Chapter 156: Another Year Has Passed

The Jiang family's New Year's Eve dinner was very simple.

There were mainly just five people, so no matter how lavish they made it, it wouldn't all get eaten. They simply kept it plain.

Yu Songsong was the happiest, running around serving soup to Father Jiang and Mother Jiang, and after the meal, she hurried to help wash the dishes.

Mother Jiang grew more satisfied the more she looked, but then couldn't help glancing at Jiang Linyuan, who was glued to his phone on the other side, and her anger flared up.

This brat—how was he so good at causing trouble!?

"Even Songsong knows to help wash the dishes! All you know is scrolling through your phone! Why don't you go lend a hand!"

Jiang Linyuan put away his conversation with Shen Wanyu and grinned cheekily:

"Jiang Zhiyao and Yu Songsong are in the kitchen—that's enough people. If I went in, wouldn't I just be making a mess?"

Letting the two of them spend time alone to mend their relationship during the festive season—if he missed this window, he'd never find another good opportunity.

Mother Jiang said angrily.

Jiang Linyuan didn't mind; he was used to it.

After Jiang Zhiyao and Yu Songsong finished their chores, they all sat together to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Mother Jiang pulled Yu Songsong aside to ask all sorts of questions, mainly about how she and Jiang Linyuan had met.

The two chatted happily, while Jiang Zhiyao listened on the side, gathering intelligence.

Father Jiang watched the gala, pondering how many red envelopes he should prepare.

Jiang Linyuan glanced at his phone:

"I'm going outside to take a call. Call me when the skit starts."

With that, he ran outside and dialed Shen Wanyu.

He mainly wanted to know how the Department Head was spending New Year's—whether she was celebrating with her Future Mother-in-Law, or with her Future Father-in-Law's whole family.

It couldn't be that both families were together, could it? If so, he'd need to take notes.

The call connected after a moment.

"What a surprise—you're calling me at this hour? Not spending time with your family?"

Shen Wanyu's cool, clear voice came through the phone.

"I'm here keeping the Department Head company, aren't I?"

Jiang Linyuan put on a show of shamelessness.

"Can you call that company over the phone?"

Shen Wanyu's voice sounded helpless, but then she seemed to realize something and added:

"It's very quiet over there—you're not watching the gala?"

"Department Head, that's a pretty clunky way to change the subject."

"I was just asking a normal, reasonable question."

"Is that so? Well, it's pretty quiet on your end too—not watching the gala?"

Jiang Linyuan guessed that Shen Wanyu's face on the other end must be very red right now.

"I just finished a New Year's Eve dinner with some elders. Now I'm taking a walk in the courtyard."

Shen Wanyu said.

"Taking a walk? Not keeping your Future Mother-in-Law company?"

"Did you just say something with a very strange title?"

"What title?"

"..."

Shen Wanyu didn't answer.

She felt like Jiang Linyuan might have his phone on speaker, and that maybe even his mother was sitting right next to him.

"Mom and Shen Pingyan went out to have fun. I didn't follow."

Amazing—Future Father-in-Law, take notes.

"So the Department Head is all alone now? How pitiful."

"Not really. Guoguo is here with me."

Shen Wanyu laughed a little, as if speaking to Shen Guoguo:

"It's Jiang Linyuan on the phone. Come say hello."

The next moment, a vibrant voice came through:

"Brother Jiang, Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, Guoguo—though you're a bit early. It's not midnight yet."

Jiang Linyuan said with a smile.

"That's okay! I'll just say it again then!"

Shen Guoguo's tone was full of joy:

"When are you coming to Yanjing to visit me? I'm free starting from the second day of the New Year."

After saying that, she added:

"Wanyu too."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Shen Wanyu's light voice came through.

"If I come to your house during New Year's, won't your elders have objections?"

Jiang Linyuan laughed.

"You're here to play with me and Wanyu, not with them. If they have objections, let them."

They have plenty of objections about me on a normal day anyway.

Shen Guoguo continued:

"If you come, I'll give you a red envelope. A really big one."

A backwards world—she's giving me a red envelope?

"And the Department Head? Will she give me one too?"

"I'm very pleased to see an ape learning human begging. It's a historic moment, so charging a fee is only natural."

Shen Wanyu said.

"Then when I really do come, Department Head, you'd better not run away."

"When have I ever..."

Shen Wanyu paused, then said:

"We'll talk when you get here."

They chatted a little longer, settled on visiting Yanjing on the second day, and then hung up.

Shen Wanyu stared at the darkened phone screen and sighed softly. She turned to look at the excited Shen Guoguo beside her:

"You didn't actually have to come out with me. Go inside and talk with those elders, or your mother will get angry again."

Shen Guoguo didn't care at all. She lifted her little chin:

"Go inside and let those elders scold me? I'm not good with sweet talk. If I act dumb like a kid, they say I'm immature. Mom would be happier if I stayed out anyway—if I went in, I'd just embarrass her."

Shen Wanyu patted her head:

"Then coming out to keep me company will only make her angrier."

Her husband finished his New Year's Eve dinner and went off to be with another woman.

And her daughter went off to be with that other woman's daughter.

How could she not be angry?

"If she treated me even half as well as you do, I'd be willing to stay by her side."

Shen Guoguo said this.

Shen Wanyu let out a soft sigh.

The two sat in the courtyard, silent. The sounds of laughter and cheer from the Spring Festival Gala played inside the house, as if they had escaped from it all.

"Wanyu, next year at this time, I want to spend New Year's with you and Brother Jiang."

Shen Guoguo added.

"Let's talk about next year when it comes."

If it's possible.

...

"Jiang Linyuan, the skit's starting! Why were you on the phone so long?"

Jiang Zhiyao's voice came from inside.

"Coming, coming."

Jiang Linyuan put away his phone and went back inside.

The night grew darker, but the lights never went out.

Everyone—whether they loved or hated, whether they were together or apart—was under the same sky.

...

Su Muzhi sat at her desk, quietly winding a music box, listening to its ethereal melody.

Her father and mother were flirting beside her. Her mother scolded him for not being promoted to head principal this year, yet told him to take better care of himself.

So contradictory.

Listening to the music box, she pulled out her phone and slowly typed:

[Hehe]: Happy New Year, country bumpkin.

[Young Ah Jiang]: Happy New Year, shameless woman. You're interrupting my skit. Punishment: call me at midnight to say Happy New Year in person!

[Hehe]: Hehe. Don't let your line be busy.

...

Lin Yilin sat on the couch, her parents squeezed in on either side, full of gossip as they grilled her about her senior.

Wow, these two were such paparazzi! Weren't they going to watch the skit?

Not listening! Not listening!

She covered her ears, ran back to her room, and looked at the shelf full of Harry Potter figurines. She took down a cheap little charm from among them and squeezed it in her hand.

Then, she pulled out her phone.

"Senior, Happy New Year. I recited a magic spell for you to bring you good luck."

[Young Ah Jiang]: Let's hear the spell.

Lin Yilin blushed, cleared her throat, and mimicking the wizards from the Harry Potter movies, chanted a string of lines in a very chuunibyou manner. She sent the voice message.

[Young Ah Jiang]: This spell's timing is off. Call me at midnight and recite it.

[Binary and the Sorcerer's Stone]: Hmph! What do you know, you Muggle senior? You didn't even listen properly! I'll recite it again then, and you'd better listen carefully!

...

Zhang Juntang lay in bed, flipping through a photo album filled with pictures of the boy she liked.

Page after page, she finally mustered the courage to send Jiang Linyuan a message:

"Happy New Year."

[Young Ah Jiang]: Not a mass message, is it?

[Juntang]: No! No! I only sent it to you, Senior!

[Young Ah Jiang]: ... Haha.

Why did it feel like he didn't believe her?

Zhang Juntang felt shy and buried her face in her pillow.

Then she lifted her head, picked up her phone, and recorded a video of herself.

"Senior Jiang! Happy New Year!"

Sent. Then she didn't look at her phone.

...

After sending messages to a few good friends, Jiang Linyuan pulled out a tablet, getting ready for midnight.

Two devices at once—one waiting for WeChat calls, one for phone calls. He should be able to handle it.

The sound of firecrackers continued outside. Another year had passed.

Time never returns.

The regrets of the past, the sorrows of yesterday—none of them can stop tomorrow from arriving.

There's no need to keep looking back at the road you've traveled.

Just like how a son would never dare to look straight at his father's horse's shadow.