They walked like they were on the moon.

It felt like a painting.

The brightly lit Lu residence grew farther and farther away, and she felt increasingly relaxed.

Her steps became lighter, and her face, flushed with nervousness and excitement, was covered in a rosy hue. “Can you ride a motorcycle?” she asked.

Qin Si replied succinctly, “A little.”

Lu Nian wasn’t surprised.

In her impression, he seemed to be capable of everything.

After she got on the back of the motorcycle, the wind blew against her cheeks, making them slightly sore, but she still swung her legs, her eyes shining like stars.

Suddenly, her vision dimmed as the hood of the coat was pulled up over her head, covering most of her small face, and the straps were fastened.

The black coat almost wrapped her entire head.

The streets during the New Year were quite desolate, with only the two of them, the streetlights, and the accumulated snow on the ground.

She asked loudly, her voice clear and crisp, as if she wanted to sing, “Qin Si, where are we going?”

The young man replied, “To eat.”

Lu Nian happily said, “I haven’t eaten enough yet. The beef noodles we had last time were delicious.”

After getting off the motorcycle, she followed Qin Si through several winding alleys and finally stopped in front of a small shop.

It was a very small storefront, with warm yellow light shining through the door.

Qin Si pushed open the door, and a tantalizing aroma wafted out from inside.

“Qin ge?” The one who opened the door was a thin young man with an exaggerated hairstyle, around twenty years old, holding a deck of cards in his hand.

Huang Zhengmao caught sight of the timid girl behind him at a glance.

With her slender figure wrapped in his coat, she looked shy, her long hair slightly messy, but it couldn’t conceal the delicate, ethereal beauty of her face.

“Wow, Qin ge, are you finally luring a girl on New Year’s Eve?” Huang Zhengmao’s eyes widened even more than copper bells.

“Have you finally decided to use your talents and embark on this path?”

He slapped his thigh. “Damn it, a few days ago, I bet with Xiao Qu that you would.”

Before he could finish, Qin Si lifted his eyebrows coldly and kicked him, not using much force.

“Ouch, Qin ge, please be gentle,” Huang Zhengmao wailed. “Weaklings like us can’t handle your strength.”

Lu Nian stood at the door and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Following them inside, she looked around curiously.

It was a small shop, but it wasn’t immediately clear what it was for.

They probably entered through the back door, and there might be a storefront in the front.

Hearing the commotion outside, the other two who were playing cards hurried back.

There was also a young man in his early twenties with messy hair wearing glasses.

The last one, whom Lu Nian recognized, was the owner of the bar, the one who gave her Qin Si’s phone number before, apparently called Ming ge.

Ming ge didn’t seem very surprised to see her and greeted her warmly. “The girl is here? Come, come, come, sit here. Welcome, very warm welcome.”

“We’ve already prepared everything, just waiting for you guys,” he said to Qin Si. “I told you it was time to come back.”

Qin Si replied, “Hmm.”

He calmly took a seat beside her, seeming familiar with the place.

Qin Si had many faces, some Lu Nian had seen before, and some she hadn’t.

It seemed like he had a magical ability to adapt to any situation, including being here.

Living in the classroom and quietly writing exams, her demeanor, even interacting with these unfamiliar people whom she rarely dealt with, didn’t seem out of place at all.

Lu Nian only noticed the pot in the center of the room, which was the source of the aroma.

“We’re not particular,” Ming ge said. “None of us went back for the New Year, and there’s no woman to help us cook. Our own cooking tastes terrible, so we decided to have hotpot.”

Lu Nian’s cheeks were flushed from the smoke as she sweetly replied, “Hotpot is great, I love hotpot. Thank you, ge.”

Qin Si’s eyelashes twitched slightly.

Ming ge said, “Oh, I’m declaring you my little sister today. You’re my sister now.”

Huang Zhengmao chimed in, “I’m older than you!”

Lu Nian was in a great mood at the moment. She smiled sweetly and said, “Happy New Year, ge. Thank you for welcoming me.”

Xiao Qu hastily pushed his glasses up and started, “I also…”

He met Qin Si’s icy gaze and fell silent.

Lu Nian smiled and said, “Happy New Year, ge. Thank you for being willing to entertain me.”

Xiao Qu blushed and stammered, “Uh, you’re welcome. Since you were brought by Qin ge, of course, we have to treat you well.”

Lu Nian glanced sideways and asked, “Hey, does he often bring people over?”

Xiao Qu hurriedly replied, “No, he doesn’t.”

In fact, it was the first time.

Qin Si separated a pair of chopsticks and remained silent.

The hotpot had started to boil, and Ming ge was putting ingredients into it.

Lu Nian had never had the opportunity to eat hotpot at the Lu residence, so she was now like a greedy cat.

She stared at the pot hungrily, “This one looks delicious, and that one looks tasty too!”

And just like that, her New Year greetings came to an end.

…

The young man kept his lips tightly sealed and didn’t say a word in the end.

Seeing his expression, Huang Zhengmao discreetly moved his chair a bit farther away.

When Qin Si got angry, it was terrifying, and he didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

The first thing to go into the pot was beef.

There were no rules here; when four men were eating together, it was every man for himself.

But now that there was a little girl here, things were different. Naturally, the first piece of cooked meat had to be given to Lu Nian.

Sitting beside him, wrapped in his coat, Lu Nian joyfully picked up the first chopstick.

Qin Si remained silent the entire time. He was already a man of few words, so it wasn’t uncommon.

Everyone was used to it and didn’t think much of it.

His bowl suddenly had an extra piece of beef.

Lu Nian picked up the first chopstick of meat and, in a very natural motion, placed it in his bowl.

Qin Si glanced at her.

Without looking back, Lu Nian, already eagerly grabbing the second chopstick alongside the other three, explained to him during the beef-grabbing frenzy, “When I grabbed that for you just now, my chopsticks were brand new, unused. You can eat without worry! You must like spicy food, right?”

She knew Qin Si was probably disgusted by her or had some sort of cleanliness issue.

It had always been like this since she was a child. Any chopsticks she had used would definitely be refused.

The young man remained silent and ate the piece of beef.

They all had a very enjoyable hotpot meal, leaving the other three men wide-eyed.

Huang Zhengmao was astonished. “Couldn’t tell.”

Xiao Qu shook his head. “Couldn’t tell.”

Ming ge sighed. “Really couldn’t tell!”

This girl seemed small and delicate, like a fairy, but her appetite was huge.

She ate like a glutton and couldn’t seem to get full.

Ming ge was speechless. It seemed that if Qin Si were to marry her in the future, he’d have to prepare a lot for food expenses.

Lu Nian wasn’t sure if she was growing taller now, or if her body needed nutrition during the recovery period, or if she was just in such a good mood that she felt she could eat so much.

Halfway through the meal, Huang Zhengmao brought over a bottle of baijiu. “Do you drink, little sister?”

Lu Nian had just eaten a piece of lettuce. “Huh?”

The young man seemed not to notice them, focusing solely on his food.

However, Huang Zhengmao’s hand suddenly emptied, and in the blink of an eye, the bottle was in his bony hand.

He swiftly threw the baijiu back into the nearby box.

Xiao Qu and Huang Zhengmao exchanged glances.

Xiao Qu hurriedly got up. “I have fruit wine. I bought peach wine before; it’s not very strong and quite sweet.”

Ming ge said, “Then peach wine it is, it’s the New Year; why drink so much?”

Lu Nian had never drunk alcohol before.

Hearing Xiao Qu’s description, it seemed quite delicious, so she enthusiastically agreed, “I want to try!”

Qin Si pursed his lips but didn’t say anything more.

So the bottle was opened smoothly.

Peach wine was a clear pink color, bubbling with bubbles and emanating cold air. Lu Nian was especially curious.

She picked up her glass and took a sip, savoring it lightly.

The girl’s lips, rosy and full, were slightly moistened by the wine, and she stuck out her tongue, lightly licking her lips, tasting the wine.

…

The young man beside her set down his chopsticks.

The hotpot steamed vigorously, and the air conditioning was on, making him feel stuffy. He loosened his collar, picked up his own glass, and downed most of it in one gulp.

The restlessness in his heart still hadn’t subsided.

He remained silent as the room filled with laughter and chatter.

The three men chatted away, and the girl seemed particularly happy tonight, her eyes sparkling like scattered stars.

Lu Nian realized she really couldn’t hold her liquor.

She drank half a cup, ate some more food, and suddenly felt dizzy.

She accidentally bit into a chopstick full of chili.

She picked up her glass, took a sip to ease the spiciness, and put it back down.

The young man’s hand holding the chopsticks froze.

…That was his glass.

Lu Nian’s movement was seamless, leaving no room for error.

After drinking, she placed the glass back in its original position, and no one felt that anything was amiss.

Everyone continued eating and drinking, the atmosphere was lively beyond words.

His fingers felt stiff, and he never touched that glass of wine again.

…

At some point, Lu Nian had fallen asleep, her long eyelashes drooping.

In a roadside shop with no sign in the dead of night, she slept more soundly and peacefully than she did in her own bed at home.

Xiao Qu and Huang Zhengmao were driven to the next room to continue drinking.

Qin Si’s coat was draped over her, wrapping her up tightly.

“After this year,” Ming ge said with a hint of drunkenness, “you’ll be an adult.”

And she would soon be in her final year of high school, preparing for college.

He asked, “Are you ready to leave?”

The world was so vast, and with Qin Si’s abilities, he could thrive anywhere. He should have a brighter and more promising future ahead.

Since the first time Ming ge saw him, when Qin Si was still a raggedy little kid, Ming ge had believed firmly that he would make something of himself.

He was destined to be exceptional among exceptional individuals.

As the years went by, his belief only grew stronger.

Qin Si didn’t respond.

The dim light in the room made the young man’s profile even more extraordinary, with the contrast of light and shadow highlighting his refined features.

Yet, the sharpness of his brow, the narrowness of his eyes, and the thinness of his lips gave his face a hint of coldness.

Ming ge understood what he meant. He sighed softly and gestured towards the sleeping girl, whispering, “Reluctant to leave?”

“Tsk, she’s asleep,” Ming ge said helplessly. “Stop looking at me like that. What do you take me for? I run a bar. Can’t tell if someone’s truly drunk or just acting drunk?”

Qin Si said calmly, “It has nothing to do with her.”

Ming ge nodded. “Alright, alright… nothing to do with her.”

As long as she said a word, made a call, no matter when or where, he would do anything for her.

What was it to be wholeheartedly devoted, humble to the dust, yet also prideful to the extreme, concealing it all without revealing a hint?

“Handle it yourself,” Ming ge said. “A man’s choices, as long as you don’t regret them, weigh them in your own heart.”

“I’ll tidy up,” Ming ge said, swaying as he stood up, picking up plates and heading to the kitchen.

Qin Si slowly withdrew his gaze, and the girl beside him slept soundly.

The table was in disarray, with dishes and cups scattered about.

He glanced at her profile for a moment, then looked away.

The glass of unfinished fruit wine was still on the table, untouched.

After a while, the young man’s distinct knuckles reached out and slowly lifted the glass of fruit wine.

The place where the girl’s lips had touched.

His pale lips quietly touched that spot,

Like a sacrifice, pressing tightly against it, slowly sipping the cool liquid.

Qin Si had a strong tolerance for alcohol.

He had drunk many times before, all kinds, expensive and cheap, some burning like fire down his throat, others leaving a lingering effect for days.

And yet, this ordinary fruit wine, with its almost negligible alcohol content, neither strong nor fragrant.

He was drunk.