If You Could Hear My Heart
Chapter 1222: Don’t Hold Me So Tight

Chapter 1222: Chapter 1222: Don’t Hold Me So Tight

With that, Xia Chuqing hopped and skipped her way to the riverbank, no longer paying any attention to Xu Chaomu.

Ugh... even a trip to see the fireworks ends in torment, it’s tough being a single dog.

As for who that man was, she’d press Xu Chaomu for an answer another day. At times like these, one shouldn’t disturb others’ sweet nothings and romantic escapades.

"Chuqing!" Xu Chaomu called out once more, ready to leave Shen Chi be.

But Shen Chi grabbed her hand, pulling her to his side.

"You’re out to see the fireworks and you don’t care about your son?" Shen Chi looked down at her.

"No, Chuqing has made arrangements," Xu Chaomu pouted.

"Who’s Chuqing?"

"A friend."

"Oh." Shen Chi responded, "So, are you going to continue watching the fireworks, or are you going to find your son?"

"I..." Xu Chaomu hesitated, "will watch a bit longer before going to find Xiaobao."

"Then I’ll take you to a nice place to watch." Shen Chi grasped her hand, leading her away.

"Hey, don’t pull me, I’m fine here," Xu Chaomu struggled, "I like busy places, I like lively places, I..."

"So noisy," Shen Chi frowned and stopped in his tracks, "Do you like it here?"

"..." Xu Chaomu fell silent.

"If you like it here, then I’ll stay with you," Shen Chi said.

"Oh." Xu Chaomu tried to withdraw her hand from his grip.

"Don’t move, let’s go there, it’s less crowded," Shen Chi pointed to an open space ahead.

Shen Chi held onto her hand, not letting her squirm away, and led her toward the open ground by the riverbank.

Quite a few people were staring at them, causing Xu Chaomu to lower her head, wishing she could bury it in her scarf.

Xu Chaomu kept a distance from him, with an empty space between them.

Perhaps Shen Chi found this awkward, for he pulled forcefully, bringing her to his side.

"You said you wouldn’t disturb me," Xu Chaomu murmured, looking down.

"Last time," Shen Chi said.

Xu Chaomu looked up, gazing at his profile lit by the fireworks. His features were deep and calm, serious, his eyes seemingly fathomless.

"Really?"

"..." Shen Chi didn’t respond.

Half-doubting, Xu Chaomu thought if she pressed further, he might get angry, after all, he didn’t like being questioned, quite domineering.

He always stood by his word. She nodded, taking him at his word.

However, she pondered, it seemed they hadn’t spent New Year’s Eve together for six years.

In the past, during New Year’s Eve, she always liked sitting next to him during dinner, as if being by his side meant others wouldn’t dare to bully her.

Many times, Shen Cexian and Liu Rumei wouldn’t allow her to sit at the table, not even on New Year’s Eve. But with Shen Chi there, she could do as she pleased.

The family ate together, no one daring to say much. Though it was supposed to be a reunion night, the atmosphere was oppressive.

She was young, so she also didn’t dare to speak much, but seeing all the delicious food, she couldn’t help herself.

Every time, it was Shen Chi who would ask first, "What do you want to eat?"

Back then, she would point at everything she wanted to eat, one item after another.

Shen Cexian couldn’t bear to watch, but Shen Chi still indulged her, picking each item for her, one by one.

Yet Shen Chi would still say disdainfully, "Eating so much."

Or, "Aside from eating, what else can you do?"

Or even, "All you do is eat and sleep."

Now, recalling these things, Xu Chaomu found it amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. Actually, six years, neither long nor short, those memories felt like they happened just yesterday.

Back then, everything was simple and beautiful; her world consisted only of Shen Chi and sunlight.

Shen Chi glanced at her. Huh? Was she smiling?

Yes, he wasn’t mistaken; she was indeed smiling.

He had thought that she would never smile again with him, yet at this moment, she was smiling, and it was such a pure smile.

Shen Chi didn’t want to interrupt this moment. He watched her from the corner of his eye, her smiling face becoming the most beautiful memory of his life.

It was only after Xu Chaomu giggled to herself for a while that she realized it and coughed lightly, pretending nothing had happened, and returned to her serious demeanor.

"Thought of something interesting?" Shen Chi asked.

"No," Xu Chaomu blushed, realizing he had caught her.

"I bet you were thinking about me."

"Don’t talk nonsense," Xu Chaomu said lightly.

"Then it must be someone else," Shen Chi felt jealous.

On New Year’s Eve, standing by his side, holding his hand, and she was thinking of someone else?

"No, no, no, don’t ask anymore."

Shen Chi really didn’t ask further; instead, he took her to a less crowded spot by the river to watch the sky full of fireworks.

The riverside was truly cold in winter; many people left after watching the fireworks for only a short while.

Xu Chaomu, on the other hand, was quite spirited. She looked up, unwearyingly.

"Are you cold?" Shen Chi suddenly took both her hands and pulled her into his embrace.

"I’m not cold; you don’t need to hold me so tight."

"If I say you’re cold, then you’re cold."

"..."

Shen Chi hugged her from behind, holding her hands tightly within his arms.

It turned out that he, himself, had not planned to come out to watch the fireworks, so he was only wearing a suit on the outside. While holding Xu Chaomu, he actually started feeling a bit cold.

"Do you like these fireworks?" Shen Chi asked in a low voice.

His warm breath brushed her ear, and she trembled slightly.

Lowering her eyelashes, she whispered: "I like them, they’re very beautiful."

"If you like them, I’ll bring you here to see them every year."

"Huh?" Xu Chaomu was momentarily suspicious. Hadn’t he just said that this was the last time?

Shen Chi realized he had misspoken, but just then a particularly large firework burst into the sky, and he tightened his grip on her hands: "Look up."

Xu Chaomu looked up, filled with excitement and surprise; it was too beautiful.

This had to be the biggest and most beautiful firework of the evening, even better than the ones they had seen before.

Xu Chaomu watched, losing track of time; she only knew to look up, the corners of her mouth faintly upturned.

The fireworks continuously burst into the sky in a display so breathtaking it seemed like a paradise on earth, enabling one to forget all worries.

On such a beautiful night, Xu Chaomu wouldn’t think about those things that pained her; she simply wanted to quietly watch the fireworks.

However, after watching for who knows how long, Xu Chaomu turned her head and said, "My neck is getting sore."

"I told you I would take you somewhere better to watch, but you wouldn’t listen."

"Where to?"

"Shen Group’s rooftop."

That’s when Xu Chaomu remembered that Shen Group was nearby, and the building’s location was excellent—it was indeed the best spot to watch the fireworks.

"Don’t think about it anymore; I’ll take you there."

As he said this, Shen Chi assertively took her hand and left the riverside.

Xu Chaomu also knew he wasn’t dressed warmly enough for the evening. If they continued to stand by the river, he would probably catch a cold!

However, Shen Chi walked so fast, and with Xu Chaomu in high heels, she could barely keep up.