Zhao Zhuowen's humble and amiable attitude contrasted sharply with the coldness and arrogance of his relatives Li Dalong and Zeng Xinyue.
Upon entering, he was completely unpretentious, greeting each of the elders with utmost humility, like a considerate junior. This demeanor conveyed his sincerity and respect to everyone present.
Zeng Xinyue seemed quite embarrassed at this moment, and she asked Li Dalong in a low voice, "Who exactly is he?"
Li Dalong was already in a terrible mood and harbored resentment towards his wife's behavior. Hearing her question now only fueled his anger. He lowered his voice and replied impatiently, "The newly appointed Deputy Director of the Provincial Security Department!"
Although Li Dalong's department had no direct connection with the Security Bureau, the Security Bureau's authority far surpassed his. Given Zhao Zhuowen's young age and ability to hold such a high position, coupled with the rumors surrounding his background, it's not hard to guess that he must be a member of some enormous family.
From the moment Zhao Zhuowen appeared in the city, countless officials tried to curry favor with him, and even the provincial government made a special call to express their goodwill. The situation in the city was predictable.
However, aside from maintaining a relatively harmonious relationship with a few people, Zhao Zhuowen always maintained a superficial politeness towards everyone else. This time, Li Dalong unexpectedly discovered that Zhao Zhuowen was involved with his elder sister's family, and what shocked him even more was that it was his own wife, Zeng Xinyue, who had offended Lin Chen.
Seeing Zhao Zhuowen and Lin Chen's close and intimate relationship, as well as his respectful attitude towards the elders in the room, Li Dalong knew that the relationship between Zhao Zhuowen and Lin Chen was anything but ordinary.
This should have been a golden opportunity, but it was ruined by Zeng Xinyue's ignorance and arrogance. Li Dalong was burning with anger, but fortunately, he hadn't done anything too outrageous before, so there might still be room for redemption. His gaze darted back and forth between Zhao Zhuowen and Lin Chen, secretly calculating in his mind.
The ensuing lunch was extremely awkward for Li Dalong and Zeng Xinyue. Although Li Dalong tried to ease the tension, things had already gotten very tense between them. Even when he took the initiative to lower his stance, Liu Xinxin, Li Xiaoyan, and the others only responded coldly. Grandma, while not as cold, couldn't help but sigh.
Zhao Zhuowen observed silently from the sidelines and sensed the subtle atmosphere. After the meal, Li Dalong and Zeng Xinyue left in a hurry. Zhao Zhuowen also had important business to attend to, and the time allotted for a meal with Lin Chen's family was nearing its limit.
Before parting, Zhao Zhuowen solemnly warned Lin Chen to be careful. Their last operation had gotten them into considerable trouble, and the other side was likely to retaliate. After saying this, he hurriedly left; work was more important.
...
The Spring Festival is fast approaching. As I get older, the festive atmosphere seems to fade. The excitement and anticipation of the past have gradually disappeared, replaced by a sense of formality.
However, this time, with the addition of Su Yanan and Lin Chen, Liu Xinxin felt an unprecedented warmth and joy. Later, Wang Nanshan and Liu Laosi also returned. Although the two brothers had some estrangement since Liu Xinxin started dating Wang Nanshan, they put aside their differences for the sake of the New Year and spent a warm Spring Festival together.
As night falls and it's dinner time, Su Yanan always manages to throw out some interesting anecdotes or a few witty remarks, adding a touch of joy and laughter to the festive atmosphere.
For her, this was her first time celebrating the Lunar New Year in a true sense. Feeling the rich festive atmosphere, she was like a child, full of curiosity and wonder about everything.
As the clock struck midnight, according to tradition, the men of the household were to set off firecrackers at the front and back doors respectively. Wang Nanshan was in charge of the back door, while Lin Chen waited at the front. He wore a watch and precisely timed the last few seconds before lighting the firecrackers.
"Quickly plug your ears and stand further away," Lin Chen noticed Su Yanan behind him and quickly reminded her.
Su Yanan obediently took two steps back, and just then, the time was up. Lin Chen deftly lit the firecrackers and quickly retreated. Due to his sensitive hearing and the layout of the house, the sound of the firecrackers was amplified considerably, forcing even Lin Chen to cover his ears.
The crackling of firecrackers filled the air, with small fragments flying everywhere after they exploded. Lin Chen squinted, took two steps back, and slightly turned his body to the side to avoid being hit by the fragments.
Su Yanan stood not far away, watching the lively scene with curiosity. Before and after Lin Chen lit the firecrackers, the surrounding neighbors also set off their own firecrackers, making the whole scene exceptionally lively. Although the air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder, Su Yanan only slightly wrinkled her small nose.
However, at that moment, Lin Chen suddenly noticed that Su Yanan was covering her eyes and making a sound of pain. He quickly went over, stopped Su Yanan and moved her to a more secluded spot, and tried to remove her hands from her eyes.
When his hand touched Su Yanan's eyelids, he noticed they were slightly red. "Something got into my eye, it hurts so much, am I going to go blind?" Su Yanan tried to open her eyes, but they were very uncomfortable, and she suddenly became frightened.
"It's alright, it's alright, don't worry, let me see." Lin Chen pried open Su Yanan's eyes and carefully examined her eyeballs, trying to find anything unusual. At this moment, the two were extremely close, their breaths mingling, their noses almost touching.
Lin Chen looked at it for a while, then gently blew on it a few times. "It's okay, I didn't find anything. Just blink a few more times, and it should be fine," he comforted gently.
Su Yanan looked at Lin Chen, who was so close to her, with her other eye, her mind filled with memories of their time together. Lin Chen was so gentle now, making her face flush slightly, and she even felt a surge of desire. Strangely, the pain in her eye seemed to lessen suddenly.
However, the sound of firecrackers outside was so loud that Lin Chen's attention was completely drawn to it, and he couldn't think about anything else. But Su Yanan didn't seem satisfied. She said again, "How can there be nothing inside? I feel so uncomfortable. Take another look."
One of her eyes was fixed on Lin Chen, looking blaming him. It has to be said, Su Yanan really knows how to manipulate men's hearts.
So Lin Chen had no choice but to repeat his previous actions, getting closer to Su Yanan to carefully examine her eyes to see if there was anything unusual.
Su Yanan's sudden action caught Lin Chen off guard. She gently wrapped her arms around Lin Chen's neck, like a nimble swallow nestled on his shoulder. Then, she lightly tiptoed and her lips, like flower petals, gently pressed against Lin Chen's lips!
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