27 Happy New Year

The ceiling light over the dining table cast even light across the slightly messy table. After dinner, the three grown men scrambled to clear the mess. After cleaning the dining room and kitchen, they chatted with Li Xin for a while, their laughter making the first night of the new year feel particularly warm. Around nine o'clock, Zhang Yi and Shen Cheng stood up to say goodbye, and Jin Lang saw them off. Li Xin waved goodbye with a smile on his face, urging them to drive safely. Seeing that it was still early and it was a rare occasion for the three of them to be together, Shen Cheng pulled two more bottles of red wine from the trunk and stuffed them into Zhang Yi's hands. Then, with his arm around his shoulder, they followed Jin Lang back to his home, laughing and joking. Zhang Yi was actually involved in Starlight Media, which Shen Cheng managed. As a top-tier agent with years of experience in the entertainment industry, he had extensive connections and was well-informed. The information and resources he possessed were arguably their most indispensable intangible assets on their entrepreneurial journey. Initially, the three had envisioned a major venture together, but after Jin Lang left his previous agency, Zhang Yi's primary focus had to be on his new studio. At Starlight Media, he could only act as a consultant, occasionally referring potential projects he came across to Shen Cheng. Jin Lang had barely pressed the fingerprint lock when Shen Cheng darted into the house. The simple white décor, accented by cool gray furniture, gave it a distinctly cool feel. "Every time I walk into your house, I feel like I've stumbled into a model apartment!" he grumbled as he changed his shoes. "No, the developer even took care of the furnishings in the model apartment!" "Look at your dining table, kitchen, coffee table, sofa—all bare, nothing at all—there's no life!" As soon as he finished speaking, a meow echoed, as if refuting Shen Cheng's words. Without the human touch, there's the cat's spirit. A gentle smile crossed Jin Lang's face. He bent down, picked up the snow-white ball, and gently tickled its chin. He walked over to the sideboard, opened the door, and took out a can of food, unsnapping the metal rings and placing them in the corner. Then, he pulled out three goblets and slowly poured the red wine Shen Cheng had brought into them. The tart aroma of fermented grapes quickly filled the air. Outside the window, the neon lights of the distant city flickered, and the streets streamed by, adding a touch of festivity to the silent night. With a ding, the three of them clinked their glasses, the crisp sound resonating particularly loudly in the quiet room, a celebration of the new year. "I've been looking at a few scripts lately; some are quite good," Zhang Yi said slowly, shaking his glass. "I'll keep the ones that suit Jin Lang, and you can take a look later." He raised his chin at the person next to him, and Jin Lang nodded in acknowledgement.

The ceiling lamps above the dining table cast even light on the slightly messy tabletop. After dinner, the three grown men scrambled to clear the mess. After cleaning the dining room and kitchen, they chatted with Li Xin for a while, their laughter making the first night of the new year feel particularly warm.

Around nine o'clock, Zhang Yi and Shen Cheng stood up to say goodbye, and Jin Lang saw them off. Li Xin waved goodbye with a smile on his face, and then reminded them to drive safely.

Seeing that it was still early and it was rare for the three of them to get together, Shen Cheng took out two more bottles of red wine from the trunk and stuffed them into Zhang Yi's hands. Then he put his arm around his shoulder and pulled him along, laughing all the way as he followed Jin Lang back to his home.

Zhang Yi was also involved in Starlight Media, which Shen Cheng ran. As a top-tier agent with years of experience in the entertainment industry, he possessed extensive connections and was well-informed. The information and resources at his disposal were arguably the most indispensable intangible assets on their entrepreneurial journey.

Initially, the three of them had envisioned a major collaboration, but after Jin Lang left his previous agency, Zhang Yi had to focus his energy on his new studio. At Starlight Media, he could only act as a consultant, occasionally recommending promising projects to Shen Cheng.

Jin Lang had just pressed the fingerprint lock when Shen Cheng rushed in. Inside, the simple white decor, paired with cool grey furniture, made the room seem particularly cool and chill.

“Every time I enter your house I feel like I’ve mistakenly walked into a model apartment!”

While changing his shoes, he complained, "No, the developer is also responsible for the soft furnishings in the model room!"

"Look at your dining table, kitchen, coffee table, and sofa—they're all bare. There's no sign of life at all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a "meow" sound was heard, as if refuting Shen Cheng's words. He didn't have popularity but he had cat spirit.

Jin Lang smiled gently, bent down, picked up the snow-white ball, and gently tickled its chin with his fingers. He walked to the sideboard, opened the door, took out a can of food, untied the metal ring, and placed it in the corner.

Then, he took out three high-heeled glasses and slowly poured the red wine brought by Shen Cheng into them. The sour aroma of fermented grapes soon filled the air.

Outside the window, the neon lights of the distant city are flashing, and vehicles are flowing on the road, adding a bit of fireworks to the quiet night.

With a "ding" sound, the three of them clinked their glasses. The crisp sound was particularly loud in the quiet room, celebrating the arrival of the new year.

"I read a few books a while ago, some of them are quite good." Zhang Yi shook the wine glass in his hand and spoke slowly.

"I'll keep the ones that suit Jin Lang, and you can take a look at them yourself later." He raised his chin towards the person next to him, and Jin Lang nodded to show that he had received it.

"There's also a workplace drama and a female-themed movie. Shen Cheng, I'll send them to you and you can evaluate them as a whole."

"Brother, are you a workaholic? Can we just have a drink and celebrate the New Year happily and talk about something else?"

Shen Cheng looked at Zhang Yi helplessly and rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

Zhang Yi took a sip of the red wine, savoring the mellow taste on his tongue, and spoke slowly.

"What do you want to talk about, about him getting married and having kids?"

"Do you think I'm too idle? The last trending search wasn't enough for me to deal with!"

"What's trending?" Shen Cheng's eyes suddenly widened.

"This big star's love affair is a hot topic!" Zhang Yi replied unhappily.

"Romance, what romance? How come I don't know?!"

Shen Cheng became excited instantly, as if he had discovered a new continent. He grabbed Jin Lang's arm with both hands, and his eyes flashed with excitement.

"With whom?"

Jin Lang did not answer, but lowered his head slightly, tapping the glass rhythmically with his fingers, making a thudding sound, as if he was thinking about something important.

Then, he turned to Zhang Yi and asked a question in a low and serious voice, "Brother Yi, why did you get married in the first place?"

Zhang Yi didn't expect him to ask this, and his expression was serious. After thinking for a moment, he whispered, "We had been together for more than three years at that time, and we were not young anymore. We wanted to buy a house together for the down payment, so it was natural for us to get married."

Shen Cheng was silently browsing his phone nearby, and suddenly he shouted "Oh my god" and successfully attracted the attention of the other two people.

He excitedly poked his finger at the screen of his phone, which showed a blurry photo of Jin Lang holding a strange woman in his arms. He said to Jin Lang with full confidence, "This is Lawyer Liu, right?"

"Jin Lang, it's unlucky to lie on the first day of the new year!"

Zhang Yi's radar quickly rang out. He remembered that Jin Lang had said that friend was married, and it sounded like Shen Cheng also knew him.

For a moment, the room was filled with an oppressive silence, as if the air had frozen. Silence is sometimes a disguised form of response.

Jin Lang still didn't speak. Seeing this, Zhang Yi changed his target and stared at Shen Cheng with a questioning look. He reached out and pinched his shoulders hard, as if trying to squeeze some secret out of him.

"Oh, it's Jin Lang's girlfriend from college, Tiancheng's lawyer. Xingguang is looking for a legal advisor, so we met at the company a while ago."

As he spoke, he twisted his shoulders, trying to break free from Zhang Yi's "clutches".

Shen Cheng was telling the truth, but who was Zhang Yi? He had seen too many twists and turns in the entertainment industry, both men and women. Furthermore, the two had worked together for many years. If Jin Lang hadn't done it deliberately, how could he have suddenly had so many interactions with a woman in such a short period of time?

Intoxicated by the red wine, Zhang Yi felt that the new year had started badly.

A dark cloud floated across the sky outside the window, blocking the light of the moon.

"Jin Lang, you know, as a manager, I have my own principles, and that is not to clean up after a mistress!"

After a while, Zhang Yi frowned and said this with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"What is a mistress?" Shen Cheng had just finished catching up on the previous lesson, but suddenly became a "bad student" again and couldn't understand anything.

After a period of silence, the real culprit finally came out in person. Jin Lang spoke softly, with a hint of fatigue in his voice.

"She is not married, but she has a daughter."

Zhang Yi and Shen Cheng looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock. They didn't know how to respond to Jin Lang's words.

Finally, it was Zhang Yi who broke the silence. He took a deep breath and said, "Think about it yourself. If you really want to do something, please tell me in advance so that I can be prepared."

At a drinking party, by the end, two-thirds of the people were worried.

…

This winter, northern Beijing barely saw any snow. The tiny flakes melted into the mud before they could even form snowmen.

On New Year's Day, Lu Xiaohe decided to take Xiaolu to the Ice and Snow Carnival in Chengnan Park to make up for her apology to her the previous night. As a devoted fan of the "20-minute park effect," Liu Yuwei happily decided to accompany them.

Early in the morning, she leaned against the door, looking at the reconciled mother and daughter, and the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously.

"Let's go, there will be a traffic jam if we're any later!" She shook the car keys in her hand, urging Xiaohe to speed up.

At the park, the three of them spent 297 yuan on a variety of snow activities. Xiaolu's favorite was the snow tubing. Pulled along, his cheeks flushed from the cold wind, he waved his arms excitedly. On the ice slide, Liu Yuwei's long hair flew in the wind as she hugged Xiaolu tightly, and they both screamed.

Finally, at the playground, social butterfly Lu Lu quickly bonded with a new friend with pigtails. They ran out hand in hand, and Liu Yuwei was waiting at the door, holding a thermos.

She squatted down, carefully wiped the sweat off Xiaolu's neck, and tied her scarf, but at this moment she heard a familiar voice: "Yu Wei?"

Looking up, she saw her college senior, Jiang Fan, and her husband standing behind the girl with pigtails. Jiang Fan was still as delicate and charming as Liu Yuwei remembered her, and the man next to her was still as gentle and elegant as he had been in college.

Jiang Fan is two years older than Liu Yuwei. She was the former captain of the law school debate team. Liu Yuwei took over the important task from her, so the two were familiar with each other when they were in school.

Jiang Fan’s husband was also a well-known figure in school. It is said that after losing a debate, he decided to change direction and attack the “heart”.

As dinner time approached, the group exchanged a few words before saying goodbye. Looking at the backs of her senior sister and her family of three, Liu Yuwei suddenly remembered what Director Wang of the Bailou Community had said to her.

"You and your lover must have been a campus romance, but after graduation, you got married and had children. You're balancing family and career, how wonderful."

Yes, anyone who sees this picture will not be able to help but sigh, how great!

…

After dinner, Liu Yuwei said goodbye to Xiaohe and her daughter, went directly down to the B2 floor of the mall, and took the subway home.

Adults have far less energy than children, and after a day of exhaustion, fatigue washed over them like a tide. She closed her eyes and leaned against the connection between the carriages, listening to the sound of the train rubbing against the tracks and feeling the sway of her body.

As she walked out of the subway station, a cold wind blew past her. She subconsciously shrank her neck, but was stunned the moment she looked up.

A full moon hung low in the sky, and the bright moonlight poured down like water, stretching her shadow very long.

At that moment, my heart seemed to be gently lifted up by something.

New Year's Day was perfect, and she couldn't help but take out her mobile phone to leave a souvenir.

A student with a high ponytail walked past her and saw some people stopping on the side of the road to take pictures and also looking up at the sky.

"The moon is so round today!" the girl said in surprise.

Liu Yuwei heard the voice and turned back to agree, "Yes, it's really beautiful!"

The girl took two steps forward, then suddenly seemed to remember something, stopped, turned around, and smiled brightly.

"Happy New Year, sister!"

The blessings from strangers were like mint splashing into a carbonated drink, causing fine bubbles of happiness to surge in Liu Yuwei's heart.

She arched her brows, the moonlight reflected in her eyes, and her voice was as light as jumping notes.

"Happy New Year!"