Zhou Qishen, concerned that she was still on her period and worried about her discomfort, took her on the sightseeing bus. The 20-yuan ticket covered a round trip from the North Square to the South Square of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, just enough time to see the entire lantern festival. The ticket seller was quick, tearing off two tickets and telling them to line up. Many people had come to see the lanterns, and when it was their turn, the bus ahead of them had only one seat available.
The staff asked them to sit separately, saying that the cars would be one after another and not too far apart.
Actually, Zhao Xiyin didn't care, there were still many people in line behind her. Just as she was about to agree, Zhou Qishen pulled her to the back and said firmly, "We won't break up."
He did it solemnly, with a serious expression, which amused the people waiting in line for the bus.
After waiting another five minutes, the two finally got into the same car.
Zhao Xiyin laughed so hard, "You're three years old, how childish are you?"
Zhou Qishen said in a serious tone, "It's the New Year, why bother with dividing things up? It's bad luck."
Zhao Xiyin teased, "Boss Zhou, have you been burning incense and praying for a good marriage quite a bit?"
Zhou Qishen neither confirmed nor denied it, but held her hand and said, "In any case, you are mine."
The two strolled through the lantern festival, walking slowly and carefully through the bustling crowd, the bells of the sightseeing vehicles occasionally ringing softly. Looking back, the path they had come from was a tapestry of light and shadow, filled with the clamor of voices. Looking ahead, their hearts remained filled with tender affection.
Zhou Qishen opened his phone. "Xi'er, look here."
Zhao Xiyin shifted her gaze from the red lantern beside her. "Huh?"
Then Zhou Qishen turned on his camera, put his arm around her shoulder, and gently leaned his head against hers.
The two snuggled together in the camera's viewfinder.
The image freezes for half a second, and the photo is taken.
Zhao Xiyin snatched the photo and looked at it with a worried expression. "Zhou Qishen, you're so cunning. You made yourself look so handsome, but you made me look like a silly little dork."
Zhou Qishen snatched the phone back and said with a smile, "It's cute."
After saying that, he posted it on his WeChat Moments.
There was only this one photo, without any text. Zhao Xiyin couldn't stop her, and exclaimed, "You should at least take a nicer one!!"
Zhou Qishen raised an eyebrow and said, "Nervous?"
"You have so many women on your WeChat, you can't be too embarrassing, can you?" Zhao Xiyin whispered.
Realizing it was a trap, Zhou Qishen showed a strong survival instinct: "I never add random people on WeChat, just like before. I haven't changed my phone password, it's your birthday, you can check it yourself if you don't believe me, it can withstand any organizational inspection at any time."
In just a short while, Zhou Qishen's WeChat exploded. Dozens of messages were sent from his friends' WeChat Moments:
"It's really New Year's Day for Brother Zhou!"
"Holy crap, my sister-in-law is back! She's awesome!"
"When is Brother Zhou having his wedding? Remember to buy the wine from me wholesale."
Old Cheng replied succinctly, "Hehe."
Finally, it was Gu Heping's turn: "Zhou Qishen, please join the group and send out red envelopes. Don't hide and stay silent."
Zhao Xiyin saw that he really did send out a dozen or so red envelopes without batting an eye. In the group chat of the three men, Lao Cheng temporarily pulled Zhao Zhao into the chat. After grabbing all the red envelopes, Zhao Zhao left the group.
What a cold-blooded red envelope killer.
In the short time it took to post a message on WeChat Moments, the sightseeing bus arrived at its final stop, and the driver said we could get off.
Zhao Xiyin looked bewildered. "We've only been sitting here for less than three minutes, right?"
The driver said, "It's okay, you can take this bus back."
Zhao Xiyin was extremely helpless. "I've paid the 'stupidity tax' for this. It won't even take long to walk here."
Zhou Qishen wrapped his arms around her from behind, saying, "I'll walk with you."
"...If you're going to leave, where are you going to put your hands?" Zhao Xiyin was speechless.
Zhou Qishen touched her lightly, feigning sanctimoniousness, saying, "My arms are too long, there's nowhere to put them."
Zhao Xiyin laughed and dodged, "Zhou Qishen, be serious!"
“That’s not what you said last night.”
"……roll!"
Now that they're together, those roguish traits are no longer hidden. The scenery is beautiful, and Zhao Xiyin is busy sending New Year's greetings via text message, her head down, not looking where she's going. Zhou Qishen blocks in front of her, pulling her arm to prevent her from being bumped. He glances at her; she never sends those mass-sent greetings, typing each word carefully, a very formal New Year's greeting.
After going through all the friends and family members, Dai Yunxin, Xiao Yueliang, Li Ran, Xiao Shun'er, and Zhao Xiyin hesitated for a moment before sending a message to Su Ying as well. Zhou Qishen knew these people; he didn't recognize any of the messages she sent afterward.
Zhao Xiyin pushed his face away, "Don't look at my **."
Zhou Qishen said "Oh," and added, "I've already seen it more than a few years ago."
Zhao Xiyin swung her fist and punched him, muttering angrily, "You bastard!"
As they were talking, her phone received a video call. Zhou Qishen joked about it, but he was actually very respectful, keeping a distance and not bothering her. Zhao Xiyin said, "I'm in Xi'an. Look at these lights, aren't they beautiful?"
She spun around in place, and her phone extended.
She walked over to Zhou Qishen and moved the screen closer, saying, "It's not just one person, this is my... boyfriend."
The video showed a woman in her fifties. Zhou Qishen hadn't expected it, so he glanced at her again. Zhao Xiyin quickly turned the camera away, exchanged a few greetings, and hung up.
"Her surname is Feng. She's the kind person I met in Qinghai that year, the one I told you about. If she hadn't kindly given me a ride, I would have frozen to death."