Chapter 74 The Knowing Cooperation of the Blazing Fire
Lin Jiachi silently stood next to Min Shuyun, turned his head and looked at her bright and clear eyes as she gazed at the fireworks, her eyes reflecting the dazzling world, as splendid as blooming flowers.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and amidst the simultaneous countdowns from the crowds in other courtyards nestled in the mountains, he spoke softly, "Minmin, Happy New Year."
His voice was soft, low-pitched, and magnetic.
Despite the lively atmosphere around her, Min Shuyun could hear everything clearly.
My heart immediately collapsed, as if someone had forcefully pried open a certain spot.
A tingling sensation spread through her eyes. She blinked, looked away, and lowered her gaze to ease the soreness in her eyes.
She didn't respond, so Lin Jiachi couldn't help but stand closer. His hand, which was hanging by his side, twitched. He wanted to hold her hand, but he knew she wouldn't agree.
His inner struggle and surging emotions were all hidden within his violently beating chest. Min Shuyun remained silent, closed his eyes, and made a wish upon the midnight fireworks.
After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes, turned to look at him, and said, "Lin Jiachi, Happy New Year."
A slight smile played on her lips, bright yet resolute. "Do you know what I wished for?"
Lin Jiachi felt as if a hole had been torn open in his heart, and the surrounding wind rushed in fiercely, enveloping him in coldness.
He opened his mouth, about to say something, when she spoke first, "My New Year's wish—"
"The past is gone, let's look forward."
"From now on, we will have no connection."
Lin Jiachi looked at her; her hand at her side seemed frozen stiff, unable to move at all.
He suddenly curled his lip and whispered, "Minmin, do you know?"
“If you make a wish and then say it out loud, it will no longer be granted.”
Min Shuyun didn't speak or respond again, but simply turned around and continued to watch the fireworks fill the sky.
Unlike the bitter and helpless atmosphere among them, Qin Shengtian on the other side was like a bird released from its cage, full of joy and excitement.
"Wow!"
She exclaimed with emotion, pulling Yang Chengjing to the front, "Make a wish!"
"I want to make a wish too!"
Yang Chengjing turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with gentle affection. "What wish do you want to make?"
Qin Shengtian winked at him playfully, "I won't tell you, you guess yourself."
What did she wish for?
Of course it is—
I hope it goes well tonight! That I can fall in love sweetly!
Xinmian smiled when she heard what she said.
Chi Yu pinched her cheek and turned her around. Their eyes met, and he asked in a low voice, "Make a wish?"
Xinmian smiled and nodded, obediently closing her eyes and clasping her hands together.
Fireworks soared into the sky, blooming in a riot of colors like clusters of beautiful flowers.
The deep blue night sky became the best backdrop, and the fireworks shone brightly, blooming and then falling one after another, all to create this most beautiful scene.
Chi Yu glanced at her sideways; she was still wearing his coat, which was quite large.
The zipper was pulled all the way up, covering half of her face. Her nose was straight and delicate, and when she made a wish, her curled eyelashes drooped down, casting a small shadow on her lower eyelids.
Her thin eyelids were tinged with red, and the strands of hair at her temples fluttered lightly in the wind, making her profile delicate and radiant.
Unconsciously, Chi Yu raised his lips, his dark eyes filled with intense and tender emotions as he gazed intently at her.
My heart softened in that instant, as if some corner I had never noticed before had been filled, overflowing with warmth and fullness.
He reached out and pulled the person tightly into his arms.
Xin Mian was startled when a warm chest suddenly approached, then she smelled his unique, cool scent.
She smiled slowly, reached out and hugged him, looked up at him sweetly, and said deliberately, "You 'ambushed' me."
Chi Yu smiled and readily agreed, "Yes, I'm perfectly aboveboard."
After saying that, he grabbed her chin and was about to lower his head to kiss her.
She quickly pressed herself against his chest, about to say something, when Liu Haoyuan coughed heavily several times beside her.
"well."
"Nobody cares about the life or death of single people anymore."
Everyone burst into laughter, and Xinmian ran back to the courtyard with a flushed face.
After watching the fireworks show, it was too cold outside, so a group of people went back indoors.
Qin Shengtian suggested continuing the card game from before, but with an upgrade: the cards would be played by counting points, but the person with the lowest points would be punished by the person with the highest points.
Tell me the truth, or draw a dare card.
With the addition of Chi Yu and the other two, the camps were silently divided.
Qin Shengtian quickly said to Chi Yu, "Brother Yu, you can't let him win behind my back!"
Chi Yu leaned back in his chair with his broad shoulders, one hand resting on Xin Mian's backrest, looking languid. "Then I'll just openly and honestly let you pass?"
Just as Liu Haoyuan was about to protest, Qin Shengtian immediately said, "Then it's decided!"
"You're paired with Mianmian!"
She's so clever!
Chi Yu is paired with Xin Mian, so he will definitely help Xin Mian.
Xin Mian is on her side, so isn't Chi Yu helping Xin Mian the same as helping her?!
marvelous!
She's so smart!
Xinmian met her gaze and instantly understood her inner thoughts, then smiled and pursed her lips.
Chi Yu was clever and immediately saw through the sisters' little scheme. He raised his eyebrows slightly and lightly pinched Xin Mian's earlobe with his fingertips.
Xin Mian subconsciously shrank her head, turned around and met his gaze, and smiled guiltily.
The two exchanged glances as if no one else was around, while Liu Haoyuan exclaimed that he had been fed so much dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), it was too sweet to bear.
At his urging, the round of cards was settled.
Everyone else fought their own battles, except for Chi Yu and Xin Mian, who were in the same group.
Qin Shengtian's little scheme worked perfectly. Chi Yu, a top student who skipped grades in school, completely outclassed them in terms of intellect.
He and Xinmian were in a group and they controlled the situation on the field with ease.
Xin Mian wasn't always winning, but in every hand she lost, the player with the highest score was either Qin Shengtian or Min Shuyun.
The questions asked in the "Truth or Dare" section were mostly ambiguous but not overly probing questions between young couples. Xinmian blushed every time, but she didn't feel offended.
In another round, Xin Mian lost again, while Liu Haoyuan won this time.
He asked Xin Mian, "Truth or Dare?"
Xin Mian looked at the pile of dare cards, afraid that she would draw a card that would be too risky, such as "choose a man to kiss on the spot", so she decided to continue with truth.
Liu Haoyuan was a boy and was too embarrassed to ask any overly provocative questions. He gritted his teeth and racked his brains, finally coming up with just one: "When was your first love?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.
He belatedly realized he regretted it.
Oh no, Xin Mian has already graduated from university, so it's perfectly normal for her to have had relationships during college.
But now that Xin Mian and Chi Yu are together, for him to ask such a discouraging question...
Oh no, oh no.
Why couldn't he have asked a more tactful question?
Feeling threatened, he preemptively said, "Brother Yu, we agreed this is just a game, you can't get angry."
Chi Yu, whose name was called out, gave a lazy chuckle and said, "I'm not angry."
He looked at Xin Mian, who was sitting obediently beside him.
During the time he spent with her, he could sense her naivety and passivity in relationships, like a blank sheet of paper, even her kissing was timid and immature.
But the girl is so pretty, has a gentle personality, and a good temper; so many people like her.
There must have been many people pursuing her in college, so it's perfectly normal for her to have dating experience.
Chi Yu pressed his tongue against his cheek, then took her hand under the table and kneaded it in his palm.
The force was not strong, yet it was filled with an ambiguous sense of entanglement.
Xin Mian looked down at his hand that was gripping hers, smiled softly, revealing dimples on her cheeks, and looked up at him.
A sly smile flickered in his bright eyes, as if to say—
Whatever the answer is, you shouldn't get jealous unnecessarily.
Chi Yu understood her meaning, pressed his fingertip firmly into her soft palm, and gave a roguish smile.
After this exchange of glances, even Qin Shengtian and Min Shuyun, who were present, became curious.
They originally thought Xin Mian was their first love, but judging from their current reaction...
It doesn't seem so?
Liu Haoyuan sensed something different in the air and quickly added, "People who have had a crush on someone also count!"
Yang Chengjing and Lin Jiachi were also smiling, as if they were waiting to see Chi Yu's reaction after Xin Mian gave the answer.
With so many eyes staring intently, Xin Mian's smile grew even brighter.
Under the table, she grasped Chi Yu's hand in return, her neatly trimmed nails gently hooking his palm in a "retaliation." She coughed lightly and spoke, word by word, "Chi Yu is my first love."
Liu Haoyuan's eyes widened. "Holy crap!"
Chi Yu remained as relaxed and lazy as ever, but his expression was much more normal than before.
Although he didn't appear to be relieved on the surface, everyone knew he was.
Even Lin Jiachi was a little surprised this time, "Xiao Xinmian, didn't you ever have a crush on any boy in college? Even just a little bit of affection counts."
Xin Mian calmly shook her head, "No."
Chi Yu smiled beside her, his eyebrows slightly raised, exuding a carefree and unrestrained air.
Liu Haoyuan exclaimed "Damn it!" again, "I really want to hit him."
I just couldn't stand Chi Yu's arrogant attitude.
“Alright,” he finally spoke, his voice clear and bright, “Let’s play the next round.”
Qin Shengtian then came to her senses and remembered her purpose for tonight. She quickly grabbed the playing cards in front of everyone and said, "Come on, let's continue."
As she shuffled the cards, she exchanged a glance with Xinmian. Xinmian understood immediately but was a little nervous.
There's a sense of tension and excitement about doing something behind everyone's back.
Chi Yu tightened his grip slightly on her lower back and patted her gently with his palm.
When she looked over, his sharp, dark eyes met hers.
They offered her support in silence.
Xinmian's heart immediately calmed down because she knew he would help her.
Sure enough, Qin Shengtian lost the next round of cards most of the time.
The winners were either Xin Mian or Min Shuyun.
Min Shuyun was observant; the subtle eye contact between the two girls might go unnoticed by the boys, but as a girl herself, she naturally noticed it.
After testing her a few times, she finally figured out Qin Shengtian's purpose.
So he went along with it and helped Qin Shengtian.
An hour later, Qin Shengtian finally lived up to expectations and got "drunk".
To cooperate with her, Xinmian also had to get "drunk".
That way, the "burden" of taking care of Qin Shengtian tonight won't fall on her.
Min Shuyun suggested ending the game, and Qin Shengtian stood up unsteadily, then fell backward uncontrollably.
Yang Chengjing, who was beside her, quickly helped her up and pulled her into his arms.
Xin Mian leaned against Chi Yu's chest, squinting as she watched Qin Shengtian "act".
In a corner where no one noticed, she raised her fingertip and lightly poked Chi Yu's waist.
The man held down her restless hands and could only cooperate with her.
He looked at Yang Chengjing and directly assigned tonight's "tasks," saying, "They're both drunk."
"Mianmian will be with me tonight, so Qin Shengtian is in your care."
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Author's Note: Yu-ge doesn't mind whether Mianmian has had a relationship before, it's just that he's her first relationship ever, and that's enough to make him secretly and openly gloat, totally satisfied. [noob emoji]
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