Chapter 72

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, Xu Zhiyi and Jiang Sixun returned to their home in Shanghai.

Jiang Sixun took it upon himself to carry his luggage upstairs to the second-floor room. Only half of the suitcase contained his belongings—the other half was filled with Xu Zhiyi’s clothes.

He pulled out the stack of clothes, preparing to take them upstairs.

“Don’t forget to pay this month’s living expenses,” Xu Heng’s voice floated into the room as he walked in. The company was on holiday, and he had nothing better to do. Just as his sister and brother-in-law came back, he’d decided to pop in.

Jiang Sixun stuffed Xu Zhiyi’s clothes into two shopping bags, filled to the brim.

Finally, he had time to respond to Xu Heng. “Dad said we don’t need to pay,” he raised an eyebrow, casting a glance at the person standing by the wardrobe door, his voice casual. “Do you still need to pay? Probably not, right?”

“…”

Xu Heng let out a mocking huff of laughter, clearly annoyed.

Jiang Sixun grabbed the two bags and went to deliver Xu Zhiyi’s clothes to her. With a slight tilt of his chin toward his open suitcase, he added, “If you’re really that bored, feel free to help me organize this.”

“Do I look like I have nothing better to do?” Xu Heng huffed, heading downstairs.

On his way down, he bumped into Xu Zhiyi. It had been over two months since they’d seen each other, since the day they had registered their marriage in Hong Kong.

“Big Brother,” she said, affectionately looping her arm around his. In her other hand was a half-eaten chocolate bar. “I saved this for you.”

Xu Heng took it from her, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth, teasing her. “You saved it for me, or you just couldn’t bring yourself to finish it because it tastes so bad?”

Xu Zhiyi burst into laughter, only chuckling in response without saying a word.

Seeing the expression on her brother’s face, Xu Heng frowned and swallowed.

“Well?” she asked, smiling, “Tastes good, right?”

Xu Heng sighed and nodded. “Yes, it’s good.”

In the living room, Xu Xiangyi watched as the two siblings came down the stairs, noticing how affectionate they were after not seeing each other for so long. When they saw each other every day, they barely lasted five minutes without bickering.

It was quite the sight—two people in their twenties still squabbling like children. He’d lived a long life, but he’d never seen anything like it.

“Where’s Sixun?” Xu Xiangyi asked.

“He’s organizing my luggage,” Xu Zhiyi replied.

“He brought quite a bit back with him, huh?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “He’ll be staying here for about two months.”

Xu Xiangyi couldn’t hide his excitement. “Two months? That long?”

“Yes, but after the New Year, there are several projects he’ll need to take care of domestically, though he’ll need to go back to Hong Kong for a few days in between.” Xu Zhiyi picked up some dried strawberries from the coffee table and sat down next to her father.

Xu Heng cut in, “So Jiang Sixun’s staying for that long?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Xu Zhiyi said, handing her father a strawberry before continuing, “He’ll be here most of the time.”

“His dad popped a piece of strawberry dry into his mouth, chewing as he said, ‘He still has to go back to Hong Kong.’

⊛ Author reminder: The latest chapters of You Ruo Nan Feng are exclusively available on QieX.com. Read without pop-ups, for free!⊛

‘He’ll be staying there for about two weeks,’ he added, looking at Xu Heng.

Xu Heng pulled out a nail-care kit from a nearby drawer, half-jokingly but pointedly asking, ‘Dad, what about the living expenses?’

Xu Xiangyi shrugged, not even glancing up. ‘Your sister and Sixun don’t need to pay.’

‘Why not?’ Xu Heng asked, eyebrows raised.

‘Zhiyi gave your mom and me a big red envelope from her year-end bonus.’

Xu Heng’s next question was inevitable. ‘Did I get a red envelope?’

Xu Xiangyi blinked in surprise.

He looked at his son, shaking his head with a wry smile. ‘I thought you’d be touched and offer to send us a red envelope yourself.’

Xu Heng grinned mischievously. ‘I’m a bad son.’

After a few seconds of contemplation, he added, ‘Alright, from now on, I’ll cover all the household expenses.’

Then, turning back to his sister, he asked again, ‘So, where’s my red envelope?’

Xu Zhiyi, lounging on her father’s side and munching on dried strawberries, grinned. ‘Of course you’ll get one! I’m just saving it for a little surprise at the New Year.’

Xu Heng gestured for his sister to come over. ‘Come here.’

Xu Zhiyi, with a strawberry in hand, asked, ‘What’s up?’

‘Let me fix your nails,’ Xu Heng offered, as he reached for his nail tools.

Xu Zhiyi’s nails were always done by He Yi’an, shaped with precision and elegance. She hesitated. ‘Do you know how to do this? If you mess them up, I wasn’t planning on getting a manicure.’

Xu Heng smirked. ‘I can do floral arrangements, so how hard could nails be?’

He held out his hand for her to see. ‘What do you think? Not bad, right?’

Her brother’s hands were well-defined, his nails clean and neatly trimmed—a sight for sore eyes.

Feeling reassured, Xu Zhiyi moved closer and handed him her left hand, holding her strawberry dry in her right.

‘We’re about to eat. You should eat fewer snacks,’ Xu Heng advised.

But Xu Zhiyi acted as if she hadn’t heard, popping one strawberry after another into her mouth.

At that moment, Jiang Sixun, having finished unpacking, came downstairs. Xu Zhiyi handed him the last half of the fruit platter. ‘Try this! I swear it tastes even better than last time.’

Xu Heng pinched his sister’s fingers, reminding her, ‘Don’t move. If I cut them wrong, it’ll be on me.’

His eyes landed on the fruit platter. ‘You’re giving him the good dried fruit and keeping the bad chocolate for yourself? You really are a little ungrateful wolf.’

Xu Zhiyi defended herself with a shrug. ‘I never really liked that stuff. Sixun always takes it for himself without asking me.’

Xu Heng, now finishing up with her pinky nail, finally looked up, adding, ‘So you’re saying I should just ask you for the bad chocolate?’

Xu Zhiyi laughed and flattered him, ‘Ah, your wisdom! No wonder you’re the one running the company.'”

Jiang Sixun sat down next to her, taking only one strawberry dry and then pushing the rest towards her.

Xu Heng finished fixing the five nails on her left hand and let her examine his handiwork.

Xu Zhiyi was quite pleased with the result. She shifted to sit beside her brother, offering her right hand for him to continue.

Jiang Sixun stood up to grab a glass of water and, on his way, refilled her father’s tea. Holding his own cup of red tea, he quietly moved closer to Xu Zhiyi.

Her father, Xu Xiangyi, asked them both if they were planning a wedding for next year. If so, they needed to start making preparations, and the venue had to be booked now.

Jiang Sixun glanced at Xu Zhiyi, ready to follow her lead.

Xu Zhiyi responded, “How about early summer, Dad, is that okay?”

Xu Xiangyi smiled warmly, “Whenever you want, it’s up to you.” He then added, “We’ll finalize the wedding date after consulting with your mother and Uncle Lu.”

Realizing his slip, he corrected, “I mean, we’ll check with your in-laws.”

Jiang Sixun smiled and said, “Any title works.”

Perhaps because Xu Zhiyi had always called them “Aunt Jiang” and “Uncle Lu,” it felt closer and more familiar to address them that way.

Every time her father referred to his in-laws, Jiang Sixun needed a moment to process.

For now, the wedding was tentatively planned for two locations: one in Shanghai and the other in Hong Kong. The Beijing gathering wasn’t technically a wedding—it would just be a simple family dinner. The Jiang family preferred to keep things understated for their younger generation’s weddings.

Xu Xiangyi, pleased that his daughter’s lifelong journey had come to a happy conclusion, couldn’t help but glance at his son. “Your sister is getting married soon, what about you?”

Xu Heng, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, replied, “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll help organize it with all my heart.”

Xu Xiangyi blinked in disbelief.

Jiang Sixun jumped in, teasing, “So, when are you going to fall in love and bring your girlfriend home?”

Xu Heng tilted his head, responding directly to Jiang Sixun, “Since you’re so eager, why don’t you introduce me to someone? I’ll even go on a blind date if you find me someone.”

Jiang Sixun chuckled, “The only single person I know well is Ning Yun.”

Xu Heng, focused on finishing the last nail, blew gently on it before saying casually, “Didn’t she just find true love? Or did they break up?”

Jiang Sixun didn’t know much about Ning Yun’s past relationship, only that they’d been dating for a year. When things were good, Ning Yun would often post about their relationship, but in the last couple of months, she had only posted pictures of herself, leading many to guess that they were probably breaking up. Sure enough, they had.

“She broke up before New Year’s,” Jiang Sixun confirmed. “Details are unclear.”

When Ning Yun was brought up, Xu Xiangyi spoke a little more, “Ning Yun asked me once why I wasn’t concerned about your marriage.”

Xu Xiangyi sighed, thinking of his daughter’s wedding plans.

Xu Heng shot back, “Ning Yun, that spoiled young lady? I’m not putting up with her. How desperate would I have to be to go on a blind date and marry her?”

Xu Xiangyi raised an eyebrow, unbothered. “Fine. I’ll arrange a blind date for you after the New Year. Preferably before your sister’s wedding. You need to get yours done first.”

Xu Heng frowned, “Dad, you can’t just dismiss my life like that.”

Xu Zhiyi, clearly enjoying the drama, chimed in, “Dad, I’ll be home after the New Year. I’ll make sure to watch my brother’s blind date, too.”

Xu Heng’s hand lifted, as if to ruffle her hair, but before his hand made contact, Jiang Sixun intervened, blocking it with a swift motion.

Xu Zhiyi laughed, playfully dodging behind Jiang Sixun and nudging her brother with her foot.

Jiang Sixun, holding her close, stretched his arm out to pull her mischievous leg back into place.

Across the room, Xu Xiangyi rubbed his nose, hoping for at least a couple of peaceful hours with his children. He glanced at his watch, seeing it was only twenty minutes, yet they were already back to squabbling.

“Xu Heng, kick her back.”

Xu Heng sighed, “…”

Xu Zhiyi, ever the troublemaker, wasn’t about to actually kick him. Instead, she handed him the fruit plate she was holding.

Xu Heng took a strawberry dry and muttered, “At least you still have a bit of conscience.”

Xu Xiangyi, not missing a beat, continued, “What’s the problem with setting up a blind date? You’ve got months before your sister’s wedding, no rush to get married tomorrow.”

He picked up his phone and called his wife, asking her to arrange a date for Xu Heng after the New Year.

“Blind date? He’s going, alright.” He chuckled, knowing that He Yi’an was always most anxious about their son’s marriage.

Xu Xiangyi smirked, “He’s going. Tell Jiang Sixun to introduce him. He said it himself.”

Xu Heng grimaced. “That was just me being sarcastic with Jiang Sixun.”

He Yi’an, who was away at an event, wouldn’t be back home until tomorrow. Whether Xu Heng was serious or not about the blind date, she was taking it as genuine.

She picked up the phone. “When should we schedule it for?”

Xu Xiangyi considered for a moment, “New Year’s Day is for the family. Let’s say the second day of the New Year.”

Xu Heng groaned, “…”

Xu Zhiyi nearly burst out laughing but caught herself just in time. Quickly, she grabbed the tool kit and pulled out a fresh nail clipper, taking her brother’s hand into hers.

“Time to fix your nails,” she teased, “You know, for your upcoming blind date.”

Xu Heng wanted nothing more than to give his sister a proper scolding, but unfortunately, Jiang Sixun’s ever-watchful eyes were on him, always alert, making sure he didn’t do anything too drastic.

It wasn’t until after dinner, when Jiang Sixun had to take an important work call upstairs and Xu Zhiyi was left alone, that Xu Heng finally had the chance to exact a bit of brotherly vengeance.

Grabbing her head gently, he prepared to take his revenge…

Xu Zhiyi’s face hurt from the laughter as her brother pinched her cheeks again.

“Come on, stop that,” she grumbled, shoving him away. “Luckily, we didn’t grow up together as kids. You know, they say when you pinch a child’s cheeks, they end up drooling.”

Xu Heng smirked, “I’ve got red envelopes, enough to buy you a drool cloth.”

Xu Zhiyi gave him a playful punch on his shoulder, annoyed but smiling.

Talking about childhood made Xu Heng’s heart soften unexpectedly, making him not want to tease her anymore. Gently, he started to smooth her slightly messy long hair. “Go upstairs and find Jiang Sixun.”

He grabbed his coat, planning to meet someone for business.

Xu Zhiyi asked, “Where are you going so late?”

Xu Heng pulled on his coat and teased her, “Running away from marriage.”

She laughed. “You’d have to be brave enough for that.” She gave him a mock scolding, “Come back early, okay?” She walked him to the driveway, watching as his car drove away.

Just then, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Jiang Sixun coming down the stairs, having just finished a call. He held both of their coats in his hands.

“Are you going out too?” she asked, surprised.

Her own coat was buried under his black one, and she hadn’t even noticed.

Jiang Sixun smiled. “It’s supposed to snow tonight. I thought we could go see it together.”

“Dad said it hasn’t snowed much in Shanghai for years.”

“Well, you’re back this year, so maybe it’ll snow.”

“You mean I brought the Beijing snow with me?”

“Exactly.”

Xu Zhiyi smiled as he handed her the coat.

They walked out together, Jiang Sixun slipping into his black coat as they strolled side by side.

Xu Zhiyi asked, “So, for sure you’re not staying on the third floor tonight?”

Jiang Sixun shook his head. “Nope. You can come to my room, though.”

He explained, “When I’m not home, your mom can keep you company. I won’t go into your room when I’m here.”

Xu Zhiyi hadn’t thought about it that way, so she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

At 10:15, the first snow of the season finally started to fall, drifting down in soft, dry flakes that melted the moment they hit the ground.

Having grown up with the heavy snow of the north, southern snow always felt a little less romantic to her.

Jiang Sixun said, “We left a day earlier than planned.”

The Jiang family’s reunion dinner was set for the 28th of the twelfth month, and even on New Year’s Eve, they had things to handle, so it would be difficult to all gather together.

On the 27th, they returned to Beijing.

It had been snowing for days in the north, and as Xu Zhiyi scrolled through her social media, she saw many snow-covered posts, including one from Shang Ren—a picture of a snowman, likely made by him in his own yard.

Jiang Sixun left a comment: “This…”

Shang Ren replied: “Ask Zhiyi if she wants one, and I’ll build it for her.”

Jiang Sixun responded: “She doesn’t want one, but I do. Build one for me.”

Shang Ren: “…”

Jiang Yueru had arrived a day earlier. Auntie had already tidied up the house, making it warm and cozy. Xu Zhiyi changed into a set of spring-summer loungewear, feeling comfortable in the familiar atmosphere.

Jiang Yueru had also brought back some fresh flowers, placing them in vases around the house. The presence of another person made the home feel livelier. This year, they hadn’t bought any New Year’s goods, but her brothers had sent plenty over, so they had more than enough to eat.

After the New Year, she and He Yi’an were planning a road trip. With the two kids preparing for their wedding, their travel plan was temporarily limited to three routes.

Upstairs, Xu Zhiyi sat at Jiang Sixun’s childhood desk, replying to emails. The company had branches in over forty countries, and even with Secretary Cai’s help, the emails requiring her personal attention piled up every day.

Jiang Sixun sat on the sofa across from her, keeping her company as she worked late.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Jiang Sixun opened it to find Auntie delivering a vase of fresh flowers. He placed it on the corner of the desk and asked, “How much longer?”

Xu Zhiyi: “Almost done.”

He didn’t disturb her, sitting back down on the sofa.

After typing the last word, Xu Zhiyi clicked send, finishing her work for the day.

Jiang Sixun asked, “Who’s the most lively at your family’s gatherings?”

Xu Zhiyi: “Me, Jiang Baichuan, and Fifth Brother. Jiang Chengyu and Jiang Shenghe are next.”

He asked, “Why do you want to know?”

Xu Zhiyi closed her laptop and sat on the armrest of the sofa next to him, smiling. “The lively ones are always getting scolded by the elders, so I better keep my distance from them.”

Jiang Sixun gave her a light smile and patted his lap, indicating she should come closer.

Xu Zhiyi tossed her phone onto the bed and nestled into his arms.

Jiang Sixun said, “Then tomorrow night, you can sit with Su Yang and Luo Qi. They hardly talk.”

Just as they were talking, Jiang Sixun’s phone rang.

It was Lu Jianbo, who was currently in Hong Kong. He had just had dinner with Old Man Lu, just the two of them. Over two hours of conversation had been spent reminiscing about Jiang Sixun’s childhood. His father was almost 91, and it surprised him how vividly he could remember things from over fifty years ago.

After finishing the meal, he had just left the old house.

“Did it snow in Beijing? A lot?” Lu Jianbo asked.

“Yes,” Jiang Sixun replied.

“Did it affect the flights?”

“No, no impact. Zhiyiand I are already back today.”

Lu Jianbo asked because he was flying to Beijing the next morning. With the wedding approaching, there were some things to discuss with his former brothers-in-law.