Chapter 49 049 They entwined themselves under the moonlight.
Meng Ran thought she was capable of handling such situations.
The last time I took Chen Miaoying to eat at Hengyue's cafeteria, she received stares from all directions throughout the meal.
Today, when she and Jiang Shuran were strolling around the venue, quite a few curious glances were cast her way.
After Chen Sulin came over and sat down with her, she received even more stares.
However, everyone ultimately restrained themselves and did not observe openly.
At this moment, seeing Chen Sulin's shopping cart full of things for his wife on the big screen, everyone looked over at the same time without any attempt to hide it.
Someone exclaimed in surprise first, and then the hall was filled with gasps of "wow!"
Seeing this, the host laughed and said, "It seems that Mr. Chen usually uses shopping apps to buy things for his wife. That's why they say that men who love their wives are successful. Our Mr. Chen is definitely a prime example of this."
Feeling uncomfortable after being talked to, Meng Ran went to see Chen Sulin.
This is a misunderstanding, but explaining it now seems like an attempt to cover it up.
Chen Sulin gently rubbed Meng Ran's hand to comfort her.
To everyone else, it looked like a blatant display of affection.
Chen Miaoying, who was standing to the side, had no idea about the lucky draw. Hearing everyone around her exclaiming in surprise, she looked around in confusion and said, "Wow, everyone seems to be looking at us! Hey, Mom, why is your face so red?"
Meng Ran: "Mom is fine... cough, Dad won the lottery."
Chen Miaoying: "Oh—Daddy is so amazing!"
After the noise subsided, the host announced, "We have more good news for everyone. Because we unexpectedly drew Mr. Chen in this lucky draw, we will draw ten more second-prize winners as a special perk for this year's annual meeting."
As soon as he finished speaking, a huge cheer erupted from the crowd.
While watching your boss flaunt their relationship is certainly novel, the real money that ends up in your own pocket is still what makes you happier.
Seeing that everyone's attention had returned to the lottery itself, Meng Ran secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If we were to draw ten more prizes that would clear shopping carts, the cost would increase significantly.
The host clearly doesn't have that much power; it must have been arranged by Chen Sulin.
Meng Ran had some questions in her mind, but she didn't ask them because there were too many people at the scene.
By the time the annual meeting ended, it was Chen Miaoying's usual time to rest.
Chen Miaoying was especially excited from early this morning, looking forward to wearing a pretty dress and watching the show. After arriving at the venue, she skipped and jumped around for half a day.
After getting in the car, Chen Miaoying immediately fell asleep in the car seat.
Seeing her daughter fast asleep, Meng Ran whispered to Chen Sulin, "Did the lottery today... really draw your employee number?"
Chen Sulin: "What do you think otherwise?"
Meng Ran looked at him and said, "I think... maybe Boss Chen is abusing his power for personal gain and secretly had the programmers open a backdoor, hardcoding his employee number into the program."
Chen Sulin chuckled: "You really don't believe in my luck?"
Meng Ran blinked: "Hmm... a little, but mainly I don't believe I can be this lucky. After all, your shopping cart is full of things I want to buy, so winning you is practically winning me."
“You know…” she said, “I’ve participated in countless lotteries and raffles since I was a child, and I’ve never won anything good. Before, at the mall, I thought I’d finally gotten my luck and won a special prize, but in the end…”
As they talked, Meng Ran noticed that the man's expression darkened.
She realized, a beat late, that she had inadvertently mentioned someone's most hated person again.
Meng Ran did not do it on purpose.
Since Chen Miaoying threw the bracelet back at him in the park, Zhao Yanzhou has never appeared in her life again.
She hadn't heard from Zhao Yanzhou in a long time and almost forgot how much Chen Sulin cared about him.
Knowing she felt guilty, Meng Ran remained silent.
After Chen Miaoying fell asleep, the lights in the car were turned down to their lowest setting.
Meng Ran couldn't see Chen Sulin's expression.
All that could be heard was a deep, flat voice saying, "Don't compare me to that person."
Meng Ran blinked her eyelashes and suddenly felt like laughing.
She softened her voice and went along with him, saying, "Yes, you're right, he can't compare to you."
Chen Sulin glanced at her.
Meng Ran looked completely innocent: "Huh?"
Chen Sulin: "How can it not be compared?"
Meng Ran thought about it seriously for two seconds and decided to use her sweet talk skills.
“There’s no comparison,” she said. “He’s not even worth a single hair on your head.”
In the dim light, Meng Ran saw that Chen Sulin's expression softened slightly.
Chen Sulin: "Hmm."
Meng Ran bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
For a long time after waking up in the hospital, she was indeed unable to completely let go of Zhao Yanzhou.
Even if they were perfectly rational and knew they had broken up seven years ago, the psychological inertia was hard to resist.
But now, after experiencing several emotional ups and downs, all the joys and sorrows she once had with Zhao Yanzhou seem to have been completely wiped away with the tears she shed.
At this moment, Meng Ran could hardly recall the feelings she had for Zhao Yanzhou back then.
Seeing how much Chen Sulin cared, she just found it funny.
But she was definitely in the wrong today.
It was supposed to be a happy day for the company's annual party, and she even won a prize thanks to Chen Sulin. She shouldn't have mentioned that unpleasant person.
Thinking of this, Meng Ran took the initiative to hold Chen Sulin's hand.
Chen Sulin looked at her, but didn't say anything, nor did he immediately return her handshake as usual.
Meng Ran pursed her lips and glanced at Chen Miaoying, who was being held in a car seat next to her.
The little girl was sleeping soundly, with a slight smile on her lips; perhaps she was having a sweet dream.
There was a partition separating them, so the driver couldn't hear them talking.
After confirming that there were no bystanders, Meng Ran turned back to look at Chen Sulin: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted your luck, nor should I have doubted myself."
“I need to believe in myself. Maybe,” she said seriously, “that my luck will really change starting today.”
With each word she spoke, the man's gaze softened.
After she finished speaking, Chen Sulin grasped her hand.
Meng Ran's hand was a size smaller than his, so it was almost completely covered by him.
“It’s not maybe,” Chen Sulin said, “it’s definitely true.”
Meng Ran couldn't help but say, "But luck isn't something Hengyue can control in his new year's plan."
Chen Sulin: "Then I'll share my luck with you."
Meng Ran: "What if your luck is bad too?"
Chen Sulin: "No."
Hearing his certainty, Meng Ran asked curiously, "How can you be so sure?"
Chen Sulin said calmly, "If I weren't lucky enough, how could I have met you?"
Meng Ran: "..."
My heart skipped a beat, then pounded wildly in my chest like a rapid drumbeat.
This person... really is.
He rarely says sweet words, but when he does, she's completely overwhelmed.
Seeing her lower her eyes and remain silent, her cheeks slightly flushed, a smile appeared in Chen Sulin's eyes.
Like her, he had never won any big prizes.
But when he heard over the phone that she had finally returned after disappearing for five years, he knew...
He is already the luckiest man in the world.
...
After the annual meeting, Meng Ran didn't press Chen Sulin about whether the lottery draw was genuinely "lucky" or part of his scheme.
After all, not everything in this world needs to be understood perfectly.
Meng Ran prefers to believe that her luck has truly improved.
The end of the month has passed, and the new year is just around the corner.
Meng Ran doesn't have the habit of celebrating New Year's Day, and Chen Sulin is also very busy with work as the year draws to a close.
However, to satisfy Chen Miaoying's sense of ritual, the three of them still went to the amusement park together on New Year's Eve.
Chan Miu-ying prefers a lively atmosphere with many people to having fun all by herself.
To ensure Chen Miaoying had a great time, Meng Ran booked a family-friendly hotel suite that was part of the amusement park and checked in a day early.
The room is decorated in colors and styles that children like, and some of the furniture even has interactive features.
Chen Miaoying was so excited that she played with the interactive lamp at least a dozen times before Meng Ran finally coaxed her to go to sleep.
The next morning, Chen Miaoying was the first to get up again and ran to the next room to call her parents to get up and play with her.
Meng Ran wasn't the only one woken up from her sleep.
Meng Ran rubbed her eyes and saw that Chen Sulin, who was standing next to her, was also frowning at his daughter, which was rare for him. Suddenly, she felt that she was not lonely at all.
Before her, Chen Sulin had already been "tortured" like this for five years.
Thinking about this, Meng Ran felt all her morning grumpiness from being woken up early in the morning disappear, and she even felt a little sorry for Chen Sulin.
Of course, Chen Miaoying had no idea what her mother and father were thinking.
All she knew was that this was the happiest New Year's Day she had ever had.
In previous years, although her father would spend various holidays with her and take her to various places, it was just the two of them.
This year, she's a little girl who has her mom with her!
With her mom and dad by her side, she is the happiest child in the world!
...
After New Year's Day, the Lunar New Year will soon follow.
Meng Ran's mother passed away early, and she hardly remembers how the family of three spent the New Year together before she was eight years old.
For Meng Ran, most of the memories associated with the word "Chinese New Year" are unpleasant ones from the age of eight.
The more festive the occasion, the more glaringly she, the superfluous person, seemed, during the happy times when everyone else in the family was enjoying themselves.
After becoming an adult, Meng Ran never went home for the Chinese New Year again.
During her university years, Jiang Yuqing would invite Meng Ran to spend the Lunar New Year with her every year.
Meng Ran only went there once.
On such a traditional festival for family reunions, no matter how good her relationship with Jiang Yuqing was, she would inevitably feel a little out of place among other people's large families.
So even though Jiang Yuqing extended invitations every time, Meng Ran always made excuses to refuse.
When you're alone, preparing for a holiday seems less necessary.
This year marks the first Lunar New Year in Meng Ran's memory where preparations began seriously a month in advance.
Unlike Meng Ran, Chen Miaoying is a child who pays great attention to rituals.
The paper-cut window decorations covering the doors, walls, and windows of the house are all works by Chen Miaoying.
Of course, a five-year-old child is not old enough to cut out so many pieces on their own, so some of them were also made by Meng Ran and Chen Sulin.
Under Chen Miaoying's supervision, the family's New Year's goods were prepared in an exceptionally complete manner, and the candies that Chen Miaoying liked to eat were bought half a month in advance.
Of course, Chan Miu-ying couldn't wait until Lunar New Year to start eating.
However, Chen Sulin strictly stipulated that she could only eat a maximum of two pills per day.
For her daughter's health, Meng Ran could only ignore the little girl's longing gaze every day.
Meng Ran thought she had to learn from Chen Sulin and be a mother with principles.
On New Year's Eve, all the staff at the villa were given a day off, leaving only the three of them at home.
Chan Miu-ying made a bold statement: she would stay up until midnight with her parents before going to sleep.
Meng Ran was initially worried that keeping such a young child up all night for so long would harm her health, and she blamed Chen Sulin for not refusing her.
Her worries turned out to be completely unnecessary.
Chen Miaoying said she would stay up until midnight, but actually, just after 9:15, her eyes were already too sleepy to keep open.
At 9:30, Chen Miaoying lay on the sofa in the living room and fell into a deep sleep.
Chen Sulin carried Chen Miaoying upstairs back to the children's room.
When she came down, Meng Ran was on the balcony making a video call with Jiang Yuqing.
Jiang Yuqing didn't spend the Spring Festival in Beicheng; she took her mother to Hainan instead.
In the phone screen, Jiang Yuqing, wearing a dress and a woolen cardigan, stands on the beach waving to Meng Ran.
"Ranran, Happy New Year's Eve!"
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Happy New Year's Eve."
As Meng Ran's closest friend, Jiang Yuqing could always sense whether Meng Ran was happy or not immediately.
Lately, Jiang Yuqing has occasionally expressed envy for Meng Ran's life.
However, most of the time, Jiang Yuqing is quite satisfied with her current life: single, not short of money, and has a job that is not too tiring.
Jiang Yuqing scoffed at the fact that Meng Ran was always picked up by Chen Sulin every time they met.
“Your husband is watching you way too closely,” Jiang Yuqing said. “Of all the married people I know, your husband is the most extreme.”
Jiang Yuqing: "I thought you wouldn't answer the phone so quickly. How come the sun rose in the west? You weren't held up by your daughter and husband?"
Meng Ran: "Miaoying just fell asleep, and Chen Sulin carried her back to her room."
Jiang Yuqing: "Did Miaoying like the New Year's gift I gave her?"
Before going to Hainan for the Chinese New Year, Jiang Yuqing had already sent New Year's gifts to Meng Ran's family.
Meng Ran received a set of high-end aromatherapy products, while Chen Miaoying received a large plush toy.
As for Chen Sulin, he was naturally overlooked.
Meng Ran: "She loves it so much that she has to sleep with that toy every night now."
Jiang Yuqing chuckled: "I knew it! My godmother has great taste!"
Meng Ran asked, "How about you? Is your mother doing well?"
Jiang Yuqing: "Don't worry! My mom is doing great lately. I took her for a check-up a few days ago, and all her indicators were fine."
"Oh, right," Jiang Yuqing said, "My mom specifically asked me to thank you, saying that it was lucky you were there when she fell last time, otherwise she might have developed a chronic back problem."
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Auntie, you're too kind. I didn't do anything."
After chatting for a few minutes, Meng Ran asked, "How's the weather in Hainan? Is it cold?"
Jiang Yuqing: "It's very warm. You can wear a skirt and walk around during the day. It gets a little cool at night, so you need to wear a thick coat."
"Overall, it's much better than Beicheng, where there are always strange winds," Jiang Yuqing concluded. "I strongly suggest that you bring your daughter and husband here for the New Year next year!"
Meng Ran: "Okay, I'll put it in my notes and plan ahead for next year."
Jiang Yuqing: "Alright, I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I've seen your sullen husband waiting for you in the corner for ages. I'm going to go keep my mom company now. Happy New Year, Ranran, my darling!"
"Happy New Year."
After hanging up the video call, I turned around and saw Chen Sulin behind me.
"When did you come down?" Meng Ran asked. "Was your daughter sleeping soundly? Did she wake up in the middle of the night to say goodnight?"
Chen Sulin: "Don't worry, he's sleeping soundly and should be able to sleep until dawn."
Meng Ran: "That's good."
Chen Sulin: "What did you talk about with your friend?"
Meng Ran: "I just said a few words casually. Oh right, Jiang Yuqing strongly recommended that we go to Hainan for the Chinese New Year next year."
Chen Sulin: "You want to go?"
Meng Ran thought for a moment: "A little."
She wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the Chinese New Year itself, but after hearing Jiang Yuqing's recommendation, she was indeed a little tempted.
Chen Sulin: "Okay, I'll have someone arrange it."
Meng Ran chuckled: "There's still a whole year to go, isn't it a bit too early to start making plans now?"
Chen Sulin tidied the stray hairs by her temples: "Since you want to go, it's never too early to make plans."
Meng Ran suddenly asked curiously, "Can I ask you a question?"
Chen Sulin: "You want to ask me how you used to celebrate the New Year?"
Meng Ran: "..."
Having a husband who is too smart can sometimes be a problem.
This often makes her feel frustrated at such times.
Meng Ran: "Mm."
Chen Sulin: "If you ask me how Miaoying and I have been spending our time, I took her to a theme park last year. In the previous years, we had been staying at home."
Meng Ran nodded.
A few years ago, Miao Ying was too young, and it was indeed inconvenient for her to be outside in the cold winter.
Chen Sulin: "Before that, I usually lived in Beicheng with my mother."
Meng Ran looked at him silently.
Chen Sulin rarely mentioned his parents to her, but Meng Ran knew about his family situation from his snippets of conversation and other sources.
For example, Chen Sulin's father and mother both came from wealthy families in Beicheng, and their marriage was a powerful alliance.
For example, Chen Sulin's father had an illegitimate son, and at one point, Chen Sulin's father wanted to leave a large portion of the group's shares to the illegitimate son.
Later, when Chen Sulin came to power, although the father and son did not openly break off relations, their relationship approached freezing point.
Although Chen Sulin's mother and husband had a lukewarm relationship, after the power shift, she did not choose to stay in Beicheng where her son was located, but instead accompanied her husband to a sanatorium abroad.
Meng Ran: "Your mother, she..."
This was the first time she had asked these questions, and she hesitated somewhat.
Chen Sulin's voice was calm: "My mother and father's relationship was indeed not very good, but she did not support the methods I used against my father in order to take over Hengyue back then."
Meng Ran fell silent.
Even though she didn't understand Chen Sulin's mother's choice, she couldn't judge it.
Meng Ran regretted bringing up the topic; it was the New Year, and she shouldn't have said such things.
She forcefully changed the subject: "It seems that from now on, it will just be the three of us—me, you, and Miaoying—for Chinese New Year."
Chen Sulin: "Hmm."
“So,” he said, “you can do whatever you want with how you spend New Year’s Eve for the next few years.”
Meng Ran smiled and said, "Okay."
In truth, neither she nor Chen Sulin had ever truly experienced the warmth of family.
But at least their daughter will grow up in a happy family.
Thinking of Chen Miaoying, Meng Ran asked again, "What if Miaoying grows up and doesn't want to celebrate the New Year with us anymore?"
Chen Sulin: "Then let's spend it together."
Meng Ran shook her head: "You're making it sound so easy now, but you'll definitely be reluctant to part with it later."
She knew that no one loved their daughter more than he did.
Chen Sulin gazed at her: "Miaoying will grow up someday."
The man didn't say the remaining half of the sentence.
Meng Ran understood from his eyes: in the end, they would be the ones to accompany each other until old age.
A sudden warmth welled up in my heart, and my eyes suddenly became moist.
She thought to herself that she was really regressing as she got older.
A person who never shed a tear in the past few years seems to have suddenly found a place to cry since being with Chen Sulin, and his tear ducts have become more active.
Chen Sulin soothed her sentimentality with a kiss.
His lips touched her eyelids, a unique way he comforted her.
Once Meng Ran's emotions had calmed down, the man's kisses gradually moved downwards.
My breathing went from steady to rapid.
He knew her every sensitive spot, and she melted into a pool of water in his arms.
On New Year's Eve, they lingered under the moonlight, welcoming the new year.
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