I’ll Hold Your Hand And Promise You A Lifetime - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Preparing For The Party

Winter break flew by in the blink of an eye, and with the return to school looming, even a studious girl like Yiluo was feeling glum. Tugging at Yuexi’s sleeve, she asked, “Where are we going tomorrow?”

Yuexi didn’t want to kill Yiluo’s excitement, so she said, “Tomorrow might not work. My sister and Sarah are having dinner with a few close friends, and there’s a party afterward. They… well, according to Sarah, they’re engaged.”

“Really! Can I come?”

“Sure. You can be my plus one.” Yuexi smiled. “Sarah loves parties. Everyone can bring a guest.”

“Can I bring someone too?” Yiluo’s face flushed a little.

“Who are you bringing?” Yuexi was a bit confused by Yiluo’s response.

“Zhou Yaxuan, the junior. We’ve kept in touch over the break. She’s actually really interesting.” Yiluo looked at Yuexi. “But mostly, she wants to hang out with you. Most of the time she chats with me, she’s just asking about you.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“Nothing, I kept my mouth shut. I told her she’d have to ask you herself.”

“So you want to bring her so I’ll talk to her?”

“Yup.” Yiluo nodded, her big beautiful eyes wide open.

“You’re just selling me out like that… sigh, I really need to choose my friends more carefully…” Yuexi sighed and covered her forehead.

“I’m expanding your social circle.” Yiluo grinned innocently. “If you say no, I’ll go tell Sister Ningran.”

“My sister won’t care about something like this. She and Sarah are way too excited right now.” Yuexi frowned slightly. “I’m the one managing the whole party.”

“Can you handle it all?”

“It’s doable. It’d be great to have a few helpers.” Yuexi emphasized the word “helpers.”

“I’ll call a few classmates.” Yiluo thought for a moment. “People from our class should be okay, right?”

“Yeah, go ahead. Once you find them, I’ll assign tasks.” Yuexi gave off major grown-up vibes as she went back to her planning.

An hour later, Yiluo showed up at the neighborhood with Zhou Yaxuan, Lin Yu, Lu Man, and Liu Le. She called Yuexi, who came down in the elevator holding a few freshly printed task lists. After a few quick jokes, they got to work.

“I’ve divided things into groups. Take a look and pick what you’d like to do,” Yuexi said, handing out little booklets. “There’s dessert shopping, indoor decor like balloons and flowers, and checking out music and lighting at the bar. The bar is booked, but they don’t have everything, so we need to buy some stuff. Luckily, we don’t have to decorate the place ourselves.”

“I love food, so I’ll do desserts,” Zhou Yaxuan immediately said.

“Okay, senior, you’re in charge of desserts,” Yuexi nodded. “Pick someone to go with you. It’s better to have two.”

“I’ll go buy balloons and flowers with Lu Man,” Yiluo grabbed Lu Man’s arm, and the two girls exchanged a playful wink.

“I’ll go with Liu Le to check out the music,” Lin Yu glanced at Yiluo. “We’re bros, right? Liu Le?”

“Yeah.” Liu Le answered reluctantly.

“Then I’ll go with the senior.” Yuexi gave Yiluo a helpless look, silently saying, “You happy now?”

“Let’s get to work, no time to waste. Hand over the money,” Yiluo ignored Yuexi’s look and smiled, holding out her hand.

“Oh right, I almost forgot.” Yuexi pulled three envelopes from her bag. “If it’s not enough, just call me. Once we’re done, let’s all meet at Rainbow on Wenfeng Street.”

“No problem,” everyone nodded.

“Alright then, let’s move out.” Before leaving, Yuexi took the chance to pinch Yiluo’s cheek. Yiluo made a silly face in return.

Their little exchange didn’t escape Zhou Yaxuan’s notice. She smiled as if nothing had happened, then turned her head away.

Yuexi and Zhou Yaxuan went to a dessert shop Ningran liked. Even though CH wasn’t a huge city, people here loved to eat, and the food scene was booming. Inside, they sampled a few treats and made their decision quickly. Yuexi left her number, told them the delivery had to be made by 6 p.m. the next day, paid a deposit, and took the receipt before heading to the next stop. To her relief, Zhou Yaxuan wasn’t as chatty as she’d expected, and the two got along well.

Yiluo and Lu Man giggled as they walked along with shopping bags in hand. Lu Man was a quiet girl, fond of smiling and reading, with a gentle personality. Yiluo enjoyed confiding in her—Lu Man made everything feel easier. They had been classmates since junior high and, by a twist of fate, ended up in the same high school class too. Yiluo really valued their friendship.

“Yiluo, what’s this party for?” Lu Man asked curiously. Yiluo had only said she needed a hand, and since she had nothing better to do, she’d agreed to come.

“Oh, it’s for Yuexi’s two sisters. They want to celebrate something.” Yiluo wasn’t sure how to explain it.

“Doesn’t Yuexi only have one sister?” Lu Man remembered clearly—it was listed in the family info sheet.

“Ahem, the other one is from abroad,” Yiluo said after a moment. “Very pretty and super nice.”

“You’ve met her?”

“Yeah, we even went shopping together once.”

“Yuexi’s really mysterious. Now she has a foreign sister too?” Lu Man looked confused, making Yiluo burst into laughter.

“That’s just how she is, and you know it.”

“I wish I had a sister. That’d be great,” Lu Man said enviously. “If I had a sister, my parents wouldn’t put all their hopes on me.”

“True, but Yuexi and Sister Ningran don’t have their parents around. That’s gotta be tough.”

“Yeah, at least we still have parents looking out for us. Her sister must be amazing.” Lu Man suddenly looked determined. “I have to meet her and see what kind of goddess she is.”

“That’s easy. Just come to the party tomorrow night.”

“Can I really?”

“Of course. I’ll tell Yuexi.”

“You talk like Yuexi can do anything,” Lu Man teased.

“Hmph, then don’t come.” Yiluo walked off.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! My bad, Class Rep!” Lu Man laughed as she ran after her.

Lin Yu and Liu Le were the quietest team. Though they were picking out lights, Yuexi’s notes clearly listed everyone’s preferences—colors, light shapes—so it wasn’t too hard.

They listened to music and chatted idly. “Hey Lin Yu, you still like our class rep, don’t you?” Liu Le was clearly bored.

“Come on, don’t bring that up,” Lin Yu tried to change the subject. “What do you think of those lights over there?”

“Where?” Liu Le, true to her name, was a lively, outgoing girl with a long ponytail and a bright smile. Her height was average, but she loved sports and making friends. She and Lin Yu had become friends after a few squabbles.

Lin Yu smiled, thinking he’d successfully changed the topic, when Liu Le hit him with another question. “So, you’re really not gonna say anything to her?” She patted Lin Yu’s much taller frame. “I’m in the same class as Yiluo. Want the inside scoop?”

Lin Yu wiped sweat from his forehead, smiling awkwardly. “I want to, but I don’t think Yiluo’s interested.”

“Heh, that’s where you come in. Make her interested! From today on, I’m your love coach!” Liu Le chuckled wickedly.

“Alright,” Lin Yu agreed honestly, his mind full of Yiluo. “Keep me posted on what she’s up to.”

“Leave it to me!” Liu Le promised.

Everything went smoothly. Three hours later, they all gathered at Rainbow. The bar was quiet during the day, with a lingering mix of smoke and alcohol in the air. After a short break, everyone reported back to Yuexi and returned the leftover money.

“Thank you all for your hard work. If you’re free tomorrow night, come join the fun,” Yuexi said while looking around.

“I’ll be there,” Lu Man raised her hand.

“Me too,” Liu Le beamed. “I love a good crowd.”

“Same here,” Lin Yu glanced around at the girls. “But can we not drink?”

“Of course not. We’re still underage. My sister normally doesn’t let me go to bars either—just making an exception for this special day,” Yuexi explained.

“Do we have to dress up?” Yiluo glanced at her coat.

“No strict rules. It’s just a party—just have fun.”

“Phew, thank goodness. I thought I had to wear a dress. That would be a disaster with my figure,” Liu Le laughed and shook her head at the thought.

“Ha ha ha…” Everyone burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Ningran and Sarah arrived, arm in arm.

“Just talking about what to wear to the party, Sis,” Yuexi scooted over to make room for them in the booth.

“Oh. Hello everyone. Thank you all for helping out. If you’re free, come join us tomorrow,” Sarah said like a total queen.

Except for Yuexi and Yiluo, the rest of the group just stared blankly at Sarah, completely stunned. Today, Sarah wasn’t wearing makeup, her hair flowed naturally, and her dazzling smile made her look like a goddess straight out of Greek mythology. Ningran, too, couldn’t take her eyes off Sarah the whole time.

Ahem. Yiluo fake-coughed. What was up with her friends today?

“Just call them both Sister,” Yuexi nudged the group. “That’s my sister Ningran, and that’s my sister Sarah.”

Everyone finally snapped out of it and introduced themselves, returning to normal. Then Ningran and Sarah discussed the final details with the bar manager before everyone headed home.