"One!"
"Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!"
Brilliant fireworks bloomed in the sky. It turned out that at some point, Grandpa Chen had taken everyone to the garden to set off fireworks.
The lit fireworks shot into the sky, then made a "zi la la" sound. One dot turned into a red blooming petal, and then each highlight in the small petals bloomed into green petals, and countless colorful birdcages continuously unfurled.
Thus, the entire fireworks display kept expanding and glowing, until finally, it even felt as though the sky overhead was completely enveloped by sparkling fireworks.
Inside the house at this moment, Liu Chen felt his ears were definitely contaminated by the "zi la la" sound.
Because just a second ago, he had been listening to the New Year's Eve countdown on TV, the sound of fireworks blooming outside the window, and the confession by his ear.
Liu Chen tilted his head slightly, looking at Ren Yu, gazing into eyes that could only reflect himself, his lips parted, and he softly uttered those two words.
"Okay."
Outside, Chen Long held Liu Fang, who had a bulging belly. Uncle and Aunt stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the fireworks overhead. Grandpa Chen was engrossed in lighting more fireworks. Liu Chen's maternal grandmother, with her hands behind her back, watched her two daughters and couldn't help but smile.
Jiang Di watched everyone and silently thought about retreating to the living room sofa to enjoy the underfloor heating and watch the Spring Festival Gala. He had just quietly walked in and seen the two people embracing on the sofa.
Jiang Di's mouth opened silently, opened, and opened further.
At this moment, Jiang Di even felt that he might be experiencing some strange luck this year, such as—the luck of easily stumbling upon other people's secrets...
Jiang Di's mouth agape, he turned around numbly and walked step by step back outside the door.
Just then, a cold wind blew past the door, filling Jiang Di's mouth.
Standing outside the main door, Jiang Di began to cough his lungs out.
"Cough, cough!! Cough, cough!!!!"
Liu Fen saw her son standing outside the door with a flushed face. Thinking he was still recovering from being discharged from the hospital and had caught a chill, she quickly patted Jiang Di's arm and said:
"Hurry back inside. What are you doing out here in this cold weather! Go back in!"
-
Liu Chen heard the commotion outside the door, pushed away Ren Yu, with whom he had just been embracing, stood up from the sofa, tidied his bangs, and quickly walked to the entrance hall.
"What's wrong? Why is Brother Jiang Di coughing so badly?"
Hearing Liu Chen's voice, Jiang Di finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced through Liu Chen and, upon seeing Ren Yu following him from the corridor, couldn't help but glare.
Scoundrel!
He then lowered his head and said to Liu Chen, who was standing in front of him:
"I'm fine, just a few coughs. Chenchen, come quickly and watch the fireworks. Grandpa Chen bought some really beautiful ones."
Liu Chen, seeing that Jiang Di was indeed alright, also smiled and said, "Okay!"
Grandpa Chen, in the garden, heard Liu Chen come out and put down the lighter he was holding. He stood up and waved to Liu Chen, who had just walked out, saying, "Chenchen, come quickly. This is the biggest firework, you light it."
"Coming, coming!"
Liu Chen took the lighter from Grandpa Chen, and scanned the people standing around him.
Mom, Ren Yu, Aunt's family, Grandma, Chen Long, and Grandpa Chen, everyone was smiling.
Liu Chen felt his heart filled to the brim with something called happiness. He exchanged a smile with Ren Yu, who was standing beside him, and pressed the button on the lighter, aiming it at the fuse of the firework.
The fuse was lit, and Liu Chen retreated.
The firework, called the biggest by Grandpa Chen, shot straight into the sky with a "bang." Everyone looked up at the fireworks overhead.
Liu Chen, however, felt a scorching sensation approach his left ear.
"Cough, cough!"
A coughing sound came from behind Liu Chen.
"Chenchen, it's windy outside, let's go back. Are you hungry? My dad can make you egg fried rice?"
Jiang Di's voice came from behind Liu Chen, and Jiang Di himself squeezed his way between Liu Chen and Ren Yu.
How could Liu Chen not understand? Brother Jiang Di must have seen something just now. So, looking at Ren Yu's crestfallen expression, Liu Chen couldn't stop smiling.
At the strong recommendation of his son, Uncle made two large pots of Yangzhou fried rice. After everyone ate their fill, they dispersed and went back to their respective rooms.
Of course, Liu Chen returned to his own room, and Ren Yu went to the guest room.
As soon as Ren Yu returned to his room, he stood on the balcony for a while. Then, after a silent exchange of glances with Jiang Di on the adjacent guest room balcony, he silently returned to his room to take a bath.
The next day, the first day of the Lunar New Year, according to habit, the Liu family was supposed to go to the temple to offer incense. However, no one mentioned it this year.
After all, with a woman in the late stages of pregnancy in the family, even with bodyguards, who could guarantee their safety?
It was Liu Chen who saw everyone obediently huddled in the living room playing mahjong and felt a pang of guilt. He asked Ren Yu to go out with him to check the surveillance footage.
Once they reached the courtyard, Liu Chen, with his hands in his pockets, looked down at the remains of the firecrackers Grandpa Chen had set off after the fireworks the previous night and said:
"We can't always stay cooped up at home like this every year."
Ren Yu looked at the head-bowed Liu Chen and hesitated several times, wanting to recount his childhood experiences. But the words died on his lips, and he closed his mouth.
Receiving no response, Liu Chen looked up at Ren Yu.
"Given the extent of the person behind the scenes' hatred for the Ren family, perhaps we should publicly announce our relationship."
"Okay."
Hearing this, Ren Yu quickly agreed and began to consider venues for their wedding in his mind.
"I haven't finished speaking. I meant, we should pretend to announce our relationship."
"Huh?"
Ren Yu's imagined wedding scene was shattered at that moment by a great hammer, falling into pieces with a clatter.
Ren Yu looked at Liu Chen in front of him, a hint of grievance in his voice:
"You want to go back on your word? You promised me."
Looking at Ren Yu's puppy-like eyes, Liu Chen actually felt a sense of guilt.
"I'm not going back on my word, it's just that, in front of people who don't know, we'll pretend to be a couple to lure them out, understand?"
Ren Yu nodded.
"I understand, but we are actually a real couple."
Liu Chen sighed.
"Yes, we are actually a real couple, are you satisfied?"
Ren Yu shook his head, lowered his head slightly, looked directly into Liu Chen's eyes, and said in a magnetic voice, "Not satisfied. If we were a real couple, then you should give me a good morning kiss now."
With that, Ren Yu leaned his upper body slightly downwards, bringing his face to within two centimeters of Liu Chen's lips.
"My girlfriend, what do you think?"