Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 192 Imitation and New Year's Eve

After a satisfying meal, the crew members emerged from the hotel restaurant, the fatigue and stress of the day's filming gradually dissipating under the gentle caress of the sea breeze.

Many people came to the open space outside the hotel. The sea breeze, carrying the unique salty and humid scent of the ocean, gently stirred the hem of their clothes and hair, as if telling the joy of the New Year.

Hu Xiaobei appeared out of nowhere, as if by magic, dragging out a large box of fireworks and excitedly calling out to An Xiaoqian, "Qianqian, come here and set off fireworks!"

An Xiaoqian was chatting and laughing with her mother when she heard the sound and her eyes lit up instantly. She left her mother behind and skipped over to Hu Xiaobei.

She approached and looked at the large box of fireworks, her face full of surprise. She couldn't help but gently shake Hu Xiaobei's arm, muttering, "Wow, so many fireworks! Xiaobei, hurry up and set off a big firework!"

Hu Xiaobei smiled, bent down, and steadily picked up a large firework with both hands. He then walked to an open space and squatted down.

Then he took out the lighter he had prepared in advance from his pocket, pressed his thumb hard, and with a "pop," the flame shot out.

With a slight twist of his wrist, he slowly brought the flame close to the fuse until it hissed and sparked. Only then did he quickly stand up and pull An Xiaoqian back several steps.

While frightened, An Xiaoqian tugged at his arm and backed away, but at the same time, she kept her eyes glued to the fireworks, wanting to watch the excitement.

With a whoosh, the dazzling fireworks shot straight into the night sky, instantly bursting into colorful bursts, like a shooting star falling from the sky, or like a giant blooming flower.

An Xiaoqian's mouth was slightly open with excitement, her eyes wide open, and her clear eyes sparkled with a dazzling light like fireworks. Her cheeks were also slightly flushed with excitement, just like a ripe apple, making someone want to pinch it.

She grabbed Hu Xiaobei's arm and shook it hard, pleading, "Let me set one off! I want to set off a big firework too!" Her voice was full of barely concealed anticipation and excitement.

Hu Xiaobei suppressed a mischievous smile, deliberately hiding the lighter behind his back, and teased her: "You can set off fireworks, but you have to imitate the sounds and shapes of five animals within thirty seconds, and you have to do it well. If you can do it, I'll give you the lighter."

An Xiaoqian rolled her eyes at him, a hint of helplessness flashing across her face, but she couldn't help but smile slightly: "Hmph, childish. How old are you, still playing this kind of game!"

Before he could finish speaking, the eager glint in his eyes already revealed that he was not being sincere.

"1, 2, 3..." Hu Xiaobei smiled, did not respond, and started the timer directly.

As soon as the timer started, An Xiaoqian immediately got into the zone, and her whole demeanor became lively and energetic.

She first tilted her head, squinted her eyes, and imitated a cat's affectionate "meow meow meow" in a soft and sweet voice. She even stretched out her finger and gently scratched in the air, just like an adorable kitten being affectionate and charming.

Then, it switched to barking rapidly, accompanied by small, quick steps, and imitated Laifu and Candy by spinning around in a small circle.

Then, she tilted her head back, gently pouted her lower lip, and let out a loud "Awoo—", her mouth curving into a perfect arc, her cheeks puffing out slightly, chubby and exuding an innocent charm.

The expression was both cute and serious, with wide, round eyes that sparkled with a playful light, making it incredibly adorable.

Because of the time constraint, her eyes lit up, she tilted her head and quickly imitated a rooster crowing: "Cock-a-doodle-doo—", her voice was not loud and clear, but her neck was stretched straight.

The little head kept nodding and waving its arms, seemingly oblivious to the issue of gender, as if it were a proud rooster.

Finally, she lowered her head slightly, placed her hands together in front of her chin, and playfully moved her fingers, imitating a lamb bleating.

A pair of bright, big eyes blinked, long eyelashes fluttered, and her little head swayed gently, her temporarily curled hair trembling as she looked just like a gentle and adorable little lamb, so endearing.

Thirty seconds later, An Xiaoqian was panting heavily, her chest rising and falling slightly, but her face was beaming with a smug smile, showing no concern for her image whatsoever.

She held her head high, looking at Hu Xiaobei with obvious confidence, as if to say, "See? Aren't I amazing!"

Hu Xiaobei and Liu Xiaoli exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Hu Xiaobei laughed and shoved the lighter into An Xiaoqian's hand, saying, "I'm really impressed with you. Here, put it away!"

An Xiaoqian pursed her lips, took the lighter with her right hand, happily raised her little fist, bent her legs slightly, and swayed her body slightly to the left, making a cute gesture full of excitement. Then she rushed towards the fireworks without waiting.

Hu Xiaobei was slightly bewildered, but seeing that she was running forward alone, he was still a little worried, so he quickly followed and guided An Xiaoqian on how to safely light the fireworks.

An Xiaoqian took a deep breath, gripped the lighter tightly with both hands, her fingers trembling slightly, and slowly squatted down, staring intently at the fuse of the fireworks, as if she were lighting a bomb.

She gently pressed the lighter, and after a moment's hesitation, she mustered her courage and brought the flame close to the fuse.

Just as the fuse was lit, she suddenly stood up, gripped Hu Xiaobei's arm tightly with both hands, took several steps back, and her eyes shone with a nervous yet expectant light.

In the blink of an eye, a loud "whoosh" ripped through the night sky, and the firework, trailing a long tail of flame, shot straight into the dark sky like a shooting star.

Immediately afterwards, it exploded with a deafening roar at a great height. In an instant, the colors of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple intertwined, transforming into a huge waterfall of fireworks that cascaded down, illuminating the surrounding night sky as bright as day.

Although she was somewhat prepared, An Xiaoqian was still startled by the sudden loud noise. She instinctively clung tightly to Hu Xiaobei's arm, her body trembling slightly. Hu Xiaobei felt his arm being tightly gripped by her, as if enveloped by a warm and soft force, and his heart began to beat faster uncontrollably.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "Good heavens, how did it go from Want Want Little Buns to just Little Buns?"

He coughed lightly and said calmly, "Don't be afraid, it's just a little loud, it's not dangerous at all, and the fireworks are quite beautiful."

An Xiaoqian subconsciously rubbed her face against his arm and muttered softly, "I know, it's just a little scary, it feels quite frightening."

Fortunately, their clothes were thick enough for winter, and it was the early hours of the morning, so neither of them realized there was anything wrong with their action.

Just after one big firework was set off, An Xiaoqian happily set off several more, completely losing her earlier fear.

She had completely forgotten the scary things she had been muttering earlier, as if she wasn't the one who had been frightened by the fireworks and hid behind Hu Xiaobei.

At this moment, An Xiaoqian's eyes were only on the brilliance of the fireworks and the anticipation of lighting the next one.

After playing for a while, she picked up the lit sparkler and ran and jumped happily.

Sparks flickered and danced with her movements, and bursts of clear, melodious laughter echoed in the air like silver bells.

Hu Xiaobei and Liu Xiaoli watched from the side, their eyes full of tenderness and doting.

They each picked up a sparkler, lit it, and ran towards An Xiaoqian.

The three laughed and played amidst the fireworks, as if everything around them had disappeared, leaving only each other and the dazzling fireworks.

Other crew members weren't idle either. They picked up some fireworks prepared by the crew and joined in. Some people skillfully fixed the firecrackers, bent down to light the fuse, and quickly jumped away.

"Chirp—snap," a sharp whistling sound startled a flock of seagulls that were passing by.

Some people picked up small fireworks, brought them close to the flame, lit them, and gently flicked their wrists. The sparks illuminated their smiling faces and also ignited the interest of others. Cheers and laughter rose and fell, almost breaking through the night sky.

While setting off fireworks, everyone shared interesting stories from the past year and reminisced about every little detail of the filming process. All the hard work and sweat of the past had now turned into precious memories.

Someone recounted how he fell awkwardly in the rain during filming, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Some recalled the perseverance of shooting a single scene dozens of times, and everyone was deeply moved.

As midnight approached, everyone gradually stopped what they were doing, silently gathered together, looked up at the sky, and waited for the New Year's "bell" to ring.

Hu Xiaobei and An Xiaoqian stood side by side, while Liu Xiaoli stood not far away, a gentle smile on her lips, quietly watching them with eyes full of satisfaction.

随着倒计时开始，众人齐声高喊：“5、4、3、2、1，新年快乐！”

In an instant, the official fireworks show began on time, with fireworks shooting into the sky like rockets, creating dazzling patterns in the night sky.

Red, green, and purple lights intertwined, adorning the sky in a dreamlike way.

Hu Xiaobei turned around, looking at An Xiaoqian with tender eyes, his sincerity evident in his gaze. He earnestly and sincerely wished her well, saying, "Qianqian, you've grown another year older in the new year."

I hope your dreams come true, you are happy every day, and all your efforts are rewarded.

I also hope you can become stronger and better able to face the adult world.

No matter how many difficulties and setbacks you encounter in the future, remember that your family will always be by your side and supporting you.

I will stand by your side, as will all those who love you; everyone will support you silently in their own way.

An Xiaoqian's cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes sparkled with an inexplicable light.

She gently bit her lip, subconsciously clutching Hu Xiaobei's clothes, and whispered in response, "Yeah, you too. Let's cheer each other on in the new year... I'm not afraid of anything!"

The two smiled at each other, and the scene was especially warm and beautiful under the glow of the fireworks.

The new year has begun with great hope.

And the story of the future will be slowly written amidst this dazzling display of fireworks.

If the adult world weren't so cruel...

(End of this chapter)