Outside the car, Wan Nian and Nana were enthusiastically selecting fireworks under the shopkeeper’s recommendation, too busy to pay attention to the two still inside the vehicle.
The car’s interior was so quiet it formed its own little world, with only He Yan’s slightly heavy breathing audible. He watched Wen Xue’s hand holding the cotton swab—whether from nervousness or not, her hand seemed to be trembling uncontrollably.
What’s there to tremble about?
It didn’t even hurt him.
He calmly averted his gaze, focusing on the discarded plush toy nearby. Yet the scent of the ointment permeated the relatively enclosed space, lingering around his nostrils, impossible to shake off.
Wen Xue concentrated intently on applying the medicine. Thinking his trembling was from pain, she lightened her touch even more. After finishing, she felt as if a weight had been lifted, finally relaxed, as though she’d accomplished something significant.
“All done.”
She said cheerfully, then frowned at the cotton swab in her hand. He Yan, as if reading her mind, wordlessly reached over, took the swab, and tossed out a “I’ll throw it away” before pushing the car door open. This time, for some reason, he shut the door with unusual force—the loud bang leaving Wen Xue utterly bewildered.
Snapping back to reality, she leaned forward, retrieved a black soft-tip pen from the center console, and by the dim light outside the window, carefully wrote on the medicine box: “Apply every 4~6 hours ^^”. She blew on it gently to dry the ink faster.
The late-night temperature in West City was bitingly cold.
He Yan tossed the cotton swab into a trash can, habitually pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, and was about to light up when his peripheral vision caught the car parked a few steps away. He could vaguely make out the blurred figure sitting in the back seat. Hesitating for a moment, he stuffed the cigarette back, exhaling a frustrated breath.
“Brother Yan, give us a hand!”
Nana, noticing He Yan standing idly by, called out loudly.
He Yan subtly glanced toward the car, noticing the back door beginning to open. He raised a hand in a stopping gesture, signaling her not to get out and face the wind.
Wen Xue mostly listened to him—the moment he indicated she shouldn’t exit, she promptly closed the car door.
The three of them moved the assorted fireworks they’d bought to the trunk, quickly filling it up. Wen Xue turned around curiously, exclaiming in surprise, “Did you buy this many?”
Nana brushed dust off her clothes, happily replying, “It’s the New Year, after all!”
By the time He Yan returned to the car, he had already sorted through his sudden, complicated emotions. Earlier, he had indeed felt briefly uncomfortable—in his life, he accepted very little care from others, because whether it was favors or any other kind of affection, once received, they had to be repaid.
He didn’t want to owe too much.
Whether it was his younger brother He Heng or his brother-like friend Wu Yuejiang, they were all men. How meticulous could men be with each other?
Even if they were willing to be delicate with him, he wouldn’t want it—he found it too sentimental.
The care Wen Xue offered was like the ointment on the blister: it felt as if it was smeared over his skin, so sticky he wanted to immediately wipe it off with a tissue. Yet he clearly knew that applying medicine would speed up healing, so he could only keep his right hand stiff, allowing the ointment to slowly seep in.
While Nana and Wan Nian chattered noisily in the front seats, Wen Xue quietly reached out from the back, subtly sliding the ointment and cotton swabs toward He Yan.He Yan desperately wanted to ignore it, lowering his gaze, but her hand was practically right under his eyes. He had no choice but to relent, taking the ointment with resignation and stuffing it into his pocket. Yet inwardly he thought, if she’s this concerned over such minor blisters, what would she have done if she’d seen how the scar on his other hand came to be, how much blood he’d lost? She’d probably have called an ambulance to haul him away.
Wen Xue watched him swiftly tuck away the ointment, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
“Wen Xue, don’t you think so?” Nana turned her head to ask.
“Huh?”
Wen Xue hadn’t been paying attention at all, but having spent some time here, she’d actually learned how to bluff. Guiltily, she replied, “Yes…”
…
There were very few places in the city where fireworks were allowed. Nana found online that many people went to a partially developed park, reportedly very lively.
When they arrived, the originally empty area was packed with cars, all belonging to young people here to set off fireworks.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
One firework after another bloomed, lighting up the night sky. Wen Xue and Nana both craned their necks watching, enjoying others’ fireworks for a while before remembering they’d bought their own. Nana ordered Wan Nian to unload all their fireworks and place them in the open space ahead, then excitedly fished a lighter from his pocket.
Wen Xue held a bundle of sparklers in her right hand, her left empty.
He Yan stood silently observing behind her. Seeing her repeatedly borrowing a light from Nana, he couldn’t bear it any longer and strode over, shoving his own lighter into her hand as if annoyed. “Take it.”
Wen Xue looked down at the plastic lighter now in her palm—lightweight and cheap, printed with some barbecue joint’s name and address. Then she thought of Wan Nian’s sleek, metallic lighter and fell into contemplation: between the two of them, who was really the boss and who was the employee?
“Wen Xue, come quick!” Nana called out. “This one’s super fun—it spins on the ground for ages!”
“Coming!”
He Yan crossed his arms, standing with Wan Nian by the car hood as they watched the girls play.
Wen Xue held sparklers in both hands, her eyes nearly overwhelmed—looking left, then right, unable to conceal her delight. He Yan watched her for a few seconds before turning his gaze elsewhere. A group of young guys tried to join the fun, one particularly rowdy one wildly swinging a whip-like firework, sparks flying everywhere. Seeing Wen Xue frightened and trying to flee, he grew even more provocative, chasing after her to tease her.
Hearing her startled cry, He Yan swiftly turned and locked onto her panicked figure rushing toward him.
Without a second thought, he strode over, extending a long arm to pull her protectively to his side. His brow furrowed sternly as he glared at the young man, simmering anger evident between his eyebrows.
The guy offered a weak explanation: “Just joking around.”
He Yan looked at him with unreadable eyes, his tone chilly. “I’d like to joke with you too.”
Seeing He Yan was clearly not someone to mess with, the guy awkwardly chuckled and backed away several steps before turning to flee.
Wen Xue peeked out from behind He Yan, sighed in relief when she saw the annoying guy was gone, and muttered, “That scared me to death.”
It wasn’t that she was afraid of anything else—she’d encountered plenty of people like him and knew exactly how to handle them. What worried her was those sparks landing on her new down jacket, burning holes in it. Could she really demand compensation from someone who was unreasonable to begin with?
This fluffy new down jacket was incredibly warm—and expensive. It was the most costly item in her entire wardrobe, and today was her first time wearing it. She’d need to wear it for at least ten more years to get her money’s worth.She hadn’t thought things through properly—she should have changed into old clothes before going out.
“I’m not playing anymore,” she muttered gloomily.
At first, He Yan thought she had been frightened by that immature boy, but when he saw her retreat to a distant spot and use her phone’s flashlight to inspect her down jacket in an awkward posture, he suddenly understood—she was worried about her new clothes. He walked over and stopped her, “Don’t strain your neck.”
Wen Xue was disheartened, “I don’t know if there are any holes in the back of the jacket.”
This was her new clothes, after all.
“It’s not a big deal. If it’s torn, we’ll buy another one.”
“…” Wen Xue grew even more upset. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Can you take a photo for me?”
He Yan remained silent for a beat, then nodded and took out his phone. Just as he was about to open the camera, she quietly reminded him, “It’s a bit dark. Turn on the flash before taking the photo.”
The flash?
He hummed in acknowledgment, then pondered, “Where is the flash? How do I turn it on?”
Wen Xue stared at him blankly, and when she confirmed he was genuinely puzzled rather than joking, she couldn’t hold back. Her clear eyes curved into crescents, brimming with laughter. Her earlier irritation vanished completely at his words.
Seeing her laugh uncontrollably, and even louder, He Yan looked embarrassed.
He truly wasn’t very familiar with electronic devices and had little interest in them. For him, a phone was merely a tool for sending messages and making calls.
There were hardly any photos in his phone’s gallery.
“Are we taking the photo or not?” he asked.
“Yes, hahaha.”
“If you keep laughing, I won’t take it.”
Wen Xue leaned in, stood on her tiptoes, and turned on the flash for him. Then she took a few steps forward, “It’s ready now.”
He Yan’s finger had already pressed the shutter.
But what he captured was her turning her head, and the photo was slightly blurry.
Gathering his focus, he took several more shots. Wen Xue anxiously zoomed in on the photos, and after confirming her new clothes were still intact, she beamed with joy again. Despite her lack of skill, her enthusiasm was undiminished, and she happily went back to playing with the sparkler, completely forgetting to delete the photos he had taken.
He Yan forgot too, locking his phone and slipping it into his pocket.
They had bought a lot of fireworks, but they were used up quickly. In less than an hour, the trunk was empty.
Nana’s face was red from the cold, but she was still reluctant to leave. She checked the time on her phone—it wasn’t even 11 p.m. yet. She suggested, “Since we’re already here, why don’t we wait until midnight to go back?”
Wan Nian hesitated, as it wasn’t his decision to make.
He Yan didn’t mind either way, but Wen Xue was already so cold that she had pulled her hood over her head and was stomping her feet to keep warm. If they really waited until midnight, she might catch a cold the next day. He nodded and said, “Alright.”
Nana was overjoyed and was about to loudly praise Brother Yan as the most handsome man in the world when the world’s most heartless man added, “Then you two can wait slowly. We’re heading back first.”
“??? Bro, aren’t you…?”
Nana stood frozen in place, watching as Wen Xue walked toward the parking area, glancing back every few steps.
The young couple shivered in the cold, exchanged helpless glances, and reluctantly jogged after them. Once in the car, Nana grumbled, “Wen Xue, can’t you control your brother?”
He Yan sat upright in the back seat, his phone vibrating with another batch of mass New Year’s greetings.
He scrolled through them one by one, the screen’s light illuminating his face. His expression remained calm, as if the criticism wasn’t directed at him.
Wen Xue chuckled softly, “I can’t control him.”
His scrolling finger paused, and he shook his head with a silent laugh.