Chapter 86 Setting fires outside has a bad influence.
"grandmother..."
Xin Mian froze, staring at her in astonishment.
They truly are a grandfather and grandson; one gave a bank card on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the other gave a bracelet.
Chen Xiulian held her hand, looking at her with loving eyes, "You don't know how happy Grandma is that you're willing to be with Ayu."
Xin Mian was a little embarrassed, "...You knew all along..."
Chen Xiulian smiled, "Grandma is just old, but she can see very clearly."
What Xin Mian didn't know was that on the very first day she arrived, when Chi Yu first saw her, his attitude towards her was already quite different.
Chen Xiulian had tried to rent the room on the third floor many times before. Although she didn't understand the internet and very few people actually came to Dongpu Lane to look at the room, it wasn't that no one had ever come to see it.
There were both boys and girls, and they were all young people.
But every time, Chi Yu has a way of getting the other party to not rent a place.
Even if everything is agreed upon and only the signing of the contract is left, he can still get rid of the person.
Chen Xiulian was so angry that she didn't want to speak.
Although Xin Mian's contract was signed before Chi Yu returned home, given Chi Yu's personality, if he didn't want her to stay, he would still find a way.
After all, he's not short of money.
After signing the contract that day, Xin Mian leaned against the tree to catch Chen Xiulian's chubby oranges. When Chi Yu returned, he leaned against the tree trunk and watched her with great interest for a while.
He was completely absorbed in watching it.
He didn't even notice when Chen Xiulian walked up to him.
Later, Chen Xiulian asked him to help carry the fat orange into the house, to make sure he didn't scare the girl in the living room, and to help carry the suitcase. He did all of that.
At that moment, Chen Xiulian was inwardly amazed—
It's truly like the sun rising in the west.
Chen Xiulian didn't understand how young people dated, but she did understand her grandson.
Chi Yu was raised in a hands-off manner by her, and basically nothing required her to worry about him, but this also fostered his unrestrained, carefree, and nonchalant personality.
As for looks, Chen Xiulian had some confidence in Chi Yu, but when it came to temperament and personality, Chen Xiulian was truly worried.
Xinmian, on the other hand, was as clean and gentle as a blank sheet of paper.
The night she accidentally saw them holding hands, Chen Xiulian was so happy that she couldn't sleep. But the next morning, she started to worry again, feeling that Xinmian's personality was really at a disadvantage being with Chi Yu.
Therefore, she constantly reminded Chi Yu not to bully Xin Mian.
It seems that at least Xinmian and Chi Yu are happy together now.
She didn't want to interfere too much; as long as young people are happy in their relationships, that's all that matters.
Children and grandchildren have their own blessings.
Once Chi Yu has decided on someone, it's for life.
Chen Xiulian knew this well, which is why she gave the bracelet to Xinmian.
The bracelet is quite heavy; it feels substantial in the palm of your hand.
Xin Mian didn't know much about jade, but she could still see the bracelet's luster under the natural indoor light. She pursed her lips, unsure whether she should accept it.
The moment she looked up, her eyes met those of the man who was walking out of the kitchen.
Chi Yu washed his hands, took off his apron, came to her side, and sat down casually.
Her gaze swept over the bracelet seemingly casually, and she smiled, "Grandma gave it to me, so just accept it."
"But..."
"But what?" He raised his hand and pinched her cheek, his tone both smug and serious, "It's too late to regret it."
"The bracelet is on your hand, you're already trapped by me."
Chen Xiulian slapped his hand, "You scared Mianmian again."
“What do you mean by ‘being trapped’?” she disagreed. “If you dare to act recklessly in the future, you can expect to be kicked out of the house.”
Giving a bracelet as a gift signifies importance and affection, not a form of binding.
Xin Mian was startled by the words "kicked out of the house" and looked at Chen Xiulian, "Grandma, it can't be that bad..."
The fat orange cat, which had been fast asleep by the wall in the living room, opened its eyes when it heard them talking. It lay down next to its cat bed, its glassy eyes gazing at them curiously.
The living room was quiet for a few seconds before Xinmian closed the box and accepted the bracelet.
She said in a very serious tone, "Grandma, I will definitely take good care of the bracelet."
"Okay, okay."
Chen Xiulian was overjoyed and took her hand, saying, "Let's go eat."
Chi Yu stood up behind him, but before he could take a step, Fatty Orange beat him to it.
[Meow~]
It wagged its tail and brazenly cut in line.
Chi Yu was amused by it, so he lifted his foot and hooked its tail, then easily left the fat orange cat behind with his long legs.
——
The mall wasn't crowded on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Little Dimple had been longing to go to that indoor playground ever since she'd been there, so Li Ke took her there again this year.
It was already dark when the brother and sister returned from Ancheng.
Xinmian was worried about them, so she stood at the entrance of the alley and waited.
Less than a minute later, Chi Yu also came out.
He held a coat in his hand, unfolded it, and draped it over her shoulders.
Xin Mian looked up at him, gave him a sweet smile, and then continued to look in the direction of the intersection.
Chi Yu stood upwind to shield her from the wind and put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, Li Ke shared the ride-hailing car's real-time location with me. We're almost there."
"good."
The night was deep and dark, making the streetlights on both sides of the street appear warm and cozy.
Nearby shops were decorated with "Fu" characters for the Lunar New Year, and children ran out from another alley, holding sparklers.
"Come on! Let's play here!"
With a shout of "Calling out to friends!", a little boy was followed by several of his good friends.
The boys and girls were together, each holding a few glowing sparklers.
It glowed brightly, making a hissing sound, like the tail of a shooting star, emitting a dazzling light.
The sounds of children playing filled the air as Xinmian watched intently, a smile unconsciously spreading across her lips.
She couldn't remember the last time she had looked at sparklers so intently.
Many years...
Looking at it now, the sparkler seems as dazzling as it did when she dreamed of having it as a child.
She watched intently, her eyes reflecting the sparkler's flames, pure and beautiful.
Chi Yu touched her cheek and asked softly, "Want to play this?"
“Hmm,” Xin Mian nodded subconsciously, then added after realizing what she meant, “But this seems to be something for little kids.”
"You're just a child."
He said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Besides, fun things don't discriminate by age."
"Play whenever you want."
Xin Mian pursed her lips and smiled gently, "You know what, it's been a long time since I've played this."
"Last time..."
"The last time I played was when my mother was still alive."
After her parents divorced, her mother actually raised her very well. The two had a good relationship. In winter, they would share a bag of chestnuts or a roasted sweet potato. During the Lunar New Year, they would watch fireworks and play with sparklers together. These were common occurrences.
But after her mother passed away, she was taken to Zhang Jiandong's house and never played there again.
“Mianmian is all grown up now. This is for little kids and it’s not suitable for you.”
"Yes, Mianmian, you're a big girl now, you should be more sensible."
"Come on, Xiao Yi, come play. All of these are yours. Aren't you happy?"
"happy!"
The flashback ends with Zhang Jiandong and Ge Qiuling surrounding Zhang Chenyi, reminding him to be careful while helping him light the sparkler.
Standing outside the frame, she was like a camera, recording the happy moments of their family of three in the most cruel and numb way.
After that incident, Xinmian never played with sparklers again, and gradually, sparklers no longer seemed to be her focus during the Lunar New Year.
So much so that even after she went to university and was able to buy sparklers herself, she still never played with them.
It's not that I don't like it, it's that I can't remember ever liking it.
Standing at the intersection waiting for Xiaoliwo and Li Ke, I have a rare opportunity to watch a sparkler so intently as it goes from being lit to being completely extinguished.
Some memories deep within my mind gradually surfaced.
"Shall we play after dinner?"
Chi Yu hugged her tightly, holding her hand and placing it against his waist.
Xinmian tilted her head up in his arms and nodded with a smile, "Okay, let's play later."
"Play with Little Dimple."
It was lunchtime, and the lights were on in every household's courtyard; there were hardly any people in the alley.
Besides the two of them, there was only this group of children at the intersection.
The children were too busy playing with the sparklers to pay much attention to them at first.
When the sparkler burned out, Chirp turned around and saw the two of them hugging.
One of the boys immediately made a face and shouted with a laugh, "Shame on you!"
The other little girls heard the noise and laughed along, running home while shouting "Shame on you!"
Xin Mian blushed instantly and hurriedly pushed him away.
But he grabbed her hand and said, "Kids don't understand love, don't pay attention to them."
She poked his waist with her fingertip, trying to break free, saying, "We're outside."
Ultimately, it still has a negative impact.
"What's going on outside?"
He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world; he's always been shameless.
“We are a legitimate boyfriend and girlfriend, and we are not doing anything shameful.”
He emphasized the words "shameful" as if accusing her of refusing to acknowledge their relationship in public.
Xin Mian felt a little guilty and lowered her voice to coax him, "Okay, okay, I know I was wrong."
"It won't happen again."
Without the fleeting brilliance of a sparkler, the light in this area is somewhat dim.
Chi Yu tightened his grip on her waist, lowered his head, and leaned down, his tall body touching her forehead.
They touched nose to nose.
On a cold winter night, the sea breeze blew the girl's hair at her temples, the ends of which brushed against their cheeks.
It's a little itchy.
The air was chilly, but their breaths, which were close together, were hot.
The man's dark eyes stared straight at her, the ink in them swirling with intense emotion.
He turned his head to the side, and in that position, his head lowered further and lower.
The surroundings were quiet, but Xinmian's heart was pounding wildly in her chest, beating rapidly and heavily.
She was completely wrapped in his coat, warm and cozy. The thrill of his warm breath was like a series of sparklers, leaping and dancing with sparkle, shining brightly wherever they were.
Never to be extinguished.
Just as the distance between the two was gradually closing, and they were about to kiss.
A clear and innocent child's voice broke the ambiguous silence.
"Teacher Xiaomian~!"
Then came the next voice, "Brother Chi Yu!"
Xin Mian's eyelashes trembled violently, and she felt as if she had stepped on a circuit board. She pushed him away a meter away.
The sweet fragrance and warmth in Chi Yu's arms vanished abruptly, replaced by a frighteningly cold expression.
Ke Xinmian had no time to pay attention to him, and turned around to greet Xiao Liwo's enthusiasm and excitement.
He was left standing alone in the cold wind.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Brother Yu: I can't kiss my wife, waiting online, urgent!
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