Chapter 41 Fireworks Show "But, you don't like him that much, do you? ...
Chapter 41: Fireworks Show
The fireworks display in early summer is the most lively event of the year in this seaside town.
The sky was not yet completely dark, and the sunset glow was spreading where the sea and the sky met. The beach and the embankment were already crowded with people.
The sound of waves came layer upon layer, and the sea breeze became warm and sticky, blowing the sweet fragrance of apple candy everywhere, and the salty and fresh taste of roasted seafood also spread in the wind.
Zhui Lian didn't want to come.
There were too many people in this kind of occasion and she was still not used to it. She felt as if she would be overwhelmed at any time.
But he couldn't resist Gu Hong's repeated invitations, saying that he was grateful for her help to the school and him for so long, and wanted to treat her to a meal on the day of the fireworks display. After she refused many times, he finally even mobilized Xiaomei, one of her most caring students.
Xiaomei is a very introverted girl. Her parents and her younger brother work away from home and they only come back a few times a year. She has lived alone and taken care of herself since she was very young.
Zhui Lian felt sorry for her and often encouraged and cared for her, occasionally inviting her to dinner at home.
Xiaomei gradually became more lively and treated her as a half-sister.
At that time, seeing Xiaomei looking at him pitifully and her tone showing her expectation that she could accompany him to the fireworks party, Zhui Lian couldn't bear to refuse and nodded in agreement.
As soon as she answered, she heard a laugh.
Gu Hong had stood at the door of her office without her noticing, with a sly look on her face: "Teacher Zhui, didn't you say you didn't have time tonight?"
Now Zhui Lian finally reacted.
She turned around and tried to pick up Xiaomei, feeling both amused and helpless, but saw the little girl stick out her tongue at her, and then a puff of smoke rushed out of the office.
Zhui Lian looked at Gu Hong again, and she winked at her: "Then it's a deal. See you at the fireworks show at 6:30 tomorrow night."
So the schedule for the fireworks display was finally confirmed.
The temperature in the seaside town has been gradually rising in recent days. Zhui Lian picked up a small green floral camisole, paired it with linen trousers, and put on a pair of light thin-strap sandals and prepared to go out.
When she reached the door, she felt her hair was a little hot on her shoulders, so she picked up a hair tie and loosely tied up her long chestnut curly hair into a side ponytail.
As soon as she arrived at the agreed embankment entrance, she saw Gu Hong waiting there.
Gu Hong's style of dressing was still casual, but the light blue polo shirt she was wearing looked brand new, as if she was wearing it for the first time.
"Teacher Zhui, this way."
Gu Hong smiled and waved, her delicate features looking gentle and harmless in the darkening sky.
"Where's Xiaomei?"
Zhui Lian walked to his side, and he considerately handed her a bottle of mineral water. She took it and asked, "Isn't she here yet?"
"When she was waiting for you here with me, she ran into some classmates from your class and went with them." Gu Hong paused, the smile on her face becoming somewhat helpless. "She said...she doesn't like being a light bulb."
"This kid... just talks nonsense."
Zhui Lian felt a little embarrassed for a moment, and hurriedly lowered her head to unscrew the cap of the mineral water bottle, but she couldn't open it after trying for a long time.
Colleagues at school often jokingly asked if Gu Hong liked her, but Zhui Lian was usually noncommittal about this conclusion. She always felt that... the way Gu Hong looked at her was strange.
But she couldn't tell what kind of look it was, or what was strange about it.
So I often attribute it to overthinking.
"Let me do it." Gu Hong stretched out his hand and motioned Zhui Lian to give him the mineral water bottle.
Zhui Lian handed it over, and the two of them walked side by side from the embankment bridge into the interior.
Her eyes casually swept around, sweeping over the lazy yet noisy crowd in the small town on a summer evening.
Just as Gu Hong handed the mineral water back to Zhui Lian, she saw a stall selling iced coconut milk.
Next to the stall, a tall figure in a simple white shirt had his back to her, looking down at something.
This back view... is too familiar.
Could it be him?
Zhui Lian froze, and subconsciously tried to turn away, but before she could fully turn her head, the other party seemed to sense her gaze at almost the same moment -
The figure turned around.
Bright yellow lanterns were hung on the roadside, beginning to light up.
The man's profile was outlined by the light - handsome and gentle, it was Pei Zhiyu.
His eyes captured her accurately, but he just nodded at her politely, then his gaze naturally turned to Gu Hong beside her and walked over.
Pei Zhiyu: "Principal Gu, Teacher Zhui, good evening."
"What a coincidence to meet you here." His voice was gentle and polite, and his smile was impeccable, as if it was really just a pleasant encounter.
Gu Hong was obviously a little surprised, but she immediately responded with a smile: "Mr. Yu, good evening. I really didn't expect to see you here again."
In his eyes, Yu Peizhi was a generous donor, a kind and compassionate person, and naturally deserved a good attitude.
"Yes, the fireworks display here is very famous. It's a rare opportunity to come here, so let's go and experience it."
Pei Zhiyu smiled and continued, his eyes sweeping between Gu Hong and Zhui Lian. He sounded helpless, "It's just that I'm not very familiar with this place, and wandering around alone seems a bit...bewildered."
"Especially since I've been conceiving a series of paintings about summer festivals lately, I'd really like to gather some fresh materials..." He sighed, seeming a little embarrassed, but still spoke carefully, "I wonder... could you two be so shameless as to ask you to take me for a walk? It would allow me, an outsider, to take advantage of the situation and experience the authentic atmosphere."
He said this so modestly, and with that deceptive face, it was really hard to refuse.
Zhui Lian looked at Pei Zhiyu. She would not be fooled by his appearance, but Gu Hong might not be.
Sure enough, when she turned her gaze to Gu Hong's face, the smile on the other person's face had slightly froze.
Gu Hong revealed an embarrassment. "This... Mr. Yu, to be honest, I came out with Teacher Zhui tonight because I booked a restaurant specifically to treat her to a meal. I wanted to thank her for her help with the school, especially with my work, during this period."
"So this..." He left the decision to Zhui Lian and looked at her with a questioning look, "Teacher Zhui, what do you think...?"
"Ah..." Pei Zhiyu sighed with some regret, "It's okay, it's okay, I was abrupt."
Hearing the other party's words, Gu Hong felt relieved. Just as he was about to say, "Mr. Yu, we'll leave first," he saw the person in front of him immediately take over the conversation again.
His tone was incredibly considerate, but his words sounded strange: "How about this, Principal Gu, you take Teacher Zhui to dinner, and I'll wait for you at the restaurant entrance."
"I'm not hungry, I don't need to eat. Wait until you finish your meal and come out, then I'll go shopping with you and collect some materials."
His tone was sincere, almost humble.
His words were a retreat in order to advance, pitiful and sensible, as if rejecting him would be cruel.
Gu Hong's smile could no longer be maintained.
He felt that Mr. Yu's obsession with "artistic materials" was a bit beyond common sense, but he couldn't say anything at the moment, so he could only look at Zhui Lian again.
Zhui Lian just felt his scalp tingling.
Pei Zhiyu's gaze in front of her also turned over, vaguely locking onto her, passing over her again and again.
She was usually gentle and didn't want to make enemies with others. Since the other party had said so much, it would seem even more weird if she refused firmly.
It was so strange that anyone with a keen eye could tell at a glance that there was some shameful past between her and Pei Zhiyu.
"Principal Gu."
Zhui Lian took a deep breath and made a decision.
She looked at Gu Hong and said in a natural tone, "Take Mr. Yu to dinner. Just treat it as a treat for our town's distinguished guests."
"I...I really don't have much of an appetite today. I might as well go find Xiaomei and the others to see how the kids are having fun."
After saying that, Zhui Lian didn't even wait for the two to react. As if afraid of being caught, he turned around and squeezed into the crowd and ran away.
"Teacher Zhui!" Gu Hong was stunned and subconsciously called out Zhui Lian.
But in the colorful crowd, Zhui Lian was like a nimble fish, sliding into the sea, leaving no trace and hard to find.
"Mr. Yu, look, we are now..."
Zhui Lian's sudden disappearance made Gu Hong feel anxious as if his plans were disrupted, but considering the distinguished guest beside him, he still patiently put on a gentle smile again and wanted to ask the other party about the next arrangements.
But when he turned around, he found that the gentle smile on Mr. Yu's face had disappeared without a trace, replaced by a kind of anxiety and... displeasure that he had never seen before?
Then, Mr. Yu didn't even look at him, and without even saying a word of courtesy, he immediately chased in the direction where Zhui Lian disappeared, blending into the crowd at an astonishing speed.
Gu Hong stood there, a little stunned.
Why was Mr. Yu so polite one second and then seemed like a different person the next?
But his mind quickly came to its senses.
Thinking of Zhui Lian's unusual reaction, a thought suddenly dawned on him—this Mr. Yu was definitely after Zhui Lian! The art material? It was all just an excuse!
But if this Mr. Yu joins... then... then his plan for tonight -
It will become difficult to achieve!
Gu Hong's face darkened and he immediately followed.
In the end, the three of them "met" in a relatively empty beach area near the seawall.
Zhui Lian sighed, feeling powerless in this situation, but unable to refuse, she could only walk forward in silence. The two men followed closely beside her.
She was not a piece of wood and could clearly feel the undercurrent of competition between the two men, but she did not know how to deal with it and could only let the atmosphere become very subtle.
Gu Hong tried to regain control and introduced the surrounding scenery. At first, he could still communicate with Zhui Lian through questions and answers, but gradually, Pei Zhiyu always inserted himself between the two of them at the right time.
"Teacher Zhui, look at the lighthouse over there. This lighthouse in our small town once..." Gu Hong just opened her mouth, wanting to explain some historical stories to attract Zhui Lian's attention and also to improve his favorability.
“This lighthouse is really nice.”
But Pei Zhiyu immediately interrupted him halfway through the conversation. He smiled and seemed to be praising Gu Hongchang, "It's quite suitable as a painting material."
He endured it!
Gu Hong smiled and tried to continue, "Yes, Xiao Lian, as an art teacher, can also..."
But obviously, he still didn't have the chance to finish his words.
Pei Zhiyu's body had slightly turned towards Zhui Lian, blocking most of Gu Hong's sight.
He seemed genuinely just curious and asked Zhui Lian, "The wind seems to be getting stronger. Teacher Zhui is wearing so little, aren't you really cold?"
Pei Zhiyu continued his actions in this way, showing the lingering ghost to the fullest, sometimes separating with his body, sometimes interrupting with words.
Whenever Gu Hong's smile was about to fail and his hands clenched into fists, Pei Zhiyu would smile back at him, start talking to him, and turn the topic to him.
Of course, only he can ask and answer.
The kind of topic that won't give Zhui Lian any chance to talk to him.
This kind of entanglement is the most terrifying, and there is no substantial attack.
It just pops up out of nowhere like a ghost and pesters me from time to time.
It makes people feel disgusted, but they can't tell what it is.
Gu Hong was upset by Pei Zhiyu, and felt a lump in her chest, but she couldn't vent it. Finally, the climax of the fireworks display was about to come, and the crowd rushed to the best viewing spot.
Gu Hong still wants to make one last effort.
"Xiao Lian." He called Zhui Lian, "I know a place with a unique view and few people. Let's go there."
Zhui Lian finally showed some interest. She moved closer to him and asked softly, "Where is it?"
"Over there." Gu Hong pointed to the bottom of the bridge not far away. "Over there, I'll take you there."
He calmly pushed Pei Zhiyu away, trying to completely ignore the other party's existence, and wanted to lead Zhui Lian under the bridge.
But Gu Hong obviously underestimated Pei Zhiyu's shamelessness.
As the three of them got under the bridge, a hissing sound came out of Pei Zhiyu's throat. The man in front of him squatted down, holding his stomach, looking very painful.
His hand was still grabbing the hem of Zhui Lian's clothes as she walked forward.
"My stomach..." The man's face turned pale in an instant, and fine beads of cold sweat oozed from his forehead. He didn't seem to be pretending at all, "It hurts."
Gu Hong was also a little shocked.
No matter how annoyed he was, he was afraid that something might have happened to this distinguished Mr. Yu right under his nose, so he hurriedly asked, "Mr. Yu, what's wrong with you?"
"It should be a stomach ailment." Pei Zhiyu raised his head and said to Gu Hong weakly, "Principal Gu, can you...can you help me buy some medicine from the pharmacy?"
Gu Hong turned his gaze to Zhui Lian, who was standing aside with his arms folded, and hesitated a little. Just as he was about to ask something, the distinguished Mr. Yu seemed to squat even deeper, and the pain on his face intensified a little.
"It's my fault. I'm sorry to bother you. I just felt like I got bumped by something, that's all..." He seemed to be trying to stand up unsteadily. "If you don't want me to... I can go by myself."
In the end, Gu Hong went anyway.
He was half-believing and half-doubting, looking back almost every three steps.
The moment he walked out of the area under the bridge, Pei Zhiyu seemed to have recovered automatically and stood up calmly, without any sign of weakness.
But he still didn't let go of the hand that was holding Zhui Lian's clothes.
"Let go." Gu Hong was not there, so Zhui Lian said directly in a cold voice.
This man was still like this, breaking all the rules and embarrassment in the most shameless way, forcing her to face him.
Pei Zhiyu actually let go obediently.
Under the bridge, the light is dim, but the river is right in front of us.
Not far away, an old woman was holding a small bucket with a few goldfish swimming in it. She said they could be released to pray for blessings.
Zhui Lian walked over, squatted down to look at the small bucket, and was just about to pick two to buy.
One for myself and one for Gu Hong.
But Pei Zhiyu had already followed. He was rich and generous, so he didn't even bother to be picky and just paid for all the goldfish.
He handed the goldfish to Zhui Lian.
"You bought it." Zhui Lian ignored him, her voice indifferent, "Just put it away yourself."
"Oh..." Pei Zhiyu curled the corners of his mouth and smiled. He was about to let go of his hand, and the goldfish was about to fall directly to the ground.
Zhui Lian let out a cry and quickly reached out to take it.
The cold fish and water splashed on her fingertips, and she was a little angry: "Pei Zhiyu!"
"Don't be angry."
Pei Zhiyu seemed to have anticipated that she would not be willing to let the goldfish fall to its death, so he just smiled and said, "Let's go, let it go together, otherwise it will die soon."
The goldfish were put into the river one by one, and they swam back to the sea and disappeared in the dark water as if they had never appeared.
Just as the last goldfish disappeared into the dark water, bang—
Above the two of them, fireworks exploded in the sky.
The brilliant light instantly illuminated the sea. Pei Zhiyu's gaze did not follow the fireworks, but was fixed on the silhouette of the person beside him.
The light of the fireworks flickered, outlining Zhui Lian's raised eyebrows.
She was looking up at the fireworks, her particularly slender white neck exposed from her side ponytail.
Under the light and shadow, the skin has a fragile luster like porcelain.
Just like her.
So fragile, so pitiful, so weak... Pei Zhiyu stared at her and remembered the look in Gu Hong's eyes when he looked at her, that indescribable look that made him want to dig out those eyes immediately.
Why?
How dare a creature that appeared out of nowhere and appeared to be a bit gentle and kind actually covet his pity?
The fragile neck was right in front of him. He wanted to touch it with his fingertips, caress it with his fingertips, leave a mark with his teeth, and pull her back to that world of mutual torture.
In the dim light, his eyes became deep and terrifying, and violent thoughts grew wildly in his mind, almost unable to be suppressed.
He thought that this kind of ordinary happiness was enough for his Lianlian to enjoy for a while, and it was time to go home.
But when the fireworks stopped, the world returned to darkness and noise, and Zhui Lian's faint voice became audible.
She tilted her head to glance at Pei Zhiyu and asked, "Is this interesting?"
Pei Zhiyu raised his head, all violent thoughts suppressed, his face returning to innocence: "Teacher Zhui, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
Zhui Lian was too lazy to continue playing nice with him, so she stood up and wanted to leave.
A new round of fireworks began to be set off. She walked quickly, but her wrist was still suddenly grabbed.
"Let go," she whispered.
Pei Zhiyu also stood up and took a step closer.
The flickering fireworks were reflected in her eyes, and the tall figure of the man loomed over her, and the shadow deepened.
The innocence on his face disappeared, replaced by an uncontrollable sourness.
"That guy..." The voice was low and hoarse, with some indescribable depression, "Is he your type?"
Without waiting for Zhui Lian to answer, he sneered to himself.
The tone turned sarcastic: "Yes, he is more like Qiao Xunli than I am, right? Gentle, considerate, like a good man... huh?"
Zhui Lian suddenly tried to shake off his hand, but he held it tighter.
"Pei Zhiyu, let go!"
Just then, footsteps were heard not far away.
Gu Hong came back with the stomach medicine she bought.
He looked at the scene in surprise. Mr. Yu, who had just been squatting on the ground complaining about his stomachache, was now full of energy, and Zhui Lian was so close to him that their noses were almost touching.
He'd only been gone for a short while, and the two of them were already talking? That wasn't right.
Pei Zhiyu's eyes turned cold the moment he saw Gu Hong's figure.
But he reacted very quickly and immediately let go of Zhui Lian's wrist.
Zhui Lian shook her wrist which was a little painful from being gripped, and just as she was about to raise her hand to slap the other person, she found that Gu Hong was standing not far away.
Her movement froze in mid-sentence, and her raised hand dropped awkwardly.
But Pei Zhiyu didn't seem to be embarrassed at all. He even quickly took off his thin coat and put it on Zhui Lian's shoulders without saying a word, who was only wearing a suspender, with an irresistible possessiveness.
Very natural.
Of course it's natural.
They were once husband and wife, and he had done this kind of thing thousands of times.
"But you don't like him that much, right?" Pei Zhiyu said softly, his tone returning to its previous gentleness, but with some unspeakable provocation hidden in it.
Pei Zhiyu affectionately brushed away the fireworks debris that had drifted off her shoulders and said, "Otherwise, how could you not tell that I was just pretending? Lianlian."
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The author has something to say: [Rainbow fart] Pei Gou can't pretend for more than two days
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