Chapter 52: Birthday lights and fireworks, dazzling and breathtaking. ...
Even though naturally gifted beings aren't skilled in healing magic, their self-healing abilities are not to be underestimated. That night, the two spent their intimate evening in the archives, returning home each with half a blood on their necks. The next morning, Jiu Su woke up almost completely recovered and was immediately able to carry out their previous plans for celebrating her birthday.
H City has many waterways, so they arranged to meet at a cruise ship restaurant for a small gathering with Qi Yun, Tu Nan, and two others.
They booked a small private room, opened the window, and enjoyed the pleasant autumn weather with a gentle breeze blowing in.
Because Shu Qing had to drive in the afternoon, she didn't order any drinks. The group ate and drank in the autumn breeze, chatting about their recent situations. Huiyao Group was currently experiencing a major upheaval, and the lower levels were naturally feeling uneasy. Tu Nan had recently switched jobs to an internet company under the Qi Group, and Shu Qing was very concerned about her best friend's new job.
“Not bad,” Tu Nan said. “The pay is about the same, and I’m not sure about career development and promotion, but at least I have to work less overtime than I did at Huiyao. If I were still at Huiyao, I wouldn’t be able to come out and have this meal with you today.”
That's true. Shu Qingxin felt a pang of sympathy and clinked glasses of juice with her.
Then they talked about the studio. Qi Yun said, "The official opening is next Saturday. We had someone calculate it, and it's an auspicious day. It just so happens that Ashu and Jiusu are back from their trip... Oh, by the way, could we ask Jiusu to come and support us? If he stands at the entrance, the advertising effect will definitely be good. Not only will we save on advertising costs, but we can also save on security costs."
"Of course," Shu Qing said with a smile. "Now that I'm here, Xiao Hong will definitely come with me."
Jiu Su, who was gazing at the river view outside the window, turned around upon hearing this, leaned close to her ear, and asked with a smile, "Aren't you going to charge an appearance fee?"
The voice was low and soft, seductive and ambiguous. After speaking, he gently blew on the hair that was hanging by her ear.
Shu Qing felt helpless about this—ever since she said she wanted to film him, he had started to flirt with her extra hard. She later realized that this was a manifestation of his insecurity. She thought that after they had talked things out last night, he would restrain himself a bit, but he didn't at all. He still seized every opportunity to seduce her without letting up.
He also made a good point: "What does it have to do with a sense of security? It's natural instinct."
Okay.
But he did it so subtly. For example, right now, in Qi Yun and Tu Nan's eyes, it was just Jiu Su turning around and whispering something to her, a perfectly normal interaction between lovers. They couldn't tell at all what tricks he was up to.
Instead, Shu Qing blushed inexplicably, which drew laughter from the two people opposite her. Qi Yun pressed her for an answer: "What did you say?"
Shu Qing was truly at her wit's end. She caught sight of the birthday cake out of the corner of her eye, so she acted swiftly, smearing a finger's worth of cream on Jiu Su's cheek: "Here, your appearance fee!"
Jiu Su raised her hand to wipe it away, glanced at Shu Qing, and smiled with a hint of ambiguity, wondering what kind of wicked idea was churning in the snake's mind.
His "natural instincts" showed no sign of stopping there. After the cruise ship docked and the dinner party ended, the two rented a car and drove around, first heading to the neighboring city of S.
There's a fireworks display going on in S City these past two days, and Jiu Su figured she could make it to see it today. She plans to watch the fireworks tonight, stay overnight nearby, spend the day at S City's famous amusement park tomorrow, and then drive to a nearby water town the day after—nothing will be delayed.
Shu Qing had no objection to this—she just wanted to go out and have fun with Jiu Su. She wasn't particularly fond of planning, and she didn't want to rack her brains for it. Now, by simply telling Jiu Su about a few destinations she wanted to visit, she could get a complete travel plan, and she was happy to let him help her arrange it.
On the way to S City, Jiu Su, considering traffic safety, behaved herself for the time being.
But once the car stops, things are completely different.
For the past two decades, S City has maintained the tradition of holding a fireworks display in late summer and early autumn—a tradition that predates Shu Qing's age. Over the years, the number of visitors to the fireworks display has increased, and a market has even sprung up at the entrance, with a row of stalls lining the streets.
Shu Qing bought a cloud-shaped cotton candy, took a bite herself, and then held it out to share with Jiu Su. Jiu Su took it, deliberately turned it around, found the side Shu Qing had just eaten from, and bit into the spot where she had taken a bite.
That's not all; while he was biting, he was also watching Shu Qing with a smile, his flirtatious intent practically overflowing!
Shu Qing, her ears red, snatched the cotton candy back and, in a fit of anger, devoured it all by herself, leaving him not a single bite.
The market was selling lots of delicious food and fun things, and Shuqing picked out a souvenir for each of her two best friends, lingering around for a while. By the time they crossed the market and arrived at the event location, it was already getting dark, and crowds were thronging around the best viewing spots.
Jiu Su was afraid that Shu Qing would be jostled by the crowd or suffer some reckless touching or harassment, so he carefully protected her the whole way. If anyone dared to look at her more than twice, he would glare back at them with a cold face, accidentally hurting countless people in the crowd.
This happens every time they go out together; it's almost become a regular occurrence. Shuqing finds it amusing and tries to comfort him, saying, "Don't be so nervous. If I were really that attractive to women, I would have been in a relationship long ago. How could I have waited to find you?"
Jiu Su had just slapped away two young men who were staring at Shu Qing with her eyes, but when she looked down at Shu Qing, her expression changed completely, and she sighed softly.
As soon as he made that noise, Shu Qing knew he was about to start again. She immediately protected her often-harmed ears and neck with both hands and stared at him warily.
"A person should know their own worth," he said, feigning regret, glancing at her with a sharp, hooked look in his eye. "Clearly, you are the one who lacks self-awareness."
Shu Qing couldn't understand whether he was praising her or insulting her. After a long pause, she said quietly, "I'll just take it as you praising my looks."
"I wasn't praising you." Jiu Su glared at everyone again, her knuckles seemingly casually brushing against the back of Jiu Su's hand. "I meant, I was carrying out absolutely necessary defensive work. Since I put in the effort... isn't there a reward?"
Shu Qing: "..."
She had no interest in knowing what Jiu Su meant by "reward".
She abruptly changed the subject, glanced around, and asked with a puzzled look, "There don't seem to be as many people as before. Are we heading to the best viewing spot? If we don't get there early to secure a good spot, we might not find one later."
"Of course not," Jiu Su smiled. "Knowing it's not true, why are you still following me?"
"Let's go. You think you can kidnap me and sell me?"
"Maybe I'll lure you back to my nest."
The two exchanged a few jokes and had already passed through the densest crowd. Shu Qing was even more puzzled and stood on tiptoe to look around.
"The fireworks display doesn't start until an hour later." Jiu Su had had enough and finally explained properly to her, "I know a great spot to watch the fireworks, so you don't need to save up a spot. You can go do something else first."
"Huh?" Shu Qing exclaimed in surprise, "What location?"
Jiu Su pointed upwards into the distance.
Shu Qing followed his finger and understood. She was speechless for a moment. This area was the old town, without many skyscrapers. Jiu Su set her sights on the roof of a small building that wasn't too tall.
This small building is an old-style structure without a rooftop, and it's definitely not safe for people to climb on the roof. The location does offer a good view, doesn't require reserving a spot, and is quiet, but only if you don't get caught by the patrol officers.
"It's about a concealment restriction." Jiu Su rubbed her head. "Don't worry."
Shu Qing was relieved and happily went to find other stalls to buy snacks. She had originally thought that she would have to squeeze into the crowd to watch the fireworks and wouldn't be able to enjoy the fun of eating while watching. Now that she had VIP seats, she was determined to enjoy them!
She strolled around leisurely for another while, and with ten minutes left before the show started, Jiu Su picked her up and jumped onto the roof.
This was the first time in Shu Qing's life that she had experienced scaling walls and rooftops. She exclaimed in amazement amidst the feeling of weightlessness and the whistling wind. In the blink of an eye, her feet were on the roof tiles, her heart still pounding.
Jiu Su set up the concealment spells, and Shu Qing laid out the newly bought cushions. The two sat side by side. The fireworks hadn't started yet; only dim stars twinkled in the sky.
"How did you know this location?" Shu Qing opened a bag of fruit candies, popped one into her mouth, and asked Jiu Su, "You seem to know this place very well. You did your homework beforehand so thoroughly."
Jiu Su winked at her, "It's a secret."
"What secrets do you still have?" Shu Qing pushed him impatiently. "Tell me the truth now."
Jiu Su smiled but did not answer.
Shu Qing wanted to ask more questions, but in the next instant, many streaks of light rose from the ground into the sky. Unlike the fireworks people imagined, they did not explode; instead, red, pink, green, and blue light, like countless shooting stars, danced gently in the night sky.
She was instantly captivated, forgetting to ask any further questions. Jiu Su turned her head to look at her; her irises were as gentle and clear as the night sky, and the beautiful colors reflected in her eyes seemed to shine even brighter than those in the sky.
New fireworks rose into the sky, finally bursting into a magnificent display, gradually spreading across the entire night sky from just a few blossoms. A dazzling display of light and color, breathtakingly beautiful.
More than twenty years ago, he also sat here alone and watched a fireworks display. He didn't remember it being this grand, but in his long wanderings, it was a rare spectacle, making him vaguely recall their brief but beautiful past.
Today, as he sits here, the fireworks are far more magnificent and spectacular than they were twenty years ago. It's not that he's oblivious to the beauty of the fireworks, but he still feels they can't compare to her, who is intently watching them.
"Why are you staring at me?" Amidst the dazzling colors of the fireworks, Shu Qing turned her head, her gaze sweeping across the sky. The radiant light seemed to flow like a tidal wave in her eyes, bringing life to the heavens and the earth in an instant. Oblivious to her surroundings, she reached into the candy bag and pulled out another candy. "Look! This is a rare sight. If we come again next year, we'll have to wait until this time."
Jiu Su hummed in agreement, then, as if possessed, leaned over, snatched the piece of fruit candy from her lips, and lightly touched her warm lips with it.
Peach flavor.
He looked up at the brilliant fireworks filling the sky, feeling content.
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Author's Note: The description references some Disney fireworks shows.
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