Happy New Year
"Now you can speak!"
Chi Nuo put everything back in its place, covered it up again, and sat down to wait and listen.
"Wait a minute, there's another one," Wen Zhuyao said unhurriedly, reaching out to take the other package. "It was sent by Mo Wen. Aren't you curious?"
"I am curious, and my mom even told me about it."
When Chi Nuo heard the name Mo Wen from her mouth, the smile on her face froze for a moment, as if she was covering something up. She said, "But I'm more curious about what he will give you."
"Your relationship..."
She didn't dare to bring up the topic directly, and today was the most straightforward time she'd ever addressed the issue.
"Our relationship is still developing. We'll find out how things go when we talk about it. Right now, we're just waiting for an opportunity," Wen Zhuyao said honestly. She had nothing to hide.
Relieved by this answer, Chi Nuo muttered softly, "That's good, that's good, otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?"
Her voice was too soft, so Wen Zhuyao didn't hear what she said next. Curious, she asked, "Do you have any concerns?"
"No, no, I mean... I mean the relationship is too strained, so I won't look at this package." Chi Nuo racked her brains to come up with this reason, which was reasonable and fit the situation perfectly.
She nodded vigorously at her own cleverness.
Wen Zhuyao accepted the explanation and turned around to open the package he had sent.
When she opened the package halfway and could see the inner packaging, she remembered that she had been told what it contained before it was sent.
“I just remembered that I mentioned when I sent it that this is a local specialty.”
Chi Nuo's interest immediately waned, and she said, "Okay, I received it. I know what's inside and what it tastes like."
"Don't you expect something extra?"
Wen Zhuyao opened them all, and the surface was indeed a local specialty that Chi Nuo was very familiar with. After taking them all out, they were indeed a bit different.
She had a new little bear keychain that looked familiar.
Chi Nuo looked at the pendant and made up an excuse to slip away: "There's an extra gift. Please reply to the message if you receive it. I won't bother you anymore."
"Bye-Bye!"
Wen Zhuyao looked back at her back, wondering why she ran so fast. When she turned around again, she saw another bear pendant on the cabinet.
She reached out and took it, comparing it to the newly given one. The two were the same style, only the colors were different.
The old one is covered in dust, and the original color is almost unrecognizable.
"Passing messages? When did you start using image recognition? Are you secretly acting as a double agent?" Wen Zhuyao first sent an inquiry message to Chi Nuo.
The other one is indispensable too.
Chi Nuo: "There aren't that many twists and turns between us."
"Chi Nuo has sent you a transfer of 520."
"There is only an intense, indescribable affection between us, Zhuzhu. Please accept my love. Actually, this is just a little trick I used to make you fall in love with me."
"Between us..."
Wen Zhuyao: "Stop."
"Hehe, you know I couldn't resist the cute things you bought before, so I went to buy them myself and asked you for pictures." Chi Nuo revealed a little bit, just a tiny bit.
Wen Zhuyao didn't believe her and continued to ask, "Isn't there anything else?"
"Even without my dear Xiaozhu, Nuonuo would never lie to you. Nuonuo has a very high reputation." In order to make amends, Chi Nuo staked her reputation on this.
Wen Zhuyao didn't want to argue for too long, so she decided to believe her: "Okay, I believe you."
"Keep the money for yourself. Don't try to tempt me with money, or I might just reach into your pocket." She clicked on the link and immediately chose a refund.
Chi Nuo sent a winking emoji and nodded obediently.
Now it's someone else's turn. Wen Zhuyao wants to ask, but feels awkward and doesn't know how to take the initiative to send it.
She put her phone on the table, rested her chin on her hands, and looked at the calendar with circles drawn on it.
Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve, and their final conversation will take place soon; perhaps she doesn't need to ask now.
We just need to wait until that day.
Wen Zhuyao sat up straight, stretched, and made a decision: "That's fine. Sometimes, escaping isn't so bad."
"That's fine. Some things need to be discussed in person." Mo Wen replied after looking at the message Chi Nuo had sent on his phone.
Mo Wen: "Thank you. This is the last time, so I won't have to suffer from a guilty conscience."
"How did you know? I'm suffering double the guilt." Chi Nuo shrank back into the bed, wrapped in the blanket, her fingers still moving.
Chi Nuo: "However, I will keep my promise to you, and helping you is also an option."
As the New Year's bells are about to ring, everyone plays a different role in their own world and environment.
"Come and help. You haven't done any renovations yet, so you can't be lazy with the New Year's Eve dinner."
Mo's mother was watching the Spring Festival Gala in the living room, while Mo's father was busy in the kitchen—or rather, taking things apart.
Microwave or oven.
A comprehensive guide to pre-made dishes.
Mo Wen didn't have time to reply after reading the message. He put down his phone and went outside, leaning against the door frame. "Besides the dumplings being freshly made, is there anything else we need to do?"
"Why are you being so direct, child? I don't even have a reason to call you anymore." Mother Mo put down her hand that was reaching for the New Year's goods and pointed to the kitchen.
Mo's mother: "Go and switch shifts with your dad. I've started kneading the dough. We'll make dumplings together after dinner."
"OK."
After Mo Wen agreed, he walked towards the kitchen. Just then, fireworks went off outside, which he could see clearly from the window.
One after another, brilliant fireworks exploded and bloomed before our eyes.
"There are quite a lot of fireworks this year, much more than last year. Come and take a look." Mr. Mo put the things on the table and went out to call Mrs. Mo over to watch together.
Mo Wen, sandwiched among them, enjoyed the fireworks that created a slightly more atmosphere than others: "You guys are squeezing me to death. Are you going to cook or not?"
"Of course we'll cook, it won't delay anything. Let's see what happens." Mo's mother pointed to the nearest firework, moved to a different spot, and leaned against Mo's father.
They are all identical, differing only in color and size, yet you can never get tired of looking at them.
"Let's go outside to watch the fireworks." Chi Nuo had eaten early, and after seeing the fireworks, she got dressed and went to knock on the door, saying as she knocked.
"Xiao Nuo is calling you to go out and watch the fireworks," said Wen's mother and father, who were in the living room with the Spring Festival Gala on TV. "Don't come back too late; there are still dumplings to eat."
Wen Zhuyao, dressed neatly, nodded: "Yes."
She opened the door and went downstairs with Chi Nuo. Downstairs, there were adults setting off large fireworks and firecrackers.
There are also toys for younger children; everyone has something that suits them.
The two of them strolled around, watching and enjoying the joy created by others. Gradually, Wen Zhuyao stopped and stretched out her hand: "It's snowing."
"Is that so? Let the blizzard rage even more fiercely!" Chi Nuo shouted loudly, controlling his volume.
Snowflakes fell all over my head.
It also landed in every place it could reach.
Ji Shu looked at the snow falling on the windowsill and tightened her clothes: "I knew it, it would always get colder if I didn't buy anything thick."
"If we buy it, it will be a warm winter."
Bai Yuzhou gave her a hand warmer, lit the candles on the table, turned off the light, and then hugged her from behind.
Happy New Year! This is our twentieth New Year together.
Ji Shu looked out the window, and Bai Yuzhou looked at her.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year!"
Chi Nuo brushed the snow off her clothes, said something to Wen Zhuyao before going inside, and then immediately ran back: "It has a nice atmosphere, but it's too cold. I'm going back to warm up first."
"Okay, Happy New Year." Wen Zhuyao went back immediately after she went inside.
Once inside the room, she took off her coat and lay down on the bed. The room was warm and cozy, making her want to sleep.
After lying down for a while, Wen Zhuyao was called out to eat dumplings and watch some shows.
As the New Year's bells rang, she returned to her bedroom, opened the game, and saw the public chat filled with "Happy New Year" messages.
One after another, notifications came in, and everyone was online.
Mo Wen: "Happy New Year, and wishing you all the best."
Chi Nuo: "Happy New Year! May you no longer suffer from insomnia and keep your beautiful hair."
Ji Shu: "Happy New Year! Wishing you success in your career and good health."
Bai Yuzhou: "Happy New Year! May you always have a good appetite and lots of snacks."
Wen Zhuyao: "Happy New Year! Wishing you... a peaceful, joyful, and successful new year."
In different rooms, watching different scenes, we experienced the same New Year.
It was as if an unspoken understanding was playing out at this moment.
After exchanging blessings, Ji Shu and Bai Yuzhou went offline, and Chi Nuo didn't stay long either, finding an excuse to dive into playing Dou Dizhu (a card game).
Only Wen Zhuyao and Mo Wen remained.
In the room, they looked at each other, trying to guess each other's thoughts through time, space, and images.
"Happy New Year! How are things over there? The fireworks are pretty big here." Mo Wen started a conversation with her.
They haven't been like this for a very, very long time.
Wen Zhuyao wanted to say something, but was afraid that saying too much would make everyone uncomfortable, so she replied normally, "It's snowing here, and there are quite a few fireworks, it's very beautiful."
"That's good. Take care to keep warm and don't catch a cold." Mo Wen had started the conversation, but after receiving a reply, he didn't know how to continue.
Clearly, the conversation has reached a dead end.
Mo Wen's breathing was slightly heavy, and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed against the keyboard.
How was your New Year's Eve dinner?
New information emerged, and Wen Zhuyao started a new topic.
Mo Wen replied, "What else can I do? You know that already."
“My parents believe in indulging during the Lunar New Year, and they always order fried chicken, chicken wings, pizza, and pre-made dishes.”
Wen Zhuyao clicked on the emoji and uploaded a photo of her New Year's Eve dinner.
I waited for it to be approved, and sent it over as soon as it was approved.
Mo Wen, who hadn't heard from him in a long time, opened the message immediately upon receiving it, and a home-cooked meal appeared before him.
He took a deep breath, sighed, and typed in response: "You did this on purpose, didn't you? To mock me?"
"I don't have any, I'm just sharing." Wen Zhuyao denied any ulterior motives, saying she simply wanted to share.
This conversation seemed to bring them back to the past.
Mo Wen said with some emotion, "It's been so long since we've done this."
"Yes." Wen Zhuyao knew as well.
Their relationship reached a stalemate in December, and they were dissatisfied with everything they did.
But now...
Mo asked, "Is it considered the new year now? Can I discuss a time with you?"
She looked at the message that had been sent to her, and at the teddy bear that was placed in a prominent position on the table.
Wen Zhuyao replied, "I'll be waiting for you after the New Year."
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