As night fell, Qin Tian drove Xia Nuannuan away from school.
The New Year's Eve light show was scheduled to begin close to midnight, so the two were in no rush. They first went to a mall, where they had a warming hot pot meal and then browsed for a while.
It wasn't until after ten o'clock that they left the mall and drove to the riverbank.
The night view along the riverbank was already beautiful, and more and more young people were gathering, making it very lively.
"Wow, there are so many people!"
Xia Nuannuan affectionately linked her arm with Qin Tian's, her eyes sparkling as she looked ahead.
"It's windy here, put on your hat."
Qin Tian reached out and helped her put on the hood of her down jacket.
"It's fine, I'm warm enough holding you!"
Xia Nuannuan gave him a sweet smile and hugged his arm even tighter.
Qin Tian smiled dotingly and rubbed her head with his hand.
"Let's go over there!"
"Mhmm!"
They walked towards the riverbank together.
The cold night wind blew from the river, bringing the winter chill of the riverside city, but it couldn't dampen everyone's enthusiasm for welcoming the New Year.
Not far ahead of them, a couple was taking a selfie, their backs to the high-rise buildings and lights on the opposite bank.
The boyfriend held his phone in one hand and his girlfriend's waist in the other, counting down from three to one.
As the countdown ended, the girl stood on tiptoe and, with a bright smile, kissed the side of the boy's face. The boy promptly captured the happy moment with his phone camera.
Xia Nuannuan watched this scene, then looked up at Qin Tian with her bright, watery eyes, her beautiful face filled with longing.
"Let's go, we should take some pictures."
Qin Tian said with a suppressed chuckle.
Xia Nuannuan nodded vigorously, like a pecking chicken, and quickly led him to stand beside the couple.
"Are you going to take pictures here?"
The girl saw them and asked with a smile.
"It's okay, it's okay, you guys go ahead. We're almost done."
Xia Nuannuan waved her hands dismissively.
"No problem, we've taken quite a few. You guys go ahead, the angle here is really good."
The girl said, then pulled her boyfriend a few steps to the side, giving them space.
"Thank you so much!"
Xia Nuannuan said gratefully with a smile.
The girl shook her head with a smile and then turned to leave with her boyfriend.
"Happy New Year in advance! May you always be happy."
Xia Nuannuan suddenly called out loudly.
The girl turned to look at them and nodded back with a radiant smile.
"You too!"
"That's so sweet!"
Xia Nuannuan watched their retreating backs and murmured in admiration.
Then, the two of them started looking for a good spot to take photos.
First, they imitated the couple, with Qin Tian holding the phone in his left hand, aiming the front camera at them, and his right arm around Xia Nuannuan's waist.
Xia Nuannuan leaned her head on his shoulder, looking up at the camera with a happy smile.
"Nuannuan, did you forget something?"
Qin Tian suddenly said.
"What?"
Xia Nuannuan pretended not to understand.
"Never mind, I'll do it myself!"
Qin Tian grinned, suddenly lowered his head and kissed her lips, simultaneously pressing the shutter button, capturing the moment perfectly with the phone camera.
Xia Nuannuan's eyes widened slightly, and her beautiful face flushed crimson.
Many young men and women around saw this and openly displayed their envy.
"See, how did I do?"
Qin Tian brought his phone back, and he and Xia Nuannuan looked at the photos together.
His control over his body was too strong; his hand holding the phone didn't even tremble when he leaned in, and the timing of the shot was precise.
The photo was indeed very good. With the night scenery of the riverbank as a backdrop, it made their kiss look even more happy and warm.
"It's great."
Xia Nuannuan also felt the photo was excellent and smiled in agreement, then noticed the mischievous smile on his face.
"No, don't suddenly do that again."
"What?"
"Don't play dumb."
"You were the one playing dumb and not cooperating, so I had to take matters into my own hands."
"Hmph, I wasn't."
Xia Nuannuan flatly denied it and bumped his shoulder with her head.
"Alright, alright, no more teasing. Let's take a few more. This time, you have to cooperate!"
"I know, I know. How do you want me to cooperate?"
"First, like that girl, kiss my cheek."
"Ah? So many people are watching..."
"Then I'll do it myself!"
"No!"
Xia Nuannuan immediately objected. Suppressing her shyness, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
"Is that good enough?" Kuaishuge
"No, you just barely touched me, and I didn't get the shot. Do it again."
"You're doing this on purpose! You already got it!"
Xia Nuannuan glared at him, a mixture of shyness and annoyance.
"That last one lasted a few seconds, this one is less than half a second. I'm not that quick. Do it again, quickly, quickly."
Qin Tian urged with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan, half-doubting, bit her lip and, following his request, stood on tiptoe again and kissed him on the cheek.
This time, the kiss lasted a good two to three seconds.
"Is this good enough?"
Xia Nuannuan's pretty face was flushed as she asked him impatiently.
"Hmm... I don't think the shot is very good. How about one more time?"
Qin Tian furrowed his brow slightly and tentatively suggested.
"Get lost, let me see."
Xia Nuannuan snatched the phone and peered at the photos.
As expected, the photos were incredibly good.
"Where is it not good, huh?"
Xia Nuannuan pinched the soft flesh on his waist with her small hand, applying a little pressure.
"Ouch... My mistake, my mistake."
Qin Tian feigned pain and apologized with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan released her hand and gave him a look of disdain.
"I just wanted to take more good pictures. How about we try a different pose?"
Qin Tian raised his eyebrows with a smile.
Xia Nuannuan remained silent, looking at him steadily.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. Tell me how you want to take the picture, and I'll do it. I'll just be a photo prop."
Qin Tian raised his hands in surrender, a mix of amusement and helplessness on his face.
"Photo prop? Pfft, that's good!"
Xia Nuannuan chuckled, finding it amusing.
After taking a few more intimate photos together, Qin Tian also took some individual shots of Xia Nuannuan.
Strolling along the riverbank hand-in-hand, taking pictures, time always flies when you're having fun.
Before they knew it, there were only about ten minutes left in the year.
There were many vendors selling sky lanterns along the riverbank. Many couples bought them, writing their wishes for the New Year or blessings for their love on them.
Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan also bought one, waiting for midnight to release it with everyone else.
At this moment, the riverbank was truly a sea of people; it was impossible to walk. They could only stand in their small designated areas, waiting for the New Year to arrive.
The temperature continued to drop, but fortunately, Qin Tian and Xia Nuannuan were dressed warmly.
Qin Tian unzipped his large down jacket and looked at Xia Nuannuan, who was linking his arm, saying, "Nuannuan, come and hug me!"
"Huh?"
Xia Nuannuan was taken aback.
Qin Tian smiled and gestured with his chin towards a couple on his left.
Xia Nuannuan tilted her head and looked. She saw the boyfriend using his unzipped, long down jacket to embrace the petite girl like a kangaroo, making them look very warm and happy.
"No, I'm fine, I'm not cold."
She wanted to do that too, but she was still a bit shy and embarrassed.
"But I'm cold. Hug me quickly and warm me up!"
Qin Tian blinked and said.
Xia Nuannuan was stunned by his words, feeling they sounded a little strange.