No Substitutes for the Bigshots' Dream Girl Anymore!-Chapter 1942: Hayes Edwards Extra (99)

All the lanterns are handmade, exquisite and beautiful, coming in various shapes. Grace Winter couldn’t take her eyes off them, her favorite being a rabbit-shaped lantern.

The one selling the lanterns was a young man, looking to be in his early twenties. Seeing that Grace was pretty and cute, his face turned red, and he wanted to give her the rabbit lantern.

Grace was embarrassed to accept it.

Hayes Edwards stepped in and took it for her, then scanned the code to pay, completing the action in one go. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The rabbit lantern was stuffed into Grace’s hands.

Hayes ruffled her hair randomly, fuming quietly, "Where else do you want to go?"

Grace, holding the rabbit lantern, pointed to the fountain on the other side, "Over there."

Hayes took Grace’s hand and walked away. Halfway, he turned his head and saw the lantern seller’s expression of "heartbreak".

He curved his lips, his mood exceptionally good.

There’s a music fountain at midnight, but it hadn’t started yet. You could only see the neon lights decorating around, their reflections on the pool like tonight’s fireworks.

11:50 PM.

Between the skyscrapers in the city center, fireworks bloomed, clusters rising halfway to the sky, silvery, fiery red, orange-yellow.

Children clapped happily, and Grace also looked up.

The fireworks reflected in people’s eyes, like a galaxy within.

After a ten-second countdown, accompanied by the sound of the clock, the fountain in front of them slowly rose, tiny mists splashing out, falling on their faces with the wind.

Grace clutched Hayes’s coat tightly, hiding behind him, a smile blossoming on her face, her dark eyes bright and lively.

Feeling that gentle force, Hayes’s heart felt as if it were wrapped in hot spring water, a warm temperature spreading to his fingertips.

He looked down at her, couldn’t help but smile, then looked up at the distant fireworks, murmuring, "Smiling like a little fool."

At 2 AM, Mother Edwards called, asking when they would return.

Hayes glanced at the little girl sitting beside him, happily eating ice cream, and replied, "We’ll be back soon."

Mother Edwards was about to hang up but then reminded him, "Grace is only eighteen."

Hayes: "..."

Startled by his own mother’s words, his breath paused for a moment.

He coughed twice, trying hard to find his voice again, "Mom, I’m only twenty too."

Mother Edwards said, "How can you compare with Grace? Never mind, just be mindful. Your dad and I will wait for you to come back. The weather forecast says it will rain tonight, so don’t stay out too long."

Hayes said he got it.

After hanging up the phone, he turned and met Grace’s eyes.

Big and round, like some kind of animal, a rabbit, a hamster, or perhaps a little deer?

"What did Aunt Edwards say to you?" Holding half-eaten ice cream in her hand, her lips were red from the cold.

Hayes kept a straight face, "Mom said we should head back soon."

Grace nodded and sped up eating her ice cream.

The last two bites were settled with one gulp, her mouth so cold she was exhaling, her words muffled, "Let’s go, we can head back now."

Seeing her like this, Hayes helped tie her scarf properly, smiled, and took her hand, "Let’s go."

The midnight streets were unexpectedly bustling, fireworks still lit up the sky, the noise of people on the ground began to fade away.

Near the square, cars almost filled the parking spots, and the lion dance troupe had already left.