Swing the sword at the future female devil

Chapter 418 Fireworks as Wishes, Year After Year

The dishes and cups from the New Year's Eve dinner were cleared away in disarray, leaving behind the lingering aromas of food and alcohol, as well as a faint, lingering smell of gunpowder from a silent power struggle among the women.

Outside the window, sporadic firecrackers were already popping and crackling, announcing the true climax of New Year's Eve.

Fireworks are naturally prohibited in the city, but rules are rules, and Duan Huaige, as a Golden Core Ancestor, is naturally not subject to the rules.

Duan Huaige sneaked up to the rooftop. The winter night wind was like a knife wrapped in ice, howling and scraping across his exposed skin, instantly taking away the remaining warmth inside. The dark blue sky above was dotted with sparse, cold stars, clear and vast.

He put down a pile of fireworks of various shapes and sizes from his storage space, which scattered all over the ground with a clatter, like a small armory.

Little Jiang, the Great Demon King, seemed to still be sulking with her hands clasped together. In previous years, only she and Duan Huaige came together at this time of year, but now, there were two more troublesome rivals in her life.

"Wow, Huaige, are you going to fight in World War III? You bought so much."

Yan Qiuxi was the first to cheer, like a bird released from its cage, wrapped in a fluffy white down jacket, hopping and skipping over.

The girl's breath was instantly torn apart by the cold wind. Her bright eyes scanned the dazzling array of fireworks, and without hesitation, she bent down and picked up a heavy bundle of "pearls covering the ground," which, when exploded, could cover a large area of ​​the sky, creating a spectacular scene.

A third war? That depends on whether Xiao Jiang turns evil or not. Duan Huaige muttered to himself. Meanwhile, Yan Qiuxi quickly picked out her favorite fireworks.

"This one! This one's mine! I guarantee it'll be the prettiest!" Her clear voice, filled with undisguised excitement, instantly broke the silence on the rooftop.

"Ah~ I miss this place so much." Miss Yan looked around and said, "I remember we used to sit around the stove on this rooftop, brewing tea, it was so relaxing..."

Xiao Jiang: ? ? ?
Duan Huaige, you actually brought her to our secret rooftop where we used to gather around the stove and brew tea when we were kids! Don't you even respect me, your childhood sweetheart?!
I told you the system for Qingmei is garbage! Anyone can jump on the bandwagon! It's completely ruined my memories of the past!
"Childish." A cold, clear comment fell like an ice bead. Qin Shuangjiang stood a few steps away, the hem of her long black coat billowing sharply in the wind. Her hands were in her coat pockets, her posture upright, her chin slightly raised, and the silver-gray cashmere scarf around her neck made her skin appear even paler.

Trying to deliberately bring up things I did with Duan Huaige in the past to mess with my mentality? Ha!

She didn't even glance at the lively trinkets in Yan Qiuxi's arms; her gaze landed precisely on a slender paper tube with exquisite packaging that looked quite valuable. She walked over, gracefully picked up the tube of fireworks with her fingertips, her movements as light as picking up a snowflake.

The wrapping paper was printed with flowing silver patterns—"fire trees and silver flowers." She nodded slightly, satisfied, her voice flat: "This is fine."

The city is ablaze with lights, a spectacle that perfectly suits my temperament.

"Qin Shuangjiang, put down those fireworks! Those were my favorite fireworks!" Xiao Jiang walked over angrily, but Qin Shuangjiang deftly twisted her wrist and avoided Jiang Xiyu's hand.

"Then was then, and the present is now."

She didn't even lift her eyelids, only glancing at Jiang Xiyu indifferently. Her gaze was like a knife blade dipped in icy water, silently conveying the meaning of "You dare to challenge me?" Jiang Xiyu was stung by that gaze and immediately flew into a rage.

You're implying that no matter how deep our past ties were, I'm a loser now, aren't you?! "Alright, alright, Xiao Jiang," Duan Huaige quickly intervened, pulling a flashy-packaged super-sized "firework" from the corner and offering it to her, trying to divert her attention.
"This is exciting! Whoosh—thump! So exhilarating!"

Jiang Xiyu's attention was indeed drawn. She looked suspiciously at the "skyrocket" in Duan Huaige's song, feeling that Duan Huaige seemed to be implying that she was like a monkey. However, she also felt that thinking that way was a bit like a literary inquisition, so she glared at Qin Shuangjiang again.

"Here you go, I'll definitely arrange it better than yours!"

Qin Shuangjiang chuckled, as if expressing her sarcasm. Then she snapped her fingers, and a wisp of flame appeared at her fingertip, igniting the firework in her hand as well.

A beam of light struggled to pierce the sky, slicing through the inky blackness of the night, like a vigorous brushstroke across the heavens. The night sky was suddenly torn apart, shattering into a dazzling display—first like golden chrysanthemums in full bloom, their petals scattering and splashing; then like silver willows drooping, their strands of gold swaying gently in the breeze.

Then several beams of cold light fireworks soared into the sky. They didn't explode; they simply hung there quietly, shining silently, like solidified silver trees or a star map descending to earth. The cold light illuminated the smoke floating in the low sky, and the wisps of smoke transformed into a translucent gray veil, slowly and silently spreading out.

Fireworks as prayers, year after year.

Duan Huaige gazed at the beautiful scenery before him, feeling a surge of emotion. The tranquility he enjoyed seemed like a fleeting dream, waiting to be shattered and dragged into the harsh reality of his confrontation with the Taiqing Demon Lord.

If only time could stand still for a moment longer.

Xie Cangling, the "green tea bitch," had somehow gotten close and gently took Duan Huaige's hand, seemingly wanting to offer him a moment of warmth. He smiled, squeezed the girl's hand back, and indicated that he was alright.

In the distance, Xiao Jiang and Yan Wang were already having a great time, with fireworks shooting into the sky one after another, seemingly vying with Qin Shuangjiang for who was the star of the night.

She carried the firework to an open space, squatted down, carefully placed the firework, then held her breath, stretched out her arm, and tremblingly reached for the short fuse at the back of the firework with the flame of her windproof lighter.

laugh--!
The fuse suddenly exploded with a blinding burst of sparks and a rapid burning sound! Jiang Xiyu screamed "Oh my god!" in fright, hurriedly threw away the lighter, and scrambled backward like a startled rabbit.

The rocket was clearly not positioned correctly, and it flew diagonally close to the rooftop for a while. Although it didn't actually hit anyone, the loud noise still caused a small disturbance.

Xie Cangling stumbled backward, letting out a short, panicked "Ouch!" from her side. Duan Huaige quickly looked over and saw Xie Cangling, as if startled by the out-of-control rocket or tripped over something, slump to the side.

"Cangling!"

"Cangling! Where did you fall? Are you alright?"

Hearing Duan Huaige's voice, she slowly raised her head. The moonlight shone on her face, and tiny teardrops seemed to cling to her long eyelashes. Her eyes were red, the tip of her nose was also red, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she had suffered a great injustice but was enduring it all.

(End of this chapter)