Сhaptеr 18: Тhе Qiхi Мeteor Shоwеr
Yi Huan Dеssert Shoр.
Тоmоrrоw wаs Qixi, thе Сhinеsе Valentinе’s Day. Couрlеs cаmе аnd wеnt, mаny hоlding vibrаnt bоuquets of rоsеs.
Thе heart-shaрed еgg tarts, as a sрeсial sеаsonal оffering, were рrоminеntlу displaуеd. Моst customеrs who wаndered intо the shoр would end uр buying a cоuрlе.
“Wow, thеsе heart-shaрed еgg tаrts are sо unique. You сan’t find thеm аnуwherе else.”
Тhe boу smilеd dоtingly. “If you want them, we’ll buy them. Му baby gets whatеvеr she wants from hеr hubbу.”
“Boss, please check us out.”
Xu Jinhuan deftly packaged the desserts, tying them with a pink ribbon, her smile gentle. “Here are your desserts, please take care.”
“Thank you.” The girl took the package, linking arms with the boy as they walked out.
“Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day. I heard there’s a once-in-a-century meteor shower tonight. Should we…”
Xu Jinhuan heard these words but didn’t pay them much mind.
However, when Wen Yu mentioned it in the afternoon, she was somewhat surprised.
“A meteor shower? Why would you want to watch that?”
A graceful curve touched Wen Yu’s lips as he chuckled softly. “What, is it inappropriate?”
Xu Jinhuan shook her head. “It’s not inappropriate, I’m just a little surprised you’d enjoy something like that…”
After all, watching meteor showers was mostly for teenagers and young adults. It was hard to imagine someone as busy as Mr. Wen would specially make time just to watch a meteor shower that wasn’t even guaranteed to appear.
Wen Yu said, “Perhaps as I grow older, I’ve gained some impractical romantic impulses.”
“Interested in joining me? The best viewing spot is at Jiyun Mountain, a two-hour drive. I’ll bring you back tomorrow.”
Meeting Wen Yu’s gaze, Xu Jinhuan felt her heart give a little flutter.
Watching a meteor shower…
And with Mr. Wen, no less.
Many thoughts flashed through Xu Jinhuan’s mind. Going out for a day meant closing the shop. Closing the shop meant no income…
But finally, looking through her glasses into the depths of Wen Yu’s eyes, she saw a gentle light shimmering in those profound pupils, as if holding endless stars of wisdom and mystery.
She couldn’t help but nod. “Mm, I’d like to go.”
Wen Yu said, “Then go pack your things. We’ll probably camp overnight at the mountaintop.”
Xu Jinhuan thought she misheard. “We’re leaving now?”
“Yes.”
Wen Yu smiled. “Just in time to experience the ‘say-go-and-go’ travel the young people talk about.”
Infected by his smile, Xu Jinhuan felt more anticipation for this trip.
But the next moment, she remembered what Yao Jiejie had unintentionally mentioned last time about “old men” and couldn’t help but frown slightly.
Mr. Wen didn’t show it on his face, but he seemed somewhat sensitive about his age.
She said, “You’re not old at all. Thirty-two is the prime age for a man. In the business world, you’re definitely a young talent, as young as they come.”
“Is that so.”
Wen Yu curved his lips, deliberately saying, “But a certain little friend keeps addressing me with ‘you’ (formal), making it hard to be convinced.”
Instantly, a blush spread across Xu Jinhuan’s cheeks, and her voice grew soft.
“I’m not… I’m just not used to…”
Seeing the young girl’s flustered appearance, Wen Yu sighed softly.
He reached out and ruffled the soft hair on Xu Jinhuan’s head, as if soothing a startled fawn.
“Huanhuan.” Wen Yu called her name gently. “I’m not saying you’re doing anything wrong. Habits that can’t be changed immediately can be adjusted gradually.””You can be a bit more unrestrained in front of me, no need to be so reserved, and don’t worry about saying something that might upset me, because I won’t get angry with you. This promise is forever valid.”
A gentle touch came from above her head, and Xu Jinhuan felt her cheeks grow even hotter.
She didn’t dare to look directly into Wen Yu’s eyes, so she lowered her head further, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “Mm, I understand.”
It didn’t seem like she understood very clearly…
But Wen Yu knew this was the limit of what she could express.
He gently withdrew his hand and said with a smile, “Then go get ready. The car is outside, and we can leave anytime.”
…
After getting into the car, Xu Jinhuan couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Is that a telescope in the trunk? You actually prepared this too…”
Wen Yu kept his eyes on the road ahead, but his peripheral vision caught the girl’s excitement, and the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
“The air is clearer up in the mountains, and visibility is better. We should be able to see other celestial bodies.”
Xu Jinhuan’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and longing for the unknown world. “Really? Have you ever seen a shooting star before?”
“No, tonight will be the first time.”
Wen Yu said, “But I chased the Northern Lights when I was in college.”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Xu Jinhuan strained her deaf left ear to catch every word he said.
But she still couldn’t hear clearly and couldn’t help tilting her head to look at him.
The evening sun streamed in through the car window, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow. Wen Yu’s sharply defined profile seemed to glow faintly in the sunset, appearing even more three-dimensional and profound.
The Northern Lights…
Xu Jinhuan had only ever seen them on her phone.
Imagining the dazzling curtain of light, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are the Northern Lights as dreamlike and incredibly romantic as people say online?”
Just then, they reached an intersection. The traffic light turned red, and the car came to a stop.
Wen Yu turned his head and met Xu Jinhuan’s gaze, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Then what I’m about to say might shatter your romantic illusions.”
“?” Xu Jinhuan looked puzzled.
Wen Yu recalled, “When we went, it wasn’t the best season for viewing the Northern Lights. The temperature was over twenty degrees below zero, and a group of us shivered in the car, enduring the cold for most of the night without seeing a trace of the aurora. To make matters worse, our phones died from the cold, and the car broke down…”
That unlucky?
Xu Jinhuan blinked curiously. “How did you get back then?”
Surely not just by walking.
The light turned green, and Wen Yu restarted the car, skillfully turning the steering wheel with one hand.
His laughter was low. “Pretty much what you’re thinking.”
“We were young back then, feeling like we could do anything. We walked for two hours, tired and disheveled, when we suddenly and dramatically caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights. A group of boys rushed toward it, shouting and yelling under the aurora, no different from monkeys on Mount Emei.”
Hearing this, Xu Jinhuan couldn’t help but laugh.
“In that case, it doesn’t sound very romantic…”
She never imagined Mr. Wen had such a “reckless youth” phase. It was truly hard to picture.
Wen Yu said, “If I were to go again now, I’d definitely prepare more thoroughly. The only thing missing would be a companion to share the wonder with.”
Though his words were soft, their meaning was crystal clear.
However, Xu Jinhuan didn’t pick up on it at all and naively suggested, “Then when you get married in the future, you can go with your partner. It would surely be more romantic than back then.”Wen Yu glanced sideways at her, not speaking, the complex emotions in his eyes something Xu Jinhuan couldn’t quite decipher yet.
She looked back at him blankly. “What’s wrong?”
Wen Yu turned his head away and smiled faintly.
“Nothing. I just think you’re right.”
His wife could only be her, but a certain little fool was still muddled, even trying to push him away.
Wen Yu glanced at the weariness on the girl’s face from the corner of his eye and said softly, “You can sleep if you’re tired. I’ll wake you later.”
“It’s fine, I’m not sleepy.”
Though she said she wasn’t sleepy, Xu Jinhuan still let out a soft yawn, her eyelids growing heavy.
She rubbed her eyes, trying her best to stay awake, but as the car swayed, she eventually lost the battle. Her head began to nod involuntarily.
Seeing this, Wen Yu quietly adjusted the seat to a more comfortable angle.
Soon, the sound of her breathing beside him grew light and steady.
The girl leaned against the car seat, the soft flesh of her cheek slightly pressed, serene and lovely. Her eyelashes fluttered gently, and even the crown of her hair seemed exceptionally soft.
Wen Yu’s gaze softened.
He reached out, wanting to touch her cheek, but in the end curled his fingers and withdrew his hand, restraining himself.