There was a warm welcome for Jesse finally having a social media platform to communicate directly with everyone, as he also shared the first five episodes of “Ten Questions and Ten Answers.” Once Qi Shejiang finished sharing, they could seamlessly integrate it into their own performances. Of course, the majority still seemed to be those enthusiastically shouting, “Hubby, you finally came!”
In the internet age, quickly a new hot topic emerged, especially with the year-end approaching. It wasn’t anyone else but Qi Shejiang himself… The program Zhang Yue recorded earlier aired back-to-back.
His segment questioning Teacher Wang aired unedited, paired with Teacher Wang’s remarkable expressions, making it particularly engaging.
Netizens exclaimed that Qi Shejiang was “toxic” and questioned why even Zhang Yue would defend him! Some even isolated Zhang Yue’s last line, “Did you recite the lines after getting up this morning?” and remixed it to “Did you memorize the vocabulary after getting up this morning?”… The public was fervently speculating about why Zhang Yue acted like this. After all, they had once shared the same program and slept in the same space; perhaps Zhang Yue just couldn’t let it go on the surface, but internally acknowledged Qi Shejiang’s artistry.
After all, Zhang Yue seemed visibly discontent being associated with Qi Shejiang. Otherwise, it could just be that he was cursed, or because Lin Yang’s 100% ratio of being slapped had a far-reaching influence; once involved, you couldn’t escape. Amidst countless analyses, there were also odd voices: 【The love-hate relationship is real! Only I can scold Qi Jesse; anyone who scolds him will face my wrath!】 【I declare that I am not shipping, there’s sugar!】
Because Qi Shejiang only shared videos on Weibo, and Zhang Yue was on holiday with no response, netizens guessed for a while, then dispersed; after all, everyone had to celebrate the New Year.
Qi Shejiang’s family ordered their New Year’s Eve dinner from a restaurant, while Xia Yiwei prepared a cold dish; she didn’t know how to make much else, though Qi Guangling could still make dumplings.
At the dining table of the Qi family, all kinds of dishes were served; their table had a diverse spread, ranging from steak and salad to dumplings and sweet osmanthus lotus roots.
Relatives of the Qi family were scattered from all over; since the elders were no longer around, it became difficult for this generation to gather. They only connected through video calls for New Year’s greetings, and the New Year’s Eve dinner was just the three of them. Qi Shejiang hadn’t had a “reunion dinner” in many years; it had become rather empty.
This year, though the numbers were few, watching Xia Yiwei humming or recording blessing videos while Qi Guangling prepared dishes and poured drinks felt brand new. Qi Shejiang, however, felt a long-lost warmth of reunion. “In the New Year, may our Jesse’s crosstalk career reach new heights and succeed in promoting Zidi Shu,” Xia Yiwei raised her glass in a toast.
“Also wishing you youthful vitality forever, and for Dad, may everything go smoothly,” Qi Shejiang drank warm water, clinking glasses with them, his face adorned with a naturally warm smile. They ate while watching TV. The Spring Festival Gala on New Year’s Eve felt rather mundane, yet for Qi Shejiang, it was an entirely fresh experience.
Xia Yiwei and Qi Guangling hadn’t watched the Spring Festival Gala for many years. Seeing their son so engrossed, they occasionally commented, without realizing they ended up watching it to the end together, although they inevitably got distracted to exchange New Year greetings with others.
As the clock struck midnight, the new year began.
The people on the television were exchanging New Year greetings, and Qi Shejiang also greeted his parents before taking out his phone and sending a New Year wish to Zhang Yue via WeChat. Five minutes later, Zhang Yue replied: Happy New Year. Immediately followed by: Are you home? Qi Shejiang: Uh-huh. Zhang Yue typed for a long time, and only a few words popped up on the screen: Wanna go out? Qi Shejiang pondered for a moment. Before he could reply, Zhang Yue added: Walk around? The weather is nice today.
Even if the weather is nice, it’s still midnight. Qi Shejiang hesitated for a while but still agreed, fearing that Zhang Yue might feel depressed during the festive season. “Zhang Yue asked me to go for a walk.” Qi Shejiang reported honestly to Xia Yiwei.
Xia Yiwei was a bit picky and, while Qi Shejiang was putting on his shoes at the door, placed her hands on her hips and said, “Those in bands are all so eccentric. If he asks you to go winter swimming or streaking, don’t agree.” Qi Shejiang: “……” When he finally met Zhang Yue, Qi Shejiang discovered that there were a lot of people outside on New Year’s Eve. This was probably because they arranged to meet in the bustling part of the city, where the streets were filled with relatives, friends, couples, or people just returning from a celebration. Qi Shejiang wore a hat and a scarf, bundling himself up warmly; he was actually a bit hot, but he was still quite recognizable. Zhang Yue, who came over, was also fully bundled up. “Happy New Year.” Qi Shejiang clasped his hands together and greeted him. Zhang Yue mumbled in his heart. On New Year’s, his family was the kind with a large gathering, with grandpa and grandma, uncles and aunts—dozens of people celebrating together. But the more lively it got, the more he wanted to see Qi Shejiang when everyone started going to sleep after the countdown. Even just face-to-face… a simple greeting would suffice. He hesitated to send a WeChat invitation, and after he did, he regretted it; Qi Shejiang usually kept a regular schedule and it was already early morning, could he even come out?
However, Qi Shejiang did actually agree to meet him. Zhang Yue buried his face in his scarf, with his hands in his pockets, and after a moment of humming, he extended his right hand, revealing a red envelope, which he handed to Qi Shejiang. “Thank you, do I have a red envelope too?” Qi Shejiang took the red envelope, somewhat uncertain of the etiquette; they were the same age, and he hadn’t brought any red envelopes himself, so how should he reciprocate? “Just take it. Come on, you’ve been abroad for so long and probably aren’t familiar with things here. I’ll take you out for some late-night snacks.” Seeing Qi Shejiang in person, Zhang Yue felt much better, no longer plagued by the earlier scratching of impatience. In front was a bustling commercial pedestrian street, brightly lit. Qi Shejiang even saw street performers playing guitars, and after the gentle strumming, familiar music echoed. It was Zhang Yue’s song “Autumn Water.” Groups of passersby stopped to listen, and Qi Shejiang couldn’t help but stop as well, standing on the periphery to enjoy the music. He turned to Zhang Yue and said, “It’s because of this song that I didn’t go too hard on you back then.” Zhang Yue: “……” Qi Shejiang: “Just kidding, it was actually because the TV station wouldn’t allow it.” Now, mentioning that time made Qi Shejiang feel like he wanted to die.
