Group Photo

There was no moon tonight, and the biting wind whipped relentlessly against Ye Mian's hair.

Fearing that the person before her was merely a hallucination, she timidly raised her head. When she caught sight of his distinct and well-defined silhouette, a surreal, dreamlike sensation washed over her.

They had only been apart for a few days, yet it felt as though years had passed.

After an extremely brief embrace, Jiang Chen stepped back with impeccable courtesy. The night wind instantly swept through the space that now separated them.

Noticing the girl's reddened eyes, the man gently brushed a thumb across her tear tracks. His voice was softer than the night breeze.

"Why are you crying? Who bullied you?"

Ye Mian: "..."

His voice was very low, yet every single word clearly found its way into her ears.

With her throat constricted by emotion, a overwhelming sense of pleasant surprise left her unable to piece together a coherent sentence for the longest time.

"Why... why did you suddenly come here?" She was crying and smiling at the same time, truly acting like a fool.

Seemingly remembering something, she glanced down at Jiang Chen's legs. "Are your injuries healed? Can you walk?"

"Mm, barely enough to walk a short distance." His expression was calm and indifferent, as though he cared little for the injuries he had sustained.

"So you drove here?"

Ye Mian's expression grew somewhat complicated as her gaze dropped once more to his long legs.

Wencheng and Qiao Town were separated by an entire province—a considerable distance. If he had driven...

With her vision blurring, Ye Mian said worriedly, "You really are rebellious. Take my advice: the brooding, limping-beauty aesthetic doesn't suit you."

Jiang Chen: ?

"Even though you work in finance, you might not have other career paths closed off to you. If you end up with a permanent limp, you'll completely ruin any chance of making a living in the entertainment industry. It's really not worth it."

Listening to the young woman's thinly veiled sarcasm, Jiang Chen raised his brows slightly, a trace of a smile leaking from the corners of his lips.

He said softly, "Mm, I'll take that as a compliment."

"..."

He still had such an easygoing temperament.

For no reason at all, Ye Mian's eyes stung as though they had been soaked in vinegar.

She was somewhat angry that Jiang Chen didn't cherish his own body, but since he had actually come all this way, she was deeply moved as well.

These conflicting emotions of annoyance, heartache, and joy intertwined within her.

After a long while, she spoke with a hoarse, choked voice: "Don't do this next time. You need to love yourself a little more, okay?"

The fingertips hidden within Jiang Chen's sleeves trembled slightly. He straightened his posture, lowering his gaze to look deeply into her eyes from above.

His tone was heavy, carrying a touch of helplessness.

"I wanted to see you. How could that possibly be considered not loving myself?"

Fireworks boomed across the riverbanks, lighting up the entire night sky. Countless shattered points of light fell into the man's deep eyes. Standing amidst the cold luminescence, his features were breathtakingly handsome.

Ye Mian's eyes were still red, but her face was even redder than her eyes.

Jiang Chen possessed an effortless talent for making people's hearts flutter. Even though Ye Mian had read countless romance scripts, she had never known self-love to be interpreted in quite this way.

—

The later it got on New Year's Eve, the more bustling Qiao Town became. Some people came to watch the fireworks, while others came to soak in the lively atmosphere.

It was only when Jiang Chen took her hand and led her down the stone bridge that she belatedly realized how conspicuous they had looked standing up there together.

It was the largest stone bridge in the town, and foot traffic was heavy. Almost everyone who passed by lingered on them with their gaze for a moment before walking away with a knowing smile.

She had no doubt that if they had stayed up there a little longer, they would have made the local broadcast news of Qiao Town tomorrow.

All the way there, Ye Mian's hand was enveloped by the man's warm, slender fingertips, holding her with a firm yet gentle pressure.

The girl's tears had been dried by the cold wind, leaving only her eyes curved like crescent moons.

Since Jiang Chen's leg had not fully healed and he couldn't walk too far, she led him into a still-open café, choosing a table near the river.

Ye Mian ordered a cup of hot tea for Jiang Chen and a hot coffee for herself, before turning her gaze toward him.

The café's lighting was dim, and the overall wood-paneled interior possessed a quiet sophistication. Outside the window, fireworks bloomed with brilliant flashes from time to time, casting distant reflections onto the man that made him look as gentle as a colorful veil of gauze.

Unable to settle her mind, Ye Mian let countless thoughts flash through her head before finally asking Jiang Chen, "Are you staying at a hotel tonight, or coming home with me?"

Her tone was utterly calm, as if the option of Jiang Chen coming home with her was the most natural thing in the world.

Helpless yet amused, Jiang Chen set down his cup of hot tea and chuckled softly. "Little Ye Mian, you seem quite enthusiastic about taking people home?"

Huh? What kind of remark was that?

Rightfully indignant, Ye Mian defended herself, slipping in a smooth romantic line along the way: "Not really, just enthusiastic about taking *you* home."

"Is that so?"

The amusement in Jiang Chen's eyes faded slightly as he delivered his refusal with a voice that remained gentle: "But I'm afraid not. It's the New Year—don't give Uncle Ye a reason to be upset."

Ye Mian froze, finally feeling a twinge of a guilty conscience. "Then which hotel are you staying at? Is it far?"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Not far. Right here in the town."

Hearing this, the corners of Ye Mian's mouth slowly curved upward.

That meant... she would be able to see Jiang Chen over and over again for the next few days.

Beneath the table, the night wind lifted the hem of her red skirt, silently brushing against his trouser leg.

Ye Mian felt as though the entire town must be able to hear the pounding of her heart and the sound of her breath.

To think she could spend the New Year alongside Jiang Chen right here in Qiao Town—it felt like stolen time, so wonderful she scarcely dared to believe it.

Drinking her coffee, she watched Jiang Chen for a long time, then pulled out her phone to snap a photo of herself. Taking advantage of the moment he turned to look at the fireworks, she quickly snapped one of him as well.

Just as she tucked her phone away, she heard Jiang Chen's gentle voice: "Since you've already taken them, shouldn't we take a photo together?"

"..."

Between laughter and tears, Ye Mian turned her face away and took a deep breath.

Some things were simply inevitable; no matter how many times you experienced them, the social death of getting caught red-handed was still suffocating.

"Heh."

The man gave a soft laugh. The fingers that had released the teacup were slender and clearly jointed, dappled with mottled shadows of light.

His other hand picked up her phone, and he stood up, moving closer to Ye Mian as he leaned down slightly to close the distance between them.

He was exceptionally tall, so even when he bent over, he still carried an overwhelming sense of presence. The fresh, clean scent of him already enveloped the tip of her nose.

Dazed, Ye Mian looked at the screen.

On the phone screen, Jiang Chen was looking back at her through the lens, his distinct black-and-white eyes holding an exceptionally sparkling warmth.

Her breathing momentarily slowed.

The flow of the air seemed frozen by the chill. All the surrounding objects automatically faded into the most insignificant background scenery; he was someone who naturally commanded all attention.

His gaze drifted down to Ye Mian's face, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into a tender smile.

"Little Ye Mian, smile."

Unable to suppress the chaotic fluttering of her heart, Ye Mian obediently curved her eyes.

It seemed even the heavens were cooperating with them when a magnificent cascade of fireworks bloomed behind the two of them.

—The screen instantly froze the moment.

The gentle and steady man.
The radiant, blushing girl.
Thousands of fireworks bursting in unison.

At twenty-one years old, the entire scene was breathtakingly, stunningly gorgeous.

—

As the night grew deeper, they stepped out of the café, and Jiang Chen walked Ye Mian home.

Passing by the small convenience store, Jiang Chen paused, saying he needed to buy some toiletries.

Blinking, Ye Mian bit the bullet and led him inside.

The store was still being run by the familiar proprietorship of the friendly landlady. The only difference was that the television program playing today was no longer financial news, but the Spring Festival Gala.