**Chapter 296: Almost Made a Mistake**
Lin Tian stood there, staring blankly at Gan Yan Yu, his mouth slightly agape and completely at a loss for words.
“Big Brother?”
After a long moment of silence, Gan Yan Yu tilted her head, puzzled.
“Big Brother, Big Brother, why aren’t you talking to me?”
Suddenly, she grabbed Lin Tian’s arm, pressing her whole body against him. Worried that Lin Tian couldn’t hear her, she leaned in closer and repeated—
“Big Brother!”
Finally, Lin Tian covered his eyes, his vision blackened, and he fell straight to the ground.
“Ah!”
Gan Yan Yu shrieked, quickly rushing to catch him.
The boy’s face was already flushed with a rosy hue.
However, thanks to the enchanting night, the lights along the river casting colorful glows, his reddened complexion was not too obvious.
“What’s wrong, Big Brother?”
After asking, Gan Yan Yu saw Lin Tian shiver all over.
“Stop calling me that!”
Lin Tian mustered all his strength to respond.
How could she just keep calling him that?!
The first “Big Brother” had already short-circuited his brain.
The second and third were enough to make his scalp tingle and his whole body feel weak!
He had considered that it might be a bit thrilling.
But he had never imagined it would be this exhilarating!!
From today on, Lin Tian decided to draft a post-marriage bedroom “play plan.”
It would include all the roles that Gan Yan Yu played that he found interesting.
The first entry would be “Oniichan.”
Besides that, there were previous roles like “The Troublemaker University Girl” and “The Innocent Girl” and so on.
Just jotting them all down.
Once they got married, Lin Tian intended to try out each character from top to bottom!
He had to savor every form of Gan Yan Yu.
Only then could he appease his current itch.
Everything right now was just laying down bricks for future happiness.
“What’s wrong, Lin Tian? Don’t scare me.”
Gan Yan Yu leaned forward, staring at him.
“I just… suddenly feel a bit low on sugar.”
Lin Tian steadied himself, shaking off the dizziness.
“Ah, is it not sweet?”
“What?”
“I said… Lin Tian, didn’t you have enough carbs tonight?”
As she spoke, Gan Yan Yu glanced at the cake in her hands, immediately lifting it up with a smile.
“Eat this!”
“…”
The two of them strolled along the riverbank until they wandered away from the big clock and pedestrian street, eventually finding a stone table to sit at.
A refreshing breeze blew across from the river, gently brushing against their faces.
The air was cool yet invigorating.
Surrounded by serene silence, the distant sounds of a crowd and fireworks burst forth like sporadic musical notes.
On this New Year’s Eve, illuminated by the glimmering streetlights and the moonlight cascading from above,
Gan Yan Yu stretched out her hands and opened the cake box.
This time, Lin Tian finally saw the design on the cake.
—Still very ugly.
The cartoonish figure had a nose and eyes, but it barely resembled a human.
Clearly, it couldn’t capture even a fraction of his handsomeness!
It seems even the usually talented Little Gan Classmate had her limits in certain areas.
Though, this could just be Lin Tian’s subjective opinion.
In fact, if one looked at it from the perspective of accuracy, it was passable.
Lin Tian’s main features—big double eyelids, a high nose, and the soul of his iconic “M fringe”—were actually quite well replicated by Gan Yan Yu.
Well… considering it was Little Gan Classmate’s heartfelt effort, maybe he shouldn’t be too harsh!
Lin Tian had a ton of inner complaints and criticisms churning around in his mind,
But on the outside, he was secretly over the moon.
Especially when he saw Gan Yan Yu personally present him with a slice of cake, Lin Tian’s mouth curved into a grin that almost couldn’t be contained.
He forked a piece, and the explosion of creamy sweetness in his mouth was extraordinarily satisfying.
Lin Tian quickly let out a “Mm~” of indulgence.
“Is it good?”
“So good!”
Lin Tian answered decisively.
Can’t deny it.
Even though Gan Yan Yu wasn’t the best at drawing, she sure had the basics of dessert making down! This simple fruit cream cake surpassed all his expectations!
Lin Tian glanced at the empty table in front of Gan Yan Yu and realized she’d only cut a slice for herself.
“Aren’t you having any?”
“I snacked too much while making cakes at the shop today.”
Gan Yan Yu covered her little face, looking a bit sheepish,
“Cakes have way more calories than pudding, so I can’t have any more!”
“You’re watching your figure?”
It really felt like thirty years on the East bank, thirty years on the West bank.
The once sickly thin Little Gan Classmate, whom Lin Tian had worked so hard to fatten up, was now on the “watch my figure” train!
This proves that Lin Tian’s home cooking really nourishes people.
“It’s fine, just for today! This one is really delicious.”
Lin Tian urged.
“Okay.” Gan Yan Yu replied.
Wait, was that a little too eager?
Was she agreeing a bit too quickly?!
Before Lin Tian could process it, Gan Yan Yu had already nodded.
However, she didn’t pick up any utensils herself.
Instead, she stood up and leaned slightly forward.
“Ah—”
Gan Yan Yu opened her mouth.
Lin Tian froze for a moment, fork ready to scoop the cream-laden cake, just as he was about to lift it…
Gan Yan Yu took a bite!
“Mm~”
The fork slipped from her mouth, once coated in cream, now pristine and clean.
The young lady cradled her face, uttering a blissful sound,
“Now that’s delicious!”
Lin Tian stared dumbfounded at the fork in his hand.
“…”
Gan Yan Yu’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and a hint of pride glimmered on her face as she said,
“Lin Tian, this isn’t just any fruit cake, you know.”
“Then what is it?” Lin Tian asked.
“This is the ‘Yan Yu Super Sweet Fruit Cake.’”
“Which one is more authoritative, this or the ‘Yan Yu Coconut Sago Pudding’?”
“Probably this one.”
Gan Yan Yu seemed surprised Lin Tian remembered the coconut sago pudding.
Propping her chin, she smiled,
“Because this one has your likeness on it!”
“Having a likeness gives it a boost?”
“Of course! Isn’t it delicious?”
“…”
Lin Tian forked another piece and popped it in his mouth.
Confirmed.
It’s definitely authoritative.
“Oh—how could I forget!”
Suddenly, Gan Yan Yu smacked her forehead,
“I haven’t even made a wish yet before digging in!”
“It’s not like it’s an actual birthday, who cares?”
“That won’t do! We still have to celebrate!”
Gan Yan Yu said seriously as she took a knife, cut another piece, and stuck a candle on it.
Then, she took out a matchbox from the bakery that was gifted early on.
Striking a match, she carefully lit the candle.
Watching her sincerely perform all this made Lin Tian suddenly reminisce.
The reason why he insisted on having Gan Yan Yu come home for the New Year wasn’t just for her to communicate with her family, but also because he had no standing.
New Year’s Eve is supposed to be about family reunions.
Lin Tian having no family doesn’t need to say, but Gan Yan Yu had a family—how could he keep her by his side?
In essence, right now he and Gan Yan Yu were only music partners; they didn’t have the title of husband and wife, nor even boyfriend and girlfriend.
With such a relationship, what right did he have to be with Gan Yan Yu on New Year’s Eve?
Yet—
“Happy Birthday, Lin Tian.”
Gan Yan Yu said as she ignited the candle, smiling.
Was this also part of your scheme, Little Gan Classmate?
Lin Tian couldn’t help but chuckle and sat up straight.
“Make a wish, Lin Tian.”
“If wished wishes for a celebrated birthday count, then one could wish every single day of the year, right?”
Lin Tian couldn’t help but retort.
Looking at it this way, God must be overwhelmed with orders.
But Lin Tian still clenched his fist and placed it over his chest.
He wouldn’t wish for anything too far-fetched.
He wasn’t greedy.
—So, perhaps he could win the Dragon Zither Cup, enter the Ke’er Cup, become world champion, smoothly marry Gan Yan Yu, and then travel the world with endless cash!
Having made his wish, Lin Tian blew out the candle.
“Snap—”
A flash went off.
Gan Yan Yu had snapped a photo.
“Why are you still taking candid shots??”
Lin Tian protested loudly.
Unexpectedly, Gan Yan Yu turned her phone around and switched to selfie mode.
“Teacher Lin, let’s take a picture together.”
In front of the camera, Gan Yan Yu put up a “Yay~”
As for Lin Tian, he felt a bit cornered, reverting to a stance that screamed “I’m a good boy!”
“Haha, Lin Tian, you look so silly.”
“I don’t usually take pictures.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll send you the photo. If you want, go ahead and share it on your social media.”
“Forget it.”
Lin Tian replied.
Although everyone in his social media was busy sending out New Year’s photos, he’d never been one to jump on the bandwagon.
And besides, on such a special day, posting something like that?
It would be hard not to be suspected of living together as a couple!
Didn’t Gan Yan Yu realize this?
If they were misinterpreted, it would be troublesome.
Moreover, Gan Yan Yu probably wouldn’t post it; in Lin Tian’s impression, she didn’t like sharing on social media and just wanted to keep the memories.
“I will! I’m going to post it.”
Gan Yan Yu insisted.
“Ah?”
“I think the way you look in this picture is really nice, so I want to share it with people I know.”
Staring at the photo, Gan Yan Yu seemed entranced for a while, then she looked up, grinning,
“I’ve posted it! You do whatever you want!”
Why is there so much pressure now?
Lin Tian felt annoyed, opening WeChat as he intended to check his social media.
Suddenly,
“Oh no!”
Gan Yan Yu glanced at her phone.
—23:54.
She smacked her head, turning around, grabbing Lin Tian’s hand.
“It’s almost midnight! We need to get to the big clock!”
Lin Tian hadn’t reacted yet.
The next second, he was yanked to his feet.
Following Gan Yan Yu, they took off running along the riverbank.
Along the way, the refreshing breeze occasionally brushed against their faces.
The rows of willow trees along the river had hung red lanterns, perfectly matching their attire.
At this point, the sounds of fireworks had faded, as if gathering strength for the grand finale.
With the noise drawing closer,
A large crowd came into view.
“We made it!”
Gan Yan Yu came to a halt, letting out a sigh of relief.
The time was now [23:59].
The last minute!
But when Lin Tian got a good look at their surroundings, he felt something was off.
Wait!
Lin Tian scanned the area and suddenly noticed.
Most of the people around them were couples of different ages—young, middle-aged, and even some old-timers—all couples!
Where had they stumbled into?!
“Lin Tian.”
Just then,
Gan Yan Yu’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Lin Tian turned to her.
“Do you think that in front of them, we might be seen as a newly married couple?”
Gan Yan Yu asked, her gaze fixed on the river.
“…” Lin Tian was stunned.
“Just kidding.”
Gan Yan Yu laughed softly.
“There aren’t little couples like us; we’re more like siblings sneaking out to play!”
“I don’t know… Someone might think I’m the older sister.”
“After all, I do look mature sometimes, right?”
“…” Lin Tian remained silent.
The reason he hadn’t said anything was that, at this moment, his hand was still intertwined with Gan Yan Yu’s.
Ever since they ran over, he hadn’t let go.
Feeling the slight sweat seeping from their palms, Lin Tian couldn’t tell if it was his or hers.
Was this still sibling-like behavior?
“Dong—”
As the clock struck.
“Happy New Year!!”
The people on the street shouted in unison.
A massive, beautiful, and dazzling firework exploded in the sky.
So beautiful.
Lin Tian couldn’t help but exclaim.
How had he never known that New Year’s fireworks could be this magnificent?
He had never paid attention before.
Of course, how could he have?
Just like the smiles on every face along the riverside, the joyous New Year atmosphere.
In the past, he had stayed locked up in his room during this time every year.
Making himself a plate of egg fried rice, then after a quick late-night snack, he’d promptly fall asleep.
Only to wake to the annoying sounds of fireworks outside his window.
Lin Tian had never thought that the sound of fireworks could be so enchanting.
All because—
Lin Tian had met a girl.
For the first time, he felt what it was like not to be alone.
Suddenly,
The young couple to Lin Tian’s left couldn’t help themselves and kissed.
The middle-aged couple in front of them also joined in.
Wait, what?!
What’s going on?!
Lin Tian’s jaw dropped.
He suddenly realized he seemed to be surrounded by all these couples in their loving embraces!
No way, staying here any longer felt completely wrong!
Just as he planned to pull Gan Yan Yu away from this scary scene, he turned around and found
Gan Yan Yu was gazing at the fireworks in the sky, utterly spellbound.
The beautiful display lit up the girl’s eyes, as bright as sapphires.
More stunning than the fireworks themselves in the night sky.
“…” Lin Tian was lost for words.
Unconsciously, he leaned closer.
Staring at her rosy lips, slightly parted and glistening.
As Lin Tian’s gaze drifted, he felt like he was losing control, slowly bringing his lips closer to hers.
“Lin Tian.”
Just then, Gan Yan Yu suddenly turned her head.
Lin Tian quickly averted his eyes, feeling guilty.
Their connected hands had unwillingly slipped apart.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Tian spoke while facing away from Gan Yan Yu.
Gan Yan Yu stared blankly at Lin Tian, her expression a bit strange.
She looked from Lin Tian’s turned head to their slightly sweaty hands, seemingly lost in thought.
“Let’s head back.”
Gan Yan Yu suggested.
“Ah?” Lin Tian didn’t expect that, “Not going to watch any longer?”
“I’m feeling a bit tired; it’s been a long time since I stayed up this late.”
Gan Yan Yu glanced around, her cheeks slightly flushed, then turned away.
Seeing this, Lin Tian immediately understood.
She must have found the couple atmosphere around them too intimidating, so she wanted to leave early.
That was a close call!
Just thinking about how close he had come to kissing her made Lin Tian shudder.
If he truly did kiss her, Gan Yan Yu would surely explode!
She cared so much about agreements and dreams, and here he was with all these indecent thoughts, crossing lines.
It just wasn’t cool!
Fortunately, at the last moment, Lin Tian managed to hold back.
Indeed, after experiencing everything tonight, he had gotten a bit carried away and almost made a huge mistake.
He definitely needed to go home and calm down.
Ending the night here wasn’t so bad.
That was already enough.
With that thought in mind, Lin Tian’s mood began to brighten.
Tonight, he had gained more than enough.
Arriving back at the apartment building,
Lin Tian told Gan Yan Yu to wait as he went upstairs to retrieve a beautifully wrapped gift box.
“I mentioned before that I had a present for you for the New Year.”
“This is it.”
Gan Yan Yu opened the box, and her eyes lit up.
She pulled out a doll.
The little figure had a small body and a big head, with “M fringe,” looking dashing, wearing a white shirt and big shorts—totally a Q version of Lin Tian!
“So cute!”
Gan Yan Yu exclaimed in surprise.
“Not bad, Lin Tian, where did you get it?”
“I saw it online; it said you could customize it by sending in a photo, so I gave it a shot. It turned out pretty well,”
Lin Tian explained,
“You always said that without me around, you didn’t have the same state for performing—now that I’m not around, you can use this to stand in for me!”
“Okay.”
Gan Yan Yu nodded, placing the doll back into the box and hugging it close.
“.”
Seeing Gan Yan Yu’s reaction, Lin Tian felt somewhat dissatisfied.
It seemed a lot cooler than he had imagined.
Lin Tian felt a bit disappointed.
But then again, this wasn’t a new thing—it seemed a lot of couples had given similar gifts.
Nothing particularly surprising.
At this late hour, Lin Tian didn’t linger anymore and said,
“I’ll head home now. Good night.”
“Mm, good night.”
After they exchanged good nights, they walked towards their respective buildings.
In her pink bedroom,
Dressed in pajamas, Gan Yan Yu knelt on the bed, staring at the “Q version of Lin Tian” in deep thought.
Then, the girl lifted the doll, pressing it against her face and taking a deep breath.
“Dummy Lin Tian.”
Gan Yan Yu quipped softly.
Her mind flashing back to earlier tonight when Lin Tian had quickly looked away after catching her eye.
Gan Yan Yu lay on her bed.
She scooted over to one side and set the doll on the other side.
Gan Yan Yu raised a finger, drawing a line across the middle of the bed, separating her from the doll.
Then, she grabbed the doll’s tiny hand.
“Time to cross the line!”
Gan Yan Yu said, lowering her voice playfully.
Then she yanked the doll towards her.
“No crossing!”
Next, she hurriedly pushed the little figure back, speaking in a childish voice.
They repeated this back and forth action a couple of times.
“.”
“Why won’t you cross the line?”
The girl’s little face turned a shade of red, and she simply hugged the doll, gazing at it with frustration.
But the doll remained silent, just grinning back at her.
After a moment of quiet contemplation,
Gan Yan Yu sighed softly.
She placed the doll back at the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, drifting off to dreamland.
In the middle of the night,
As the girl slept soundly, she unintentionally rolled over.
“Tap—”
The doll fell to the floor.
As an internal button was triggered, a voice echoed in the room:
“Why won’t you cross the line? Why won’t you cross the line?”
(End of Chapter)
