Lu Xingmian thought that because of the fireworks and the dim light, he had made a mistake and mistaken someone else for Lu Shiran. He looked again, and the person standing in front of him really was Lu Shiran.
Only Lu Shiran had such a tall and strong figure and a face with a deep, chiseled outline that exuded a dashing aura.
Seeing Lu Shiran, Lu Xingmian’s eyes seemed almost fixed on him.
Lu Shiran was dressed very differently today; he was actually wearing a black suit with a pristine white shirt underneath. He was very handsome, and even just standing there without saying a word, he gave off a mature, aristocratic vibe. It seemed a suit suited him better. Lu Shiran’s brows were slightly furrowed, perhaps because of the dazzling fireworks.
His attire made it seem like he had just come from a negotiation table or a banquet.
From head to toe, he was just one word: handsome.
Lu Xingmian’s surprise was undisguised, and he walked over to him in a few steps: “Ge, why are you here?”
Lu Xingmian hadn’t expected Lu Shiran to appear here. When they messaged each other during the day, he hadn’t mentioned that he would be coming.
Unnoticed by anyone, the moment Lu Xingmian approached, Lu Shiran’s expression softened, and a slight smile curved his lips. “I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d come see you.”
Lu Xingmian’s smile was even brighter than the fireworks in the sky.
When Xie Jiaze saw Lu Shiran, he also called out “Ge” after Lu Xingmian.
Lu Shiran gave him a faint glance. Xie Jiaze felt that Lu Xingmian’s brother really didn’t like him. Had he done something to offend Lu Xingmian’s brother? If he couldn’t get on his good side, things might get a little troublesome.
Meanwhile, Lu Shiran had already overheard their earlier conversation about planning to attend classes and hang out together in the future.
Lu Shiran asked Lu Xingmian, “Are the fireworks over?”
Lu Xingmian: “Yes, they’re over.”
Lu Shiran: “I’ll take you somewhere.”
Lu Xingmian: “Okay.”
After telling his classmates he was leaving, Lu Xingmian followed Lu Shiran.
Watching them walk away, Xie Jiaze thought about how good their relationship was.
Sitting in the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt, Lu Xingmian asked him, “Ge, where are we going?”
Lu Shiran smiled. “You’d follow me without even knowing?”
“What’s there to be afraid of? You would never hurt me,” Lu Xingmian replied. “So, where are we going?”
Lu Shiran: “You’ll find out in a bit.”
After driving for more than twenty minutes, they arrived at a spot. Lu Shiran stopped the car and told Lu Xingmian they were there.
Curious, Lu Xingmian got out of the car and followed Lu Shiran for a few steps. This was the upstream part of their river, with a few people scattered along the bank. Lu Xingmian asked, “Ge, what are we doing here?”
Lu Shiran: “You’ll know in a moment.”
Just as he finished speaking, Lu Xingmian heard a familiar “whoosh”— it was the sound of a firework shooting into the sky. Immediately after, a huge, brilliant firework bloomed overhead.
Then came a continuous series of “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” sounds, and fireworks burst one after another. Red, yellow, pink, and purple fireworks bloomed simultaneously, and the large blossoms of fireworks illuminated the entire sky in front of them.
Lu Xingmian was both surprised and delighted: “Ge, there are fireworks here too?”
Lu Shiran looked at him: “En, our company just happens to be setting off fireworks here today. I knew you liked watching them, so I brought you along.”
So that was it. No wonder Lu Shiran’s timing was perfect.
Compared to the fireworks they had just set off on the riverbank, these were merely a drop in the ocean. The fireworks here were much bigger, with many different and novel designs, not the kind of fireworks Lu Xingmian usually saw. For the first time, Lu Xingmian felt his eyes couldn’t take it all in; he was experiencing what it was like to be dazzled, unable to see everything at once.
Just as Lu Xingmian thought the fireworks overhead were fading, they suddenly burst into even more blossoms.
Half the sky seemed to be illuminated.
Lu Xingmian could sense a feeling of extravagance from these fireworks.
Lu Xingmian couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ge, your company is too rich! Your boss is so generous; how much do all these fireworks cost?”
Lu Shiran skipped the topic of his company’s boss and asked, “Is it beautiful?”
“It is, it’s so beautiful.” Lu Xingmian clasped his hands together. “I need to hurry and make another wish.”
Beneath the sky, Lu Xingmian closed his eyes and made a wish under the constantly blooming fireworks. Illuminated by the fireworks, the young man seemed to glow.
Anxious to watch the fireworks, Lu Xingmian quickly made his wish in his heart.
The moment he opened his eyes, he thought he saw a flicker of panic in Lu Shiran’s gaze, like a person caught in the act of secretly watching someone. But he must have been mistaken, because a moment later, Lu Shiran’s expression was the same as before. It had to be his imagination.
Lu Shiran asked him calmly, “You finished your wish so quickly?”
Lu Xingmian: “En.”
The spectacular fireworks show attracted more and more people to the riverbank, and everyone took out their phones to take pictures.
Downstream, Xie Jiaze and his friends could vaguely see the fireworks over there. He thought to himself that if Lu Xingmian hadn’t left with his brother, they could have gone to watch the fireworks together. They looked magnificent.
Under the fireworks, Lu Xingmian felt he was a bit far from Lu Shiran, so he slowly, slowly moved closer to him. He then secretly glanced at him. Lu Shiran didn’t seem to notice, so Lu Xingmian moved closer again. He was still a little distance away, so he stepped closer once more. This time, he finally reached Lu Shiran and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Lu Xingmian’s mood was just like the fireworks in front of him; he had a mischievous grin and went back to watching the fireworks. He thought, Lu Shiran definitely didn’t notice. Hehe, doesn’t this make it look like we have a close relationship?
But what he didn’t know was that Lu Shiran had noticed him a long time ago.
The fireworks show lasted a full thirty minutes, with no interruptions.
The climax of the show was at the very end.
Dozens of huge points of light rose to their highest point and burst open. In an instant, dozens of giant fireworks of various shapes and colors bloomed at the same time, turning the night into day.
Lu Xingmian heard the sounds of surprised cheers around him, and he himself couldn’t help but say, “Wow!” The scene was too grand and magnificent.
The fireworks were so beautiful and spectacular that Lu Xingmian forgot to take out his phone to snap a picture.
It wasn’t until the fireworks in the sky had completely ended that Lu Xingmian, while marveling at their beauty, also marveled at how extravagant Lu Shiran’s company was. A fireworks show of that scale, lasting half an hour, must have cost at least a million.
Lu Shiran just smiled and said, “Did you like the fireworks just now?”
Lu Xingmian’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, I loved them.” They were the most beautiful fireworks he had ever seen in his life.
Lu Shiran: “If you like them, I’ll take you to see them again next time.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Lu Xingmian held out his pinky finger. “Then it’s a promise.”
Lu Shiran smiled, and their pinkies intertwined. “It’s a promise.”
After the fireworks ended, many people immediately uploaded videos of the magnificent show. Many speculated that such a lavish and beautiful display must have been a CEO trying to win over a love interest.
After watching the fireworks, Lu Shiran drove Lu Xingmian home.
The car came to a smooth stop downstairs.
Before getting out, Lu Xingmian complimented Lu Shiran’s outfit for the day: “Ge, you look especially handsome today.”
The suit was impeccably tailored and looked as if it had been custom-made for Lu Shiran. If he had suddenly encountered Lu Shiran dressed like that on the street, he really wouldn’t have had the courage to go up and greet him.
However, Lu Xingmian thought that Lu Shiran’s back view did look a bit like the one he had seen that day, but he quickly dismissed the idea, as Lu Shiran couldn’t possibly be the head of the Lu clan.
When Lu Xingmian got home, he idly scrolled through a video feed, and the very first video he saw was of the fireworks show he had just watched with Lu Shiran. It seemed many people had seen the show. Lu Xingmian gave the video a quick like.
After five minutes of watching videos, Lu Xingmian quit the app, put down his phone, and prepared to write a practice test.
His phone vibrated. It was a message from Song Mingyi, asking if his college entrance exam was in June.
Lu Xingmian stared at the message for a moment, wondering why Song Mingyi would suddenly ask this.
He replied to Song Mingyi, telling him the dates of the exam.
Song Mingyi replied with a simple “Got it” and nothing more.
Lu Xingmian looked at his phone, a flicker of hope rising in his heart. So, Father Song still remembered he had the exam this year. Maybe they still cared about him a little bit.
Meanwhile, in Sucheng, Mother Song asked Song Mingyi, “Well? When is Lu Xingmian’s exam?”
Song Mingyi replied, “The seventh, eighth, and ninth of June.”
Mother Song said, “Oh, it’s the same as Lu Sihang’s.”
Song Mingyi thought for a moment, “Is it really appropriate for us to do this?”
Mother Song was unfazed. “What’s not appropriate about it? Lu Xingmian is living in a villa now, in a much better place than us. Besides, we’re being more than reasonable; we’re waiting until after his exam to approach him. We did raise him for many years, after all. Let’s just stick with the plan.”
Song Mingyi considered this. “You’re right. Anyway, the exam is less than two months away, so it’ll be here soon. Oh, and I heard from Mr. Lu that Lu Sihang’s grades are good. He’s definitely going to get into a great university.”
Mentioning her own child, Mother Song was filled with pride. “Lu Sihang is so smart, he’s sure to get into a great university.”
–
That night, Lu Xingmian had a dream.
In the dream, under the fireworks, he was kissing a man.
He couldn’t make out the man’s face, but he felt the man’s embrace was warm and his scent was familiar. He just wanted to be closer to him.
In the dream, as Lu Xingmian was lost in the passion of the kiss, a magnetic, soothing voice whispered his name in his ear: “Lu Xingmian.”
Lu Xingmian woke up instantly, his heart racing. He quickly threw off the covers and looked down.
In the bathroom, Lu Xingmian was flushed and a little flustered as he washed his underwear.
The person in his dream was Lu Shiran.
Wtf are those imbeciles planning — on the other hand, a wet dream? 👀