The third watch ended.
-----
After some hesitation, Qin Xiong called Sylvia.
He invited her to participate in the Saint Nicholas Day event.
However, after Sylvia received the call, it was her turn to hesitate.
She was studying in her university dormitory. As an excellent student, Sylvia only had 24 hours a day, which was not a minute or second more than others. In terms of time utilization, she was more outstanding and hardworking than others. Therefore, while she could juggle her studies, she tried her best to work part-time to earn money.
At the University of Amsterdam, she majored in history and minored in art collection and appreciation.
Starting tomorrow, for a week, there would be an antique fair in Amsterdam. At that time, more than 30,000 people would visit or trade at the fair.
With Sylvia's professional knowledge, she could do a part-time job as a guide for the visitors. Therefore, she had already called the organizer to inquire. The other party did not promise anything and only asked her to come and take a look tomorrow. If the organizer was too busy during the event and lacked manpower, they would consider hiring part-time workers.
Before Qin Xiong called, her established plan was like this.
Last time, Qin Xiong gave her tickets and invited her to watch the game, but she did not go.
This time, for the Saint Nicholas Day event, to be honest, as a local, Sylvia was very familiar with that event and did not have any special attraction.
However, after some hesitation, she agreed to Qin Xiong's invitation!
After agreeing on the meeting place and hanging up the phone, Sylvia touched her forehead with one hand and had a strange expression.
"I must be crazy …"
If she could get a part-time job at tomorrow's antique fair, the pay would definitely be higher than normal part-time jobs. However, she gave up and went to participate in a festival like Children's Day.
She also didn't understand why after hearing Qin Xiong's invitation, she had obviously hesitated for a moment, but she still unexpectedly agreed.
.....
The Saint Nicholas Day event was a bit like a warm-up for Christmas, and it was also a holiday for children.
On the morning of the 19th, Qin Xiong, who was dressed casually, was waiting for his friends at the meeting place in the city center.
Kaorhus, Zeller, Louisel, and Deheus brought their girlfriends and appeared in front of Qin Xiong. Sylvia, who came late, did not dress up very carefully. In fact, she had always dressed very naturally. However, she was beautiful and even in ordinary clothes, she was exceptionally charming.
After meeting up, they watched the festival parade together in the city center.
The organizer of the festival had someone appear in the city center wearing a traditional bishop's robe. That was Saint Nicholas, the Mayan bishop... He paraded with his black attendants in the city center. Most of the visitors were parents and children.
Qin Xiong had thought that it would be a grand event, but in the process of watching, he realized that it was just that. It was indeed related to the fact that there were too many children around. For example, young people seemed a little out of place here.
He could tell that Sylvia was not in high spirits, even though she always wore a smile that made people feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze.
After the parade, they took a rather unique steam train to the port and prepared to board the ship that the organizer had specially decorated.
That was Saint Nicholas' means of transportation. He was also the symbol of the patron saint of the sea.
Today was not as wonderful as Qin Xiong had expected.
He thought that he would be able to have fun with Sylvia for a day.
However, the atmosphere and content of the event were more or less disappointing. Even he, who was experiencing such an event for the first time, found it boring. Then, as a local, it was easy to imagine how Sylvia, who was a local, felt.
As for his friends, probably because they were in pairs, whether the event was fun or not was not the most important thing. Originally, they were using the opportunity to have fun as an opportunity to talk about love.
Qin Xiong acutely sensed that Sylvia was forcing a smile, which made him feel a little guilty.
They stepped onto the cruise ship for a tour. Because there were many tourists, Qin Xiong could only follow behind Sylvia. The cruise ship was not big, and the aisle on the deck could only allow three or four people to walk side by side.
Just as they were walking on the aisle on the deck, an unlucky child in front of them shouted, "Saint Nicholas has started to give gifts!"
Then, on the ship, under the ship, and the children who were still boarding went crazy!
Like locusts, they swarmed toward the bow of the ship. In an instant, the narrow aisle became even more crowded.
Sylvia took the initiative to make way for the children and stuck to the railing near the sea. The design of the railing on the ship was also problematic. It was obviously lower. When more children rushed to Saint Nicholas to ask for gifts, Sylvia suddenly lost her center of gravity. A few ignorant children barged around without caring about the space on the deck.
"Eh?!"
The moment Sylvia lost her center of gravity, she realized that she seemed to have fallen off the deck!
And the place under her should be seawater!
In the nick of time, Qin Xiong reached out to grab her arm. Sylvia had just heaved a sigh of relief when she suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief.
Her body, which had just stabilized for less than a second, was still falling!
Qin Xiong was also shocked. Half of his body leaned out of the railing to grab Sylvia, but he was also pushed by the children behind him. His body tilted outward, and he lost his balance. He and Sylvia fell off the ship together!
It was about ten meters high, so they shouldn't die from the fall. Sylvia nervously closed her eyes. In the darkness, she felt someone hugging her body. Strong and strong arms wrapped around her body, and when they fell, they flipped. Her face could be pressed against a burning chest. She should have been in a state of panic and helplessness, but in an instant, she was no longer worried.
She opened her eyes and looked up. She could see Qin Xiong's facial features and his calm and spirited gaze. He hugged Sylvia's body, which was more voluptuous than she had imagined. Her heartbeat was unprecedentedly violent. And this throbbing heartbeat would definitely be noticed by her because Qin Xiong hugged her very tightly and forcefully.
The flip in the air made Qin Xiong's back face down to prevent Sylvia from getting hurt when she fell into the water.
Would she get hurt?
Of course she would. Ordinary people who didn't know how to dive should never attempt to dive from a high altitude. If they fell into the water with their arms and legs spread out, it would definitely hurt.
Qin Xiong looked into her eyes as if he was silently telling her something. Sylvia no longer panicked and was no longer afraid. At the moment when she was about to fall into the water, she closed her eyes and held her breath.
The cold water in the late autumn attacked the two of them. When they were still falling in the water, Qin Xiong hugged her even tighter. It was as if he was afraid that she couldn't swim, or he was trying to dispel the cold for her.
Sylvia's hands also wrapped around Qin Xiong's upper body. In a short period of time, her mind was cleared. She forgot everything and hugged his body. It was as if she was looking for safety, but also as if she was passing him warmth.
When their bodies stopped falling, Qin Xiong and Sylvia used the buoyancy of the water to float up to the surface of the water. The two of them then let go of one of their hands. Qin Xiong looked at the wet Sylvia in front of him and asked with concern, "Can you swim?"
Sylvia didn't maintain her signature smile and nodded silently.
Qin Xiong and her tacitly let go of each other's hands and swam to the shore together.
With the help of the staff on the shore, Qin Xiong and Sylvia came ashore. Deheus and the others ran off the boat, and their friends immediately took action.
Some went to get towels, while others took off their jackets and gave them to the two of them.
It was late autumn, so it wasn't particularly cold. However, after falling into the water and coming ashore with clothes on, the cold couldn't be dispelled.
Sylvia sneezed a few times and sat on the shore with her arms crossed. Occasionally, she would instinctively tremble.
Qin Xiong, who was drenched from head to toe, left. Under everyone's puzzled gazes, he left without saying a word.
However, he soon returned. He went to buy two sets of clothes and handed Sylvia a bag containing women's clothes.
The two of them found a bathroom and changed their clothes. They finally felt better.
This time, they were in no mood to play. Qin Xiong bade farewell to Kaorhus and the others, planning to send Sylvia home.
He suggested taking a taxi, but Sylvia insisted on taking the bus.
On the way to the bus stop, the two of them didn't say a word. Qin Xiong felt that he was a failure. Sylvia also felt a little guilty, thinking that she had dampened Qin Xiong's mood. When she worked on Wardell Street, she understood Qin Xiong's life.
An opportunity like today's might be one of Qin Xiong's few chances for entertainment and relaxation.
When they approached the bus stop, Sylvia stopped. She planned to say goodbye to Qin Xiong, but just as she said that, her body suddenly went limp and she fainted in Qin Xiong's arms.
Qin Xiong was scared out of his wits!
This was the first time in his life that he was so frightened. It made him feel an unfamiliar sense of fear!
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