Firelight tore through the ink-black night sky.
Fireworks, like shooting stars in reverse, blossomed open in the heavens.
Rays of light shot out brightly and colorfully.
At that moment, everyone on the school field looked up, faces illuminated.
Sounds of surprise could be heard all around.
It was obvious no one had expected the principal to actually keep his word this time.
This was a real surprise.
Many people took out their phones to take photos and record the moment.
Seeing this, Qi Shaobai's eyes suddenly shifted.
Going against the flow of people's gazes, he turned to look at his dad and stepmom.
The two of them stood side by side, heads tilted back looking at the sky.
Their eyes reflected the same shimmering light.
Qi Shaobai walked over and suddenly said:
"Let me take a picture of you two."
Hearing his voice, Sheng Mumu looked over and saw Qi Shaobai had somehow made his way behind them already.
It looked like he wanted to take a photo of their silhouettes against the fireworks.
Before Sheng Mumu could respond, the steady, rich baritone of Qi Mo rang out next to her:
"Okay."
The next second.
Sheng Mumu felt a warm, sturdy palm envelop her shoulder as Qi Mo put his arm around her. His other hand was tucked casually into his pant pocket as he gazed upwards.
It seemed perfectly natural for him to have his arm around her.
Sheng Mumu looked up and saw his refined, superior profile.
His nose was straight and proud, his jawline sharp and rugged.
Just then several bursts of fireworks shot into the air.
Their glow washed over his fair skin in layers of shimmering light.
In his deep eyes, pinpricks of light gathered and dispersed again.
Like stars falling into a lake.
Utterly captivating.
"Look at the sky—"
Without turning his head, the hand on Sheng Mumu's shoulder tightened slightly as he suddenly spoke, laughter evident in his voice:
"—save ogling me for later."
Sheng Mumu's breath hitched as she saw the aura of the powerful man before her curl his lips up slowly.
The brief stab of guilt at being caught staring was gone in seconds.
The next moment, Sheng Mumu raised her hand.
"Slap!"
She lightly flicked the side of his neck.
Her tone was perfectly casual as she said:
"There was a mosquito."
To cover up her embarrassment, she blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.
She wasn't looking at him, she was looking at a mosquito.
Having been slapped for no reason, Qi Mo's body stiffened in surprise and he froze for a few seconds.
He slowly turned his head to look at her.
Their gazes collided in midair.
Sheng Mumu blinked innocently, shadows swirling in her eyes.
She didn't back down one bit from his stare.
In the static moment.
Qi Mo's brows quirked up slightly, amusement entering his eyes, as he meaningfully nodded his chin.
His expression said he didn't believe her flimsy lie for a second, yet he wasn't going to call her out on it.
Of course Sheng Mumu could read him easily.
She raised her hand again.
Using her index finger, she poked his chin and gently pushed his head to face forward once more.
Her red lips parted lightly as she mimicked him:
"Eyes skyward, ogle me later."
With that said, she too looked up at the fireworks overhead.
No more eye contact for this sly man.
Yet even without looking, she could feel the intensity of his gaze lingering on her face.
Scorching. Yearning.
Behind them.
Qi Shaobai the human tripod squatted, holding up his phone.
His thumb tapped furiously.
Taking continuous shots to capture this scene.
Just outside Jing City No.1 Middle School.
The limousine had just driven out of the school gates.
The old lady was leaning into the spacious seat, eyes closed in drowsiness.
Light snores drifted out softly.
Firework lights shone in through the car window, illuminating the old lady's sweet sleeping state clearly.
She smacked her lips a few times, shifting in her seat.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
She was dreaming of many long-ago memories—
A fifteen-year-old Qi Mo, just after his sister had passed away. The lean yet stalwart youth stood in the doorway of the hospital room.
Eyes rimmed red, lips pressed in a straight line as he gritted his teeth to keep the tears from falling.
She walked down the pungently sterile hallway of the hospital and embraced her grandson.
Gently consoling him:
"Don't be afraid, you still have Grandma—"
The boy finally couldn't hold back any longer. He buried his head in her arms as his shoulders started to shake.
Tears dropped down, splashing onto the tiled floor.
They also splashed into her heart, stirring up endless heartache.
She patted her grandson's back, "Grandma will take care of your sister's child. Don't cry, don't be afraid."
The dreamscape skipped around in fragments.
Next, it suddenly transitioned to a summer afternoon.
The wind billowed the curtains outwards.
The old fan was juddering away, the TV replaying the midday news.
A series of urgent rings from the telephone startled her out of her doze.
She lazily picked up the old corded handset.
"Grandma, I got in!"
Delight spread across her face.
She heard her grandson's excited voice over the phone.
He was sharing the good news with her, promising that in the future he would definitely earn lots and lots of money to provide her and Xiaobudian with a comfortable life.
She had lived through more seasons than he had eaten bowls of rice.
How could she not see through his forced smile?
The scene sped up.
Flashes of her interactions with Xiaobudian over the years appeared.
She went to pick up Xiaobudian from school and heard him getting mocked by the brats from the class next door for not having parents.
Xiaobudian whipped his head around to glare at those boys, his gaze far too gloomy and cold for his age.
She was frying dumplings in the old house's kitchen. Xiaobudian came home from school and immediately grabbed for them without washing his hands first.
She frowned and pried open his hands, urging him to go wash up.
After that, Xiaobudian went to live with his uncle.
Whenever they video called, he would always laugh and say "Don't worry Grandma."
But she had lived through more seasons than he had eaten bowls of rice.
How could she not see through his forced smile?
Suddenly, the colors in her mind shifted to warm tones.
The scene transitioned to the Jing City villa.
She sat at the exquisite, expensive dining table. Across from her were Xiaobudian and Dabudian.
In the span of seconds, their appearances gradually matured.
The grandson who once choked back tears in a hospital hallway became a man capable of shouldering a family.
The once gloomy and repressed great-grandson finally wore the carefree, unrestrained expression of an ordinary seventeen-year-old.
A slender figure came down the stairs of the mansion lightly.
She looked over.
Sheng Mumu bounded over brightly, pulling out the chair next to her and affectionately calling her:
"Grandma~"
The dreamscape stretched on and on.
Spanning over a decade.
Yet the limo had only passed a few blocks.
Inside were three private nurses.
Xiao Fei stole a concerned glance at the sleeping old lady.
She lowered her voice to say to the person beside her:
"The old lady seems really happy today, even smiling in her sleep."
After the festivities, the school field of Jing City No.1 Middle School regained its tranquility.
School staff organized students to clean up.
The decorations on stage were removed one by one.
Students dutifully picked up chairs to return them to the auditorium.
Qi Shaobai declined his dad and stepmom's offer of help, insisting boastfully:
"No need to help, I can carry all this back myself in one go. Meet you guys at the school back gate later, just wander around for now."
With that said, as if to prove his vitality, he picked up two chairs and jogged to catch up with Wei Zhaonan ahead.
He called out loudly to Wei Zhaonan: "Hey, walk slower, wait for Daddy."
Sheng Mumu: "..."
Qi Mo: "..."
The two exchanged a tacit glance.
They shook their heads silently.
Qi Shaobai was dropping all pretenses of propriety around them more and more...
It made them feel, well, not accustomed to it...
