Chapter 262: Summer, Beach, Fireworks, and a Confession! (The Missing Two)

Zhou Hao and Qu Danwan nestled together, their intimacy subtle yet clear, as they gazed up at the final brilliant display in the sky.

No more words were needed for confirmation. The small, smooth white pebble lay quietly in Qu Danwan’s pocket, resting against her skin, just like their feelings for each other—clear, warm, and already settled without ever needing to be spoken aloud.

The waves lapped gently against the reef at their feet, making a soothing WHOOSH... WHOOSH... sound, as if providing a soundtrack for their silent, sweet moment.

This was their own perfect moment, one that had come together naturally and effortlessly.

A short distance away, from the moment the romantic fireworks show had begun, Lin Yu’an and Zhao Yuanyuan were sharing a different kind of tranquility.

Zhao Yuanyuan hugged her knees, her head tilted back, her clear eyes filled with the sky’s splendor.

With every firework that burst, the brilliant light ignited in her focused pupils, reflecting pure wonder.

She didn’t shriek with excitement like her sister, but simply watched in silence, the corners of her mouth holding the faintest hint of a satisfied smile.

Lin Yu’an’s gaze shifted between the sky and her profile, lingering there for brief moments.

The fireworks cast shifting light and shadows across her face, outlining her soft features. For him, it was a sight more captivating than the fleeting spectacle in the sky.

When the most spectacular scene—Niu Lang and Zhi Nv embracing—lit up the night sky, Zhao Yuanyuan drew in a small breath and let out a nearly inaudible sigh. "So beautiful..."

But the faint sound reached Lin Yu’an’s ears clearly.

He turned his head, his gaze falling on her eyelashes shimmering in the golden glow, and softly agreed, "Yes, very beautiful."

Zhao Yuanyuan seemed to sense his gaze and tilted her head slightly as well.

Their eyes met for a brief moment amidst the flickering light of the fireworks.

There were no passionate sparks, just a gentle, warm current flowing silently between them, tinged with a bit of curiosity and shyness.

In the shifting light, a faint blush seemed to color Zhao Yuanyuan’s cheeks. She quickly looked away, turning her gaze back to the sky, but her fingers unconsciously intertwined.

Lin Yu’an’s heart quietly began to beat faster.

He didn’t say anything more, simply turning his gaze back to the brilliant canopy of the sky, but a quiet smile lifted the corners of his lips.

Against the noisy backdrop, this subtle, unspoken closeness felt especially precious and comfortable.

When the brilliant fireworks display finally ended, the night sky returned to a deep, inky blue, leaving only the starlight and the murmur of the waves. The group began to pack up, getting ready to return to the inn.

"Where’s Yueyue?" Su Yuqing looked around, noticing that the most energetic, bright-yellow figure was missing.

She had just been basking in the sweet afterglow of her moment with Chen Mo, and only now did she realize Zhao Yueyue was gone. "Yuanyuan, where’s your sister?"

Zhao Yuanyuan, also snapping out of her own thoughts, shook her head in a bit of a daze. "She... I think she was with Huang Mao earlier."

She looked toward the spot where Huang Mao had been standing, but it was now empty.

Chen Mo frowned slightly, his sharp gaze sweeping over the reef area. "Huang Mao is gone, too."

The six of them exchanged knowing smiles, seemingly all guessing what was going on with the two.

"Who knows where those two ran off to for some privacy. We can’t just leave them here," Zhou Hao said with a laugh.

Chen Mo nodded with a slight smile and pulled out his phone to call Huang Mao.

"Hello."

The voice on the phone was listless, but Chen Mo didn’t notice anything was wrong at that moment.

"Yellow Hair, where did you and Yueyue go? We’re heading back. Did you guys bring a flashlight? If you don’t come back soon, you might not be able to find the path down the mountain."

"We’re already back at the inn," Huang Mao’s tone was still flat—so flat it sounded completely drained of energy.

"Huh?" Chen Mo couldn’t help but be surprised.

’No way. Things are moving that fast? They already snuck back to their room at the inn?’

"Hey, you better not be doing anything crazy," Chen Mo quickly warned.

"Crazy my ass. I’ve got a headache," Huang Mao said, exasperated.

As soon as he heard that, Chen Mo realized something was off.

But with five pairs of eyes on him, he just laughed it off. "Well, since you’re already back, we’ll head back now too. We can all grab a late-night snack together later."

With that, Chen Mo hung up the phone.

The other five didn’t sense that anything was amiss.

They all headed down the mountain together in high spirits.

Along the way, they were all still feeling that the magnificent fireworks show wasn’t quite enough, clearly wanting more.

The group chatted and laughed as they followed the familiar path back to the inn.

"You guys go order a late-night snack for tonight, my treat." Chen Mo had originally wanted to send all five of them away, but Su Yuqing stuck by his side. Seeing this, he didn’t try to shoo her off. Instead, he whispered to her, "Looks like things didn’t go so well between Yellow Hair and Yueyue. Go check on Yueyue in her room and see what’s going on."

"Huh?" Su Yuqing was surprised to hear that.

She immediately did as he said, walking to the door of Zhao Yueyue and Zhao Yuanyuan’s room and pushing it open just a crack to peek inside.

She was surprised to see Zhao Yueyue... spacing out?

She saw Zhao Yueyue sitting on the edge of the bed hugging her knees, staring out the window. She was still in her bright-yellow dress, but all her energy seemed to have been drained away, leaving her completely listless.

Just then, Chen Mo opened the door to the guys’ room. Huang Mao was inside with his head hanging low, his face ashen and his eyes vacant. He looked completely crestfallen.

When he saw Chen Mo, he flinched as if pricked by a needle, quickly ducking his head and mumbling, "I... I’m just going to the bathroom."

With that, he staggered into the bathroom, his back screaming "leave me alone" with every dejected step.

The air instantly fell silent.

One was locked in her room staring into space, the other looked as dejected as if he’d lost his soul... This was a pretty serious problem.

Su Yuqing and Chen Mo immediately took out their phones and exchanged messages.

[Chen Mo]: Looks like... he really crashed and burned. How’s Yueyue on your end?

[Yuqing]: She’s... just very quiet. Totally different from her usual self. I asked what was wrong, but she just shook her head and said it was nothing, that she wanted to be alone for a bit. What about Huang Mao? How is he?

[Chen Mo]: Huang Mao looks like a wilted eggplant. Looks like he got shot down.

[Chen Mo]: Looks like we need to intervene. Yuqing, try to sound Yueyue out again and comfort her. As for Huang Mao... leave him to me.

[Yuqing]: Okay.

As Chen Mo and Su Yuqing finished texting, Huang Mao was still locked away in the small bathroom. The faucet was running, SPLASH SPLASH, as he repeatedly threw cold water on his face, trying to douse the dejection and embarrassment in his heart, but it was no use.