53: Chapter 53 Can I put my arm around your shoulder?

There were quite a few people inside, mostly parents bringing their children to visit. The two of them stood on the outer edge, making it a bit hard to see inside, but fortunately, Lu Chengyue was tall, so after shifting a few positions, she managed to see him.

He was standing with his fellow comrades, and it seemed they hadn't started the demonstration yet.

"Next, we will demonstrate the breaching tools," the squad leader shouted, moving aside to make room for Lu Chengyue.

Lu Chengyue was wearing his full training uniform and helmet, holding a hydraulic cutter in his hands as he began his explanation.

His voice was steady and professional, completely different from the tone he used when talking to her—it was all business, almost robotic.

While Lu Chengyue was explaining, his eyes would sweep over the crowd from time to time. Xu Wanning knew he was looking for her, so she quickly waved her hand.

Lu Chengyue saw her, his gaze lingering for a few seconds before shifting away, only to sweep back again after a while, pausing for a few seconds each time.

"Is there any little friend here who wants to try it out?" the squad leader said in a high-pitched, affected voice.

A little girl was pushed up by her parent. The girl was too small, and the hydraulic cutter was too heavy for her to lift.

Lu Chengyue crouched down to help the little girl hold it, and the angle of his crouch happened to align with hers.

Xu Wanning smiled at him, the same smile she had given him the first time in the equipment room—both enchanting and pure.

The tips of Lu Chengyue's ears turned red instantly.

The little girl noticed it immediately, "Uncle, your ears are red."

The surrounding parents all burst into laughter.

Lu Chengyue also gave an awkward laugh, feeling terribly embarrassed to be called out in public.

Xu Wanning's lips curved upward. "Admit it, Lu Chengyue, you really can be stirred by me."

When it was the others' turn to demonstrate, Lu Chengyue went back to standing, but his eyes never left Xu Wanning.

"Ningning, do you think my brother saw me?" Lu Zhiyu had waved at Lu Chengyue several times but hadn't received any response.

"I think he saw you." Xu Wanning didn't look away; the two of them were practically locking eyes with enough intensity to spin silk.

The open house only lasted half a day. After it ended, there was a photo session where parents and their children lined up to take pictures with the Firefighters.

Lu Chengyue stood at the very edge of the line with a stiff expression; he didn't like having his photo taken, feeling that he wasn't photogenic.

Xu Wanning and Lu Zhiyu specifically queued at the very back. When it was their turn, she naturally stood to Lu Chengyue's left, staring at him with her beautiful eyes, "Can you put your arm around my shoulder?"

Lu Chengyue was already nervous, and this made him even more so. He hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on her shoulder, very lightly, barely making contact.

Xu Wanning leaned in toward him, and only then did his hand subconsciously tighten a little.

When the photographer counted three, two, one, Xu Wanning turned her head to look at him, and their gazes met perfectly.

The photo was successfully taken, and their expressions were captured forever.

The photographer showed them the photo, "Your boyfriend is very handsome. You two are truly a stunning couple."

In the photo, there was no defensiveness or restraint in Lu Chengyue's eyes, only a pure, unguarded tenderness—the kind that could make someone drown in it.

Xu Wanning admitted it gracefully, "Mm, thank you."

Lu Chengyue heard this, his ears turning red, but he didn't deny it.

Lu Zhiyu leaned in to look, "Hey, I'm such a big person, why didn't I get in the photo?"

Seeing the photo with only the two of them, she was speechless. She had been standing right on her brother's right side—how could she be cropped out just like that?

The photographer looked at her apologetically, "Haha, haha, I'm sorry. Let me take another one for you alone; I was just too busy admiring how good-looking you two were."

It would have been better if he hadn't said that; once he did, Lu Zhiyu became even angrier. She was very good-looking too, so why didn't he see her?

The photographer wasn't very old himself, and seeing her angry, he started trying to coax her.

In the end, after much persuasion, he took another photo of the siblings, Lu Zhiyu and Lu Chengyue.

It was taken with a Polaroid camera, and in a little while, everyone had their own photos.

Parents left one after another with their children. Xu Wanning and Lu Zhiyu quickly said their goodbyes, "We're heading off now."

Lu Chengyue was supposed to be off today, but because it happened to be the open house, he couldn't rest. Tomorrow, he still had to host parents and children from other schools.

"We're heading off now." Xu Wanning fidgeted, saying she was leaving, but she didn't move.

Lu Zhiyu had already walked several steps away, but when she turned back and saw the two of them still standing there motionless, surrounded by pink bubbles, she felt helpless.

Who said watching others fall in love was sweet? Why did she feel so stifled?!

"Ningning, let's go!" Wuwu, she didn't even know who she was envious of anymore—was she envious of her brother who had stolen her best friend, or her best friend who had stolen her brother? Wuwu.

Seeing that everyone else had left, Xu Wanning knew she couldn't stay any longer, "I'm leaving."

Lu Chengyue nodded, "Drive carefully."

"Mm." Xu Wanning turned around and jogged to catch up with Lu Zhiyu.

On the way back, with Lu Zhiyu driving, Xu Wanning took a picture of the photo and sent it to Lu Chengyue, [It turned out so well.]

Lu Chengyue replied very quickly, [Mm.]

Xu Wanning continued to send, [You were looking at me, not at the camera.]

Lu Chengyue went silent.

[Why were you looking at me?] Xu Wanning pressed on.

[It was nothing.]

Xu Wanning wasn't having it and sent a voice message, "Liar, your eyes were clearly..." She didn't finish her sentence, leaving it hanging.

"Sigh." Lu Chengyue replied with a voice message, his breathing heavy, "Ningning, can I take this seriously?"

After sending it, he was so nervous that his palms were sweating.

Xu Wanning was stunned. She listened to it several times in a row and then screamed out loud, "Zhiyu, did you hear that? Your brother called me Ningning!"

Of course Lu Zhiyu heard it; when she first heard it, she almost slammed on the emergency brakes, "I heard it, I heard it! He's planning to break the window paper. We've finally waited for this."

Can I take this seriously? Xu Wanning looked at these words repeatedly. Could this guy still think she was playing around, just flirting with him, teasing him, and enjoying the game?

He asked directly, and his meaning was clear: if she wasn't serious, she should stop now, otherwise the consequences would be serious.

Xu Wanning typed a line, deleted it, typed another line, deleted it again, and finally sent four words, [Of course, very serious!]

Heaven knows how excited and overwhelmed Lu Chengyue was when he saw these words. With trembling hands, he sent a confirmation, [Are you serious? Even though I am just a Firefighter without high academic qualifications?]

Xu Wanning sighed and complained to Lu Zhiyu, "Your brother still doesn't believe I really like him. He just thinks I'm teasing him."

Lu Zhiyu laughed, "Maybe this is what they call love making a person feel insecure."

Xu Wanning replied with a voice message, "Do I look like I'm joking? I haven't been drinking, nor am I half-asleep. Of course I'm serious. I've been serious from the very beginning, you just don't believe it."

Lu Chengyue didn't reply, and he still hadn't replied by the time they got home.

Lu Zhiyu was incredibly anxious, "My brother still hasn't replied? It's agonizing. He should at least give some sign of what he's thinking."

Xu Wanning held back a laugh, "Don't rush, he needs to sort out his thoughts."

Having spent three years together in The Apocalypse, even if she didn't know everything about him, she knew him quite well. That was just his personality; whenever things got complicated, his brain would crash.

Three hours passed, and still no reply.

Just when she thought she wouldn't receive a reply today, at nine o'clock in the evening, he sent a very, very long message.