The sounds of children playing outside drifted in, and Chen Xiong composed himself, nodding repeatedly.
"Okay, okay! Xiao Liu and I made some sachets to calm the nerves and relieve fatigue. We'll hang them by our family's bedside when we get back."
Chen Xiong's sachets are different from others. They don't have a pungent artificial fragrance, and they're not made from scraps. Instead, they're made from precious medicinal herbs, which make them last longer and have a better effect.
In previous years, they only gave it to their own family members; this is the first time they've given it to people outside of their immediate family.
He patted Meng Wan's hand, his tone full of affection for the younger generation.
“Okay. It’s cold outside, let’s go inside first.” Meng Wan agreed and helped Chen Xiong into the house.
"By the way, I also made some nourishing food for Zhili, but I haven't seen him."
He said he would visit you tomorrow.
“This child is just too sensible.” Chen Xiong immediately understood what Meng Zhili was thinking.
Just as they were about to sit down to eat, someone walked in.
"Grandpa Chen." A familiar voice rang out in the courtyard, and everyone was startled. In the end, Yan Nian went out to take a look.
A short while later, he returned, followed by a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
"Yixuan?" Chen Xiong stood up, somewhat incredulous.
"Grandpa Chen, it's been so long, have you forgotten me?"
"You brat! How dare you say you haven't seen me in so long? I was starting to think you'd forgotten about this old man. You haven't come back to visit me in all these years."
Chen Xiong walked over and looked Qian Yixuan up and down, as if to check if he had lost weight or if he had been bullied while he was out.
"Sister Wanwan, who is this?" Chen Liu asked in a low voice.
"Qian Yixuan lived here for a while before you came."
"Then why did you stop living there later?"
"His family found him and took him back home."
Chen Liu nodded as if he understood, but didn't ask any further questions despite his confusion.
"Xiao Liu, could you go and get another set of bowls and chopsticks?"
"Okay." Chen Liu replied and immediately got up to get it.
"Have you eaten? If you have, sit down and eat some more. Where have you been all these years? You only call once every ten days or two weeks, and even after returning to China for more than half a year, you haven't come to see this old man..."
Chen Xiong pulled Qian Yixuan to sit down, and Chen Liu quickly brought over new bowls and chopsticks.
"I was abroad and couldn't come back before. After I came back, there were too many things to deal with. I had to go back abroad from time to time to handle some procedures. As soon as I had some free time, I came over and even had dinner with you."
"Did you come from a family dinner?" Meng Wan asked, noticing his suit sleeves rolled up.
Qian Yixuan nodded, his expression gentle, without the coldness he displayed at the banquet.
"I couldn't eat much, and it was noisy, so I made an excuse to come out first. I saw that it was still early, so I came over to wish Grandpa Chen a Happy New Year. I didn't expect you to be here too."
Yan Nian gave him a smile, and the latter responded gently. Chen Liu glanced at him, remained silent, and ate what was in his bowl.
"These family dinners are basically just a change of scenery for business negotiations. We barely ate a few bites of food but drank a whole bottle of wine. It's good that we're out here. Young people can't drink all the time, Yan Nian, do you hear me?"
"Yes, yes, don't worry." Yan Nian didn't expect the boomerang to turn around on him. He paused for a moment when he picked up the chopsticks to put on Meng Wan's plate, and replied helplessly.
"Wanwan, keep an eye on him."
"Okay." Faced with Chen Xiong's nagging, the two of them were not impatient at all and agreed to everything without any perfunctory attitude.
After finishing their meal, it was time for Chen Xiong to go to bed. The group instructed Chen Liu to take good care of Chen Xiong, then packed their things and left the clinic.
The three walked side by side in the alley, with Meng Wan sandwiched in the middle, her hand held tightly by Yan Nian, while she was a little distance away from Qian Yixuan.
Are you going straight back to the studio now?
"Oh, right, I didn't even say Happy New Year to you guys. I was going to give you the red envelopes with lucky money in a couple of days, but I didn't expect to see you here."
"Thank you." Qian Yixuan gives her money every year. It's not a lot of money, but it's the thought that counts, so Meng Wan always accepts it and gives him a gift later.
"Sorry, there's no one for you." Qian Yixuan looked at Yan Nian, but didn't seem particularly apologetic.
"It's alright," Yan Nian replied in a muffled voice.
Meng Wan found it amusing and tugged at his sleeve.
The two acted intimately and naturally. Qian Yixuan's gaze lingered on their clasped hands before he silently looked away.
"I'm driving, do you want a ride?"
"No need, we drove here too." Meng Wan pointed to the car in front.
Seeing this, Qian Yixuan said no more, bid them farewell and left. He was polite and gentle throughout, neither too close nor too distant, just like an ordinary friend.
He drove aimlessly, not wanting to go home, nor planning to return to his studio anytime soon. He drove along the river, stopped in a deserted spot, sat on the hood, and let the wind blow on him.
The night wind was bitterly cold, but he seemed oblivious to it, lost in thought.
Seeing Meng Wan today was not accidental, but deliberate.
It was suffocating. In that environment, everyone looked down on you, yet you had to fawn over them. The stench was so strong it made you want to vomit.
So, he acted impulsively; he wanted to see her!
But he still backed down, so he could only find a more roundabout way to make his meeting with her seem more reasonable.
He knew that if he took that step, he would truly have nothing left.
Even he himself hadn't expected that the simple question, "Will you come with me?" would have such a profound impact on him. When everyone else had abandoned him, only she stayed.
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