We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"Li Mu Bai, I have to give you a serious reprimand. You actually fell asleep while watching a movie."

As soon as they stepped out of the movie theater, Chen Qiuhe said with a stern face.

"It's not my fault, it's just that this movie was a bit boring," Li Mubai explained.

"Hmph, do you see Xie Shu and I asleep?"

It's hard to say; perhaps you also secretly took a nap after I fell asleep.

"Qiuhe, are we going to the third floor next?" Xie Shu changed the subject.

"Yes, go to Miniso and browse around. Young people also have their own New Year's goods to buy."

What kind of New Year's goods can I buy?

Chen Qiuhe led the two to a Miniso store.

Li Mubai glanced at it and immediately felt bored; he hadn't really wanted to buy anything anyway.

Chen Qiuhe pulled Xie Shu into the store, and Li Mubai followed along, wandering around.

Beauty and skincare products, data accessories, and jewelry…

"Xie Shu, do you think this headband looks good on me?"

Li Mubai looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chen Qiuhe wearing a gray rabbit headband, since it was the Year of the Rabbit.

"It looks good," Xie Shu said.

"Xie Shu, try this white one."

"I'm not going to wear it."

Seeing this, Chen Qiuhe leaned close to Xie Shu's ear and whispered a secret plot.

"Is this... okay?" Xie Shu asked uncertainly.

"Okay, it definitely will work," Chen Qiuhe said with a mischievous smile.

"All right."

Seeing that Xie Shu agreed, Chen Qiuhe took out her phone and made a QQ call to Li Mubai.

"Li Mubai, where are you? Come quickly!"

"Where are you?" Li Mubai had just wandered off to another place.

"This is the jewelry section."

"Oh." Li Mubai hung up the phone.

"Hehe." Chen Qiuhe put down her phone with a mischievous grin.

Chen Qiuhe is really something... Xie Shu thought to himself, but can she really succeed?

"What's wrong?" Li Mubai rushed over and asked.

"Hey Li Mubai, I was thinking, isn't the New Year the Year of the Rabbit? How about we all wear rabbit headbands and take a picture?" Chen Qiuhe said.

"I won't wear it."

Li Mubai refused without hesitation. Even if he had to jump off the third floor, he wouldn't wear that thing.

"Hey Li Mubai, don't be so quick to refuse. Look, Xie Shu and I are both wearing them. If you don't wear one, we won't be able to take pictures properly," Chen Qiuhe continued to persuade.

"Squad leader, are you wearing this too?"

"Um."

Xie Shu nodded with difficulty, and Chen Qiuhe put a white rabbit ear headband on her. She turned her head away shyly.

……

What methods did Chen Qiuhe use to make Xie Shu submit to her "tyranny"?

"Li Mubai, Xie Shu also said that we will only take pictures if you wear it, otherwise it will feel wrong to be missing one person," Chen Qiuhe said.

Uh—Li Mubai looked at Xie Shu, who nodded slightly.

Alright, then he'll risk his life to accompany the lady this once.

"Then I... will wear it just once."

Chen Qiuhe chuckled, picked up the white and gray rabbit ears, and asked him:

Which one are you wearing?

"Are these the only two types?"

"yes."

It was a tough choice.

"I'll wear the white one."

Chen Qiuhe handed it to him, and Li Mubai took it somewhat awkwardly.

"Hurry up and put it on," Chen Qiuhe urged, and Xie Shu also looked at him.

"Wait, let them leave."

"There will definitely be people around during the Lunar New Year."

Okay, but Li Mubai waited until there were fewer people before slowly putting on the rabbit ears.

"Hey, not bad."

Li Mubai turned his head away, embarrassed.

"Take the picture quickly."

Xie Shu raised his hand and gently covered his mouth.

"Squad leader, are you laughing?"

"without."

Damn it, you were clearly smiling, I could even see your shoulders shaking.

"Okay, okay, hurry up and stand in front of the mirror, we'll take a few pictures and then we'll be done."

"Use this to take the picture." Xie Shu took a small camera out of his pocket.

"Wow, Xie Shu, you even carry a camera with you."

"Hurry up and take the picture," Li Mubai urged again, feeling that every curious look from passersby was like an execution.

"Okay, okay."

Chen Qiuhe took the camera and adjusted it.

"Come on, come on, I'll count to one and then we'll shoot."

This time, Chen Qiuhe didn't force him to pose, and took several pictures in a row.

As soon as it was over, Li Mubai immediately ripped off his headband.

"Xie Shu, Li Mubai, take a look," Chen Qiuhe said.

Li Mubai leaned over to look at the camera. It's good that the person taking the picture can raise the camera to cover their face. He and Xie Shu could only turn their heads to the sides, feeling embarrassed.

"Haha, you two are quite in sync," Chen Qiuhe laughed.

Li Mubai chuckled a few times.

"Qiuhe, let's go look at other places," Xie Shu said, taking off her hairband and putting it away.

"Okay, let's go check out the throw pillows."

"Li Mubai, are you coming along?" Chen Qiuhe asked him.

"No, I'll wait for you at the door."

He didn't know what would happen if he went again; putting on the bunny ear headband had already used up all his courage for the day.

Xie Shu and Chen Qiuhe ventured further inside, while Li Mubai waited at the shop entrance.

A few minutes later, Xie Shu and Chen Qiuhe each took a cushion to the cashier to pay.

Li Mubai glanced at it and saw that Chen Qiuhe had bought a Shiba Inu plushie, which suited her quite well, since Chen Qiuhe was a true go-go.

Xie Shu bought a blue-backed, white-based shark, which looks quite cute.

"Li Mubai, aren't you going to buy a cushion?" Chen Qiuhe asked.

"I won't buy it."

"Li Mubai, this is for you." Xie Shu handed him a thermos.

"Ah... Class monitor, I can't accept this without merit. I'd better not accept it." Li Mubai waved his hand in refusal.

"This was a reward given to us privately by Teacher Yang, to commend us for participating in the essay competition."

Is Teacher Yang really that good? She even gives me this kind of benefit.

"Uh—okay then, thanks, class monitor."

"We should thank Teacher Yang."

"...Thank you, Teacher Yang."

"Pfft, Li Mubai, you're such an idiot. Teacher Yang isn't here, she won't hear you even if you say thank you now," Chen Qiuhe mocked from the side.

Heh, mind your own business...

"By the way, when do the fireworks start?" Li Mubai also learned to change the subject.

Nine o'clock.

"Isn't there still half an hour left?"

"Oh right, let's hurry over there." Chen Qiuhe realized that they had been shopping for a bit too long.

Fortunately, the mall wasn't far from the square, and there were already quite a few people there when I arrived.

A fence was erected in the middle of the square, leaving an area empty.

"Let's go to higher ground," Xie Shu suggested, pointing to a pavilion next to the park where a section of the city wall stood.

"it is good."

Li Mubai immediately agreed, saying that it was certainly more comfortable to be in a less crowded place than to squeeze into the crowd, and that people were watching the moment the fireworks bloomed, not the launch itself.

The three of them climbed up, and Li Mubai sat down. After walking all day, he was quite tired.

Xie Shu sat down beside him.

The square can be vaguely seen from the pavilion, and staff are dragging fireworks into the venue, so it looks like it's about to start.

The fuse was lit, and with a "whoosh," a firework soared into the sky, exploding into dazzling sparks in the night.

Li Mubai secretly glanced at Xie Shu beside him; her eyes seemed to reflect the colors of fireworks.

Xie Shu suddenly turned his head to look at Li Mubai and said softly:

Happy Chinese New Year, Li Mu Bai.

"Class monitor, you can join in the fun too."

"You don't need to call out..."

"Li Mubai! Xie Shu!" Chen Qiuhe suddenly called out urgently from behind.

Ok?

Whoosh—Bang!

Click.

……

"Sis, these fireworks are pretty good."

"Yes, it's quite beautiful," Mei Yulu murmured as she stood on the city wall.

(The End of Chapter Seven of "Loneliness is a Gift of Life": Then Live Without Fear)