Not long after the annual meeting ended, the official New Year holiday began. Most of the artists were free, and Yu Yan enjoyed the leisure, staying at home for about ten days.

Every day, he would wake up, sit cross-legged on the living room carpet, grab the game controller, and start playing. Occasionally, Jiang Mo, Yu Lin, or Yu Chen would join him for a few rounds.

“Little brother, I’m begging you, could you please move around a bit?” Yu Chen sighed deeply.

Yu Yan gave an “OK” gesture, his eyes never leaving the screen. “I’ll go upstairs to nap after lunch.”

Going up and down the stairs was the extent of his exercise.

If it weren’t for work, he could stay home all year without stepping outside.

Yu Chen stared at the game controller and silently cursed Shen Yuming in his heart. Out of all the prizes to draw at the annual meeting, why a game console? It had turned his brother into a gaming addict.

“Enough sleeping. After lunch, come with me to buy New Year’s goods,” Jiang Mo said, shaking out a coat on the sofa and draping it over Yu Yan’s shoulders.

A game round had just ended, and Yu Yan instinctively looked up. “New Year’s goods? Didn’t we already buy them a couple of weeks ago?”

The day after returning from the resort, they had gone shopping for New Year’s goods. Aside from the usual items, Jiang Mo had also prepared plenty of specialty products from Rongcheng.

“We only bought food last time. This time, we’re getting red paper so your dad can write couplets, and I’ll write a few ‘Fu’ characters. We’ll paste them on the doors for a festive touch during the New Year.”

Yu Yan put down the controller, blinked twice, and tried to negotiate. “Does everyone in the house have to go?”

“Everyone, don’t think about escaping. We’ll also pick out new clothes for the New Year,” Jiang Mo said, handing him a piece of apple with a fork.

Yu Yan chewed it quickly. “New clothes? Fine, fine, I’m willing to sacrifice my nap time.”

Yu Chen teased, “The gaming addict is finally willing to step outside.”

After lunch, Yu Yan uncharacteristically changed out of his pajamas and into something suitable for going out.

This was the family’s second time shopping together since Yu Yan joined them, and he was still thrilled about it.

Jiang Mo picked out matching outfits for everyone, calling them family outfits, and even got one for Xi Yuan.

Buying clothes and red paper only took over an hour. Yu Yan thought they’d stroll around a bit more and have dinner before heading home, but Jiang Mo told him to get in the car.

The black Rolls-Royce drove to Bishui Bay.

“Are we going to my brother’s new house?” Yu Yan blinked curiously.

He wasn’t sure what the local customs were for moving into a new home, but back in Rongcheng, you’d consult someone for a good moving date and have the whole family move together.

“No, we’re going to see your new house,” Yu Chen said, lowering the car’s music volume.

“My new house? One for me?” Yu Yan was instantly wide awake, his eyes lighting up.

Even though he didn’t plan on moving out of the family home, being thought of like this felt special.

Jiang Mo explained, “It’s a New Year’s gift from your brother. It’s right next to his house.”

“Really? Is it exactly the same?”

“Of course.”

“Does it also have that swing?”

“It does,” Jiang Mo said. “But if you really like swings, your dad can install one on the balcony for you at home.”

Yu Yan quickly agreed. “Thank you, Mom and Dad!”

Yu Chen cleared his throat, glancing at Yu Yan with feigned nonchalance.

“Thank you, big brother,” Yu Yan promptly added.

The new house was right next to Yu Chen’s, and its interior layout was nearly identical, clearly designed by the same architect.

The house was fully furnished and ready to move into at any time.

After the tour, Yu Chen handed Yu Yan the property deed. The title was under his name, and a strange feeling sprouted in his heart.

On New Year’s Eve, the housekeepers had gone home for the holidays, so Yu Lin and Jiang Mo busied themselves in the kitchen, leaving the task of putting up the couplets to the two brothers.

After putting up the spring couplets, Yu Chen went back to his room to call Xi Yuan and indulge in sweet talk, while Yu Yan took pictures of the completed spring couplets and lucky characters and posted them on his social media.

The feed was filled with New Year vibes. Song Yunqing shared a video of herself wearing a red coat and doing a gesture dance, Jian Ran shared stills from “Twenty Years”, coincidentally showing a scene from the New Year segment, He Zhiyu shared a blurry photo where you could vaguely see him running in front while his dad chased him with a rolling pin, and even Cao Yuanye had unusually posted something.

Yu Yan liked and commented on everyone’s posts, but after scrolling through, he didn’t see anything from Shen Yuchen. He backed out and went into Shen Yuchen’s profile from his friends list, only to find it empty as usual.

Shen Yuchen’s mother was abroad, and his father didn’t care about him. Both had already started new families.

Would Shen Yuchen really spend New Year’s all alone?

In that cold, cramped little apartment, staring out at the countless glowing lights of other homes, making himself a bag of frozen dumplings for New Year’s dinner?

Too depressing!

Before Yu Yan even realized what he was doing, his hands were faster than his brain, and he had already dialed Shen Yuchen’s number.

The call connected, and a familiar voice came through the receiver. “Yu Yan?”

It wasn’t as quiet as Yu Yan had imagined. He could hear firecrackers, a television, and voices in the background.

Noticing Yu Yan’s silence, Shen Yuchen called his name again.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“What made you think to call at this time?” Shen Yuchen chuckled lightly.

In the past, Yu Yan had called him too, but only when his messages went unanswered. And those calls were usually late at night, a time when most people were free.

Yu Yan snapped out of his thoughts. “Chen-ge, where are you spending New Year’s?”

“I’m at my dad’s place.”

Shen Yuchen seemed to move to a quieter location as they spoke. The sound of the television and firecrackers faded away, replaced by the faint click of a door closing.

Yu Yan had a sudden realization. “Do you spend New Year’s there every year?”

“Next year, I’ll go to my mom’s place. I alternate.”

Thinking about Shen Yuchen’s father’s attitude toward him, Yu Yan couldn’t decide whether it was better for him to spend New Year’s at home or alone.

Wait, wouldn’t Shen Yuchen have to go abroad next year to spend New Year’s with his mom?

Yu Yan let out a soft “Oh.” “I was even planning to visit you for New Year’s.”

“Visit me? When?” Shen Yuchen asked, clearly intrigued.

Yu Yan thought for a moment. “How about the day after tomorrow?”

“The second day of the New Year?”

“Yep!”

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year’s Day, which is definitely meant to be spent with family.

“Do you know what the second day of the New Year signifies?” Shen Yuchen couldn’t hold back and laughed lightly.

Yu Yan glanced at the calendar on the table. “The second day of the New Year, January 30th?”

Realizing this wasn’t accurate enough, he double-checked on his phone. “The second day of the New Year, January 30th, Thursday, weather cloudy turning clear, with temperatures around -10°C. Other than that, nothing special.”

Could it be a local tradition in Beijing?

Seeing Yu Yan was still confused, Shen Yuchen kindly explained, “The second day of the New Year is for visiting the wife’s family.”

Yu Yan blurted out, “You’re going back to your wife’s family?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, there was silence over the phone, and the air seemed to freeze.

The sound of the television, the clatter of dishes from the kitchen—everything seemed to fade away from Yu Yan. He bit his tongue lightly.

Then, Shen Yuchen burst out laughing. His laughter lasted for quite a while.

Flustered, Yu Yan stumbled over his words. “No, I didn’t mean… I misspoke. I didn’t mean you’re going back to your wife’s family. I… I meant you’re not going back, and neither am I.”

After a pause, he added in a much quieter voice, “I can visit you for New Year’s.”

His voice grew softer and softer until even he could barely hear himself.

What he wanted to express was that since neither he nor Shen Yuchen had a wife’s family to visit, it wouldn’t be inconvenient for him to drop by.

But that slip of the tongue, combined with Shen Yuchen’s unmistakable laughter through the phone, completely scrambled his thoughts, making him tongue-tied.

“Yu Yan—”

Shen Yuchen suddenly spoke, his voice still carrying a faint trace of amusement.

“I’m here.”

“I meant that Aunt Jiang is visiting her family on the second day of the New Year, and she’ll probably bring you along.”

“Oh.”

Yu Yan finally understood, his face and ears burning with embarrassment. He wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

“Let’s meet after the New Year.”

“Mm, after the New Year,” Yu Yan immediately agreed.

“After the New Year” was practically half a month away, as the company wouldn’t resume work until after the Lantern Festival.

New Year’s Eve was a busy day, so the phone call ended quickly.

Just before hanging up, there was a soft knocking sound on Shen Yuchen’s side. Yu Yan hesitated for a moment before ending the call.

“Brother, Dad wants you to go to the study.”

Beep—The call was disconnected.

Was that Shen Yuchen’s half-brother who just spoke?

The voice sounded familiar, like he’d heard it somewhere before, but Yu Yan couldn’t quite place it.

“Sweetheart, can you grab the taro balls from the fridge for me?” Jiang Mo called from the kitchen, leaning halfway out.

“Coming!”

Yu Yan responded, tossing his phone onto the sofa before heading to the kitchen to help.

Every dish for the New Year’s Eve dinner was personally prepared by Yu Lin and Jiang Mo. Yu Yan found it meaningful and memorable, so he posted another update on social media.

The family’s tastes were mild, but there were a few spicy dishes made especially for Yu Yan.

The family gathered around the table, enjoying the New Year’s Eve feast. They sipped on fine wine from Yu Lin’s collection and savored soup lovingly prepared by Jiang Mo. This was an experience Yu Yan had never had before, so he cherished it deeply.

After the meal, Yu Yan sat cross-legged on the carpet, watching the Spring Festival Gala, though his thoughts wandered away from the TV.

About an hour and a half later, Jiang Mo and Yu Lin each took out red envelopes for him and Yu Chen.

Yu Chen had even prepared red envelopes for him—three in total. Yu Yan couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.

He had also prepared gifts for his family: a necklace for Jiang Mo, premium tea for Yu Lin, and a watch endorsed by He Zhiyu for Yu Chen.

There was also another watch in his bedside table drawer, originally meant as a New Year’s gift for Shen Yuchen. It seemed he’d have to wait until after the New Year to give it.

After receiving his red envelopes, Yu Yan happily retreated to his room to rest.

His group chat was already buzzing. He Zhiyu had received a significant amount of New Year’s money and, after paying off his debts, had some left over. He showed off by sending red envelopes in the group.

The amounts weren’t large, just a few dozen yuan, but it was all for fun.

Yu Yan snatched a fair number and sent a few of his own in return.

Yu Yan: @Jian Ran @Song Yunjing “Twentieth Year premieres on the sixth day of the New Year. You’ll need to do some in-person promotions. Have your assistants contact Xiao Man beforehand. Security and a private nanny van have been arranged for you.”

Song Yunjing: “Got it, thanks, Xiao Yan.”

Jian Ran: “Do I get security too?”

Yu Yan: “Everyone gets one. Once Twentieth Year airs, your popularity is bound to rise. You might even get nominated for Best Supporting Actor.”

Song Yunjing’s scenes were too few, so Yu Yan hoped she could make a name for herself with this drama and secure better resources in the future.

Jian Ran, on the other hand, had more screen time, but his experience was limited. While winning an award might not be very likely, even a nomination would be a great achievement.