Fireworks

After asking the question, Fu Nanzhi stared intently at Shen Yi.

Though her words were phrased as a question, she was already ninety percent certain of the answer.

She hadn’t considered this possibility before, but now that the information barrier had been broken, Cheng Jun’s behavior suddenly made sense.

Otherwise, how else would the two of them have crossed paths?

Shen Yi hadn’t expected Fu Nanzhi to ask this, and even Shu Yunyi turned to look at him.

"Uh..."

Sandwiched between the two women, Shen Yi hesitated only for a moment before making up his mind.

At this point, there was no reason to lie or hide the truth.

Better to come clean now than risk being exposed later and face an even more awkward situation.

"Yes."

As soon as Shen Yi spoke, Shu Yunyi felt her vision darken, as if the sky were collapsing.

"Who?!"

"It’s Cheng Jun..."

Just as Fu Nanzhi had suspected, Shen Yi uttered the name.

Hearing this, Shu Yunyi’s old grievances resurfaced. She had already had a heated argument with Cheng Jun, where neither had held back their insults.

Clenching her teeth, she hissed,

"Hmph! I knew it was her."

"Just as I thought—she’s nothing but a lying snake..."

Shu Yunyi had never liked Cheng Jun, and now, learning about this entanglement, her hatred only deepened.

Fu Nanzhi, hearing the confirmation, gained a deeper understanding of her cousin’s cunning.

Unaware of Cheng Jun’s inner turmoil, Fu Nanzhi assumed she had been playing hard to get. Looking back, her own attempts to bring them together now seemed laughable.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it, so she suppressed her thoughts for the moment.

She glared at Shen Yi, half-tempted to shake him upside down to see what other secrets he was hiding.

"So it’s just Cheng Jun? No one else?"

Fu Nanzhi’s expression was stern, afraid Shen Yi might name three or five more women. She didn’t dare soften her tone.

Shen Yi, feeling like a defendant on trial, was determined to be completely honest.

Now under Fu Nanzhi’s interrogation, he quickly waved his hands.

"No one else..."

"Really?"

"Really, just the three of you. That’s it."

Shen Yi spoke rapidly, as if ready to swear an oath.

Fu Nanzhi’s expression eased slightly, and she mostly believed him.

She figured there couldn’t be too many more—he was already struggling to juggle things during Mid-Autumn Festival. If there were others, he would’ve been exposed by now.

Shu Yunyi, however, remained skeptical. Perhaps she had heard too many shocking revelations today.

Strangely, her first reaction to his answer was relief, as if she were somehow grateful.

Shen Yi didn’t dare say more. Both women were furious, and he feared adding fuel to the fire.

A heavy silence fell over the three of them.

"Whoosh! Boom!"

Just then, a row of fireworks ignited at the center of the lake.

A muffled burst of smoke rose before the flames shot skyward, exploding into a dazzling display against the night.

The brilliant colors illuminated their faces, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow.

But the flickering fireworks couldn’t compare to the turmoil in their hearts.

The moon hung bright, stars scattered across the sky, and the lake shimmered with reflections of the fireworks.

Yet none of the three had any mind to appreciate the spectacle.

Before long, the fireworks ended, leaving only wisps of smoke drifting and dispersing over the water.

The night grew colder, and with no shelter on the lake, the wind rippled the surface.

"Achoo..."

This time, it wasn’t just Shu Yunyi shivering—even Fu Nanzhi hunched her shoulders against the chill.

Seeing Shu Yunyi sneeze, Shen Yi regretted not bringing a jacket. He had nothing to offer her.

His own tolerance for the cold was high, but the two women risked catching a fever if they stayed any longer.

The night had deepened, and the crowds along the shore had thinned.

Shen Yi paused before speaking.

"It’s late, and the lake is too cold."

"Let’s head back to shore first. We can talk more there..."

Fu Nanzhi neither agreed nor refused, keeping her head down as she checked her phone. Clearly still upset, she didn’t respond.

Shu Yunyi, reminded of the cold, instinctively turned toward her own boat.

But then she stopped.

I can’t back down now, or she’ll think I’m afraid of her.

Unwilling to let Fu Nanzhi gain the upper hand, she froze mid-turn.

To Shen Yi, it looked like Shu Yunyi had turned away, ignoring him.

Since neither woman responded, he took their silence as consent and quickly started the boat’s motor.

The engine sputtered to life as Shen Yi steered toward the shore.

The distance was barely a hundred meters, and they soon reached the dock.

Shen Yi waited for the two women to disembark before returning the boat. He pointed out Shu Yunyi’s abandoned vessel to the staff, making up an excuse for them to retrieve it. There was a deposit at stake, after all.

Once off the dock, Shen Yi found both women waiting for him.

It wasn’t that they had forgiven him—rather, neither wanted to give the other an opening.

Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi avoided each other’s gazes, focusing solely on Shen Yi.

"Let’s go."

Unnerved by their silent stares, Shen Yi led the way without checking if they followed.

The path back to the parking lot took them through a night market.

Shen Yi stopped at a bubble tea stall and ordered two hot drinks.

Returning, he handed one to each woman.

"Here, warm up a bit."

The lake breeze had left them freezing.

Shu Yunyi, still not fully recovered, couldn’t refuse his gesture.

She took a sip, the warmth spreading through her, easing her discomfort.

Fu Nanzhi, wearing an extra layer, fared slightly better but still accepted the drink to warm her hands.

The three continued walking, Shen Yi flanked by the two women.

As the tension eased slightly, Shen Yi turned to Shu Yunyi.

"Did you drive here?"

Shu Yunyi kept her head down, sipping her drink, but shook her head.

Shen Yi understood—she had no car. He couldn’t let her go back alone.

They reached the parking lot.

Fu Nanzhi smoothly took the passenger seat.

Shu Yunyi frowned but, having hesitated, had no choice but to sit in the back.

Shen Yi missed this silent battle—he was busy paying the parking fee.

Back in the car, he fastened his seatbelt and started the engine.

The air inside was stiflingly quiet, so he turned on some soft music.

As the car pulled onto the main road leading to Shangyang District, Shen Yi glanced at Fu Nanzhi.

"Are you going back to 'Bojing Garden'?"