Delta: The First Person at the Peak

Chapter 242 It's good to be straightforward

When Anke returned from queuing, she was holding a freshly made wheel cake in her hands. The aroma of taro paste mixed with mochi was wafting out even through the paper bag.

She proudly offered it to Jiang Feng, saying, "Try it! While it's hot!"

Jiang Feng took a bite of the freshly made wheel cake, which was so hot that he hissed. The smooth taro paste and the soft mochi melted in his mouth, and the sweet aroma mixed with the heat enveloped his tongue.

"Shh... Shh..."

"It's so hot, eat slowly! If you can't, have some milk tea to cool down."

Seeing this, An picked up her half-finished milk tea without thinking and handed it directly to Jiang Feng's lips.

Jiang Feng looked at the straw brought to his lips, then looked up at An Ke's bright eyes.

He is straight, that's true, but he's not a complete idiot.

How could he not see through An Ke's blatant directness and Fang Ning's hidden feelings in the details?

However, most of the time, he could only pretend to be confused when he knew the truth, and deliberately act as if he were clueless.

Anke is like a summer breeze, always vibrant and lively, chattering and barging into his life, presenting him with all her favoritism and excitement without any concealment.

Fang Ningxue was like the spring breeze in March, quietly accompanying him. Warmth and vitality were hidden in the gentle breeze, gentle and reserved, not making a fuss, yet omnipresent.

Everything is good, everything is too good.

So good that Jiang Feng didn't know how to choose.

You'll regret it no matter which one you choose.

Moreover, his loneliness in his past life made him cherish this lively companionship all the more.

He feared that once this unspoken understanding was revealed and a choice was made, the three of them might not even be able to remain friends.

Rather than gambling on an uncertain future, it's better to maintain the status quo for now.

Jiang Feng took a big gulp of Anke's milk tea:

"It really does have a stringy texture. It was worth queuing for so long. Miss has good taste."

He turned around and took the handkerchief Fang Ningxue offered, smiling and thanking her.

There's no way around it; when you need to act straight, you have to act straight enough.

Let's just drag it out for now; they're still young anyway.

Jiang Feng, biting into a wheel cake, looked at An Ke, who was holding up a cake and sharing the cheese with Fang Ningxue, and then glanced at Fang Ningxue beside him, who had gentle eyes and was smiling as she watched An Ke make a fuss. He sighed inwardly, then smiled and joined the two of them in their antics.

Let's not think about those things now. The festive atmosphere of New Year's Eve, the laughter and joy of those around us—this tangible happiness is what we should cherish most right now.

They strolled around and bought things along the way. Anke was like a child who had fallen into a honey pot. She would rush over to buy any new snacks she saw, and after eating a couple of bites of each one, she would give them to Jiang Feng.

Stinky tofu, oden, grilled cold noodles, roasted chestnuts, fried squid, candied hawthorn...

When Jiang Feng reached the scenic walkway by West Lake, he looked at the pile of snacks in his hand that he had only taken a bite or two of and couldn't bear to waste them. So he simply found a sheltered corner on the steps, squatted down, and ate them one by one.

Anke squatted opposite him, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling as she stared at him:

"Wow, you can eat so much! This is your third box already!"

"Wow, you're eating so deliciously! It's a shame you're not a mukbang streamer!"

Jiang Feng, his mouth stuffed full, rolled his eyes upon hearing this, finally managed to swallow what was in his mouth, and said irritably:

"Whose fault is it that I can eat so much? You only took a bite of each thing, and then stuffed the rest into my hands. Am I supposed to just throw it away if I don't eat it?"

"Won't eating too much make you fat!" Anke pouted defiantly, then reached out and held a piece of roasted sweet potato skin to his lips. "This is delicious, have another bite!"

Just as Jiang Feng opened his mouth to take it, a cup of warm soy milk was handed to him from the side.

Fang Ningxue had gone to the small shop next door to buy soy milk sometime earlier, and was now squatting beside him, handing him the cup and saying softly:

"Eat slowly, don't choke. Have a sip of something hot first."

The three of them ate and drank their fill, and it was not yet nine o'clock in the evening.

The three of them went shopping again.

After resting, Anke dragged the two of them to the mall again, determined to buy Jiang Feng new clothes. They went from store to store, even more enthusiastic about buying clothes for themselves.

Along the way, they saw a cosmetics counter and pulled Fang Ningxue to pick out some cosmetics. When it came time to pay, Jiang Feng insisted on paying.

"Reimburse us from the club's public accounts. These two beauties will be the face of our Zhengfeng Esports in the future; their faces are the club's core assets, and we must take good care of them!"

"I'll pay!"

The mall closes promptly at 10 p.m.

"There are still two hours until New Year's Eve. What should we do during this time?"

The three of them stood on the street carrying large and small bags. An Ke shook Jiang Feng's arm, looked up at him, and asked, "There are still two hours until New Year's Eve. What are we going to do in the meantime?"

Fang Ningxue stood aside. She was always someone who planned things out in advance, but whenever she came out with Jiang Feng, she never thought about making any plans—she just followed him wherever he went.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng snapped his fingers, a smug look on his face that said, "Everything is under control."

"This was exactly what I expected!"

He glanced at the two of them: "You both brought your ID cards with you, right?"

Fang Ningxue nodded gently, a hint of pink rising to her earlobes: "I brought one too."

"Huh?" An Ke was taken aback, her face inexplicably turning red, and she responded softly:

"I brought it. But..."

Anke suddenly remembered the subway...

"Great!" Jiang Feng's eyes lit up.

"I forgot to tell you guys before, I booked an e-sports hotel! Anxia E-sports Hotel, it's right next to IN77, just a few steps away."

"A four-person room, all top-of-the-line! Perfect for the three of us, let's go play a couple of rounds of Delta Force. Let me tell you, Delta Force without cheaters is so much fun!"

"Oh... an esports hotel, huh? Playing Delta Force?"

Anke seemed to suddenly realize something.

The three games ended at exactly 23:45 PM.

Jiang Feng took off his headphones and clapped his hands:

"Let's go! The countdown is about to begin!"

An Ke and Fang Ningxue also got up immediately, and the three of them quickly ran out of the hotel and headed towards the West Lake.

As they went downstairs, Jiang Feng took three complimentary helium balloons with New Year's Eve designs from the hotel reception, gave one to each of the two guests, and kept one for himself. He held the thin balloon string between his fingers and walked briskly.

The streets were full of young people, with laughter and cheers rising and falling. Almost everyone was holding a balloon, and everyone was heading towards the same romantic New Year's Eve celebration.

As the crowd grew increasingly dense, Jiang Feng instinctively reached out, grasping An Ke's wrist with his left hand and holding Fang Ningxue's hand with his right, shielding the two of them to his side. He whispered, "Hold on tight, don't get separated by the crowd."

Anke's wrist was enveloped in his warm palm, and her heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously reached out and gripped his hand tightly.

Fang Ningxue's fingertips trembled slightly. She looked up at Jiang Feng's profile and quietly tightened her grip, letting him lead her forward.

It was exactly 11:59 when they finally squeezed under the Xizi Covered Bridge.

The surrounding crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a unified countdown, which drifted far away on the evening breeze of West Lake:

"Ten! Nine! Eight!"

Jiang Feng stood between the two girls, with An Ke excitedly counting down beside him, and Fang Ningxue softly and gently counting down on his other side.

"Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!"

The three of them simultaneously loosened their grip on the balloon strings.

Thousands of balloons rose from the crowds by West Lake, drifting into the inky night sky on the evening breeze.

An Ke jumped up excitedly, grabbed Jiang Feng's arm, and shouted, "Jiang Feng! Happy New Year!"

Fang Ningxue also looked up at him, her eyes gentle and bright, and said softly, "Jiang Feng, Happy New Year."

Jiang Feng looked at the two smiling faces in front of him, his heart filled with warm emotions. Just as he was about to say "Happy New Year" in response, he caught a glimpse of the huge LED screen on the West Lake Covered Bridge out of the corner of his eye.

At that very moment, the West Lake Covered Bridge also started playing GG, the brand name of their competitive e-sports club.

Jiang Feng looked at GG and thought, "As expected of a top-tier company like GG, the content is fantastic. In just thirty seconds, it's already got the best of everything."

Many young people around stopped and took photos and videos of the large screen with their phones.

Fans who recognized Zhengfeng Esports immediately introduced the brand to those around them with great excitement, their tone full of pride.

Even passersby who didn't know the brand were drawn in by the striking visuals and subconsciously remembered the words "Zhengfeng Esports".

This is the allure of a prime location in Hangzhou's core landmarks.

Jiang Feng was feeling proud, and before the smile on his lips had faded, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a boy in black clothes not far to his side. The boy suddenly pulled a handheld sparkler from his pocket, took out a lighter with his other hand, and pressed his thumb on the lighter, as if he was about to light the sparkler in the crowded throng.

Holy crap!

There are so many balloons in the sky, and you're setting off fireworks? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!