Chapter 109: Lunar New Year's Eve Part 2
Later in the evening, fireworks lit up the night sky, bursting into dazzling colors.
In the distance, bright red letters spelling out "Happy New Year" flickered on the walls of high-rise buildings. The streets were unusually empty, no cars, no people in sight. Trees along the road were wrapped in colorful LED lights, and red lanterns hung from balconies, casting a warm glow. Each household glowing with festive red light."
Chen Cheng followed her mother up to the fourth floor, where An Yuan’s family lived.
The door was already open. She stood on her toes, peeking over her mother’s shoulder, curiously glancing inside.
Her father, who had arrived earlier, was chatting with An Yuan’s parents. Meanwhile, An Yuan sat stiffly on the far end of the sofa, playing on his phone, looking like a shy, awkward boy. The sight of him like that made Chen Cheng want to laugh.
"Chengcheng is here?"
An Yuan's mother was the first to notice them. She got up with a warm smile and welcomed them enthusiastically. "Come in, come in! I’ve got slippers ready for you. Chengcheng, do you want the cutest bunny slippers?"
Ah, that tone, just like coaxing a little kid.
Surprisingly, it actually felt kind of nice?
"Okay~"
Chen Cheng playfully raised her voice, responding sweetly before stepping inside and putting on the fluffy white bunny slippers.
As soon as she entered, her eyes instinctively drifted toward An Yuan. Only to find that he had also looked up at the same time.
The two exchanged a glance, as if sharing some unspoken understanding.
Though, honestly, Chen Cheng didn’t think they were that in sync…
"Dinner’s ready!" An Yuan’s mother called out. "An Yuan, help move the table to the living room so we can eat while watching the Spring Festival Gala."
Chen Cheng’s father glanced at An Yuan, who had gotten up to help, and then happily took out the bottle of white liquor he had brought. "Tonight, we should drink plenty!"
"No getting up until we're drunk!" An Yuan’s dad responded cheerfully.
"An Yuan, you're turning 20 after the New Year, right? Want to join in?"
The two families had always been close. Chen Cheng’s mother and An Yuan's mother were best friends, while their dads often drank and ate together on their days off.
But once Chen Cheng hit her teenage years, things changed. An Yuan’s parents started eyeing her like a perfect daughter-in-law candidate, while Chen Cheng’s parents became extra protective.
Too bad their daughter was sweet and naive, she fell for it so easily and was completely devoted.
Chen Cheng’s father shot her a disapproving glance. She pretended not to notice and turned her attention to the TV, where the Spring Festival Gala was starting.
A commercial for grabbing cash-filled red envelopes on WeChat was playing.
Oh, so this was when WeChat red envelopes became popular?
No wonder, overnight, everyone had started sending them. Even her extended family’s group chat back then had been filled with people fighting over a few cents.
Chen Cheng thought back to Lunar New Year’s Eve ten years ago. She vaguely remembered that back then, she had spent the night at An Yuan’s house doing homework with him, while her parents were arguing at home.
Compared to that, this New Year’s Eve felt absolutely perfect.
The folding table was set up, and her mom and An Yuan's mother went to the kitchen to bring out the pre-cooked dishes and hotpot.
Chen Cheng shot An Yuan a look before getting up and sneaking toward the balcony, pretending she was going to the bathroom.
"What did you call me out for?"
Outside on the balcony, the cold wind made the girl shiver, ruffling her hair.
An Yuan, with his hands in his pockets, slowly followed her out.
"Be careful. My dad might try to get you drunk just to see you make a fool of yourself," Chen Cheng warned, leaning against the balcony railing and sighing as she stared at the empty street. "I don’t even know why he has such a big problem with you. Did you offend him before?"
"I don’t think so?"
An Yuan stood behind Chen Cheng, opened his coat, and wrapped the shivering girl in his arms, shielding her from the cold wind.
"Wait, stop! What if my parents see..."
Chen Cheng's cheeks, already red from the cold, flushed instantly under the warmth of An Yuan's body.
She protested, but instead of pulling away, she instinctively leaned back into his arms, trying to snuggle in a little closer…
"Just be careful, alright?"
"Relax, don’t you know my drinking limit by now? I can handle hundreds of bottles of beer!"
"Oh, please. I know exactly how weak you are. You can barely handle seven or eight bottles of beer."
Chen Cheng exposed An Yuan’s drinking limits without mercy.
"That’s still better than you."
"You seriously wanna compare drinking with a girl? Have some shame!"
The two bickered back and forth, neither willing to back down, until a firework suddenly exploded in the distance with a loud bang, interrupting them.
Chen Cheng turned her head, but most of the fireworks were blocked by the tall buildings, leaving only the echoing boom boom sounds.
"My family bought some fireworks too. Wanna go light some in the hallway later?"
The thought suddenly reminded her of their childhood, back in elementary school, when they were both little troublemakers, spending Lunar New Year’s Eve throwing firecrackers into random houses.
But now, she shook her head so fast it almost left an afterimage. "I’m scared of those..."
Seeing Chen Cheng back down so easily, An Yuan immediately felt his protective instincts flare up. Puffing out his chest, he reassured her, "Don’t worry! I’m here, so what’s there to be scared of?"
"Hmm~"
Chen Cheng found his confidence amusing and couldn't help but smile. She leaned into his chest, feeling the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat and the comforting warmth that surrounded her.
"Are you two having a little romantic moment out here?"
A teasing voice suddenly came from behind. Startled, Chen Cheng instinctively shoved An Yuan away and spun around, only to see her mother standing there with an amused yet knowing look.
An Yuan awkwardly stepped back as well, giving a sheepish smile like a guilty criminal caught red-handed.
"Dinner’s ready. Everyone's waiting, and you two disappeared."
Chen Cheng’s mother glared at the two of them, and An Yuan, feeling like he'd been granted a pardon, fled towards the living room.
Chen Cheng also tried to slip away, but her mother grabbed her by the arm.
"Mom?"
Leaning in slightly, her mother lowered her voice and asked, "That boy hasn’t tricked you into anything, has he?"
"Huh? What? Of course not!"
Chen Cheng’s face instantly flushed bright red as she vigorously shook her head.
"Why do you keep asking that?"
"Because I’m afraid you’re too naive and will fall for it!"
Her mother flicked a finger against Chen Cheng’s forehead. "Ow!" she yelped, rubbing her head as she took a step back.
"Alright, let’s eat."
"Mom, An Yuan and I are completely innocent, okay?" Chen Cheng hurried after her mother, trying to convince her. "We’ve only ever held hands, I swear!"
It was already embarrassing enough to leave that kind of impression on An Yuan! She had to maintain a pure image in front of her mother!
"You really think I believe that?"
"I am innocent!"
"Should I go check your closet when we get home?"
"!!!"
No way! What if she found the new fairy wand she had just bought? Even An Yuan didn’t know about those yet!
Chen Cheng immediately shut up and obediently followed her mother back to the dining table.
The living room was now bustling with activity. The Spring Festival Gala was in full swing, her father and An Yuan’s dad had already started drinking, and An Yuan's mother was busy taking care of the hotpot while An Yuan was focused on eating.
As soon as Chen Cheng sat down, An Yuan's mother enthusiastically placed a large shrimp and a crab in her bowl and poured her a glass of Coke.
"Eat more~ The hotpot will be ready soon!"
The table was filled with seafood, meats, and vegetables, surrounding the hotpot. Despite the large table, there was barely enough space for everything.
"Thank you, Auntie!"
The shrimp was so big that it was almost the size of her palm. As she peeled it, she kept an eye on An Yuan, feeling a little worried.
Now that he had eaten enough, her father finally revealed his true intentions.
"An Yuan, how about joining us for a few drinks?"
"Sure."
"Great, I’ll pour you a full cup!"
Her father grabbed a plastic cup and poured it full of baijiu, handing it directly to An Yuan, estimating it to be about 200 ml.
Chen Cheng frowned. If he drinks that all at once, he’s going to pass out on the spot!