At 9:30 PM, Gu Junxing whispered to Nian Suian, "We can leave early later. Let's celebrate the New Year together, as you drew in the lottery."
After the prize draw ended, everyone started eating casually, chatting, or forming teams to play murder mystery games.
"Aren't you the boss? You can leave early?" Nian Suian thought that at such events, the boss usually had to stay until the end and give a speech.
Gu Junxing said self-awarely, "If I'm not around, everyone can relax and enjoy themselves more."
"Wait a moment." As they reached the hotel entrance, Gu Junxing stopped and also halted Nian Suian who was about to walk ahead.
"What's wrong?"
"Put on your scarf." Gu Junxing hung the scarf around Nian Suian's neck, wrapping it twice, prioritizing warmth over style.
When they left home that evening, Nian Suian had noticed Gu Junxing carrying a scarf, but she thought it was for himself, given its dark color that didn't match her outfit.
After wrapping the scarf, Gu Junxing pulled her hair out from under it, tidied it, and then moved to button up her coat.
Nian Suian was stunned, "This coat doesn't look good buttoned up!"
"It's windy by the river. You'll get cold," Gu Junxing explained gently.
The hotel they were at was known for its river view, so when they came out, they planned to walk along the riverside promenade without driving.
"Alright."
Nian Suian was a "rebellious" person. If someone had forcefully told her "Button up your coat!", she might have resisted.
But once someone was a bit gentler with her, she couldn't resist.
So after Gu Junxing's explanation, she didn't resist anymore and obediently stood still, letting him button up her coat.
"It looks good," Gu Junxing said, lightly touching the ends of Nian Suian's hair.
Nian Suian felt that Gu Junxing's actions were a bit too paternal at the moment, so she couldn't help but say:
"Gu Junxing, are you used to being a father?"
"I don't button up Gu Zhijing's coat," Gu Junxing replied while taking Nian Suian's hand and walking outside.
Hand in hand, they chatted while following the signposts towards the river.
"Gu Junxing, do you know? Being too gentle lacks sexual tension. In novels, the gentle characters are always the second male leads."
"Do you prefer domineering CEOs then?"
"You even know that term now? Have you been studying behind my back?"
"Sort of. I asked Assistant Li."
"He's so versatile, he can even do that?"
"He's paid well, it's part of his job. He even recommended some domineering CEO novels to me. I read half of one."
"Pfft... Hahaha, can I ask for your review?"
"The male lead broke the law. He had someone remove the female lead's kidney... The doctor also broke the law by practicing medicine illegally."
The streetlights along the riverside path stretched their shadows long and thin.
Hearing Gu Junxing's review, Nian Suian laughed so hard that even her shadow shook.
"Did you read that because of me? Do you like me that much? Why?" Nian Suian asked Gu Junxing directly.
"Why?... I can't explain it clearly." Gu Junxing thought seriously for a moment, originally believing he could list out one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight suitable reasons, but when he tried to speak, he realized that while each reason was appropriate, none could fully answer the question.
He asked in return, "What about you? Why do you like me?"
"I never said I liked you!" Nian Suian snorted, indicating that Gu Junxing shouldn't try to trick her.
Gu Junxing wasn't upset, he just rephrased, "Then why do you allow me to like you?"
"Hmm... because you're good-looking, I suppose."
"Nothing else?"
"Hehe." Nian Suian giggled, trying to evade.
"Then what if I'm not good-looking anymore?"
Nian Suian now acted like a heartless emperor, saying to his concubine: "When beauty fades, so does love. You must learn to accept it."
The winter river wind was quite strong. Gu Junxing walked on the side closer to the river, holding Nian Suian's hand and putting it in his coat pocket.
"Before my looks fade, I should give you some other reasons."
They reached a fork in the path, one way continuing forward, the other leading up some stairs.
Gu Junxing looked down at Nian Suian, squeezing her hand, indicating she should decide.
Nian Suian looked around and decided to follow the crowd going up.
"Look, everyone's going in one direction. There might be something exciting that way."
"Okay."
They didn't bother to figure out where they were, just followed the crowd.
At each intersection, one group of people merged with another.
Everyone seemed to have the same destination.
"There must be some event up ahead, right?"
A passerby overheard Nian Suian's question and volunteered an answer.
"There's a New Year's countdown at Binhu Square. Everyone heading there now is probably going for that."
"Oh, I see. Thank you," Nian Suian smiled and thanked them, then said to Gu Junxing, "Let's go check it out. I've never experienced a group New Year's countdown event like this before."
Gu Junxing had no objections, of course.
It took about ten minutes to reach their destination.
They arrived at 10:51 PM. Perhaps because it was still over an hour until midnight, the big screen was still showing advertisements.
Coincidentally, it was an ad featuring someone they knew.
"Isn't that Peipei?" Nian Suian looked at Qiao Peipei on the big screen and took a photo to send to her.
To be honest, it was only now that Nian Suian truly felt the impact of "oh, she's actually a celebrity." Just a couple of days ago, Qiao Peipei had been complaining to her on WeChat about being increasingly busy with filming, lamenting that she couldn't spend New Year's with her "Huai-ge."
Gu Junxing also looked at the screen. To be honest, he hadn't recognized Qiao Peipei until Nian Suian pointed it out.
With the makeup and styling for the ad, she looked completely different to Gu Junxing.
With an hour left until midnight, the square became increasingly crowded. To avoid being separated by the crowd, Gu Junxing held Nian Suian's hand tightly.
"Sir, buy a balloon for this beautiful lady?"
On New Year's Eve, with couples everywhere, there were many vendors selling flowers and balloons in the crowd.
The one Gu Junxing and Nian Suian encountered was an elderly person.
The balloon designs the old person was selling probably didn't appeal to young people's tastes, as it seemed they hadn't sold many.
Seeing the person's gray hair and the chilblains on their hands holding the balloons, Gu Junxing took out 500 yuan in cash from his wallet and bought all the balloons.
"This is too much, sir," the old lady tried to return some of the money.
Nian Suian said to her, "Grandma, it's too cold out. Go home early."
Gu Junxing held Nian Suian's hand with one hand and the balloons with the other, weaving through the crowd a few times until the old lady couldn't find them anymore.
"You still carry cash with you?" Nian Suian asked Gu Junxing.
Nowadays, many people, including herself, had gotten used to electronic payments.
"I keep a few hundred yuan for unexpected needs."