Screams tore through the plaza.
Everyone watched, frozen, as the baby flew through the air—just as a car skidded into view, horn blaring, brakes screaming.
Tires screeched in protest, rubber biting asphalt. The crowd held its breath.
The car jerked to a halt just over ten meters away.
Silence.
A young woman stood motionless at the edge of the road, her eyes locked on the empty space where her child had been. Then, as though the tension snapped her spine, she fainted and collapsed.
Xiaoyu stood rooted, face pale, her mind replaying what she'd just seen.
Chen Mo, clutching the child, rolled to a stop at the roadside. Dust clung to his shirt and streaked his cheek. The baby in his arms whimpered—scared, but safe.
"Chen Mo… Chen Mo!" Xiaoyu finally snapped back to reality and bolted forward, panic in every step.
She sprinted across the street and slammed into a familiar chest, her arms flying around him. The familiar scent, the warmth—she broke into sobs and laughter all at once, burying her face against his shoulder.
"I'm okay," Chen Mo murmured, stroking her back. "Shhh, don't cry."
He didn't mention how close it was—how he'd felt the car graze past his side. That gut-deep fear, adrenaline still humming through his veins. His enhanced strength and speed from the potential development had saved him—and the child.
"You see?" he said, gently pulling back. "This little guy's still smiling at you."
He lifted the baby, whose big, bright eyes were staring at Xiaoyu, a toothless grin stretched across its face.
Her tears melted into laughter.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "They caught the guy!"
Several men returned, dragging the robber. His nose was bloodied, face swollen, hands and feet tied with belts. They dumped him onto the ground like a sack of trash.
"This woman fainted!" someone else called. "Anyone here a doctor?"
"I am," a man with glasses stepped forward. He checked the unconscious woman's pulse and breathing, gently pressing at several points. A moment later, she stirred.
"My baby… where's my baby?" she gasped.
Chen Mo stepped forward, kneeling. "Here. Safe and sound."
He placed the baby in her arms. She hugged her child tightly, laughing and crying, trembling from relief.
Applause rippled through the crowd.
Then, sirens.
A police car pulled up, and officers spilled out. The man who had tripped the robber quietly slipped into the crowd. Chen Mo, taking Xiaoyu's hand, did the same.
A short walk away, by the seawall near the beach, Chen Mo sat on a bench while Xiaoyu gently dabbed at the scrapes on his cheek and elbow with tissues and a small bottle of water.
"You nearly died, idiot," she muttered, voice shaking. Her touch, however, remained tender.
Chen Mo winced. "There goes my handsome face."
"You're still narcissistic even after all that?"
"I wasn't thinking. She could've been you. If it were you in danger, I'd jump again without hesitation."
"You planning to leave me and wait eighteen years for reincarnation or what?"
"I dunno," he said with a weak grin. "You're suddenly a lot funnier."
They fell quiet after that. The sea breeze blew gently, lifting strands of Xiaoyu's hair, carrying with it the scent of salt and blooming night flowers.
Chen Mo looked at her. "Xiaoyu, I—"
She turned toward him just as he wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in.
Her lashes fluttered. Then closed.
The kiss was soft at first. Gentle. A question asked with lips and breath. Xiaoyu responded slowly, shy but willing, leaning closer, letting herself melt into the warmth of it.
It was her first.
And it was perfect.
The lights of the city flickered across the waves. A boat drifted past, its lanterns dancing on the rippling water. The romantic ballad from a riverside bar floated on the air like a soundtrack.
But then—"Perfect. Perfect. PERFECT!"
A loud voice cracked the moment.
Startled, they turned to find a man hurrying toward them, camera in hand.
"Sorry, sorry!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean to intrude! My name is Liang Zhihang—I'm a photography enthusiast. I just… I saw your kiss, and I captured it. It was beautiful."
Chen Mo blinked. "Uh… thanks?"
"I want to submit the photo to the National Photo Contest. It's a real masterpiece—would you mind?"
He eagerly flipped the screen around to show them.
Xiaoyu gasped and ducked behind Chen Mo, face red. "Y-You took photos?!"
"It was an artistic impulse!" Liang said quickly. "This set's called Luminous. That moment… the chemistry, the light, the raw feeling—it's poetic!"
Chen Mo had to admit—it was a beautiful shot.
"You really nailed the atmosphere," he said. "We'll agree, just send us the photos too."
Xiaoyu pinched his waist from behind.
"Ow—art deserves to be shared!" he whispered with a grin.
Liang, ecstatic, added Chen Mo on WeChat and promised to send the edited files later. Then, humming happily, he wandered off into the night.
"Why'd you agree so easily?" Xiaoyu grumbled.
"Because it was real," Chen Mo said. "He just captured a moment we'll never forget. I'm making that my phone wallpaper."
Xiaoyu didn't reply. Her red face buried against his back was answer enough.
Hand-in-hand, they strolled along the seawall, letting the sea breeze wash away the chaos of earlier. The kiss, the laughter, the danger—it all lingered in the air like the smell of ocean mist.
Their first real date had been far from smooth.
But it was perfect.
Some time later, Chen Mo checked his phone—and his expression twisted.
"What's wrong?" Xiaoyu asked.
"I've got bad news."
"What happened?" She leaned in, instantly alert.
"It's already 11:30." He held up the phone. "Dorm gates are locked. You're stuck."
Her eyes widened. "No way! It hasn't even felt like that long."
Chen Mo grinned. "So, two choices: hotel… or come back to my place."
"You planned this, didn't you?" She smacked his arm, blushing furiously.
"I swear I didn't! Four fingers up and everything."
"No hotel," she muttered.
"Then it's settled."
With that, they hopped on the bicycle once again—this time riding back through the sleepy city toward Chen Mo's little rented apartment, the quiet night wrapping around them like a secret only the two of them shared.