HS Chapter 48.2

The lantern festival was still the same as before. It hadn’t changed at all since Ye Wenyu left it earlier.

But for some reason, reentering it now felt completely different. It was as if all the lanterns suddenly had shape and color, every part of them looked novel, and every decoration seemed especially beautiful.

“I saw this rabbit in the news before the festival began.”

He looked up, the warm light from all directions casting a glow on his face. “They said it’s thirteen meters tall, the biggest rabbit-shaped lantern in the country. Just hearing the number gave no concept, but seeing it with your own eyes…it’s really so huge, and so pretty.”

“It is very pretty.” Yan Chen tilted his head to look at him, fully appreciating the brilliance reflected in his eyes. “You didn’t take a good look when you came with your classmates?”

Ye Wenyu paused briefly. He was a little embarrassed to admit his mind had been elsewhere just now. “I didn’t look closely, which makes it a perfect chance to go through it again with you.”

The whole park was full of lanterns, with streams of people coming and going, joyful music, and the scent of delicious snacks wafting through the air.

Walking through it, Ye Wenyu suddenly felt like everything that had seemed boring earlier had now become interesting. Everything he passed felt fresh, everything he saw looked fun.

They walked slowly, shoulder to shoulder, carefully admiring the brilliance on both sides of the path. Neither of them took out their phone.

Since they were already here in person, what was the point of looking at the world through a small screen? Besides, sometimes the scenes seen with your own eyes and kept in your heart stay clearer and deeper than ten thousand photos ever could.

There were small vendors inside the venue too, selling simple little things that matched the festive spirit, like cotton candy, sugar-coated hawthorn, colorful popcorn, glow sticks, cat-ear hair clips, braided flower crowns, or little handheld lanterns in various designs.

At the third lantern stall they passed, Yan Chen suddenly showed some interest.

Ye Wenyu followed him over and watched him pick and choose, finally settling on a rabbit-shaped handheld lantern.

The rabbit’s expression looked familiar…it was very much like the eraser that had accidentally rolled off back in the supermarket when he had bumped into Yan Chen.

Ye Wenyu wondered if Yan Chen had noticed. Just as he was about to say something, Yan Chen had already paid and handed the rabbit lantern to him.

Ye Wenyu looked up in confusion.

Yan Chen tapped the glowing rabbit ear, making the lantern sway gently. “I saw the other kids all carrying one. It’s quite cute.”

‘Oh. Other kids.’

‘Other kids…’

Ye Wenyu was momentarily stunned, and his ears flushed hot all of a sudden.

A burst of noise rose up not far away and the crowd around them sped up, heading in the direction of the sound:

“The circus performance is starting.”

“Where? The open area we passed earlier?”

“Mom, I want to see Sun Dasheng do somersaults!”

“Okay okay, hold Mom’s hand, don’t get lost.”

Yan Chen tilted his head, catching the important parts, and asked Ye Wenyu, “Do you want to see the circus?”

Ye Wenyu nodded.

Yan Chen didn’t know the exact location, just the general direction, so he followed the crowd. They hadn’t gone far when a warm hand suddenly slipped into his palm.

He paused slightly and turned his head. From this angle, he could only see Ye Wenyu’s trembling eyelashes and the curve of his nose.

Ye Wenyu didn’t look at him, focusing intently on the rabbit lantern in his hand. “Didn’t you hear? Kids need adults to hold their hand or they’ll get lost.”

His tone sounded quite calm, if you ignored how red his ears were, as if they were about to start dripping blood.

It was noisy all around, full of laughter and shouting, but Ye Wenyu could only hear his own heartbeat, which was fast and chaotic, rising and falling with nervous tension.

Until the hand that had been forced into Yan Chen’s palm was firmly grasped and wrapped tightly, he gently shook the little lantern, and the corners of his pursed lips silently curved up.

The venue’s stage didn’t have many professional setups, so there weren’t any breathtaking, high-level stunts. But with the overly enthusiastic audience and the boiling atmosphere, any performance felt more dazzling than it really was.

They stood hand in hand at the back row. The performers were quite far away, but when fire was sprayed out, Ye Wenyu still instinctively turned his head to dodge.

Nearby, a little girl sitting on her father’s shoulders also got scared. Her mother quickly scooped her up to soothe her. “Okay, okay, it’s alright. The flames are far away, they can’t reach us. Don’t be scared…”

Ye Wenyu felt a wave of embarrassment hearing that. He looked up and locked eyes with Yan Chen’s teasing gaze. His face flushed hot, and just as he was about to say something to explain, Yan Chen suddenly looked behind him and let go of his hand.

The warmth left on the back of his hand was quickly blown away by the wind. Ye Wenyu’s expression froze. After hearing Chi Dongting’s voice, he slowly let his hand drop to his side.

“Wow, it really is you, Yan Chen!” Chi Dongting came running over, full of surprise. “I just thought I was seeing things…what are you doing here?”

Yan Chen: “Came to see the lantern festival.”

Chi Dongting: “You came just for the lantern festival?”

Yan Chen: “Mm.”

Chi Dongting made a sound of realization. “No wonder! Wenyu said earlier that he was tired and wanted to go back and rest, and now he’s here again. So he came to accompany you.”

Yan Chen tilted his head. “Tired?”

Ye Wenyu: “…”

Ye Wenyu: “I was just a little tired after the exam. I’m fine now.”

Chi Dongting grinned. “As long as you’re not tired! It’s such a lively place, what’s the fun in just two people? It’s definitely more fun with more people. Come on, let’s go explore together! Have you been to the giant tree goddess area yet…”

Two people turned into a group in the blink of an eye. Surrounded by countless pairs of eyes, some things that weren’t quite official couldn’t be laid bare in the open and had to be hidden away.

Ye Wenyu was absent-minded amidst his classmates’ laughter and chatter, and couldn’t help sneaking glances at Yan Chen’s hand intentionally or unintentionally.

He never really thought about it before, but for the first time, he realized that not all kinds of lively were good.

It was a little past ten when they finally finished touring the entire park and began to head back.

Yan Chen had booked a room in the same hotel as them, but not on the same floor, so he got off the elevator earlier than anyone else.

Watching his figure disappear, Ye Wenyu frowned. A sudden impulse welled up inside him. He really wanted to go down with him, return to the room together, stay with him just a little longer. He didn’t want to part so soon.

But the reality was that in front of everyone, all he could do was watch helplessly as the elevator doors closed, unable to do anything.

“Did Yan Chen come just to see the lantern festival?”

The moment Yan Chen left, the elevator was filled with discussion about him:

“Didn’t he say it himself?”

“Training all day and still taking a two-hour ride just to come to the lantern festival at night?”

“There’s no rule saying he can’t.”

“Yes, but I don’t get it. And he seems to have come alone.”

The elevator doors opened, and everyone exited one by one to return to their rooms.

A girl noticed Ye Wenyu’s rabbit lantern and her eyes lit up. “Wow, Wenyu, your bunny is so cute! How come I didn’t see that version earlier?”

She was holding a small lantern too, shaped like a puppy and also adorable. She shyly tried to trade it with Ye Wenyu’s bunny but to her surprise, Ye Wenyu, who was usually easygoing, refused rather firmly this time.

“Sorry,” he said. “I really like this one too, I can’t trade it.”

As soon as they got back to the room, Chi Dongting bounced off to the balcony to call his mother, describing in vivid detail how beautiful the lantern festival was tonight and how exciting the circus show had been.

Ye Wenyu placed the lantern on the table, made the little bunny stand upright, and snapped a picture to send to Yan Chen.

A long time passed with no reply, so he guessed that Yan Chen must have gone to shower.

So Ye Wenyu got up and took clean clothes into the bathroom. When he came out from his shower, Chi Dongting was still on the phone. Yan Chen had replied.

Yan Chen: [I just took a shower.]

Yan Chen: [Very cute. It kind of looks like your eraser.]

Ye Wenyu’s hand paused mid-motion as he was drying his hair.

So it wasn’t just a coincidence. Yan Chen remembered it too.

Ye Wenyu: [That wasn’t my eraser. I bought it for Xiao Chi.]

Ye Wenyu: [Are you going to sleep now?]

Yan Chen: [What’s wrong?]

Ye Wenyu: [I forgot you trained all day, and the trip here was so long. I even dragged you around the lantern festival for so long… I’m sorry.]

He had been so happy to see Yan Chen that he’d forgotten to think about anything else. Now that he’d calmed down and thought it over, he realized he had really gone too far.

Yan Chen: [No need to apologize. I came to be with you.]

Yan Chen: [I slept a bit in the car. Don’t worry.]

How could one sleep well in the car? Ye Wenyu naturally assumed that Yan Chen was comforting him, and he felt even more guilty.

Especially after Yan Chen mentioned that he didn’t sleep well in unfamiliar beds.

His first instinct was to think if there were any sleep aids.

When the words “sleeping aids” popped into his mind, he paused for a long time. Finally, he remembered the last time he pretended he couldn’t sleep, Yan Chen had recorded a French poem to coax him to sleep.

He wanted to do the same thing now. The only problem was, aside from that one poem, he couldn’t recite any others. He hadn’t brought any poetry books either. After rummaging through his suitcase, fortunately, he found a copy of “Camille” he had forgotten to unpack when returning from home.

He didn’t want to send a recording this time. He called Yan Chen directly.

“Do you want to hear a story?” As soon as the call connected, Ye Wenyu rushed to speak before Yan Chen could say anything. “I’ll read to you. You can just lie down and listen. Leave your phone next to you and don’t worry about it. I’ll hang up after you fall asleep. Okay?”

The waiting felt nerve-wracking, even though he knew Yan Chen would never turn him down.

“Okay.” Yan Chen’s voice clearly carried a smile. There were some faint rustling sounds of him adjusting position, and Yan Chen said, “I’m lying down.”

Like a kid in kindergarten reporting to the teacher before nap time.

The image of him being so obedient and well-behaved scratched at Ye Wenyu’s heart.

He closed his eyes and steadied himself, opened the book, and began to read from the first page, first line:

“Mon avis est qu’ on ne peut créer des personnages que lorsque l’ on a beaucoup étudié les hommes, comme on ne peut parler une langue qu’ à la condition de l’ avoir sérieusement apprise. ……”

Ye Wenyu’s voice was soft and clear, and the transmission through the signal made it even gentler and more mellow. It was a story told just for one person, and heard by only one person.

The other end of the line was very quiet, but the quieter it got, the more Ye Wenyu’s mind wandered.

He couldn’t help but get distracted, and his brain worked on its own, painting a picture of what Yan Chen might look like now, and what it would be like if he were right beside him.

The impulse flared up again. No, it should be said that the same old feelings are growing back. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the edge of the page, not even aware of what he was reading anymore.

“Wenyu.” Yan Chen suddenly called out in a low and soft voice.

The voice carried by the current poured into his ear, like wind brushing through dry grass. It didn’t extinguish the sparks, it instead fanned the flames.

Ye Wenyu’s breath immediately faltered. He pressed his fingertip down on the corner of the page and answered quietly, “I’m here.”

There was a long silence on the other end before he heard Yan Chen let out what seemed like a sigh, as if suppressing something: “It’s nothing. Go on.”

‘Go on…’

Ye Wenyu’s rhythm was completely thrown off. He didn’t even know where he had left off.

“I’m not exaggerating, it was really beautiful!”

Chi Dongting’s voice drifted in from the balcony in fragments: “Mom, don’t you watch our provincial news channel? You weren’t there this time, but if you had been, I definitely would’ve taken you to the lantern festival and walked all night…”

The emotional threshold didn’t even need a clear trigger, it built up over time, layer by layer, and at the soft sound of “Wenyu,” it reached the peak, only to explode with the unintentional spark from Chi Dongting.

He didn’t want to wait anymore.

He couldn’t wait anymore.

They were already so close, already able to meet, already able to hug. So why still hold back and keep their distance, why leave a heart hanging in midair, longing but unable to settle?

From the 18th floor to the 12th, a straight-line distance of 18 meters. Walking time, waiting time, elevator time…add it all together, it was barely five minutes, but Ye Wenyu still felt it was unbearably long.

He stepped onto the hallway carpet, found the room number, and knocked on the door.

When the person he’d been thinking about all the way appeared behind the door, Ye Wenyu suddenly felt a swelling ache in his nose.

“Wenyu?” Yan Chen looked at him, visibly stunned. “Why did you come down?”

“I wanted to see you, so I came down.”

Ye Wenyu’s words were piled up at the tip of his tongue, and all his bittersweet feelings spilled out with them.

“I’ve been missing you so much that I dreamed of you coming to see me only two hours after we separated this morning, dreamed that you said we’d go back to Xuan City together after exams.”

“It’s not that I found the exams exhausting. I just felt the lantern festival was meaningless, and there wasn’t any gift I could buy for you. That’s why I came back to the hotel early, and that’s why I happened to run into you at the entrance.”

“A lantern festival with you and without you are completely different. The moment you arrived, everything boring became interesting. That’s when I realized it wasn’t the festival that was dull, it was just that without you, everything felt dull.”

“I really like the rabbit lantern you gave me. No matter what it is, as long as it’s from you, I’ll like it. When we got back, a classmate said she liked it and wanted to trade, but I couldn’t bear to.”

“When we’re apart, I always start missing you quickly. I always want to see you sooner. And when you finally come, I just get greedy and don’t want you to go anywhere. I wish you could just stay with me forever.”

“Yan Chen,” his voice hitched and his throat tightened, “I already like you so much I don’t know what to do anymore. Can you hurry up and confess to me? I don’t want the next time to be like this too, where as soon as someone else shows up, you just don’t hold my hand and…”

Before he could finish, his waist was suddenly pulled tight.

Yan Chen pulled the person into the room in one swift motion. With a loud bang, the door shut behind them, leaving the hallway empty.

Ye Wenyu was lifted and placed on the entryway cabinet. Yan Chen’s arms braced on either side of him, trapping him in between. Their eyes met, and Ye Wenyu saw all of the surging, unrestrained emotions in Yan Chen’s eyes.

He wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, he felt incredibly safe.

“Wenyu.”

He wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Yan Chen’s voice was even lower and more hoarse than it had been on the phone earlier. His Adam’s apple rolled a few times before he finally got the words out: “Wenyu, will you be my boyfriend?”

Ye Wenyu’s heart trembled, and it took a long time before he finally found his voice again.

However, just as the word “okay” began to form, it was swallowed by his newly-minted boyfriend in an impatient kiss.

This time, he didn’t even have to ask. Yan Chen didn’t wait, didn’t hesitate, breaking through all his defenses with a deep, fervent kiss.

It was as if he had rehearsed it countless times in his mind, like a carnivore who had been a vegetarian for years finally being allowed to eat meat…he couldn’t get enough, tasting him and stealing his breath.