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Ye Wenyu nodded, and the two quickened their pace, jogging along in the biting north wind. They soon arrived at the restaurant, entered a private room, and found that the air conditioning had been turned on, which warmed them up.

Because it was Chinese New Year, Cai Wenchuan ordered a lot of dishes, including dumplings. He said that dumplings look like gold ingots, so people should eat more dumplings during Chinese New Year to symbolize wealth in the coming year. He also ordered fish to symbolize abundance year after year, rice cakes to represent "rising step by step", and red meat to represent "good fortune in the coming year".

In short, the table was overflowing with food, and even two people with big appetites definitely couldn't finish it.

Seeing Cai Wenchuan's meticulous preparations, Ye Wenyu, an associate professor at a prestigious university, couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but think of her own family back then. Although it was just her and her mother, her mother had always been superstitious in her preparations, with all the dishes revolving around the symbolism of getting rich and making a fortune in the coming year. So every New Year, her family would eat a lot of dumplings, a lot of fish, and a lot of leftovers, because eating leftovers during the New Year symbolized that the family would always have an endless supply of food.

But they were still poor; her mother was poor her whole life, and she was poor for the first half of her life.

The reason why Brother Wen has the same habits as her family is probably because the two families were neighbors back then. The Cai family's economic conditions were similar to her family's, just a difference of half a tael versus eight taels. However, I heard that the Cai family became prosperous later, but I don't know if it's true or not.

Ye Wenyu was curious, but Cai Wenchuan seemed unwilling to talk about his family situation, so she wisely refrained from asking. She thought to herself that it was best if the Cai family wasn't too wealthy, otherwise she might not be able to enter the Cai family and become their daughter-in-law, after all, she was a poor girl.

However, Cai Wenchuan's way of making arrangements reminded her of warm scenes from the past, giving her a feeling of happiness.

Under the restaurant's crab-shell yellow lights, Cai Wenchuan, who was busy serving her food, looked particularly handsome. Every time he saw her, this handsome man would remind him of the gentle winter sun, which was especially comforting and heartwarming.

Ye Wenyu thought that it was the time of the New Year. She could only spend the New Year at school because she was homeless. What about her brother Wen? He clearly had parents, so why didn't he go home?

Is it because of her? Then, what merit does she possess?

She wanted to ask him questions, and then she wanted to persuade him, but seeing how excitedly he was preparing the dishes, she smiled slightly and cooperated with him. That night, she ate a lot.

There was still a lot left, so she asked the waiter to pack it up, because she absolutely couldn't waste so much delicious food.

After finishing their meal, it was already past nine o'clock in the evening. Cai Wen paid the bill and said to Ye Wenyu, "Let's go set off fireworks."

Ye Wenyu nodded, as docile as a lamb. The two walked side by side under the moonlight, the bright moonlight reflecting their long shadows. The two walked shoulder to shoulder, the air almost filled with sugar threads. Ye Wenyu lowered her head, looking at their shadows walking together. The shadows seemed to be lovers, nestled together. She smiled sweetly with her lips pursed.

Walking back to Q University, the campus was deserted during the holiday. If Ye Wenyu were alone, she definitely wouldn't dare to wander around the campus at night. However, with Cai Wenchuan by her side, she was no longer afraid.

Gradually, she became happy, holding the sparkler, jumping and skipping like a little girl.

Cai Wenchuan was with her, putting up couplets and having New Year's Eve dinner. Now the two of them were setting off fireworks together. She already felt like it was New Year's. In previous years, she had never been this happy when celebrating the New Year with her mother.

She is content with what she has and is easily satisfied. Someone once said that for a lonely person, a little warmth is enough to make her happy.

Cai Wenchuan is a non-smoker, but he still bought a lighter in advance at the school's small supermarket so he could light her sparklers.

Now the two of them stood on the school playground. Ye Wenyu held a sparkler, and Cai Wenchuan lit a lighter. Because of the constant northerly wind, the flame on the lighter kept flickering, but they both smiled. He pressed the lighter repeatedly, and she held the sparkler with utmost seriousness, trying it over and over again like a fool.

Finally, it was lit. The sparkler hissed and sparkled, producing tiny, brilliant sparks that were exceptionally dazzling in the pitch-black night.

Ye Wenyu exclaimed "Wow!" her face filled with surprise. Just like when she was a child, she bent over slightly, trying to stretch her arm holding the sparkler as straight as possible, watching with a smile as the sparks went from one point to two, three, and finally countless. She slowly waved the sparkler, and as she waved it, it seemed as if a brilliant rain of fireworks began to fall before her eyes, as bright as stars in the sky, jewels on the ground, and the eyes of her lover.

She felt as if she had returned to her childhood.

My chest was filled with joy.

Cai Wenchuan stood silently to the side, watching the happy girl beside him. Her face was already beautiful, but now, adorned and illuminated by the dazzling fireworks, she looked even more beautiful, her lovely face sparkling.

Seeing her happy made him very happy too. He enjoyed this moment. His greatest wish was that Xiaoyu could live a carefree and happy life like a little girl. Because in reality, she had suffered too much. It was as if she was soaking in bitter water. She had always lived a more tiring life than an adult man. For her, a smile on her face was a rare treat.

Once a sparkler had burned out and the once brilliant world returned to darkness, Cai Wen immediately lit a lighter and relit a sparkler for Ye Wenyu. The sparkler's light became dazzling again, and Ye Wenyu waved it, creating bright circles of light under her arm. In the brilliant light, Xiaoyu's smiling face appeared before him once more.

After all the sparklers were used up, Ye Wenyu sighed happily and said to Cai Wenchuan with a smile, "Brother Wen, I'm so happy."

She hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

Cai Wenchuan smiled slightly, reached out in the darkness, took Ye Wenyu's icy hand, placed it in his large hand, and said to her with utmost tenderness, "I am very happy too."

He didn't want to go home. Spending the New Year alone in the youth teachers' apartment was fine, but it certainly wouldn't be as happy and joyful as having a beautiful woman by his side now.

Because he liked the girl beside him, he wanted to pamper her. He knelt down in front of her and said, "Come on, I'll carry you on my back."

"Really?" Ye Wenyu was overjoyed, then looked at herself and frowned worriedly, saying, "I'm very heavy." She was as fat as a pig, and she was worried that if she were on his back, it would be like Mount Tai pressing down on him, and she would crush him instantly.