for a while when she lost her footing and fell forward.
She braced herself on the sofa on either side of Yu Xin to maintain her balance, and when she raised her head, the distance between her and Yu Xin seemed to shrink infinitely.
Shen Mengqing could even feel his body temperature. The afterglow of the fireworks flickered in his deep eyes, where a familiar wave surged.
Before the next firework burst open, Shen Mengqing followed her heart and slowly bent down.
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A note from the author:
Xinzi: If I cry out in pain, will you comfort me?
Ah Qing has been bewitched by beauty again!
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