Chapter 150 Fireworks Every Year "They're in your arms. And you, in my..."
"A young girl shouldn't pry into adults' affairs..." Gu Xufeng rarely adopted the demeanor of an older brother, and said sternly with a serious face.
Normally, Gu Xuting would have retorted defiantly. But today was different. She gave a dejected "Oh," her small face half-hidden in her cloak. Her dark eyes darted around, and she fixed her gaze on Ye Xingzhi, who was looking at her, saying embarrassedly, "Teacher Ye—"
"Hello, Gu Xuting." Ye Xingzhi's interest was still evident, but his tone was more composed than Jiang Cai's.
"What? Xiao Ye is actually Tingting's teacher?" One surprise after another tonight, Gu Xufeng blurted out, "I could never have imagined it..."
"Does Brother Gu think I'm not qualified to be a high school teacher?" Ye Xingzhi raised an eyebrow and said half-jokingly.
"No, no," Gu Xufeng waved his hands repeatedly, embarrassedly defending himself, "I always thought teachers were all rather old-fashioned. Teacher Ye is so young and handsome, and speaks with humor and wit, he really doesn't seem like it."
"Don't call me Teacher Ye outside, it sounds like I'm still at work." Ye Xingzhi smiled and put his arm around Gu Xufeng's shoulder, then said seriously, "I've only taught Gu Xuting one elective course, so don't be nervous, Brother Gu."
"Hey, I'm not nervous..." Gu Xufeng replied while ruffling his younger sister's hair.
The already listless little girl was now indignant, puffing out her cheeks and angrily saying, "Brother, don't mess up my hair that I just got done!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xufeng awkwardly withdrew his hand and gave Ye Xingzhi a look that said, "I'm sorry you had to see this."
...
After the three of them interrupted her, Zhu Liushuang had a chance to catch her breath for a moment.
She stood in the shadows beneath He Ming's cage, taking the opportunity to calm her racing heart.
"Won't you be cold wearing this?"
The blush on her face had barely faded when it rose again because of his unexpected concern.
"It's okay now, but it might get a little hot outside later," she whispered, hooking her little finger around his.
He Ming glanced at the swaying curtain and continued, "Where did you put your coat? Do you want to take it with you?"
Zhu Liushuang pointed towards the second floor: "The coat is in the locker in the fitting room... The down jacket is a bit cumbersome and hard to carry, so I didn't bring it down."
“It’s no trouble, just put it in my hand.” He Ming hooked his fingers around hers. “I’ll go up and get it for you now. If you feel cold later, just put it on.”
"I'll go by myself, it'll be faster to find it..." Zhu Liushuang said, about to lift her foot.
He Ming was faster than her: "Shuangshuang... I'll go get it. It's inconvenient for you to walk up the stairs in this outfit." His voice hovered above her head, deep and stubborn.
Zhu Liushuang stopped arguing and reluctantly let go of her hand: "The third cabinet from the left. Oh, and bring Ayu's coat down with you too."
“Okay—” He Ming glanced back at her and stepped forward.
Even after he had walked several meters away, Zhu Liushuang's hand maintained its original arc.
The little finger is curled up, and the palm is hanging empty.
If Tian Xingyu hadn't suddenly spoken up, her thoughts would probably have followed his retreating figure.
"Hey, Shuangshuang, why did Senior He go upstairs?"
Zhu Liushuang was stunned for a moment, then came to her senses and said, "Oh... he went to get our coats."
"Wow, senior is so considerate!" Tian Xingyu squinted her eyes and exclaimed, "He doesn't seem like someone who's never been in a relationship before. Shuangshuang, tell me, how did you manage to train him so well?"
Discipline? She never seemed to have disciplined him.
After all, before this, both of them were complete beginners.
He Ming was extremely familiar with her thoughtfulness.
Thoughtful and meticulous, she was nothing like an inexperienced novice.
Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but conclude in her heart: love is instinct. When you truly fall in love with someone, you will unconsciously think about them and do your best to be good to them.
She is, and so is He Ming.
But if I say something so cheesy, my best friend will definitely make fun of me.
Therefore, she simply smiled shyly and said, "He's always been a thoughtful and considerate person."
"Really?" Tian Xingyu retorted, her eyes sparkling with ambiguity. "You're only being considerate to Shuangshuang, aren't you?"
Her gaze shifted, and Zhu Liushuang's smile deepened. She stopped arguing and took it as tacit agreement.
————
After leaving the Hanfu experience center, the group of six headed to the Tiaoshui Lake at the end of the street.
The large procession was still divided into two groups. Three girls walked in front, chatting and laughing, while three men followed closely behind.
Whenever they see a beautiful street scene, Zhu Liushuang and her friends stop and ask He Ming to take pictures of them.
"Ah Ming, here, here, take a close-up of my profile... It's so beautiful over there too, I want to take a picture with a lantern..."
"Senior He, could you please squat down a bit and make my lower body look longer in the photos?"
"Brother He Ming, quickly take a picture of me and Sister Xiao Shuang together!"
...
Faced with the three women's various requests, He Ming remained extremely patient, showing no sign of impatience. Tian Xingyu and Gu Xuting both knew that they received such preferential treatment tonight because of Zhu Liushuang.
"Click, click," the filming continued.
Meanwhile, He Ming was taking photos of the girls, sometimes half-squatting and sometimes bending over.
Meanwhile, Ye Xingzhi and Gu Xufeng were also busy, handing out clothes and props, and using their phones as "human fill lights." They were so busy they barely had time to breathe.
The photographer and temporary assistant were very dedicated, and the final photos were naturally satisfactory.
After filming for a while, the three of them finally felt tired and ran to Gu Xufeng to get their coats.
Zhu Liushuang, shivering, put on her down jacket and pulled up the zipper.
Her fingers were already frozen stiff and wouldn't obey her commands. She clumsily tried to fasten the zipper several times, but the zipper still slipped off. Just as she was hanging her head, struggling with the cold zipper, a large, equally cold hand reached out to touch hers.
Before she knew it, He Ming walked up to her.
He had a heavy DSLR camera hanging around his neck, his nose was slightly red, and the hair on his forehead was messed up by the wind.
"I'll do it—" The man grasped the bottom of the zipper, deftly flicked and adjusted it, and the zipper clips were securely inserted into the track. With a "whoosh," her body was completely enclosed by the barrier.
As the warmth returned, Zhu Liushuang stopped shivering.
"Are you tired?" She had weighed the DSLR camera on his chest; including the lens, it weighed about three or four pounds.
He Ming smiled, "Not tired."
"Aren't you cold?" Zhu Liushuang asked with heartache, staring at his red knuckles.
"It's not cold..." He Ming's smile remained unchanged.
"Nonsense... Your hands are all red from the cold, and your palms are cold too. I'm sorry, A-Ming... It's freezing cold, and you've been taking pictures for so long."
"It's nothing, why apologize?" The man tightened his grip on her hand, casually tucked it into his pocket, and led her step by step toward the pavilion by the Tiaoshui Lake. "Did you like any of the photos we took earlier?"
"Yes!" Zhu Liu said with bright eyes, "There are so many! Except for the few unusable shots at the beginning, I like all the rest."
"Okay, that's good." The man breathed a sigh of relief after saying that.
He was good at taking landscape photos, but this was his first time photographing a girl. Everyone says that men and women have vastly different aesthetic tastes, so he was relieved to have her approval.
Due to delays on the road, the group missed the iron flower performance. By the time they arrived at the shore of Tiaoshui Lake, the river lantern release activity was already coming to an end. After walking around most of the lake, all the river lanterns at each stall were sold out, and the disappointed group had no choice but to return to the small pavilion where they had initially settled.
This time, Tian Xingyu and the other three were exceptionally sensible. They voluntarily huddled together in a corner to play mobile games, leaving Zhu Liushuang and the others some alone time.
The bright moon hangs high, reflecting on the rippling lake surface.
Countless candlelight flickers on the star-studded water. Lanterns, carrying thoughts of longing and hopes, drift slowly into the distance.
Zhu Liushuang and He Ming sat side by side, quietly gazing at the starlit Tiaoshui Lake, as if time had suddenly slowed down.
"Are you disappointed that you didn't get to release the river lantern?" The man beside her straightened his back unconsciously and gently put his arm around her shoulder.
Zhu Liushuang leaned against his chest and said softly, "No, as long as I'm with you... I'm happy no matter what I do. It's just a river lantern; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
"Yes, besides New Year's Eve, there's also the activity of releasing river lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'll bring you again next year..."
"Okay—" He listened to every word she said and responded accordingly. Zhu Liushuang thought contentedly.
Before the old year had even passed, she was already looking forward to next year's Mid-Autumn Festival.
————
As it approached 10 p.m., more and more tourists gathered by the lake to watch the fireworks, and the surrounding area became noisy.
After finishing their game, the four of them crowded around He Ming and Zhu Liushuang, eagerly awaiting their return.
The pavilion is located directly opposite the fireworks display site, boasting a prime viewing location. The only drawback is that the wooden benches inside are not long enough, with only four or five people sitting side by side on each side.
"Brother, please sit further in, I can't fit..." In the darkness, Zhu Liushuang couldn't see Gu Xuting's face, but could hear her anxious voice.
"Miss Tian, Xingzhi, could you two please go a little further over?"
"It's too crowded, Shuangshuang, you should go in a bit too..."
Before Zhu Liushuang could move, she felt a force coming from her right side.
Unexpectedly, she and He Ming were pressed tightly together.
"Thump thump thump... thump thump thump..." Her heart was racing, and she held tightly to his arm to keep herself from being pushed out.
Sitting next to her, Tian Xingyu clearly noticed her rapid breathing.
But instead of moving an inch to the left, her friend squeezed her even more "excessively".
"There's still not enough room... It's so cramped I'm getting anxious. How about... Shuangshuang, you just sit on He Xuechang's lap? Anyway, you two are the only couple here, so it's a good use of the space!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Xingzhi immediately understood and agreed: "That's a good idea, I'll vote for it."
"Sister Xiaoshuang, my legs are numb from squatting on the ground to play games... Please, please, give me a spot."
Gu Xuting even resorted to a self-inflicted injury, so Gu Xufeng naturally joined in the fun: "It's dark and we can't see anything, Liu Shuang, don't be shy."
The whistle to guide the fireworks into the sky had already sounded on the opposite shore of the lake. The distant lights were hazy, and although they couldn't illuminate the scene inside the pavilion, Zhu Liushuang's face was burning hot.
She was practically roasted over a fire; there was no room for coyness left for her.
"Tingting, please sit down..." she said, biting her tongue, and then stood up awkwardly.
It's amazing that Tian Xingyu could come up with the idea of letting her sit on He Ming's lap.
Zhu Liushuang stood there, her brows furrowing.
At home, she had sat on He Ming's lap before.
Last night, he held me and kissed me for a long time.
But—how can being outside be the same as being at home?
Especially in front of so many people, how could she possibly feel comfortable doing this?
So embarrassing! Zhu Liushuang bit her lip, unsure whether to go forward or retreat, and simply stood there rooted to the spot.
"Shuangshuang—" Seeing that she did not move, He Ming reached out and grabbed her slightly cool fingertips.
With a little effort, Zhu Liushuang was pulled onto his legs, which were pressed together.
The moment she sat down, the man's tense leg muscles stiffened instantly. But he quickly adjusted to her softness and relaxed within seconds.
The fireworks burst into the sky at that moment.
"Bang bang bang—" Dozens of shots rang out simultaneously, bursting into dazzling light against the dark blue night sky.
Behind her, He Ming's presence enveloped her tightly.
He Ming's arms gently encircled her chest.
“Look, it’s falling…” he said, his breath brushing against her bleeding earlobe, in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Almost reflexively, Zhu Liushuang held her breath.
In an instant, countless "stars" leaped and fell from the sky, landing on the tranquil lake surface.
They were so close to her, so close that it seemed as if they too had fallen into her arms.
Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow! Ah Ming, the fireworks are in my arms! It's like a dream, so beautiful!"
"Mmm..." The man tightened his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "They're in your arms. And you're in my arms."
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Author's Note: Everyone here is so lovely, everyone's been helping out! [shy]
Fireworks light up the sky every year, may our senior and Shuangshuang be together forever [shy]
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