...It's true that there's no harm without comparison.
Chu Yi silently lowered his hand, shook his head, and smiled bravely.
"No, I'm not cold. I still want to watch the fireworks show later."
Even more people came out at night, and the best fireworks viewing spot was almost shoulder to shoulder. Qiao Anchen's brows never relaxed the whole time. At first, he was holding her hand, but then he started to hold Chu Yi in his arms to prevent her from being pushed and bumped by others.
"Why is everyone so free?" he seemed utterly perplexed.
"If you used that time for work, you could probably avoid a lot of trouble."
Chu Yi finally found a suitable opportunity to speak her mind. She looked up at Qiao Anchen and gave him a serious lecture.
“Work is not everything in life, and not everyone thinks work is a normal thing like you do. Most people, like me, would rather go out to watch fireworks than go to work.”
"..." Qiao Anchen was silent for a moment, then said, "Okay."
"Although I don't understand your thinking, I can remain silent."
He didn't say another word after that. Chu Yi followed him silently, realizing for the first time that you shouldn't try to reason with someone who works in the legal field, because he can shut you up with a single sentence.
The fireworks started.
As soon as the two stood on the shore, bursts of vibrant colors exploded overhead, like a giant firework. With a bang, meteors scattered, painting the night sky with dazzling colors.
Chu Yi looked up, staring in amazement.
Cheers erupted, and many people took out their phones to take pictures. Qiao Anchen glanced at them a few times before looking away, his gaze landing precisely on Chu Yi's face.
She gazed intently and devoutly at the sky above, as if looking at something unparalleled. Her profile was bathed in a warm orange light, and her eyes held a myriad of colors.
Qiao Anchen followed her gaze upwards. The scenery remained the same, but in that instant, he suddenly felt that the fireworks display wasn't so boring after all.
As the event ended and the crowd dispersed, Qiao Anchen's slightly improved mood shattered instantly, and then someone next to him stepped on his shoe.
He felt he was on the verge of losing control.
Chu Yi keenly sensed the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the person next to her, and she couldn't help but calm herself down and quicken her pace, trying to break free from the crowd.
After many twists and turns, including stepping on the shoes of five or six people, being bumped on the shoulder several times, and almost having their phone knocked out, the two finally managed to escape and reach a safe and open space.
Chu Yi was panting slightly, her hair disheveled and plastered to her forehead. Qiao Anchen glanced around and lost his patience.
"Shall we go straight home?"
"Okay." Chu Yi nodded without saying anything more.
The journey back was unusually quiet. Qiao Anchen focused on driving, while Chu Yi leaned against the passenger seat, looking out the window, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.
They arrived home in silence. Qiao Anchen entered and said, "I'm going to take a shower first." Chu Yi responded and threw herself onto the sofa.
Why am I so tired?
She was thinking.
I used to go to Green Water Island with Cheng Li and others when I was in school. Although it was crowded and there were a lot of people, we all had a good time. Why is it different when it's Qiao Anchen?
Chu Yi thought that it was probably because Qiao Anchen didn't like doing this, so his unintentional expression and words were enough to make her lose interest as well.
The sofa below was soft and comfortable, and Chu Yi closed his eyes, feeling drowsy.
After the National Day holiday, the two of them had no activities for a long time and barely spoke a few words each day. Autumn passed quietly, and before they knew it, it was the day of the Beginning of Winter.
After a carefree autumn and summer, Miss Cheng Li finally settled down and prepared to spend the winter in Lancheng.
She hasn't had a stable job since graduating from university. While studying, she often posted her beauty reviews on Weibo. Her comments were sharp and insightful, and she has a very attractive face. Moreover, her recommendations were always trendy and based on good conscience. Now she is a blogger with hundreds of thousands of followers, and she can support herself for half a year by simply taking on an advertisement.
In addition.
That's Cheng Li's catchphrase.
Sigh, if I don't work harder, I'll have to go back and inherit the family fortune.
Yes, she is a true second-generation rich kid, the kind whose family owns so many properties that it's impossible to count them all.
I broke up with my first love when I first entered university because he felt inferior because his family was too rich...
Because her boyfriend was away on a business trip, Cheng Li finally had some free time and thought of her poor little girl. When Lancheng experienced its first drop in temperature, she invited Chu Yi to go out for hot pot.
It had been a long time since they last met. Qiao Anchen couldn't handle spicy food, while Chu Yi was a complete fan of spicy food. In addition, summer had arrived in Lancheng not long after they met, and hot pot was no longer a part of her life.
I really, really miss a steaming hot pot of spicy beef tallow.
The wind outside already carried a biting chill, the trees were bare, and the sky was dark and gloomy, as if the harsh winter was sounding an alarm for them.
Chu Yi wrapped her scarf and sweater tightly around herself, and pushed open the door of the hot pot restaurant in her little boots.
Cheng Li had already ordered the food, and the pot was boiling, its steam waving cheerfully at her.
The two had almost identical tastes, and the waiter brought out pig brain, beef tripe, and old tofu one by one, making Chu Yi's mouth water.
"I really want to die."
"You and your prosecutor family have never been to eat there?" Cheng Li asked her while deftly preparing the dishes.
Chu Yi shook her head, "Don't talk about him, don't ruin my mood for hot pot."
"Hahahaha—" Cheng Li laughed wildly, "Has your marital relationship become so weak?"
"Not really." Chu Yi picked up the watermelon juice next to him, took a sip, and pondered, "It's just ordinary and simple."
"Every day revolves around three meals a day, just trivial matters of life, with no passion whatsoever." Chu Yi picked up a piece of tripe and chewed it with a crunching sound.
"My poor little one." This phrase has almost become Cheng Li's catchphrase lately. She shook her head, her face full of pity.
"They didn't even get to enjoy the honeymoon phase before jumping straight into the boring marriage channel."
The two of them finished a bunch of empty plates. When the waiter came to collect the bill, my eyelids twitched involuntarily, but I still very professionally presented the bill to them.
After paying, Chu Yi took Cheng Li's hand and went out. A post-meal digestive activity was quickly arranged.
After trying on clothes, shoes, and bags and complimenting each other, we'd explored most of the street. With a little room in our stomachs, we grabbed a cup of milk tea and headed home.
As Chu Yi waved goodbye to Cheng Li, the smile on her face hadn't faded. She felt that today must have been the happiest day she'd had in a while.
Pushing open the door, Chu Yi saw only a small light on in the entryway. After changing her shoes, she carefully walked to the doorway.
Qiao Anchen looked up when he heard the noise.
"You're back?"
"Yeah! I also did some shopping." Chu Yi put her things on the table, smiling brightly.
What did you eat today?
"Stir-fried eggplant, seaweed soup, and pork ribs." Qiao Anchen seemed to rarely see her so happy, and raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Is the hot pot delicious?"
Chu Yi nodded eagerly, practically turning herself into a nodding machine. "It's super, super delicious! Hot pot is a food I can never give up in my life!"
Qiao Anchen was amused by her and smiled slightly.
"Then let's go eat there more often next time."
Chu Yi blinked, but before he could continue, she gave up.
"Hmm... I'm going to take a shower now."
After Cheng Li returned, Chu Yi's life, which had been like a cold winter, finally saw a glimmer of spring, and the two of them would meet up every now and then to enjoy life.
They're either getting beauty massages or on their way to eat, drink, and have fun. Of course, the happiest thing is shopping.
Thanks to Cheng Li, Chu Yi was able to bring her back from focusing all her attention on Qiao Anchen. Sometimes it wasn't that she couldn't see Qiao Anchen, but that Qiao Anchen often couldn't see her when he came home from get off work.
At first, he thought it was pretty good. He had friends in the first year of junior high who could do things they liked together. But as time went on, every time he came back and saw the dark room, he felt inexplicably uneasy.
However, he had no right to ask Chu Yi to stay at home.
As a result, Qiao Anchen worked overtime even more often. At least he had work to keep him company in the procuratorate.
One morning, Chu Yi hung the washed clothes to dry on the balcony and brought in the clean clothes. While folding and organizing them, she suddenly noticed that one of Qiao Anchen's suit buttons was missing.
She rummaged through her pockets and actually found the button. Chu Yi was a little helpless; it had all happened a few days ago, and Qiao Anchen hadn't mentioned it.
Chu Yi suddenly seemed to remember something and was momentarily lost in thought. Come to think of it, it seemed like the two of them hadn't spoken for several days...
Recently, Cheng Li found a particularly delicious restaurant that only has special ingredients available for dinner. Chu Yi and she have been checking it out these past few days, and they inevitably come back very late.
Qiao Anchen sometimes even falls asleep.
Chu Yi found the sewing kit, sewed the buttons on his clothes, ironed them neatly, and hung them in the closet.
The person who came home late today was Qiao Anchen. He returned just as Chu Yi was about to fall asleep. Before he could say a few words, he rushed off to take a shower. Chu Yi had already fallen asleep before he even came out.
Chu Yi woke up groggily in the morning to go to the toilet. When she came out, she bumped into Qiao Anchen, who was on his way to work. He stopped and spoke very seriously.
"Did you sew the buttons back on my suit jacket?"
Chu Yi nodded haphazardly twice.
"Thank you." Qiao Anchen thanked her politely, and Chu Yi replied that she was welcome, then collapsed back onto the bed.
When Chu Yi woke up again, she regained her senses and suddenly remembered what had happened that morning, feeling inexplicably strange.
The relationship between her and Qiao Anchen seemed to have become far too polite, to the point that they didn't seem like a married couple at all.
As Christmas Eve approached, Cheng Li's boyfriend finally returned from his business trip. He had gone to an overseas branch office for a two-month training program.
The couple, separated by distance, finally reunited. Cheng Li abandoned Chu Yi without hesitation and threw herself into her boyfriend's arms.
Qiao Anchen could clearly sense that Chu Yi was spending more time at home with her head down, and she seemed to have become a bit listless.
When he got home from get off work, he casually asked a question.
"What's wrong? You haven't been going out lately."
"Cheng Li's boyfriend is back..." Chu Yi said weakly. Qiao Anchen thought for a few seconds and nodded in understanding.
"Then you'll be all alone."
"..." Chu Yi gave him a resentful look and remained silent.
right.
Other women with boyfriends are too busy to take care of their best friends.
She, a married woman, can only hang out with her close friends.