Chapter 5204: I Have Something to Say
Chapter 5204: I Have Something to Say
Though she’d sensed something during their time together, she hesitated to act on it. Since childhood, she’d always treated him like an older brother, but now that she vaguely understood his feelings, she didn’t know how to handle it.
“Little Qi, what kind of lantern do you like?” Xiao Junyan asked. Seeing she hadn’t pulled away, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hmm…” She glanced at the lanterns lining the street, spotting a fox-shaped one. With a smile, she pointed to it: “That little fox one.”
Following her gesture, Xiao Junyan’s gaze settled on the fox-shaped lantern. “Wait here,” he said, releasing her hand and walking toward it.
Tonight’s lanterns couldn’t be bought with money—only by solving riddles. Xiao Junyan glanced at the clue, then told the lantern vendor the answer. He took the lantern from the vendor’s hands.
Meanwhile, Yue’er bought a fox mask from a street vendor at the lantern festival. After paying and putting it on, she saw Xiao Junyan returning.
“For you.” Xiao Junyan handed her the fox-shaped lantern.
“Thank you.” Yue’er happily accepted it, tilting her fox-masked face upward and asking, “Does it look good?”
“It looks good.” Xiao Junyan smiled and nodded, then asked, “Are you hungry? I’ll take you to get something to eat.” He took her hand and led her forward.
Xiao Junyan brought her to a three-story viewing pavilion. “From here, you can see the lantern festival lights across the city,” he said. “And the food here is quite unique. Try some later.” With that, he called for someone to take their order.
Yue’er set her lantern aside and leaned against the railing. Below, the cityscape spread out before her eyes. The lanterns below cast a beautiful glow, and crowds of people had gathered on the streets to admire the lights.
Junyan watched the young girl, her face full of wonder as she gazed at the street lanterns. His eyes softened.
“Big Brother Xiao, look! There are fireworks over there!” Yue’er turned to find his gentle gaze fixed on her, making her feel a bit flustered. She blushed and asked, “Big Brother Xiao, why are you looking at me like that?”
Xiao Junyan smiled. “Little Qi has grown up.” He reached out, took her hand, and pulled her down to sit beside him. His eyes held a deep intensity as he said, “Little Qi, there’s something I want to tell you.”
Hearing this, Yun Qi sat up straight and met his gaze. “Alright, speak. I’m listening.”
“I…”
Perhaps it was her pure, trusting eyes that made the words catch in his throat. For a moment, he found himself unable to speak.
“Hehe.” Yue’er giggled softly, watching him with a mischievous smile. ” Big Brother Xiao, I feel like you’ve changed a lot since your travels.”
The words he’d mustered the courage to say were swallowed back upon hearing her. He looked at her deeply and asked, “Have I changed? Is it for the better? Or for the worse?”
“You’ve changed. You’re not as cold and distant anymore. That’s definitely for the better. ” She gazed at him, her eyes crinkling with amusement. “When I first met you, you were completely icy, wearing that expressionless face to everyone. But after you traveled, you gradually started to change. It was like…”
She casually withdrew the hand he was holding, cupping her chin thoughtfully. “It was like the ice inside you had melted.”