Chapter 52

On the last day of the year, Mother Qin’s fruit shop closed early.

Father Qin prepared dinner, adding two more dishes than usual.

After the family of three enjoyed a warm and harmonious meal together, Father Qin and Mother Qin went out for a walk, while Qin Xiaoxiao returned to her room to study.

Focusing intently, she finished an English test paper and half a math test paper. When she relaxed her eyes and looked outside, a crescent moon hung in the dark blue, almost purple sky.

Qin Xiaoxiao picked up her phone to check the time.

The first thing she saw on the lit screen was—

Ji Wenchen: 【Girlfriend, are you asleep?】 (9 minutes ago)

Qin Xiaoxiao often forgot to switch her phone back to non-silent mode when she returned home, which was why she hadn’t noticed the message earlier.

【No】, Qin Xiaoxiao replied.

The time displayed was 23:37.

Unknowingly, she had been working until this late.

Father Qin and Mother Qin had long since returned from their walk and were probably already asleep by now.

Qin Xiaoxiao stretched her upper body, set down her pen, and started organizing her test papers.

The screen of her phone suddenly changed, buzzing as it vibrated on the desk.

It was Ji Wenchen calling.

Qin Xiaoxiao moved to the spot furthest from the door and window in her room before answering, “Hello.”

“What are you doing?” His clear and magnetic voice sounded like the night wind traveling over mountains and valleys.

Night wind… Qin Xiaoxiao seemed to hear faint gusts of wind on his side. She lowered her voice and asked, “I’m organizing test papers. Are you… outside?”

“Mm.” Ji Wenchen said, “I’m in your residential complex.”

In her residential complex? Qin Xiaoxiao’s almond-shaped eyes widened slightly. “You…”

“I came to see you.”

“Girlfriend.”

“Would you be willing to come down?”

Three sentences in a row, each one lower and slower than the last.

Qin Xiaoxiao’s fingers unconsciously tightened around her phone.

Going out… at this time?

Her room’s main light was off; only the desk lamp was on.

Father Qin and Mother Qin probably assumed she was already asleep, which was why they hadn’t knocked on her door around 10:30 to remind her to go to bed.

They weren’t particularly strict with her, but going out so late at night to meet… even if it was just a male classmate, Qin Xiaoxiao felt that if they found out, it would still be quite awkward…

The person on the other end of the line didn’t speak, as if quietly waiting for her answer.

The sound of the wind, carried through the electromagnetic waves, became even more distinct.

Qin Xiaoxiao walked to the door and opened it. The living room was completely dark, and she could vaguely make out that the door to Father Qin and Mother Qin’s room was closed.

While gently closing the door to her room, Qin Xiaoxiao softly said to Ji Wenchen, “Wait for me for a few minutes.”

“Mm.” His equally soft response carried a hint of amusement.

After changing into outdoor clothes, Qin Xiaoxiao turned off the desk lamp and carefully opened her door.

Thanks to half a year of not being picky with food, her night blindness had significantly improved.

Qin Xiaoxiao didn’t dare turn on the lights. While half-covering the flashlight beam from her phone, she quietly walked to the shoe cabinet.

She changed her shoes and grabbed the access card and keys.

As she picked up the keys, the sound of metal clinking rang out. Qin Xiaoxiao’s nerves tensed, and she quickly reached out to cover them.

While holding her breath, she waited for a few seconds to ensure there was no movement from her parents’ bedroom. Qin Xiaoxiao carefully placed the keys into her small backpack and tiptoed out the door.

When she reached downstairs, the cold wind hit her face, and the tension from worrying about her parents discovering her finally eased.

Standing at the staircase entrance, Qin Xiaoxiao sent Ji Wenchen a text message, asking where he was.

A dozen seconds later, she received his reply.

Qin Xiaoxiao walked toward the place he mentioned.

Only a few of the buildings had lights on, and the old streetlights in the residential complex cast a hazy glow. In such a moment, it felt as though time was flowing exceptionally slowly.

Her heartbeat quickened with each step forward.

Passing the residential basketball court, where the lights had already been turned off, she saw a tall young man sitting on the steps at the edge of the court.

Qin Xiaoxiao walked toward him.

The young man had both arms propped behind him, his upper body leaning back, and his long legs sprawled casually across a few steps below. Even in the night, his handsome face remained striking, though his expression was unclear. His chin was slightly raised, as if gazing at the sky.

Sensing Qin Xiaoxiao approaching, Ji Wenchen pushed off with his hands and stood up smoothly.

With a slight tilt of his head and a lift of his phoenix eyes, he said, “Girlfriend, good evening.”

Qin Xiaoxiao: “…”

She was still getting used to it when reading it on her phone, but hearing it in person was even harder to adapt to.

“Are you cold?” Ji Wenchen untied his gray-and-beige checkered scarf, took two steps forward, and draped it around her neck.

“I’m not—”

“Keep it on.” Ji Wenchen held one end of the scarf, lifted his hand over her head, and wrapped it snugly around her neck.

Qin Xiaoxiao, her loose hair and chin now bundled into the scarf: “…Thank you.”

The scarf’s material was unknown, but it was incredibly soft, carrying a hint of his body warmth and a faint cedarwood scent.

“You’re welcome,” Ji Wenchen said, slipping his hand back into the pocket of his black cotton jacket. “It’s what I should do.”

“…” Qin Xiaoxiao’s eyelids lowered slightly. She didn’t know what to say.

Ji Wenchen took out his phone and glanced at the time. “Wanna play with this?” he asked, pointing at something on the first step.

It was a handful of handheld fireworks, also known as sparklers.

Qin Xiaoxiao’s gaze shifted to Ji Wenchen’s face. “You can’t light those in the residential complex.”

“I know,” Ji Wenchen said, bending down to pick up the sparklers. “I’ll take you somewhere else to light them.”

“Somewhere else?”

“Mm, shall we go?”

Qin Xiaoxiao suspected the cold wind had frozen her brain. After sneaking out late at night without her parents knowing, she actually followed Ji Wenchen out of the residential complex.

Now, she was sitting in his car.

The vehicle glided through the half-asleep streets of the deep night.

Ji Wenchen’s long, well-defined fingers gripped the steering wheel as his upper body leaned against the cushioned seatback. Occasionally, he glanced sideways at Qin Xiaoxiao, who was looking out the window. A faint smile lingered in his beautiful phoenix eyes.

The car stopped at a red light.

Ji Wenchen rested his left hand on the steering wheel, leaning forward and tilting to the right, seemingly wanting to get a closer look at her face.

Just then, the phone placed between their seats started beeping incessantly.

As he reached out to turn off the alarm, she turned her face toward him, her expression slightly puzzled.

“Happy New Year, girlfriend,” Ji Wenchen said, the corner of his mouth curling into a sly smile.

Qin Xiaoxiao was momentarily stunned before replying, “Happy New Year.”

Ji Wenchen glanced at her, as if about to say something else, but the light turned green.

“tsk,” he clicked his tongue, touched his lower lip, and started the car.

Qin Xiaoxiao wanted to ask where he was taking her, but then she thought, since she was already in the car, what was the point of asking…

A few minutes later, the car stopped near a bridge by the riverside in Guangjian City.

The lights on the bridge illuminated a portion of the river, the water reflecting the crescent moon that had risen high in the sky.

The vast, open space carried a hint of gentle tranquility amidst its grandeur.

On the riverbank and the bridge, there were pairs of people scattered here and there.

From the original owner’s memories, Qin Xiaoxiao knew this bridge was a famous spot for couples to go on dates in Guangjian City.

Boom—Boom—

From time to time, fireworks blossomed across the night sky.

Ji Wenchen held out nine sparklers to Qin Xiaoxiao. “Here.”

This many? Qin Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrow slightly. “Nine?”

“Mm.” Ji Wenchen casually kicked at the fallen leaves on the ground. “Isn’t there a song?”

“A song about what?”

“Can’t wait for the Geminid meteor shower to fill the sky? Then light nine sparklers instead?” ^[1]The line “Can’t wait for the Geminid meteor shower to fill the sky? Then light nine sparklers instead?” is from the song “Nine Sparklers” by the Chinese artist Zhao Lei.

“…Oh.”

Such a sentimental and dreamy song, and he actually knew about it…

Qin Xiaoxiao looked at the sparklers in her hand. “How do I light them?”

A lighter was handed to her.

It was a full-metal, sleekly designed lighter—the very one Qin Xiaoxiao had mentioned taking away last time but never did.

“I haven’t smoked for almost two months,” Ji Wenchen immediately understood the hidden meaning behind her calm gaze. “I just carry it out of habit.”

“Lately, I’ve been chewing gum to quit smoking.”

Ji Wenchen took two pieces of gum out of his pocket.

“If you don’t believe me, there’s still a hint of mint flavor from the gum in my mouth. You can try—”

“No need.” Qin Xiaoxiao calmly turned away.

She flipped open the lighter’s lid and, not very adeptly, slid the flint wheel.

A small flame flickered to life.

She lit the sparklers.

Zzz zzz zzz—the sparks burst out one after another in a lively display.

Qin Xiaoxiao put the lighter into her pocket, holding several sparklers in one hand.

Though she didn’t feel much like a “fairy,” watching the dazzling fireworks bloom exuberantly in front of her was still quite entertaining.

Behind her, Ji Wenchen stood with his hands in his pockets, his usual casual and languid posture.

His head tilted slightly as his gaze lingered on her, the smile in his striking eyes carrying a hint of indulgent tenderness, like a star-filled sky.

These handheld sparklers didn’t last long; in less than two minutes, they burned out.

Qin Xiaoxiao, intending to play some more, turned around. “Give me…” Her words briefly faltered as her gaze met his eyes, which, even in the night, were as dazzling as the fireworks. “…a few more.”

Ji Wenchen bent down, picked up the remaining sparklers from the ground, and handed nine more to Qin Xiaoxiao.

Only two were left.

When she lit hers, he leaned closer, using the flame in her hand to ignite his own.

The sparkling light danced and flickered, casting fragmented brilliance across their two delicate faces.

Qin Xiaoxiao watched the fireworks.

Ji Wenchen watched Qin Xiaoxiao.

…The last flicker of light was extinguished in the night wind.

“I want a hug.”

As the word “hug” left his lips, Ji Wenchen had already leaned in, spreading his arms to embrace the girl in front of him.

“…You—” Qin Xiaoxiao, worried the burnt-out sparklers might brush against his clothes, quickly held them to her side.

The back of her head was held by his hand, and her back was enveloped by his arm.

Her cheek rested against the slightly cool fabric of his cotton jacket.

The cedarwood scent, layered with a hint of coolness, became even more distinct.

The cold wind around them seemed to disappear.

“I want to—”

“Wait,” Qin Xiaoxiao wriggled backward slightly. “My phone is ringing.”

Ji Wenchen’s pale lips pressed together briefly as he released her.

It was a call from Mother Qin. Qin Xiaoxiao stared at the lit-up screen, suddenly feeling a bit flustered.

Mother Qin must have realized she wasn’t in her room, not even at home…

How should she respond?

She couldn’t ignore the call.

Otherwise, they would be worried and scared, thinking something might have happened to her.

Qin Xiaoxiao bit her lip and answered the call. “Mom.”

“Xiaoxiao, where are you? Why aren’t you at home?” Mother Qin’s tone was full of concern and urgency.

“Mom, I…” Qin Xiaoxiao looked down at the ground. “A classmate came to find me, so I went out with them. We’re… near the complex. Don’t worry.”

“A classmate? A classmate from your class? Is it… a male classmate or a female classmate?”

“It’s…” Qin Xiaoxiao closed her eyes briefly. “A female classmate.”

She wasn’t very good at lying, especially to elders.

“Oh, oh, it’s quite late. Come back soon. Or why not bring your classmate home to stay the night?”

Qin Xiaoxiao’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t sure if Mother Qin had caught onto her lie. Forcing herself to remain calm, she replied, “That’s not necessary… Her house is quite close to here.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Mom, I’ll head back in a little while. You should rest early, don’t worry about me.”

“It’s so late at night…” Mother Qin sounded like she wanted to lecture her but held back. “Just make sure you two stay safe out there and don’t go to any dark or secluded places.”

“Mm, goodbye, Mom.”

Qin Xiaoxiao was afraid that if the conversation went on any longer, her lie would be exposed.

She put her phone back into her pocket, crouched down, and grabbed all the burnt-out sparklers she had temporarily left on the ground. Then, she walked to a trash can about a dozen meters away.

Ji Wenchen followed behind her.

After throwing away the burnt sparklers, Qin Xiaoxiao turned back. “Take me home,” she said, walking toward where the car was parked.

“A female classmate?” Ji Wenchen asked with a faint, teasing smile.

Qin Xiaoxiao’s gaze landed on his right shoulder, avoiding eye contact. “My mom doesn’t feel comfortable with me going out alone with a male classmate. She doesn’t want me dating early.”

Ji Wenchen, with his sharp intellect, had already figured out her family’s concerns from her reaction during the call. He just wanted to tease her a bit. “Then I’ll reluctantly play the role of a ‘female classmate’ tonight.”

“…Let’s go.”

“No rush.”

“Hmm?”

Ji Wenchen lowered his head, leaning in closer to Qin Xiaoxiao, slowly closing the distance between them. “When I was holding you earlier, I hadn’t finished what I wanted to say.”

Qin Xiaoxiao’s ears quietly flushed with heat. “What did you want to say?”

“I want… a kiss.”