"See, you're being paranoid again."
The table was quickly set. Looking it over, it was all rich, meaty dishes.
Ye Yaohui brought out the last stew from the kitchen. Twelve dishes, complete.
The clock struck eight—the start of the annual Spring Festival Gala. Ye Qingli turned on the TV, and the first thing they saw was the host in bright red clothes with a radiant smile.
Outside, firecrackers boomed, flames shooting into the sky, illuminating the pitch-black night. Xiao Yu quietly watched the people gathered around the table. It was his first taste of the New Year holiday.
What the TV said was true: the New Year really was a time for reunion and celebration.
Once the rice was served, Ye Yaohui handed Xiao Yu a pair of chopsticks and pointed at the dish with the most meat. "Come, come, Xiao Yu. Try your uncle's cooking."
"Okay, thank you, Uncle." Xiao Yu snapped back to reality, bent his legs, stood up, and accepted the chopsticks with both hands. He picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. Then he nodded wildly and gave a thumbs up, saying it was delicious. His etiquette and emotional value were impeccable—no one could find fault.
But Ye Yaohui felt increasingly heartbroken. Such a good kid—what kind of parents would divorce and have neither want him?
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. His face clouded with sorrow. He poured some wine into a glass and handed it to Xiao Yu. "Have a couple of drinks with your uncle."
"Dad, Xiao Yu can't drink. He's allergic to alcohol."
When it came to alcohol, Ye Qingli reacted even faster than Xiao Yu. Under the table, she took his hand, her thumb tracing patterns on his palm nervously.
It was as if she was telling him not to be stubborn about this.
Or like she was saying, "Thank goodness I noticed in time, or I wouldn't have a boyfriend anymore."
In short, she was terrified of losing him.
Xiao Yu felt it. He squeezed her hand firmly and nodded along with her words. "Sorry, Uncle. I really can't drink. Last time I went out, I almost died. I didn't know I was allergic until Qingqing noticed something was wrong."
Qingqing.
It was the first time he called her that.
Ye Qingli quickly popped a shrimp into her mouth to hide her smile. After a moment's thought, she picked one up for Xiao Yu too.
In the end, she couldn't help but smile anyway.
Zhang Luan watched, her eyes saying, "Look at that—you have no shame."
Ye Yaohui frowned deeply when he heard this. He immediately took back the wine. After learning there were no lasting effects, he let out a long sigh and gently told Xiao Yu never to touch alcohol again.
Xiao Yu smiled and agreed, eating the shrimp Ye Qingli had put in his bowl.
"Eat up, son. Don't be polite. I told you, our family doesn't have many rules. Just treat this place like your own home. Don't be so nervous," the old woman called out from across the room.
"Okay."
Despite her words, it was his first visit. Even though he'd spent an afternoon with them and knew they were kind-hearted, Xiao Yu was still a bit nervous.
Fortunately, his girlfriend finally had a conscience. She kept putting food in his bowl throughout the meal, giving him whatever she ate. Because Ye Qingli was also a picky eater, she figured if she liked something, Xiao Yu would too.
Only once did their tastes not align. Ye Qingli pouted and blinked at him pitifully. "Don't you love me anymore?"
Seeing her like that, Xiao Yu had no choice but to swallow. The adults burst into laughter, and even Zhang Luan couldn't help but smile.
And so the two of them had a meal with plenty of picking and choosing. Since Ye Qingli had mentioned that Xiao Yu was a bit of a clean freak, Ye Yaohui felt awkward about picking food for him, so he just pointed at the dishes with the most meat and urged him to take more.
Xiao Yu didn't have a big appetite, but under their enthusiastic urging, he had to keep eating. In the end, Ye Qingli had to pull him away from the table for him to escape.
He felt like his stomach was about to burst.
After dinner, they cleaned up the table and watched more of the Gala. Ye Qingli leaned against Xiao Yu, eating potato chips. He stroked her hair, then slid his fingers into her soft locks, his eyes full of tenderness and laughter.
Zhang Luan sat opposite them, catching the scene. She couldn't help but smile slightly. Suddenly, she understood why her family had taken such a liking to him at first sight.
Thoughtful and dependable.
The old woman had always been a good judge of character. Back then, she had firmly opposed Zhang Luan's first love. Yet with this kid, she couldn't bear to say a harsh word and even defended him at every turn.
Maybe Xiao Yu really was different from that man.
...
They stayed up until the Gala ended. Everyone on the sofa stood up and stretched. Time for bed.
The old woman couldn't stay up any longer and went straight to her room. Ye Qingli, however, couldn't sleep yet. She had just eaten chips and snacks and had even forced Xiao Yu to have a few bites. They needed to brush their teeth first.
Xiao Yu went back to his room to change into his pajamas. When he came out, Ye Qingli had already finished brushing her teeth. She was about to leave when he grabbed her, held her face, and kissed her. Startled, Ye Qingli blushed and pushed him away. "What are you doing? The door is open."
"I'm dying here. Can't I even kiss you?"
Xiao Yu leaned in again, but Ye Qingli covered his mouth. "Why are you acting like a pervert?"
"Kissing my own girlfriend isn't perverted. It's not like I'm kissing other girls." Xiao Yu grinned, one eyebrow raised. "Or do you want me to kiss someone else?"
"You dare!" Ye Qingli pointed at him, knowing he was teasing her, but she was still annoyed.
Xiao Yu's smile widened. He patted her cheek, stopped teasing, stepped aside, and let her go.
Ye Qingli first stuck her head out to check the living room was empty before slipping out. Then she turned back, smacked Xiao Yu's butt, and closed the door with a mischievous grin.
She didn't catch what he muttered inside. She looked down at her hand, clenching her fist—it felt pretty good.
Ye Qingli adjusted her waistband and, instead of going to her own room, headed straight to Xiao Yu's guest room.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Ye Yaohui crouched in front of Xiao Yu's suitcase, sneaking around, doing something.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Ye Qingli stuck only her head in. Ye Yaohui was still focused on his task; when he turned around, he was startled, nearly jumping out of his skin.
"Oh my god, you scared me! Why didn't you make any noise coming in?" Ye Yaohui plopped down on the floor. Ye Qingli slowly closed the door, careful not to make a sound, and asked, "When did you come in?"
"While you two were fooling around in the bathroom."
"..." She'd rather not have asked. Ye Qingli chuckled sheepishly to hide her embarrassment. When she got closer and saw what was in his hand, her eyes widened. "That thick?"
"This isn't thick. It's just five thousand yuan." Ye Yaohui said, "He's not well-off. He brought so many things to our house. I don't know how much it cost. This should be enough. The extra can be his New Year's money."
Ye Qingli also had a red envelope ready in her hand. Ye Yaohui smiled. "You prepared one too."
Ye Qingli pouted, flicking the envelope. "Not as much as yours. I only have five hundred."
"Five hundred is fine too. You're still kids." Ye Yaohui took hers, put the two envelopes together, and nodded toward the suitcase. "Daughter, figure out where to hide it. If the kid finds out, he definitely won't accept it."
Ye Qingli hugged her knees and lifted a piece of clothing. "How about rolling it up in here?"
"No, what if he wears this?"
"Then where should we put it?"
"If I knew, why would I ask you?"
"..."