Chapter 30

What kind of friend could track someone down and have a matching necklace custom-made all over again? The effort and thought that had gone into it went without saying.

Zhong Lixin looked at her pretty, gentle daughter. Of course someone would pursue her when she was so beautiful. She smoothed Lin Yu's hair and said, "After what happened with Li Yin, there's no need to rush into finding a boyfriend. Take your time and get to know him well before you decide."

Lin Yu sipped her juice, then looked up and nodded. "Okay."

"Go to bed early after your bath. If you can't sleep, send me a message and come downstairs. We can play chess together."

"Okay, Mom."

Lin Yu didn't want to play chess with her mother. It was too easy to get crushed, and although she could try to cheat, her father would surely be watching from the side, telling her that once a piece was placed, there was no taking it back, and that she had to follow the rules. At the thought, Lin Yu decided it would be better to play on her phone in bed and pretend to be asleep after her bath than go downstairs. She finished her juice, watched her mother leave, then closed the door and picked up her pajamas before going to bathe.

When she came out, her hair was damp. She walked over to the cabinet and gazed quietly at the necklace for a few seconds, then carefully put it away in her display cabinet, together with the red envelope.

The days at home passed slowly and yet quickly, and before long it was New Year's Eve. Jiang Zao had returned to Xin City a few days earlier, bringing her livestreaming equipment with her.

Her boss wouldn't give her time off, so she still had to livestream. She was simply working in a different place.

Jiang Yan'an had also returned to Li City. He sighed in the group chat all day and even drove around outside Lin Yu's shop. Seeing the doors shut tight, he got so worked up that he sent more than a dozen red envelopes to the group.

Only Jiang Zao and Lin Yu quietly claimed them.

Later, Lin Yu heard that Jiang Yan'an had dropped by Star Rise and played a few rounds of Dream Fiend with the engineers there, wearing Zhu Di's court robes in the game.

Early that morning, Lin Yu helped the auntie prepare the New Year's Eve dinner.

Zhong Lixin, still in her pajamas, told her not to fuss. Why work so hard at home? Lin Yu wasn't really so hardworking; she wanted to make some pastries with auspicious meanings for her parents to eat.

Winning her father's support hadn't been easy, especially when her parents had helped her with the initial funding. Lin Yu wanted her father to know that she was making progress every year, that she still loved working in this industry every year, and that her passion could keep her going. Carrying a cup of warm water, Lin Zhenghe walked past the kitchen island and saw his daughter busily kneading the flour. He said nothing; he could see that she was making a deliberate effort to show him.

He would let her be.

That afternoon, Lin Yu finished up and picked up her phone to find her Moments feed already packed with posts.

The newest one was from Ming Yu.

She had posted a grid of nine photos, taken at the Chen family home. In one, she wore a beret and winked at the camera. Behind her was her mother, chatting, and Tan You, who was partially caught in the frame. Tan You was also Chen Lüli's mother; Lin Yu had met her the previous year and had also seen Ming Yu with her arms around Tan You's neck. The photos Ming Yu had taken all had a polished look, but Chen Lüli wasn't in any of them.

Some of their mutual classmates had liked the post.

The likes kept coming. Lin Yu didn't know why, but for a while she couldn't look away from the photos. She actually had a vague sense that Ming Yu was showing her something.

Like when she had asked about the gloves last time. In the past, she had rarely asked Lin Yu about such things privately.

Lin Yu switched off her phone screen.

At dinner that evening, Zhong Lixin opened a bottle of red wine she had dug out of the cellar. She pinched her daughter's cheek. "Since you're not going out tonight, the three of us can have a good few drinks together. In past years, I never dared let you drink because you still had to go out and see your friends. Tonight, relax and drink with your mother."

Lin Yu looked at her mother's face and smiled, holding out her glass.

The auntie smiled as she brought them more dishes.

Zhong Lixin poured a large glass for her daughter and another for her husband. Outside, it was quiet, though the faint sound of fireworks could be heard in the distance. In countless homes, everyone was celebrating the New Year.

The red wine was tart and sweet. Lin Yu drank sip after sip, sometimes watching the wine sway like a dancing butterfly. The New Year's Eve dinner lasted quite late, over two hours.

Lin Yu felt a little dizzy, but her mind was clear. Her phone rang just then, and she picked it up to look.

The name on the screen made her heart jump.

She stood up, walked to the window, and answered.

"Hello."

Chen Lüli's voice was low and languid. "Happy New Year."

Lin Yu pressed her lips together. "Happy New Year."

"Are you free? Come out and watch the fireworks," he asked.

Lin Yu was taken aback. "Where?"

"Come outside."

Lin Yu tightened her grip on her phone. Looking back, she saw her parents studying teaching materials and discussing them intently. She grabbed her coat from the sofa, told the auntie she was going to see a friend, and went out. The road from her home led downhill. She stepped out of the residential complex into the biting wind and saw the black Brute parked on the slope. Chen Lüli stood beside it in a black overcoat, watching her approach.

Having drunk some wine, Lin Yu felt lightheaded. She gazed steadily at him.

At his tall, slender figure, at the easy, languid air he still wore standing in the cold wind. The image of his well-defined arm resting on the table also surfaced in her mind.

If only he belonged to her.

The feelings inside her overwhelmed her reason, surging up with the wine. Lin Yu walked toward him and asked softly, "Where are we going to watch the fireworks?"

Chen Lüli saw that the tip of her nose was red. She wore a light-colored long dress beneath her gray coat and had forgotten her scarf in her hurry to come out. The wind had blown her hair loose, and her eyes shimmered with moisture. When she came closer, he caught the faint smell of alcohol on her and asked, "Have you been drinking?"

Lin Yu smiled with her lips pressed together and nodded.

The hint of a smile was barely there, not very obvious, yet utterly alluring.

Chen Lüli watched her quietly for a few seconds. "How much?"

"A few glasses, I think," Lin Yu said softly.

Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow and opened the car door. Lin Yu bent down beside him to get in, and whether by accident or design, her lips brushed his jawline.

Chen Lüli narrowed his eyes. He shut the door and started the car. The black Brute didn't back up, but drove forward instead. Lin Yu knew there was a newly developed mountaintop park ahead, which wouldn't open until after the New Year. Chen Lüli drove onto a platform in the park. They had only just arrived

when brilliant fireworks burst across the sky.

Lin Yu's eyes lit up. She opened the door and got out, looking up. "It's beautiful."

Chen Lüli gently drew her by the waist and brought her beside the car, facing down the mountain. That was the best place to watch. Clusters of fireworks rose from below the mountain into the sky, then burst open, beautiful beyond compare. Lin Yu held her coat closed and tilted her face upward, her features made exquisite by the glow of the fireworks.

"Is it beautiful?" Chen Lüli asked softly.

Lin Yu looked at him and nodded. "It is."

The corners of Chen Lüli's lips curved slightly. "Good, as long as you like it."

Lin Yu drew her coat tighter and edged closer to him. Chen Lüli lowered his eyes and glanced at her.

"If only I had a hot cup of milk tea," Lin Yu said, her throat a little dry. She made the wish as she watched the beautiful fireworks. Hearing her, Chen Lüli asked, "What would you like?"

"Anything." She turned to look at him.

Chen Lüli picked up his phone and placed an order. Lin Yu looked at his face, her throat growing a little drier. She looked away, toward the fireworks in the distance.

It was still a little cold outside, though. After watching for a while, Lin Yu got into the car while Chen Lüli went to pick up the milk tea. When he returned, he opened the door.

He bent down and handed her the milk tea.

Lin Yu looked up at him.

Their eyes met. Moisture shimmered in hers as she asked, "What flavor did you order?"

"Original," Chen Lüli said. "Your favorite."

"Oh~"

I deserve to die. I still haven't gotten to it. Soon. (Kneels...)

Another 100 red envelopes for this chapter. See you tomorrow.

Chapter 30

"Vroom-"

"Vroom, vroom-" The sound of several powerful motorcycles came from down the slope, accompanied by dazzling headlights. Lin Yu knew the local motorcycle gangs loved the road by her home, and some of them were quite arrogant. She instinctively grabbed Chen Lüli's sleeve. "Get in the car."

Chen Lüli gave the roaring motorcycles a casual glance. He could tell what kind of machines they were from the sound alone. They were all cheap.

He looked at Lin Yu, then at the way she clutched his sleeve. She looked a little cute in her fluster, and a little hazy with drink. He got in.

No sooner had he sat down than seven or eight motorcycles arrived beside the black Brute. Their headlights blazed as they circled it. There wasn't a man who didn't love cars, and they were especially eager for them. With an imported Western Brute parked there, they naturally wanted a closer look. They circled the black Brute slowly, examining it and shining their lights inside to see whether anyone was there and what they were doing.

The lights hurt Lin Yu's eyes. Chen Lüli pulled her onto his lap and covered her eyes with one hand. He rolled down the window and looked out, a chill in his long, narrow eyes. Just then, a motorcycle carrying a helmeted girl passed by the car, and its rider was startled when he saw Chen Lüli.

Then the rider took another look at the man's handsome, aloof face and, with the expensive imported car as well, their curiosity was naturally tinged with fear. They met eyes in silence, and one look into the other man's eyes told him he was not to be trifled with. He hurriedly adjusted his helmet and hit the throttle, speeding away with a whoosh. He raised a hand to signal the others to leave with him, and they followed with a series of whooshes. The window slowly rolled up, and the piercing lights gradually vanished, leaving only the fireworks still spreading across the sky.

Lin Yu was held down on his lap. Chen Lüli released her, lowered his eyes, and said, "They're all gone."

Lin Yu pushed herself upright, and their eyes met in the dark. The back seat wasn't small, but for some reason it felt crowded with two people in it. Perhaps it was because he was so tall. Lin Yu said quietly, "These motorcycle gangs often come here to race. Before the mountaintop park was built, they were even more reckless."

Chen Lüli looked at her and said, "That's normal. The road here is wide, and there aren't many people around. Going up and down the slopes is thrilling. Riding a powerful motorcycle here would feel great."

Lin Yu thought for a moment. "But you rarely go riding in places like this."

Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow. "No time."

The corners of Lin Yu's lips lifted slightly. She was a little dizzy, and his features seemed even more sharply defined when she looked at him. They were close together, and he carried a faint scent, not cedar, but something woody. The alcohol and dizziness kept her feelings in command of her reason.