How Did the Top-Tier Male Lead Fall in Love With Me? 23

Chapter 23

“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up! Holy crap!” Lin Yanran grew more and more anxious, couldn’t help but curse, and her tone suddenly dropped. “The ‘ghost’ is here! Hurry up and open the door…”

Shen Wu was taken aback.

Hearing Lin Yanran say the “ghost” was here, he no longer had any misgivings and quickly opened the door to let the two of them into the safe room.

Lin Yanran was slender and squeezed in halfway through the door. After a sigh of relief, she turned around, only to see that Liang Shu hadn’t followed.

Shen Wu was about to open the door wider, but was forcefully pulled back by Liang Shu.

The taciturn man’s face was solemn. “I’ll go and lure the ghost away. If it doesn’t work, I’ll go to the dean’s office and turn myself in. You guys hurry up!”

Without waiting for Shen Wu to say more, he had already let go of the doorknob and run out.

Shen Wu closed the door again, leaned against it, and couldn’t help but murmur with admiration, “Liang-ge is so cool…”

In the control room, Fang Ci was engrossed in observing the guests’ every move.

Liang-ge is so cool?

Fang Ci: “…” This seems even worse than calling Nan Dengwei beautiful.

The broadcasting station with the three of them was strangely quiet for a few seconds.

“I think so too,” Lin Yanran couldn’t help but sigh.

A single female artist needed to avoid suspicion when interacting with the opposite sex, but after just a few hours together tonight, Lin Yanran had already developed a sense of reliance on Liang Shu.

So she no longer held back and said sincerely, “He’s really reliable. Let’s hurry up and find clues, find the exit, and then go and save him and leave together!”

[Steady dad-type x sweet girl, why is it a bit sweet?]

[Wait a minute, did our young and cool little brother just call another man handsome??]

[I still remember Wuwu said on Weibo that he was a fan of Huai-ge, right? His change of heart came as fast as a tornado.]

[Actually, he’s just like me, meeting the 73rd man he wants to protect at his most helpless age~]

[Huai-ge: ? I’m still here.]

Shen Wu had become the central figure of the entire broadcasting room. A simple sentence could lead to countless bullet comments interpreting it deeply and constantly teasing.

The three of them seized the time and split up to search for clues in the broadcasting room.

Meng Huaizhi continued to check the desks, chairs, and cabinets. Lin Yanran paid more attention to details, even picking up an ordinary keyboard to check it over and over.

Shen Wu walked a few steps along the wall and had a sudden idea. He lifted a corner of the tattered soundproof foam.

With that lift, he was instantly stunned.

Nan Dengwei had found a report about the fire from twenty years ago, but this abandoned school had most likely been renovated. All the classrooms and rooms were old, but there was no trace of a fire.

The classroom walls had been repainted, and the broadcasting room walls were covered with thick soundproof foam, completely concealing the traces of the fire. However, after years of wear and tear, the foam had aged, and a casual lift revealed the original appearance of the wall underneath.

Shen Wu quickly turned back to call the two of them. “I found traces of a fire here.”

Lin Yanran also shared her findings. “Look, there’s a no-smoking sign on the wall. But this is a high school broadcasting room, how could students smoke here? The no-smoking sign is redundant. Maybe this is also a clue.”

The three of them cooperated very well. Meng Huaizhi finally said, “Someone hid an ashtray in the cabinet.”

All the clue props had been aged by the show’s team, tattered and covered in dirt. Meng Huaizhi just pointed at the cabinet and didn’t take out the off-putting prop.

Meng Huaizhi’s daily state was cold and expressionless, but his fans knew him well and flooded the screen with complaints against the show’s team.

[Huai-ge is a germaphobe. This abandoned school setting is really hard on him.]

[These props are made too realistically. I can smell them through the screen.]

[Really? A germaphobe? Why didn’t I see that? (doge)]

[It’s obviously Schrödinger’s germaphobia, only not for a certain someone (doge)]

Hearing this, Shen Wu went over to take out the ashtray from the cabinet, but his outstretched hand was blocked by Meng Huaizhi. Then he heard the latter say nonchalantly, “It’s enough that we found it. Now, we should be reasoning.

“If we reason correctly, the broadcast should sound like before, and those two dead students will give us clues.”

Shen Wu and Lin Yanran both nodded.

Shen Wu thought for a moment and said, “Did a student smoke in the broadcasting room before? That’s why it caused the school fire…”

“Ah!” Lin Yanran felt as if she had been electrocuted and got a layer of goosebumps. “Do you remember the clue Liang-ge and I found? That bullied male student. He wrote in his diary that those hooligans bullied him either during lunch break or after school, in places with no people and no surveillance. He couldn’t even ask for help…”

Lin Yanran swallowed and continued, “He was often burned with cigarette butts by those people. Then, could the fire in the broadcasting room be related to his death?”

As her voice fell, the broadcast followed.

This time, the broadcast was messy, like a reenactment of a scene. Several people’s voices were intertwined, and from time to time, there were the rustling sounds of clothes rubbing and pushing.

Click.

A very clear sound of a lighter being lit.

Shen Wu held his breath and listened attentively.

“How does this kid do it, making people annoyed just by looking at him?”

“Hahahaha.”

“We’ve never been to the broadcasting room, do you hear me?”

“Do you hear me!?”

Among the malicious words and threats, there were occasional contemptuous laughs and curses. The voices grew louder and louder. Even without seeing the picture, one could imagine how fierce and menacing the speakers were.

“I-I heard… I won’t… tell the teacher.” It was that familiar boy’s voice, his trembling voice full of fear.

“Did you ever think of telling the teacher?”

“Tattling is not what a good student does.”

The person threatening him was unreasonable, forcibly fabricating a grand-sounding excuse to teach him a lesson.

What followed was the dull thud of fists hitting flesh, and perhaps even merciless kicks. The innocent boy tried his best to endure the severe pain, and only when he couldn’t bear it anymore would he let out a few muffled groans.

After a long while, the one-sided group beating finally ended.

“Hey, wait,” someone said. “The school violence committee has been strict lately. Cigarette burns are too obvious.”

“Tsk,” another person hissed in displeasure, then turned to warn the innocent boy, “If anyone asks, just say you burned yourself while smoking, you know?”

“I-I know…”

“Alright, let’s go.”

The several hooligans, almost each with a cigarette in hand, threw the cigarette butts on the ground and casually stamped them out before leaving the broadcasting room.

The boy let out a long sigh of relief. Then, it was unknown whether he was tired and fell asleep, or fainted from the pain. There were no other sounds from the broadcast for a long time.

“Is it over?” Shen Wu said with a frown.

“Wait,” Meng Huaizhi said. “We still don’t know how this boy died.”

Suddenly, a clicking sound came from the long-silent broadcasting room door, followed by the sound of a lock.

Shen Wu rushed over at the first moment, but he was still a step too late. The wooden door had been locked from the outside.

He futilely pulled the doorknob a few times. The broadcast speaker above his head sounded again, the voice coming from above, as if the owner of the voice was standing right next to him.

“Cough, cough, is there a fire…?”

“…Why won’t the door open?”

“The key? They must have taken my key. They’re the ones who locked the door…”

“Help! Help! Is anyone out there? There’s a fire, help me!”

“Help me…”

Unfortunately, the school was empty at night.

The boy banged on the door and cried for help at the top of his lungs. The fire grew larger and larger, and his voice grew weaker and weaker.

The audience in the live broadcast room couldn’t help but tremble with fear, even through the screen.

[Holy crap, why is the door locked? Are they going to reenact the fire scene?]

[So that boy was burned to death alive? So pitiful…]

Shen Wu was experiencing everything the boy had gone through. Above his head was his hopeless cry for help, and in front of him was a locked door, a locked door that had blocked the boy’s only hope.

Shen Wu was silent. He tried to turn the doorknob a few more times, but the wooden door didn’t budge.

He looked at the old wooden door in front of him and took a step back.

Then, in the confused gazes of the live broadcast room and the staff in the control room, he lifted his foot and kicked hard.

With a loud bang, the door opened.

Fang Ci in the control room was directly dumbfounded. “???”

The props team staff’s eyes were wide, and they murmured, “No, this door was supposed to open automatically after the flashback was over…”

For this, they had even prepared a high-end remote control lock.

Unexpectedly, all their efforts were in vain.

The fragility of the wooden door was also a bit beyond Shen Wu’s expectation. He was stunned for a moment, then reacted before the shocked staff and turned back to call out, “Let’s go.”

Lin Yanran and Meng Huaizhi immediately followed.

Having solved the mystery of the fire and the boy’s death, the exit of this school building was still unknown.

The broadcasting room was right next to the wide staircase on the second floor. After the three of them went out, the next narrow staircase led to the platform with the school rules poster, from where they could see the locked main entrance on the first floor.

Passing by the staircase on the second floor, Shen Wu casually glanced down. He couldn’t see the locked main entrance, but he could see the landing at the turn.

Shen Wu’s footsteps paused. Lin Yanran followed and looked in the direction of his gaze, taking a sharp breath. She couldn’t help but mention the show’s team in the immersive adventure game, “…Is the show’s team for real?”

The entire wall of notices was burning brightly. The main staircase leading to the first floor had a tile floor and was not flammable, but the show’s team had covered it with fire lines used on film sets, turning it into a sea of fire.

The two faces peeking out from the second-floor staircase were illuminated by the bright orange-red firelight.

“Then it seems the only possible exit is upstairs,” Meng Huaizhi said abruptly.

“Mm,” Shen Wu came back to his senses. “Let’s go to the dean’s office on the fifth floor to save Liang-ge first. I found a small knife in the art room before, and I haven’t used it yet.”

The three of them reached a consensus in an instant and didn’t delay, heading upstairs without stopping.

The way upstairs was smooth, and there was no sign of the “ghost” in the dean’s office.

Shen Wu and Lin Yanran went to help Liang Shu untie the ropes, while Meng Huaizhi stayed at the door to keep watch, in case the “ghost” suddenly came and caught them all in one fell swoop.

There was an old-fashioned wall clock in the dean’s office, showing that the time was now eleven-thirty.

Their puzzle-solving process was unbelievably smooth, but they had spent a lot of time fighting a battle of wits with the “ghost,” chasing and being chased. The speed at which time passed was much faster than they had imagined.

The audience in the live broadcast room was also very surprised. They had unknowingly watched the live broadcast for two and a half hours, and not only did they not feel tired, but they were full of interest, wishing the live broadcast could last longer.

[Ahhhhhh, how come there’s only half an hour left!!]

[Why do I feel like finding the exit is the hardest part of this episode? They might not be able to find it in half an hour, hhh.]

[If they can’t find the exit, I’m online begging the show’s team to lock Shen Wu in here and give us a 24-hour live broadcast.]

[Wait for me in front, bring his Huaizhi-ge too. A companion is not lonely (doge).]

[LMAO, Huai-ge would never have dreamed that the first time he was on a reality show in his life, he wouldn’t be able to leave, hahaha.]

Of course, the show’s team would not allow such a thing to happen.

To ensure the most exciting effect of the show, they had intentionally controlled the time in the previous parts, leaving the guests only half an hour to find the exit.

If the guests couldn’t find the exit, they would give more obvious hints as it approached midnight, allowing the guests to escape from the abandoned school at the last moment, pulling the tension to the end.

The last time he had come to the dean’s office to save Nan Dengwei, Shen Wu had been focused on finding scissors to untie him, and was also worried about the “ghost” who could come back at any time, so he had no mind to look for clues. Meng Huaizhi had probably not stayed in the dean’s office much longer than him, otherwise he wouldn’t have arrived at the broadcasting room in advance to wait for him to deliver himself to his door.

Liang Shu was untied and free. He and Lin Yanran checked the items in the dean’s office one by one. Shen Wu, as usual, searched along the base of the wall, splitting up with them.

There was also a school rules poster in the dean’s office, the same as the one that had been burned downstairs.

There were two double-paned glass windows on the inner wall of the dean’s office, and this poster was pasted on the blank wall between the windows.

Meng Huaizhi, who was by the “glass” door, looked at Shen Wu passing by the window and suddenly remembered something. He reminded him, “Shen Wu, the broadcast we heard in the broadcasting room before, when those two students were begging for mercy in the dean’s office, I remember hearing the sound of glass breaking.”

“Glass?” Shen Wu thought for a moment, took out the glass shard he had been keeping in his pocket, and said thoughtfully, “This glass shard is very thick. Maybe it’s a shard from a glass window…”

He then turned his head to look at the glass windows he had checked. “But these two glass windows are both fine, not broken, and they’re sealed shut, so they can’t be opened at all.”

And outside the window was a thick night. Even if he leaned against the window and tried his best to look, raising both hands to block the light from the side of his eyes, it was difficult to make out the situation outside.

Lin Yanran had been in a similar campus horror movie and was terrified of that school rules poster. She didn’t even dare to get close to the windows and stood far away.

“It’s not possible that the window is the exit, right? This is the fifth floor,” Lin Yanran said, searching the desk.

Liang Shu also nodded. “Mm, that would be too dangerous.”

Shen Wu stared at the huge school rules poster, lost in thought.

The width of the poster was at least one meter, and the characters on it were as big as a fist. The school rule “No puppy love” was specially marked in red, which was terrifying enough even without being stained with blood.

Just like the fish tank in the classroom and the ashtray in the broadcasting room, it was specially made by the show’s team to look daunting.

Shen Wu suddenly took a step forward and placed his hand on the school rules poster.

A few seconds later.

“I know.”

The three of them all looked over.

But Shen Wu smiled mysteriously, “But there are still more than twenty minutes until the end. Do you want to wait a bit longer?”

Fang Ci: “…”

The mood of the audience in the live broadcast room was the complete opposite of Fang Ci and the other staff members.

[Satisfied. I just love this feeling of the show’s team being slapped in the face.]

[So where’s the exit?? Did they find any decisive clues just now?]

[Shen Wu is probably just bluffing, hahaha.]

[But he looks so confident and sure. This arrogant look, I love it, I love it.]

[Whether they found it or not, I feel like the show’s team is already sweating buckets, hahahaha.]

Fang Ci couldn’t be sure if Shen Wu was bluffing. For the time being, he had the staff member playing the “ghost” on standby, giving them a little more time to solve the puzzle.

Lin Yanran was quite scared in the abandoned school. She took Shen Wu’s words, her voice trembling slightly, “We still have to find the exit. Let’s hurry up, it’s not worth these few minutes.”

Seeing this, Shen Wu no longer delayed and teased the show’s team, and reached out to that school rules poster.

The other three people present and the audience in the live broadcast room all held their breath, staring intently. Fang Ci’s heart in the control room skipped a beat, and he thought to himself: Is this kid for real?

The four sides of the school rules poster were tightly attached to the wall, leaving no gaps. Shen Wu started from the bottom right corner, tearing the tape as he peeled it upwards diagonally, making a loud tearing sound.

A small corner of the poster was peeled off, revealing a gray-white wall underneath, no different from the wall next to it.

Shen Wu continued.

But after peeling off another twenty or thirty centimeters, there was a sudden change. A dark gray built-in window frame was revealed, and further up, a cracked glass window.

Lin Yanran covered her mouth in surprise, speechless for a moment.

Liang Shu was also very surprised. “There’s actually a window behind the poster?”

What was even more surprising was that, with the help of the indoor lighting, it could be seen that this glass window served more like a door. The outside of the window was connected not to a windowsill, but to a square steel platform.

It was an outdoor fire escape.

Perhaps there was an error in the design of the fire escape. The landing of the stairs was not level with the floor of the dean’s office, but was about a meter higher. The position that should have been designed as a main door was missing the lower half, and thus became a window.

The window handle could be easily pulled, and the location of the exit was obvious. This window could be pushed open seventy or eighty degrees. The three men present could easily get out by bending down slightly.

But Shen Wu was not in a hurry to go himself. He first turned back to call out, “Sister Yanran, you go first.”

Lin Yanran looked at the endless darkness outside the window. Her previous surprise turned into hesitation. Liang Shu looked at her and, as expected, took a step forward. “I’ll scout the way. Yanran, you follow behind me.”

There were still twenty minutes until twelve o’clock, but there was a “ghost” hiding in the dark, and it was unknown when it would come.

Lin Yanran didn’t refuse and quickly followed behind Liang Shu, crawling out of the window. After taking a step, she turned back and bent down, urging Shen Wu in the dean’s office, “You guys hurry up too…”

Before she could finish, there was a bang. Meng Huaizhi, who was guarding the main door not far away, swayed.

“You guys go quickly,” Shen Wu urged Lin Yanran first, and rushed to the main door to confirm with Meng Huaizhi, “Is the ‘ghost’ here?”

Because Meng Huaizhi’s expression was too calm, it was only after hearing him grunt in agreement that Shen Wu could confirm.

“Ghost brother is really not tired,” Shen Wu couldn’t help but sigh.

Ghost brother: “…”

Shen Wu complained like this, but he could clearly feel that the force of the impact on the door was much weaker, and Meng Huaizhi alone was more than enough to guard the door.

However, it was not a solution to confront the “ghost” by blocking the door like this. If they were running on flat ground, they naturally wouldn’t have to worry about the “ghost’s” pursuit. But the exit was at a window more than a meter above the ground. They had to climb up to escape. The time it took to climb the window was enough for the “ghost” to catch them.

Shen Wu thought for a moment, turned his head to scan the room, and fixed his eyes on a table.

This table was not difficult to drag, and its effect of blocking the door was limited, but it could buy them a few dozen seconds.

Shen Wu blocked the door with the table and exchanged a look with Meng Huaizhi. “Let’s go.”

When they got to the window, the two of them, just like the first time they had hidden from the ghost, reached out to each other and their hands collided in mid-air, wasting a few seconds.

Meng Huaizhi reacted first, reached out again and pushed Shen Wu, his tone brooking no argument, “Get up there.”

Shen Wu couldn’t bring himself to be polite and show his kindness. He decisively climbed onto the windowsill first, then turned around to pull Meng Huaizhi.

Meng Huaizhi then climbed onto the windowsill, and the two of them successfully arrived at the landing of the stairs outside.

And the “ghost” in the dean’s office easily knocked open the table blocking the door and quickly chased after them. When it was still a few steps away, its movements suddenly slowed down to avoid any accidents to the escaping guests by chasing too closely.

The two of them turned back and saw the “ghost” baring its fangs and brandishing its claws a meter away, but its movements towards them were like slow motion. The terrifying feeling was gone, and instead, it looked a bit comical.

Shen Wu couldn’t help but laugh. As he turned his head to look at Meng Huaizhi, his smiling peach blossom eyes were as bright as stars. “Let’s go.”

Lin Yanran and Liang Shu had escaped first but had been waiting at the corner of the fourth floor.

Seeing the two behind them escape successfully, they continued downstairs, their steps hurried, so as not to block the way for those coming after them and cause them to be caught by the “ghost.”

The four of them reached the solid ground via the fire escape, successfully escaping the crisis-ridden abandoned school.

There were still ten minutes until midnight. The show’s team moved the main camera away from the guests, giving them some time to tidy up.

The live broadcast screen switched to the school behind them. From top to bottom, the five-story abandoned school in the darkness loomed like a silent giant beast, somewhat suffocating.

Fang Ci, fearing that Meng Huaizhi would get cold on the show, instructed the staff to send clothes up for Meng Huaizhi’s assistant to deliver, outside of the camera’s view.

Meng Huaizhi put on a thick, long black down jacket. Shen Wu glanced over and belatedly felt the cold wind of the winter night, quickly zipping up his own jacket.

A man in his twenties, but he looks no different from when he was a child.

He’s said to be rebellious, but from time to time, a bit of unexpected obedience will pop out.

Just then, a movement came from the silent school building. The firelight inside the first-floor glass door suddenly shot up, igniting the second floor.

The dark windows were dyed orange-red one by one, a rather spectacular sight.

The third floor, the fourth floor, the fifth floor, one after another, the dark school building was engulfed in a sea of fire in just a few minutes. The effect of the soaring flames was extremely shocking.

Lin Yanran also put on a wool blanket, as comfortable as if she had finished work on a film set, and chatted with the staff with a smile, “When you do the post-production, you can add some slogans about fire safety. It can be used as a fire prevention promotional video.”

The staff member replied with a smile, “That’s true.”

Liang Shu interjected, “You’re not scared now, are you?”

Lin Yanran said righteously, “I was never scared, okay? At most, I was tired from running.”

The main camera timely switched to their side.

[LMAO, I just discovered that Lin Yanran is a bit of a tsundere.]

[I don’t think it’s scary either, it’s just that I’ve been a bit choked up from all the dog food along the way, hhh.]

[To the person in front, are we perhaps eating the same brand of dog food?]

[Ahhhhhh, I see Huai-ge and Wuwu!!]

[Where are they??]

[The young couple is hiding and dating secretly again, right?]

The camera panned slightly, and Shen Wu and Meng Huaizhi, who were not far away, happened to enter the corner of the frame.

The moment the two of them appeared, the declining number of online viewers in the live broadcast room immediately rose again.

There was a circle of staff around them, and the camera was a bit far away. The audience in the live broadcast room could only see Meng Huaizhi’s mouth moving.

The audience was anxious, wishing they could slap the show’s team through the screen.

[Hurry up and film them! What are you guys doing!!]

[It’s already the rest time after the game is over. Let the kids rest a bit, hahaha. They’ve been filmed up close the whole time.]

[What are they saying??? I don’t care, I’m so anxious.]

[TBH, when Huai-ge was on talk shows before, he would answer questions on the show, but in the behind-the-scenes footage, he would wear headphones the whole time and not say a word. Their relationship seems to be really good.]

[This is double standards, favoritism, special treatment. If this isn’t love…]

[It’s rare for Huai-ge to make a friend. That’s enough. If he finds out you’re even shipping him with a friend, he’ll definitely be unhappy.]

The show’s team was very receptive to advice and switched the camera over, stopping a new bullet screen war.

Meng Huaizhi spoke again, this time about something outside of the show. “The hat, you didn’t bring it?”

“What hat?” Shen Wu was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on him. “I forgot… you really wanted me to return the hat?”

“What else?”

“Oh…”

“I’ll go to your place to get it next time, and watch you train by the way.”

Shen Wu was slightly taken aback by his words. When he had started racing, Meng Huaizhi had already debuted. Due to Meng Huaizhi’s special status, he was not like Shen Ping, who could frequently go to the crowded racetrack to see him.

Meng Huaizhi added, “I’ve always been curious, and about your races too.”

Shen Wu rubbed the tip of his nose. “Then I’ll wash it first when I get back.”

But Meng Huaizhi didn’t mind. “It will lose its shape if you wash it. No need.”

The bullet screen was filled with “ahhhhhh.” The several fierce battles of the night finally ended with the complete defeat of the solo stans.

Xia Fanxing was a regular on variety shows and had originally planned to show off his skills in the live broadcast. Unexpectedly, he was unlucky and was the first to be eliminated, so he could only watch the live broadcast with the staff backstage.

He came out of the crowd, planning to go and chat with Shen Wu and Meng Huaizhi, who had led the game, to exchange experiences.

Just then, the clock struck midnight.

A huge explosion directly startled Xia Fanxing back to his original spot.

He looked up at the sound and saw a huge firework explode in the night sky. Colorful sparks scattered, reflecting on the surprised faces of the people below.

Shen Wu and Meng Huaizhi both looked up.

Two equally handsome faces with completely different temperaments were instantly illuminated by the fireworks.

Their bright black eyes were more brilliant than the fireworks in the night sky.

The fireworks fell from the sky, like the most beautiful and romantic backdrop, separating the two standing side by side from the others.

Xia Fanxing stopped in his tracks and also focused on admiring the fireworks.

It was time for the show to end. The sudden explosion of fireworks startled the remaining audience in the live broadcast room. After a moment, they realized it was a surprise from the show’s team, and the excited bullet screen instantly filled the screen.

[Ahhhhhh, I just remembered today is New Year’s Eve!!]

[I’m spending New Year’s Eve alone in my dorm and didn’t go out. I didn’t expect to see New Year’s fireworks in a live broadcast room, and with Huai-ge too. I have no regrets in this life, wuwuwuwu.]

[I happily came to watch the live broadcast on New Year’s Eve and was scared for three hours. Luckily, the dog show team still has some conscience.]

[I’m a little scared that the dog show team is suddenly so romantic.]

[Hahahaha, it’s fireworks for the little couple!!!]

[No offense, but as a teacher, I’m here to say that puppy love can easily affect your studies. Everyone, please don’t learn from them.]

[I told you it’s just a script, ahhhhhh.]

Shen Wu looked at the fireworks in the sky, his thoughts gradually drifting away.

He and Meng Huaizhi had been married for three years. To say “married” was an overstatement. In fact, they had just simply gotten a certificate, bought rings to deal with their elders, and then spent three years in different countries.

They had never celebrated any festival alone together. For the three years after they got married, they hadn’t even had a chance to meet face to face, let alone have a wedding.

This marriage was just a cooperation for them to escape their families’ control. Naturally, there was no need to go to the trouble of holding a wedding.

How could two people with no emotional foundation hold hands and walk down the most solemn and sacred red carpet, and make a vow of eternal love before the officiant?

That would be a desecration of the wedding.

The clock struck midnight on December 31st. They walked into the new year together, to January 1st.

New Year’s Day.

This was the first important festival they had spent together since they got married, the first grand celebration.

Perhaps, it was also a bit romantic.

Shen Wu was in a daze and for a moment forgot about the biting cold wind around him. He suddenly sneezed.

He quickly raised his arm to cover his mouth and nose. The sound was completely covered by the lively fireworks, but it was caught by Meng Huaizhi’s peripheral vision.

“Cold?”

He asked him.

It was now the early morning of January 1st, in the middle of deep winter. A jacket and a T-shirt were a bit thin.

Meng Huaizhi’s hand, hidden under his down jacket, moved a few centimeters to the side and touched the back of Shen Wu’s hand.

Shen Wu was slightly startled.

Meng Huaizhi had been in the abandoned school for three hours wearing only a shirt and had just put on a down jacket. He had reached out probably to test his temperature, but instead, he had chilled him.

The person who was concerned was clearly colder than him, but out of a brother’s responsibility, he had to take care of him in return.

And just a brother.

Meng Huaizhi always had that cold and indifferent look, but he was more meticulous in his actions than Shen Ping, and he was always timely.

“The fireworks are almost over. It won’t be cold after we get in the car for a while.” His tone was also calm and unwavering, stating a fact to his clueless younger brother from a family friend as usual.

Shen Wu’s peach blossom eyes naturally had a crimson shadow. Blown by the cold wind, his entire eye sockets turned red.

Although he had long since convinced himself with perfect logic: Meng Huaizhi was the male lead of this novel world, and his unique feelings would only be given to his destined person. They were so well-matched in every aspect.

But he still felt that his eyes, exposed to the cold wind, were a little sore.

Luo Jinyi was waiting for the two of them in the nanny van and first saw the fireworks in the sky.

She got out of the car and went over, finding a spot where the camera couldn’t see her.

Following the direction of the camera, she saw the two people standing in the center of the crowd.

The colorful fireworks were clearly reflected in Shen Wu’s eyes, but she had an inexplicable feeling that those glass-like eyes were dazed.

As an outsider, she watched for a long time.

Suddenly, her heart trembled, and a guess that was unexpected but also reasonable flashed through her mind.

That was not the look of a younger brother.