Sky lanterns, also known as wish lanterns, carry people’s hopes and dreams written on them. When released at the stroke of midnight, they’re believed to help those dreams come true in the coming year.
Back to back, we wrote our wishes in silence before holding our lanterns in hand.
With just minutes to go before midnight, the square was hushed with anticipation. Then, the clock in the center struck twelve, and brilliant fireworks exploded over the nearby lake. Cheers erupted from the crowd as people lit their lanterns and let them drift skyward.
Chen Qiao Luo handed me a lighter. I ignited the wick of my lantern, gently let go, and watched as it floated into the night sky. It drifted farther and farther away, mingling with countless others.
I stared up at the spectacle of fireworks and lanterns illuminating the once-black sky. Turning to Chen Qiao Luo, I asked, “Do you think our wishes will really come true?”
Having just released his own lantern, he paused at my question, then smiled. “Zhu Yun Hao, are you silly? These are wish lanterns—of course your wish will come true.”
The fireworks lasted half an hour. As the crowd thinned, Chen Qiao Luo glanced at me sitting on the steps and said, “Let’s go. I’ll walk you home.”
* * *
By the seventh day of the New Year, I was back at school. Snow had begun falling on the fifth day and hadn’t stopped since. Wrapped in a long down coat and wearing snow boots, I trudged to class while Li Zi complained about the inconvenient timing of the snowfall.
The new semester began with the countdown to the college entrance exams displayed prominently on the backboard of our classroom. Gone were the carefree days of the past.
Looking back on everything that had happened, it all felt like a fleeting dream.
On the fifteenth day of the New Year, Lantern Festival, something happened to Chen Qiao Luo.
The school had given us a holiday on the fourteenth to prepare for the new semester. I was out shopping for school supplies with Auntie Shen when my phone rang. Seeing it was Auntie He Pei calling, a sense of unease immediately settled over me.
I gestured to Auntie Shen and quickly stepped outside the store to answer the call. As soon as I picked up, before I could even say a word, I heard Auntie He Pei sobbing uncontrollably.
“Yun Hao, something’s happened to Qiao Luo… something’s happened to him.”
I froze, feeling as though I had been struck by lightning. My phone slipped from my hand and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Auntie Shen, noticing my unusual behavior, rushed out of the store and asked anxiously, “Yun Hao, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face as I shook my head vigorously. Bending down, I picked up the phone. On the other end, Auntie He Pei hadn’t hung up. Choking back my sobs, I asked, “Auntie He Pei, where is Chen Qiao Luo now?”
I saw Chen Qiao Luo in the holding room at the police station. It had only been two days, but he already had stubble on his chin, and his bloodshot eyes spoke of sleepless nights. When he saw me, he seemed unsurprised. With a weak smile, he said, “Yun Hao, you’re here.”
“Yes,” I nodded, barely holding back my tears.
Earlier, Auntie He Pei had explained everything to me. That morning, as she was preparing food for the family reunion, a group of police officers barged in and took Qiao Luo away without explanation. They claimed he was involved in a crime—something shady had happened at one of his former workplaces—and he was brought in for questioning.
Over the years, Qiao Luo had worked numerous odd jobs. The police hadn’t gone into detail, but they said someone had reported him.
Qiao Luo, sensing my unasked question, said, “It was Lei Zi. I worked for him for a while. The police came to me before for a statement. They said Lei Zi’s auto repair shop was raided, and a lot of the items there turned out to be stolen. Since I worked there briefly, I got dragged into this. But Yun Hao, you have to believe me—I only learned about all this today.”
His voice grew urgent as he spoke.
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