As dawn broke, Ning Zhiyuan left Cen Zhisen’s house. He returned home, took a shower, changed clothes, packed some belongings, and then drove to pick up his parents from the Ning family. Together, they headed to their ancestral home in the neighboring province.

“Even without traffic, it’ll take about three hours. If you feel tired, let your dad drive for a while,” Sun Xiaoqing handed Ning Zhiyuan a freshly baked small cake as he was driving, smiling and asking, “You seem to be in good spirits today?”

“No need to switch, I’ll drive,” Ning Zhiyuan said, eating the cake. He was indeed in a good mood. “It’s a holiday, much more relaxed.”

Although he slept late last night, he had a restful night, not even dreaming.

Apart from business trips, he rarely stayed overnight elsewhere. Even when staying in a hotel with someone, it was merely to satisfy physical desires, and he would leave after. Besides his own place and Cen Zhisen’s villa, Cen Zhisen’s house was the only place in this city where he had spent the night.

It was also the only place, aside from his own residence, where he could sleep well.

Good sleep naturally led to good spirits and a good mood.

Sun Xiaoqing and her husband were pleased to see him like this, chatting with him about various things related to their hometown all the way. There were too many relatives in their family, and they needed to inform him in advance.

Ning Zhiyuan listened attentively, maintaining a natural and relaxed attitude. His parents were no longer as cautious around him, and although the time they spent together wasn’t long, the inherent blood relationship made their bond increasingly harmonious and intimate.

The next contact with Cen Zhisen was on the fifth day of the lunar new year.

When Cen Zhisen’s call came in, Ning Zhiyuan was in the yard watching the younger ones play with fireworks. He casually put on his Bluetooth earphones, answered the call, and subconsciously touched his ear, feeling a bit ticklish.

“What are you doing?” Cen Zhisen asked.

“Nothing, just had dinner,” Ning Zhiyuan said, walking to the edge of the wall and finding a stool to sit on. “Doesn’t seem like you are busy with official business.”

“Not very busy,” Cen Zhisen explained. “I was afraid you had a lot of family matters to attend to, going around visiting relatives, so I didn’t disturb you.”

“Oh,” Ning Zhiyuan replied.

Of course, it was just an excuse. In all these days, except for the New Year’s Eve when they exchanged holiday greetings, they hadn’t initiated contact with each other, engaging in some kind of intentional contest.

In the end, Ning Zhiyuan won.

There was obvious amusement in his voice, but Cen Zhisen pretended not to notice. “How does it feel to celebrate the New Year at home?”

“It’s good, the festive atmosphere here is strong,” Ning Zhiyuan said. “I didn’t expect that, at over twenty years old, I could still receive red envelopes from my elders. But I also gave red envelopes to the younger ones, and they’ve all scattered now.”

“It’s rare to have a decent New Year,” he said.

In the past, his memories of the New Year were mostly unremarkable, especially during those years abroad. Most of the time, Cen Shengli would fly to the United States to accompany him for two days, then go to the United Kingdom, while he rarely had the chance to meet Cen Zhisen. Year after year, time passed like this.

After returning to China, a little stepmother close to his age was added to the family. To avoid suspicion, he moved out to live alone and didn’t necessarily return home for the New Year. Now that he was back with his biological parents, he truly understood how ordinary families celebrated the New Year.

Cen Zhisen asked, “Are you happy?”

“Yeah, quite happy,” Ning Zhiyuan laughed. “I feel like my grandparents, grandma, and grandpa all like me. After all, I’m sweet-talking and good at coaxing people.”

“Well,” Cen Zhisen also chuckled. “Xiao Cen has always been diplomatic.”

“No more Xiao Cen,” Ning Zhiyuan reminded him. “President Cen, your younger brother is called Cen Zhe, not me.”

He intentionally used what Cen Zhisen said that night to counter him. The person on the other end of the phone hesitated briefly before speaking with a more cheerful tone, “Okay, I misspoke.”

He hadn’t planned to bring up that intoxicating night, but he didn’t expect Ning Zhiyuan to bring it up voluntarily.

“What are you doing?” Ning Zhiyuan turned the question back to him.

“Same as you, just finished dinner, watching the moon outside,” Cen Zhisen said.

Sitting under the camphor tree in the courtyard, he looked up. Above the sparse branches and leaves, the night sky gradually darkened, with the cold moon hung on the eaves. A light breeze carried a faint fragrance, making people inexplicably want to recall the past.

The ancestral home of the Cen family had a history of two hundred years, and the camphor tree in the courtyard was the same. When he was very young, he and Ning Zhiyuan had measured the tree’s circumference together. At that time, they held hands, and even then, it was challenging to embrace the tree.

There was another time when Ning Zhiyuan chased a wild cat up the tree. Afterwards, he didn’t know how to come down and crouched on the treetop crying. It was Cen Zhisen who went up and carried him down.

Those were distant memories.

Listening to this, Ning Zhiyuan, like the person on the other end of the phone, looked up at the moon in front of him. He raised one hand, fingers spread apart, and the mist-like moonlight spilled through his fingers.

He slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself in the moment.

In the distance, firecrackers popped, mingled with the lively laughter of children. It was festive.

But in his ears, only the sound of the wind remained, and on the other end of the phone, that person’s slightly deep voice when he murmured his name.

“Zhiyuan.”

“Yeah?” Ning Zhiyuan responded softly.

“Do you remember that camphor tree here?” Cen Zhisen asked.

A smile appeared at the corner of Ning Zhiyuan’s lips. “I remember. We fell off that tree together, quite unlucky.”

“You heartless guy. You climbed up yourself and couldn’t come down. I carried you down, stepped on empty space, and fell down. In the end, I became your cushion,” Cen Zhisen said helplessly.

“Sounds about right,” Ning Zhiyuan recalled that scene and became a bit absent-minded.

In fact, he remembered. When Cen Zhisen mentioned it, he immediately recalled it. He just suddenly realized that, although Cen Zhisen occasionally acted as a good brother, whether it was carrying him down from a tree, protecting him with his body, anxiously searching for him when he thought he was lost, or standing up for him when classmates caused trouble, Cen Zhisen was not a bad brother. Then why, in his previous memories, did he only remember the cold side of this person?

Perhaps the more he cared, the easier it was to magnify those negative emotions?

Now, thinking back with a calm mind, he discovered these forgotten memories.

“Little Uncle?”

In a daze, a calling voice brought him back to his senses.

Ning Zhiyuan shifted his gaze and saw his eldest aunt’s granddaughter, a seven or eight-year-old girl, holding a sparkler and looking at him curiously. It seemed like she had come over without him noticing.

“Little Uncle, are you playing with this? My mom said today is Valentine’s Day. You must miss Little Aunt a lot, right?” The little girl seemed a bit disappointed, as if she really wanted to get closer to this exceptionally good-looking new uncle. “Little Uncle, are you talking to Little Aunt on the phone?”

Amusement deepened in Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes. He raised a finger to his lips. “Shh, don’t let him hear. He’ll be very proud.”

After the little girl left, Cen Zhisen on the other end of the phone asked, “Who are you talking to?”

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “Guess.”

Cen Zhisen asked, “Hmm?”

“Just got reminded by someone,” Ning Zhiyuan’s voice paused, “today is Valentine’s Day.”

Cen Zhisen chuckled, “Is it?”

“Yeah, Valentine’s Day,” Ning Zhiyuan said, “I almost forgot.”

“Valentine’s Day, how did you celebrate it before?” Cen Zhisen asked.

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “Can’t remember, probably with different people, mostly in hotels.”

He laughed again, “Not interesting.”

“Now you find it uninteresting?” Cen Zhisen’s tone seemed teasing, mixed with some other emotions. “I thought you enjoyed it.”

“Not really,” Ning Zhiyuan said, “It’s indeed not that interesting. How about you? How did you spend Valentine’s Day before?”

“Never celebrated it,” Cen Zhisen’s answer was unexpected for Ning Zhiyuan.

“Never celebrated it?” Ning Zhiyuan seemed a bit incredulous. “Really?”

“Really,” Cen Zhisen said, “As I said before, I wasn’t dating those people, and I’ve been single for quite a while.”

“Why not find someone now?” Ning Zhiyuan teased him. “There are people willing to throw themselves at you without any cost. Just beckon with your finger, and finding someone should be quite easy.”

“No, thanks,” Cen Zhisen lowered his gaze, looked at the dappled moonlight on the ground, and curled his lips. “It’s not that interesting now, and I’m quite picky.”

“Picky?” Ning Zhiyuan asked.

“Yes,” Cen Zhisen continued slowly, “If I have to say, first, the face must be good, especially the eyes, they should be beautiful in shape. A bit wider for double eyelids, slightly thinner if there’s less, and an upward slant at the outer corners. That kind of shape adds charm during intimacy.”

“And lips,” he continued, “The lips should be attractive, red in color, full at the center, naturally upturned at the corners. A look that makes you want to kiss them. It’s more enticing during… intimate activities.”

Using the calmest tone and speaking the most vulgar words, his voice was pleasant, as if flirtatious.

“Body matters too,” Cen Zhisen went on, “It must be good, long and smooth. A thin layer of muscular lines is the best. Shoulders straight, waist slim, butt must be perky, and a seductive waistline. Also, thighs should have strong, powerful muscles, whether wrapped around the waist or shoulders, it’s appropriate.”

Ning Zhiyuan once again touched his own ear, feeling quite itchy.

“Also, the voice,” Cen Zhisen continued, “The voice must be pleasant, clear and bright, with a bit of magnetism.”

Ning Zhiyuan felt like his heart was being grabbed at the tip. His brother had finally revealed his true nature in front of him, and he was indeed a bit tempted.

“Cen Zhisen,” without realizing it, even he himself didn’t notice, but when he called Cen Zhisen’s name, the tone went up, “Stop talking.”

“Don’t want to hear?” Cen Zhisen chuckled softly.

Ning Zhiyuan sneered, “Wishing you to find someone like that soon.”

“Sure,” Cen Zhisen replied, “Taking your words as good wishes.”

They exchanged a few more words, until late into the night when the dew was heavy. The children playing in the courtyard had all returned to their rooms. Ning Zhiyuan still sat against the wall, looking at the remaining battery on his phone, and said to the person on the other end of the call, “It’s getting late. My mom will come out to find me soon. I’ll hang up.”

“I’ll be going back tomorrow,” Cen Zhisen said, “How about you? When are you returning?”

Ning Zhiyuan replied, “In a few more days, I’ll go back and see.”

“Okay,” just before hanging up, Cen Zhisen added, “Zhiyuan, happy Valentine’s Day.”

Ning Zhiyuan also said, “Ge, happy Valentine’s Day.”