new year
After that campfire scene, Chu Yiran and Su Jing's relationship improved a lot. Su Jing started to chat with Chu Yiran more often, but his approach was always natural and respectful, with just the right reason.
During a break on set, Su Jing walked over to Chu Yiran's folding chair and handed him her phone: "This is a video my dad sent, do you want to watch it together?"
His tone was very natural, with a slightly helpless yet gentle smile on his lips.
On the screen, Wu Jingyun, Zheng Shuyi, and two other aunts from Su Jing's relatives were sitting around a mahjong table. Zheng Shuyi smiled, her luck seemingly on fire as she pushed over a deck of tiles: "A Pure Hand!" Wu Jingyun, standing beside her, chuckled and complained, "Shuyi, your luck is just too good..."
Looking at Zheng Shuyi's smile, Chu Yiran felt a warmth in his heart, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up. Su Jing smiled and sat down in the chair next to Chu Yiran.
"It seems they get along well," Su Jing said softly, her gaze falling on Chu Yiran's gentle profile.
Two days later, a huge insulated box was delivered to the film set and carried directly to Chu Yiran's RV. A neat note from Wu Jingyun was attached to the box.
[To Aran and Xiaojing, remember to eat well after filming.]
Su Jing appeared as if he had timed it perfectly, carrying two sets of bowls and chopsticks. He walked to Chu Yiran's RV during lunch break, pointed at the box and said innocently, "This morning my mom had a sudden urge and made a lot of delicious food with Aunt Zheng, and had the driver bring it over."
When Chu Yiran opened the box, he saw that it contained neatly arranged, still steaming, various kinds of snacks and side dishes, as well as his favorite Eight Treasure Cake.
Before he could say anything, Sun Xiaoxiao opened the RV door and greeted him, "Teacher Su hasn't eaten yet, has he? We can all eat together!" With that, Sun Xiaoxiao and Zhao Wei ushered Su Jing into his RV.
Besides chatting about their families, Su Jing would also pull the director and Chu Yiran aside to discuss the characters' psychology and dialogue. During breaks on set, she would naturally pour Chu Yiran a cup of ginger and jujube tea, which Chu Yiran had started to accept naturally without even realizing it.
"Aunt Wu and my mom, what activities are you having today?" Chu Yiran held the cup, feeling the warmth slide down her esophagus, dispelling the chill in her body. This had almost become their fixed opening line.
Su Jing took out her phone and opened a video. In the video, Wu Jingyun and Zheng Shuyi, bundled up tightly, were enjoying a relaxing foot bath in a glass corridor of a hot spring resort, admiring the snowy scenery outside. Zheng Shuyi's face was flushed, and she smiled and waved at the camera.
"They certainly know how to enjoy themselves." Chu Yiran couldn't help but smile. Seeing her mother's rosy complexion, the last bit of gloom from the cold weather dissipated in her heart.
"Yeah, it's better than us freezing here," Su Jing chimed in, his tone unusually lighthearted and teasing.
Time slipped into the year-end amidst the intense filming.
Su Jing's scenes were filmed first, and the crew held a simple farewell ceremony for him. He politely and thoughtfully said goodbye to the director and staff. When it was Chu Yiran's turn, he simply shook hands with everyone as usual and said "See you in Jiangcheng," his gaze calm and revealing no extra emotions.
Chu Yiran still had to film outdoor scenes for another half month in the freezing cold. It was already close to Lunar New Year's Eve, and the crew finally gave everyone a three-day holiday. The staff and actors were all eager to go home. Chu Yiran also gave Sun Xiaoxiao a holiday in advance and planned to drive back to Jiangcheng by himself.
After finishing filming his morning scenes, Chu Yiran returned to the hotel, quickly packed his luggage, and headed towards the underground parking lot. His black SUV was parked in a corner, covered with a thin layer of dust.
I had just opened the car door and sat down, and before I could even start the engine, there was a gentle knock on the driver's side window.
Chu Yiran turned his head. Outside the car window, Su Jing was wearing a thick black down jacket. His eyes were calm and smiling. There were still some unmelted snowflakes on his eyelashes. There was a small suitcase next to him.
Chu Yiran lowered the car window, and a blast of cold air immediately rushed in.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Chu Yiran asked, somewhat surprised.
“My mom just called and said that she and Aunt Zheng made a lot of dumplings at home and want you to come over to our house to celebrate the New Year together.” He spoke naturally, as if stating a given fact. “She told me that I must bring you back.”
Chu Yiran was stunned for a moment. He had originally planned to bring Zheng Shuyi home for the New Year.
"And—" Seeing that he was still hesitating, Su Jing pointed to his suitcase and asked directly, "Zhao Wei is on vacation and has gone home. Can I hitch a ride with him?"
Chu Yiran looked at him standing in the cold wind, remained silent for two seconds, and finally leaned forward to open the passenger door: "Get in the car, it's cold outside."
Su Jing thanked him, deftly put the suitcase into the trunk, and then got into the passenger seat. He carried the chill from outside, but was quickly melted away by the gradually increasing warmth inside the car.
The car drove out of the film studio and merged into the sparse traffic. The sky was leaden gray, and fine snowflakes began to fall, landing on the windshield and being quickly swept away by the wipers. The car was quiet, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running and the soft patter of the tires on the road.
Chu Yiran focused intently on the road ahead, while Su Jing looked down at her phone, occasionally replying to a few messages.
After a while, Su Jing put down her phone, took out a thermos from her bag, and handed it to Chu Yiran during a red light break.
"Ginger and jujube tea, please." He said calmly. "It's cold, have some."
Chu Yiran glanced at the steaming, deep red liquid, its familiar sweet and spicy aroma filling the air. He'd gotten used to Su Jing feeding him like this lately. "...Thank you."
"What...are they planning to do today?" Chu Yiran asked casually, looking straight ahead. This had almost become their unspoken way of starting a conversation.
Su Jing turned on her phone and showed a photo. In the photo, Wu Jingyun and Zheng Shuyi, wearing aprons, were busy in a spacious and bright kitchen. The island was piled high with dumpling wrappers and fillings, and both of them had warm smiles on their faces.
"It seems tonight's dumpling feast is quite large," Su Jing commented, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
Chu Yiran looked at his mother's happy face in the photo, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.
As the car entered the quiet neighborhood where the Su family lived, the snow was already falling heavily, swirling and turning the world into a silvery white. As soon as the car came to a stop, Su Jing got out first and took Chu Yiran's suitcase from the trunk without any room for argument, her movements as natural as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I can do it myself." Chu Yiran reached out to take it.
"It's alright, the snow's slippery." Su Jing said succinctly, carrying a suitcase in each hand, and trudged through the thin snow towards the warmly lit doorway of his home. Chu Yiran watched his tall figure disappear into the snow and had no choice but to follow.
As soon as the door opened, a warm atmosphere mingled with the aroma of food wafted out. The interior was decorated with a festive touch, featuring red paper-cut window decorations, joyous Chinese knots, and a potted kumquat tree, all exuding a carefully crafted and cozy ambiance.
"Oh, you two are finally back! Come in quickly, it must be freezing outside!" Wu Jingyun greeted them with an apron, her face beaming with undisguised joy. She took Chu Yiran's suitcase from Su Jing and put it aside, then busied herself brushing the snow off their shoulders.
Zheng Shuyi peeked out from the kitchen, holding a spatula in her hand, and smiled warmly: "Aran, Xiaojing, go wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon!"
Su Ting chuckled in agreement, carrying a steaming bowl of soup out of the kitchen, and greeted, "You're back just in time, come sit down, your mother and Aunt Zheng have been busy all afternoon."
The reunion dinner table was laden with dishes, all of which tasted like home.
The atmosphere at the dinner was warm and harmonious. Wu Jingyun kept serving food to Chu Yiran, while Zheng Shuyi carefully inquired about Su Jing's work, asking if he was tired from filming. After a few glasses of warm wine, Zheng Shuyi's eyes reddened slightly. She raised her glass and sincerely said to Wu Jingyun and Su Ting, "Sister Wu, Brother Su, thank you so much. Since Aran's father passed away, my son and I... haven't had a proper family meal like this in a long time." Her voice choked with emotion, "Thank you for hosting us..."
Seeing Zheng Shuyi's sincere expression, Wu Jingyun quickly went over to wipe her tears: "Oh, why are you saying such formal things! I should thank you for coming to keep me company, otherwise I would be so bored with Lao Su all day long!"
Zheng Shuyi burst into laughter through her tears. Su Ting glanced at the drink in Su Jing's glass beside him and said, "Jing, why don't you have a couple with Dad?"
Su Jing shook her head: "I took cephalosporin today, Dad."
Wu Jingyun quickly rebuked, "What are you drinking for! Have you forgotten you have high blood pressure? The doctor told you to drink less alcohol!"
Everyone laughed and chatted at the dinner table. After finishing their meal, they moved to the living room sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Although the programs weren't necessarily very exciting, the atmosphere was exceptionally warm as the family sat together, chatting and laughing.
Midway through, Wu Jingyun quietly winked at Zheng Shuyi and pulled her up, saying, "Sister Shuyi, come and help me take a look at the pattern of that sweater. I'm a little unsure." The two then went into the bedroom.
Su Jing had just gotten up to get some water in the kitchen when, as he passed the bedroom door, he faintly heard two people talking through the slightly ajar door. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but Wu Jingyun's words drifted clearly into his ears:
"...Shuyi, to be honest, Xiaojing is a kind-hearted child. He's never caused us any trouble since he was little. He's sensible, self-disciplined, and strives for perfection in everything he does. Sometimes I feel like he's living too hard..." Wu Jingyun's voice was filled with a mother's affection. "But it's just that his personality is too stubborn. He keeps everything to himself and isn't good at expressing himself. He doesn't really know how to love someone. If he likes someone, he just blindly treats them well without caring whether the other person reciprocates or not..."
Zheng Shuyi was taken aback by Wu Jingyun's sudden heart-to-heart talk. She didn't understand what it meant, and seeing that Wu Jingyun's eyes were almost filled with tears, she could only awkwardly comfort her, "Sister Wu, don't worry too much. Xiao Jing is a good child, and everything will be alright in the future..."
The voice trailed off, and although Zheng Shuyi didn't understand, Su Jing understood Wu Jingyun's lingering worries. She was paving the way for him, carefully and proactively speaking well of him in advance, without knowing whether Zheng Shuyi could accept two men being together or whether she could accept her son's feelings. She only hoped that one day in the future, when needed, the other party would remember his kindness.
Su Jing stood there holding her water glass, a pang of sadness welling up in her heart.
In his previous life, he was born into an imperial family. His mother died early, and his father was cold-hearted. The hierarchical relationship between the emperor and his subjects prevailed over everything. He had long since abandoned any so-called family affection. Where would anyone have ever considered things so carefully for him, or laid out such a plan for him with such trepidation and courage? Now, bearing the identity of Su Jing in this life, he truly feels this unreserved love that belongs to his mother.
He silently walked back to the living room, and soon Wu Jingyun pulled Zheng Shuyi out of the room. The two of them were smiling and acting as if nothing had happened.
Then the three elders took out the red envelopes they had prepared in advance and handed them to the two children. Chu Yiran originally wanted to refuse, but Su Jing directly pressed his hand to signal him to accept.
Su Jing accepted the red envelope with both hands, looked deeply at Wu Jingyun, and said sincerely and solemnly, "Thank you, Mom." Then she turned to Su Ting and said, "Thank you, Dad."
This time, the "Mom and Dad" was called out with more sincerity than ever before. Wu Jingyun was slightly taken aback, then her eyes welled up with tears, and she patted her son's arm hard. Su Ting also nodded with relief.
As midnight approached, sporadic fireworks began to pop outside the window. Everyone walked to the French windows, watching the dazzling fireworks bloom in the night sky. Wu Jingyun smiled and said, "Come on, come on, it's the New Year! Let's all make a New Year's wish!"
Su Jing gazed at the flickering light and shadows outside the window, remained silent for a moment, and then said softly, "I really hope... everything can start over."
His voice was almost inaudible. Standing beside him, Chu Yiran felt a sudden tremor in her heart upon hearing those words.
Wu Jingyun, who was standing to the side, patted his arm and said reproachfully, "If you say your wish out loud, it won't come true."
The next second, the New Year's bell rang, and in an instant, countless dazzling fireworks rose and bloomed, reflecting on the faces of everyone in front of the window.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
