Chapter 185: Even Distribution of Rain and Dew

The eve of New Year's Day.

Just two or three minutes remained before the final New Year's countdown.

Li Luo, Ying Chanxi, and Xu Youyu went downstairs and entered the Bihai Lanting residential complex.

Afraid of being chased away by security, the three walked straight out the complex gate to an entrance near Yin Mountain.

This was a small park, deserted at this late hour.

Li Luo stopped, set down the plastic bag, and spilled out all the fireworks he had bought.

Since it wasn't yet Spring Festival, the supermarket hadn't sold those big fireworks that shoot up into the sky—only small ones.

Like fairy wands and firecrackers you throw on the ground.

Li Luo lined up three fountain fireworks in a row but didn't light them yet; instead, he opened the fairy wand packaging, took out several sticks, and handed them to the two girls.

He pulled out a newly bought lighter from the plastic bag and lit the fairy wands for them.

As tiny sparks ignited, the fairy wands glowed like twinkling stars in their hands.

"So beautiful~"

Ying Chanxi swung her fairy wand, writing letters in the night air.

Xu Youyu, however, found it too tame; after the fairy wands burned out, she asked Li Luo, "Got anything bigger?"

"Try this then." Li Luo smiled, picked up a long cylindrical firework from the ground, and handed it to Xu Youyu to shoulder.

"What's this?"

"A Gatling." Li Luo confirmed it was safe, then said, "Hold it on your shoulder, don't point the barrel at me or Chanxi—no one else is around, you can fire anywhere."

"Huh?" Xu Youyu froze. "It fires right out?"

"Try it and see." Li Luo lit the fuse, then warned, "It's starting—don't let go, hold it steady."

The moment he spoke, Xu Youyu heard a sharp hiss.

Boom~

One missile shot out and exploded about ten meters away, forming a small firework.

Then, roughly every second, the barrel on Xu Youyu's shoulder fired another firework; as she turned her body and aimed, she could direct the bursts wherever she wanted.

"I've never played with this before!" Xu Youyu exclaimed excitedly. "This is amazing."

Watching from beside her, Ying Chanxi picked up another Gatling from the ground and had Li Luo light it for her.

Soon, two Gatling fireworks fired in succession across the small park.

When the two had played enough, the moment of midnight New Year's transition was nearly here.

All three pulled out their phones, watching the seconds tick away.

As the clock neared the final moment of 2014, Li Luo took out the lighter and lit each of the fountain fireworks lined up earlier.

With a hissing sound.

Three fountain fireworks burst open on the open ground of the park.

Time flowed on, steady and unchanging, stepping into the gates of 2015.

"Happy New Year's Day," Ying Chanxi said softly, hands clasped beside Li Luo.

"Happy New Year's Day!" Xu Youyu cheered, lighting another fairy wand for fun.

"Happy New Year's Day," Li Luo smiled, patted Ying Chanxi's shoulder, and gestured for her to bring out the instant camera.

The three stood back-to-back with the fountain fireworks, captured together in Ying Chanxi's instant camera as a New Year's Eve fireworks photo.

"I should've invited Zhusheng along," Ying Chanxi said, staring at the photo of the three of them, suddenly feeling uneasy, guilty and disappointed for her earlier selfish thoughts.

If she'd known it would turn out like this, what difference would it have made to add Yan Zhusheng?

At least it would've been livelier.

The thought of Yan Zhusheng still stuck in her dorm while they were out setting off fireworks made Ying Chanxi suddenly feel guilty.

Just as she thought this, Ying Chanxi felt her phone vibrate.

She pulled it out and saw a message from Yan Zhusheng.

It simply read: "Happy New Year's Day."

Ying Chanxi blinked, bit her lip, and immediately replied with a holiday greeting.

Then she looked up and noticed Li Luo and Xu Youyu also checking their phones. "Did Zhusheng message you too?"

"Yeah," Xu Youyu nodded, sounding regretful. "Too bad Zhusheng's stuck in the dorm—would've been perfect if all four of us could've welcomed the new year together."

"Mm… yeah…" Ying Chanxi lowered her head and sighed. "It's my fault—I should've dragged her back after class."

"It's too late to say that now," Li Luo said, watching the fountain fireworks fade. He squatted down, gathered the remaining fireworks, and put them back in the plastic bag, then smiled. "Instead of regretting here, let's act—come with me."

After speaking, Li Luo strode forward confidently.

Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu exchanged a puzzled glance, saw the direction Li Luo was heading, guessed his intent, and hurried after him.

The three crossed the intersection and circled to the south side of the Fuyi Middle School dormitory area.

Then Li Luo pulled out two more Gatling fireworks and placed them on Xu Youyu's and Ying Chanxi's shoulders.

He didn't light them yet; instead, he pulled out his phone and called Yan Zhusheng.

"Hello? Li Luo?"

The call connected instantly.

Yan Zhusheng's voice came through.

"Where are you?" Li Luo looked up at the dorm building across the way and asked with a smile.

"I'm in bed," Yan Zhusheng replied honestly. "What's up?"

"Then guess where we are," Li Luo didn't answer, but asked again.

"Hmm…" Yan Zhusheng paused, confused. "You… are you in bed too?"

"Of course not." Li Luo was speechless. "We're on the street."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng still didn't grasp why this was worth mentioning. "What are you doing on the street?"

"Hah." Li Luo exhaled a puff of white breath, then smiled. "Get out of bed, walk to the balcony, and look across the road—you'll know what we're doing."

Hearing Li Luo's words, Yan Zhusheng finally realized.

Then, sounds of getting out of bed came from the other end of the phone.

"Sssss... ugh..."

Li Luo heard Yan Zhusheng's pained cry through the phone and frowned. "What happened?"

"I got out of bed too fast and hit my toe..." Yan Zhusheng bit her lip, frowning through the pain. "I'm fine."

Saying this, Yan Zhusheng had already reached the balcony and peered curiously across the road.

It was already midnight; few people could be seen on the street.

Yan Zhusheng noticed the three figures across the road almost instantly.

Li Luo raised his hand and waved toward Yan Zhusheng on the dorm balcony, then lit the Gatling gun for Xu Youyu and Ying Chanxi while speaking into the phone: "Even though you can't come over, we can give you a fireworks show."

Having finished speaking.

The Gatling gun glowed blue.

One firework after another shot straight into the sky, exploding at a height level with the dorm building.

Though not as dazzling as large-scale fireworks, to Yan Zhusheng, these were the most beautiful fireworks she had ever seen.

"Zhusheng, can you see it?" Xu Youyu leaned beside Li Luo, shouting excitedly into his phone.

"Yeah, I can see it." Yan Zhusheng nodded. "It's beautiful."

"Happy New Year, Zhusheng~" Ying Chanxi also leaned over, squeezing in beside Li Luo, and called to Yan Zhusheng. "Come over early tomorrow—we'll go shopping for groceries together."

"Okay." Yan Zhusheng nodded, watching the fireworks blooming before her, the three figures across the road, and listening to the voices through the phone.

At this moment, she felt warmth spreading through her heart, a gentle current flowing through her whole body.

She had come to the balcony still in her pajamas, feeling chilly—but now she felt no cold at all.

"Alright, that's enough."

After the Gatling gun finished firing, Li Luo said to Yan Zhusheng, "Go back inside. Don't catch a chill."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng nodded, waved to the three across the way, then obediently turned and went back inside.

But neither of them hung up the phone.

Li Luo kept the call on speaker as he and the two girls walked home, chatting with Yan Zhusheng through the phone as they went.

Most of the time, Xu Youyu and Ying Chanxi chattered nonstop, while Yan Zhusheng occasionally replied with a word or two.

Li Luo merely played the role of phone-holder, rarely interjecting.

When they finally arrived home, Xu Youyu was already sleepy. She called goodnight to Yan Zhusheng through the phone, then waved to Li Luo and Ying Chanxi before heading to her bedroom to sleep.

Li Luo and Ying Chanxi also wished Yan Zhusheng goodnight, then Li Luo ended the call.

But after watching Xu Youyu close her bedroom door, Ying Chanxi's eyes flickered slightly. She suddenly whispered to Li Luo, "Are you going to sleep?"

"What's wrong?" Li Luo glanced at her curiously.

"Hmm... I feel like I can't sleep." Ying Chanxi's gaze darted away, avoiding Li Luo's eyes, her hands clasped behind her back, fingers twisting. "Maybe we should find something else to do?"

"What do you want to do?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow. "Xuejie's already asleep. Playing cards with just the two of us wouldn't be fun."

"We can think of something else."

"Hmm..." Li Luo rubbed his chin, then scanned Ying Chanxi up and down, a playful glint in his eyes.

Ying Chanxi's cheeks flushed red. She lowered her head shyly. "W-what are you thinking?"

"Nothing. I just didn't expect you to be this forward."

"W-what forward or not... what are you talking about? I don't understand." Ying Chanxi's eyes fluttered nervously, yet her heart pounded wildly.

Meanwhile, Li Luo had stepped up to her, a faint smile on his face, and reached out to pat her head.

"I'm glad you waited this long," Li Luo smiled. "Now that Xuejie's asleep, you can finally do something embarrassing, right?"

"You..." Ying Chanxi was stunned by Li Luo's bluntness. Her head felt like it was smoking. She stammered, unable to form a coherent reply.

But the next second, Li Luo said: "Alright, stop being shy. If you want to bark like a puppy, do it fast. Since you lost the bet, just three barks will do."

At these words,

Ying Chanxi froze in place, staring blankly at Li Luo.

Li Luo glanced at her in confusion. "What? Afraid Xuejie will hear?"

"Then go to my room and bark."

"Oh, and don't forget the pig noises too."

Hearing Li Luo say this, Ying Chanxi's fists clenched slightly.

She took a deep breath, teeth gritted, fury ready to burst forth.

But just then, Xu Youyu's bedroom door opened.

Xu Youyu poked her head out toward the two in the living room. "What are you two talking about? Aren't you sleeping?"

"N-nothing..." Ying Chanxi's fury vanished instantly. She stammered hastily. "We were just deciding—since we can't sleep, maybe we should watch a movie. We're discussing which one to pick."

"Ooh? Watch a movie?" Xu Youyu's eyes lit up. "Then let's watch together!"

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"Ah, just wash my face and I'll be wide awake." Xu Youyu stepped out of her bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom. "Wait a sec—I'll be right back!"

Watching Xu Youyu's retreating figure, Ying Chanxi took a deep breath.

Then she stomped hard on Li Luo's foot and stormed into his bedroom.

"Ow... why'd you step on me?" Li Luo cried out, following her into the bedroom.

Ying Chanxi pouted and said nothing, not even wanting to acknowledge him.

Li Luo, seeing her expression, sighed and turned on his own computer first.

After Xu Youyu washed his face and entered the room, he asked the two: "What movie are we watching?"