Chapter 54 An Unexpected Cohabitation...
Peng Chengyi was suddenly startled, feeling as if her heartbeat had been gently bumped by something, skipping a beat.
Unable to pinpoint the source of her emotions, she quickly lowered her eyes to cover them up and retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting! You're so unserious!"
Seeing that she seemed a little flustered, Chen Yubai narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly, a faint smile flashing across his face.
His thin lips moved slightly, as if he was about to say something more, when the door to the infirmary was pushed open with a bang.
"Brother Yu! Cola's here!" Zhang Yang burst in like a gust of wind, his booming voice instantly shattering the delicate atmosphere in the room. He strode to the bedside and asked with concern, "Are you feeling better?"
Chen Yubai frowned almost imperceptibly, lifted his eyelids, and glanced at Zhang Yang expressionlessly: "It was getting better."
"Huh?" Zhang Yang was taken aback, his voice becoming tense. "What's going on now?"
Chen Yubai took the Coke from his hand and said indifferently, "You've made my ears deaf again."
Zhang Yang: "..."
Peng Chengyi: "..."
Fortunately, Chen Yubai only sprained his ankle this time. After two weeks of rest, his ankle basically returned to normal.
However, the Class 7 basketball team lost him as their core player, and the subsequent schedule was quite difficult. They were eventually eliminated in the finals and missed the championship.
The basketball craze quickly subsided, and it was time to make room for the college entrance exam takers.
Unlike when they were in their first year of high school, when they could enjoy the excitement and have a happy holiday, now that they are about to become senior high school students, they truly feel the pressure coming their way.
With the workload increasing day by day and test papers piling up like mountains, everyone was on edge and had no time to think about the outcome of the game or other fleeting fame.
Considering the importance of adequate nutrition during the senior year of high school, and the possibility of studying late into the night after evening self-study sessions,
After much deliberation, Zhou Lifen finally decided to rent a house near the No. 1 Middle School so that Peng Chengyi could commute to school, ensuring he could eat and sleep well and saving more study time.
The news somehow reached Lin Qingying's ears. Two days later, she visited Zhou Lifen with bags of gifts and earnestly asked, "Could Xiaoyu live with Chengcheng too? We can rent a bigger, nicer place. You don't have to worry about the rent or living expenses; my family can cover it all."
“Sure, it would be great if the two children could study and improve together.” Zhou Lifen nodded readily, then frowned and said, “But we can split the rent and living expenses, which would help ease the burden on my family.”
“But…” Lin Qingying opened her mouth, wanting to persuade her again, but Zhou Lifen decisively interrupted her.
“No buts,” Zhou Lifen patted her hand, her tone gentle but firm. “Xiaoyu has helped Chengcheng with her studies quite a bit. If we really want to calculate it, I should pay him for tutoring! It’s settled then, we’ll split it evenly.”
Seeing that Zhou Lifen insisted on not accepting more money, Lin Qingying could only smile and shake her head, her tone full of gratitude: "You'll really have to work hard this year. These are nutritional supplements and fruits that I prepared for Chengcheng. It's just a small token of my appreciation, so please don't refuse them."
"This is too much. Take some back quickly and give some to Xiaoyu as well." Zhou Lifen still wanted to refuse.
"Don't worry, I also prepared a copy for Xiaoyu. These are specially for Chengcheng, so please keep them all." Lin Qingying said as she deftly pushed the things back.
Peng Chengyi was in her room wearing headphones and writing a test paper when she vaguely heard voices outside the door, which seemed more lively than usual.
She couldn't help but take off her headphones and curiously peek into the living room.
Zhou Lifen was the only one left at the door. Peng Chengyi glanced at the large bag of imported fruit and nutritional supplements she was carrying and asked, "Did my Aunt Lin buy these for me?"
“Yes,” Zhou Lifen smiled with a hint of helplessness, “Your Aunt Lin is too kind.”
"Wow, let me see what delicious things are in there!" Peng Chengyi's eyes lit up immediately. She happily walked out of the room and rummaged through the bag. "Why did Aunt Lin suddenly buy me so many things again?"
"She just said that she wants Xiaoyu to commute with you after the start of her senior year of high school," Zhou Lifen said while tidying up her things.
"Huh?" Peng Chengyi paused in her actions, looking up uncertainly. "So... Chen Yubai is going to live with us in his senior year of high school?"
“Yes,” Zhou Lifen nodded, “so your dad and I need to go look at houses near No. 1 Middle School again in the next couple of days. The ones we looked at before were all too small, not enough for three people to live in.”
“Oh…” Peng Chengyi responded softly, a subtle ripple stirring in her heart.
Although she and Chen Yubai had been neighbors since childhood and had an extremely close relationship, the thought of suddenly having to live under the same roof and spend every day together felt a little strange.
But seeing that her mother had already agreed, she couldn't say anything more and could only suppress her complicated feelings.
After dinner, while she was discussing math problems with Chen Yubai, she casually asked, "Did you know that your mom is planning to have you live with me during your senior year of high school?" "Yeah, I know," Chen Yubai replied calmly, twirling his pen with his long fingers without looking up. "So what?"
"Don't you think... this is a bit inappropriate?" Peng Chengyi carefully chose her words.
Chen Yubai lazily raised his eyes and looked at her with a half-smile: "It's not like we're living alone. Aunt Zhou is here too, isn't she? What's inappropriate about it?"
"Well..." Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, but before she could organize her thoughts, Chen Yubai chuckled, his tone teasing, "What, do you have some other feelings for me? Is that why you're embarrassed to live with me?"
"...Who would have any other thoughts about you!" Peng Chengyi was taken aback, her cheeks involuntarily burning as she retorted angrily, "I'm just worried that if my classmates see us, there will be rumors and stuff. I'm in my senior year of high school, and I don't want to deal with this kind of thing anymore."
"Oh." Chen Yubai stared at her for a few seconds, a faint smile appearing on his lips, and said lazily, "That's easy, we'll just stop going into the classroom together from now on."
Peng Chengyi thought about it carefully and felt that this was indeed a solution, so she calmed down for the time being and nodded: "Okay, let's do it this way then."
-
This summer vacation was unusually short; before the start of autumn, all senior high school students were required to return to school.
On the blackboard at the back of the classroom, a striking line of chalk writing appeared: "308 days until the college entrance examination," like a silent alarm bell ringing in everyone's heart.
Many students in the class who originally lived on campus moved to rental apartments near the school this semester, just like Peng Chengyi, making the dormitory building much emptier.
On the first day of school, after eating the nutritious breakfast prepared by Zhou Lifen, Peng Chengyi, carrying her schoolbag, walked out of the building one after the other with Chen Yubai.
Looking at the scattered figures in the neighborhood, all wearing the same school uniforms, Peng Chengyi felt a sudden surge of nervousness and subconsciously quickened her pace, creating a noticeable distance between herself and Chen Yubai behind her.
Seeing her looking like she was facing a formidable enemy, Chen Yubai found it somewhat amusing. He caught up with her in a few steps, his voice laced with mockery: "Is it really necessary? We're all from other classes, who would know you?"
“They don’t know me, but a lot of people know you!” Peng Chengyi said without turning her head, her voice low and her tone carrying a hint of reproach. “After all, you are a well-known figure in our grade.”
Chen Yubai turned his head away, chuckled, and didn't press the matter further. He simply slowed his pace and leisurely followed behind her.
The rented apartment was in a residential area opposite the No. 1 Middle School. It was just a ten-minute walk across the street, and the two of them arrived at the school.
"Wait a minute, I'll go into the classroom through the front door. You come in through the back door in a minute," Peng Chengyi told him, turning around.
"Got it." Chen Yubai shrugged lazily and turned around cooperatively.
Peng Chengyi walked into the classroom by herself, put down her schoolbag, and greeted Chen Wei: "Good morning."
"Good morning." Chen Wei, munching on her bread, looked up and asked, "Have you started commuting to school too?"
"Yes," Peng Chengyi nodded as she took a book out of her bag. "You too?"
“Yes, Yueyue and I share an apartment,” Chen Wei said.
"Huh?" Peng Chengyi paused, looking up in surprise. "Why didn't either of you ask me?"
As soon as she said it, a faint sense of disappointment swept through her heart, as if she had been unintentionally excluded from her small circle by her friends.
Chen Wei exclaimed "Ah!" and explained, "Yueyue said that you would definitely discuss renting a house with Chen Yubai, and your mother is also available to accompany you while you study, so we didn't ask you again."
"…!" Peng Chengyi's heart skipped a beat, as if some secret had been exposed. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she hurriedly clarified, "Chen Yubai is a boy! How could I possibly share an apartment with him!"
Her voice unconsciously rose a little, attracting a curious glance from the classmate next to her.
Chen Wei was taken aback by her overreaction and looked at her strangely: "We just said we'd look into renting a place together and being neighbors, not that we'd live in the same room... Why are you reacting so strongly?"
"N-nothing..." Peng Chengyi realized she had misunderstood, gave an awkward laugh, and hurriedly changed the subject, "So, which neighborhood do you rent in?"
"It's in that old neighborhood behind No. 1 Middle School, where are you?"
I live in that new residential area across the street.
"What a pity, it's not on the way," Chen Wei said regretfully.
"Yes, what a pity." Peng Chengyi agreed verbally, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Luckily, it wasn't on my way.
Otherwise, she really didn't know how to hide the fact that she and Chen Yubai lived under the same roof from them.
If Zheng Xinyue finds out, her "weird CP" banner will probably be raised high and waving in the wind again.
Just thinking about that scene gives Peng Chengyi a headache.
-
After evening self-study, people around were quietly tidying up their books, and the desks and chairs made a slight rustling sound as they scraped against the floor.
Peng Chengyi glanced back at Chen Yubai, who was packing his schoolbag, and decided it was best to be cautious. She quietly took out her phone, opened his WeChat, and quickly typed under the table: "You go first, I still have a question to finish."
Chen Yubai picked up his phone and glanced at it, then lifted his eyelids and looked through the rows of tables and chairs, precisely catching her gaze.
Peng Chengyi quickly forced a smile at him, waved very lightly, and mouthed "Bye-bye."
Chen Yubai gave a very soft chuckle, seemingly finding her attempt to cover up her blunder somewhat amusing.
But he didn't say anything more, deftly picked up his schoolbag, slung it over his shoulder, and strode out of the classroom.
Watching his figure disappear through the door, Peng Chengyi finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing.
She deliberately dawdled until almost everyone in the class had left before slowly packing her bag and leaving the classroom alone.
The late summer night breeze carried a hint of coolness, dispelling the daytime heat.
Just as I stepped out of the school gate and was about to merge into the sparse crowd to cross the road, a familiar voice suddenly came from the shadows beside me, dragging out a lazy tone: "You've been solving this problem for quite a while."
Peng Chengyi was startled and turned her head in surprise.
Chen Yubai was seen leaning leisurely against the shadow of the wall next to the school gate, his arms crossed.
The glow of the streetlights drew a line between light and shadow on the ground a few steps away from him. He tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable, but his posture clearly indicated that he was waiting for her.
"Why haven't you gone home yet?" Peng Chengyi asked in surprise, a subtle, indescribable emotion quietly gathering in her heart again.
Chen Yubai then casually straightened up, strolled out of the shadows at a leisurely pace, and walked to her side in the glow of the streetlight.
"It's too late, it might not be safe, let's go together," he said casually.
“What’s unsafe?” Peng Chengyi retorted instinctively, trying to hide her unease. “It’s only a few hundred meters long, but there are cameras everywhere.”
Chen Yubai stared at her slightly evasive eyes for a moment with his dark eyes, then lazily took a long stride, his voice carried on the night breeze, casual yet clear, returning to her ears: "Then I'm not at ease either."
Peng Chengyi paused for a moment, then caught up with him with mixed feelings, muttering softly, "What's there to worry about? You're acting like my parents."
Chen Yubai glanced at her sideways and said, "Call me Dad."
"..."
This dog, why does it always try to be her dad whenever it gets the chance?
Peng Chengyi gave a speechless twitch of her lips: "Dream on."
Chen Yubai smiled casually, then lowered his gaze without comment.
The two walked side by side, the night breeze rustling the leaves.
In a daze, Peng Chengyi felt as if she had returned to her junior high school days.
They often did this: after evening self-study, they would walk home from school, chatting idly under the moonlight and the glow of the streetlights.
At that time, she never seemed to feel that there was anything wrong with walking side by side with him; everything was as natural as breathing.
But now, she always feels an inexplicable sense of unease in the air.
She pondered silently, trying to find a reasonable explanation for her sense of unease.
Well, it's probably just that I'm not used to it yet; I'll get used to it.
Peng Chengyi took a deep breath of the slightly cool air, suppressing the strange, unfamiliar emotions in her heart.
-
After evening self-study, Chen Yubai would still leave the classroom first and then wait for her at the school gate, as if it had become an unspoken ritual.
When I get home, the kitchen is always filled with a warm aroma, and the late-night snack that Zhou Lifen prepared is already neatly placed on the table.
After finishing their meal quietly, the two returned to their rooms to continue their late-night study sessions, spending the rest of their senior year nights immersed in a sea of problems and books.
Gradually, Peng Chengyi did get used to living with him.
Actually, it wasn't much different from when we were neighbors. After all, he used to come to her house for meals every now and then.
The only difference is that it's now easier to ask questions.
Whenever she encountered a tricky math problem, she didn't need to contact him on WeChat anymore; she could simply go outside, turn left, and go to his room to ask him.
Only occasionally did he go to bed a little earlier than her.
When she knocked on the door twice as a token gesture and pushed it open, he was already lying in bed, wrapped tightly in the blankets, with only the back of his black hair showing.
Whenever this happens, a small flame ignites in Peng Chengyi's heart.
Despite her efforts over the past two years, she has managed to break into the top ten of her grade.
But why is it that even though he goes to bed so early, his exam scores still surpass hers?!
Almost instinctively, she reached out and snapped on the overhead light in his room. Then she strode over to his bedside, raised her foot, and stepped on his calf through the blanket: "Get up, you pig!"
"What are you doing..." Chen Yubai frowned as the light stung his forehead, his hand resting on his forehead, his voice slightly hoarse from just waking up.
"I have questions." She shook the test paper in her hand.
"Ask away." He didn't move an inch, still lying there, his voice muffled by the pillow.
Seeing his attitude, Peng Chengyi became even more annoyed and tugged at his blanket: "...Get up first!"
"I don't want to get up." He dragged out his words lazily, but stretched a hand out from under the covers and waved it in the air. "Give it to me."
"..." Peng Chengyi stared at him speechlessly for a moment, but finally gave in and angrily slammed the test paper into his hand.
He squinted, his eyes still not fully adjusted to the light, and stared at the problem for a while before slowly saying, "This is very simple. Just substitute the formula you wrote above."
"Which formula did I write?" Peng Chengyi didn't react for a moment, and subconsciously leaned closer to see where he was pointing.
Her hair, still damp from her shower and carrying a faint scent of shampoo, brushed against his cheek and neck as she leaned over.
Chen Yubai's breath hitched slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. He turned his head away and whispered, "Your hair is blocking my view..."
As he spoke, it seemed he had finally given up struggling, and he propped himself up against the headboard.
“Oh…” Peng Chengyi straightened up.
Her senior year of high school was so busy that she never had time to get a haircut, and her hair had grown to her chest without her realizing it.
"Who told you to refuse to get up just now..." She tucked her loose long hair behind her ear and pouted in complaint.
"Who told you to come here with questions in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" Chen Yubai scoffed.
“I call this diligent study!” Peng Chengyi pouted and urged, “Stop talking nonsense and tell me how to solve it.”
“Like this,” Chen Yubai said, moving closer to the window to make room for her to sit down on the edge of the bed, “give me a pen.”
Peng Chengyi picked up a pen from the table next to him, sat down on the edge of his bed, leaned in close, and focused on watching him write down the steps to solve the problem, with his legs propped up by the blanket.
"Do you understand?" After finishing his explanation, Chen Yubai turned his head and asked.
"I understand!" Peng Chengyi nodded in sudden realization, and when she looked up, she realized that the two of them were very close at the moment.
She was so close that she could clearly count his thick, dark eyelashes that drooped lazily, and feel his warm breath gently brushing against her forehead.
Their eyes met for a moment, and she saw her reflection in his eyes.
The air fell subtly still, which seemed particularly abrupt in the dead of night.
Chen Yubai's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he was the first to look away.
He cleared his throat slightly, shoved the test paper back into her hand, and spoke in his usual lazy tone, but with a hint of urging: "Go back to your room now, I'm going to sleep."
“…Hmm.” Peng Chengyi also felt her cheeks getting hot for no reason, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the test paper. She hurriedly stood up from beside his bed.
Watching her walk straight out of his room, Chen Yubai reminded her again, "Don't forget to turn off the light."
“Oh…” Peng Chengyi paused, turned around at the door, forced a slightly embarrassed smile, reached his hand through the crack in the door, and groped for the light switch on the wall with a “snap”.
The door was gently closed, blocking out the dim light from the corridor.
Darkness enveloped everything once again.
Chen Yubai let out a deep breath, as if shedding some kind of tense pretense.
-
The days flew by amidst busy studies and countless exams and tests.
It felt like just a blink of an eye, and the intense round of review was over.
Because the Spring Festival came exceptionally late that year, the first mock exam was scheduled before the winter break.
Peng Chengyi originally walked into the examination room full of confidence, but perhaps because she had stayed up too late the previous few days and exhausted her energy, she felt dizzy during the math exam and could not solve the problems smoothly at all.
The more she struggled, the more panicked she became, and in the end, she did terribly on the exam. When the results were announced, her ranking plummeted to outside the top eighty.
With this score, getting into a 211 university shouldn't be a problem.
Zhou Lifen also comforted her, saying that this was just a mock exam, and the focus was on assessing the situation and making adjustments. She advised her to maintain a positive attitude and not to be too anxious.
But this defeat was like a blunt hook, violently stirring up the terrible memories of her failure to get into the experimental class years ago.
That feeling of helplessness—having given it her all but still failing at a crucial moment—came back, making her realize clearly that there seemed to be a big problem with her mindset when facing important exams.
Moreover, my luck in the exam wasn't very good.
Then, a deeper fear welled up from the bottom of my heart—
What if she performs poorly in the college entrance examination, which truly determines her fate?
This thought, like a persistent dark cloud, completely enveloped her.
Even after winter break started, my low spirits didn't recover. I locked myself in my room all day, calling it studying hard, but actually I would often stare blankly at books and test papers for half a day, and the knowledge just wouldn't get into my brain.
On New Year's Eve, the house was filled with a festive atmosphere, but she didn't even want to go to her grandmother's house for the New Year's Eve dinner, for fear that her relatives would ask her about her mock exam scores and rankings.
Seeing this, Zhou Lifen did not insist. She simply cooked her a bowl of steaming dumplings and prepared a few of her favorite dishes before going out with Peng Weiguo.
The sporadic sound of firecrackers outside the window made the room feel even more deserted.
Peng Chengyi listlessly ate two dumplings, then stared blankly at the open math test paper, his thoughts drifting, his mood as heavy as the night outside the window.
Suddenly, there was a knocking sound at the door.
Hearing the familiar rhythm, Peng Chengyi paused for a moment before getting up to open the door.
"Didn't you go to the hospital to spend the New Year with Aunt Lin?" Peng Chengyi looked at Chen Yubai standing outside the door with surprise.
"She had an emergency surgery and couldn't leave," Chen Yubai explained simply, his gaze falling on her with a hint of inquiry. "Why didn't you go to your grandmother's house?"
“I don’t want to go,” Peng Chengyi lowered her eyes, her voice a little muffled. “There are too many people, and they’ll ask all sorts of questions. It’s so annoying.”
Chen Yubai looked at her quietly for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Want to go to the riverbank to set off fireworks?"
Peng Chengyi looked up at him. Just then, a small firework shot into the sky outside the stairwell window, blooming with a faint light beside him.
She was silent for a moment, and the pent-up frustration in her heart seemed to find a small outlet. She nodded slightly and said, "Okay, let me change my clothes."
On New Year's Eve, the riverbank was cold and desolate, with only a few distant firecrackers reminding us that this was a day for family reunion.
Peng Chengyi sat on the cold bench, and unconsciously stared blankly at the sparkler in her hand that was flashing on and off.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Yubai stroked the metal lighter, turned his head to look at her, and the flickering flame reflected a small cluster of light in his eyes.
“I’m thinking…” Peng Chengyi was pulled back to reality by his voice. She forced a smile and, in a half-joking tone, expressed her deepest worry, “If I do worse in the college entrance exam than in the mock exam, I’ll probably have to squat at the door of my house and watch you go to college.”
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Chen Yubai scoffed lightly, deliberately with a nonchalant tone. "Even if you fail the exam, you'll still be able to go to university."
However, his words of comfort were like a fine needle, piercing through the carefully maintained facade she had been wearing.
"So all this hard work and effort is just to get into any random university?" Peng Chengyi suddenly clenched the fairy wand in her hand, and the grievances and resentment she had been suppressing for so long burst out.
Chen Yubai was taken aback, hurriedly stuffing the lighter back into his pocket, his voice tight as he said, "That's not what I meant..."
"Then what do you mean?" Her emotions surged like an avalanche, impossible to hold back, and tears quickly welled up in her eyes. "Why... why is it always me who does poorly on tests? Even the high school entrance exam, you can easily become the top scorer, but I can't even get close to the honors class..."
She became more and more emotional as she spoke, and her voice choked with sobs.
Chen Yubai's heart clenched suddenly. He subconsciously reached out and carefully wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes with his fingertips. His voice was low and urgent: "I didn't get into the experimental class either... It's okay. You have the ability. You're just having a messy mindset. You'll definitely be fine in the college entrance exam. Trust me."
“But I can’t control myself… I tend to break down when it comes to important exams…” Peng Chengyi bit her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes, and dodged his gentle fingers. “Don’t look at me… it’s embarrassing.”
Chen Yubai's hand paused in mid-air for a moment, then he simply stretched forward and pulled her into his arms, letting her cheek rest against his chest.
The sudden closeness made Peng Chengyi freeze instinctively, her fingertips still tightly gripping the nearly burnt-out fairy wand, the embers teetering precariously.
His heartbeat was clearly audible in her ear, steady yet strong, each beat seemingly trying to bring her frantic breathing back on track.
A gentle breeze wafts from the river, yet this embrace creates a warm corner within its embrace.
He lowered his head, his chin slowly resting on the top of her head, his deep voice softly saying, "This way, I won't be able to see. Cry however you want."
Peng Chengyi's lips trembled, and tears finally broke free, falling in a torrent and gradually soaking the cotton-padded jacket in front of him.
Chen Yubai silently tightened his embrace, placing his palm on her back, the warm pressure soothing her gently, as if silently responding to all her vulnerability and unease.
After an unknown amount of time, a burst of fireworks exploded in the night sky, and brilliant light and fire bloomed on the opposite bank, making the river surface shimmer.
Peng Chengyi's crying gradually subsided, leaving only intermittent sobs.
It has to be said that after crying her heart out, a heavy weight seemed to have been lifted from her heart, and she felt much lighter.
She raised her face, her nose red, and looked at the wet stain on his chest with embarrassment. With a heavy nasal voice, she said, "I'm sorry... I got your clothes dirty."
"It's nothing," Chen Yubai glanced down, his tone nonchalant, even carrying a hint of lighthearted laughter, "Anyway, it'll all end up in the washing machine anyway."
He carefully examined her expression, his voice softening slightly: "Are you feeling better now?"
"Mmm." She nodded gently, her eyes still wet, but her emotions were clearly much calmer.
Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Chen Yubai patiently said to her in a rational tone, "Don't assume such a terrible ending for yourself. All the effort you put in, every problem you solved, and every night you stayed up are real accumulations. When the most crucial moment comes, they will definitely not betray you."
Peng Chengyi sniffed, a helpless bitter smile appearing on her face: "I understand all the big principles, but who knows, maybe I'm just unlucky in exams..."
"Exam luck? Did Zheng Xinyue have your fortune told?" Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow.
"No way," she quickly shook her head, muttering honestly, "How could I dare ask her to do these things? What if she really predicted that I'd have bad luck on the exam? Wouldn't that make me even more mentally unstable..."
"That's true." Chen Yubai nodded thoughtfully, bent down and picked up the firework bag at his feet. "Shall we set them off again?"
"Release it!" Peng Chengyi finally perked up. "I'm going to release the biggest one! Let's blow away all the bad luck from the mock exam!"
"Sure," Chen Yubai chuckled at her sudden burst of fighting spirit, picked out the biggest firework from the bag at his feet and handed it to her, "Dare you light it yourself?"
"Let me give it a try. This fuse looks pretty long, so it shouldn't be a problem." Peng Chengyi took the heavy firework, stood up from the bench, and walked towards the open observation deck like a warrior holding a sacred flame.
"Be careful." Chen Yubai put his hands in his pockets, got up and followed behind her.
“I know.” She crouched down, placed the fireworks steadily on the ground, then turned back and held out her hand to him. “Give me the lighter.”
"Are you sure you don't need my help? When we were kids, I don't know who it was that lit a mosquito coil and their hand shook like they were getting an electric shock." He gave her a teasing look.
"That was so many years ago!" Peng Chengyi's face flushed, but he retorted stubbornly, "Don't you understand the saying 'a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation'? Give it to me now, and then you'd better get away from me."
Chen Yubai chuckled softly and finally placed the lighter in her palm.
But he didn't go far away; instead, he stood behind her, his gaze following her slightly trembling fingertips.
Only when he saw the fuse successfully lit, bursting forth with dazzling golden sparks, did he step forward, reach out and pull her back to safety as she hurriedly stood up.
Peng Chengyi was pulled half a step into his arms by him, and a loud bang rang in her ears.
Fireworks shot into the sky, instantly blooming in the night sky, and huge bursts of light illuminated the faces of the two people.
She looked up in a daze, as if she saw an entire universe burning hot in his eyes, which reflected the firelight.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Double update for National Day! [fireworks][fireworks][fireworks] Comment red envelopes are dropping! [dog head with rose in hand]
Thanks to leventselve for the throw! En, uoow, and 柠烟 for the nutrient solution!
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