AWB Chapter 273 Did the neighbors come over for dinner today? 11
Chapter 273 Did the neighbors come over for dinner today? 11
Winter break came sooner than expected.
"Then I'm going home, Lu Juanwang."
She stood at the door, dragging her suitcase, a thick scarf covering half her face, revealing only her bright eyes. "Remember to eat on time, and don't stare at the computer all the time. Your dark circles are almost as bad as a panda's."
Lu Yan hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on her nose, which appeared particularly red against the backdrop of her scarf. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he simply watched her hop into the elevator.
Only after the elevator doors closed and the numbers on the display panel smoothly jumped to "1" and paused for a moment did he slowly turn away, close his own door, and leave.
The room suddenly fell silent, and even the air seemed to thin out.
In the days that followed, I went back and forth between the lab and my apartment.
When I open the refrigerator at mealtimes and see the neatly arranged ingredients, I always subconsciously think, "What will Jiang Shuwan want to eat today?" before belatedly realizing that the seat opposite me is empty.
No one argued with him over the color of a plate of vegetables, and no one would suddenly appear while he was coding, holding up half a cake and asking, "Want to try a bite?" Even the succulent on the balcony, which she had nearly killed, was unusually quiet.
Lu Yan sat at the empty dining table and realized for the first time that habits are such specific and subtle things.
Specifically, it's about the extra half cup of rice I unconsciously added while cooking, and how the air felt empty without that lively chatter of voices.
New Year's Eve arrived quietly, even amidst this deliberately maintained tranquility.
Lu Yan simply cooked himself a bowl of frozen dumplings. The white porcelain bowl contained only a little water and a few scallions.
He had little appetite, ate a few bites as a token gesture, then put down his chopsticks and unconsciously swiped his phone screen with his fingertips.
The TV was on, and the New Year's Eve gala was playing lively songs and dances, but he wasn't really paying attention. His gaze was fixed on the occasional fireworks exploding outside the window.
The phone screen suddenly lit up, and the notification sound was particularly clear against the background music.
Evening Breeze (/w＼): "Lu Yan, Lu Yan, are you home?"
The light from the screen reflected in his eyes, and his previously empty heart felt as if it had been gently struck by something, rippling with a warm sensation.
He paused for a moment, then replied with a simple "Yes".
Almost the next second after the message was sent, a new message popped up in the dialog box.
Evening Breeze (/w＼): "Great! I sent you a package, it just arrived downstairs. There's a lot of stuff, and the delivery guy said it's hard to carry. Could you come down and help me?"
Lu Yan raised an eyebrow.
Should I send a package at this time?
He got up, put on a coat, grabbed his keys, and went downstairs.
The elevator doors opened, and a chilly night wind, carrying a hint of smoke and fire, rushed in.
Red lanterns hung in the neighborhood, their warm yellow light streaming down the tassels. In the distance, fireworks shot into the night sky with a "whoosh," exploding into a shower of golden and red sparks that illuminated half the sky.
Lu Yan walked towards the entrance of the building, but stopped abruptly as his gaze swept over the figure under the streetlight.
Jiang Shuwan stood there, wearing a thick white down jacket with a fuzzy trim around the edge of the hood, and a cherry-red scarf around her neck fluttering gently in the night breeze.
She was holding a sparkler in her hand, struggling with a lighter, pressing it several times with her thumb, but the flame was blown out by the wind as soon as it appeared.
"What... it failed at the crucial moment..." she muttered in frustration. She tried a few more times but still failed, and stamped her foot in discouragement.
Seemingly sensing the gaze behind her, she turned around.
The warm yellow streetlights and the flickering fireworks in the distance fell on her face.
Upon seeing Lu Yan standing a few steps away, she was taken aback at first. Then, her always bright eyes burst forth with a smile more dazzling than fireworks, and the corners of her mouth turned up wide, revealing her neat and white teeth.
"Surprise!"
She held up the unlit sparkler like a victory flag, her voice filled with joy and excitement, "Lu Yan! You didn't expect this, did you! I'm back!"
Her nose was red from the cold, and her eyelashes were covered with tiny snowflakes. When she smiled, the dimples at the corners of her mouth looked like they were filled with crushed starlight, illuminating the entire winter night.
Lu Yan stood there, looking at the light dancing in her eyes. The emptiness in his chest that he had just felt was suddenly filled with something.
Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that a large canvas bag lay at her feet, its zipper slightly ajar, revealing a bag of snacks and a small, exquisitely packaged cake inside.
"Why are you back?" His voice was lower than usual, and carried a slightly hoarse tone as the night wind blew.
"Don't even mention it, my parents' flight has been delayed again."
Jiang Shuwan waved the sparkler in her hand, her movements casual and almost venting her frustration. The plastic stick traced a faint arc in the night breeze. "She said she was temporarily held up by work and will be a few days late."
She shrugged, trying to sound cheerful, but the fleeting disappointment in her eyes couldn't be completely hidden.
However, that sense of disappointment didn't linger for long. She blinked hard, as if she had blinked that emotion into the wind.
When she looked up again, a bright smile had returned to her face.
She pointed to the bulging bag at her feet: "But this is good too. We're both lonely souls in the same boat, so we can spend the New Year together. Look, I brought a lot of good food. It'll definitely keep us going until midnight."
As she spoke, her breath mingled with the night breeze, and the corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward as she smiled, like a little fox who had found a companion; the loneliness she had felt moments before had vanished completely.
"Here, is your 'delivery'?"
She raised the sparkler in her hand, then looked down and struggled with the lighter.
"I'm so angry! This lighter is broken! I was planning to light it as soon as you came downstairs, making a dazzling entrance amidst the crackling sparks—how cool and ceremonial! This broken lighter ruined it all..."
"Jiang Shuwan".
Lu Yan suddenly spoke, his voice lower than the night wind, carrying a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.
"Hmm?" She looked up, her eyes still showing a hint of annoyance at having been angry with the lighter.
He took a step forward, and the distance between them instantly shrank to the point where they could hear each other's breaths.
Can I hug you?
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Shuwan was gently pulled into an embrace by a force carrying a cold wind.
His coat was damp with the chill of the night, yet his embrace was surprisingly steady, carrying a reassuring strength.
A deep voice whispered in her ear, like a warm velvet quilt: "Let's spend every New Year's Eve together from now on."
Jiang Shuwan stiffened, her nose brushing against the soft fibers of his sweater, carrying a faint scent of soap. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat, pounding against her eardrums.
She was silent for a moment, then gently placed her hand on his chest, her voice clear and joyful with a hint of probing: "Lu Yan, are you... confessing your feelings to me?"
The person in his arms paused, the vibration of their chest transmitted through their close-fitting clothes, tinged with a muffled chuckle: "Jiang Shuwan, shouldn't you say 'okay' at a time like this?"
"Even so, you can't just hug someone before they've even agreed!" Jiang Shuwan complained softly, her cheeks burning. "Besides, you didn't even give them flowers for your confession. It's not romantic at all."
Lu Yan reluctantly let go of her, the warmth of her down jacket still lingering on his fingertips: "Okay, then I take back what I just said."
After saying that, he naturally took her wrist and walked towards the bustling part of the neighborhood.
"Hey! Who can take back a confession? I don't agree!"
Jiang Shuwan struggled symbolically, but her fingertips curled up slightly, not really intending to shake him off. "Otherwise... otherwise you can say it again."
"No good." He didn't stop walking, his tone deliberately difficult, but the last syllable of his voice held a hint of amusement. "Just this once, someone else missed out."
"Lu Yan!" Jiang Shuwan was getting a little anxious, stamping her foot. "Hmph, I'm going back. Why are you dragging me around like this?"
He turned to look at her, the light from the streetlamp falling into his eyes, mixed with the fragments of fireworks in the distance, was surprisingly bright: "Go borrow a lighter."
"What?" Jiang Shuwan looked at him.
"Here'll give you some sparklers," he said frankly. "The flower shops are all closed at this hour, so I can only make do with fireworks. You have to have either romance or flowers, so that someone won't bring up old grievances later."
"Who would bring up old grievances..." Jiang Shuwan muttered, but her cheeks were secretly burning. She glanced at the distance and said, "Look, there are some kids setting off fireworks over there. They must have lighters."