Chapter 80.2

As night fell, the number of visitors in the People’s Park didn’t decrease; instead, it grew. The fireworks display, originally scheduled for 8:30, was postponed to 10:00. The group wandered around the park until 9:00, then bought boat tickets for a night cruise along the entire length of the city river.

On both sides of the river, tall buildings towered in the distance, with neon lights flickering. Under the streetlights near the shore, crowds of people gathered, some wearing glowing headbands and balloons floating above, swaying with the flow of the crowd.

Forty minutes later, the sightseeing boat docked, and they disembarked, walking along the riverside towards a quieter area. They finally settled in a spot with a wide, unobstructed view of the river, free from tall trees, and sat down to wait for the fireworks.

Behind them, unfamiliar faces passed by, not only small children but also many young college students, each holding various kinds of balloons.

A middle-aged woman selling balloons nearby was calling out to attract customers, holding a large bunch of colorful balloons.

Lin Hexi turned his head toward the source of the voice.

Noticing his movement, You Chong’s lips curved slightly upward. “Do you want a balloon too?” he asked with a hint of amusement.

Lin Hexi turned back at the sound of You Chong’s voice and smiled. “How could that be? I’m not a child.” He stretched his legs lazily. “I just find it a bit odd. Why are so many adults holding balloons?”

Zhao Du, sitting in front of them, turned around and explained, “I heard that at midnight, people write their New Year’s wishes on the balloons and then let them go.”

Zhou Xuan raised his eyebrow and chimed in, “Sounds kind of fun. Let’s buy some after the fireworks.”

Zhao Du responded, “But we don’t have a pen.”

After hearing this, Yang Juan rummaged through the pockets of his down jacket and finally pulled out the ballpoint pen that You Chong had used earlier in the afternoon. “I have one here.”

Zhou Xuan laughed, “Perfect, it’ll come in handy.”

Just as Yang Juan was about to say something else, they heard a rising commotion from the densely packed crowd ahead.

Lin Hexi glanced at his phone and reminded the three sitting in front, “The fireworks are about to start.”

As soon as he spoke, the time on his phone ticked over to 10:00.

In the distance, a clear sound echoed from the other side of the river as fireworks shot into the sky, bursting into vibrant displays under the dark night, instantly lighting up the view.

The three in front quickly turned their heads to look up at the sky. In the faint glow of the fireworks, Lin Hexi instinctively turned his head and glanced at You Chong.

Lin Hexi only caught a glimpse of You Chong’s high, straight nose before the fireworks in the sky faded away, leaving behind only falling sparks and ash that drifted down toward the river.

Then, the second firework shot up, soaring into the night sky before blooming brilliantly.

The third.

The fourth.

In the midst of the fireworks, Lin Hexi turned his face again, and his gaze briefly met You Chong’s.

The next moment, they leaned in toward each other, tilting their heads as their lips met in a kiss.

Overhead, the fireworks shifted from blooming flowers to smiling faces.

Zhou Xuan couldn’t resist turning around, intending to say something to You Chong, but instead, amidst the bright fireworks, all he saw were the profiles of You Chong and Lin Hexi kissing.

The words that had been on the tip of Zhou Xuan’s tongue were swallowed back down. He snorted quietly to himself, and turning back around. In one swift motion, he draped his arms over the shoulders of Yang Juan and Zhao Du, gently pressing their heads forward, preventing them from turning around.

Both of them looked at him, puzzled.

Zhou Xuan said nothing, casually patting their heads. His voice was laced with a lazy smile as he drawled, “Focus. Watch the fireworks.”

The fireworks ended half an hour later.

People sitting along the riverbank began standing up one after another, heading toward the central square of the park to await the New Year’s countdown.

Zhao Du pulled Yang Juan along to buy balloons, but feeling embarrassed to carry them himself, he tied all five balloons to Yang Juan’s wrist and led him back to their meeting spot.

When the two returned, Zhou Xuan teased, “You’re bullying Yang Juan again.”

Zhao Du, feeling a bit guilty, rubbed his nose and said, “Well, he is the youngest among us.”

Once they were all together, the five of them joined the flow of people heading toward the central square for the New Year’s countdown.

The central square of the park was spacious and brightly lit. More and more people gathered, with voices and laughter mingling in the air.

From their spot in the square, everyone could clearly see the distant towering high-rise illuminated with changing neon lights, standing tall against the night sky.

The five of them sat by the flowerbed, heads down, writing on their balloons.

The pen from Yang Juan’s pocket was passed along from one person to the next.

After Zhou Xuan finished writing, he first checked what Zhao Du and Yang Juan had written, then tried to peek at the balloon in You Chong’s hand.

But You Chong had already finished writing and released his balloon into the air without letting Zhou Xuan see it.

Zhou Xuan’s curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t help but ask, “What did you write?”

You Chong replied, “It’s a New Year’s wish. How could I let you see it?”

Zhou Xuan clicked his tongue lightly at that. “I can guess anyway,” he said confidently. “People in the honeymoon phase just write things like ‘Never be apart,’ right?” He raised his eyebrows, sure of himself. “Am I right?”

You Chong simply smiled, offering no confirmation, and didn’t respond further.

Seeing that he couldn’t get anything out of You Chong, Zhou Xuan switched his attention to Lin Hexi, asking with a meaningful look, “Did you write the same thing?”

Lin Hexi glanced at him for a moment before slowly replying with two words: “It’s a secret.”

Zhou Xuan was speechless for a second, finally losing interest and walking away from the two of them.

Lin Hexi didn’t ask You Chong what he had written, nor did he tell You Chong what he had written himself.

With one minute left until midnight, the tower in the distance began to display a countdown in red electronic numbers.

The crowd in the square grew more excited, and the five of them stood up from the flowerbed, taking a few steps forward before settling in a spot facing the tower.

After pulling his gaze away from the faces of the strangers around them, Lin Hexi looked up at the tower glowing against the night sky.

But You Chong wasn’t looking at the tower; he was looking at Lin Hexi. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I wrote?” he asked.

Lin Hexi chuckled at You Chong’s words. “But you didn’t ask me either, did you?”

You Chong raised his eyebrow slowly. “So, are we seeing who can stay more patient?”

“I never said that,” Lin Hexi replied with a teasing tone. “Weren’t you the one who said that a New Year’s wish shouldn’t be spoken aloud?”

You Chong gave a soft, amused huff and, true to his word, didn’t bring it up again.

As the two of them spoke, the countdown reached the final ten seconds.

In just ten seconds, the old year would pass, and the new year would arrive.

The electronic time on the tower disappeared, replaced by bright red numbers counting down from ten.

People in the square began joining in the countdown, their voices filled with excitement and anticipation, echoing across the entire square—loud and in perfect unison.

As the countdown reached its final number, the tower’s electronic display instantly switched to midnight.

Lin Hexi untied the string from his wrist and watched as the balloon rose from his hand, quickly blending into the sea of hundreds, then thousands, of other balloons. It floated higher and higher, becoming a tiny dot at the edge of his vision before disappearing altogether.

His ears were soon filled with the rising cheers and shouts of the strangers around them. Amidst the noise and excitement, Lin Hexi turned and hugged You Chong. “Happy New Year.”

You Chong wrapped his arms around him as well. “Happy New Year.”

Lin Hexi slowly lifted the corners of his lips. “The new year has arrived, and the New Year’s wishes will come true. So, the wish I made last year can now be shared.”

You Chong asked, “What did you write?”

Lin Hexi paused for a moment before speaking softly, “I wished that for the next New Year, we could celebrate it together again.”

You Chong looked at him intently. “Is that all?”

Lin Hexi nodded blankly.

You Chong, however, said, “Not enough.”

“That’s still not enough,” he repeated, then urged Lin Hexi in a low voice, “It’s your turn to ask me now.”

Lin Hexi obliged, asking, “So, what did you write?”

You Chong didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached out and covered Lin Hexi’s right ear.

The noisy, excited sounds in his right ear faded away like the receding tide. Then, You Chong leaned in close to his left ear and whispered, “What I wrote was—”

He slowly and softly spoke two sentences, then released Lin Hexi’s ear and wrapped his arms tightly around him once more.

In that moment, the sounds of the world rushed back in, overwhelming and all-encompassing.

The sounds of the world jostled and shoved, eager to flood into his ears.

Yet, all Lin Hexi could clearly hear was You Chong’s voice, resonating within him.

You Chong chuckled softly. “Zhou Xuan wasn’t entirely wrong.”

He said, “I wished that every New Year from now on, we could celebrate it together.”