Ye Zhao had only made a casual, polite remark, but since the other party had already agreed, she felt embarrassed to say anything more.

Little Yuanbao was very enthusiastic. He pulled Chen Du into the house and sat him down on the sofa, chattering away as he shared his toys with him, while Ye Zhao boiled water and made tea.

Chen Du listened quietly to Yuan Bao's words, his gaze sweeping around the room. He noticed the conspicuous men's slippers by the door, the men's jacket on the sofa, and even some other small details, all of which revealed the trajectory of another person's life.

His face remained expressionless, but his emotions were uncontrollably low. He didn't even pay attention to what Yuanbao was saying, only occasionally offering a casual reply.

A sense of emptiness and powerlessness gradually crept into his heart, and Shen Du suddenly felt an indescribable fatigue, causing his straight back to hunch slightly.

Ye Zhao placed the brewed tea in front of him, then brought out a plate of washed fruit. Seeing that the room was too quiet, she spoke up to ease the atmosphere: "How have you been lately? Are you busy with work?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Du looked at her and slowly said, "I'm alright, how are you?"

Ye Zhao smiled and looked at Yuanbao, replying, "I've been spending a lot of time with the kids lately, it's been great."

The two were not familiar with each other, and if they did not deliberately find topics to talk about, they would have almost nothing to say to each other.

The only thing they had in common was gold ingots.

When Chen Du chats with people, he never has to deliberately find topics. Suddenly faced with this situation, he obviously didn't know what to say and could only steer the conversation toward Yuan Bao.

"How has Yuanbao been these past few days? Has his appetite been good? Is he sleeping well?"

Hearing his question, Ye Zhao felt a strange sensation rising within her, but she didn't dwell on it and replied, "My appetite is alright, but I'm a bit clingy..."

Little Yuanbao protested, pouting, "I'm still a child, I kick off the covers when I sleep alone..."

Both of them smiled upon hearing this. Chen Du glanced at Ye Zhao subconsciously, but before he could say anything, the door was unlocked from the outside, and the next second, Jiang Che appeared in the doorway.

The group exchanged glances, and the atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Jiang Che was the first to regain his senses, then calmly looked at Chen Du and asked, "Have you come to pick up Yuanbao?"

Chen Du nodded: "Mm."

Ye Zhao walked over and took the down jacket Jiang Che had taken off, asking, "Why are you leaving get off work so early today?"

Jiang Che smiled and said gently, "I wanted to come back and keep you company, and we're going to watch the fireworks later."

He didn't pay attention to what the two were saying in hushed tones. He only felt that the two people at the door were particularly conspicuous, making him feel uneasy. He stood up, picked up Yuanbao from the ground, and said, "Shall we go home? Great-Grandpa is still waiting for you at home."

Yuanbao nodded obediently, and Ye Zhao hurriedly went inside to get him a coat.

Jiang Che glanced at her back, then turned his gaze to Chen Du. Their eyes met, and neither of them said a word. Jiang Che suddenly paused, and his mood suddenly darkened.

He and Shen Du have known each other for so many years that sometimes they don't need to say anything; a single glance is enough for them to understand each other's thoughts, just like right now.

Jiang Che looked at him, a hint of wariness suddenly appearing in his eyes. Just as he was about to say something, Ye Zhao came out with a coat. He glanced at Chen Du silently, saying nothing.

After happily saying goodbye to Ye Zhao and Jiang Che, Xiao Yuanbao was carried away by Chen Du.

As soon as the two left, Jiang Che closed the door and pulled Ye Zhao into his arms.

Ye Zhao sensed that something was wrong with him, reached out and hugged him, asking gently, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Che's muffled voice came through: "It's nothing, I just missed you."

Ye Zhao smiled, reached out and patted him, teasingly saying, "You really can't live without me..."

Jiang Che smiled and replied, "Yes."

"Then tie me to your body and take me to the company."

Jiang Che laughed and let go of her, saying shamelessly, "If only it could really be like that..."

After saying that, he tidied Ye Zhao's hair at her temples and looked at her earnestly, praising her, "You look really beautiful today!"

Ye Zhao couldn't help but smile: "Really? I think so too."

The two smiled at each other and hugged again.

With Yuanbao gone, Ye Zhao and Jiang Che's interactions became more relaxed and affectionate.

The two ate out before leisurely strolling to the square.

On New Year's Eve, the area outside was almost entirely filled with young people, including sweet couples and lively groups of friends. The square was packed with people, three or four layers deep, bustling and crowded, yet full of the warmth and life of everyday life.

Ye Zhao was completely covered up, with only her small face showing, and she was looking around curiously.

Jiang Che was worried that the two of them would get lost in a crowd, so he held her hand tightly the whole time.

There were still performances in the square, but there were just too many people, so the two of them were too lazy to squeeze through. They just strolled around the edge, occasionally buying a novel little gadget to hold in their hands.

Before long, snow suddenly began to fall from the sky, which made the already lively crowd even more excited. Ye Zhao was also very happy. The snow was falling at just the right time, and the snowflakes flying all over the sky created a great atmosphere.

A group of young people were singing a ballad loudly nearby. Upon hearing this, Ye Zhao pulled Jiang Che and squeezed through the crowd.

The crowd was very lively, mostly young people, with a few people sitting in the middle holding various musical instruments to accompany the chorus.

The air was so youthful! Ye Zhao was excited, and Jiang Che was also very happy, standing beside her.

Before long, the crowd suddenly began to stir.

"Countdown, countdown..."

"Let's ring in the New Year!"

Everyone turned to look at the large screen in the square, and the countdown began.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

The square was bustling with activity, and everyone was chanting the countdown in unison, including Ye Zhao.

Jiang Che tilted his head to look at her, his eyes full of smiles and doting affection.

"Three, two, one! Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!" Ye Zhao said to Jiang Che in the last second of the countdown.

At this moment, she looked excited, her eyes were bright, and she looked at Jiang Che with eyes that seemed to be filled with stars.

"Happy New Year!" Jiang Che's smile was also very bright.

Their eyes met, and love flowed between them.

"I love you, Zhaozhao!"

"I love you, A-Che!"

As if worried that the other person wouldn't hear them, they both blurted it out loudly at the same time, and then laughed in tacit agreement.

Jiang Che looked at Ye Zhao's radiant smile, reached out and cupped her face, then lowered his head and kissed her.

The onlookers clapped and cheered. Jiang Che reached out and pulled Ye Zhao's hat down to cover her face, then protected her and led her out of the crowd.

The snow continued to fall heavily as the two walked hand in hand out of the crowd.