Nan Gang University's winter break ended late, and on the tenth day of the holiday, it was December 29th, the day before New Year's Eve.
Due to the impact of the "retreat" incident, this year's New Year's atmosphere is much weaker than in previous years.
The number of people buying New Year's goods in supermarkets has visibly decreased, and various popular check-in spots only have a few people scattered around. Everyone is afraid to gather in crowded places.
This is only a superficial phenomenon. The actual situation is that many people have already moved away from Nan Gang City because there are almost no such phenomena in other places, and the order is much more stable.
However, most people still choose to stay because their homes are here, and they cannot just leave.
Xia Huai Zhi's entire family is in normal condition, and they still went out to buy New Year's goods as usual this year.
With fewer people competing, there were more good things left, and they bought so much that the trunk of their car was almost full, and the weight was heavy.
They didn't know if they could finish eating everything during the New Year.
Because of the customs brought from their hometown, their family's New Year's Eve dinner is not eaten on New Year's Eve night, but rather in the early morning when the sky is just light. This leads to them having to prepare the New Year's Eve dinner in advance tonight, and they can process it tomorrow morning and eat it.
Xia Huai Zhi has just come of age, and this is her first time participating in the preparation of the New Year's Eve dinner. Grandpa, grandma, grandpa, and grandma have all come, and several elderly people are also eager to enter the kitchen. Fortunately, their kitchen is large enough to accommodate eight people.
Only. . .
Being able to accommodate does not mean being good at doing things. Several people looked at each other, vaguely complaining that the other was in the way.
In the end, the three generations of old and young decided to use a childish but effective way to decide the winner - rock-paper-scissors.
Unfortunately, Xia Huai Zhi lost the game of guessing and lost the qualification to stay in the kitchen.
When she left dejectedly, she heard her grandma say to her, "Zhi Bao, you go watch cartoons, and leave the New Year's Eve dinner to us adults to prepare."
"Grandma!" She said grievously, "I'm eighteen, not eight. . ."
"Oh, you see, I'm old and didn't think of it for a while."
Seeing her grandma's regretful look, she comforted her, "It's okay, I was just joking earlier, I didn't take it to heart."
However, it had already been an hour since the message was sent out, and she couldn't retract it. She spent the whole night lost in thought until Fu Lin replied to her in the middle of the night.
[Fu Lin]: Spending the New Year alone, not having a New Year's Eve dinner.
When she saw this sentence, her eyes immediately became moist.
Sure enough, he really was spending the New Year alone, and she seemed to have accidentally touched on his sore spot.
[A Rabbit Branch]: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that kind of question. . .
[Fu Lin]: It's okay.
[Fu Lin]: I'm not upset.
Xia Huai Zhi actually had more questions to ask him, such as "Why aren't you spending the New Year with your mother?" and "Have you ever spent the New Year alone before?"
But in the end, she swallowed these questions back, afraid that she would evoke some unpleasant memories for Fu Lin.
She tentatively invited him -
[A Rabbit Branch]: Come to my house tomorrow for the New Year. We have a lot of people here, and it's very lively.
[A Rabbit Branch]: There may be a lot of elders, I don't know if you mind.
[A Rabbit Branch]: But. . . if we are going to be together, sooner or later you will have to meet them. It's not a bad idea to meet them earlier.
[Fu Lin]: No.
[Fu Lin]: No matter what happens in the future, for now, I am just an outsider to your family.
[A Rabbit Branch]: Then. . . are you really going to spend the New Year alone in an empty villa. . .
[A Rabbit Branch]: Just thinking about that scene makes me want to cry, I feel so sorry for you.
[A Rabbit Branch]: If you don't feel sorry for yourself, then feel sorry for me.
[Fu Lin]: No need to feel sorry, I'm used to it.
[A Rabbit Branch]: Hearing you say you're used to it makes me feel even more sorry for you.
[Fu Lin]: It's very late, go to bed early.
[A Rabbit Branch]: Good night, you also sleep early.
She has completely figured out Fu Lin's routine now. Suddenly saying good night must be because he couldn't think of how to reply.
So she no longer pursues him relentlessly. If he wants to escape, let him go.
She wasn't exaggerating just now. As soon as she thought of Fu Lin listening to the New Year's fireworks alone, she couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Her family is too happy.
Because of this, "spending New Year's alone" is completely unacceptable to her. She can't imagine how lonely it would be.
But she can't go to accompany him because she has to spend the New Year with her family, and he doesn't want to come over. She doesn't know what to do.
Thinking about this problem, she hardly slept well all night. When she was called to eat the New Year's Eve dinner in the morning, her eyes were a little hard to open.
Shen Muchun noticed that his sister was a little listless, so he quietly asked her after dinner, "Why do you look unhappy? Is it because of Fu Lin. . . ?"
"Hmm."
Xia Huaizhi candidly said, "He's going to spend the New Year alone today. I wanted to invite him to our house, but he refused. I kind of want to go and accompany him, but I also want to be with my family."
"Are you struggling?"
"Hmm, I've been struggling all night."
Shen Muchun rubbed his sister's head and said, "If you want to go and accompany him, do you have the courage to be honest with our parents and grandma?"
Xia Huaizhi shook her head, "It seems not."
"Then don't go."
"But. . . I don't want to leave him alone."
Shen Muchun immediately drew a conclusion, "You don't have to struggle anymore. Actually, you want to go, but you don't know how to tell the elders, right?"
"Yes, my sister understands me." Shen Muchun sighed and said, "This sister can't help you. You have to go talk to him yourself."
"But our family's reunion dinner is over, and you didn't really miss it. Don't worry too much."
"Come on, maybe next year he can come to our house for the New Year!"
Encouraged by her sister, Xia Huaizhi mentioned the matter to the elders during lunch.
In order to appear more serious, she deliberately referred to Fu Lin as "my future wife," hoping to gain the understanding and blessings of the elders.
In the end, not a single elder stopped her from going. Instead, they were very excited and asked her what kind of person he was and when they could meet him.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, she set off from home to the store that was still open to buy things she wanted to bring to Fu Lin's house.
She didn't tell Fu Lin that she was coming, planning to give him a big surprise. She was looking forward to seeing what kind of wonderful expression he would have when he saw her at the door.
With a full backpack of supplies, she took an expensive taxi and happily headed towards Fu Lin's house.
It's now close to six o'clock, and the sky outside the window is gradually darkening, with streetlights lighting up one by one. It's the Year of the Rabbit, and she saw many cute rabbit mascots along the way, each with a different shape. At seven o'clock, she finally arrived at Fu Lin's doorstep. The first floor of the building was not even lit, only a room on the second floor was bright, seemingly Fu Lin's study. Other buildings were more or less decorated for the New Year, with a strong festive atmosphere. Only Fu Lin's building had nothing, even looking dull and lifeless at first glance. Sigh. She impatiently pressed the doorbell, intending to end this situation. She pressed it once, but there was no response. She pressed it several times in a row, but the door remained tightly closed, without any intention of opening for her. Until - the dimly lit first floor suddenly became brightly lit, and footsteps could be faintly heard behind the door. Fu Lin personally opened the door for her, without using a remote control. "Xia Huai Zhi." His tone was still light, but there was a hint of excitement hidden within it.
"Why did you come?"
"Of course, I came to spend the New Year with you," Xia Huai Zhi bounced the bag on her shoulder, "The Year of the Rabbit is coming, and the rabbit is here to bring you a surprise!"
She unloaded her backpack on the living room sofa and excitedly unzipped it, "First, I prepared couplets and paper-cuttings for you."
"Your house has so many doors, so I bought dozens of them. Let's put them up together!"
Fu Lin looked somewhat helpless as he watched the pile of big red decorations and replied, "Okay."
Starting from the first floor, the two of them put up a rabbit-patterned paper-cutting on the door of each room in order, and this lonely and quiet villa instantly became festive.
Then, Xia Huai Zhi opened the couplets and pulled Fu Lin to put them up together.
She couldn't reach some of the higher places, and neither could Fu Lin, so Fu Lin suggested going to the storage room to get a ladder.
Xia Huai Zhi grabbed him and suggested, "Senior, why don't you lift me up, and then I'll put up the upper part?"After speaking, she winked at Fu Lin, her eyes full of encouragement.
Fu Lin first turned his head away, then turned back to look at her and said "okay".
She turned around, her back to Fu Lin, waiting for him to come and hug her.
Her waist tightened, and she felt herself being steadily lifted up, the height within reach of her arms instantly increased.
But it wasn't enough, she needed to be a little higher.
"Senior, can you lift me a little higher?"
Fu Lin said nothing, and lifted her up a little more. This way, her hand could reach the top of the couplet.
The upper couplet was pasted, and she directed Fu Lin to move to the other side of the gate, receiving Fu Lin's helpless reply.
"I can't hold you much longer."
"Then put me down, don't force it."
Fu Lin answered, "No. "
Note: Revised