Sharing New Year's Eve
"Then I'll be more careful in the future, okay?"
Lin Tingyue pressed herself against Chi Zhuo, her breath falling on his neck, causing Chi Zhuo's heart to flutter.
He helped Lin Tingyue up from his arms and placed her on a stool.
"Alright, hurry up and try it, this cake is a new product in the store."
Lin Tingyue took the fork from Chi Zhuo and carefully took a bite. The smooth and delicate texture made her unable to stop eating.
"Delicious! What's in it? It smells so good."
"I added a touch of lime matcha. Is it really delicious?"
Chi Zhuo seemed a little nervous.
"It's really delicious."
Hearing Lin Tingyue's praise, Chi Zhuo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But Lin Tingyue noticed his little action. She quietly walked over and grabbed his collar.
"Wait, are you hiding something from me?"
Chi Zhuo smiled calmly, "What could I possibly be hiding from you?"
"There definitely is." Lin Tingyue wasn't stupid; she could tell.
"I will learn to cook whatever you like to eat in the future."
Lin Tingyue was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening and looked at the cake.
"So...you made this too?"
Chi Zhuo nodded. "I'm glad you like it."
As soon as Chi Zhuo finished speaking, Lin Tingyue's eyes reddened.
Chi Zhuo panicked upon seeing this, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Tingyue shook her head, her voice slightly choked: "Chi Zhuo, could you... not do it so well?"
"Why, you fool? I should do better! If I don't treat you well, who else should I treat well?"
He reached out and patted her head. "You're my wife, it's only right that I treat you well."
Lin Tingyue burst into tears instantly, "That's great, I will..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chi Zhuo kissed her, and then comforted her, "You are my baby, so I like everything you like. Your happiness is my happiness, understand?"
Lin Tingyue lowered her head and replied softly, "Yes, I understand. You're so silly."
Chi Zhuo held her in his arms and said with a smile, "As long as you are well, I am happy to do anything."
-
On New Year's Eve.
This family reunion dinner was originally supposed to be held at home, but this year, with Lin Tingyue in the family, the old man arranged for the venue to be the Genting International Hotel.
Lin Tingyue had a vague recollection of this place; she remembered having been here before.
Today, Lin Tingyue was dressed elegantly. Her fingertips rested on her apricot cashmere coat, but her gaze was drawn to the dazzling crystal chandelier in the hall.
She had to make inquiries from various sources to find out that Chi Zhuo was attending the banquet.
Chi Zhuo noticed her momentary lapse in concentration, gently enveloping her slightly cool fingers in his warm hand, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you cold?"
She shook her head, took his arm, banished those inappropriate memories, and gave a polite smile: "No, let's go inside, don't keep Grandpa waiting."
"good."
The two were about to go upstairs in the elevator next to them when they unfortunately ran into their old friend again.
The other person, dressed in a long red dress, stood out exceptionally well in this setting.
Jiang Yan is the head of "Yang" Studio. Lin Tingyue had worked with her before, and although they hadn't been in much contact since, Lin Tingyue was quite impressed by this woman's ability to handle things.
What a coincidence!
"Miss Jiang, what a coincidence."
Upon seeing Lin Tingyue appear, Jiang Yan was taken aback at first, and then his expression seemed somewhat unnatural. "Ms. Lin, Mr. Chi, what a coincidence."
The greatest awkwardness comes from the silence between them.
Lin Tingyue watched the elevator go up to the middle floor and started a conversation.
"Ms. Jiang, are you having dinner with your family today?"
"Ah, this...it's not...work..."
"Work?" Lin Tingyue was a little surprised. This was too much work. Was she still busy with social engagements on New Year's Eve?
Jiang Yan didn't answer, but became even more embarrassed.
Chi Zhuo pulled Lin Tingyue along and said to Jiang Yan, "Excuse me, we have something to do, we'll be leaving now."
"Um?"
After saying that, Lin Tingyue was pulled by Chi Zhuo towards the front desk.
"Excuse me." Lin Tingyue waved to Jiang Yan, then turned back to ask.
"Do you sense something's wrong?"
He stopped at the front desk and whispered a few words to the staff.
The other party immediately understood and led them to another, more secluded private elevator.
The elevator doors slowly closed, shutting out the noise outside. Only then did Chi Zhuo turn to look at her, his gaze complex.
“She’s not here to work,” he said in a low voice. “At least, it’s not for her own social engagements.”
Lin Tingyue was taken aback, then realized what was going on.
The top floor of Genting International Hotel is known for its luxury and privacy, and is often used for private banquets that are not convenient to be told to outsiders.
She recalled Jiang Yan's flickering eyes and unnatural smile, and a vague guess formed in her mind.
"She's a companion..."
"I don't know, but it's clear she doesn't want to say more," Chi Zhuo interrupted her, obviously unwilling to discuss other people's private affairs.
The elevator ascended smoothly. Lin Tingyue leaned against the wall and sighed softly.
"At first, I admired her quite a bit, but everyone has their own difficulties."
Chi Zhuo seemed to see through her thoughts and comforted her, "Don't overthink it."
The elevator doors opened; we had arrived at the banquet hall.
The hall was brightly lit, and the old man was chatting with some of his uncles. They didn't usually have time to meet, so today was a good opportunity.
"Xiao Zhuo and Ting Yue are here."
Su Jinghe stood up from the side, walked over to Lin Tingyue, and introduced them to the others.
"Look, this is my daughter-in-law, Tingyue. What do you think? Isn't she the great beauty I described?"
Lin Tingyue felt a little shy after hearing this; Su Jinghe was praising her so directly.
This time, there were even more guests than at the last family dinner, and some of them looked unfamiliar.
Su Jinghe introduced them to her one by one. This time, even the partners and children of the younger generation came along, making it a grand affair.
Chi Zhuo was always by her side, representing her strongest support, so almost everyone greeted her politely and didn't say anything too offensive.
Before the banquet even started, it seemed that word had already spread throughout the building. Some of the business owners who knew the Chi family rushed over to greet them, hoping to build a relationship that would make things easier in the future.
Lin Tingyue got up and went to the restroom halfway through.
As she walked through the corridor covered with a thick carpet, she unexpectedly saw a familiar figure at the corner.
Jiang Yan stood by the window, her back to the corridor, her phone pressed to her ear.
The corridor lights were dim, and Lin Tingyue instinctively stopped in her tracks, not wanting to disturb anyone.
"...Mom, I know, the money has been transferred." Jiang Yan's voice was low, tinged with weariness. "It's good that my brother has enough for the down payment on his house... I'm fine, really, I had a great time with the client tonight, it went very well..."
Just as Lin Tingyue was about to leave quietly, she saw Jiang Yan suddenly raise her hand and forcefully wipe the corner of her eye.
"I already told you, don't worry about me. You guys go eat. Bye."
That momentary straightening yet slightly trembling back made Lin Tingyue's heart feel as if it had been stabbed.
She ultimately remained silent and returned the way she came.
Back in the noisy banquet hall, everyone else was still in high spirits, but Lin Tingyue felt a little sad.
Chi Zhuo had been watching the doorway, and seeing her return, he quickly came upstairs. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Tingyue shook her head, holding his arm tightly. She felt a pang of sympathy for Jiang Yan, whose helplessness reminded her of her own situation back then.
Chi Zhuo wanted to ask more questions, but seeing Lin Tingyue's expression, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.
He paused for a moment, then said, "The old man wants to catch up with some old friends. Why don't you go sit in the next private room and rest for a while?"
"And you?" Lin Tingyue stared intently at him.
“I…” He patted her lightly, “I also need to go and attend to some social engagements first.”
"All right."
As the two were talking, Lin Tingyue heard a familiar figure walking towards them.
"Hey, Mr. Chi, Happy New Year!"
A middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties led a woman in a red dress over, his face beaming with a warm smile.
"Mr. Zhang."
Lin Tingyue looked up and saw that the woman in front of her was Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan clearly hadn't expected to run into them here, and her face instantly turned pale.
She instinctively tried to pull her arm away from Mr. Zhang's, but he held it even tighter.
Mr. Zhang laughed heartily, "I'd heard about Mr. Chi's recent marriage, but I didn't expect his wife to be so beautiful." He turned to Jiang Yan and said, "Jiang Yan, why don't you greet Mr. Chi and Mrs. Chi?"
Jiang Yan bit her lower lip, her voice barely audible: "Mr. Chi, Mrs. Chi."
Lin Tingyue looked at Jiang Yan, speechless for a moment.
“Mr. Zhang,” Lin Tingyue suddenly spoke, her voice clear and bright, “Ms. Jiang and I are old acquaintances. May I speak to her in private?”
Mr. Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course, of course."
Lin Tingyue stepped forward and gently took Jiang Yan's hand. "Excuse me for a moment."
The balcony isolated the noise, finally giving Jiang Yan a moment to catch her breath.
"Why do you want to do this?" Lin Tingyue looked directly into her eyes.
Jiang Yan turned her face away, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
"I heard it all in the hallway. Is it worth it for your family?"
Jiang Yan's shoulders trembled slightly. "How could you people who have been pampered since childhood understand? I not only have to support my parents, but also help my younger brother buy a house and get married. How can my studio alone be enough?"
Lin Tingyue was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "How do you know I don't understand?"
She gazed at the distant lights and asked softly, "Can you tell me why?"
Jiang Yan clenched her fingers, somewhat pained. "Ms. Lin, thank you for your kindness, but this is my own matter, so you don't need to worry about it. I'm glad someone noticed this detail, but I've made my choice, and I will bear the corresponding consequences."
After saying that, she turned to leave.
Lin Tingyue called her again.
"Jiang Yan!"
"You're scared, aren't you?"
Jiang Yan turned around and stood there, stunned.
Lin Tingyue stepped forward again, "Sometimes choices are really important. For your brother and your family, are you really willing to sacrifice yourself?"
Jiang Yan's face showed a pained expression, then he smiled coldly, "Miss Lin, weren't you the same back then? Now, I'm just making the same decision."
“However,” she continued, “I just won’t meet the same Mr. Chi who is consistent all the time. But it’s because I met Mr. Zhang that I was able to work with you and also know what kind of person Chi Zhuo has liked all these years. Lin Tingyue, you are really lucky.”
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