Yang Xiaoyu half-put her arm around Wan Qiu's shoulder and kissed Wan Qiu on the forehead.

Yang Xiaoyu thought of her past self.

Even though she often clashed with her parents, and even though she constantly argued with them during her rebellious phase, looking back now, she realized that she grew up under their wings.

My 15-year-old daughter understood this precious kinship even earlier than her.

"Our baby is truly the smartest baby in the world."

Yang Xiaoyu said that as a mother, she also had to repay this kindness.

"How about Mom takes you to Mom's house tomorrow? Let our little darling meet Grandpa and Grandma."

"Okay." Wan Qiu was not discouraged at all because of her grandparents, and was full of anticipation.

Your grandparents will love you!

"Um!"

"I will force them to like me even if they don't like me."

Wan Qiu: "?"

The previously deathly still air inside the car seemed to have returned to a relaxed atmosphere.

Yang glanced at Chu Jianshu beside him in the rearview mirror. The middle-aged man, whose expression had been stiff, finally relaxed a little.

Chu Jianshu said, "My parents also like Wan Qiu very much."

Wan Qiu blinked and replied, "Yes."

Chu Jianshu wasn't used to saying such sentimental things. He coughed and looked out the window at the night sky, which was being painted with colors by fireworks: "Aren't the fireworks beautiful?"

"It looks good," Wan Qiu said truthfully.

Wan Qiu remembers the firecrackers his grandmother made him set off in the countryside.

I remember the fireworks we set off together at my neighbor's house.

Since coming to the city, Ning Qiaozhen and Ning Hai have never made any special preparations for the New Year, but they can still occasionally see fireworks set off by their neighbors and bursting into the sky just by looking out the window.

I remember the sound, the color, and the smell of fireworks.

I remember the barking of dogs that were terrified by the artillery fire, and the strange feeling when fireworks hit my face.

It's a feeling you only get during Chinese New Year.

The car didn't immediately turn back to home, but instead headed towards an even more unfamiliar place.

Wanqiu didn't know where they were going.

They stopped when they reached a relatively secluded and open area.

"Baby, put your clothes on properly." Although she said this, Yang Xiaoyu still took the initiative to tidy up Wan Qiu's clothes.

Wan Qiu watched expectantly as Yang Xiaoyu also tidied up the clothes for Chu Yigui and Yang Ze.

Yang seemed quite uncomfortable. Because of his height, he was half-bent over, and under the dim light of distant streetlights and the high beams of vehicles, his expression was somewhat different from usual.

What do we need to do?

Wanqiu was bewildered.

The temperature was very low on winter nights, and Wanqiu was worried that everyone would catch a cold if they stood there together.

Fortunately, although it was an open space, there was no cold wind blowing all day.

Yang Ze went to the back seat and opened the car door. Wan Qiu stood behind the car and saw all sorts of boxes with colorful cartoon drawings piled up on the back seat.

"We were all prepared; we're going to set off firecrackers for Chinese New Year." Yang Xiaoyu put on her hat as well. "We bought a lot; let's have a blast today!!"

Wanqiu, who had only ever set off small firecrackers, looked at the beautiful fireworks in their huge boxes with a gleam of joy in his eyes.

Wanqiu will set off cannons, and he is not afraid of setting off cannons.

Wan Qiu and Yang Ze lit the fuse together and ran away.

Wan Qiu suddenly threw herself into Chu Jianshu's arms, then immediately turned around to watch the fireworks soar into the sky.

The dark sky, devoid of stars, was illuminated by fireworks.

Wan Qiu played with firecrackers with Yang Xiaoyu, and ran in the empty space.

Amidst the fireworks, Wanqiu heard his own laughter.

Undisguised laughter.

In a daze, Wan Qiu also thought that he didn't seem to have laughed like that before.

The vibrant colors soaring into the sky joyfully welcomed the arrival of the new year. They easily illuminated the night sky and just as easily disappeared, leaving a lasting impression on those who watched.

Amidst the deafening roar of cannons, Wan Qiu let out all his voices with joy.

There's no need to suppress it, nor is it a painful lament.

Laughter breaking free from constraints along with the sound of fireworks is a joyful thing.

if you can……

Wanqiu also hopes that his memories of the past can also allow him to see himself in the present.

"Dad, Mom, second brother, younger brother, and... eldest brother who didn't come."

As the last fireworks went out, Wan Qiu stood in front of several people.

With a relaxed smile, Wanqiu's eyes shone brightly in the darkness.

I hope no one needs to worry anymore. Wanqiu is very, very happy now.

Don't worry about it, it's not fragile glass.

Don't always be so cautious; if you want to be angry, be angry; if you want to be sad, be sad.

He treats his family members according to his own thoughts and emotions.

This is his life now.

Live life to the fullest, without restraint, and with joy.

He wouldn't let the words in his memory corrupt him; no matter how clearly he saw the world, he would still remember that he was happy.

He is grateful that the world accepted him.

——

When Wan Qiu woke up the next day, he received many messages on his phone.

Wanqiu had very few contacts, but surprisingly, everyone saved in his phone sent him New Year's greetings.

The messages were packed with notifications, and Wan Qiu read them one by one very carefully.

Wanqiu understands a simple "Happy New Year," but for those long messages of blessing that use festive words, Wanqiu will read them many times and be amazed by the literary talent that shines through them.

Wan Qiu immediately ran to wash up and started replying to each message right on time.

Having seen those outstanding New Year greetings, Wan Qiu felt that a simple "Happy New Year" was no longer enough to express his congratulations.

Wan Qiu held his phone, racking his brains to figure out what kind of reply he should write to express his surprise.

"Third brother, Wanqiu, Wanqiu, open the door, your eldest brother is back!"

Wanqiu was jolted awake from his thoughts by the knocking on the door and immediately went to open it.

The phone's input box was empty; not a single word had been typed.

As soon as Wan Qiu opened the door, Chu Zhang reached out his hand through the open door and picked Wan Qiu up in his arms.

Wan Qiu subconsciously wrapped her arms around Chu Zhang's neck, staring wide-eyed at Chu Zhang, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Has my little angel Wanqiu missed me?" Chu Zhang even weighed Wanqiu in his hand as he spoke. "Hmm, not bad, she's got some weight to eat. She must have been eating well."

Wan Qiu was delighted to see Chu Zhang, but he appeared quite shy: "Hello, elder brother."

"Hey, what is Wan Qiu doing?" Chu Zhang stared at Wan Qiu's face repeatedly.

Although he would ask Wanqiu to send him photos every now and then, how could photos compare to the real person!

"I'm replying to the message," Wan Qiu replied truthfully.

"Oh right, I sent you a Happy New Year message last night and you haven't replied yet. Happy New Year, Wanqiu."

Wanqiu's cheeks flushed red, and she stammered, trying to say something beautiful and pleasant, but after thinking for a long time, she could only manage to utter, "A new year, a new good year, Happy New Year."

Chu Zhang: "?"

"Happy New Year," Wan Qiu said again, trying to fill the void with sheer volume when she couldn't find anything nice to say.

Chu Zhang smiled and placed Wan Qiu on the bed: "Happy New Year, Wan Qiu."

Chu Zhang looked at Wan Qiu on the bed. He looked worried and deep in thought so early in the morning. He should be happy on New Year's morning.

The best time to plan for the day is in the morning, and the best time to plan for the year is in the spring.

How can we make Wanqiu laugh?

Chu Zhang's face broke into an uncontrollable wicked smile as he said, "Wanqiu, give me a smile."

Wan Qiu lay on the bed, revealing a shy smile with a faint pink hue.

Chu Zhang took a look.

cute.

Like a peach.

I want to take a bite.

"Can't you smile a little more? It's not easy for Big Brother to come back and spend time with Wanqiu, is it?" Chu Zhang asked, placing his hands on either side of Wanqiu.

Wan Qiu turned his head, wondering why his elder brother would make such a difficult request to fulfill precisely, but...

Wan Qiu was indeed very happy to see Chu Zhang.

Wan Qiu turned to the side, grasped Chu Zhang's right wrist, which was propped up on the bed, with both hands, turned his head, half-closed his eyes, and curled the corners of his mouth: "Hehe."

When the adorable, youthful boy smiles, it's like the first rays of sunlight—gentle, dazzling, and full of dependence and joy.

Her soft hair fell to one side, like a ball of warm sunlight that had been kneaded together. Chu Zhang was stunned.

"Oh my, our little angel has such a lovely smile." Chu Zhang had a mischievous streak, and he couldn't let his younger brother's smile be too cute; he had to punish him. "But it's not enough."

Chu Zhang's hand, which wasn't being held, quietly began to reach out to Wan Qiu's body and suddenly grabbed her.

Wan Qiu froze completely in that instant.

Chu Zhang noticed Wan Qiu's surprised expression and the reddening of her ears, and his wicked smile deepened.

"Is Wanqiu ticklish? Is he?" Chu Zhang said without stopping his actions.

Wan Qiu was still trying her best to endure, but her cheeks were already flushed red. Her hands were tightly wrapped around Chu Zhang's right hand, but she couldn't escape the attack from Chu Zhang's left hand.

"Hahahaha..." Wan Qiu couldn't hold back in the end and laughed instinctively, struggling as he tried to break free.

Wan Qiu was no match for Chu Zhang, who tickled her with a wicked grin.

Wanqiu screamed softly, the feeling of being out of control was extremely unfamiliar.

"Big brother?" Chu Yigui's voice suddenly rang out beside them.

Chu Zhang's hand froze, and he stopped fiddling with Wanqiu. He looked up and smiled at Chu Yigui, who had entered at some point, and said, "Oh, youngest brother, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Big Brother, welcome home." Chu Yigui turned his head to look at Wan Qiu.

Wanqiu laughed until tears streamed down her face, her bright pupils reflecting a bewildered state of mind still trapped in instinct.

Her cheeks and ears were flushed red, like plum blossoms blooming in the cold winter.

"I was just a little worried because I heard my brother's voice," Chu Yigui said, turning her head to the side. "I'm going to the restaurant now."

However, just as Chu Yigui was about to leave, Wan Qiu suddenly grabbed her hand.

Wan Qiu was restrained under Chu Zhang's arms, but she tried her best to hold onto Chu Yigui.

Wan Qiu found it hard to bear that unfamiliar feeling that made him laugh involuntarily.

Chu Yigui looked down and said, "Brother, don't go too far. Laughing like this all the time isn't good for your health."

Chu Zhang straightened up and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender: "Don't worry, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Oh dear, I'm really worried about Wanqiu. Don't worry, she's not a porcelain doll."

Wanqiu sat up, still sweating a little from the early morning, breathing somewhat rapidly, but probably because of laughing, he felt very relaxed.

Chu Zhang sat down beside him and asked, "Did you just finish exercising? Don't you even get a break during the New Year?"

"I can't compare to my older brother's efforts."

Chu Zhang also works out. In order to maintain a perfect image on screen at any time, he also needs to maintain his physical condition. He needs to look good in clothes and have a good figure when he shows it off, so it is easy for him to hug Wan Qiu.

"You're only a few years old, don't work so hard. You're still growing, don't rush to build muscle before your body is fully developed." Chu Zhang casually rested one hand on his leg. "But you're already tall enough, so appropriate exercise is fine."

"Thank you for your concern, brother," Chu Yigui said.

"Go back and change your clothes. Breakfast is coming soon. We said we were going to Mom's house today."

"Okay." Chu Yigui glanced at Wan Qiu and said before leaving, "See you later, brother."

Wan Qiu blinked, his gaze fixed on Chu Yigui's departing figure until he disappeared through the doorway and could no longer be seen.

Chu Zhang observed the interaction between Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui, which wasn't particularly intimate, but he still vaguely sensed something slightly different from before.

They've become closer.

When did it start?

Who started it?

Was it because of the last impact on Wanqiu's mindset? Or did Chu Yigui take advantage of the situation?

Chu Zhang looked at Wan Qiu, whose third brother's eyes were still clear and bright, without any shadows in them.

Even knowing exactly how they were treated, they were still able to retain this perspective.

Is it because he doesn't understand yet, or does he understand but not care?

Chu Zhang did not understand Wan Qiu.

He inherited Yang Xiaoyu's personality: vengeful and quick to seek revenge.

If he were the one who encountered these things...

"Is Wanqiu not replying to messages?" Chu Zhang snapped out of his daze and pulled Wanqiu back to reality, preventing her from focusing her attention on Chu Yigui any further.

Wan Qiu seemed to wake from a dream, then grabbed the phone beside him, wanting to continue his work of replying.

Chu Zhang turned his head and watched as Wan Qiu spent a long time replying to the 'Happy New Year' message, unable to type a single word.

"What's wrong? Just replying with 'Happy New Year' would be fine," Chu Zhang said.

Wan Qiu shook his head: "I want to reply better."

Wan Qiu opened the messages that had been sent earlier, which contained very beautiful words, and showed them to Chu Zhang.

Chu Zhang raised an eyebrow. Wasn't this just a simple copy-paste message?

Does Wanqiu think it was typed by hand?

Chu Zhang revealed another malicious smile, took out his phone and searched for some New Year's text messages: "Big brother is also good at writing these kinds of messages, huh? Big brother will just read you a few... make up a few?"

As expected, Chu Zhang received Wan Qiu's gaze, which shone brightly at him, full of admiration and anticipation.

Chu Zhang coughed and looked at the text message he had been searching for, saying, "A riot of flowers to celebrate the New Year..."

As Wan Qiu listened to Chu Zhang's pleasant voice reciting those catchy New Year's greetings, his eyes were filled with amazement, and his admiration for Chu Zhang was evident.

"Wow, that's amazing! Big brother is really good at everything he does." Wan Qiu said earnestly after hearing this. "I also want to give everyone a nice New Year's greeting."

Chu Zhang originally wanted to say that these were all pre-written blessings that could be copied, pasted, and forwarded directly, but seeing Wan Qiu's serious profile, he couldn't bring himself to say them.

For Wanqiu, this must have been a message sent with sincere blessings.

It's best not to disappoint Wanqiu too much.

"New Year's greetings are all about the sentiment." Chu Zhang patted Wan Qiu's back with his hand, which was propped up on the bed. "As long as the message is sincere, people will be happy no matter what you send."

Chu Zhang's words always held special significance for Wan Qiu, giving him direction, and his previously trembling hands stopped shaking.

Chu Zhang raised an eyebrow as he watched Wan Qiu begin sending messages skillfully. "Can you send messages so quickly just because you're being sincere?"

Wanqiu typed slowly, his clumsy fingers tapping the screen one by one, his fingers curled up as he carefully edited the message.

Chu Zhang took out his phone and took several photos of the serious Wan Qiu from different angles, but Wan Qiu, engrossed in editing a text message, didn't notice at all.

During filming, Chu Zhang suddenly received a special notification, which showed a reply from Wan Qiu on his phone.

Wanqiu: I hope that in the new year, my brother will be beautiful, smile often, wear nice clothes, eat delicious fruit, stay healthy, and come home often.

Chu Zhang looked at the simple New Year's greeting that had no rhyme whatsoever, and then looked at Wan Qiu, who was still diligently editing New Year's greetings for others.

It's like receiving a mass-sent gift at a shopping mall during the Lunar New Year, and then clumsily wrapping a carefully chosen gift with your own hands, wanting to reciprocate.

Chu Zhang suddenly realized that his thoughts might have been too arrogant.

Perhaps simply receiving a message is already a sign of a good relationship?

Wanqiu's social interactions were free of sycophancy and conflicts of interest. Even the simplest copied and pasted blessings were sincere.

Chu Zhang suddenly hugged Wan Qiu and kissed her on the cheek.

Wanqiu looked up blankly at Chu Zhang.

"This is so that Wanqiu can bring me a little bit of good fortune," Chu Zhang said with a hearty laugh. "May I be healthy, beautiful, well-fed, and warmly clothed in the new year!"

Wan Qiu blinked, nodded, and lowered his head to continue editing the information.

But then she looked up, moved closer to Chu Zhang, and kissed him on the cheek while Chu Zhang was still in a daze.

Chu Zhang's eyes widened.

"Hahahaha." Chu Zhang burst into laughter, lay down on Wan Qiu's soft bed, and covered his eyes with one hand. "I'm sure I'll have good luck this year."

Wanqiu heard the words "good luck" and then edited them into her next New Year's greeting.

——

This time when we went to the Yang family, everyone was there.

The driver went home for the holidays, and this time they switched to a nanny van, while Yang remained the driver.

Chu Zhang insisted on sitting and chatting with his third brother, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and refused to give up his seat.

In the end, Yang Xiaoyu gave up the seat next to Wan Qiu.

"Wanqiu, can you guess what your maternal grandparents were like?" Chu Zhang asked.

“Is it…like Mom?” Wan Qiu tried hard to imagine what Yang Xiaoyu would look like when she was old.

"Wanqiu, after you see your maternal grandparents, you must remember to ask them for New Year's money!" Chu Zhang said.

After Wanqiu returned from her grandparents' house, Chu Jianshu gave her a red envelope, saying it was New Year's money.

Wan Qiu accepted the red envelope, but he was trying hard to figure out the meaning of New Year's money. He seemed to have heard of it, but he didn't quite understand it.

But there was a lot of money in the red envelope.

When Wanqiu pressed the thick stack of money under the bed, she felt it was a bit too high. In the end, she had no choice but to put all the money she had saved up so far into a white handkerchief and hide it in the innermost part of the bedside table.

If he receives new New Year's money...

"Wanqiu, is there anything you want to buy with your New Year's money?" Chu Zhang asked.

Wan Qiu shook his head.

"Don't you want even the slightest thing?" Chu Zhang found it unbelievable.

Wan Qiu tried hard to think, but couldn't come up with anything.

"Then what are you doing saving all your money? Are you going to be a little hamster?" Chu Zhang solemnly lectured Wan Qiu. "Money is meant to be spent. It's something you can control, capital that allows you to do whatever you want. Otherwise, what's the point of bringing it back?"

Wan Qiu nodded very seriously.

"What does Wanqiu want to do, or what does he want to buy?" Chu Zhang asked.

Wan Qiu shook his head again.

Chu Zhang: "..."

As long as Chu Zhang was around, the atmosphere inside the car was never quiet.

But Wanqiu was always answering Chu Zhang's questions, regardless of whether he could answer them or not.

Occasionally, Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu would strike up a conversation, and even Yang Ze would occasionally pay attention to his family's conversation.

Yang noticed, however, that Chu Yigui, sitting in the passenger seat, kept looking ahead quietly, her expression calm, unmoved by any conversation in the back seat.

He was calm as if he were isolated from the world, showing no interest in anything around him.

Yang felt that Chu Yigui was a rare sight, so he didn't interrupt or offer any opinions.

After getting off the car, we arrived at a high-rise building. The group found a parking space and got out of the car together to head to the elevator.

Chu Yigui was following the group when suddenly he felt a warm hand grasp his fingers.

Chu Yigui turned his head to the side, and standing beside him was none other than Wan Qiu.

Even though she was still captivated by Chu Zhang's incessant chatter, Wan Qiu subconsciously took Chu Yigui's hand.

It was as if Wanqiu would always be holding his hand, no matter where they were.

Chu Yigui noticed Chu Zhang's gaze at that moment.

Or perhaps Chu Zhang deliberately let Chu Yigui see it.

Chu Zhang gently placed his hand on Wan Qiu's shoulder, his half-embracing posture clearly indicating that he was subtly placing Wan Qiu within his territory.

There was no warning, but there was preparation.

Normally, Chu Yigui might avoid Chu Zhang, let go of Wanqiu's hand, and go somewhere where she wouldn't attract attention.

He has always done this.

One must maintain sufficient respect and a low profile in front of the two future heirs of the Chu and Yang families.

But now, Chu Yigui simply looked away and didn't do that.

Wanqiu still held his hand.

Just like an infant who only has instincts, after tasting sweetness for the first time, they can never give up sweetness, and even become so obsessed that they refuse all foods that are not sweet.

Chu Zhang was somewhat surprised.

Wan Qiu's unconscious intimacy and Chu Yigui's lack of rejection were both novel.

Chu Yigui, who had always been as smooth as a ball, suddenly developed a small flaw one day, which Wan Qiu found and filled in.

Although they don't quite fit together.