After the last spark of fireworks faded, the night returned to its quiet stillness. A wave of belated embarrassment washed over Chi Yu, making him clear his throat awkwardly. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, shoving it into Fu Zhi’an’s hand. The box was covered in soft velvet, smooth to the touch. Fu Zhi’an opened it gently, revealing a black ring, nearly blending into the darkness of the night.
“I just bought it off the street,” Chi Yu said, his voice stiff as he turned to face Fu Zhi’an. Seeing the boy’s silence, Chi Yu licked his lips and hastily added, “Don’t go getting any ideas. I didn’t get it for us to be all couple-y or anything. I just thought it might suit you.”
“Don’t read too much into it.”
Fu Zhi’an lowered his head, chuckling softly. He closed the box and slipped it into his coat pocket, then looked back at the boy in front of him. Those dark eyes beneath a defined brow, the stubbornly pressed lips—everything he had always adored. Chi Yu noticed the smile creeping up Fu Zhi’an’s face and felt a sudden urge to retreat, but the mixed scent of gunpowder and wind rustling through his hair held him in place. He lowered his gaze, fighting the impulse to pull away.
Textbooks often described people’s eyes as starry, and recently, Chi Yu had realized that Fu Zhi’an’s eyes always seemed to shine when looking at him. When they were alone, Fu Zhi’an would gently hook his pinky around Chi Yu’s ring finger, tracing up the back of his hand until their fingers intertwined. They stood close, Fu Zhi’an’s warm breath brushing against Chi Yu’s neck, and with the slightest tilt of his head, Chi Yu could kiss the dimples that framed Fu Zhi’an’s smiling lips.
It wasn’t until Fu Zhi’an’s soft laughter reached his ears that Chi Yu snapped his head to the side, his lips brushing against Fu Zhi’an’s chin.
Dangling from Fu Zhi’an’s pale fingers was a delicate silver chain, with the black ring swaying at the end. Fu Zhi’an lifted the ring slightly, still warm from resting against Chi Yu’s chest. Flustered by the unspoken truth of his intentions, Chi Yu swallowed hard, his eyes meeting the amusement in Fu Zhi’an’s gaze. Without thinking, he took a step back. Ignoring the sand filling his shoes, he quickly leaped down from the mound, hurrying toward the park’s exit without looking back.
Chi Yu finally stopped under a streetlight, its glow casting a soft halo around him. His usually relaxed posture suddenly straightened, and his hands, hanging at his sides, slowly curled into fists.
“Fu Zhi’an, you idiot!” Chi Yu’s anger was unmistakable, evident even from the back of his head, Fu Zhi’an thought. The dark silhouette of Chi Yu vanished into the distance, but Fu Zhi’an remained on the sand mound, motionless. He kept his eyes down, staring at the box in his hand, a foolish grin spreading across his face.
That night, he had seen three fireworks shows—the one in the square, the one Chi Yu had arranged for him, and the one that had ignited within his heart. He realized that every flutter of his heart had been meticulously crafted by this person.
Each moment of falling in love had been orchestrated by Chi Yu, just for him.
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