Quiet New Year's Eve
At the end of the year, a cold wave swept through the city, stripping it of its luster and revealing a chilly, clear air. The trees lining the streets had long since shed their leaves, leaving only thin branches, neatly slicing through the grayish-white sky. The air was dry and chilly, turning frost to my breath, and every breath carried the sting of ice crystals.
On New Year's Eve, the usual bustle seemed frozen and subsided by the bitter cold. Traffic thinned noticeably, and many shops closed early, shutters drawn, revealing a deep silence that signaled the end of a busy year. A vast warmth and bustle, belonging to countless small families, quietly gathered behind each window, forming a silent contrast with the deserted streets.
The inherent silence in Ye Shu's apartment seemed even deeper than usual. He hadn't put up Spring Festival couplets, hung no lanterns, or decorated anything to enhance the festive atmosphere. Everything remained the same: empty, tidy, and deserted. Only the occasional, tentative sound of firecrackers outside the window, like a pebble dropped into a deep pond, briefly shattered the stillness, leaving a few lingering echoes before quickly returning to calm.
In the afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Not the usual rapid, inertial bangs, but two brisk, slightly hesitant knocks.
Ye Shu opened the door. Chen Xu stood outside, wearing a brand new red down jacket that made his face look even more rosy. He was carrying a lot of things in his hands. The bags were printed with the supermarket logo, exuding the atmosphere of abundant New Year's goods.
"Ye Shu! Happy New Year!" He greeted with a smile, his voice a little more subdued than usual, but the excitement and warmth in his eyes were still overflowing. He squeezed through the door, bringing in a gust of cold air from outside and the faint smell of gunpowder—the lingering scent of firecrackers from children playing in the distance.
"I bought some food. Let's do some treats tonight and celebrate the New Year." He put the things on the kitchen counter and started taking them out: frozen dumplings, various prepared foods, nuts, candies, and even a small bottle of red wine.
The brightly colored packages and the dazzling array of food instantly brought an abrupt and lively "human touch" to this extremely plain kitchen.
Ye Shu's eyes swept over those things and finally fell on Chen Xi's overly bright red coat, like a ball of fire in the snow.
"Aren't you going to be with your family?" Ye Shu asked. He knew Chen Xu's parents were in the city.
"Hey, we've already eaten lunch, and tonight they're just spending time alone together. They don't like my noise." Chen Xu waved his hand, his tone relaxed, but there was a subtle hint of trepidation in his eyes, a fear of rejection. "I figured your place must be as deserted as the back of the moon, so I came to add some life to your life! Don't chase me away!"
Ye Shu said nothing and turned to boil water. This was considered as tacit consent.
Chen Xu breathed a sigh of relief, immediately brightening up and getting busy. He plated the cooked food and placed the nuts and candies on clean dishes. Although his arrangement was disorganized and even a bit messy, it was full of life. He also dug out two glasses and rinsed them over and over, ready to use for the red wine.
"It's a shame you can't set off firecrackers here, and there's no TV to watch the Spring Festival Gala," Chen Xu muttered as he worked. "But it's okay! Let's eat, drink, chat, and celebrate the New Year just the same!"
Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. The distant sound of firecrackers grew more frequent, rising and falling like a distant war, watched from afar.
Ye Shu made two cups of tea, one for himself and one for Chen Xu.
"Tea again?" Chen Xu took it and complained, but still blew on the hot air and took a sip. The warm tea did dispel some of the chill brought in from outside.
Night had fallen completely. The city lights gradually lit up, their glow seeming even warmer than usual. The apartment was dark, with only a dim spotlight in the kitchen and a floor lamp in the corner of the living room casting a wide, warm shadow across the bare floor.
The two of them sat at the small kitchen table. Chen Xu enthusiastically ate snacks and chatted about trivial matters, interesting things in the company, and gossip among friends. Ye Shu mostly listened in silence, occasionally responding briefly.
The sound of firecrackers outside became increasingly frequent, and at some point, it suddenly reached a climax! The loud rumbling noise continued, and the light from the exploding fireworks occasionally penetrated the gaps in the curtains, instantly illuminating a corner of the room, flickering.
Chen Xu ran to the window, opened the curtains a little, and looked out. He saw colorful fireworks bursting into the night sky, lighting up the city like daylight, and the deafening sound of firecrackers merged into a boiling sea.
"Wow! What a lively scene!" He couldn't help but sigh, turning back to Ye Shu and shouting, "Ye Shu! Come and see! It seems there are a lot of fireworks this year!"
Ye Shu remained seated at the table, motionless. The immense roar seemed unmoved. He merely squinted slightly as another bright flash of light passed by, as if the light was too glaring.
"Noisy," he commented, his tone as flat as ever.
Chen Xu curled his lips, lowered the curtains, and walked back: "You, really... don't have any festive spirit at all."
The tremendous uproar lasted for nearly half an hour before it gradually died down, leaving only sporadic sounds, like the aftermath of a climax. A strange silence, even deeper than before, enveloped the crowd.
Chen Xu seemed to be infected by the silence and spoke less. He opened the bottle of red wine and poured some into both glasses. "Come on, Ye Shu, you must drink a little during the New Year to bring good luck."
The deep red liquid swayed gently in the glass, reflecting the light.
Ye Shu looked at the glass of wine without moving.
Chen Xu took a sip himself and smacked his lips. "Not bad, not sour." He looked at Ye Shu with genuine anticipation in his eyes. "Ye Shu, it's New Year's, so you should have some wishes, right? Or... say something auspicious to me? Like, wish me prosperity or something?"
Ye Shu looked at him silently, looking at his eyebrows and eyes softened by the light, and looking at the red clothes that were no longer so eye-catching in the dim light, but instead looked a little warm.
Outside the window, everything is silent. The last din of the old year has faded, and the first stillness of the new year is descending.
After a long while, Ye Shu slowly picked up the cup of tea in front of him. The clear tea soup reflected a little light.
He replaced the wine with tea, gestured forward very lightly, and his eyes fell calmly on Chen Xu.
"I wish you," he began, his voice light, yet like the silence of New Year's Eve, it carried a certain heavy weight, "...peace of mind at this moment."
The smile on Chen Xu's face froze slightly. None of the auspicious words he had expected came. No wishes for wealth, no promotion, no grand, future-oriented wishes.
Just the simplest four words.
At this moment. Peace of mind.
He looked into Ye Shu's calm eyes and suddenly felt that this might be the most sincere and precious blessing he had ever heard. After the hustle and bustle of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, in this boundless silence.
He picked up the wine glass, stopped joking, walked forward solemnly, and gently clinked his teacup with Ye Shu's.
When glass and ceramic collide, an extremely crisp and subtle "ding" sound is made.
Like a dewdrop falling on the silent water.
The sound was very small, but it seemed to travel very far.
"Thank you," Chen Xu said softly, and drank the red wine in the glass. The wine was slightly astringent, but the aftertaste was slightly sweet.
Ye Shu also finished the tea in the cup.
The two stopped talking and just sat there quietly. The world outside the window was completely quiet, as if everything had fallen asleep, or was brewing a new beginning.
In the apartment, there was only the warm light and the peaceful silence between the two of them that needed no words to fill it.
The old year has passed and the new year has arrived.
Ye Shu's blessing, like him, has nothing to do with the past and does not ask about the future.
It's all about the present moment, the quiet peace in the deepest part of your heart.
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