[Special Notice:]
[This chapter serves as a bonus scene for New Year's Eve 2023-2024 and is independent of the main story.]
December 31, 2023, the last day of the year.
"Beep beep—beep!"
The moment the alarm clock went off, Yun Wei barely managed to raise his arm and turn it off.
A simple movement, yet it strained his aching lower back muscles, causing him to grimace.
He really spoiled Isaac too much last night.
Indeed, he was quite satisfied.
The room without heating was indeed too cold, so he quickly huddled back into his warm bed.
Yun Wei was just about to take a short nap for the last twenty seconds when the man next to her held her tightly in his arms.
The other person's arms and chest were firm and hot, which made him suddenly lose his senses.
But in that brief moment of hesitation, Isaac had already rolled over and knelt down, lying in front of him, imprinting tiny marks all the way down.
Yun Wei was extremely sensitive, and the other person's hot breathing made him feel itchy all over.
He quickly called out softly, "Isabel—"
But as soon as he opened his mouth, his extremely hoarse voice made him awkwardly shut up.
He quickly reached down and hugged the furry head that was still trying to cause trouble, but then curled up and kicked it.
Fortunately, Isaac was very obedient and immediately stopped what he was doing.
Seeing that the other party had finally calmed down, Yun Wei breathed a sigh of relief.
He said quietly, "Alright, Isa, get up and get ready. We have guests coming today!"
Sure enough, as long as he wasn't too excited, his voice wouldn't crack.
"Then I'll let you off the hook for now." Isaac's head popped out from under the covers again, but he propped himself up on his arms on either side of Isaac's face and whispered in his ear, "Wait until tonight, then we'll get rich."
After speaking, the tall man got out of bed first, took off his pajamas as if no one else was there, and went straight into the bathroom to take a shower.
Even after countless times, the other person would always find the right moment to suddenly utter those two words that made him feel extremely ashamed.
He had already taken a shower in the middle of the night, so he didn't need to join in the commotion in the morning. Yun Wei glanced at the other person's back with a complicated expression, then rubbed his lower back and went to the sink to wash up.
This is a fairly stable 'demigod plane,' making it ideal for rest and vacation.
This year happens to be a "year of return," as Yun Wei and Isaac returned to the long-lost Zhuyuan Continent and met many good friends.
The young people were always too noisy, and Empress Catherine, finding them too disruptive, "exiled" them to this demiplane for a vacation.
Yun Wei has already visited many different star systems.
As he brushed his teeth diligently, he pondered the origin of this demiplane.
Perhaps once a young man picked up a pen and wrote a long passage about world-building, but before it was finished, he left that passage forever in a discarded computer.
Perhaps a drop of amber suddenly falls, completely enveloping a budding flower branch, and then settles into darkness that lasts for millions of years.
Perhaps a star field has finally fallen silent, but the photons that keep leaping outward are still persistently transmitting the light and shadow of the past.
Perhaps these conjectures will never have an answer, but as long as people keep imagining, eventually someone will guess the correct result.
Just like the theorem proposed as early as Aristotle's time—
Monkeys, Hamlet, and typewriters.
But his speculation didn't last long, because Isaac, wearing a towel, had already come to his side.
The other person insisted on squeezing a space between him and the wall, and proudly bent his arm, revealing a set of white teeth.
What to do? This man not only never grows up, but he's also becoming more and more like a dog!
Yun Wei couldn't help but glare at the other person in the mirror.
He put down the cup and toothbrush, then turned and walked towards the dining table.
...
This is a low-key duplex apartment located in a high-end residential area on the outskirts of the city.
Its advantage lies in its tranquility.
Even in a fairly stable demiplane, they must abide by the most basic rule, which is to maintain their persona.
Fortunately, this is only a demiplane, and the descriptions of their characters are extremely simple, only focusing on their professions.
In summary, Isaac is a mini-CEO of a multinational corporation, while Yun Wei is a minor shareholder in that corporation from the East.
In order to gain experience, the young CEO flew to the other side of the ocean at the end of the year to give a performance review, and unfortunately, he met his soulmate, who happened to be there to evaluate his performance...
Thinking of this, Yun Wei couldn't help but cover his face with his hands.
Live-action murder mystery games were still a bit too scary for him.
But Isaac was having a lot of fun, so he could only let him be.
He thought to himself that he had indeed spoiled Isaac too much.
In conclusion, they have completed the necessary script readings and can now enjoy their three-day holiday in peace.
Although it was a little embarrassing to talk about on the first day.
But it's never too late to mend things starting the next day.
Since the two of them invited Xie Mulang and the others to celebrate the New Year together today, they naturally had to make preparations.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Following the current trend of the times, Yunwei plans to make hot pot at home.
So the two of them went to a nearby supermarket and bought a lot of necessities.
From induction cookers, hot pot with two separate compartments, bowls and chopsticks, to pork bones, butter, spices, and all sorts of ingredients...
Along the way, they saw thick snow piled up on the ground beside the road, and children and adults were using clip-like molds to build a duck army on the roof of a car.
"Yun, do you want to play that? It looks so fun!" Even after walking over, Isaac was still looking back, his eyes glued to the freshly made iced duck.
"I don't want to," Yun Wei said coldly, looking straight ahead.
Seeing that the other person's mood visibly dropped, Yun Wei slowly said, "But I've already placed an order on the shopping platform, and it will be delivered tomorrow."
Sure enough, those smoky gray eyes instantly regained their sparkle, and they even made a face at the little boy, as if to say, "You'll get one tomorrow too."
Yun Wei silently shook his head in his heart.
Where on earth did his elegant and noble knight servant go?!
However, Isaac is genuinely happy for him because he is so carefree and happy now.
...
Once they got home, the two realized how urgent the time was.
Isaac was in charge of preparing the broth and stir-frying the ingredients, while Yunwei assisted him.
He's no longer a time bomb in the kitchen.
While there's still room for improvement in knife skills, seasoning, and cooking techniques, at least the cleaning and preparation of vegetables are perfectly fine.
So he watched as Isaac blanched the pork bones in boiling water, then began heating them with scallions, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and peppercorns.
As if by magic, once the water boiled, the other person simply adjusted the heat of the stove, and the soup instantly turned milky white.
Yunwei had already washed all the meat, vegetables and vegetables, then minced the garlic, chopped the scallions and cilantro, and put them into bowls.
Anyway, no one can tell how well you've cut garlic and cilantro.
As long as he cuts it finely enough.
At that moment, Isaac gently kissed his forehead. "Alright, Yun, you've been a great help. Go rest outside the kitchen for a bit, I need to start cooking the ingredients."
Yun Wei nodded, took off his apron and gloves, and said, "I'll go set up the condiment area and the dining table."
...
They worked until the afternoon before finally getting everything sorted out.
Isaac's knife skills are truly beyond question; all the dishes were cut into works of art. Together, they put the meat and vegetables in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.
Yun Wei couldn't help but sigh, "So many years have passed, and people are eating better and better now."
When he was a child, his family rarely ate hot pot.
Sometimes there's only one chance a year at most.
So much so that he would always put on new clothes in a grand manner beforehand, and then when he got home, he wouldn't even wash off the smell of butter on them.
The menu was also very limited back then.
Unlike now, not to mention the wide variety of meats, you can blanch tomatoes, shredded potatoes, and seaweed in spicy broth, or blanch chrysanthemum greens in clear broth...
These are all extremely trendy new dishes.
...
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Yun Wei quickly sprang from the sofa, slipped on his slippers, and headed for the door.
As he walked, he didn't forget to ask his lover, who was following closely behind, "Guess who arrived first?"
Isaac shrugged and frankly said he didn't know.
Yun Wei glanced at him, but put on a smile and opened the door.
At the entrance stood university professors dressed casually, as well as business elites who were still dressed in suits even on holiday.
The first to arrive were Sid and Silver.
Speaking of how these two met—
If Yun Wei remembered correctly, it was about a business elite who returned to his alma mater to give a speech, but inexplicably went to the wrong classroom. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the strict professor thought he had caught a student leaving early...
After inviting the two men inside, Isaac and Silver bumped fists and Isaac joked, "I remember, the market was closed today."
Silver was taken aback by what he heard, but subconsciously looked at Sid, making the other blush.
Now everyone knows about this promising young scholar's private aesthetic preferences.
Sid glared at Silver, then turned to Yun Wei and said, "We brought some drinks, juice, soda, and wine."
Yun Wei quickly took the heavy bag from the other person's hand and instructed Isaac to pack up the even heavier pile that Silver was carrying.
He hadn't seen Sid for some time.
At this moment, the two of them naturally had a lot to talk about, but they weren't discussing any profound academic topics; instead, they were talking about trivial matters in their lives.
The other two men, who were both mentors and friends, also went out onto the balcony, their arms around each other's shoulders, chatting about something.
Half an hour quickly passed.
Just as Yun Weigang and Xi De finished talking about the rabbit held by the moon goddess in the Mayan ruins, the doorbell rang again.
“I bet it’s Richard who’s arrived. Only he would ring the doorbell so rhythmically.” Yun Wei shook his head and struggled to get up from the sofa.
Last time he tried to be brave and did a somersault, but he almost strained his back. Clearly, for a frail magician, such movements were still too strenuous, especially after vigorous exercise.
Thinking of this, Yun Wei couldn't help but glare at the instigator again.
The other person happened to be looking at him at that moment, and upon receiving his murderous gaze, immediately appeared extremely confused and innocent.
But the doorbell rang even louder, so Yun Wei had to mentally make a mental note of the other party before hurrying to the door.
When he opened the door, he was sure to see those blindingly bright silver eyes—
However, the other party was currently being brutally beaten against the wall by Xie Mulang, looking pitiful and on the verge of tears.
Of course, it's impossible for it to actually cry; after all, the silver dragon has thick skin and tough flesh.
Yun Wei immediately gave him a look that said, "It's all your own fault," but still politely said, "Thank you, brother..."
"Brother Yun! Long time no see!" The next moment, Xie Mulang was already standing in front of Yun Wei, carrying Richard.
Yun Wei quickly greeted them, "It's been a long time, come inside and let's talk."
God knows how this supermodel, who's a bit dim-witted and relies entirely on her looks, met this rich, cool guy who's obsessed with extreme sports.
As they passed Yunwei, Richard suddenly pulled out a bag of snacks as if by magic and gratefully handed it to the man.
"What is this?" Yun Wei asked instinctively after taking it.
The hard snack has a rough, brownish-brown shell and looks rather ugly through the plastic bag; it must be some kind of nut.
Xie Mulang pinched Richard's nape and answered for him, "It seems to be called 'hanging melon seeds,' a snack that's suddenly become popular recently. This guy can't resist eating them; if he keeps doing this, he'll have to retire early."
At this point, Xie Mulang pointed to the hiking backpack on his back, "Look, this is full of snacks I confiscated from him, and I brought them all here today—"
"What?!" Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the jumping silver dragon, who clutched his chest in anguish, "My husband's snacks that he's painstakingly hidden away for so many years!"
However, amidst her wails, she was mercilessly dragged to the balcony and made to stand as punishment.
Yun Wei shook his head with amusement and was about to close the door when he saw a pair of cold blue eyes through the slightly ajar door.
Unlike Sid's rational calmness and Xie Mulang's repressed aloofness, those eyes were so cold, as if they had no emotions at all.
Stared at by those eyes, Yun Wei stood frozen in place, seemingly lacking even the courage to go forward and close the door.
"Hey, brother, move aside! Don't scare Yunwei." Just then, a reassuring, sweet voice rang out from outside the door, bringing Yunwei back to reality.
As the door opened, a beautiful blonde girl appeared in the doorway, but upon seeing Yun Wei, she exclaimed with delight, "Yun! Long time no see!"
"Long time no see, Vivian. And who is this?" Yun Wei asked hesitantly.
“My name is Alejo, and I’m a lawyer,” the blue-eyed man introduced himself succinctly before Vivian could reply.
Yun Wei then noticed that both the brother and sister had blond hair and blue eyes, as if they were cast from the same mold.
One is sweet and gentle, the other is cold and aloof.
“He’s my brother.” Vivian pushed aside Alaio with a look of disgust, but took the box from his hand and said to Yun Wei, “I heard that this place has good pastries, so I went straight to queue up after my meeting, but it seems I’m too late.”
She could already hear the lively commotion inside the house.
Vivian's identity in this demiplane appears to be that of an expert in educational psychology.
Seeing that the cold-faced lawyer was about to leave, Yun Wei thought for a moment and then tried to persuade him to stay, saying, "Mr. Alejo, since you're here, why don't you have a simple meal together and ring in the New Year?"
Upon hearing this, the lawyer, who was also dressed in professional attire, lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before finally saying, "In that case, I'll take my leave."
Yun Wei was initially worried that Alejo, who was not familiar with anyone, might feel uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, the other party had a pleasant conversation with Sid, who remained in the living room.
So much so that Silver, who had been laughing and joking on the balcony, cautiously returned to the living room, sitting stickily next to Sid, arrogantly asserting his dominance.
...
Everyone had arrived, and it was lunchtime.
As the induction cooker started working, the soup in the pot gradually began to boil, and the delicious aroma of spicy and savory food filled every corner of the house.
There's no problem that a hot pot meal can't solve.
From clear broth to spicy broth, from ingredients to dipping sauces to drinks to clink glasses, you're sure to find something you like.
Yunwei uses the most traditional dipping sauce: sesame oil as a base, with minced garlic and cilantro added, and then seasoned with salt and oyster sauce. Because they can't handle spicy food very well, they also add some balsamic vinegar.
Even the hottest food will gradually become palatable after being dipped in the sauce.
As the fragrant, hot food entered their bellies, everyone's stomachs warmed up, and the coming year was sure to be as prosperous and thriving as the soup pot in front of them.
Flowers adorn the landscape, and oil is poured into a raging fire.
After several rounds of toasts, it was time for the toasting ceremony.
Isaac raised his glass first, earnestly wishing everyone a happy new year, with all your dreams fulfilled and happy marriages achieved!
"Wow! You really showed off the whole of 2023!" Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately started making a noisy commotion.
Only Yun Wei, sitting opposite Isaac, blushed under the unwavering and resolute gaze of the other man.
After quite a while, this part finally began to continue.
Silver sent several large red envelopes in the group chat, then stood up and said, "Then I wish everyone a prosperous and blessed new year!"
Who wouldn't like the good fortune of making money?
So everyone scrambled for the red envelopes, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch!
Sid clicked several times in a row, but found himself always at the bottom. It wasn't until he closed the group chat page that he discovered the little puppy had secretly forwarded a "".
"So corny." He mouthed silently to the other person, but was defeated by the other person's silly smile.
He raised his glass and said slowly, "Then I wish all students in the world good luck in the new year, passing all their exams and achieving academic success. Although I still want to say that you reap what you sow, and believe that hard work pays off!"
Everyone applauded.
Even though they have graduated, learning is a lifelong endeavor. The preciousness of human beings lies in their ability to think; it is through learning that they are distinguished from a mindless reed.
Richard then eagerly stood up and said, "Finally, it's my turn. So, as the most handsome silver dragon in the world, I wish you all a charming and youthful year, beautiful and handsome, and most importantly, to live your own lives!"
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Mulang added, "As the saying goes, 'A person with a wealth of knowledge naturally exudes elegance.' I wish everyone a new year filled with noble sentiments and virtuous character!"
The two men's congratulatory messages, one internal and one external, progressed from simple to profound, naturally drawing cheers from the crowd.
Richard whispered in Xie Mulang's ear, praising, "My husband is truly on a higher level!"
Xie Mulang gave the glib-tongued Silver Dragon a slight nod and praised him, saying, "Your last sentence was actually quite reasonable; it made some sense."
Upon receiving the praise, Yinlong was so happy he couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear, as if he were drunk.
Xie Mulang turned his head away in disgust, but when no one was watching, he gently curled the corners of his lips.
When it was Alejo's turn, the aloof but handsome man solemnly raised his glass and advised, "I hope everyone will continue to abide by the law in the new year and be a good citizen who benefits society!"
Upon hearing this, Vivian quickly swallowed the juice in her mouth, and at the same time kicked her brother under the table, trying to salvage the situation, she said, "Wishing everyone good health, family happiness, all the best, and smiles all the time in the new year!"
Everyone quickly stood up and toasted to this auspicious blessing.
"Hey, your brother's right! We won't do anything illegal or disorderly!" Richard seemed genuinely drunk, slurring his words, but still patted his chest and made his promise.
Seeing that he was about to take the opportunity to become sworn brothers with Alai, Xie Mulang quickly pulled the other man to his side with a dark face.
Finally, everyone's eyes turned to Yun Wei.
Yun Wei thought for a moment, then raised the coconut milk in his hand and said with utmost seriousness, "As your friend, I hope you will always be happy! And as a magician, I wish you all to always believe in miracles in the new year!"
Miracles are synonymous with hope, representing an eternal and undying possibility.
He was usually tongue-tied, but he was deeply moved by the sincere and enthusiastic atmosphere.
Because he has sincere wishes in his heart, even without fancy words, he can express the simplest blessings.
...
Time flew by and the laughter and chatter quickly brought it to midnight.
It's 2024!
Everyone stood up to say goodbye.
Yun Wei was about to tidy up the living room when he was suddenly tackled to the soft carpet by Isaac.
The wine bottle, still half full, tipped over, soaking a large area of his white shirt collar.
Isaac's hot breath reached her ears, "I'm sorry, Cloud, I've dirtied you again."
Yun Wei was speechless. Under the intense onslaught from the other party, he quickly became emotional as well.
But his last vestiges of reason still struggled with restraint, so he said, "Isa, I still have to clean—"
"Leave everything to me, but wait a moment." Isaac simply picked him up and walked towards the bedroom.
Yunwei suddenly fell silent.
Because those cool, handsome eyes that he could never get enough of were staring at him intently, and he heard the other person say, "It's evening, time to get rich."
"Happy New Year!"
His lover did not lie to him.
Happiness seemed to have solidified into a tangible form, surging towards him like a tidal wave.
In the brief pause, Yun Wei finally responded in a hoarse voice:
"Happy New Year!"
[Western Fantasy Mage Edition - 2024 New Year's Blessing Collection Point]
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