When Xia Wensheng finished cooking the dumplings and carried the thermos out the door, Xia Wenxi quickly picked up her own and followed him.

"Bro~ If you're not in a hurry, could you give me a ride? All the drivers are on holiday."

During holidays, Ke Shurong and Xia Hengyuan would usually give their staff a day off so they could go home and celebrate. If anyone didn't go home for a few days, they would receive triple pay.

Xia Wenxi has a driver's license, but she has never driven a car since getting it. She hasn't had a chance to drive since coming here, so she doesn't dare to go on the road now.

Xia Wensheng snorted, "Now you know to ask me for help? Is it far? I'm afraid my sliced ​​soup will splatter."

He pronounced the three characters "片儿汤" with extreme emphasis, in a strange, sarcastic tone.

Xia Wenxi said with a forced smile, "Where's the noodle soup? Didn't you make perfect dumplings?!"

But in my heart I was thinking that I must find time to practice driving properly!

"Let's go, get in the car."

After getting in the car, Xia Wenxi entered Lin Shen's address into the navigation. She only knew of this place, but had never been there before.

The Lin family's old house is quite far from the Xia family's place, but Xia Wensheng looked around and realized that it wasn't too far to get to Minghuan's house from there, so he reluctantly agreed.

Does Lin Shen know about your past?

"I don't know, I didn't say. I'll contact him when I get there."

Xia Wenxi gave a "slightly lewd" smile (that's what Xia Wensheng thought), "Let him come out when we get to the door, and he'll come out to date me behind his family's back. Wouldn't that be more exciting?"

Xia Wensheng almost veered off course when he heard this.

What are you looking at all day long?

"Isn't it exciting?"

Xia Wenxi was speechless... Lin Shen was right, he had indeed underestimated Xia Wenxi.

Xia Wensheng escorted Xia Wenxi to the outside of Lin Shen's house. He originally planned to stay with her and wait for Lin Shen to come out before leaving, but Xia Wenxi said, "If you wait any longer, the dumplings will get too soggy."

Considering that Xia Wensheng brought her here, Xia Wenxi didn't mention the noodle soup this time.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Xia Wensheng glanced around and saw that the security personnel of this villa area were right behind where Xia Wenxi was standing, so there shouldn't be any security problems.

"Okay." Xia Wenxi looked up from her phone. "Please wish Minghuan a Happy New Year for me."

Xia Wenxi first sent Lin Shen her location, then sent him:

[Hey Kobayashi, how about sneaking off on a date behind Mom's back?]

——

"Xiao Shen? Mom is asking you a question, what are you looking at?"

Seeing that her younger brother hadn't answered their mother's question for a while and was still staring at his phone, Lin Ji nudged his arm to remind him.

Lin Shen then looked up, but he hadn't heard a word his mother had said.

"I'm asking you what Xiaoxi likes to eat. She's coming to our house on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, and we haven't prepared any of these yet."

Lin Shen stood up, phone in hand, and hurriedly said, "I'll write a menu tomorrow. I have something to do, I'm going out for a bit."

After saying that, he hurriedly walked out, leaving his family completely bewildered.

"Look at him, he's definitely on a date, don't worry."

Lin Zhan said calmly.

Finally, there came a time when he felt that his IQ was above that of his entire family.

Lin Shen drove out and didn't see the place Xia Wenxi had mentioned at first glance, and his heart tightened for a moment.

Just as he was about to make a phone call, Xia Wenxi heard the sound of a car and poked her head out of the security booth to wave at him.

"Lin Shen, I'm here."

Her smile was as beautiful as a flower.

While Lin Shen was still in a daze, Xia Wenxi had already greeted the security guard and walked out.

Happy New Year, Uncle!

Xia Wenxi waved to the security guard and walked up to Lin Shen.

"What's wrong? You look at me and can't believe it?"

"What a wonderful surprise!"

Xia Wenxi smiled and picked up the thermos in her hand, "I specially brought you dumplings, dumplings I made myself."

Lin Shen remained silent until they got into the car, listening to Xia Wenxi's rambling with a smile.

If gentleness could be measured, the tenderness in Lin Shen's eyes at this moment would be overflowing.

"Xia Wensheng brought me here today. He also brought the dumplings he made to see Sister Minghuan, as well as my parents. They went out on a date."

Xia Wenxi, holding Lin Shen's hand, smiled and said to him, "I think this is a fine tradition in our family; everyone is so romantic!"

"Also... I was waiting outside, but the security guard was worried I'd get cold, so he let me go inside."

...

Xia Wenxi rattled off several things in one breath, and after finishing, she tried to recall if she had forgotten anything. Just as she was thinking about it, Lin Shen gently pulled her into his arms.

A pure embrace, devoid of any lust, filled only with tenderness.

Lin Shen felt his heart was filled the moment he saw Wen Xi, and then listening to her speak was like someone was pumping air into his heart.

It seemed warm and had a wheat aroma.

Xia Wenxi was hugged by Lin Shen and didn't know what to do, so she raised her hand and patted him.

"Wenxi".

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Xia Wenxi even wondered if Lin Shen had encountered something unpleasant during the New Year, but judging from his state just now, it didn't seem like it. With no clue, she could only continue to gently stroke his back like stroking a small fish.

I love you so much.

Lin Shen loves Xia Wenxi, that's for sure, but they rarely express their love directly by saying "I love you" in everyday life.

Love is hidden in every meal he cooks, in the fluffy slippers in the shoe cabinet, in the snack basket under the coffee table, and in every tender gaze.

But today, at this moment.

Lin Shen had no choice but to express his overflowing love, for it was so full it was about to burst from his heart.

"I love you too."

The two drove to the riverbank without a specific destination, simply driving along the river and stopping in a less crowded area.

Xia Wenxi opened the insulated lunchbox and handed it to Lin Shen, saying, "Be careful when you eat, some of the dumplings have coins inside."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Shen stopped talking, took out a tissue, and wrapped the coin up.

"You're eating already?"

Xia Wenxi seemed not to have expected that her mother had washed a handful of coins at the time. There were only a few people eating dumplings, so the odds of winning were naturally high.

"Well, my wish is to eat dumplings with Wenxi every Lunar New Year's Eve."

"no problem!"

There weren't many dumplings; after all, it was just to sample the flavor, not to actually fill us up.

Seeing that he had finished eating, Xia Wenxi took out three red envelopes from her bag.

"My parents and Xia Wensheng asked me to give these to you."

Lin Shen reached out and took it, saying with a slightly teasing tone, "A year ago, I never would have imagined that I would receive New Year's money from Wen Sheng one day."