Give Me Another Smile

Chapter 135: Stranger by the Riverbank

"Hey, Big Bro, where are you? Uncle is calling you to go home for dinner. Did you block his number? Come on, Big Bro, he's your dad, after all. Shouldn't you at least pay him a visit during the New Year... Hello? Big Bro?" Li Beiyu stared at the disconnected call with widened eyes, her control over her expression gradually loosening. "Tsk, fine! If you don't want to go home, I'll just tell them you took me out to play!"

After cursing for a while, Li Beiyu returned her phone to her pocket and pulled up her collar to shield herself from the chilling wind.

The evening river wind was not at all gentle. Mixed with the chill of the river surface, the wind invaded the body of every pedestrian nearby, causing them to shiver from the cold.

Li Beiyu frowned, wishing she had worn more layers. Two layers were far from enough to keep her warm on this cold evening.

A fireworks show would be taking place on the Hengjiang Bridge tonight. The last time Li Beiyu saw a fireworks show was a few years ago. Immature as she was at the time, she didn't understand the point of hosting such fireworks shows. After all, so long as she wanted to, she could easily organize dozens of such large-scale fireworks shows. However, when she looked at such events with her present mindset, everything was different.

She didn't want to go back to the family's mountain villa. While the family villa had everything, it was missing the lively atmosphere of a fireworks show. It was too cold and mechanized for her liking.

After pondering for a moment, Li Beiyu decided she would only return after the fireworks show. Her uncle, Li Beining's father, was unlikely to make things difficult for her, even if she kept him waiting for a few hours.

Another gust of cold wind blew past, and Li Beiyu couldn't help but sneeze. Then, just as she was catching her breath, she felt a warm coat getting draped over her shoulders.

What the heck? Has my Princess Charming finally arrived?

Li Beiyu looked up excitedly, spotting a tall person standing next to her. The person in question was a head taller than her, and they wore a dark blue hooded sweatshirt. Unfortunately, she couldn't get a clear look at the person's face as the other party had long, fine bangs covering their eyes and a black mask covering their face.

Wouldn't walking be difficult with such long bangs? Li Beiyu awkwardly wondered.

Although Li Beiyu hoped spring had finally come for her, she still wasn't so foolish as to completely cast aside her basic safety awareness. However, just as she was about to adjust the coat she had just received, the person before her suddenly took the initiative to adjust it on her behalf.

Li Beiyu stepped back in panic, almost cursing out loud. After all, who'd let a stranger get so close to them on the first meeting?

"We've met," the person said in a slightly androgynous female voice.

Li Beiyu's expression relaxed slightly. Fortunately, the other party was a woman. Otherwise, she would have to accuse the other person of sexual harassment.

"Oh...really? We've met?" Li Beiyu was skeptical about the woman's claim. Even after she scrutinized the other party, she couldn't recall ever encountering such a person before.

"Yes, at a nightclub," the woman said.

"Oh." Realization dawned on Li Beiyu, and she stopped talking.

There was only one nightclub Li Beiyu visited, so even without the woman specifying it, she already knew which nightclub the other party was referring to. Meanwhile, she had come across countless people at the nightclub. Some she remembered, but most she did not. After all, she would typically have fun on her own at the nightclub. Rarely would she ever pay attention to other people. So, it wasn't exactly surprising that someone she didn't know recognized her.

The two stood side by side in peace, neither taking the initiative to restart the conversation.

The neon lights of the nearby high-rises were reflected on the river, creating an illusion of the vast universe on the water's surface.

The clock tower by the river silently rotated, and when the hour hand reached the midpoint of "10" and "11," streaks of smoke and sparks began soaring from the boats anchored in the middle of the river. Immediately after, a wide array of colorful fireworks exploded in the night sky, scattering colorful sparkles across the sky. For a moment, it looked as if the stars had descended onto the mortal world.

Li Beiyu looked up at the sky in a trance. While she was admiring the fireworks show, an unexpected kiss landed on her lips. At the same time, the river wind blew apart the fine hair of the person kissing her, revealing a pair of delicate eyebrows and eyes, as well as deep blue eyes that looked like precious gems.

"Happy New Year."

These words, mixed with the sound of the exploding fireworks, entered Li Beiyu's ears. When Li Beiyu snapped out of her daze, the person in front of her had long disappeared. Even when she looked around, she failed to find the other party's figure. Ultimately, she could do nothing but continue watching the fireworks show together with the crowd by the riverbank.

Li Beiyu couldn't help but feel as if she had just experienced a dream. However, the coat on her shoulders and the pair of deep blue eyes in her mind cruelly reminded her that this was reality.

Under the glittering night sky, some people were able to spend a satisfying evening with their loved ones, while some could only spend it alone.

Unfortunately, Wen Tao and Li Beiyu remained members of the singles' club this year.

In reality, Li Beiyu had already hinted at Wen Tao regarding Li Beining's feelings for him. However, Wen Tao rejected the suggestion, saying, "I can't accept it."

In Wen Tao's eyes, he could only ever accept Li Beining as a brother, and if needed, he could even take a knife and jump into a blazing fire for his brother. However, anything else was out of the question.

Meanwhile, spring had arrived for Yin Zhao-an and Tang Yu. The two never bothered to keep their relationship a secret at school. They always ate together, studied together, and listened to songs together. Naturally, they would share the same pair of earphones while sitting under the shade of a tree. Outside of classes, they were essentially inseparable.

Days passed by as usual, plain and ordinary yet full of surprises.

On one gentle and sunny afternoon, Tang Yu returned home from school to see her parents sitting solemnly in the living room.

When the two adults heard the sound of the door opening, they promptly turned their gazes toward Tang Yu, the serious look in their eyes causing Tang Yu to freeze in place.

Tang Yu stiffly closed the door and began to wonder if she had been too bold in her intimacy with Yin Zhao-an at school, and, as a result, the school had reported her relationship to her parents. Either that or her father had chosen to come clean and stop hiding things from her mother.

Meanwhile, a hint of anxiety flashed in Yu Wanrou's eyes when she saw her daughter standing in the hallway looking uneasy. However, her anxiety quickly disappeared, replaced by overflowing tenderness. Then, after taking a deep breath, Yu Wanrou said:

"Little Yu, Mommy is pregnant."