This cultural exchange would last for half a month, and on the day of the opening ceremony, an official banquet would be held.

All the literary and artistic figures participating in the exhibition would attend, as well as some well-known collectors, calligraphy and painting dealers, and several heads of art colleges.

At nearly eighty years old, Xie Fei Nian was undoubtedly the most respected senior at this banquet, both in terms of age and qualifications, and many people wanted to offer him wine and greet him with a few words.

An Yi followed quietly on the side, not saying much or showing off, remaining low-key and modest, gentle as jade.

Many people praised them repeatedly, saying that Xie Fei Nian had taken in a good student.

Xie Fei Nian took everything on the menu and subtly hinted at An Yi both explicitly and implicitly, hoping that the friends present would give the young man more opportunities to showcase his talents.

An Yi thanked everyone with a glass of wine in hand. When his glass was empty and he intended to go find a waiter for a refill, Xie Nancang led him away from the venue.

“Your face is all red from drinking,” Xie Nancang said as he draped a wool coat over his shoulders. “Didn’t I ask you to just show your face and leave?”

“I felt a bit embarrassed to leave early,” An Yi said with a smile as he adjusted his coat. “Actually, I’m fine. I can hold my liquor.” His eyes curved like crescent moons. “It’s just that Grandpa’s praise made me feel a bit uneasy.”

Clearly, just yesterday, he had been scolded for the color deviation of the glaze he had prepared.

Xie Nancang smiled knowingly. “He’s strict with you, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t approve of you.”

“I understand,” An Yi said. “It’s just that I don’t think my abilities deserve such high praise, and I don’t have any works to support it, so I still feel insecure and uncertain.”

“You’ll get there eventually. I have confidence in you,” Xie Nancang teased. “Grandpa praises you more times than your previous two senior brothers combined.”

An Yi smiled.

Xie Nancang gradually stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. “This New Year’s Eve, spend it with me.”

An Yi tucked his chin into the collar of the coat, meeting his gaze.

Xie Nancang had expressed his fondness for An Yi many times, but this time he said it more tactfully. “In the future, I want to spend every holiday with you.”

An Yi lowered his head, blinking his eyelashes.

After a moment, he looked back at Xie Nancang, and a soft layer of apology rippled in his clear eyes.

“Namcang, I’m sorry,” An Yi said softly. “I don’t want to deceive you or make excuses.”

Xie Nancang already understood what he meant, but he didn’t interrupt, quietly listening.

“I like you, that’s for sure. Many times I’ve wanted to give it a try with you. You’re so good, being in a relationship with you would definitely be comfortable and heartwarming.”

“But I feel like it’s unfair to you.”

“I’m grateful for you pulling me up on the boat. I rely on you like family, admire you like a big brother, confide in you like a close friend… I cherish you a lot, but these feelings can’t be mixed up with love.”

“I’m really sorry,” An Yi said, “I’ve never known how to tell you this. No matter how I say it, it feels wrong, it feels like it’ll hurt you, but I feel like I can’t drag it out any longer.”

Xie Nancang looked into An Yi’s eyes, which were full of confusion, as if before hurting others, he had first broken himself into pieces.

“Silly,” he laughed, opening his arms and embracing An Yi, “Didn’t I tell you before, you don’t have to apologize for being loved. You deserve it.”

An Yi nestled into his chest, returning the hug. “You deserve better too.”

Xie Nancang released the embrace, his face calm. Despite being rejected, he didn’t show any signs of anger. Instead, there was a sense of relieved ease. “Actually, our fate should have ended on that boat a long time ago. Later, being able to meet you again, and walk with you to this point, I am content.”

An Yi sincerely said, “I’m lucky to have met you on that boat.”

“Alright, let’s not dwell on unhappy things. If we can’t be lovers, we can still be family,” Xie Nancang joked, “Love can happen many times, but a true confidant is hard to find, right?”

An Yi laughed along, “Yes.”

“Still, let’s spend New Year’s Eve together,” Xie Nancang earnestly said, “My parents are in Northern Europe and can’t come back, and most of our relatives and friends are abroad. It’ll just be my grandpa and me on New Year’s Eve. If you’re here, we’ll both be happy.”

An Yi was momentarily surprised that New Year’s Eve was approaching.

Xie Nancang saw his eyes suddenly dimming and called out to him softly, “An An?”

“…Mm,” An Yi smiled, “I need to make a trip back to Xichuan to visit the graves.”

Upon learning of this, Xie Fei Nian strongly urged Xie Nancang to accompany An Yi. Being elderly, Xie Fei Nian wasn’t fit for long flights, so he wanted Xie Nancang to represent him in offering incense to his deceased junior, Fei Bai.

So two days later, Xie Nancang and An Yi boarded a plane back to Xichuan.

An Yi bought a beautiful bouquet of flowers from a flower shop and placed them in front of An Ya’s tombstone. She was cheerful, loved to laugh, loved sports, and loved everything lively and full of vitality.

“Do you miss your brother?” An Yi squatted in front of the tombstone, which was kept exceptionally clean, with the photo still vibrant, showing no signs of being weathered by sun or rain.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he gently touched the smiling face of An Ya in the photo. “You should be one year old by now, the darling of Mom and Dad’s heart. I wonder if you have a new brother.”

An Yi lowered his head, tears streaming down his cheeks, absorbed by his scarf.

Xie Nancang stood quietly in the distance, not wanting to disturb him.

“The last time I came to see you, I was prepared to find you. But you know, your brother is timid and afraid of pain, and he’s also afraid of the dark.” An Yi took a deep breath, wiping away his tears. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I won’t do anything foolish in the future.”

He stood up, patting the tombstone twice, just like he used to pat An Ya’s head.

“I’ll come to see you often.”

An Yi didn’t linger, walking towards Xie Nancang who was waiting in the distance.

“Can we take the bus back?” he asked.

The bus route would pass by his former home. He wanted to take a glance from behind the bus window.

Xie Nancang nodded without asking much, accompanying him to leave the cemetery and wait for the bus.

There weren’t many people waiting for the bus at the cemetery stop, so when the Wrangler jeep passed by, Yan Chen, who was driving, casually glanced and recognized An Yi standing in the sunlight in his camel wool coat. He was occasionally whispering to the person beside him, Xie Nancang, with a gentle and warm smile.

But Yan Chen felt like he had fallen into an ice cave, his hand frozen on the door handle, unable to move for a while.

Before long, the approaching bus blocked Yan Chen’s view.

After the bus left, the person he had been thinking about for months was gone, and the brief encounter just now felt like a dream.

Yan Chen lay on the steering wheel for a while before restraining himself from chasing after them. He repressed the urge and drove towards the cemetery parking lot, taking the brightly colored daisies he personally selected to visit An Ya.

Before leaving Xichuan, An Yi met with Lin Yuming and Qin Muye.

Lin Yuming had once worried about An Yi’s mental state, fearing that he might do something irrational. Now seeing him looking healthier and more spirited than before, he was genuinely relieved that he seemed to be slowly emerging from his shadow.

“Never do something like that again without saying goodbye first,” Lin Yuming joked in a relaxed tone about the incident. “You’re very chic, but those of us who care about you are worried sick.”

An Yi smiled apologetically, “I won’t in the future.”

“Since I’m off today, why don’t you come to my place to rest?” Lin Yuming suggested. “It’s more comfortable than a hotel, and I also want to hear what you’ve been up to these past six months.”

“I’d rather catch up on WeChat,” Qin Muye raised his chin, glancing outside the window. “And someone’s waiting for Yi Ge.”

Following his gaze, Lin Yuming saw a tall man standing in the night.

“Hmm,” Lin Yuming commented, “he looks decent, seems to have a good temper.”

Qin Muye sighed softly, “You could pick someone randomly off the street, and they’d still have a better temper than my jerkish cousin.”

Lin Yuming kicked him under the table, then smiled at An Yi, “How long have you been together? How’s he treating you? Invite him in for a drink.”

“We’re not together,” An Yi checked the time, “I should be heading back now. I have an early flight back to Jin Hai tomorrow.”

Lin Yuming was surprised, “So urgent?”

Qin Muye cut to the chase, “Yan Chen has been away for a long time, who knows what he’s up to. You don’t have to avoid him.”

Lin Yuming kicked him hard again.

An Yi’s movements in his coat hesitated for a moment, his expression unchanged. “It’s not about avoiding him. I still have ceramic sculptures to work on; I can’t delay.”

He and hugged Lin Yuming and Qin Muye, agreeing to meet up again when they had time. The next day, he returned to Jin Hai with Xie Nancang.

Xie Nancang’s company had been on holiday since the eve of the Lunar New Year. He drove with An Yi to buy a lot of New Year goods and went back to Ling’an to celebrate the New Year with Grandpa Xie.

Sticking couplets, cutting window flowers, wrapping dumplings… Xie Nancang also bought several strings of firecrackers. When An Yi was cooking dumplings, he set off a firecracker, which startled Qiuqiu, making it run around the house. The smell of gunpowder in the air soon dissipated as steam rose from the pot.

An Yi’s heart was warm and cozy. During the New Year’s Eve dinner, he accompanied Grandpa Xie to drink a few more glasses.

After dinner, the three of them played cards together for a while. Xie Fei Nian went upstairs to sleep, leaving Xie Nancang and An Yi downstairs cuddling with the cat, watching TV, and chatting.

At midnight, the two of them went to the yard and lit two fireworks to welcome the New Year.

The fireworks stood in the yard, bursting into gorgeous flames as high as a person. An Yi watched the fireworks with a smiling face, while Xie Nancang looked at him with a gentle smile.

“An An,” as the fireworks were about to burn out, Xie Nancang called his name, “I’m going to Europe after the holiday, are you interested in joining me?”

“Europe?” An Yi looked at him, “To visit Uncle and Aunt?”

“It’s just part of the itinerary,” Xie Nancang said, “I usually take about a month off every year to travel. This year, I want to go to Europe. I’m planning to leave in a few days. Do you want to go out and explore?”

An Yi shook his head, “Grandpa hopes I can participate in the next Ceramic Art Festival. I can’t take that much time off.”

“It seems I’ll have to go alone,” Xie Nancang said regretfully, “Grandpa still wants you to take care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry about that,” An Yi looked up at him and smiled, “I wish you a smooth journey in advance. Remember to video call us and share the beautiful scenery.”

Xie Nancang chuckled and opened his arms for a friendly hug, “I’ll miss you guys.”

An Yi hugged him back, “Me too.”

After chatting for a while longer indoors, An Yi planned to go back to the neighboring house to sleep with the cat.

He opened the gate of Xie’s residence and stumbled a bit. Looking closely, he saw a red gift box placed there, beautifully wrapped with a ribbon and a card pressed on top.

On it was written in familiar handwriting: Happy New Year, be happy every day.