Chapter 69 More Brilliant Than Fireworks
Jiang Wan and Zhou Chong agreed to meet at the north gate of the villa area.
Seeing that it was almost time, she stood up, put on her down jacket, and said to her family in a seemingly calm manner, "Luo Xuan asked me to set off fireworks, so I'm going to go play with him."
"Okay." Jiang Ronghai pointed to the corner of the stairwell. "There are a lot of fireworks in the warehouse. Find some you like, but be careful."
"Okay, Dad."
Jiang Wan turned and went into the warehouse. She couldn't carry too much by herself, so she took a few small fireworks and two boxes of sparklers, put them in a bag and carried it in her hand.
Before heading out, I turned back into the living room.
"Grandma, I'd like to take some pastries with me." Jiang Wan pointed to the various carved porcelain plates on the coffee table, "especially the mung bean cakes that Grandma makes by hand."
"Okay, sure."
The old lady smiled from ear to ear and quickly called Aunt Qiao to help Jiang Wan pack the pastries.
Jiang Wan happily went out the door, carrying a bag of fireworks in her left hand and a package of pastries in her right.
The north gate is not far away; it's just a few minutes' walk away.
Jiang Wan had only taken a few steps toward the north gate when she suddenly remembered something, took out her phone, and sent a message to Luo Xuan.
[Late Night or Not: I told my family I went out with you and set off fireworks. If my parents ask you about it, just say that.]
Luo Xuan immediately replied with three question marks.
[Luo Xuan: ???]
Jiang Wan didn't have time to explain further to him.
[It's never too late: Just like that, string them together so they don't give themselves away.]
This time, Luo Xuan didn't ask any more questions.
[Luo Xuan: No, what are you doing sneaking around like that so late on New Year's Eve?]
Jiang Wan replied with an emoji that said "Mind your own business when it comes to the princess," then closed the chat window and put her phone back in her pocket.
The villa area is deserted, and there are not many people walking on the road on ordinary days, let alone today, which is New Year's Eve, when most people are staying at home.
Jiang Wan walked along without seeing a single patrolling security guard.
As soon as she reached the North Gate, she saw a tall figure under the streetlights in the distance.
Zhou Chong wore a black hooded down jacket today, looking neat and upright. The large raccoon fur collar on the hood added just the right amount of warmth to his otherwise austere look.
He was surrounded by darkness, but the warm yellow light cast by the streetlights enveloped him perfectly, making him appear like the brightest star in the night.
"Zhou Chong—"
Jiang Wan quickened her pace, jogged a few steps to Zhou Chong, then hurriedly stopped, raised her smiling face, and exhaled a puff of hot, white breath.
"Have you been waiting for me long?"
"No, I just arrived too."
Zhou Chong raised his hand, subconsciously wanting to rub Jiang Wan's head. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the top of her head, he paused slightly and brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead to the side.
"Why are you running? Your hair is all messed up by the wind."
Jiang Wan chuckled, lowered her head, and smoothed her hair. "I just saw you standing here and thought I'd come find you as soon as possible."
Zhou Chong looked down at her and chuckled softly, "I'm already standing here, I'm not going to run away."
Jiang Wan was taken aback, and inexplicably found that Zhou Chong was actually quite humorous now.
"Okay, I know you won't run away." She looked up and smiled, then held up the bag of fireworks she was carrying. "Here, I brought some fireworks from home."
Zhou Chong turned his head and looked at the fireworks piled on the ground behind him. "I brought some with me too."
Jiang Wan followed his gaze and saw that, unlike the small fireworks she had packed in her bag, Zhou Chong had brought several large ones.
Three or four large, square boxes were neatly stacked together.
"How did you bring such a big firework?" Jiang Wan asked in surprise.
"Take a taxi," Zhou Chong replied matter-of-factly.
"No, what I mean is..." Jiang Wan paused, "You came all this way to see me, and you even brought such a big firework?"
Isn't it too much trouble?
Jiang Wan was puzzled.
Zhou Chong raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we agree to come and ask you to set off fireworks?"
Since I'm going to accompany her to set off fireworks, I should set off the biggest and most beautiful ones for her to see.
Just now at the fireworks store, the owner seemed used to young men coming to his business late at night. Without saying a word, he recommended these fireworks, saying they were especially beautiful and romantic.
It's especially suitable to play with your girlfriend.
Zhou Chong didn't need to explain anything to the strangers, but he also didn't have the time to pick and choose, so he just followed the shopkeeper's advice and bought these.
Jiang Wan chuckled as she looked at Zhou Chong's serious expression.
This piece of wood, it really is meant to be used for setting off fireworks!
"Oh, right, let's set off the fireworks later." Jiang Wan held up the insulated box she was carrying and pulled Zhou Chong to sit on the bench next to her. "This is something I brought for you from home. It's mung bean cakes that my grandma made herself. Try some."
After saying that, she opened the lid of the insulated box, held the whole box in front of Zhou Chong, and looked at him with bright eyes, as if she were presenting some kind of treasure.
Zhou Chong lowered his eyes, carefully picked up a piece of mung bean cake from the food box, and took a bite.
It's sweet but not cloying, with a smooth and creamy texture.
"How is it? Is it delicious?" Jiang Wan asked expectantly.
"Mmm, it's delicious." Zhou Chong nodded and stuffed the remaining half into his mouth.
In his previous life, after marrying Jiang Wan, he also ate mung bean cakes made by Grandma Jiang. Compared to that time, the one he is eating now seems to be sweeter.
It couldn't be his imagination, Zhou Chong thought.
“Right? My grandma is from Suzhou, and her pastry-making skills are absolutely top-notch.” Jiang Wan smiled and closed the lid, stuffing the entire insulated box into Zhou Chong’s arms. “Take the rest back with you.”
Zhou Chong held the insulated food container in his arms, paused for a moment, and nodded, somewhat flattered, "Thank you."
Jiang Wan smiled, looked up at the fireworks blooming in the night sky, raised her hands high, and exclaimed like a child, "Let's set off fireworks too!"
"good."
Zhou Chong carefully put the insulated box into his bag, then carried the fireworks box to a large, open space in the distance.
Jiang Wan originally wanted to go with him to light the fire, but Zhou Chong left her behind on the grounds that it was unsafe.
She could only sit on the bench, craning her neck to look in Zhou Chong's direction.
I saw him light the fuse and then run towards me.
A tall, imposing figure ran through the night, and a few seconds later, a golden firework suddenly rose into the sky.
The moment the fireworks went off, Zhou Chong ran up to Jiang Wan.
Behind me, the sky was ablaze with dazzling colors, but the person before me was even more radiant than the fireworks.
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