Chapter 37 "Together Forever"
Song Jiahe forwarded the emails she hadn't finished processing to her assistant.
[Song Jiahe: Which day? What flight? Where are you coming from?]
[Little Book: I might come back from Sri Lanka, but it's not confirmed yet. I'm letting you know in advance, hehe.]
[Song Jiahe: Stop laughing all the time.]
[Song Jiahe: How long are you staying this time? Song Zhenshu, unless the Earth explodes next year, you'd better stay here until after the Spring Festival before you go out again.]
[Little Book: No, not at all.]
[Song Jiahe: Whether it's Kenya, Sri Lanka, Antarctica, the Arctic, or the Amazon, just send me a screenshot as soon as you book your flight. Book in advance. If you can't book, tell me and I'll arrange for someone to help.]
[Little Book: Received.]
Song Jiahe smiled.
[Song Jiahe: Tongtong and I will pick you up then, or your brother-in-law and Tongtong will pick you up, depending on the situation.]
[Xiao Shu: No, sis, don't tell Tongtong yet. I'm not sure when it will happen. There's still a month left. I don't want to disappoint him.]
[Xiao Shu: You don't need to come pick me up, if I can go back.]
While applying medicine to an injured sea turtle in a beach hut in Sri Lanka, Song Zhenshu typed out his last message.
[Xiao Shu: I'll pick him up directly from Anhui University and surprise him, hehe.]
-
The festive atmosphere of the New Year is getting stronger and stronger. In the first few days of December, there were only some materials to "welcome the New Year", but after the middle of the month, the dormitory buildings were hung with lanterns and decorations, and from a distance, they were all bright red.
On Friday night, Li Yuan and his friends were playing PSPs on the sofa bed in the Peninsula Apartment.
"Have you thought about your New Year's Eve activities?" Cui Mingying asked during a break from playing games. "Is there a New Year's Eve party at school this year? I didn't check the notice, but the gymnasium has been rehearsing these past few nights, testing microphones and stuff."
Li Yuan chewed his gum: "Yes, I saw Tu Jing's WeChat Moments. It seems like she's been rehearsing until 11 PM every day lately."
Ji Tong took a shower and came out of the master bedroom, replying, "Mm."
Zhou Tian looked up from the game console: "Then Tongtong, are you going to stay at school to help out?"
"No way!" Li Yuan yelled. "The party is so boring."
"If Tongtong is going to stay at school, then Lin will definitely stay at school too."
Ji Tong complained that the hairdryer was too hot, so she only dried her hair halfway. Holding a towel, she wiped the ends of her hair and said, "I'm not staying at school, so I'm turning it down."
The three of them looked up at him.
Tu Jing did indeed approach Ji Tong, not to ask him to help out at the gala, but to invite him to be the host.
But Ji Tong refused.
Tu Jing thought he was tired from the sports meet, so she assured him, "This time you only need to spend three nights going over the script and going through the procedures, nothing else."
Ji Tong shook her head, saying she wanted to spend New Year's Eve with Gu Lin.
Tu Jing made a glamorous exit.
"Really?" Li Yuan got up from the sofa bed. "Then let's quickly think of where we should go."
Ji Tong dried her hair and waited for Gu Lin to come out of the bathroom before turning to him and asking, "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"If not, let's go out to celebrate the New Year this year."
They have already spent two years together, one in their junior year of high school and one in their senior year.
The school explicitly prohibits large-scale student gatherings, especially on New Year's Eve when crowds are at their densest, to prevent accidents.
But they're all this age, how can you possibly control them?
In my second year of high school, we spent midnight at a villa by the sea. In my third year, we spent the New Year at Pushan, camping and waiting for the sunrise.
Life is like a vast ocean, a mountain range, a river; one year is the sea, one year is the mountain, but I never venture into the sea of people.
"Go out? That's great!" Li Yuan, who loves excitement the most, was the first to react. He stopped playing games, threw his PSP aside, and searched for New Year's Eve activities on various platforms.
"There's a metal flower display and a light show at Jingshan Park, it looks pretty good."
"The area around Beixuanquanba is also fine; there are music performances and a New Year's Eve market there."
"There's also the Qingfu Ring Cave, the Prayer Wall, and the Mechanical Art Parade..."
"Dashifeng Square..."
"Central..."
"Which one should we choose?" Li Yuan sent screenshots of various New Year's Eve strategies to the group.
Ji Tong glanced at them one by one, and found that the content was actually quite similar.
Since he wanted to go into a "sea of people," he thought, "I might as well choose the most bustling one."
Ji Tong had just made her decision and hadn't even had a chance to speak when Gu Lin spoke first: "Central, then."
Ji Tong's eyes flickered: "That's what I was thinking too."
The Central District guide features a "10,000-person countdown," presumably to attract the New Year's Eve economy and traffic. In addition to the countdown, there is also a "releasing balloons" event, with the balloons provided by Fung Ho Plaza and made of 100% biodegradable materials.
“I know,” Gu Lin said.
Ji Tong: "You know?"
Gu Lin took the towel from Ji Tong's hand, casually ruffled the ends of Ji Tong's hair to make sure it was dry, then put his hand down and said in a low voice, "You looked at the picture of Central the longest."
-
With Li Yuan's help, the "10,000-person countdown" in Central successfully gained another twenty-odd participants.
On the last day of the year, Anjing had a light snowfall, which stopped before nightfall.
Ji Tong underestimated the weight of the "mass of people," but fortunately, there was still the "path" of money. Early in the morning, she booked a table for New Year's Eve dinner in a private room at the largest and most reputable restaurant in Central.
After the group finished eating and came out of the restaurant, they all stopped in shock.
Seriously, I feel like there are 100 million people here.
Li Yuan walked down the restaurant steps and had just said "I'm going" when he was pushed and shoved by the crowd and disappeared on the spot.
Everyone: "..."
Cui Mingying originally planned to travel together as a group, but now, let alone these thirty or so people, even three people could easily be separated by the crowd if they weren't careful.
"Let's go our separate ways," Gu Lin finally said. "Call me if anything happens."
"I also think it's safer to separate."
"Shall we meet in front of the big screen at Zero Point Square?"
"OK".
Gu Lin watched Cui Mingying and the others walk away, then leaned against the wall by the door to wait for Ji Tong to answer Song Jiahe's call.
He glanced at the time and was about to go inside when his right hand suddenly felt a chill.
"The receptionist gave me a sample of hand cream, it's sandalwood and lily, it smells quite nice. Here, take a little, spread it out quickly," Ji Tong said.
Ji Tong was a regular at this restaurant. After finishing her phone call, she passed by the front desk and was stopped and given a hand cream. As she applied the cream, she walked out and saw Gu Lin leaning against the wall. She reached out and touched the cream to him.
Gu Lin moved his fingers, but Ji Tong thought he was too slow, so she took over with her hands.
Gu Lin had exceptionally good hands, but Ji Tong wasted them, kneading them like dough.
"Where are A-Yuan and the others? Why are you all alone?"
"I'm leaving now."
Ji Tong responded with an "Oh," her mind completely elsewhere. After quickly wiping herself, she said, "Then let's hurry up and catch up," and turned to rush out, but Gu Lin grabbed her hand.
"There are too many people, they'll get separated."
Before Ji Tong could react, Gu Lin had just finished speaking when, as if to prove something, a phone call suddenly came from under the decorative waterfall and flower wall at the restaurant entrance.
"Baby? Where are you? How come you disappeared when I turned around? Hey? Oh no, the signal is bad here."
The lesson is right before our eyes.
Ji Tong took a large step back and grabbed Gu Lin's fingers tightly: "Then you stay close to me and don't wander off."
Gu Lin chuckled softly.
"Um."
Ji Tong knew there would be a lot of people in Central, but he didn't expect there to be so many. It took him almost fifteen minutes to walk the few hundred meters in front of the restaurant.
The crowd dispersed slightly when we reached the square.
As the field of vision widened, the surrounding scenery became clearer.
The square was almost entirely filled with young people who came here to wait for the countdown and balloon release event, with each person receiving a balloon.
The balloons come in only three colors: red, yellow, and blue, and are all the same size. The only difference is the words printed on the balloons, which come in several different styles.
Guang Jitong saw "Happy New Year", "Peace and Health" and "May you prosper".
Carrying balloons around is a hassle, so Ji Tong originally planned to go get another one before midnight. But when she checked her phone, Li Yuan was shouting in the group that the number of people tonight exceeded expectations and balloons were in short supply, so those who wanted them should hurry up.
Ji Tong grabbed Gu Lin and ran.
There were three balloon stations set up at Fenghe Square. Ji Tong chose the closest one, but ironically, when she arrived, there was only one balloon left at that station.
"I'm sorry, this is the last one we have," the staff member said, glancing up and pausing for a moment when he saw the two faces before quickly recovering and apologizing. "But there are still some over there at Gate One."
"It's okay," Ji Tong breathed a sigh of relief. It takes 20 minutes to walk from here to the gate, and by the time they get there, there will probably be no more available. After registering, Ji Tong said, "We only need one."
Staff member: "Okay."
The staff took down the last balloon tied to the wall, and the moment they saw the words on it when it turned to face the wall: "..."
—Together forever.
Why is this the only one left?
Due to environmental considerations, the balloons from Zhonghuan cannot compare with the popular aluminum foil balloons online, in terms of color and shape. To increase their appeal, they can only put more effort into the printing.
Besides popular phrases like "Happy New Year," "May you prosper," and "Peace and health," there are also phrases for students like "Success in your studies" and "Top of the list." Since there are phrases for students, there are naturally also... phrases for couples.
For example, this one, "Forever Together".
Staff member: "Um...why don't you go and take a look over at Gate 1?"
"What's wrong?" Ji Tong asked, noticing the staff member's troubled expression. "Is there something wrong with this balloon?"
“The balloon is fine,” the staff member said, turning the printed side towards Ji Tong. He glanced at Ji Tong and then at Gu Lin. “It’s just… if you think it’s okay, then it’s okay.”
Ji Tong stared at the curved surface of the balloon for a while.
It wasn't dirty or damaged.
Ji Tong's questioning gaze was so intense that the staff member couldn't resist poking at the words above: "Here."
Ji Tong glanced down at them.
“‘Together forever,’” he read it aloud, then looked at the staff. “Yes, I see it.”
Ji Tong had no idea that this was a couple's item designed for couples.
I just don't think there's anything wrong with it.
He told Gu Lin back in high school that they would be best friends for life.
Staff: "...?"
Ji Tong turned to Gu Lin again: "So we're taking this?"
Gu Lin's gaze swept over the line of words, and after a moment...
"Um."
Staff: "???"
The two then left carrying the balloon that read "Together Forever".
"Ah Tian said there are still some over there, do you want to go?" Gu Lin asked.
"No need, you take it," Ji Tong handed him the balloon. "It was meant for you anyway."
After Li Yuan and the others received their balloons, and about thirty people had gathered, there were only five or six minutes left until midnight.
The crowd in the square stopped moving; everyone stood still.
As the clock struck midnight, amidst the bustling crowd, a deafening male voice suddenly rang out from nowhere.
"Bodhisattva, I'm afraid there will be too many people making wishes and releasing balloons later, and you won't be able to hear me. So I'll make my wish in advance: In the new year, please give me a girlfriend!!"
A burst of laughter erupted around them, followed by a chorus of cheers.
"Bodhisattva, please give me one too."
May the Bodhisattva bless me to become very wealthy.
“Making wishes like that is useless. I’ve heard that the more specific your wish, the better.”
The girl behind Ji Tong: "Really?"
"right."
Is there such a thing?
Ji Tong stopped replying to the message. He was hearing this for the first time and found it intriguing. He was about to ask Gu Lin when he turned his ear to the side—
The girl behind me said, "Okay, Buddha, please bless me so that after this is over, I will find a little dog with a collar on the street. Being kind, I will pet the dog while waiting for its owner in the cold wind. The owner will come looking for me in a hurry and is willing to give me 100,000 yuan as a thank you fee."
Ji Tong: "?"
The girl said, "But I'm not a materialistic girl. I didn't accept it. I said I wanted to support myself. His eyes instantly changed from gratitude to admiration. Then he asked me what I wished for on New Year's Eve. I said I hoped to receive an offer from a Fortune 500 company after graduation. He laughed and said if I was willing, I could come to his company for an interview. Then he gave me his business card. When I looked at it, I realized it was the business card of Anjing's richest man!"
Ji Tong: "??"
The girl said, "But I still refused firmly because I'm not the kind of person who takes advantage of kindness! The richest man was shocked. In this materialistic society, he had never seen such a simple and honest girl. He resolutely decided to introduce his son to me. After I declined three times, I was finally forced to add him on WeChat. I didn't expect that he would be a 188cm tall guy with abs, so handsome that it was outrageous. The handsome guy fell in love with me at first sight, and under his double offensive of affection and money, I finally nodded and entered the hall of marriage after dating for three months. God bless us!"
Ji Tong: "???"
An eerie silence fell over the area within a few meters for a moment.
“Bodhisattva, I…I’m the same.”
"Bodhisattva, Ctrl+CtrlC+CtrlV."
Ji Tong couldn't hold back any longer. Afraid that the girl behind her would find out that she had been eavesdropping, she turned around and buried her face in Gu Lin's shoulder, laughing.
Helpless, Gu Lin took a step to the left, blocking the view behind him.
After laughing, Ji Tong lifted her head off Gu Lin's shoulder, the lingering effects of her suppressed laughter finally dissipating.
"My stomach hurts," he said.
Gu Lin sighed and massaged him a few times through his clothes.
The countdown is getting closer and closer.
The balloon remained firmly in Gu Lin's hand.
"Remember to make a wish in the last few seconds, the more specific the better, and then release the balloon at midnight, understand?" Ji Tong instructed, putting her newfound knowledge to use.
Two minutes left in the countdown.
One minute.
The crowd gradually quieted down, and everyone looked up at the large screen.
30 seconds.
20 seconds.
As the numbers on the big screen changed from two digits to one digit, everyone's voices began to synchronize.
3.
2.
"1——"
Balloons soared into the sky throughout the venue.
Gu Lin also released his right hand.
The balloon, symbolizing "wishes," lost its last restraint, suspended, and rose. The ribbon at its base slowly slipped through Gu Lin's palm, about to melt into the colorful rain, when suddenly a hand rose—
Ji Tong suddenly grabbed the balloon ribbon, like a cat grabbing a floating feather.
All the balloons have been launched.
Only one red balloon with the words "Together Forever" written on it was pulled back into his palm.
Ji Tong was stunned.
Gu Lin was also stunned for a second.
The surrounding area was bustling with people saying "Happy New Year".
Ji Tong's peripheral vision swept over the wish that soared higher and higher in the sky.
He didn't know why he was holding onto the balloon; he had intended for Gu Lin to let it go, but—
With so many balloons and so many wishes, how can the Bodhisattva possibly see them all?
The crowds remained bustling.
Ji Tong and Gu Lin stood very close, and from a distance, they looked like they were snuggling together.
They've already pulled it down.
Ji Tong tied the balloon to her finger, smiling as she did so, and said, "The Bodhisattva is too busy today."
"Promise me."
"I'll make it happen for you."
Everyone's gaze is rising, and everyone's "wishes" are drifting towards the moon.
Only Gu Lin's "moon" stands on the ground, before his eyes, in his vision.
Everyone was holding up their phones to take pictures of the colorful rain of balloons, but Ji Tong held onto Gu Lin's "wish" tightly.
Like grabbing a heart.
The second time.
He said a second time that he would fulfill his wish.
It's 01.01 again.
The moment the fireworks burst outside Central, screams and cheers erupted.
Amidst the bustling crowd, Ji Tong could only see Gu Lin's lip movements.
It seems to be saying—
"Together forever."
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