Me After Meeting You

Amber turned around to look at that girl again, smiling as she did so. “Because she’s the only one out there who’s doing this in order to live.”

“Hmm?” Mr. Charlie didn’t understand.

Ian glanced at him. Amber was all too familiar with that glance, having been a recipient of his disdain for stupidity far too many times to count.

But the disdained Mr. Charlie didn’t seem to notice. Amber felt a subconscious desire to laugh, and she picked out a box and gave it to Ian. “A gift for you, as thanks for accompanying me.”

And then she gave the remaining bag of items to Mr. Charlie. “Do you have any kids at home? These are gifts from me.”

As Mr. Charlie took the gifts with a smile, Amber explained why she chose to buy from that child in more detail. “She was dressed plainly, but tidily. Her hands had calluses, but her fingernails were very evenly clipped. She was obviously poverty-stricken, but neither helpless nor impatient, and her gaze was clean and gentle.

While this child might be poor, her family clearly cares for her. The fact that she’s standing out there by herself at a stall and selling ordinary things can only mean that she’s not out there to ‘experience what life’s like for a regular person,’ but rather because she truly wants to help her family make a bit of money.”

After hearing Amber’s extended explanation, Mr. Charlie praised her. “You really have an eye for detail.”

Amber smiled. “This is nothing. You should look at your own boss.”

Mr. Charlie chuckled; he didn’t dare to speak carelessly about his boss. When he noticed that the car was parked just in front of them, he said, “Why don’t the two of you wait here? I’ll drive the car over.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Amber and Ian agreed and waited in place. The latter was still carrying a bright red box, which contrasted with his cool demeanor and refined clothes to create a strange atmosphere. Amber smiled at the sight. “Shall I take a photo of you?”

He didn’t object, and though his expression remained aloof, it seemed agreeable enough.

Amber considered it as him tacitly agreeing, so she took out her phone and backup slightly to take a picture. People would frequently walk by in the background, but he stood still in the middle of the moving crowd. Even before the picture was taken, the scene held the ambiance of a desolate landscape portrait: alone, but calm and lofty.

As Amber depressed the shutter, a string of gorgeous fireworks suddenly emerged from the plaza behind him. They whooshed magnificently through the skies, a long tail of sparks following behind them.

The plaza quickly became jam-packed as everyone started cheering and heading over. Amber put down her phone and also immersed herself in silently watching the sky that was being brilliantly dyed by the light of the fireworks.

Against the fireworks’ bright glare, she saw the lights in the tallest tower dim and brighten repeatedly as the lamplight mixed with the incessant splendor of the fireworks; everything seemed like a dazzling light show, almost blinding everyone’s eyes.

This sudden firework performance lasted for quite a while, only slowly dissipating after it had grabbed everyone’s attention. The sparkling lights by the building opposite them also gradually stopped blinking, slowly settingly into several clear words. “Dr. Camille, I love you.”

Amber, who was also a Dr. Camille, was struck speechless.

Ian was uninterested in the fireworks, but when he saw her unusual expression, he raised his eyebrows slightly and turned to see what the matter was. As soon as he saw those words spelled out in fireworks, his face involuntarily turned green with envy.

Upon seeing his expression, Amber actually calmed down. Good, it had nothing to do with her. With that settled in her mind, she was able to calmly watch the rest of the show, and she even took a few pictures of the glittering words in the sky.

Then, Ian’s phone rang. He answered the call, and his eyes revealed a trace of shock a seconds after he answered. He turned around to look at Amber strangely.

Amber noticed his gaze and walked closer.

Ian hung up before she could say anything, still gazing at her.

Amber somewhat anxiously asked, “What’s the matter?”

By now, everyone was swarming toward the plaza, and there was a short-lived moment of calm around them, which let Amber hear Ian’s words especially clearly. He slowly said, “The fireworks were from my grandparents. They said that it was to help me woo you.”

After he finished explaining, his gaze landed on her glistening red lips as he asked, “Should I listen to them and kiss you right now?”

“….”

Ian had asked to kiss Amber seriously. It was so serious that she wanted to simultaneously laugh and be serious. In the end, Amber responded in an equally serious tone. “Of course you don’t have to listen to them.”

Ian made an ‘Oh’ sound, showing a hint of dejection. Amber was afraid that he was about to say something else even more shocking, so she didn’t even dare to mention the fireworks or his grandfather. “Why hasn’t the car come yet? Now’s a great time to leave.”

Ian called Mr. Charlie, and not long after, he drove out. His expression could hardly conceal his anticipation; once Amber and Ian got into the car, he immediately and delightedly asked Amber, “Dr. Camille, did you enjoy the fireworks just now?”

What could Amber say but “Yes”?

Mr. Charlie then looked at Ian through the rearview mirror. However, his expression was neutral, and his thoughts completely hidden.

Amber turned away and looked outside the window. Despite Ian’s grandparents making life difficult for her, as Ian’s doctor, she still felt their warmth-not for her, but for Ian. He clearly had family members who would help him make thoroughly detailed plans. At the very least, he wasn’t lacking for love.

As the final minutes of Christmas Eve slipped away, more and more people appeared on the road. The car inched along slowly, letting its passengers clearly see the red lamplight illuminate people’s smiling faces, showing a world seemingly dyed in peace and happiness.

Amber’s vexation started to dissipate.