Chapter 587 - 240: New Year’s Eve
Chapter 587: Chapter 240: New Year’s Eve
With twelve test papers to do over winter break, a guy had to get some rest.
Even doing four test papers a day, there was still downtime.
And what did one do during that downtime?
Give hickies, of course.
By the time Li Zhi went home, she had two new hickies on her shoulder.
Shen Yuan wasn’t much better off.
Time flew by, and soon it was New Year’s Eve.
Both Shen Yuan and Li Zhi returned to their hometowns for the New Year. The elders in their families were still hale and hearty, so of course, everyone celebrated together.
However, since both of their families’ old houses had been demolished, they usually just went back for New Year’s Eve, celebrated boisterously in the countryside until after midnight, and then returned to the city.
Of course, if Shen Yuan wanted, he could always slip away and head back early.
The adults, however, would never leave early. The festivities wouldn’t break up until three or four in the morning.
They were either playing cards or mahjong, filling the night with boisterous energy.
Of course, while Old Shen and Old Li played cards and mahjong, they had one well-kept habit: they only played this one time all year.
Besides, the stakes weren’t high, so no one got too carried away.
The winner even had to treat everyone to a late-night meal.
Shen Yuan remembered hearing Old Shen talk about it when he was a kid. One year, he’d won 200 yuan in a single night of cards, only to spend 600 on the late-night meal.
A total loss.
The adults played cards and mahjong while the kids ran around setting off fireworks. That was pretty much what New Year’s Eve in the countryside was like.
At 9:00 AM, the two families left their apartments at almost the same time, hands full of gifts for the grandparents.
Shen Yuan’s gaze immediately landed on the turtleneck peeking out from under Li Zhi’s oversized down jacket. In response, he showed off his own turtleneck, earning an eye-roll from her.
Inside the elevator, Shen Yuan deliberately sidled up next to Li Zhi.
The elevator descended.
Old Shen was already discussing the evening’s plans with Old Li, while Zhang Yuyan chatted idly with Li Zhi’s mother. The two women would occasionally glance back at the young couple huddled in the corner of the elevator.
While their parents were preoccupied, Shen Yuan stealthily reached for the back of Li Zhi’s hand, which was hanging by her side.
The moment his fingertips brushed her skin, Li Zhi flinched like a startled rabbit. With a sharp SMACK, she slapped his hand away.
Shen Yuan recoiled in pain. Meeting Li Zhi’s warning glare, a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, he could only rub his nose sheepishly to stifle a laugh, though the tips of his ears were secretly burning red.
Just then, the two mothers turned around. Seeing the scene, Zhang Yuyan immediately reached out and twisted Shen Yuan’s ear.
"Ow, ow, ow..."
That got Shen Yuan to behave.
After their car stopped in the old threshing yard of their hometown, the two families got out, and Shen Yuan immediately spotted a familiar vehicle.
’Yang Yishui’s car?’
’Huh?’
After waving goodbye to Li Zhi, Shen Yuan headed to his grandfather’s house.
Before he even reached the door, Shen Yuan heard his Eldest Female Cousin’s familiar laugh.
And with it, his younger cousin’s wail of protest.
"Sis! Have a heart! You’re quizzing me on English on New Year’s Eve?!"
"Means you haven’t learned it properly! Go copy the vocabulary words later!"
"AHH!!! I wanna go home!"
Zhao Yueyang ran sobbing toward the door, on the verge of a complete breakdown. He saw Shen Yuan’s family walk in and immediately let out a desperate howl.
"Auntie! Please find my sister a boyfriend! Marry her off quick so she’ll stop torturing me!"
Shen Yuan’s face fell. He lunged forward, grabbed Zhao Yueyang, and started dragging him back inside. "Are you insane?!" he hissed. "Saying something so unlucky on New Year’s?!"
The younger cousin flailed and struggled, but Shen Yuan still managed to drag him in front of their Eldest Female Cousin.
Yang Yishui’s face was a picture of gentle, scholarly amusement, but her smile made her younger cousin tremble from head to toe.
"Sis... I was just kidding... H-how could I ever want you to get married and leave?"
Yang Yishui patted her younger cousin’s head. "Three thousand vocabulary words. Get to copying."
The younger cousin burst into tears on the spot.
His crying immediately brought his mother out of the house, who gave him a smack on the head.
"What are you bawling for on New Year’s?!"
Inside, Shen Yuan’s grandfather, Shen Songde, listened to the lively commotion outside, a pleased smile spreading across his face.
"Grandpa! Grandma! Ta-da! Did you miss me?!"
Shen Yuan bounced into the room.
"Miss you my ass! You never come to see us!" Shen Songde grumbled, looking at Shen Yuan.
His grandmother, Zhao Qin, however, pulled Shen Yuan over by the hand, her face wreathed in smiles.
"Hey, hey, hey! I’m a senior in high school! I’m super busy!"
With that, Shen Yuan turned to his grandmother. "Grandma, I got a 665 on my finals!"
"Wonderful! That’s wonderful!"
Shen Yuan looked at his grandmother, grinning from ear to ear.
His grandmother didn’t really know what that score meant, but that didn’t stop her from praising Shen Yuan.
Seeing her grandson so happy, she chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Our Yuanyuan is so accomplished! Keep working hard, you hear?"
His grandfather smiled and nodded from the side, chiming in with pleasantries.
Shen Yuan was in the middle of an enthusiastic chat when Yang Yishui poked her head into the living room, a mischievous grin on her face.
She waved him over. "Shen Yuan, stop dawdling! Come with me, we’re going to wake up Shen Ming!"
Then, she shot a deliberate wink at their grandparents, clearly expecting some fun.
Interrupted, Shen Yuan gave his grandparents a helpless look. After they gestured for him to go ahead, he had no choice but to get up and follow Yang Yishui.
The moment he was out the door, the look of helplessness vanished from his face, replaced by one of eager anticipation.
"Let’s go, let’s go! That lazy dog Shen Ming, we’re ripping his blankets right off him today!"
The group excitedly ran over to Shen Ming’s house. Zhao Yueyang led the charge, racing up to Shen Ming’s second-floor bedroom door.
But just as he was about to open it, Shen Yuan stopped him.
"Wait!"
Zhao Yueyang looked at Shen Yuan, confused. "What’s wrong, bro?"
Shen Yuan turned to Yang Yishui. "Hey, is his fiancée in there?"
A sharp hiss escaped her lips.
Yang Yishui’s eyes flew open. "Shit! That means Shen Ming has a get-out-of-jail-free card!"
Shen Yuan quickly patted Zhao Yueyang’s shoulder. "Go! Go ask your uncle!"
"Wh—" The younger cousin didn’t even finish his word before he saw the stern looks on Shen Yuan and Yang Yishui’s faces and immediately lost his nerve.
"I’m going, I’m going right now..."
A short while later, the younger cousin returned with news: His fiancée wasn’t there!
"WOOHOO!"
The next second, Shen Yuan flung the door open and charged inside!
"Shen Ming! Get up!"
The poor guy was still fast asleep when his younger cousins ripped the blankets right off him.
Having been yanked awake, the older brother shot a resentful glare at the three grinning figures standing by his bed.
"What do you want?"
Zhao Yueyang shook his head. "Nothing."
Shen Yuan grinned. "Just felt like being a dick."
Yang Yishui pointed at Shen Yuan. "It was his idea."
Shen Yuan quickly pointed at Zhao Yueyang. "Right, it was him."
"There goes your red envelope," the older brother said, looking at Zhao Yueyang.
The younger cousin looked like he was about to cry.
Just like that, the three of them sat down in their older cousin’s room and started chatting.
Shen Yuan was, of course, most curious about his cousin’s wedding date.
"March 12th. You should come, and bring your girlfriend," Shen Ming said, half-joking.
The other three in the room had all seen Shen Yuan’s post on his Moments making his relationship public.
At that, Yang Yishui suddenly piped up. "Hey, Shen Yuan, Li Zhi is in the village too, right?"
"Why? You want me to go get her so we can flaunt our relationship in front of you?"
That hit a nerve.
"Get lost, get lost, get lost! You little shit, go die in a ditch!"
As soon as Shen Yuan finished speaking, the phone in his pocket buzzed.
While his Eldest Female Cousin was pestering Shen Ming for wedding details, he pulled out his phone and unlocked it. A message had come in from his pinned contact:
"My dear, what are you doing?"
A smile touched Shen Yuan’s lips as his fingers flew across the screen. "Just chatting. You?"
A few seconds later, a photo popped up in the chat: a satsuma mandarin.
It was followed by Li Zhi’s reply:
"Getting my vitamins in. :)"
Warmth bloomed in his chest. Shen Yuan zoomed in on the photo, noticing her fingertips resting on the edge of the table were a faint, healthy pink.
Before Shen Yuan could reply, another message from Li Zhi popped up.
Li Zhi: "My dear must be tired; he won’t even seek out poor little me for a chat anymore."
Shen Yuan’s eyes were glued to the screen, a smile spreading across his face.
Suddenly, he shot to his feet. "You’ll have to excuse me!" he announced to Yang Yishui and the others.
Before anyone could react, he was out the door, phone clutched in his hand, his figure quickly vanishing down the hall.
"Where’s he off to?"
Yang Yishui shrugged. "Off to find his girlfriend, obviously."
Hearing that, both Shen Ming and Zhao Yueyang turned to look at Yang Yishui.
Yang Yishui paused, then immediately understood the meaning behind their stares.
The Eldest Female Cousin immediately pretended to sob, covering her face. "Waaaah... I’m gonna tell Grandpa you’re bullying me!"
With that, she also ran out, leaving the two cousins staring at each other.
A moment later, it dawned on Shen Ming.
"Holy shit! You don’t think she’s actually going to tattle, do you?"
Even though Yang Yishui was twenty-eight and still unmarried, the family doted on her.
Especially their grandfather. If Yang Yishui really went to complain, the two of them would get a real earful from the old man!