The next day, Xidan.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Normally bustling Xidan has only a few shops open, but one or two can still be found.

People are coming and going on the street, chatting and laughing, preparing to visit relatives and celebrate the new year.

Jiang Zhiyi stands at the entrance of Yunmengze, looking at its grand doors.

She has always known that Jiang Zhida runs this entertainment venue, but since she was in Yangcheng at the time and then went abroad, she has never actually visited Yunmengze.

Seeing Yunmengze now, Jiang Zhiyi’s first reaction is one of shock; this entertainment venue is even more upscale than what she saw in Yangcheng.

It doesn’t give off an inappropriate vibe; rather, it seems to deter those of dubious character.

As she gazes, she hears familiar footsteps behind her. Jiang Zhiyi’s body stiffens, and a sense of homesickness and shyness washes over her.

She wants to turn around, but her feet feel as if they are glued to the ground, unable to move.

“Zhiyi.”

At the sound of her name, the tension in Jiang Zhiyi’s body seems to break, and she regains her senses, slowly turning around.

Qian Ran stands a step behind her in a deep gray coat, looking at her intently, his eyes filled with familiar affection.

Suddenly, Jiang Zhiyi’s emotions overflow; her nose tingles, and tears spill from her eyes.

“Xiao Ran, I… I’m sorry.”

Qian Ran lets out a sigh and steps forward to embrace Jiang Zhiyi, gently patting her back. “You know I’ve never blamed you.”

Jiang Zhiyi clings tightly to his coat, crying uncontrollably, unable to express her feelings in coherent words.

“I… I know, but… but I… blame myself.”

Qian Ran’s grip tightens for a moment; the ache in his heart feels soothed by her words. He has always been soft-hearted toward Jiang Zhiyi.

“That was your job; you shouldn’t blame yourself. Stop crying.”

Jiang Zhiyi responds, “I… I can’t stop.”

Qian Ran chuckles helplessly, holding her close as she cries, and they share the silence together.

Yunmengze is open today, and the staff working can earn triple pay along with a bonus, which has attracted many employees eager to work during the holiday.

A security guard stationed at the entrance observes the two of them embracing for a long time, exchanging glances filled with curiosity. However, being on duty, they stand straight, making no other moves.

After Jiang Zhiyi finally cries enough, it seems like she has shed all the tears she has held back over the years during her return.

She releases Qian Ran, looking at the large wet patch on his coat from her tears, trying to cover it up with her hand. She looks up at him and says, “I didn’t mean to.”

Qian Ran lightly flicks her head with his fingers. “So what if you did it intentionally? I won’t blame you. Let’s walk.”

“Okay.” Jiang Zhiyi nods, and Qian Ran naturally takes her hand as they stroll through the streets of Xidan.

On the street, there are outdoor billiard tables where young people gather to play. Children run around throwing firecrackers.

The sounds of firecrackers occasionally ring out, filling the air with a festive atmosphere.

Jiang Zhiyi exhales a cloud of white breath; these familiar sights and sounds make her feel relaxed.

Last night, Qian Ran had stayed up after playing games with Jiang Zhiyi, unsure of what awaited him.

He only knew that Jiang Zhiyi was back; he had no idea about her plans.

Qian Ran fears he might get an answer he doesn’t want, but he has to confront her. No matter the outcome, they must talk now.

However, upon seeing Jiang Zhiyi, all his words become stuck, and he doesn’t even want to ask her intentions; he just wants to keep walking like this.

After a while, Jiang Zhiyi turns to him and asks, “Xiao Ran, why don’t you ask me why I came back?”

Qian Ran pauses for a moment before replying, “I’m afraid to ask.”

Jiang Zhiyi feels a surge of bitterness; in her heart, Qian Ran has always been a confident person.

Although he speaks less than Jiang Zhida, he has never said he was afraid since he started his business.

Jiang Zhiyi looks at Qian Ran, trying to hide her own feelings of bitterness, and smiles at him. “I came back because I missed my family, and I missed you.”

Qian Ran’s grip on her hand tightens without him realizing, and he holds his breath for a moment. “Zhiyi, I didn’t hear you wrong, did I?”

His tone is cautious; he’s genuinely afraid he misunderstood her, having waited so long for this moment over the years.

“No. I won’t leave again. I’ll stay in Beijing.”

Jiang Zhiyi directly gives him a definitive answer, eliminating any doubt in his heart.

She feels that the person she has wronged the most over the years is Qian Ran.

Qian Ran takes a deep breath and suddenly hugs Jiang Zhiyi tightly. He holds her with great strength, as if he wants to embed her within himself.

His hands tremble slightly, and his veins pop as he struggles to contain his excitement.

Jiang Zhiyi also holds him tightly, understanding his exhilaration.

“Zhiyi, this is the best blessing I’ve heard this New Year.”

Jiang Zhiyi playfully pats him and asks, “Then how about I say it to you every year from now on?”

Qian Ran takes several deep breaths to calm down before releasing her and holding her hand, looking into her eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Mm!” Jiang Zhiyi nods without hesitation, soothing the uncertainty in his eyes.

Qian Ran nods. “Okay, you said it.”

Jiang Zhiyi wants to closely examine the expression in Qian Ran’s eyes, but before she can, he suddenly pulls her to run. “Come with me.”

His tone is urgent, as if something very important is waiting ahead for them.

Jiang Zhiyi is momentarily confused by his behavior but still follows him while asking, “Where are you taking me?”

Qian Ran didn’t answer. “I won’t sell you. You’ll find out when we get there.”

After Jiang Zhiyi settled into the seat, Qian Ran opened the driver’s door, got in, leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, and started the car. Jiang Zhiyi looked at the road ahead and realized that it was getting more and more familiar.

“Brother Xiaoran, isn’t this the way to your house?” she asked.

He took Jiang Zhiyi to where his car was parked, opened the door, and gestured for her to get in.

Although Jiang Zhiyi was still puzzled, she had already taken a bold step once, so it didn’t make a difference now. Besides, she was curious to know what Qian Ran intended to do.

Qian Ran nodded. “Yes, are you scared?”

If Jiang Zhiyi had said she was scared, Qian Ran would have turned the car around immediately without moving forward a bit.

“I’m not scared.”

Jiang Zhiyi had figured out what Qian Ran was planning, but she wasn’t afraid at all.

“But Brother Xiaoran, if we’re going to meet your parents, I’d prefer to buy something first. I don’t want your parents to think I lack manners.”

It was the first day of the new year. No one visits their elders without bringing New Year gifts.

Qian Ran responded, “There’s something in the trunk.”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes widened as she looked at him in surprise. “You already prepared everything! Did you plan to bring me to meet your parents all along?”

Qian Ran didn’t hide it from her anymore and answered with a simple “Yes.”

“Today’s meeting will only have two possible outcomes: one, we go our separate ways. You return to work abroad, and I—”

“Stop, no such scenario!” Jiang Zhiyi interrupted him before he could finish, and Qian Ran burst into laughter, his eyes gleaming with genuine joy.

“Alright, the other possibility is that we’ll spend the rest of our lives together. Last night, I thought if it’s the second outcome, I would immediately bring you home to meet my parents. I want to settle this quickly and then get married.”

As Qian Ran said the last sentence, he looked straight at Jiang Zhiyi, making no attempt to hide his eagerness and determination.

“So you prepared New Year gifts in the trunk ahead of time?” Jiang Zhiyi asked.

Qian Ran nodded again. He wouldn’t let Jiang Zhiyi feel embarrassed in front of his parents. He wanted to spend his life with her, and his parents’ blessing was essential.

Jiang Zhiyi’s face bloomed into a smile. “Brother Xiaoran, I’m so happy.”

She was happy about Qian Ran’s feelings for her, happy that he had thought everything through, happy that he wanted to spend his life with her.

At this moment, Jiang Zhiyi was immensely grateful for her decision to return. If she hadn’t come back, she probably would have regretted it for the rest of her life.

The car soon stopped in front of Qian Ran’s parents’ house, which was in a residential complex where his parents lived on the second floor.

Qian Ran had also bought a large courtyard house in Beijing, which he purchased together with Jiang Zhida.

When they bought the courtyard house in early summer, Jiang Zhida had the idea, and after finding a few suitable ones, a group of their close friends all bought one.

In addition to the courtyard house, they owned other properties. As Chu Xia always said, in case they wanted to open a shop in the future, owning property would save the trouble of finding a suitable place.

Chu Xia had even bought a house near Cen Huai’an’s school, thinking he might use it in the future. She wasn’t buying properties recklessly but only bought what was useful. If they wouldn’t use it, there was no need to stockpile it.

Chu Xia and Jiang Zhishu had collaborated to develop many medicinal ointments and skincare products, earning her dividends. She also had dividends from Yunmengze. Money was never an issue for her.

By the time she and Cen Zhengnian retired, she imagined living in a quiet area with all necessary amenities nearby.

They could take walks, enjoy the scenery of Beijing, and live a leisurely life.

Just thinking about this kind of life made Chu Xia eager to retire.

The courtyard house Qian Ran bought was also quite large. He had initially wanted his parents to move in, but they were accustomed to living in the residential complex. The second floor wasn’t too high, and they didn’t want to relocate.

It wasn’t until Jiang Zhiyi followed Qian Ran to his parents’ doorstep that she started to feel nervous. In fact, she had already met his parents before, as Qian Ran and Jiang Zhida grew up together, and his family wasn’t far from Jiang Zhida’s home.

“Brother Xiaoran…”