The old lady also had a QR code hanging on her chest. When Nian Suian saw her age, she was a bit worried whether the money paid through the QR code would actually reach her hands.
"What are you going to do with so many balloons?" She looked around at the other people, who generally held one each, at most one per person. No one else was carrying a bunch like the two of them, looking like balloon sellers.
Moreover—
Nian Suian looked at the patterns on the balloons in Gu Junxing's hands: Pleasant Goat, Big Bear and Little Bear, and various other cartoon characters... Compared to those around them, theirs seemed more like the kind sold in a children's amusement park.
...
Gu Junxing looked up at the balloons and said, "Take them home for Zhijing to play with."
Nian Suian reminded Gu Junxing, "These look like they're for five-year-olds, not fifteen-year-olds."
Gu Junxing nodded in agreement, "His mental age is about five, so they're just right."
Meanwhile, in another part of Binhu Square.
"Achoo!" Gu Zhijing sneezed. He couldn't help rubbing his nose and then said to everyone, "Someone must be talking about me."
Tonight, Gu Zhijing had indeed agreed to meet his friends at the square for New Year's Eve. Besides Qu Zizhou and Chu Mingyan, there were several other classmates from Class 3: Hao Leyun, Li Yaxin, Cao Shan, Ma Yuyang, Ke Yunlin...
"Anlu really can't come?" Qu Zizhou asked Gu Zhijing.
They had all planned to come together, but Qi Anlu suddenly said he couldn't make it.
Everyone knew a bit about his family situation, so they didn't feel like they were being stood up, but rather became concerned about Qi Anlu's situation.
Gu Zhijing had been in contact with Qi Anlu on WeChat, making sure he was okay.
"Yeah, his dad's at home and won't let him out." Because other classmates were present, Gu Zhijing didn't say more. The others who heard this just thought his family was strict, after all, staying out until past midnight - it was understandable if parents didn't agree.
They and Qi Anlu himself felt that it wasn't worth having a big fight with his dad just to come out and play. Even if he did come out after an argument, he wouldn't be in a good mood.
Nearby, Hao Leyun quietly said to the three of them, "Qi Anlu should go train at my Grandfather's Martial Arts School. Then he could just knock out his dad with one punch and be done with it."
Hao Leyun knew about the relationship between Qi Anlu and Qi Wenhan, not because someone told her, but because she had seen it with her own eyes.
In middle school, she once went to participate in a physics competition. After the final round ended and she came out of the exam room, she was waiting by the roadside for her father to pick her up when she saw the boy who had been sitting in front of her during the exam.
The boy said something to a man, who suddenly flew into a rage, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Hao Leyun still remembered the abusive words.
It was something like: why didn't you finish the last question, how can you be so stupid, you're nothing like me, you must take after your mother, and so on.
At that time, Hao Leyun wanted to go up and say: Uncle, the last question was really difficult, she couldn't do it either.
But fearing it might embarrass them, she hesitated and didn't go over in the end.
On the first day of high school, Hao Leyun recognized Qi Anlu. She had prayed in her heart then, hoping his father wouldn't be like that anymore.
Now hearing Gu Zhijing and the others talk, she associated it with that time and guessed that the other party still hadn't changed.
Qu Zizhou nodded foolishly, admiring Hao Leyun's idea as brilliant.
He muttered softly, "I think that's a good idea too! In the future, when his dad scolds him, he can just knock him out with one punch! Then he won't be able to scold him anymore, right?!"
Chu Mingyan rolled his eyes, "Are you stupid? What if his dad calls the police?"
Qu Zizhou gave him a look that said 'you're the stupid one', "We're all minors, aren't we? As long as we don't hit too hard, it'll be fine, right?"
After that, the two of them started a discussion about whether "knocking out dad with one punch" would result in being taken away by the police.
Half an hour before midnight, Nian Suian was already tired of standing.
But there were too many people around, and it wasn't good to squat down as she might get stepped on.
"If I had known, I would have come later. Coming early means standing for half a day without anywhere to sit."
Now if they tried to squeeze out, they might not be able to get back in later.
Nian Suian said to Gu Junxing again, "Aren't you a CEO? Don't CEOs usually book the top floor of a skyscraper?"
Gu Junxing smiled and said, "There are no high-rise buildings nearby. Want me to carry you on my back?"
"No need, it's almost time." Nian Suian refused. It's not like she couldn't walk. They were already standing in the crowd, it would be too silly to be carried motionless on someone's back. Besides, staying still while being carried might be even more tiring than moving around.
Ten minutes before midnight, a big countdown finally appeared on the large screen.
...
"Not good!" Gu Zhijing suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong? What is it?" Qu Zizhou thought something had happened and looked around.
"I think I saw my dad."
"Where?"
"In front, the one wearing black clothes, standing next to someone in purple clothes, my stepmother's sister." Even though he knew his dad couldn't possibly hear him speak from this distance in such a noisy environment, Gu Zhijing still instinctively lowered his voice.
"It does look a bit like your dad. But are you sure that girl next to him is our sister? Her hair seems to have become curly."
Hearing Qu Zizhou's words, before Gu Zhijing could respond, Cao Shan retorted, "Are you stupid? Girls' hairstyles change all the time, okay?"
"Exactly!" The girls present all nodded in agreement.
"Zhijing, but why is your dad holding a bunch of balloons? It doesn't suit his style!"
Gu Zhijing snorted, "Now you're being narrow-minded! My dad's style can change too, you know."
Chu Mingyan asked Gu Zhijing, "Are you going to go say hello?"
Gu Zhijing shook his head, "Let them enjoy themselves, and we'll enjoy ourselves. Better not to disturb each other."
He didn't plan to go over and say hello, but he also didn't plan to leave. Instead, he chose to stand behind the two of them and watch.
When the countdown reached thirty seconds, people in the crowd started raising their phones.
Ten seconds
"10, 9, 8..."
Infected by the atmosphere at the scene, Nian Suian also counted down along with the voices of the crowd.
"3, 2, 1!"
"Happy New Year!"
"Gu Junxing, Happy New Year." Nian Suian looked up at the man beside her.
"Nian Suian, Happy New Year."
At this moment, everyone was cheering and rejoicing, as if welcoming the new year meant welcoming a better year.
Driven by the joyful atmosphere, Nian Suian suddenly stood on her tiptoes and gave Gu Junxing a kiss on the cheek.
"Wow!!!"
Gu Zhijing and a group of classmates who were watching this scene let out a loud "Wow!"
It was indeed very noisy around, but the voices of more than a dozen people were not to be underestimated.
When Nian Suian and Gu Junxing turned their heads, what they saw were more than a dozen starry-eyed young boys and girls.
As the countdown ended, the crowd started to move.
"Dad..." Gu Zhijing couldn't pretend not to see anymore. He walked up to greet the two.
Gu Junxing, with an unchanged expression, nodded to his son's classmates, then said to his son:
"Go home early."
And he stuffed all the balloons he had bought to Gu Zhijing, "Take these and share them with your classmates to play with."
