The fireworks, a dazzling display of light, filled the sky, marking the end of the old year and the beginning of the new, making the entire night sky appear as bright as day.
The sparks of fireworks, like clusters of stars, scatter and fall to earth after a brief moment in the air.
Amidst this grand descent, a massive cluster of fireworks rose against the current into the sky.
The dazzling light gilded Lu Shizhen's bright vision, and in the instant it exploded, it enveloped the entire world in incandescence, leaving only her and Xu Shiyue in the room.
The sudden appearance of a bloody scene in the movie caused Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue to lean against each other, with the girl's thin shoulders resting under her head.
The excessively bright light outside the window projected the image of the two of them snuggling together, and Lu Shizhen looked up at Xu Shiyue with her eyes looking upwards.
When their eyes meet, there are moments when the ambiguity reaches its peak.
Xu Shiyue's lips parted slightly, the glistening moisture echoing the coolness in her eyes. In silence, Lu Shizhen recalled the warm softness she had felt in the chaos last time.
Looking down from above, aloof and detached, all words that describe estrangement from others perfectly describe Xu Shiyue as seen from Lu Shizhen's perspective.
Aside from the gentleness that subtly shines through her eyes.
For Lu Shizhen, Xu Shiyue was once the protagonist of a book, a character she liked very much.
This sense of boundaries had always lingered in Lu Shizhen's heart, keeping her at a distance from the world. But in this instant, those boundaries suddenly blurred, and she felt a genuine sense of belonging to this world that was so unfamiliar to her.
She, like Xu Shiyue, belongs to this world.
As if a certain critical point had been triggered, the ripe, bright red apples fell from the tree.
The sound of it rolling on the ground tugged at Lu Shizhen's heartbeat, causing it to pound heavily with each roll.
The fireworks outside the window continued, their flickering light obscuring Lu Shizhen's vision and concealing the momentary bewilderment in her eyes.
Why did she have such a thought?
Why would someone feel the urge to kiss Xu Shiyue, a friend of the same sex?
She... is straight.
Even if this original world is full of lilies.
As Lu Shizhen thought to herself, her long-held conviction began to waver slightly for the first time.
She, like a cat, sensed the slightest wavering and fled in panic.
"It's getting late, I'm going back to sleep." Lu Shizhen said quickly, and her steps were also exceptionally fast.
Qiuqiu sensed the host's emotional fluctuations and immediately sprang from its idle state, hovering beside Lu Shizhen: "Host, the system detected a significant emotional fluctuation in you just now. What happened?"
Lu Shizhen shook her head, her footsteps on the steps echoing her frantic heartbeat: "I don't know."
Or perhaps they dare not know.
The New Year's fireworks had ended sometime ago, leaving only the dark moonlight above the snow.
The shadows that had been close together suddenly separated, leaving only Xu Shiyue alone.
She watched the departing figure, her eyes slightly narrowed.
Those dark eyes held an unfathomable depth; there was no displeasure, nor did they rise to chase after him.
The clock stopped at the Roman numeral twelve, and the second hand ticked away, disturbing the sound from the television.
It takes time for a movie's progress bar to reach its end, and it takes time for fireworks to be released.
Everything takes time.
She's not in a hurry.
And it will be time to close the net soon.
The days following the New Year were quite peaceful for everyone. It wasn't that no one mentioned it, but rather that no one had the time.
The question marked with a question mark and the obscure ** were deliberately forgotten by Lu Shizhen in an unknown corner, and she instead focused on reviewing for the final exams to strive for a top-fifty position in her grade.
After New Year's Day, the bidding date for the project in the eastern suburbs was not far away, and Xu Shiyue threw herself into the project, leaving early and returning late.
This made things convenient for Lu Shize, as his work with Xu Shiyue gave him many opportunities to visit Lu Shizhen at her home.
That weekend, Lu Shizhen, as always, dragged her tired steps downstairs.
She buried her face in her dog's coral fleece pajamas, and unexpectedly heard the news broadcast in the quiet villa: "A landslide and pollution problem occurred at 11:51 PM last night in the eastern suburbs of xx. It is reported that this land..."
Lu Shizhen, a senior high school student, was half asleep and couldn't understand what the host was saying, but the voice sounded familiar to her.
—In the past, when Xu Shiyue had breakfast with her, she would often tune in to the financial channel, where this host would broadcast the news every day.
etc……
As if she had thought of something, Lu Shizhen looked up at the restaurant.
The warm winter sun shone through the window into the dining room, where a person was sitting at the table that should have been empty.
Someone Lu Shizhen hadn't run into these past few days, yet she could still recognize at a glance.
Xu Shiyue.
Lu Shizhen was somewhat surprised; her procrastination and drowsiness, which had become a regular occurrence in recent days, suddenly became efficient.
She propped herself up on her arms and stood by the dining table, half-jokingly saying to Xu Shiyue, "It feels like the last time we had breakfast together was last year."
Xu Shiyue slowly raised her eyes and asked calmly, "Did you eat well while I was away?"
The question came unexpectedly, and Lu Shizhen's heart skipped a beat.
In the past, when people asked her if she had been eating well, it was always in her hospital room because she was unwell and needed to supplement her nutrition regularly. But now, almost four months after she came into this world, this is the first time she's heard this question.
There was a sense of familiarity that I hadn't felt in a long time, a warmth mixed with an indescribable intimacy.
Lu Shizhen blinked twice, feeling her ears getting hot.
Thinking that he couldn't possibly not answer such a question, he nodded and said, "Of course I have one."
Then she looked at the news report that was still being broadcast and changed the subject for Xu Shiyue, saying, "What a huge pit! Will anyone get hurt?"
The transition was somewhat abrupt, like suddenly slamming on the brakes and turning back.
Xu Shiyue lightly twirled the coffee spoon in her hand, her eyes subtly curving into a smile. Then, she didn't dwell on Lu Shizhen's question any further, and answered her question, "No, it won't happen."
"Why?" Lu Shizhen asked, puzzled, trying to understand the matter with her limited knowledge. "This is financial news, you know. This land is also for real estate investment, right?"
This question is too superficial. If someone close to Xu Shiyue asked it, she would definitely leave with a cold look.
But it was Lu Shizhen who asked this question.
Xu Shiyue put down her coffee spoon and carefully explained to Lu Shizhen, "But this place has not been developed yet; it is currently a wasteland. The collapse is because there used to be underground water veins, but over the years the water has dried up and formed a cavity."
At first, Lu Shizhen didn't react much when she saw the news, but after hearing Xu Shiyue's explanation, she was stunned.
As she watched the ongoing news reports, she couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled about the collapsed area.
Is this place...?
Just as Lu Shizhen was thinking, Xu Shiyue glanced at the clock and called out, "Li."
Li immediately stepped forward: "Miss Xu."
"Go and give Mr. Wang's wife the jade jewelry set I bought from Guangzhou a few days ago," Xu Shiyue instructed.
"Yes." Li nodded, his actions exceptionally swift and efficient.
The simple conversation between the two caused a flood of questions and answers to rush into Lu Shizhen's mind in an instant.
She first discovered that Li, who had been missing for days, had become Xu Shiyue's man, and then realized that Xu Shiyue and Mr. Wang had actually reached a cooperation agreement while she was out of sight.
So the New Year's Eve banquet was a trap they set for Xu Shouxian!
Lu Shizhen thought back to that day when Xu Shouxian was smugly chatting with Mr. Wang, and her original disgust turned into the pleasure of watching a clown perform.
She thought that only Xu Shiyue and Lu Shize could remain so calm and composed; if it were her, she would be grinning from ear to ear.
Thinking of this, Lu Shizhen's smug look paused for a moment.
So when Xu Shiyue was sitting alone in the living room that night, wasn't she feeling sad and disappointed?
Was she deliberately showing off her vulnerability and sadness to me?
Why?
Why would she reveal such emotions to herself?
Lu Shizhen felt that this was not in line with Xu Shiyue's style of doing things. She was confident of victory and had no reason to ask her for anything.
I misunderstood...
Seeing Xu Shiyue leaning alone on the sofa, her initially awkward heart softened instantly.
Lu Shizhen never considered herself a person without principles, and she was very angry that Xu Shiyue had deceived her about Fuming.
But why did he suddenly stop being angry?
Because Xu Shiyue explained it to her, and even said...
He was the first person she saw.
This is strange.
It's strange that a single sentence can affect her mood so much.
She had never been like this before.
Xu Shiyue, however, became the exception.
What are you thinking about?
As Lu Shizhen was lost in thought, Xu Shiyue's voice brought her back to reality.
"Ah." Lu Shizhen suddenly looked up and hurriedly shook her head. "It's nothing."
As if avoiding something, Lu Shizhen then changed the subject, asking, "This land was invested in by Xu Shouxian, right? Does this mean he's finished?"
“Yes,” Xu Shiyue nodded, readily sharing her plan with Lu Shizhen. “Land restoration takes time, and if funds cannot be recovered quickly, the cash flow will break down. Shareholders and creditors will definitely cause trouble. He is not only facing bankruptcy, but he may also lose control of the company.”
Although Lu Shizhen didn't quite understand, it didn't stop her from feeling impressed despite her ignorance.
It turns out that Xu Shiyue was doing these things behind her back.
Lu Shizhen watched the girl sitting in front of her drinking coffee, feeling a surge of admiration and respect.
With such methods and schemes, anyone who opposes her will likely be plotted against and die without even knowing how.
A gust of wind blew into the restaurant from an unknown direction, eroding most of the warmth from Lu Shizhen's palm.
Just as she thought her own thought was too chilling, Aunt Sun walked in from outside and said respectfully, "Miss, Miss Xu, a woman who claims to be Miss Xu's second aunt has come with her daughter. They say they want to see Miss Xu. Does Miss Xu want to see her?"
The natural sunlight made Xu Shiyue's skin appear fair and smooth, and the rare warmth of winter seemed to sprinkle a layer of gentleness on her body.
She placed the coffee cup on the table, her eyes opening wide like fans, a smile carrying an ambiguous emotion: "Please invite them to the reception room."
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