Nian Ueno

Hearing a noise at the door, Jiang Weixi turned around abruptly.

He's back?

She stood up in her slippers, her bright almond-shaped eyes wide open, staring straight at him.

"Mr. Ji, what brings you back?"

Ji Dongxun took off his coat and hung it in the entryway before walking in, carrying with him the chill of the winter wind.

"It's too noisy, I'm leaving early."

He has always disliked noisy and crowded occasions, and left the banquet after offering his blessings to the ancestors.

The rest of the Ji family were still playing around, waiting to celebrate the New Year together.

Jiang Weixi muttered softly, "I thought..."

He walked up to her, glancing at the top of her head: "What did you think?"

Jiang Weixi looked slightly disappointed: "I thought you came back especially to spend New Year's Eve with me..."

Ji Dongxun was stunned.

He didn't think that much about it.

She looked up at him, blinked, and gave him a sweet smile: "That's perfect, let's watch the fireworks together at dawn."

Meeting her expectant gaze, Ji Dongxun nodded: "Yes, that's fine."

Jiang Weixi was happy and sat back down on the sofa. She patted the spot next to her and turned to look at the man who was still standing there.

"You sit here, let's sit together."

She lives on the 26th floor. Outside the complex is a natural lake with beautiful scenery. Next to the lake is a musical fountain square where there are New Year's fireworks.

They can overlook the dazzling night view from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Ji Dongxun sat down next to her and glanced at his watch: "When are the fireworks?"

"It must be past midnight."

The two sat on the same sofa, with a distance of about ten centimeters between them.

Jiang Weixi found a comfortable position and curled up in the corner of the sofa: "Mr. Ji, thank you."

Ji Dongxun turned his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow: "Thank me for what?"

She hugged her knees, resting her chin on them: "Thank you for being with me. This is the first time this year that someone has watched the fireworks with me and celebrated the New Year with me."

He was slightly surprised: "Nobody's been here before?"

Jiang Weixi shook her head: "I've always lived on my own."

Even after she went to live with her biological parents, she still felt very lonely because their laughter and happiness had nothing to do with her.

A child who is not loved can only silently watch others' happiness from a corner.

Jiang Weixi briefly told him about how her parents remarried and started new families after their divorce.

"They all have their own families now, and I can't fit in with either of them, so..."

We can only rely on ourselves and be independent.

Ji Dongxun was not surprised. Before the marriage, he had done a background check, checking the information of all of Jiang Weixi's immediate family members, and had a general understanding of her family relationships.

He said, "It's great to spend the Spring Festival alone."

Ji Dongxun prefers to be alone and doesn't like going to crowded places unless there's absolutely no other way.

Every time he attends a family dinner or various gatherings, he would find an excuse to slip away halfway through.

Ji Dongxun added, "I never watch fireworks."

Jiang Weixi: "Huh? Why?"

"It doesn't mean anything. In previous years, I would have already been lying down to rest by this time." As he spoke, a hint of drowsiness appeared in his eyes.

Ji Dongxun had no concept of holidays. In his view, all holidays were pretty much the same, with no big difference. He could eat, drink, and sleep as usual, and it wouldn't affect anything.

However, Jiang Weixi couldn't completely ignore it and couldn't help feeling lonely and sad.

Jiang Weixi nodded. This conversation seemed...familiar?

By the way, Mr. Liu Liu seems to have said something similar. During the Mid-Autumn Festival before, he said that he also spent it alone, and that he was always alone.

Jiang Weixi seemed lost in thought, biting her lip as she secretly glanced at him, her thoughts churning.

Ji Dongxun then asked her, "Didn't Ji Xingzhou spend New Year's Eve with you?"

When this person was suddenly mentioned, she was stunned and subconsciously replied, "No, him..."

Actually, Jiang Weixi wanted to say that she and Ji Xingzhou didn't have that kind of relationship; they weren't really a couple.

Ji Dongxun interrupted her, as if remembering something: "He seems to always be at family dinners, so he really doesn't have time to spend with you."

When Ji Dongxun left tonight, he saw a group of young people drinking and chatting together; they were all juniors from the main and collateral branches of the Ji family.

Some of them look familiar, but I can't name most of them.

The young man surrounded by the crowd was Ji Xingzhou, who was busy with flattery and fawning.

Tonight, Jiang Weixi is a lonely and lost little girl.

Her occasional vulnerability stirred his heart and made him want to protect her.

Ji Dongxun glanced at his watch again, stood up, and said crisply, "Let's go."

"Huh?" Jiang Weixi stood up, a look of confusion in her eyes. "Where to?"

"What's the point of watching from inside the house? Go outside and see."

"Now?"

"Okay, go get dressed."

"good!"

Half an hour later, the two appeared at Yuehu Music Square outside the residential area.

The weather is cold.

There were more people outside than Jiang Weixi had imagined.

Most of the people there were young people waiting to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks, while some children were jumping around chasing and playing with each other.

Jiang Weixi was wearing a down jacket, a hat, and a scarf, completely covered up except for her beautiful eyes.

Ji Dongxun wore a thick black cashmere coat, his posture was as upright as bamboo, and his temperament was outstanding.

The two walked side by side, their backs looking exceptionally well-matched.

It was her first time running out to play on New Year's Eve, and she was a little excited, with a touch of sweetness in her heart.

The time jumps to 00:00.

The noisy square quieted down, and everyone stood still, looking up at each other in unison.

The first firework exploded against the deep blue sky, its golden-red light trailing long, slender tails, like a phoenix spreading its burning wings.

Immediately afterwards, streams of silver, emerald green, and violet light rushed into the night sky, bursting into a shower of stars at the highest point.

Jiang Weixi tilted her head back, and the white breath she exhaled was tinged with a warm pink by the fireworks.

So this is what it feels like to watch fireworks from the outside.

Without the obstruction of glass, it's clearer, more intuitive, and more stunning.

A giant firework burst open in the sky, shaped like a weeping willow, with thousands of golden ribbons hanging down.

She turned her head to look at him.

The fireworks flickered in his eyes, and his once cold and indifferent eyes became affectionate and shimmering.

His tall, imposing figure seemed to be coated with flowing rainbow colors.

At that moment, Ji Dongxun happened to look down at her, and in his dark pupils, there was only her reflection.

The surrounding noise faded away, and they seemed to have only each other in their eyes.

My heart was pounding.

Jiang Weixi blushed and looked away.

The fireworks gradually faded away.

The crowd dispersed.

Couples walked by hand in hand.

Jiang Weixi and Ji Dongxun walked back side by side along the lake.

A little boy selling flowers by the roadside ran over and stuffed a bunch of red roses into Ji Dongxun's hand.

"Uncle, let's buy a bouquet of flowers for the pretty lady."

Ji Dongxun was stunned for a moment.