Qin Jiujiu hadn't even registered what was happening before she found herself airborne. She looked down, and the scenery below grew smaller and smaller, her field of vision expanding.
Fearing he might simply toss her down, she immediately extended her arms and wrapped them around his waist.
"Still not letting go?"
His voice came from directly above her. Qin Jiujiu regained her senses, realizing her feet had already touched the ground, and her hands were still clasped around his waist.
Once she understood what Xie Jing meant by "letting go," she immediately released him and stepped back, her face flushing.
Xie Jing stood there impassively, not looking at her face, leaving an awkward silence.
Qin Jiujiu didn't understand Xie Jing's intentions, but she surveyed their surroundings and realized they were on the rooftop corridor.
"Could this be the roof of a brothel?" But why were there no lights?
It was clearly the same building they had just seen, a brothel, but the rooftop was silent except for the wind.
This floor was closed off; there wasn't a single person, let alone a light.
"A dark night with a strong wind, perfect for murder."
Qin Jiujiu inexplicably thought of this saying. She began to imagine a series of reasons why Xie Jing might have brought her here, and even looking at his face at that moment felt inexplicably terrifying.
She felt as if he could lose his temper at any moment.
Her words were carried away by the wind, receiving no reply.
She walked to the railing and looked at the view below. The scene below was a stark contrast to their current location—bright lights, a bustling crowd. Perhaps it was the distance, or the strong wind, but she couldn't hear the sounds from below.
This meant that the people below couldn't hear them either. Even if Xie Jing were to dismember her, the people downstairs might not notice.
Qin Jiujiu shifted her gaze to Xie Jing, studying his face with a curious look, only to be met with a glare.
"Miss Qin, you seem to enjoy staring at me quite a bit?"
Did Xie Jing's tone sound a little provocative?
"No, no, it's just... you're good-looking..."
The words escaped her lips, meant sarcastically.
Xie Jing said nothing more, merely continuing to stare at Qin Jiujiu, making her scalp tingle. Her gaze shifted from his face back to it, then away again, repeating this several times before she touched her own face and asked, "Is there something on my face?"
Xie Jing slowly uttered two words: "No."
Yet his eyes were still fixed on her. Qin Jiujiu spoke again, "Then why are you staring at me?"
Without hesitation, Xie Jing answered directly, "Because you're good-looking!"
He emphasized these words heavily, effectively ending the conversation.
Qin Jiujiu felt that the most admirable thing about Xie Jing was that despite being a man of few words, he could infuriate people to death.
Fortunately, she was an optimistic girl. Otherwise, she might have been angered to death before he even had to do anything.
She couldn't help but retort, "Not as good-looking as you!"
Xie Jing's expression visibly darkened. Qin Jiujiu immediately shut her mouth, her survival instincts kicking in, and she avoided the topic.
She subtly moved away, gazing into the distance, using the scenery to ignore his gaze.
As she looked, she discovered something extraordinary.
From their vantage point, she could see the Tianwaitian Restaurant in the distance.
Although these two buildings were far apart, because the buildings in between were not as tall as these two, one could see the other from here.
"Young Master Xie, look, isn't that the Tianwaitian Restaurant?"
Xie Jing responded with a hum and moved to stand beside her, saying, "It is!"
Still so economical with his words, as expected of Xie Jing.
Another conversation stopper, she could only bring up Xie Yun and Bai Qianluo. "Brother Xie and Sister Bai should be there right now, shouldn't they? I wonder if everything is going smoothly?"
Even though she knew the protagonists wouldn't easily meet trouble, after spending so much time together, she had developed feelings for these NPCs.
Hearing her words, Xie Jing turned his head to look at her. He saw her gazing into the distance, a look of worry on her face. Thinking of something, Xie Jing suddenly asked, "Do you like my elder brother?"
At the very moment he asked this question, someone suddenly shouted, "Fireworks!" Immediately, the serene night sky was pierced by exploding fireworks, scattered sparks falling everywhere, disappearing without a trace. The brilliant fireworks bloomed again and again, dissipating each time, continuing for a long while.
Their vantage point was excellent; they could see far from where they stood. From Qin Jiujiu's perspective, the fireworks seemed incredibly close, as if they were about to fall on her.
Xie Jing's voice was swallowed by the fireworks, falling silently. Only he knew how desperately he wanted an answer, both annoyed and expectant.
Qin Jiujiu finally witnessed a famous scene from the novel with her own eyes. Although she was witnessing it with this cold-hearted boss, she couldn't help but excitedly share it with him.
"Look, what beautiful fireworks!"
Her eyes were wide open, the vibrant fireworks clearly reflected in her dark pupils. In the hazy light, her eyes were spirited and lively.
In her eyes were the fireworks; in his eyes, she was.
When the person beside her remained silent, Qin Jiujiu turned her head to look at Xie Jing.
She immediately bumped into his eyes, seeing her own reflection within them. She thought she must be hallucinating, because she saw a hint of tenderness in Xie Jing's gaze.
She blinked and looked again, only to see that he had already turned his head away, with no trace of tenderness at all.
Qin Jiujiu felt something was off. She thought of another phrase, "self-indulgent," and then pretended to be nonchalant, looking at the remaining fireworks in the sky.
One had to admit, Xiliu City was indeed wealthy; this spectacle must have cost a fortune!
Liu Jin had mentioned these fireworks to her earlier, saying that the city held a display every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and almost everyone in the city would come out to watch.
As expected, the streets and alleys were filled with people, and even those not outside were peering out from their windows—men and women, young and old. She even saw many couples, holding hands with flushed faces, or women leaning on their men's shoulders, looking lovingly at each other. Some were confessing their feelings, exchanging tokens of affection.
Qin Jiujiu couldn't help but glance at Xie Jing, wanting to see his reaction. If he were with Bai Qianluo, he would probably be secretly delighted, right! But now it was her, and she was curious if he would be disappointed.
However, before she could see the expression on Xie Jing's face, she heard him say, "Let's go!"