When Qin Xiaoyu opened the door, she was a little confused; the room was cold and deserted.

She was used to it; every day when she opened the door, there was a steaming warmth, and the two siblings would run over and jump into her arms. The kitchen would be filled with delicious aromas, and Grandma Zhang would call out loudly for her to wash her hands and eat.

There was a note on the table, very eye-catching, written by Hanhan: Mom, come eat at Uncle's new restaurant.

With Qi Si opening one store after another, Qin Xiaoyu had to think carefully to figure out which one was the newest.

She was a little tired today and didn't want to move. Qi Si was the easiest to bully; one phone call was all it took to ensure that the two children were safely returned.

"No, you come pick me up, I've had too much to drink." Qi Si decisively hung up the phone.

Qin Xiaoyu had no choice but to turn around and go downstairs.

Qi Si Xin Dian mainly serves Western food, but it primarily features Russian cuisine. Because this small town is located in the north, it is somewhat influenced by Russian culture, and many local dialects still contain Russian words.

Names like Bragi and Wedlo are directly derived from Russian.

The new restaurant's head chef was brought in from Madier in the provincial capital, and Qin Xiaoyu's favorite dish was his mini wasabi sausages. With the delicious food as a lure, Qin Xiaoyu's temper subsided.

The waiters all recognized Qin Xiaoyu, and as soon as she stopped her car, they immediately opened the door to welcome her.

"Sister Xiaoyu, they're upstairs."

This new restaurant has many private rooms. Qin Xiaoyu said that people nowadays aren't used to Western food, so having more private rooms gives them some privacy to adjust. After all, who wants to frequently patronize a restaurant where they embarrass themselves? The restaurant's decor was also Qin Xiaoyu's idea; it's entirely in a Russian style, with gold and green accents, luxurious and dazzling.

Stepping onto the soft carpet, Qin Xiaoyu walked to the last private room, the door of which was ajar.

She pushed open the door, and what was going on? Pitch black.

Suddenly, a childish voice rang out from the darkness: "Happy Birth to You..."

Then, candlelight flickered, and Qi Si and his younger sister pushed a food cart over, on which sat a three-tiered birthday cake. A plump fish was drawn on the cake, and on the back was written, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"

"Is it my birthday?" Qin Xiaoyu suddenly realized that she had completely forgotten about her birthday. She was always thinking about others and had no idea about her own.

I didn't celebrate my birthday last year because I was in a terrible mess, constantly putting out fires.

It's been over a year since I was reborn. This year has been very rich, with many gains and losses, but isn't this what real life is all about?

Qi Si invited only close friends and relatives, so there weren't many guests. Tang Wenwen brought two friends from a band. Qin Xiaoyu's longing for Zhou Xing grew stronger, and she really hoped he would suddenly appear at the door.

But even after the music ended and the crowd dispersed, no miracle occurred.

This isn't an idol drama. Qin Xiaoyu secretly wiped away her tears as she looked out the window at the snow.

"Little sister, this is for you." From the window, she could see Qi Si standing behind her, a man who stood firmly, a man she could lean on.

"I only need one car, why do I need two?" Qin Xiaoyu didn't want to take the car keys.

“That car is too big and doesn’t insulate well. This one is more suitable for a girl. I don’t want to raise you to be a tomboy.” Qi Si put the keys into her hand.

"Mom! Look, this is a gift from us." Hanhan and her little sister pulled Qin Xiaoyu to the table on either side to look at the painting they had made together. It showed Qin Xiaoyu hugging the two of them, and all three faces were smiling brightly.

"The family photo doesn't include my uncle," Qi Si said, feeling jealous.

"There's no aunt either!" Tang Wenwen chimed in, finding fault with the argument.

"Let me draw another one, and I'll draw my family in it," Hanhan replied immediately, displaying her high emotional intelligence.

"Sister-in-law, this gift is for you." Wang Lei handed over a box.

When Qin Xiaoyu opened it, she found a light pink scarf and gloves.

"PASHMINA!" Qin Xiaoyu knew her stuff; cashmere wool was known as "soft gold," and back in the 1980s, it wasn't something you could just buy anywhere. She examined the small print below the label closely; it wasn't English, but rather seemed to be French. It seemed Wang Lei had put in the effort.

“I knew it, your sister-in-law has good taste. Your hands will get cold while driving, take it with you,” Wang Lei said with a smile.

"Wang Lei, do you have any news about Zhou Xing?" Qin Xiaoyu couldn't hold back any longer.

"No, I only heard that he was injured. After what happened last time, Aunt Zhou cut off all her ties with all her friends and stayed at home all day. She wouldn't even see my mother, so we couldn't find out anything from her side."

"I heard that she didn't know Zhou Xing was injured," Qin Xiaoyu said, lowering her eyes.

"This kid is a bit unreliable. I should at least contact you," Wang Lei said, sounding somewhat defiant.

"Back then, travel was slow, and a lifetime was only enough to love one person. Only then did I understand the meaning of those lyrics. Because of the inconvenience of transportation, even changing one's heart took time. After all, one had to wait and suffer. How could one know what had happened without being face to face?" Qin Xiaoyu murmured.

"Sister-in-law, don't be so sad. Seeing you like this makes me want to protect you again."

"No, I'm fine, it's nothing, it's nothing." Qin Xiaoyu was sobered up in a second. She couldn't let anyone take advantage of her vulnerability. She had promised Zhou Xing that she would wait for him to come back, and she would wait forever.

Qi Si is usually careless, but he is very attentive to Qin Xiaoyu, noticing even the smallest details. The guests he invites are all Qin Xiaoyu's close friends.

Captain Chen and his wife both helped Qin Xiaoyu when she was in her most difficult time. Although Sister Mei hadn't known her for long, the children from both families got along well and became good friends.

Grandma Zhang, needless to say, never uttered a kind word, yet every word she spoke contained a touch of truth.

Aunt Wang refused to come, so she asked Qi Si to bring her a gift instead.

Qin Xiaoyu opened the handkerchief package and saw a piece of mutton fat jade carved into the shape of a sachet; it was clearly an antique.

"This gift is too expensive," Qin Xiaoyu thought, trying to hand it back.

"You're just ignorant. Do you think being called a prince is nothing special? He has a family history, but he changed his surname later. She can scare you to death with just a few things she pulls out."

"Brother, don't scare me. I've seen plenty of Madam's treasures, and I wasn't scared to death." Qin Xiaoyu's eyes darkened as she finished speaking.

Many relatives and friends came today, but some people who should have been here didn't. They say she's severed ties with the Tang family, but some relationships are hard to sever completely. Take Madam, for example.

And her master, there's been no news of him at all. Why don't they miss her?

"Sister-in-law, this is for you. Take it home and look at it." Tang Wenwen was leaving, and Wang Lei drove her there. When they reached the door, he stuffed a stiff, black leather bag into her arms.

Although Qi Si was happy, he didn't drink a drop of wine and insisted on driving Qin Xiaoyu home that night.

"You're going to take me back and walk yourself? No way!" Qin Xiaoyu immediately showed her displeasure.

"I'm worried about you three walking alone at night. I've seen everything outside, do you think I'll get lost?" Qi Si coaxed the three of them into the car without further ado.