Xiao Lian’s eyes widened with excitement. She happily wanted Su Xi to accompany her but felt conflicted seeing Su Xi cutting paper with Xu Yi and occasionally smiling. They all enjoyed complicated needlework and paper cutting. Ultimately, Xiao Lian decided to pull Jin Yu down the mountain and invited Yun Mei along, who blushed and quickly agreed.

On the way in the carriage, Xiao Lian and Yun Mei were joyful, while Jin Yu’s expression was gentle, occasionally lifting the curtain to look outside.

Su Chenbi dined daily with Jin Yu and got to know her companions. His gaze often fell on Su Xi’s swollen belly, Xu Yi’s shy and sweet face, and he sometimes looked confusedly at Jin Yu’s gentle expression. Her doting eyes reminded him of someone who used to look at him lovingly.

On New Year’s Eve, he reflected on a woman he had betrayed for the sake of family, ending up in a miserable state. Su Chenbi mostly spent his time alone in a deep courtyard, staring blankly at the distant mountains. Occasionally, he placed his hand on his flat stomach, painful memories flashing in his eyes, and upon regaining his composure, his face turned cold.

He thought he would never cry again, but he still had tears.

#

During the New Year’s Eve dinner, Jin Yu ate with them for the first time in a long while. It was his first experience of New Year’s. Xiao Lian’s eyes reddened, Su Xi’s eyes were sour, and Xu Yi leaned into Jin Yu’s embrace, caressing her face and calling out, “Wife.”

After the meal, everyone felt warm and happy, wishing time could stop.

#

In Shi Li Town, the front of Smoke Flower Drunk was quiet, but the backyard was lively. Ning Chi spent New Year’s with the young attendants, forgetting previous unpleasantness.

After the meal, Ning Chi was slightly drunk. Fei Er prepared a sobering soup. His flushed face cleared as he sat alone by the bedside, his long black hair surrounding him with loneliness. Despite the warm surroundings, he felt no warmth, always alone.