Chapter 20: Couple Styles
Early on New Year's Eve, Jin Huan made a video call to her aunt.
In previous years, I would spend New Year's Eve at home with my aunt. My uncle would usually cook the New Year's Eve dinner, while my aunt would make some desserts and drinks. This year, however, both my uncle and aunt had time, so they went on a trip to Norway together.
Unfortunately, Jin Huan couldn't come home either, so they spent their time alone together.
Norway had just ended its polar night, and my aunt had booked a holiday home next to the forest. At this time, the daytime sunshine was gradually increasing, but it was still short, and the weather was quite cold. Fang Shuyun was still wrapped in a down jacket.
This is in a small town. Fang Shuyun turned the camera to show her the scenery outside.
The snow outside the window had not yet melted, and the sky was in the blues of the day; the view from the window framed a world of its own.
Fang Shuyun asked her how she was doing at Mr. Zhong's house, and after asking a few questions, she saw that Jinhuan was in good spirits, so she didn't ask any more questions.
Jin Huan is a good girl who would never lie to her family. Her happiness or unhappiness is written all over her face, and Fang Shuyun understands her completely.
She wasn't worried about Jin Huan.
The two chatted for a while, and Fang Shuyun unconsciously recalled the first New Year's Eve that Jin Huan had spent with her at her home.
At that time, Fang Shuyun and Songzhi had been married for less than two years. Songzhi was not in the country for work, so the two of them, aunt and niece, lived together. Fang Shuyun was not a good cook and could only make some simple and quick dishes. Together, they managed to put together a decent New Year's Eve dinner.
Fang Shuyun was worried about Jin Huan's mood at the time, fearing that she would secretly hide and cry.
After dinner, the two sat on the sofa, chatting as they stayed up to welcome the New Year.
They talked a lot that night.
They talked about Fang Shuyun's childhood and then about Jin Huan's childhood.
Fang Shuyun was once a staunch advocate of not getting married. She originally planned to have a lifelong relationship with Songzhi. Being together was not bound by any laws or morals. As long as they were happy, they would live each day as it came.
The decision to get married was ultimately Fang Shuyun's own consideration.
But she still cannot have children.
She regarded Jin Huan as her only child.
She raised them, so they're no different from her own children.
Fang Shuyun always thought this way.
Speaking of that New Year's Eve, it's been more than ten years since then. More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhong Yan returned from outside as soon as he hung up the phone.
Jin Huan had finished chatting with her aunt and was replying to messages of blessing from her classmates and friends. She was popular and received a lot of messages, so Jin Huan sat on the sofa and replied to each one carefully.
She didn't even notice Zhong Yan coming in.
He happened to be replying to Du Qingxu's message, and simply sent "Happy New Year's Eve" and wished her success in her research next year. It was so different from the fancy words from others. Jin Huan replied, "Happy New Year's Eve to you too!"
Zhong Yan had no intention of peeking at her chat; he was just walking over and happened to glance at the words on the screen. His eyesight was so good that he caught them in an instant.
She replied to messages with great enthusiasm, adding an emoji or a meme to the end of each sentence.
A shadow fell over her, and Jin Huan slowly looked up. When she saw Zhong Yan, she was stunned and asked in surprise, "You're back already?"
She was still half asleep when Shi Yan left home in the morning. He texted her that he was going out for a while and would probably be back late.
Breakfast is already prepared in the kitchen; she can go downstairs to eat whenever she wakes up.
When Jin Huan woke up and saw the message, the blankets next to her were already cold.
She glanced at the time; it was only ten o'clock, less than an hour after she had finished breakfast.
Is Zhong Yan's "late" time really this early?
Zhong Yan said, "It went more smoothly than I expected."
Jin Huan didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded and asked with concern, "Have you had breakfast yet?"
"have eaten."
"How's your head? Still dizzy?"
"It's all fine now."
Du Qingxu replied to her message on WeChat, but Jin Huan put it aside and didn't have time to pay attention to it. Just as she was about to ask Zhong Yan if he had any plans for the day, she saw him take a chestnut-colored wooden box out of his handbag and place it in front of her.
The box had a cross pattern on it, and a scent of sandalwood mixed with a faint leather smell wafted from it. Jin Huan looked at the box and then curiously looked at Zhong Yan.
"A New Year's gift," Zhong Yan replied. He had left home early this morning specifically to buy this for her.
He was supposed to be busy early in the morning, but he was too busy before the Lunar New Year and couldn't find the time. Now that it's Lunar New Year's Eve, he went to buy it himself early this morning.
These matters were usually handled by the secretary, but Zhong Yan did not this time.
Jin Huan pointed to the box: "Can I open it now and take a look?"
Zhong Yan smiled and said, "Of course."
Jin Huan carefully opened the box, and a navy blue velvet cloth came into view. Lifting the cloth, she found a white wristwatch underneath.
She glanced at the watch, then at the one on Zhong Yan's wrist. Even though she had never seen it before, she could recognize that it was the same model as the one on his wrist.
To be precise, it's a couple's set.
Zhong Yan said calmly, "I've wanted to give you a gift for a long time."
He was still thinking about the value of the gift, whether to buy some insignificant little trinkets or something else. He wanted to choose a gift that Jin Huan would like without any burden, but he didn't think about it for long and quickly made a decision.
He also owns the same Patek Philippe watch.
Jin Huan recognized it. She blinked, looked at Zhong Yan's wrist, and then at the piece in the box. The words "couple's item" slowly surfaced in her mind.
She reached out her hand, looked at Zhong Yan, and her eyes crinkled with laughter: "You'll put it on me?"
Seeing that she was happy, Zhong Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to the value of the gift itself, whether it's expensive or inexpensive, Jin Huan clearly cares more about the fact that it's a "couple's item".
It has to be a matching set with Mr. Zhong's outfit, of course it has to be a matching set.
That's what she thinks.
Zhong Yan looked at the wrist she had extended, took out a watch and put it on her wrist. Jin Huan reached out her hand to his and placed the two watches together.
It really is a couple's set!
She was pleasantly surprised, her palm already touching his, and exclaimed, "Sir, I love this!"
Before Zhong Yan could speak, she emphasized again, "Sir, I really like this."
But there is no full enjoyment yet.
Now she has.
Her reaction was almost one of excitement, which Zhong Yan hadn't expected. He whispered, "I'm glad you like it."
So Jin Huan happily wore the watch and enjoyed her New Year's Eve dinner.
Considering that taking a picture of it and posting it on WeChat Moments would be considered a serious display of wealth, Jin Huan deleted this photo from her New Year's Eve photos, even though she really, really wanted to show it off!
After the New Year's Eve dinner, people begin to stay up all night to welcome the new year.
The first New Year's Eve spent with Zhong Yan was a meaningful one. Jin Huan also learned that the Zhong family also had the tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve.
Customs for Lunar New Year's Eve vary from place to place, and even within the same city, there are differences between the north, south, east, and west. Jin Huan remembers that when she was very young, she spent time with her parents and never stayed up all night to celebrate the New Year.
I only started staying up all night on New Year's Eve after I started living with my aunt.
Perhaps worried that she would be bored, Zhong Yan found her a movie to watch that night.
Next door to the room was the media room, which was originally a tea room but was later converted by Zhong Yan. He occasionally liked to stay here to watch movies, which was one of his few ways of passing the time.
There is probably a certain difference in taste between Zhong Yan and Jin Huan. Zhong Yan watches more old-fashioned movies, such as "The Godfather" and "Coming Home". Jin Huan watches movies to relieve stress, and she watches comedies or domestic animations.
Zhong Yan found a movie that was very popular a few years ago. The movie contains a lot of content, and it focuses on family relationships.
Jin Huan sat on the sofa with her legs crossed, watching intently.
There were some snacks that Zhong Yan had prepared for her, mainly dried fruit and nuts, and he also heated up a cup of milk with some fermented rice wine in it, which tasted very fragrant.
After drinking a glass of milk, Jin Huan felt a bit bloated, so she slowly lay down, leaning against the sofa, and her head bumped into Zhong Yan's thigh rather abruptly.
She paused, then looked up.
Zhong Yan leaned back on the sofa, looking very relaxed. He hadn't been drinking today; he had eaten a little too much with his grandfather for the New Year's Eve dinner. It was rare for him to be free from work and be able to sit here so relaxed and watch a movie.
When Jin Huan's head bumped into his thigh, he lowered his eyes and glanced at her indifferently.
In the dim light, Zhong Yan's face darkened slightly, and his eyes revealed a cold glint in the darkness, sweeping away his usual gentleness. He paused for a few seconds and then reached out to Jin Huan.
"Lie down," he whispered.
Jin Huan was thinking exactly that.
So she lay down on his lap as she wished, her head resting on his thigh, the edge of her ear and cheek pressed against his thigh. Through the soft pajama pants, the warmth of his thigh slowly wafted over her. She moved her head slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot and position for herself.
His hand seemed to be casually placed on her shoulder, his palm pressed against her shoulder, and the warm, comforting feeling inside him flowed into her body.
Jin Huan took a slow, deep breath and forced herself to focus on the movie.
The movie tells the story of how the protagonist breaks ties with her family after arguing with her parents, and begins a life of wandering alone. As Jin Huan watched, her eyes were slightly dazed, and her already slow breathing seemed to slow down even more, as if she was about to stop.
"A little sad?" Zhong Yan noticed the change in her breathing. From his angle, he could only see her silent profile. Zhong Yan asked gently, guessing, "Is it because you were thinking about your parents?"
Jin Huan seemed to hear him speak after a few seconds, and she slowly let out an "ah".
Zhong Yan noticed that she was in a bad mood.
Her parents...
Jin Huan asked softly, "Sir, have I told you about them?"
Zhong Yan replied, "No."
He had some idea about it, but he had never heard it from Jin Huan.
"Actually, I don't remember much." Jin Huan seemed to be recalling the scenes of her childhood when she lived with her parents.
“I don’t like him. He locks my mother at home, doesn’t let her go out to work, and doesn’t let her go out to socialize. Sometimes, even if she talks to someone for a few extra minutes, it will trigger his rage.”
Jin Huan never even used words like "Dad" or "father" to address him. In her memory, she rarely called him that. He destroyed their family and her mother with jealousy and suspicion.
Jin Huan disliked him from the time she could remember, so her relationship with her father during her childhood could be described as cold, distant, or even terrible. She received no fatherly love from him, and even her motherly love was slowly disappearing as a result.
"When I was in elementary school, the school held a parent-child sports day. Everyone else's dads came to participate, but I didn't have a dad."
Jin Huan's tone wasn't actually that sad; she was just stating some things. Those events that would easily make her cry when she was a child were no longer important to her now.
So talking about it again won't make me as sad as I did when I was a child.
"Later, when they finally divorced, and it came down to who I would get custody of, I became an object to be pushed around."
She didn't want it, and neither did he, as if anyone taking her in would ruin their life.
The mother was about to start a new family and didn't want her new husband to continue to suspect her because of her. She hesitated about whether to take Jin Huan with her and was also considering a better option for her. That person simply didn't want her.
Jin Huan paused, realizing that saying that made her seem pitiful, and immediately added, "But luckily I have my aunt."
To her, her aunt was both a mother and a sister. In the years that followed, her aunt's presence made up for everything she had missed in the past.
But no matter how good an aunt is, there's only so much she can do.
The absence of this important figure in her life had a profound impact on the formation of her personality later on.
Jin Huan herself was aware of this.
No action is without reason. That's why she admires people as strong and reliable as Zhong Yan. He has enough ability, enough tolerance, and a complete sense of self.
Jin Huan rubbed against his leg, curling up slightly. Zhong Yan gently lifted his hand from her shoulder and stroked behind her ear, covering it with the warmth of his palm, drawing her closer to him.
This gave her an absolute sense of security.
"Jin Huan, I understand." Zhong Yan had long suspected this, and Jin Huan's words today confirmed his suspicions once again. The good girl was actually very well raised, but due to her upbringing, she had a slightly different quirk.
This is completely harmless.
Jin Huan didn't realize what he meant by "he knew." The movie scene in front of her only showed flashes of light and shadow in her pupils, and the sound became background noise. It was almost midnight, and her brain's reaction time was getting longer. When she finally understood what he meant, Zhong Yan chuckled softly.
"Because you participated in the sports meet yourself, you still remember it now?"
"No..." Jin Huan blushed, feeling the heat emanating from his thigh, which made her heart skip a beat. She retorted forcefully, "I won second prize even though I participated alone."
She's very capable on her own.
"Second prize, huh?" Zhong Yan asked in a low voice. "How many second prizes?"
"That's good." Zhong Yan suppressed a smile.
"Next time there's an event like this, you can try for first prize." Zhong Yan gently rubbed her face. In Jin Huan's eyes, which seemed to melt, he looked down at the person in his arms and said softly, "After all, you do have a daddy."
"...Is that right?"
Jin Huan's reaction time finally caught up with her. It wasn't about winning first prize or not; the sports meet and all that were old news. She looked up and met Zhong Yan's gentle gaze, as alluring as the sea. Even though she could still smell his scent, she spoke up at that moment: "Daddy?"
The sound was very soft; only they could hear it.
They were calling him.
It is being confirmed.
Zhong Yan's fingertips rested on her chin, and he responded in a very low voice, "Mmm."
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