Mai Dong’s phone was particularly lively this year.

After attending the class reunion, he took the high school classmates’ group chat out of the cold palace, and now every time a message was sent to the group, Mai Dong’s phone would buzz. As midnight approached, the red envelopes in the group rarely stopped. Mai Dong was actively snatching and sending them. By the end, he checked the accounts and found he was down over 200 yuan.

Mai Dong actually had little concept of money, but this time he became a bit stingy because the money in his WeChat wallet was transferred by Yan Xuming in the afternoon.

The dorm group chat was also bustling.

Wu Zimo, also a second-generation rich kid, probably received quite a bit of New Year’s money in advance. He spent it lavishly in the group, sending two red envelopes of two hundred yuan each. There were four people in the dorm group, and besides Mai Dong, the other two filled the screen with cries of “Dad.”

Mai Dong felt a bit awkward. Although it was perfectly normal for guys to call each other “Dad,” he wasn’t keen on making such jokes. He accepted Wu Zimo’s red envelope and sent a message.

Mai-zi: “I won’t call you that… Should I return the money?”

Wu Zimo: “If you really can’t, just call me Ge?”

Mai-zi: “><”

Mai-zi: “I’ll return it to you!”

Wu Zimo: “I’m just joking with you. There’s no reason to return a red envelope!”

Mai Dong: “I want to send one too, but I’m worried that you guys will call me the same thing.”

Du Chuan: “It’s up to you. You send it, and we’ll just accept it without saying a word. Don’t worry.”

Mai Dong sent a red envelope of two hundred yuan, and sure enough, no one said anything in the group.

Mai Dong: “Wait, why did it suddenly go quiet?”

Liu Hewei: “Didn’t we agree to accept it without saying anything?”

Du Chuan: “I’ve figured it out. No wonder Yan Ge set up a relationship trial period for you ah, Mai-zi. Teasing you is really fun.”

Mai Dong: “…”

Mai Dong rarely had such experiences of mingling with others. When guys played around, there were generally no limits. Even though he couldn’t fully participate yet, being part of it still made him very happy.

While chatting, the corners of his mouth couldn’t be pressed down, and Yan Xuming asked him why he was smiling.

Mai Dong briefly explained everyone’s chat content to Yan Xuming. Yan Xuming, gripping the steering wheel and waiting for the red light ahead, casually remarked, “Oh, a 200 yuan red envelope can get someone to call you Dad. Mai Dong, since you received such a big red envelope from me, how about calling me ‘Ge‘?”

Mai Dong’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting Yan Xuming to say such a thing. “No, I didn’t call them that ya…”

Yan Xuming, with a shameless yet calm demeanor, said, “En, I just want to hear it. 5,000 yuan isn’t enough? Then name your price.”

Mai Dong’s ears turned red at the tips, and he subconsciously gripped his phone tighter. He was willing to return Wu Zimo’s red envelope, but he was a bit reluctant to give back Yan Xuming’s transfer. After a moment of inner conflict, he softly murmured, almost like a mosquito’s buzz, “…Um um.”

Yan Xuming turned his head, “What?”

Mai Dong sat up straight and said, “I called you.”

Yan Xuming nodded, “Really? There are still mosquitoes in the car in winter.”

Mai Dong blushed. Since saying the two-syllable “Gege” was difficult, he opted for the one-syllable version: “Yan Ge.” This time, it was much easier to say, and he said it with a clear and righteous tone.

The red light turned green, and Yan Xuming, somewhat unsatisfied, responded, “Oh, I thought I had already become a leader at such a young age.”

Mai Dong cleared his throat, “Isn’t that what they call you in the student union?”

Yan Xuming asked, “Are you in the student union?”

Mai Dong replied, “No ah.”

Yan Xuming nodded, “Then why do you call me that?”

Mai Dong: “Ah?”

That “Gege” never came out all the way to their destination. Mai Dong, too shy, pretended to be mute the entire trip.

The two of them drove to the outskirts. Today, this place wasn’t too deserted, as quite a few people had come to set off fireworks. Yan Xuming had brought a trunk full of fireworks, ranging from a big box of fireworks to small, oddly shaped ones for children and sparklers. It took them five minutes just to unload everything from the car.

Mai Dong held a sparkler in his hand and asked, “Why did you buy this ah? I haven’t seen anyone choose this for years.”

Yan Xuming took out a windproof lighter he had prepared earlier and helped him light it up. “Don’t you like it?”

The tip of the sparkler instantly ignited, emitting dazzling sparks of bright yellow stars that scattered in all directions. Mai Dong’s eyes reflected the sparkling colors. He smiled happily, waving the sparkler in his hand, and exclaimed, “Like it ya. Actually, I used to love playing with sparklers when I was a child. It’s been a long time since I’ve played with one since I grew up.”

Yan Xuming softly asked him, “If you like it, why don’t you play with it anymore?”

Mai Dong replied, “I guess I’ve never thought about it. Subconsciously, I feel like some things are just left behind as we grow up.”

Yan Xuming handed him another sparkler, his voice gentle, “You don’t have to leave things behind, nor do you have to grow up, Mai Dong.”

As midnight approached, the outskirts unexpectedly became lively.

Several people who came to set off fireworks shouted out one after another, and Mai Dong was no exception. Nervously gripping his phone, he opened the most accurate time display and watched the numbers: 23:58:49. He felt a strange tingling sensation all over his body. His throat was stiff, but he still managed to shout towards Yan Xuming at the center of the square:

“There’s one minute left! I’ll record the last ten seconds of the countdown. Remember to light the fuse and run as soon as possible!”

Mai Dong held two phones in his hand. Yan Xuming’s phone was used to watch the countdown, while his own phone was already recording. He forced himself to take deep breaths, not knowing exactly what he was so nervous about. Looking through the phone screen at Yan Xuming squatting beside the fireworks in the frame, he suddenly felt as if time had slowed down.

When did this happen?

Just last year, he and Yan Xuming were practically complete strangers. Oh, right, last year.

What was Mai Dong doing at this time last year?

Last New Year’s Eve, Mai Dong’s family came out to set off fireworks with his eldest aunt’s family.

The one responsible for lighting the fireworks was his eldest brother. Smoking a cigarette, his eldest brother leisurely held a cigarette between his fingers during the countdown, waiting to use the cigarette butt to ignite the fireworks. His hands were freezing red, and he shivered uncontrollably.

Mai Dong was in charge of the countdown. There were two minutes left until midnight. He stared at the phone screen, unintentionally distracted, thinking about Yan Xuming.

At that time, Yan Xuming was in his sophomore year. During the final exams, Mai Dong found out about Yan Xuming’s exam schedule and knew that he finished exams three days later than himself.

So, Mai Dong quietly stayed in the dormitory for three days, wanting to go home with Yan Xuming. Of course, going home together at that time just meant both returning home on the same day, but he didn’t know which train Yan Xuming booked, so naturally, he didn’t have the chance to travel with him.

Mai Dong wondered if Yan Xuming’s family would come out to set off fireworks, or if they didn’t have this tradition at home. Perhaps Yan Xuming was already asleep by now.

He regretted it a bit. He and Yan Xuming had been schoolmates for three years, in their sophomore and freshman years of high school, plus the first year of university. How many chances did he have to add Yan Xuming on WeChat? If he had Yan Xuming’s WeChat, he could at least say “Happy New Year” to him now.

“Mai-zi, are you watching the countdown? I’ve finished my cigarette, why hasn’t it started yet?” His eldest brother suddenly called him.

Mai Dong snapped back to reality, hastily checking the countdown. He was so startled that he stuttered, “Ah, ah, elder brother! Elder brother, 4! 3! 2! 1!”

23:59:29.

Mai Dong made a concerted effort to push aside his nervousness, his lips curved into a very cute smile. He felt that life had already given him many sweet moments, and this year, he was actually setting off fireworks with Yan Xuming. He called out again:

“There’s less than half a minute left! Get ready to run!”

The recording had started, catching Yan Xuming turning his head and replying, “Okay.” Mai Dong smiled as he stared at Yan Xuming on the screen, only using his peripheral vision to watch the countdown. His heart throbbed wildly at this moment, the beats mingling with the blinking digits of the seconds, creating chaos. Mai Dong took a deep breath.

“Yan Xuming!”

“10!”

“9!”

“I’m a bit nervous. Y-You must remember to run, okay? Be very careful!”

“5!”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah 3!”

“2!”

“1!”

“Happy New Year, Yan Xuming!”

Colorful fireworks burst in the sky, but Mai Dong’s camera didn’t rise with the ascending fireworks. He was too focused on his own desires. He had seen fireworks countless times, but encountering Yan Xuming, who approached him, was a rare sight. Yan Xuming moved closer to the camera, followed by a resigned chuckle captured by the microphone. He reached out and personally adjusted the camera’s position, saying, “You’re filming in the wrong place.”

Only then did Mai Dong obediently aim the camera at the fireworks in the sky, capturing their colorful explosions against the deep black canvas of the night sky.

“Happy New Year.” Mai Dong added this in a whisper.

As soon as the words fell, a hand from behind turned Mai Dong’s head, and before he knew it, he was being kissed. His hands were unsteady, and the camera he was recording with had already tilted in some direction.

“Happy New Year, boyfriend.” Someone responded in his ear.