Chapter Sixty-One: What Was Said?

The nine o’clock fireworks came as a surprise to many.

On their way back, Yan Ningsi and Bian He stopped to watch the display.

“Is there some kind of event happening?” Yan Ningsi asked, puzzled.

Bian He wasn’t sure what was going on either, but during dinner he’d overheard some staff mentioning that it was all arranged by the headquarters, specially for Sang Yijia.

Yet for now, he kept that to himself.

“Probably,” Bian He replied after watching the fireworks for a moment, finding them rather unremarkable. But when he lowered his gaze, he noticed how intently Yan Ningsi was watching. Her deep brown eyes were filled with bursts of color, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

A strange sensation.

He wanted to look away, but his body wouldn’t obey. Only when the last firework faded did he finally avert his eyes.

Yan Ningsi’s neck felt a little stiff from staring up for so long. She rolled her shoulders, not noticing anything unusual about Bian He.

—

In the courtyard, the distance between Shen Jin and Lan Qing had gradually disappeared. As the fireworks bloomed above, their fingers intertwined, hands clasped tightly together.

The livestream audience erupted in excitement.

[Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!]

[This is just too sweet!]

[The fireworks are so fitting!]

[So beautiful.]

[I’m so jealous.]

“The fireworks are so beautiful,” Lan Qing murmured, her heart thumping rapidly. At first, she’d joined the show for Shen Jin’s background, but after spending time together, she realized she truly liked him.

Seeing her own reflection in his affectionate eyes, her heart raced faster still. Her voice grew soft and bashful. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“You’re making me shy.”

“Qingqing, you’re more beautiful than the fireworks. If I don’t look at you, what else could I possibly look at?” Shen Jin bent down to kiss the crown of her head. Noticing her cheeks flushing crimson, he felt a sudden urge to taste those rosy lips.

Lan Qing’s earlobes burned at his words. She lifted her eyes to meet his, and found herself unable to move.

[Wait! Are they going to kiss?]

[Oh my god, oh my god!]

[I'm so jealous I could die!]

[Boohoo, brother, brother, brother, brother!]

[Qingqing is mine!]

With a loud bang, another firework burst overhead.

The atmosphere was perfect, poised for the next step—until someone’s phone suddenly rang.

In an instant, the magic was gone.

Lan Qing quickly took a step back, her heart blazing, her whole body tingling with heat, yet secretly relieved she hadn’t lost her composure in front of the audience.

She let out a quiet sigh and only then realized it was Shen Jin’s phone.

“Who’s calling?” Lan Qing asked, trying to appear nonchalant as she fiddled with her earlobe and glanced over.

Seeing the caller ID, Shen Jin frowned, wanting to explain but unable to do so openly on the livestream. “A sales call,” he said. “I’ve blocked the number.”

“Oh, okay.” Lan Qing didn’t press the matter, but the atmosphere was awkward now, and neither wanted to linger in the courtyard any longer. After sitting in uncomfortable silence for a moment, Lan Qing was the first to head back. Shen Jin stayed behind, watching her retreating figure before turning to clear away the table and chairs.

[That was such a shame.]

[Curse that sales call!]

—

The fireworks lasted just over ten minutes, leaving Sang Yijia longing for more.

“We can come back and see them again next time,” Lu Wenchuan said softly.

His voice was so quiet that Sang Yijia didn’t catch it. She tilted her head, trying to hear him more clearly, but Lu Wenchuan fell silent.

“What did you just say?” Sang Yijia asked, frowning.

Just then, another firework exploded in the night sky—more dazzling and vivid than any before, stunning everyone.

The multicolored bursts reflected in Sang Yijia’s eyes, while from the corner of her eye she saw Lu Wenchuan’s lips move, but heard nothing.

The fireworks ended completely.

“What did you say just now?” Sang Yijia pointed to the lingering smoke in the sky. “That last firework caught me off guard.”

“I didn’t even have time to react.”

Lu Wenchuan shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“The night wind’s picking up, let’s head back.”

Sang Yijia tightened her brow, but asked nothing more.

They walked downstairs together in silence, driving the viewers mad with suspense.

[What on earth was he trying to say?]

[Does anyone know how to read lips?]

[Sorry, I was watching the fireworks and missed it…]

[Me too, I was watching the fireworks…]

[Add me to the list.]

[Count me in—10082!]

And so, Sang Yijia and Lu Wenchuan returned to the farmhouse in silence. The others soon retired to their rooms as well.

After wishing Lu Wenchuan goodnight, Sang Yijia turned and went upstairs. Lu Wenchuan watched her enter her room before finally heading off himself.

Inside her room, Sang Yijia spotted the green hawthorn fruits Lu Wenchuan had bought yesterday. They were just as wilted as before, perhaps even more so.

She picked one up, examined it, then set it aside again.

The camera was still rolling, and only then did the audience remember the matter of the green hawthorn fruits.

[Does Sang Yijia actually like green hawthorn or not?]

[I’d like to know too.]

[That stuff really isn’t meant to be eaten raw. In my family, we always cook it in syrup.]

[Isn’t that the candied fruit you can buy in the market?]

While the viewers debated, Sang Yijia turned off the camera.

The day’s livestream came to an end.

—

The next morning, when the stream started, the first thing the camera showed was the green hawthorn fruits left on the desk the night before.

If anything, this only reignited the chatter in the livestream.

[The green hawthorn is back!]

[Is Sang Yijia going to eat it or not?]

[Of course not.]

[Didn’t the trending topics already prove it was all just a PR stunt?]

As the camera shifted, everyone’s attention returned to the scene.

Sang Yijia had already changed her clothes. Today, they were heading to a hotel near the next tourist spot, so she wore a relaxed, casual outfit with white sneakers—though the laces were green.

[There’s green everywhere!]

[Sang Yijia truly loves green.]

[I bet when she gets a boyfriend, she’ll ask him, ‘Do you like green? Because I do.’]

[Haha, that last comment is gold.]

After packing her luggage, Sang Yijia caught sight of the green hawthorn. Suddenly her mouth watered. “It’s been so long since I had one,” she thought.

With that, she grabbed one, rinsed it in the bathroom, dried it off with a napkin, and, without hesitation, took a bite in full view of the camera.

The first taste was sour, astringent, making her tongue tingle.

Keeping her expression neutral, Sang Yijia slowly chewed and swallowed the hawthorn.

[?????]

[She actually ate it?]

[Isn’t this stuff supposed to taste awful?]

[She didn’t even flinch!]

There was a knock at the door, followed by Yan Ningsi’s voice.

“Jiajia, are you up?” Yan Ningsi called, knocking again. “Are you awake?”

“The door’s unlocked, come in,” Sang Yijia replied, taking another bite of hawthorn—there was barely any left now.

As soon as Yan Ningsi entered and saw the scene, she was stunned. Her brows knitted tightly. “Jiajia, you’re really eating that?”