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墨書 Inktalez
Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan were undisturbed, living carefree days, sticking together like glue for quite a while. Eventually, even Yuan Ying couldn't stand it anymore. "I say you two, enough is enough. I'm still single here; are you doing this on purpose?"
Liu Shuhan, feeling a bit thin-skinned, made an excuse to get them some fruit and walked away. Cheng Qiuyi calmly held her tea cup, "If you're single, then hurry up and find someone. What does taking it out on me and Shu Han have to do with it?"
Yuan Ying laughed in anger, "Good for you, Cheng Qiuyi. You’re quick to turn on your friends when it suits you, huh? Just wait; don’t let me catch you slipping."
Cheng Qiuyi provocatively crossed her legs and tilted her chin to look at her sideways, "I’m always ready."
This person could turn hostile faster than flipping a page. When Liu Shuhan was arguing with her, she looked more pitiful than anyone else. Now that the couple had reconciled, she was acting all high and mighty. Yuan Ying was too lazy to bicker with her and slowly chewed on a piece of fruit that Liu Shuhan had brought over. "No wonder you've been in a good mood lately. If I had someone as lovely as Shu Han by my side, I'd be in a good mood too."
"Alright, alright, you’re always looking for trouble. Let’s get to the point." Tonight there was a fireworks show near Cheng Qiuyi's house that Liu Shuhan had planned to attend long ago; she didn’t want Yuan Ying to delay them.
Yuan Ying glanced at Liu Shuhan sitting next to Cheng Qiuyi and silently asked her if they should not hold back.
"Are you going to say something or not? If not, we’re leaving." Cheng Qiuyi said impatiently.
Well, after being schooled by Liu Shuhan once, Yuan Ying had indeed learned her lesson. She shook her head and became serious. "A few days ago, I met Ye Jing."
"Ye Jing?" The name piqued the interest of both Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan. Cheng Qiuyi asked, "What did you meet her for?"
"That's not important," Yuan Ying frowned. "She told me something else."
"What is it?"
"She said there was more to your mother's death back then."
"What?" Cheng Qiuyi was shocked. "Is what she said true?"
Yuan Ying was not entirely sure either; Ye Jing was too cunning. It was possible that she had concocted this excuse to blackmail Cheng Qiuyi. "She didn't tell me the specifics. She said this is between you two, and unless you meet her in person, she won't say anything."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Qiuyi relaxed. "This Ye Jing is really grasping at straws. It's probably another one of her schemes. My mother passed away due to illness; how could she possibly know more about it than I do?"
"Regardless of whether it's a scheme or not, Qiu Yi, you should go confirm it in person," Yuan Ying felt that Ye Jing's words did not sound like lies. Her guilt was already established; what would be the point of fabricating such a story at this stage?
"Let's talk about it later." Cheng Qiuyi stood up and urged Liu Shuhan, "Hurry and change your clothes; the Fireworks party is about to start. We should go join the fun."
"Ah? Oh! I'll be right there!" Liu Shuhan was so absorbed in their conversation that she only snapped back to reality when Cheng Qiuyi called her. She rushed back to her room to find something to wear and soon shouted from the living room, "Qiu Yi, come help me see which outfit looks good!"
"I'm coming!" Cheng Qiuyi entered the bedroom as well.
While the two were enjoying their time together, Yuan Ying was self-aware enough to decline Cheng Qiuyi's invitation. Taking advantage of the couple's playful banter, she sent a quick text to Cheng Qiuyi before leaving.
The late autumn night was cold, already carrying the biting chill of winter. Liu Shuhan wore a knitted cardigan paired with a thin wool skirt, which was typical attire for deep autumn. Cheng Qiuyi, undeterred by the cold, planned to head out in a sleeveless t-shirt and cropped pants but was ordered by Liu Shuhan to add a coat. Liu Shuhan even attempted to fasten the collar of the coat all the way up.
Cheng Qiuyi grabbed Liu Shuhan's hand as she was buttoning it and shoved it into her own pocket. "That's enough! What are you trying to do? Are you planning to make your wife freeze before we even leave?"
"It's windy at night; you'll catch a cold if you're not careful."
"I'm not that delicate." Cheng Qiuyi pulled Liu Shuhan's hand down as they headed downstairs. "Besides, who buttons up their coat when wearing it? Aren't you afraid I'll lose you dressed like this?"
"I will button it! Are you implying that I look embarrassing?"
"I wouldn't dare, Madam Cheng. Could you please hurry up? If we don't leave soon, we’ll miss it—this is something you insisted on seeing."
"What Madam Cheng? You’re more like my Lady Liu."
The two of them laughed and joked as they made their way to the citizen square where the fireworks were being held.
It was rare to have fireworks outside of holidays, so many citizens came to watch. Several roads were even closed off to prevent any accidents. The square was so crowded that there was hardly a place to stand. Fortunately, Cheng Qiuyi had the foresight to reserve a spot early at a café on the edge of the square. The second floor had a terrace, providing a semi-open environment that was perfect for viewing without having to jostle with the crowd below. Although the price made Liu Shuhan wince for a moment, she was very satisfied once they arrived.
"Indeed, you get what you pay for; half a month's salary wasn't wasted!" Liu Shuhan leaned on the railing sipping juice, enjoying the cool evening breeze.
"Money is meant to be spent; we can always earn more," Cheng Qiuyi reassured her.
The fireworks show started promptly at eight-thirty. As the first firework exploded in the sky, one after another of various colors and shapes lit up different parts of the sky, booming like thunder. Liu Shuhan covered her ears and exclaimed loudly, "It's so beautiful!"
Cheng Qiuyi didn't find it particularly impressive; with smoke swirling everywhere, no matter how beautiful the fireworks were, they were just fleeting moments compared to the real charm of the girl beside her.
"You look even better," Cheng Qiuyi said.
"What did you say?" Cheng Qiuyi's voice was drowned out by the booming sounds. Liu Shuhan saw her lips moving but couldn't hear what she was saying.
"I said you look even better!" Cheng Qiuyi shouted into her ear.
Liu Shuhan laughed and shouted back, "I'm going deaf!"
"Shu Han!"
"What!?"
"I love you!"
"I can't hear you!" Liu Shuhan covered her ears and giggled, her bright eyes illuminated by the fireworks, sparkling like a rainbow in a dream.
Cheng Qiuyi cupped her face and kissed her.
Behind them, the Fireworks continued to sparkle, and they kissed amidst the Fireworks, serious and sincere.
Cheng Qiuyi released Liu Shuhan's lips and rested her forehead against hers, saying, "I love you. Did you hear that this time?"
"I love you too, Cheng Qiuyi." Liu Shuhan felt her heart soar along with the Fireworks, warm and bright.
The Fireworks lasted for half an hour until the last spark extinguished in the sky. The air was finally filled with a blanket of white dust. Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan held hands as they walked home in the dark. Liu Shuhan felt a bit unsatisfied, constantly reminiscing about which Fireworks she liked best and which ones were the most special, ones she had never seen before.
"You should like them. How about we set some off ourselves another day?" Cheng Qiuyi suggested.
Liu Shuhan thought seriously for a moment and shook her head solemnly. "Forget it. With such severe air pollution, I want to live a few more years."
Cheng Qiuyi was just teasing her, but hearing Liu Shuhan's response left her both amused and exasperated. This blockhead really didn't understand romance at all.
As they walked, Liu Shuhan suddenly tugged at Cheng Qiuyi. "Qiu Yi, look." She pointed to a nearby alley that was dark and dimly lit, where a group of people seemed to be arguing with someone.
"You stay here; I'll go take a look," Cheng Qiuyi said seriously.
"I'm going too!"
Cheng Qiuyi pressed down on Liu Shuhan's shoulder. "Be obedient. If you go, I'll be distracted. Don't worry; these little thugs can't hurt me."
"Just be careful!"
Cheng Qiuyi stepped into the dark alley and saw several boys in school uniforms surrounding a Child, punching and kicking him. She listened for a moment and realized that these thugs were trying to extort money from the Child. When their attempts failed, they became enraged and resorted to violence.
"Stop." Cheng Qiuyi grabbed a small thug by the collar and tossed him aside. "I am a teacher from No. 2 Middle School. What are your names? For extortion and blackmail, all of you need to come to the academic office tomorrow for punishment," Cheng Qiuyi said sternly. The boys were wearing the uniforms of No. 2 Middle School in C City. Cheng Qiuyi didn't want to truly hurt these kids, so she decided to scare them a bit.
After all, they were just kids, and they were indeed frightened. They exchanged glances, and the leader of the group signaled to the others. Understanding the cue, they all fled in a panic. Cheng Qiuyi found it amusing; at such a young age, they were trying to act like thugs, which probably meant their teachers weren't assigning enough homework.
"Child, are you okay?" Cheng Qiuyi bent down to help the child who had been knocked down, but he swatted her hand away.
Strangely enough, this child looked like he hadn't even graduated from elementary school. He didn't utter a word when bullied by those older kids, and even when knocked down, he didn't plead for mercy—he was quite stubborn.
"You vile woman, I don't need your help!" the child suddenly exclaimed.
Cheng Qiuyi was taken aback upon hearing his voice.
The child was none other than Cheng Boming.
After Shen Wenqin was imprisoned, Cheng Qiuyi had sent people to inquire about Cheng Boming's situation. He had been adopted by an uncle from the Cheng family’s collateral line and was currently attending a boarding school that had strict management rules—a school that Cheng Qiuyi had carefully selected. However, she couldn't understand how Cheng Boming had escaped at such a young age and ended up getting involved with these thugs.
"Cheng Boming, you should be at school right now," Cheng Qiuyi said with a serious expression. Although she wasn't fond of Cheng Boming, she had promised Old Master Cheng to keep an eye on him until he came of age. With Cheng Boming acting like this, she couldn't explain it to Old Master Cheng.
"Come back to school with me." Cheng Qiuyi grabbed the back of Cheng Boming's collar and lifted him up.
"I don't want to go back!" Cheng Boming pushed her away angrily. "You wicked woman! You ruined my whole family! One day I will kill you to avenge my mother!"
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