Fireworks Feast

Watching those two, Xie Yuling pouted slightly.

At this moment, she wished she didn’t know how to set off fireworks.

After Jiang Yunlu finished, Chu Miaomiao came over with a skyrocket, clearly intending to get Lin Mo to teach her hands-on as well.

Once Chu Miaomiao was done, Lin Mo turned to Xie Yuling.

Xie Yuling covered her left eye, stuck out her tongue, and said, "Luck’s on my side—I can’t see a thing!"

Lin Mo grinned. "What’s that? You said you want hands-on guidance too?"

With that, he lit a skyrocket and motioned for Xie Yuling to come over so he could teach her.

Despite her shyness, Xie Yuling stepped forward and wrapped her hands around his from behind, raising them high.

Jiang Yunlu, who had already started lighting her second skyrocket, turned back cheerfully.

"Hehe, Lin Mo, look! I can—"

Her smile vanished.

Jiang Yunlu pursed her lips. "Hmph! You win this round."

An unspoken agreement seemed to form between the three, bringing a newfound balance to their dynamic.

After the skyrockets were spent, they moved on to sparklers.

They kept at it until around 11:58 PM.

Everyone pulled out their phones, ready for the countdown.

Fang Jun crouched beside the grand, luxurious fireworks, waiting to light them at the perfect moment for maximum spectacle.

"Alright, everyone, get ready to count down! Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

The group stood scattered but shouted in unison.

Lin Mo led the three girls further back.

"Where are we going?" Jiang Yunlu couldn’t help but ask.

"Too close—it won’t look as good. Let’s get farther away."

By the time they reached the farmhouse entrance, the crowd had finished counting down.

Fang Jun had already lit the fuse early, and at the shout of "one," a brilliant firework shot into the sky.

A flower of light bloomed against the night, illuminating the darkness in an instant.

One after another, the fireworks burst forth—sometimes several at once—painting the sky in blues, oranges, and reds.

The crowd stepped back, gazing upward.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo and the girls had found the perfect vantage point, taking in the full spectacle.

A faint scent of alcohol drifted from behind them.

"Quite the lively scene," came a voice.

The girls turned to see the man addressed as General Manager Ma.

He had stayed the whole time, quietly watching the fireworks.

Lin Mo ignored him, keeping his attention on the sky with the girls.

The display lasted over a minute—clearly worth over a thousand yuan.

Fang Jun dashed to another crate of fireworks.

He lit it and sprinted back toward Lin Mo’s group.

"Damn, Lin Mo, you really know how to pick a spot!"

Lin Mo smirked. "Of course. You need distance to appreciate fireworks properly. Up close, you miss the whole picture."

This three-thousand-yuan firework was truly impressive.

Like a Katyusha rocket launcher, it fired rapidly, exploding mid-air in waves, some even splitting apart a second time.

Even with the thick scent of gunpowder in the air, the dazzling display kept everyone enthralled.

Fireworks, like flowers, defy cost-effectiveness—especially the expensive ones.

But when they bloom, you don’t think about value.

Just as no one questions the worth of a bouquet when it’s handed to them.

The grand finale lit up the surrounding sky for one last glorious moment.

"All the nearby villages are setting off fireworks, but somehow, the ones here are the prettiest," Jiang Yunlu mused, glancing at Lin Mo before watching the last embers fade.

Fang Jun chimed in, "Well, duh. Their fireworks can’t compete with ours. But come Lunar New Year, they go all out—nonstop for hours."

After all, the Chinese New Year was the real highlight.

With the big show over, smaller fireworks remained, but Lin Mo wasn’t interested. The girls, too, had lost their enthusiasm—post-spectacle serenity had set in.

So Lin Mo patted Fang Jun’s shoulder.

"Cleanup’s on you."

Fang Jun waved him off.

"Sure, sure. You’re the one who paid for it."

Lin Mo led the three back inside.

"Fireworks fade, music ends—making the story’s finale all the sweeter."

He escorted the girls to their rooms.

Meanwhile, Fang Jun was still organizing the cleanup.

"Why isn’t Lin Mo helping?" grumbled the same guy who’d earlier mocked Lin Mo for hogging resources.

Before Fang Jun could respond, Lin Jiajun cut in scornfully.

"He paid for the fireworks. Jiang Yunlu’s family provided the cars. You wanna walk back to the city?"

Fang Jun added, "This is the middle of nowhere. No taxis, and the bus stop’s miles away."

The guy, Deng Yang, tried to argue, but his friend Kang Hongbo grabbed him.

"Jesus, shut up already. You’re ruining my reputation here."

He’d invited an old middle school buddy for fun, only to deal with this jealousy-fueled tantrum. Now he regretted it.

Deng Yang shoved Kang Hongbo off.

"Whose side are you on? You’re supposed to back me up!"

Kang Hongbo took a deep breath.

"You’re my friend, but so are they. Stopping you from embarrassing yourself is being a good friend."

Deng Yang sneered. "You’re just worried I’ll make you look bad."

"Fine! If you’re all gonna suck up to that bastard Lin Mo, I’m out!"

He stormed back toward the farmhouse.

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

Kang Hongbo sighed. "My bad. I shouldn’t have brought him."

Fang Jun and Lin Jiajun shared a look before patting Kang Hongbo’s shoulder.

"Don’t sweat it. You tried to stop him. Who knew he’d go this nuts? Crash with us tonight—we’ll find you a spare room."

As Lin Mo returned from escorting the girls, he crossed paths with the fuming Deng Yang.

Lin Mo hadn’t been paying attention to the outside drama, so he had no context.

But he didn’t acknowledge Deng Yang either.

Deng Yang glared, took a sharp breath, and strode past without a word.

Furious as he was, he remembered Kang Hongbo’s warning: Lin Mo could take on a dozen thugs single-handedly.

Picking a fight—or even mouthing off—would be suicidal.

So Deng Yang chose survival.

At least no one saw him back down.