Chapitre 12: Happy Lantern Festival_1
The very center of the plaza had a stage set up, with a band singing on it.
However, the music was overshadowed by the surrounding noise, with only sporadic sounds making it through.
"Dr. Chu," Nian Yuyu looked back at Chu You.
The crowd was dense, the noise was deafening, and she couldn't help but raise her voice, "Let's head out."
"What?" Chu You seemed not to have heard her clearly and leaned in closer to her.
Their proximity closed, and Nian Yuyu could even see his thick, dark eyelashes clearly.
"What did you just say?" Chu You looked down at her, his deep voice carrying a hint of fireworks amidst the roar of the crowd.
However, Nian Yuyu just stared at him dumbly, feeling like her heartbeat had skipped a beat at that moment.
Surrounded by the surging crowd, brushing shoulders and elbows, his deep eyes reflected her image.
His clear, cold eyes seemed to exude a silent enchantment at that moment.
Being gazed at by him, Nian Yuyu's ears heated up, an indescribable wild thought spreading quietly in her heart.
Suddenly, a couple shouting "excuse us" passed by behind Nian Yuyu, bumping into her in haste. She stumbled from the impact, pitching forward.
The next instant, she fell into a pair of broad arms.
It was Chu You; he hadn't moved aside but had caught her.
"How are you?" A lazy, pleasant voice came from above her head.
Nian Yuyu quickly stood upright, feeling somewhat guilty, "I'm fine."
"It's crowded, be careful," Chu You's gaze paused on her blushing cheeks for a moment before moving away.
"Yeah," Nian Yuyu responded timidly, not daring to look at him any longer.
Just now, when she bumped into his chest, her nose caught a hint of a light, elegant tea fragrance.
It turned out that when she was closer to him, the smell of disinfectant was less noticeable.
"Let's get out of here," noticing her disinterest in continuing to wander, Chu You spoke up at the right time, taking a small step back, maintaining a distance that wasn't overly intimate.
Nian Yuyu nodded her head and walked out, somewhat dizzily.
She hadn't had any alcohol, yet she felt somewhat intoxicated, lost in that elegant tea fragrance.
The two made their way against the crowd towards the edge of the plaza, with Nian Yuyu in front. She didn't notice that Chu You, always in a protector's stance, was keeping the surrounding crowd at bay behind her.
And when he looked at her, his narrow eyes slightly lifted at the corners, a light, faint smile twinkling in his cool black pupils, softening his usually cold demeanor considerably.
Finally, they squeezed out of the plaza, and Nian Yuyu let out a sigh of relief.
The air outside the plaza seemed fresher.
She looked at Chu You, her shyness mixed with a hint of probing, "Dr. Chu, it's almost 9 o'clock."
"There will be fireworks at 9. Can we watch them before going back?"
Chu You nodded, "We can."
A small thrill of joy welled up in Nian Yuyu's heart, unconsciously spreading to her face.
She began to smile, her round eyes curving, bright lights reflecting in her clear eyes like rippling water.
"Thank you, Dr. Chu," her soft voice also carried a touch of happiness.
Chu You stared at her intently for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he averted his eyes.
The two stood on the steps just outside the plaza, waiting for several minutes. Although they didn't speak, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious.
In such a lively environment, Nian Yuyu felt that the air of aloofness that usually surrounded Chu You had vanished, making him seem much more approachable.
She lifted the corners of her lips, a faint smile spilling over.
After waiting for a while longer, a few snack stalls arrived.
The vendors hawked energetically, the tempting aroma of their food quickly permeating the air.
Nian Yuyu quietly glanced toward a small stall selling roasted sweet potatoes, feeling somewhat tempted.
"Want to eat roasted sweet potatoes?" Chu You saw her staring for several seconds, her face full of longing, a flash of amusement quickly passing through the depths of his dark eyes.
Nian Yuyu snapped back to reality, her voice eager as she asked, "Can we?"
He was a doctor, would he have a germ phobia, would he think these street stalls were unsanitary?
"We can." Chu You's voice was unusually warm and pleasing, his typically cool tone touched with an almost imperceptible indulgence, "It's cold, so it's okay to eat."
Nian Yuyu's anxious heart was instantly replaced by joy, her bright eyes curving into a soft arc as she walked over to the roasted sweet potato stall to line up.
Chu You's deep black eyes watched her, his thin lips curling into a very small arc.
After queuing for a few minutes, it was finally Nian Yuyu's turn, and she expertly picked out two roasted sweet potatoes with slightly cracked skins.
Just as she was about to take out her phone to pay, a cold, white, slender hand reached over, took her phone, and directly scanned to pay.
"Dr. Chu..." Nian Yuyu looked blankly as Chu You took back his phone.
"My treat," said Chu You with an unflappable tone.
He then reached out to take the sweet potatoes handed over by the vendor, his dark eyes fixing on her, "Which one do you want?"
"They're both the same." Nian Yuyu suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, trying to remain calm, "I picked them, so they're definitely sweet."
A smile seemed to deepen in Chu You's eyes as he handed her one of the sweet potatoes.
The two returned to their previous spot, where there were fewer people.
Nian Yuyu peeled the sweet potato while covertly glancing at Chu You out of the corner of her eye, relieved to see that his actions were decisive without hesitation.
Peeling back the slightly burnt skin, the sweet potato's aroma steamed into wafts of hot air, rising and dispersing.
Nian Yuyu scooped up a bite with a spoon, soft, mushy, and sweet; she squinted her eyes in satisfaction and looked back at Chu You.
Matching her expectant gaze, Chu You also scooped up a small bite.
"How is it? Sweet or not?" Nian Yuyu, considering herself a bit of a connoisseur when it came to choosing roasted sweet potatoes, had some confidence in her judgement.
"Sweet," Chu You replied at an unhurried pace, his gaze, however, was fixed on her face.
A distinct look of pride appeared on Nian Yuyu's face, and just as she was about to say something, the chime of the square's clock sounded, the deep tone echoing throughout the plaza.
"It's nine! Fireworks are about to start!" Her thoughts were suddenly drawn away as she looked up at the night sky, her fair face brimming with excitement and anticipation.
Chu You, however, did not move, his tranquil gaze still resting on her.
A minute later, a rocket burst into the night sky, igniting suddenly in a burst of splendid color.
One after another, numerous fireworks soared into the night, each one blossoming one after the other under the black canvas above.
Nian Yuyu stared straight at the fireworks, whereas Chu You was entirely focused on her, watching her radiant smile. In that moment, emotions surged in his heart--emotions that he had always suppressed, now tumultuously welling up.
Time elapsed, and eventually, the last glimmer of brilliant hue faded from the night sky, and the quiet square came back to life with noise as the fireworks display came to an end.
Nian Yuyu looked down, only to abruptly lock eyes with Chu You's deep black ones.
He was observing her, the usual coldness in his reserved features giving way to a subtle warmth.
"Nian Yuyu."
"Hmm?"
"Happy Lantern Festival."
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone