Chapter 426 - 240: Lu Fan Gives Silu Jinling’s Most Expensive Fireworks Show

Chapter 426: Chapter 240: Lu Fan Gives Silu Jinling’s Most Expensive Fireworks Show

The manor’s living room was huge, and a few girls were sitting on the sofa chatting.

Lu Yao pulled out the video of the fireworks she had just taken to show Song Miaomiao. Their heads were close together as they chattered away.

Liu Shiting sat quietly in a corner, flipping through a magazine.

Jiang Silu leaned against Wen Wan, scrolling through her phone and occasionally looking up to say a few words to her.

Wen Wan sat on the sofa, clutching her phone, her eyes darting toward the entrance from time to time.

She looked once. Nothing.

She looked again. Still nothing.

Jiang Silu noticed and gently nudged her arm, smiling. "Sister Wen Wan, stop looking. My brother will definitely come if he said he would. He’s the type of person who never goes back on a promise."

Wen Wan quickly averted her gaze, her face growing slightly hot. "I wasn’t... I was just..."

She opened her mouth, but realizing anything she said would sound wrong, she decided against it. She lowered her head and just slid her finger back and forth across her phone screen, not really looking at anything.

Seeing her like that, Jiang Silu couldn’t help but laugh and decided not to tease her anymore.

When Chen He’s car stopped at the manor’s entrance, Jiang Sifan got out.

He stood at the door and glanced up.

The entire building was brightly lit. A warm, yellow glow spilled from the windows, illuminating the lawn in front.

He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The girls in the living room all looked up at the same time.

Jiang Silu was the first to jump up. She ran over and grabbed him. "Brother, what took you so long? The fireworks are already over."

Jiang Sifan let her pull him inside, his steps a little unsteady. "There was some traffic on the way."

"Brother Sifan! Happy New Year!" Lu Yao called out, waving at him from the sofa.

Jiang Sifan nodded. "Happy New Year."

Song Miaomiao and Liu Shiting also smiled at him.

His gaze swept across the living room, finally landing on Wen Wan.

She was sitting on the sofa, clutching her phone, looking right at him.

He nodded at her, and she nodded back. She didn’t say anything, but her ears turned red.

Lu Fan came out of the study holding a cup of tea. Seeing Jiang Sifan, he smiled and said, "You’re here."

"Yeah," Jiang Sifan replied.

Lu Fan stopped beside him and patted his shoulder, his voice tinged with emotion. "For so many years, I was never able to celebrate New Year’s with you all. I guess this year counts. Don’t go back tonight; there are plenty of guest rooms."

When the girls heard this, their eyes lit up.

Lu Yao was the first to cry out, "Really? That’s great!"

"Thank you, Uncle Lu," Song Miaomiao also said with a smile, a little shyly.

Jiang Silu added happily, "Brother, the bed in my room is huge! It could fit five girls, no problem!"

Lu Yao deliberately teased from the side, grinning. "It’s fine. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just go sleep in Brother Sifan’s room."

The living room fell silent for a second.

Jiang Sifan coughed twice, his face growing slightly hot.

He subconsciously glanced at Wen Wan.

She was sitting on the sofa with her head down.

A smile still lingered on her lips, but it was a bit stiff. There was something unreadable in her eyes.

Seeing this, Jiang Silu quickly pulled Lu Yao toward the stairs. "Come on, come on, I’ll show you my room. The master bedroom has an even bigger bed and floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the whole lawn."

Lu Yao let herself be dragged away, and Song Miaomiao and Liu Shiting followed.

Lu Fan, holding his teacup, glanced at Jiang Sifan, then at Wen Wan. He smiled and said, "I’m going to the study to read for a bit. Sifan, why don’t you take Wen Wan for a walk outside? The lights on the lawn are still on, and the view is nice."

With that, he turned and went upstairs.

Only the two of them were left in the living room.

The heating was on full blast, and the fire in the fireplace crackled.

Jiang Sifan stood beside the sofa with his hands in his pockets, not knowing what to say.

Wen Wan sat on the sofa, her head lowered, blushing with embarrassment.

After a long moment, Jiang Sifan finally spoke, stammering, "Wen Wan, maybe... we could go for a walk?"

Wen Wan looked up at him.

Light from the streetlamps shone through the window, casting his face half in light and half in shadow.

Her heart skipped a beat. She lowered her head and replied softly, "Okay."

The two of them went out and walked slowly along the path on the lawn.

The streetlamps cast a dim yellow light on the path. On the grass on either side, the cardboard tubes from the earlier fireworks were still scattered about.

The night breeze blew over, cool and crisp, carrying the scent of fireworks.

Jiang Sifan walked beside her, his pace neither fast nor slow.

Wen Wan walked to his right, her head down, watching the tips of her shoes.

A distance of half a step separated them—not too far, not too close.

After they had walked for a while, Jiang Sifan spoke. "Did you have fun tonight?"

Wen Wan nodded. "I did. The fireworks were beautiful."

Jiang Sifan hummed in acknowledgment and said nothing more.

They walked a little further, the distance between them closing unconsciously.

His arm would occasionally brush against hers, and through their clothes, he could feel her warmth.

She didn’t pull away, and neither did he.

When they reached the middle of the lawn, Wen Wan suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

The moon was full and bright. There weren’t many stars, but one was particularly brilliant, hanging just above the treetops.

"Class President," she called out.

"Hm?"

"Where... where did you go tonight?"

Jiang Sifan froze for a moment, looking at her.

The moonlight softened the lines of her profile. Her eyelashes were long, and she had a delicate, straight nose.

She wasn’t looking at him. She just kept her eyes on the sky, as if waiting for an answer.

He was silent for a moment before answering, "I went to see a friend."

Wen Wan nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.

She lowered her head, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed her words.

They continued walking forward.

Their pace slowed, and the distance between them grew even smaller.

His fingers hung by his side, as did hers.

One step, a brief touch.

Another step, another touch.

Skin against skin. Cool, yet warm.

Wen Wan’s heart was beating wildly.

She wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what.

She was afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid he would pull away, afraid of losing even this.

’I like him, but I don’t dare to say it.’

’I don’t know if he likes me back.’

’Jiang Sifan is just nice to me.’

’He buys me dinner, gives me books, accompanies me back to my hometown, holds his jacket over my head in the rain.’

’All that kindness is like lukewarm water—not scalding, but a constant warmth.’

’But is that love?’

’Or is it just a sense of responsibility?’

Her pace slowed.

He walked ahead of her.

He stopped and turned back to look at her.

Under the streetlamp, his face was a little blurry, but his eyes were bright.

"What’s wrong?" Jiang Sifan asked.

Wen Wan shook her head and quickened her pace to catch up.

She stood beside him, head down, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes tightly.

Jiang Sifan looked at her, and his mind suddenly flashed back to He Lingyi shouting in the square earlier that night.

He remembered her standing on her tiptoes to kiss him, how soft and warm her lips felt.

He had agreed.

He would be her boyfriend after the college entrance exams.

But now, standing in front of Wen Wan, his mind was filled with images of her.

The way she lowered her head, the way she blushed, the way she twisted the hem of her clothes.

’I feel like such a bastard.’

’I made a promise to He Lingyi, but I can’t let go of Wen Wan.’

He recalled the harem novels he used to read where the protagonist had a girl on each arm. He’d always scoffed at them, thinking how unrealistic it was.

’Now here I am, in the same situation. Two girls, and I don’t want to hurt either of them, but I already have.’

’I promised one, but I can’t let go of the other.’

He took a deep breath and looked at Wen Wan.

She stood under the streetlamp, head lowered, her expression a little unnatural.

He suddenly remembered that day in the rain, when she stood downstairs from her dorm, her eyes red-rimmed, telling him, "Class President, you should hurry back and change your clothes."

He remembered that day in the bookstore, how she held that book of poetry to her chest like it was a precious treasure.

He didn’t want to wait anymore.

He reached out and took her hand.

Her hand was small and cool, completely enveloped in his palm.

Her fingers were slightly curled, their tips cold.

She froze, looking up at him.

Under the streetlamp, his expression was serious, his eyes shining.

"Wen Wan," he said.

Her heart was beating uncontrollably. Her lips moved, but she didn’t know what to say.

She lowered her head and looked at their intertwined hands.

His hand was large and warm, completely covering hers.

She didn’t pull it back.

The night breeze blew over, cool and crisp.

But she didn’t feel cold.