As the calendar is about to turn to the new year.

In the evening, a heavy snow fell in Hangzhou.

Snowflakes, each with its distinct shape, fall freely from the sky. A gentle breeze blows, and they drift about like willow catkins.

A few snowflakes would occasionally drift onto the window and then gradually disappear.

"You've caught a cold, don't stand on the balcony..."

As Chen Lu was looking at the snow, Liang Zhirou came over, touched Chen Lu's forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Thank goodness you don't have a fever."

"Why doesn't he have a fever?" Chen Lu couldn't understand.

Liang Zhirou: ?

She couldn't understand why Chen Lu would say that, so she handed him the cup she was holding, saying, "Drink some hot water."

Seeing that Chen Lu had obediently drunk a few sips, she tied her hair back in a ponytail with satisfaction. "What do you want to eat? I'll cook for you before I go back."

"Your boyfriend has caught a cold, why don't you stay and take care of me tonight?" Chen Lu said shamelessly. "We can spend New Year's Eve together."

Liang Zhirou lowered her eyes, her voice becoming muffled: "My mother specifically told me before I left that she would cook dinner tonight and that I should go home early..."

Chen Lu nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Aunt Xiao's words might not have meant anything by it, but given the situation, he couldn't find any other excuse to keep Liang Zhirou here.

Chen Lu suppressed the fleeting sense of loneliness in his heart, picked up the car keys on the coffee table, and said softly, "Okay, I'll take you home later."

Liang Zhirou shook her head firmly, "You have a cold, don't go out."

Chen Lu knew how stubborn Liang Zhirou was at this moment, so he had no choice but to obediently wrap himself in a blanket and sit on the sofa.

"Then you don't need to cook. It's getting dark soon, and it's snowing so heavily. I'm worried about you leaving too late."

“But you have such a bad cold, and your eyelids are drooping the whole time. How could I let you cook for yourself…” Liang Zhirou muttered in a reasonable tone.

The girl's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, her confidence quickly fading away. For some reason, Chen Lu's tone suddenly became heavy.

She was a little afraid of being yelled at.

Chen Lu pulled the girl into his arms and gently pinched her cheek. "Then I'll give it to you."

When it comes to considering each other's needs, the two are equally stubborn.

Liang Zhirou reached out and touched Chen Lu's forehead again, then glanced at the darkening sky outside the window and said softly, "I'm going back now. Don't go out..."

The girl gave him a long lecture, which lasted for almost ten minutes, before reluctantly leaving at Chen Lu's urging.

After the door closed, the living room immediately fell silent, with only the sound of the wind whistling outside the window.

And there was the faint sound of his breathing.

Chen Lu turned his head to look at the heavy snow outside the window, then looked at the dimly lit living room.

Suddenly, he felt like he was the only person left in the world.

He slowly lowered his eyelids, feeling inexplicably lost.

Sick people are always especially afraid of being alone.

I felt a bit listless, and when I touched my forehead, it was indeed much hotter than before.

Damn, are you sick? If you're going to get a fever, just say so earlier.

......

On the other side.

"It's been years since we've had such heavy snow," Jiang Chao said softly, breathing out a puff of warm air.

From the outside, the snowfall looked even more astonishing. As a gust of cold wind blew, a hexagonal snowflake was blown onto Liu Yan's dark gray hoodie, and immediately melted into a small water stain.

Jiang Chao patted Liu Yan's ponytail and the snowflakes on her shoulders, and said sarcastically, "So nervous, you don't even know to pat the snowflakes off. Relax, even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually."

Liu Yan noticed that Jiang Chao's hand was trembling slightly as it hung down, smiled and gave him a sidelong glance without saying anything.

As the two reached the door, Jiang Chao was about to knock when Liu Yan suddenly grabbed his outstretched hand.

"I only brought this much stuff, isn't that a bit too meager...?" She glanced to the side unconsciously and said softly.

Jiang Chao's hard-won determination suddenly faltered. He turned to look at the nervous Liu Yan and said, "It's good enough that you're willing to buy things. How many girls these days will proactively buy things when they come to your door? Besides, they don't need anything. The gesture is enough."

He found Liu Yan's expression quite amusing.

This woman is usually fearless and like a tigress; I've never seen her back down to anyone. Why is she suddenly so soft-hearted?

No, if I don't knock now, he won't have the courage to knock anymore.

With a determined heart, he reached out and tapped twice more.

The housekeeper opened the door. Jiang Chao nodded to her and then led Liu Yan inside.

In the living room, Jiang Chao's mother, Zheng Yunying, was practicing calligraphy. Seeing that Jiang Chao had stopped practicing, she casually placed the ink-stained brush on the table and exclaimed excitedly:

"You finally decided to come back! Perfect timing, tomorrow..."

She paused again when she saw the girl next to Jiang Chao.

Jiang Chao gestured with his chin towards Liu Yan, "Mom, this is my girlfriend."

Hello, Auntie.

Zheng Yunying looked her up and down, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Please sit down."

Jiang Yubo returned ten minutes later; clearly, the couple had exchanged information.

The four of them sat in the living room. The atmosphere wasn't exactly harmonious, but at least it wasn't completely awkward.

Jiang Chao's mother would occasionally exchange a few words with Liu Yan, and Liu Yan would respond earnestly with a smile.

In these high-ranking official families, where money is no object, parents are always particularly worried about what their sons' girlfriends might be after.

However, at least in her eyes, this daughter-in-law was acceptable.

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