After staying in the hospital for three days, Yu Qingfeng was discharged. This was because his recovery was faster than expected, and also because some of his fellow disciples came to pick him up.

Shang Lin also went home with Chi Xie and She Jinxing. On the way, he couldn't help but sigh, "Taking care of a patient is indeed a hard job. And this is with the three of us taking turns. If it were just me alone, I don't think I could have kept going. So it must have been really tough for Old Man Chai to take care of me for those three years!"

She Jinxing advised, "Old Man Chai did it willingly for his junior sister. Sect Master, you don't need to think too much about it. Besides, we've always treated him well, so he hasn't lost out."

Shang Lin sighed softly, "Actually, I don't quite understand Old Man Chai's feelings for his junior sister. And how many good times does an ordinary person have in their lifetime? Doesn't he live for himself at all?"

"Everyone has different ideas, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. No one can really explain it. Sect Master, you should rest for a while. We still have a three-hour drive ahead."

Shang Lin's body cooperated perfectly with a yawn. "Alright." His cultivation level had improved, but he didn't have time to consolidate it. He would consolidate it during the New Year's break.

After Shang Lin returned home, he pushed all the chores onto the doormen and focused on finishing his homework, determined to complete it before the New Year. He even urged Xing Tian to finish it quickly as well.

Xing Tian said with a hint of distress, "Sect Master, I'm too busy. I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it before the New Year. But you'll definitely be able to finish it before your holiday ends."

What could Shang Lin say? He could only say, "Alright, you can arrange it as you see fit."

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Situ Pojun called Shang Lin and said, "Can we celebrate the New Year with you?"

Shang Lin was immediately stunned, thinking he had misheard, and asked again, "What did you say?"

Situ Pojun, ever good-natured, repeated, "We'll spend the New Year together. After the New Year, which is the first day of the lunar new year, Shang Jing and I will leave. We don't know when we'll see each other again, so..."

"Wait a minute. You mean after the New Year, not the end of the New Year holiday?"

"Of course not, our work arrangements are different from those in the mortal world."

That's true, the annual meeting is held according to the lunar calendar, but Shang Lin was a little embarrassed. "But we still have ordinary humans in our family. How do I explain that? Lan Xuan and Shang Jing are no match for my disciples. I dare not let them come."

Situ Pojun thought for a moment, then said rather unkindly, "Then let's not bring them."

Shang Lin, "..."

As expected of you.

In fact, when Lan Xuan gets busy, there are no holidays. So whether or not he celebrates the New Year is irrelevant to him. But Shang Jing, who is going to leave with Situ Pojun, is currently doing nothing.

However, Shang Jing didn't plan to spend the New Year with Shang Lin and Situ Pojun. Instead, he planned to go home to visit Shang Lin. Shang Lin didn't have much affection for their family, but he was different.

Moreover, he was particularly worried that the wealth accumulated by generations of Shang family members might be squandered by his family while he was away, for example, by bringing him back from the dead or causing some other troublesome situation. What would happen to Shang Lin then?

All of her father's illegitimate daughters received money, so it's impossible for Shang Lin, the only son of the Shang family, to receive no inheritance at all.

As for whether Shang Lin cares or not, or whether he wants it or not, that's his own business. His family can't completely ignore him. He just doesn't know if he can do anything when he gets home.

Lan Xuan was busy with work, Shang Jing was going home, and Situ Pojun, who had no worries, went to Shang Lin's house for New Year's Eve dinner and even brought him a gift—a three-year college entrance exam simulation.

When Shang Lin saw the gift, he was completely dumbfounded. This was... a gift that Situ Pojun would give?! He had always been skeptical about his studies, especially when he said he would do his homework. What was going on now?

When Situ Pojun saw that Shang Lin's usually unmoved face finally showed a different expression, he immediately laughed and said, "What? You don't like my gift? This is the whole set, and it cost me a lot of money."

After saying that, she played the victim, saying, "I have no money left now, and all the little money I have has been spent on you."

Shang Lin snapped back to reality, immediately grinned at Situ Pojun, and said through gritted teeth, "I especially like it."

"I'm glad you like it." Situ Pojun knew when to stop, but continued with a smile, "But you have quite a few people in your family! It must be very lively during the New Year. Where's Ji Xiaoyao? I haven't seen him."

"Didn't I tell you before? Ji Xiaoyao went to stay with his wife."

Situ Pojun was taken aback, then sighed, "Indeed, there is no distinction between men and women when it comes to being devoted in love! But can he secure a future with that devotion?"

In fact, Shang Lin had also asked Ji Xiaoyao this question. He couldn't help but smile wryly as he replied, "He said that things are much better now than when he was searching for hundreds of years, so we can only decide what to do next based on the situation."

"The future!" Situ Pojun sighed deeply, then quickly changed his tone, "It's the New Year, let's talk about something happy, has your cultivation increased?"

Shang Lin chuckled sheepishly, "It's just a tiny bit, negligible."

After finishing that, he quickly changed the subject, "What if there's no cell phone signal at sea when you go to the East China Sea? Or are you suggesting setting up an office on land?"

Situ Pojun covered his face with his hands, looking somewhat exasperated. "It's on a deserted island, the kind that's not even marked on a map. It's very small, and it appears and disappears with the tides."

Shang Lin was dumbfounded. An office in a place like this? And they want to make money? Is this some kind of exile to the frontier? How can they possibly reclaim land in the middle of the sea?

Shang Lin suddenly remembered that when she went to see the exorcist, Situ Pojun had lent her an umbrella. Although she hadn't used it, she still wanted to thank him for his kindness, so she immediately took it out and returned it to him, saying, "Thank you for the umbrella."

Situ Pojun immediately withdrew his words, "I thought you'd forgotten. I was thinking that if you didn't give it to me, I'd have to ask you for it when I left."

Shang Lin smiled sheepishly, "I really forgot. I've been frantically rushing to finish my homework lately, and I finally finished it last night."

Situ Pojun laughed, "It seems I bought the right gift."

Just then, She Jinxing suddenly shouted, "Dinner's ready!"

Huang Li hurriedly said, "I'll go set off the firecrackers."

Huang Ying chimed in, "Me too, me too."

Red Scorpion, with a stiff face, said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'll go too."

Shang Lin hurriedly said, "Everyone who wants to go can go. The point of the New Year is to have a lively celebration. Besides, this is Chi Xie's first time celebrating the New Year with everyone, so let's make it as lively as we want."

Huang Li immediately grabbed Chi Xie's hand, "Let's go."