We moved to Golden Courtyard

With her right hand clenched into a fist at her chest, a suffocating pain made Ellie's breathing slightly rapid.

They've disappeared... They've gotten separated...

Standing on the street with an overwhelming sense of loss, at that moment, a loneliness that felt as if I were isolated from the whole world filled every corner of my heart...

Even though the streets were bustling with people, a sense of loneliness was growing uncontrollably in my heart... Why is that?

When did it start? From what... did I begin to become so inseparable from Xu Qi...?

If you get separated during such a big festival, you probably won't see each other again.

Standing in the middle of the crowd, Alicia probably didn't realize that the smile that always graced her lips was more painful to look at than a grimace...

What's the point of visiting a festival for one person?

Ellie turned around, about to take a step forward, but for the last time, she looked back...

"Aili!"

"!"

Turning around suddenly, in that dimly lit place, the man held a ball of cotton candy, his mask pulled to the side, waving at her with a smile.

Isn't that Xu Qi?

Ellie stared blankly at Xu Qi as he walked towards her step by step.

"Here, I bought you one. You like it, don't you?"

……

"puff!"

As if she were using all her strength, Ai Li threw herself into Xu Qi's arms.

"Huh?" Xu Qi's hands froze awkwardly at his sides, while passersby cast curious and congratulatory glances—what a perfect couple...

"Xu Qi..."

"Ellie?"

Seemingly noticing the girl's sobs in his arms, Xu Qi quickly asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did...did someone bully you?"

Ellie threw herself against Xu Qi's chest and shook her head repeatedly.

"No...no...it's just...I suddenly feel...I really, really like you so much..."

The girl's words were unadorned, but her straightforward innocence was enough to touch anyone's heart.

Xu Qi's expression softened. He pulled the girl into his arms and gently stroked her long pink hair.

"What's wrong? It's just the time it takes to buy a cotton candy. Want to try some? It's quite sweet."

"I just thought...we got separated...A festival for one person is no fun at all, I...I just want to be with you."

……

Resting her chin on Ellie's little head with boundless tenderness, Xu Qi said with a pained expression, "Really... if you got separated, you could have just called me, my silly little thing..."

"No."

Ai Li slowly left Xu Qi's embrace, looked up at the big boy in front of her, and said with a smile, her eyes crinkling as she still hadn't wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Then you'll never experience that feeling of being moved?"

……

Wiping away the tears from the corners of Aili's eyes, Xu Qi handed the cotton candy to Aili.

"She even cried... Is she really made of water?"

"Girls, right? Aren't they just made of water? Hehe?"

Just seeing her smile makes everything seem beautiful; Alicia... this girl has that kind of magic.

"Wow! It's so sweet!" As she said this, her eyes couldn't help but glance at Xu Qi. It was hard to tell whether she was talking about how sweet the candy was, or whether she was saying that being with Xu Qi was the sweetest thing ever.

Just a moment ago I was so sentimental, but as soon as Xu Qi arrived, all I felt was joy... I guess I'm... a little broken, aren't I? Alicia thought to herself.

Looking at the girl in front of him, Xu Qi suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Ellie, I want to... take you somewhere."

"Where should we go?"

"Hmm, when you changed into this outfit you said it was a surprise you were giving me tonight, a surprise from a crowdfunding group 456127940. It's like we're on the same wavelength... because tonight, I also have a surprise I want to give you."

163. Alicia, this is a sea of ​​flowers I'm giving you.

(You can try playing "Uchiage Hanabi" in the background while watching this chapter.)

Holding the girl's small hand, the two strolled through the bustling night market.

"Xu Qi, where are we going?"

"arrive."

"Ugh?"

Filled with anticipation and curiosity, Ellie looked up and saw Xu Qi leading her to the bottom of a building... What?

"Come with me."

He led Ellie upstairs, and throughout the journey, their hands remained clasped together the entire time...

When Ellie noticed this, it felt like she'd eaten a piece of cotton candy, a sweet feeling spreading through her heart... Actually, she wasn't that concerned about what the surprise was anymore...

It's already great that Xu Qi has this idea, isn't it?

Besides... the moment I glanced back at the night market and saw that boy waving at me with cotton candy... that was already the biggest reward of the night.

I love Xu Qi so much... I love him so much, I love him so much!

The young men and women walked all the way to the rooftop, where they could take in the entire summer festival.

Wow! So beautiful!

Clinging to the railing on the rooftop, Ellie looked down at the endless lights below, where there were couples and students traveling together.

Even more exciting are the sights of young couples bringing their elderly relatives and children, creating a joyful family outing.

Such a sight is truly endlessly fascinating...

Is it pretty?

"Ok!"

Ellie nodded excitedly. So... this is the surprise?

Xu Qi pressed himself against Ai Li from behind, and suddenly reached out and covered Ai Li's ears.

Ugh?

Before covering her ears, Xu Qi whispered, "Aili, look up?"

look up?

The girl slowly raised her head, but there was nothing there but the endless stars and the night sky.

"one two three!"

In their field of vision! A burst of fireworks suddenly shot straight into the sky, and just as Ellie's mouth slowly opened wide—"Bang!"

Brilliant fireworks...bloomed...

Fireworks...it's fireworks!?

That dazzling burst of fireworks seemed to have opened the curtain on tonight's grand performance! Clusters of colorful fireworks bloomed in the night sky, creating a dazzling display of colors.

They vanished in an instant, then made a grand entrance! Unrestrained and passionate, dazzling and multifaceted. And Alicia, standing on the rooftop gazing up at it all, felt as if…

Immersed in a sea of ​​flowers.

She trembled as she reached out to cover her lips, her red eyes filled with uncontrollable tears.

A sea of ​​flowers...it's a sea of ​​flowers...

Only then did Xu Qi slowly release his hands from covering Ai Li's ears.

Fireworks burst across the night sky, each explosion seeming to chase away all the regrets and sorrows in her heart, leaving behind... a dazzling sea of ​​flowers...

Fireworks! It's fireworks!

"What beautiful fireworks!"

At the festival, countless people stood still, just like Alicia, deeply attracted by the grand spectacle.

In the distance, Pado runs wildly with the sensor in her hand! And wherever the cat runs, fireworks go off!

Pado turned around by chance and saw bursts of fireworks shooting into the sky and blooming behind her, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Haha! Sister Aili! You absolutely have to like it! Hahaha!"

"Release it! Release it now! Haha!"

On a rooftop, Qianjie and Kosmo kept stuffing Wilvi's specially made fireworks into the cannons, while Kevin and Sue on another rooftop simultaneously launched fireworks into the sky.

Let's turn this sky into a sea of ​​fireworks!

In the sky, Vivi piloted her private plane, circling above Xu Qi and Ai Li. The moment she saw the fireworks, she immediately spoke to the back cabin.

"Fu Hua! Fire the salute! Let's bring this grand show to its climax!"

"Roger that!"

With a press of the button, a confetti cannon exploded above Xu Qi and Alicia's heads! Countless pink ribbons rained down like raindrops.

"Huh!? What's this?"

And who wouldn't look forward to a pink rain?

Ellie covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears. "You can't keep doing this... If you keep doing this... I'll really cry..."

At the entrance to the festival, Mei and the others, who had somehow returned, were also admiring the beautiful scene under the night sky, a scene that bloomed solely for one person...

Greta jumped up and down with excitement.

"Mommy Aponia! Fireworks! It's fireworks! This is the surprise that Brother Xu Qi is going to give to Sister Alicia, right? Right?"

Gently stroking Gretchen's head, Aponia knelt down and said softly, "Yes? Just as Ellie could sense the regret in Xu Qi's heart, how could Xu Qi not feel Ellie's sadness?"

"That's wonderful..." Mei smiled slightly. If it were Airi... she really wouldn't feel jealous at all... After all, she truly deserved such a surprise...

Sakura and Mebius exchanged a glance, and both of them couldn't help but smile.

Who wouldn't love... that fairy-like pink lady?

Meanwhile, Eden and Theresa were also enjoying the magnificent spectacle under the night sky.

"You have a vivid imagination, don't you? Xu Qi... always tries his best to make the people around him smile. I think Miss Theresa can appreciate that too, right?"

"Um……"

Theresa responded blankly. Although she knew that everything tonight would be incredibly romantic, she really didn't expect it to be this romantic.

"The fire department should have been notified by now, right?"

"Yes! I've already spoken to the fire department and police here, but I have to thank Miss Eden, otherwise they definitely wouldn't have agreed to such a fireworks display."

"It's what I should do."

……

At this moment, in the night sky, three exoskeleton armored vehicles, their entire bodies filled with water tanks, patrolled this "sea of ​​flowers".

Looking at everything before her, Shiyu Qiluo couldn't help but sigh.

"Such a romantic scene shouldn't be ruined by any unexpected event..."

Seele stared blankly at everything around her. She was a girl too... so of course she knew just how devastating such a scene could be to a girl.

"It's a bit wasteful."

A mechanical voice devoid of any emotion came through, and upon hearing Prometheus's evaluation, Seele and Shigure Kira couldn't help but exchange a glance before bursting into laughter.

……