Chapter 157 Extra: Wen Chuan – Christmas Eve (Part 2)
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The sky was engulfed by the fiery red sunset, claiming half of it.
The wind seeped into Jian Chi’s helmet, carrying a faint salty scent. The expansive view was filled with blue, stretching endlessly. At the end of the sea, the setting sun connected with the horizon, and the sparkling firelight spread deep into the distance, resembling a grand performance reaching its climax.
Magnificent and beautiful.
Suddenly, Jian Chi felt a sense of familiarity, an intimacy with Yun City. Compared to the gentle waves in his memory, the sea breeze on his cheeks felt even more brisk and unrestrained. The conservative nature of Boros residents made water sports particularly unpopular here. On the eve of Christmas, people either gathered with family and friends or waited under the Christmas tree in the city center for the New Year’s bell. The beach seemed even quieter and deserted, and Jian Chi happened to be one of those who didn’t enjoy crowds.
Walking along the stone steps towards the beach, the white fine sand turned increasingly golden as it approached the sea. Jian Chi breathed in the wind, feeling the relaxation in his shoulders extend to his whole body, immersing in the cool night air.
Very comfortable.
Wen Chuan walked up from behind, the soles of his boots making a rustling sound on the gravel. “The first time I came here, I felt that you would like it.”
Jian Chi turned around, Wen Chuan’s face softened in the backlight, causing a momentary distraction. “Did you come here to check off points?”
Just a casual joke, but the listener nodded under his gaze, “Checked off a few.”
“A few?”
“A few spots within an hour’s drive from the city on the map and some other places. I thought you would like it here.” Wen Chuan looked towards the distant lights, saying, “The view here is excellent.”
Wen Chuan didn’t mention the time spent traveling to these places, but Jian Chi could imagine. The first semester’s coursework should not have been too heavy, but Danalt University, where Wen Chuan studied, was famous for its strictness, especially in it’s highest-ranked business field, which happened to be Wen Chuan’s major. Except for weekends, their communication relied solely on a mobile phone. Jian Chi had no idea when Wen Chuan quietly visited these places.
“Did you come here instead of doing group assignments with your classmates like you said before?”
“Not entirely,” Wen Chuan paused, “but some of it.”
Jian Chi was amused by his rare awkward tone. The waves splashed, almost wetting the soles of their shoes. Jian Chi simply took off his shoes, holding them in his hand. Occasionally, while walking along the beach, he would be pricked by hidden shells. This kind of experience, reminiscent of childhood, was not annoying. Bending down, Jian Chi watched as small crabs, only half the size of a palm, desperately buried themselves in the sand. Just as he was about to reach out, the splashing waves wet his knees. He stood up, shoulders draped in a slightly heavy coat, retaining some residual warmth.
Wen Chuan’s cold expression remained as usual, as if the actions just now were not his, and the coat draped on Jian Chi was not his. Only the gaze that had always been on Jian Chi revealed a hint of true hidden thoughts.
Rather than speaking, he preferred to act simply and directly. Jian Chi tightened the coat around him. Before he could speak, a distant explosion echoed, and beams of light shot into the sky, bursting into one dazzling firework after another. Colorful hues circulated in the night sky, reflecting in his eyes. In the moment of Jian Chi’s astonishment, a warm and broad chest pressed against his back. Wen Chuan’s voice was low but far superior to the fireworks.
“Is it beautiful?”
Beautiful.
Suddenly, Jian Chi understood the true meaning of the phrase “the view here is excellent.”
The Christmas Eve fireworks display in the bustling city center, as Abe said, attracted tens of thousands of people every year waiting for the fireworks and the midnight hour under the Christmas tree. The performance was beautiful, but when squeezed among tens of thousands, even the beauty of fireworks was significantly diminished. Jian Chi had abandoned the idea after hearing about the massive crowd. He really wanted to go and see.
The wish was set aside but not forgotten. Wen Chuan brought him here and brought the fireworks to him.
The grand fireworks display lasted for nearly twenty minutes. From this vantage point, one could see the iconic buildings and the Central Bridge illuminated by dazzling lights. The lingering smoke gradually dissipated, and Jian Chi’s heartbeat, accelerated by the loud bangs, still irregularly thumped. As the sensory stimulation faded away, the touch and warmth belonging to Wen Chuan behind him became more vivid, and the voice in his ears dropped with a biting tone.
“Do you like this gift?”
Jian Chi heard the wind mixed with his own heartbeat, perhaps Wen Chuan’s heartbeat too. “I like it,” he replied.
Wen Chuan gathered Jian Chi’s arms, asking, “Is it boring to be with me?”
With a calm tone, not a question. Jian Chi hadn’t expected Wen Chuan to get so close. When he turned around, their lips almost brushed against each other’s cheeks. After a moment of bewilderment, Jian Chi replied, “No, never.”
“After coming to Boros, I tried not to shut myself off too much, followed your advice to meet more friends, to communicate with everyone. I achieved a part of it, and just like you said, this feeling is very good. Sometimes I think if I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t be standing here, wouldn’t have walked the path below us. It would have been a completely different life.”
The waves hit Jian Chi’s heart, causing a surge of emotion. “Do you like your life now?”
“I’m very happy to have this kind of life,” Wen Chuan said. “The future I saw before was gray, but now the future has no color.”
“Why?”
“It’s waiting for me to create new possibilities.”
Some words stuck in Jian Chi’s chest. Suddenly, Jian Chi’s shoulders sank, and a fleeting sigh passed through the wind. “I’m a boring person, that’s a fact. But I’m afraid you might think the same. If this gift is not so romantic, please don’t be disappointed.”
Jian Chi couldn’t help but want to hug Wen Chuan, but the position made him only able to place his hand on Wen Chuan’s head, giving it a rub. “I didn’t say it’s not romantic. The fireworks are beautiful, and I really like them, very much.”
The gift didn’t need to be expensive; it was in the way Wen Chuan remembered that he liked the sea, took time from his busy schedule to select the most heartfelt locations, and held him when the fireworks bloomed, speaking heartfelt words that only the two of them could hear. All the details were romantic, a romantic way unique to Wen Chuan.
“Do I need to return the favor?”
Facing Wen Chuan’s eyes, which were subtly flickering in the dim light, Jian Chi tiptoed on the beach and kissed him on the lips, immediately being embraced at the waist, sealing it with a deeper kiss. Under the silent night sky, no one knew the story happening here. When they parted, their breaths became deeper than at the beginning, and the atmosphere fell into a brief, quiet moment. Jian Chi cleared his throat, “Are we going back now?”
“There’s a hotel nearby,” Wen Chuan said. “Returning to the city is too far; we can go there.”
“Did you also check off points at the hotel?”
Wen Chuan didn’t speak, looking into his eyes, making Jian Chi, who originally wanted to liven up the atmosphere, inexplicably blush. He put his shoes back on the ground, avoiding the disturbing gaze. Wen Chuan spoke, “I’ll carry you up.”
“Just for this short distance…”
Wen Chuan’s actions were faster than Jian Chi’s words. He knelt in front of him. Jian Chi’s response to the second half of the sentence was stuck in his mouth. The distance wasn’t long, but wet feet were indeed inconvenient to put back into shoes. In the end, he awkwardly and somewhat shamefully laid across Wen Chuan’s back, feeling the muscles of Wen Chuan’s back and the hands securely holding his legs. The movement of getting up was as smooth and powerful as his footsteps.
In the light and shadow, Jian Chi used his peripheral vision to outline Wen Chuan’s profile, from the bridge of his nose to his lips, and from his lips to his jaw. He did it secretly to avoid Wen Chuan’s notice. Upon reaching the hotel, Wen Chuan brought him into the room in the same way.
During the journey, Jian Chi buried his head tightly on Wen Chuan’s back, afraid to meet the smiles of the girls at the front desk. The fireplace in the room was burning with fireworks, dispelling the chill. This place, more than the hotel, resembled a holiday cabin filled with a festive atmosphere. There was a small Christmas tree near the window, and a reindeer doll in Christmas attire leaned against the bedside.
After Jian Chi took a bath, he almost pressed onto the doll, but before he could remove it, Wen Chuan took it first. He put the reindeer’s headband on Jian Chi’s head, who hadn’t reacted. Jian Chi was stunned for a few seconds. Perhaps the strange harmony between the blank expression and the antlers on his head created an odd charm.
Wen Chuan lowered his head and kissed the corner of Jian Chi’s mouth, stopping his hand from removing it. “Very cute.”
“Wait, um…”
Unfortunately, Jian Chi missed the best opportunity to take off the headband. In the increasingly heated air and the slow softening of consciousness during the kiss, the midnight bell rang. People waiting by the Christmas tree and with their families outside cheered and laughed, celebrating the arrival of Christmas. Jian Chi vaguely heard the sound of fireworks outside again. Overwhelmed by the hazy breaths and friction, he couldn’t hear it clearly.
Wen Chuan’s low and hoarse answer covered all the sounds, clear and audible.
“Merry Christmas. I love you.”
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Thank You for the new chapter ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Wahh I miss them so much! Need to back reread some because I forgot the characters haha
But thank you very much for the new chapters!! <33