good evening
Pan Yue denied it immediately: "No."
"I understand. You mean you like me because I'm pretty, and there's no other reason!"
Pan Yue's brow twitched: "No."
"I don't believe it!" For some reason, Zhu Shiyi felt like being unreasonable in front of Pan Yue. "Love at first sight, isn't that just lust? Sure enough, men are all superficial."
Pan Yue lowered his head, rubbed his temples, and sighed softly.
Zhu Shiyi: ......
Sometimes people are just so neurotic. They were clearly just picking a fight, not actually angry, but after all that fuss, they actually ended up feeling unhappy.
What does his sigh mean?
Do you find her speechless?
"...Don't you think I'm being a bit dramatic?" Zhu Shiyi bit her lip and lowered her head.
“No,” Pan Yue said firmly and confidently, “I will say whatever I want.”
Zhu Shiyi glanced at Pan Yue discreetly; his eyes were full of tenderness, showing no sign of anger, and he was definitely not lying.
Zhu Shiyi immediately felt relieved and continued, "Oh, then why do you like me?"
Pan Yue shook his head, somewhat helplessly, and forced a smile: "I can't say."
"What do you mean you can't say it?" Zhu Shiyi stomped her foot in anger. Perhaps it was because he was too good-tempered that he would never get angry no matter what. In front of her, she felt more and more like acting out. "I have to say it. How can I not say it? I can say it! You are good-looking, have a nice voice, a good figure, are rich, and are gentle and considerate. I like you just the way you are."
"......Me too."
"What? You too?"
Pan Yue stared into her eyes: "Your last sentence."
Zhu Shiyi's breath hitched.
Um......
He likes her just the way she is.
“…Oh.” Zhu Shiyi responded with a haughty air, her chest feeling light. She grabbed his hand and skipped forward happily. Pan Yue’s words popped into her mind again, and her steps felt as heavy as lead.
He said he hoped she would give up on a better option?
He immediately rattled off a bunch of conditions, talking about his parents and himself.
“So,” Zhu Shiyi stopped and turned around, “your recent hot and cold behavior is because of… your family’s financial situation?”
“…” Pan Yue’s curved lips faded slightly. “Hmm.”
Zhu Shiyi felt a mix of emotions.
Previously, she had always thought that Pan Yue's family was very wealthy, after all, starting a business is extremely difficult.
How much suffering has he endured along the way?
Zhu Shiyi's heart ached. She moved closer to him, took his arm, and whispered, "Tell me about your situation."
......
With relaxed brows and bright eyes, I extend my warmest greetings for a peaceful winter.
On the tranquil riverbank, amidst the willow branches and the gentle first snow, they sat on a lakeside bench, leaning against each other, and talked about many things.
Pan Yue talked about his university years, his entrepreneurial journey, and his childhood.
His childhood was relatively happy. His father was reliable and his mother doted on him. Compared to people in the city, their family's conditions were not good, but they were more than enough to live in Hanshan.
His parents' generation was indeed frugal, but they always did their best to provide him with the best conditions. Whatever he wanted, his parents would buy it for him.
As he grew older, Pan Yue gradually became more sensible. After starting middle school, his maternal grandparents passed away one after another, and a lot of money was spent on hospital treatment. He understood that money was hard-earned, so he was no longer as willful as he was when he was a child, but learned to weigh things carefully.
Before he started earning his own money, he hardly ever spent any "unnecessary money." He only spent his money on studying, living expenses, and occasional entertainment.
Zhu Shiyi asked, "What about your grandparents?"
“I’ve never seen them,” Pan Yue shook his head gently. “They passed away when my father was in school. My father… he started working very early. He was always silent, but he did more than anyone else.”
Seeing his eyes darken slightly, Zhu Shiyi moved closer to him, raised her hand, and gently stroked his forehead: "Uncle has worked very hard, and you have worked very hard too. It sounds like your personality is very similar to your father's."
Pan Yue remained silent, lowered his eyes, grasped her outstretched hand, enclosed it in his palm, and gently pressed it against his chest. He didn't look at her, his eyes full of tenderness.
In the stillness of the night, Zhu Shiyi held a beating heart in his hand.
Pan Yue is a boss, a fitness enthusiast, and a gentle, perfect, emotionally stable, and god-like figure.
But he was also just an ordinary person. A flesh-and-blood person with joys and sorrows, a past and a family background that wasn't particularly privileged.
At that moment, she felt that he was a real, complete, living, and down-to-earth person.
The universe is vast, and hundreds of millions of creatures coexist in one lifetime;
But in her eyes, there was only him.
The snow fell like willow catkins.
Now that we've shared the snow today, we're bound to grow old together in this life.
“We are all ordinary people,” Zhu Shiyi said earnestly, placing his other hand on the back of Pan Yue’s hand and turning to face him directly. “In this world, few families are perfect, whether it’s for money and wealth or for love and companionship.”
"With a peaceful family and healthy parents, most people's lives are like this. From childhood to adulthood, there is no great sorrow or pain that can never be overcome, but there will always be some fragmented pain in memory."
Pan Yue lowered his brows, his long eyelashes fluttered, and he gave a soft "hmm".
“I used to complain too,” Zhu Shiyi sighed, but remained nonchalant. “I complained that my father was too busy, my mother was irritable, and my mother was really frugal. Can you believe it? I’ve only been to an amusement park once in my life because the tickets were too expensive. When the whole family went together, we spent six or seven hundred yuan.”
Pan Yue patted her head and said, "I'll take you there."
Zhu Shiyi shook his head: "I dare not play."
He smiled and said, "Then let's ride the carousel."
"What a waste of tickets!"
"Two hundred won't make a difference."
Zhu Shiyi burst out laughing.
She pulled her hand away, but couldn't help wrapping her arms around his lean waist and leaning against his broad shoulders.
It feels stable and reassuring.
"Actually, thinking about it now, they weren't really that bad to me. They paid for all my extracurricular classes and never interfered with any of my decisions," Zhu Shiyi said, changing the subject. "Moreover, when my mom and I argued, she would apologize to me after calming down. When I was little, I always felt that my mom favored my younger brother, so I would always argue with her, and in the end, my mom would always give in and coax me."
“Your parents are very tolerant,” Pan Yue said, gently stroking her head. “Is your mother even better to your younger brother?”
“…Maybe a little,” Zhu Shiyi said, a slight twitch of his lip. “People love their youngest child. Before I had a younger brother, they would give me all their love; after I had a younger brother, they did neglect me.”
She suddenly straightened up, her tone light: "But as long as I say it, they will change."
“...But my mom always scolds me first,” Zhu Shiyi shrugged and pouted. “But all that is in the past. There’s no point in dwelling on those trivial details. Sometimes I comfort myself by saying that it wasn’t so bad after all.”
"Without those experiences, there would be no Zhu Shiyi as he is today," he said, leaning on his knees and looking directly at him, speaking each word solemnly, "a Zhu Shiyi who is opinionated, good at communication, and understanding."
Zhu Shiyi reached out, brushed aside his hair, and gently stroked between his sword-like eyebrows.
She didn't want him to frown.
She will always understand him and support him.
She didn't want him to bear the burden of their future alone.
*
Pan Yue couldn't tell whether he felt heartache or tenderness; he only felt as if there was a twisted rope in his chest, not tightly bound, yet blocking his breath.
But looking at her arched eyebrows, the tangled mess inside him suddenly loosened.
In their relationship, fate brought them three connections:
The first thing she did was pass through his world, leaving behind a refreshing breeze;
The second breeze lifted her hair, brushed against her heart, and stirred a pang of heart palpitations.
The third route took him thousands of miles, and the wind blew to his city. Living together day and night, he unknowingly succumbed to temptation.
Fate brought them together again and again, allowing them to get to know each other, but when they fell in love, fate disappeared.
The saying goes, "Things shouldn't happen more than three times."
This time, fate won't come to you on its own; you must seize the opportunity yourself.
Fortunately, they are all still here.
Fortunately, he has her.
“Okay,” Pan Yue smiled, mimicking her gesture, and couldn’t help but ruffle her hair. “Zhu Shiyi, who is willing to communicate.”
Zhu Shiyi clutched her head and exclaimed, "Be gentle, my crown is too high!"
"Okay." Pan Yue agreed, but didn't lessen the pressure on his hands at all.
--
As the snowfall weakened, each drop transformed into a pearly flower.
Hiding under the eaves, Zhu Shiyi held onto Pan Yue with one hand and twirled fireworks with the other, walking slowly along the green tiles and blue bricks.
Zhu Shiyi handed a firework to Pan Yue: "Why did you name it 181?"
"Three minutes, plus one second."
"What's the meaning?"
"My feelings for you are not just a passing fancy."
"...Why is it called that?"
"I'm hinting at it."
"What are you implying?"
I want you to confess your feelings to me.
"Who could tell that?"
"...Isn't it obvious?"
"Wouldn't it be more obvious to just say I like you?"
"...I can't say it."
"But you just said that."
"Um?"
“I like you, and it’s not just a passing fancy,” Zhu Shiyi said with a sly smile. “That’s exactly what you meant.”
Pan Yue subtly curved his lips into a smile: "...Mm."
Pan Yue walked to the Yaohe Guesthouse and said goodbye to her.
"Where are you staying tonight?" Zhu Shiyi turned around to face Pan Yue.
Pan Yue's ears burned: "...You're across from me."
Zhu Shiyi didn't think much of it and leaned forward to look at the opposite side: "Yaoci Hotel?"
"Yes. I didn't know where you were staying beforehand, so I booked a room online."
Zhu Shiyi nodded: "Then when are you leaving?"
"tomorrow."
"What time?" Zhu Shiyi asked, slightly surprised. "Have you booked your plane ticket?"
"Booked, 10:30, the earliest flight. I have something to do at work tomorrow."
"What a coincidence!" Zhu Shiyi's eyes lit up. "I changed my flight to this one."
Why did you change your ticket?
I want to see you as soon as possible.
"...Me too."
A feeling of joy rushed to his brain, and Zhu Shiyi was so confused that he almost fainted that night.
She threw herself into his arms: "It's all true, isn't it?"
Happiness came so suddenly that she couldn't believe it.
Pan Yue paused for a second.
"right."
Zhu Shiyi raised her head and stared intently at Pan Yue, not missing a single emotion on his face: "Really?"
"Really," Pan Yue patted her head, "Go back and rest."
Zhu Shiyi was reluctant to leave, remembering that he still had two fireworks left: "I'll leave after I finish them."
"good."
......
The wind and rain were fierce. He pressed the lighter several times, but it just wouldn't light. He pressed it again, but Zhu Shiyi had broken the button off, and the lighter completely stopped working.
“Use this.” Pan Yue took out a windproof lighter from his pocket, rubbed it against the air, and lit it.
Zhu Shiyi frowned, noticing something amiss: "Where did you get that lighter?"
Pan Yue blinked evasively.
"Do you smoke?" Zhu Shiyi asked, reaching into his pocket. "Smoking is bad for your health!"
Pan Yue's legs were stiff, and he dared not move. Zhu Shiyi easily took out a pack of cigarettes from it.
"When did you start smoking?" Zhu Shiyi asked fiercely. "I've never seen you smoke before."
Pan Yue lightly brushed his bangs to hide his embarrassment: "...I haven't been in a good mood lately."
"You still can't smoke it. Once you're hooked, it's really hard to quit," Zhu Shiyi said, pulling the cigarette pack behind his back and tilting his head back, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Confiscate it!"
“…I haven’t smoked in a long time.” Pan Yue turned his head slightly and secretly glanced behind her, looking a little aggrieved.
Zhu Shiyi's heart softened: "Okay."
She took the cigarette pack and saw that there were only a few cigarettes left. She simply handed them back to Pan Yue: "Here you go. Since I've already bought them, you're not allowed to smoke any more after you finish these. My mom told me that she doesn't allow me to date men who smoke."
Pan Yue chuckled softly, lowered his eyes to accept the gift, and replied gently, "I understand."
......
The last Venus fell, its halo fading into the rain and snow.
"Let's go back," Pan Yue said softly.
Zhu Shiyi shook her head, grabbed his hand, and tried to stay.
Pan Yue pulled her into his arms and patted her head: "It's cold outside."
He snuggled against his warm chest, turned his head, and pressed his ear against his heart, which thumped steadily and powerfully.
Zhu Shiyi couldn't help but look up, his gaze lowered, sweeping over those crimson lips, then he lifted his eyes and smiled at him.
“…” Pan Yue’s eyelids twitched slightly, and his waist tightened.
He swallowed quietly, raised his chin to avoid looking at her, and held that fluffy head, pulling it into his arms.
"Can I pick you up tomorrow?" He softened his tone unconsciously.
Zhu Shiyi said softly, "Okay."
In the dim light of the rain and snow, the slightly curled strands of hair appeared indistinct, as if edged with gold.
Pan Yue couldn't help but lower his head.
As the clock struck midnight, a new day began.
Beyond the world, fireworks lit up the towns and villages bordering Yaoliang, creating a vibrant and joyous atmosphere to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
Through the winter wind, Pan Yue could not hear the fireworks outside very clearly.
He just wanted to feel the warmth on his lips.
She was beautiful, and the fireworks were beautiful too;
Fireworks are beautiful, but fleeting, as brief as nothingness.
Pan Yue closed his eyes and lingered there for a long time.
The lip print on her forehead can be considered a fleeting moment of glory.
Goodnight...boyfriend?
Goodnight, little one.
"She's my girlfriend!"
"Yes, little one."
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