Chapter 110: Bonfire

Compared to the socially awkward An Tong, Ling Qi was socially fearless.

She waved with a fake smile. "Hi, I'm Barbara."

With that, she gestured toward An Tong with an open palm. "And this is Vivian."

An Tong: "..."

Lilia: "..."

The atmosphere froze in awkward silence for a few seconds. As Mr. Huang's mistress, Lilia was highly adept at reading the room.

Sensing that An Tong and Ling Qi had no intention of chatting with her, she gave a self-deprecating smile and walked away.

An Tong gave Ling Qi a look, and half a second later, both of them burst into laughter.

*Barbara and Vivian.* How on earth did she come up with those?

...

Half an hour later, night fell completely, and it was time to light the bonfire.

On the stage, the host was passionately explaining the history and origins of the bonfire festival.

The tourists gathered in a circle, waiting for the lighting ceremony.

As the highlight of the evening, a sense of ceremony was indispensable.

Thus, when the host brought out a red silk flower, murmurs of discussion rippled through the crowd.

It was a bit cliché, yet it was precisely this cliché that made everyone eager to try.

In the host's words, they would play a game of passing the flower to the beat of the drum to select the "chosen one" to light the bonfire.

This simple, old-fashioned ritual seemed to evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Quite a few tourists began reminiscing about when and where they had last played this game.

Staring at the bright red silk flower, An Tong swallowed hard. It was as if a memory coded in her DNA had been awakened, and a wave of nervousness washed over her.

"Nervous?"

Her curled fingers suddenly felt a warm touch, and a man's deep voice drifted into her ear right on cue.

An Tong pursed her lips solemnly. "When I was a child, during this game... I lost every single time."

"Wow," Ling Qi chimed in, clapping her hands. "Then when you light the bonfire, Madam, I'll take photos of you."

An Tong frowned anxiously. "I've never done it before..."

At that moment, Cheng Feng, standing beside Ling Qi, leaned in to pour cold water on them. "Hey, the game hasn't even started yet, and you're already talking about taking photos of the bonfire lighting? Is there some inside deal?"

Ling Qi elbowed him, pushing him half a meter away. "Just talk, why do you have to get so close? Your breath reeks of garlic."

Cheng Feng, who had just eaten garlic-grilled eggplant: "..."

With their playful banter, An Tong's nervousness eased slightly.

She tugged at Rong Shen's finger. When he leaned down, she whispered in his ear, "Have you ever lit a bonfire?"

"So far, no."

An Tong noticed the deliberate pause in his words, but she didn't pay it much mind. She continued to murmur, "Then... if the red silk flower ends up in my hands, shall we do it together?"

Rong Shen's brows relaxed, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "So sure you'll be chosen?"

"Not entirely sure," An Tong said, her attention briefly shifting to the host handing the red silk flower to the nearest tourist. She added with precision, "Nine times out of ten."

Ling Qi was eager to watch the show, while Cheng Feng found it hard to believe.

Rong Shen, on the other hand, let out a low, magnetic chuckle.

A few seconds later, the game began. The drums rolled, and the red silk flower was passed quickly from hand to hand among the tourists.

Whether the game was considered terribly cliché or wonderfully refined, everyone participated with high spirits.

The drumbeats sped up and slowed down, but they never stopped.

After the red silk flower went around once, it returned to the starting position.

An Tong kept her eyes on the movement of the red silk. After a full round, she noticed that Mr. Huang and Lilia were not present.

It was at this moment of distraction that the man beside her raised his eyelids and unhurriedly placed the red silk flower into An Tong's hands.

And then, the drumming abruptly stopped.

Coming back to her senses, An Tong: "..."

Ling Qi clapped and cheered, "Oh yeah!"

Cheng Feng, utterly flabbergasted: "???"

Holding the large red silk flower in both hands, An Tong looked at Rong Shen awkwardly, as if to say: *See? I lose every single time.*

Though the other tourists felt a twinge of regret, they still clapped in celebration, shouting for An Tong to go up and light the bonfire.

"Congratulations to this young lady! Staff, please bring the torch over and let her open the ceremony for us..."

As the host warmed up the crowd, a staff member brought over the lit torch.

An Tong took it dazedly, looking at Rong Shen as if for help.

Under the bright firelight, she saw the gentleness and encouragement in his eyes.

An Tong turned her head to look in the direction of the bonfire. The staff member urged her on cue, "Miss, just walk over and throw the torch into the woodpile. Don't get too close, though. There's lighter fluid in there, so back away as soon as it catches fire."

The man's broad palm patted her back reassuringly, and then gave her a gentle push forward. "Go ahead. Don't be afraid."

An Tong took a deep breath. Under the gaze of all the tourists, she walked toward the woodpile with a look of solemn determination, as if marching into battle.

It wasn't that she was afraid; she was just worried that her clumsiness might ruin the highlight of the event.

As she drew within ten meters of the woodpile, all her focus was on the details of how to throw the torch. She didn't notice the tall figure watching over her from not far behind.

With the woodpile right in front of her, An Tong glanced around, and in the next second, she raised her hand and threw the torch.

Aided by the lighter fluid, the flames instantly shot up into the sky. The bright firelight and heat ignited the atmosphere of the venue.

Remembering the staff member's warning, An Tong immediately turned and retreated the moment the fire flared up.

After only a few steps, she unexpectedly bumped into a familiar embrace.

She quickly looked up, and the man's handsome, gentle features came into view.

The soaring flames of the bonfire and the cheers of the tourists paled in comparison to this single glance that felt like an eternity.

An Tong clutched the fabric at the side of Rong Shen's waist, looking up at him with a smile.

Looking down at her quiet, flushed cheeks, the man lowered his handsome face and pressed a gentle kiss to her brow. "Your first time lighting a bonfire. How did it feel?"

"It was alright." The corners of An Tong's mouth curved upward as she buried her face in his chest and nuzzled him. "But it would have felt even better if you had joined me."

Rong Shen ran his long fingers through the hair at the back of her head, his voice laced with amusement. "Remember to look at the photos later."

Later, An Tong saw the photos of herself lighting the bonfire on Ling Qi's phone.

There were many of them.

The one that left the deepest impression on her was from the moment she threw the torch and turned to run back—the man was standing just three steps away, waiting for her with open arms.

He had been with her all along, just in his own way.

...

The bonfire party drew to a close about two hours later.

By the time they returned to Waterfront Residence, An Tong's cheeks were still rosy, her eyes curved with joy, and the melancholy that used to shroud her was completely gone.

"Tired?" Rong Shen took off his overcoat and reached out to pinch her soft cheek.

An Tong pulled his hand away and smiled, shaking her head. "Not at all. I haven't opened the gift boxes yet."

The gift boxes under the Christmas tree in the square were Christmas presents specially prepared by the scenic area for the tourists.

An Tong had specifically brought back two—one large and one small. The large one was for Rong Shen, and the small one was for herself.

It was rare to see her so enthusiastic about something, so Rong Shen naturally wouldn't spoil her mood.

The two sat down on the sofa. An Tong picked up the purple gift box and handed it to him first. "Merry Christmas."