As dusk settled in, the red lanterns hanging on the balcony and by the front door began to light up one by one. The brightly lit strings of lights stood out vividly in the darkness of the corners, while in the distance, muffled fireworks exploded faintly, partially obscured by the tall buildings.
Ning Chu sat on a small stool at the front door, watching her mother burn paper offerings to the ancestors in the hallway. The heat from the burning yellow paper mixed with floating ash, carried by the wind. Hei Dou was darting around with a sparkler in hand, her playful antics around the fire barrel making their mother so irritated she was tempted to swat her backside.
"Go on, go away! Don't knock over the barrel!"
For New Year's, there were special metal barrels for burning paper offerings, and in a couple of days, someone would come around to collect the burned ashes for a fee.
"Ning Chu, close the door so the ashes don't blow inside."
"Got it~"
Ning Chu casually closed the door and sat back down, resting her chin in her hands as she stared out the window into the dark hallway.
When is Wen Yang going to come?
She knew Wen Yang wouldn't get off work until around eleven, but she couldn't help fantasizing that he might get off early and surprise her.
"Move, move." Ning Yuan opened the door and stepped into the hallway, carrying a pair of Spring Festival couplets. "I’m putting up the couplets, give me some space."
Ning Chu picked up her stool and moved to sit in front of the neighbor's door, looking up as her brother carefully pasted the red couplets.
"Bro, have you talked to Lili yet?"
It had been a few hours since they exchanged contacts earlier. Surely, they must have spoken by now?
"Talk about what?"
"..."
Without turning around, Ning Yuan continued sticking the couplets, replying, "I just said hello. I’m not sure what to talk to her about."
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"Just bring up anything, any random topic."
"She hasn't messaged me either. Maybe she’s busy, especially during New Year's."
Ning Chu mumbled, "Such a clueless guy, waiting for the girl to start the conversation..."
She had already lost hope for her brother and Lili.
One was extremely introverted, the other a clueless straight guy with a bit of a fear of women. Their personalities didn’t seem to have anything in common!
It was hard to say if they could even hold a conversation.
"You’re acting like you weren’t the same back in the day," Ning Yuan said as he pressed the couplet onto the wall. He glanced back at her. "Does it look crooked?"
"Just a little lower... there, perfect."
Back when they were kids, the lanterns used for New Year were real, and the glue for sticking couplets was made from rice paste. But at some point, the lanterns all turned into electric lights, and that rice paste disappeared altogether.
The sounds of fireworks were faint, distant echoes now, and the air didn’t have that sharp, smoky smell from firecrackers. The neighborhood was almost empty of kids playing around...
"Bro, do you remember when we threw firecrackers into someone else's yard?"
"Yeah, I remember."
Ning Chu looked at him with a slight grievance. "And then you ran off, and I got yelled at... It was all your idea too."
"Don’t remember." Ning Yuan feigned selective memory loss as he finished sticking the couplets and took a few steps back to inspect his work. Satisfied that they weren’t crooked, he casually changed the subject. "Want to go inside and watch the Spring Festival Gala? It's about to start."
"Not really. There’s nothing interesting on."
In the living room, the coffee table had been moved aside, and the dining table was placed directly in front of the TV. The uncle had already set up the hotpot stove and pot, filling the table with sliced ingredients for the hotpot.
It was nearly eight o'clock when the uncle finished preparing dinner, but Wen Yang definitely wouldn’t make it in time.
"Ning Xinya! Come eat hotpot!"
"Coming, coming!" Hei Dou dashed into the house.
"Wash your hands first."
She half-heartedly ran to wash her hands, then hurried back to her seat, her eyes immediately locking onto the plates of beef and lamb. Without waiting for the pot to boil, she eagerly threw a few slices of beef into the pot.
The rest of the family gradually sat down. The uncle, however, stepped outside again to help their mother finish burning the offerings.
Ning Chu took a picture of the dinner table and sent it to Wen Yang, along with a message: "It’s eight o’clock. When are you getting off work?"
To her surprise, Wen Yang replied this time: "Probably by nine. There aren't many customers tonight, and the manager is letting us off early."
He’s actually getting off early!
Ning Chu’s mood immediately brightened, a small smile playing on her lips.
The hotpot had started boiling, and the first act of the Spring Festival Gala came on TV.
She glanced at the TV but quickly lost interest, focusing instead on opening a can of sesame sauce and pouring it into a small bowl.
Hei Dou, having never watched the Spring Festival Gala before, was captivated by the performance. She stared intently at the screen, her ears perked up, until Ning Chu snatched the beef from her chopsticks, bringing her back to reality.
"Hey! That was my beef!"
"If you leave it in too long, it won’t taste good. I’m doing you a favor."
"Bro~" Hei Dou turned to Ning Yuan with a pitiful look. "Sis is bullying me~"
Ning Yuan responded indifferently, "Mhm."
Their mother and the uncle returned from burning the offerings, smelling faintly of fire, and sat down at the table.
The uncle pulled out a bottle of white liquor from under the table, pouring some for their mother before turning to Ning Yuan and Ning Chu. "You two want some?"
"Sure."
As Ning Yuan handed over his glass, Hei Dou eagerly held out her bowl as well.
"Pour some for me too!"
"Kids shouldn’t be drinking." Their mother gave Hei Dou a stern look. "Go drink some milk. There are a few cans in the gift box."
Hei Dou hopped off her chair and dashed off to get a can of Wangzai milk.
"Ning Chu."
The uncle also poured a glass for Ning Chu and placed it in front of her.
She hesitated, furrowing her brow. She wasn’t a fan of alcohol, especially strong liquor. In both this life and her past life, she could never handle it well.
But then again, it wouldn’t matter if she got drunk at home. She could at least humor her mother’s boyfriend for the sake of politeness...
"Thanks," Ning Chu muttered, taking a small sip from the glass and scrunching her nose.
The moment the liquor hit her mouth and throat, it burned intensely, causing her to cough uncontrollably, tears springing to her eyes.
Only then did her mother smile and gently remind her, "It’s pretty strong. Girls shouldn’t drink too much. If you can’t handle it, don’t force yourself."
"You could’ve warned me earlier..."
Ning Chu stuck out her tongue, fanning herself slightly. Even that small sip had turned her face bright red from the alcohol.
She glanced over at her brother and saw that he, too, was struggling with the strength of the liquor, frowning as he drank. Meanwhile, their mother seemed perfectly at ease, smiling as she sipped her drink. It was clear she and the uncle drank together quite often.
The meal was slow and relaxed. Between the hotpot, chatting, and watching the Spring Festival Gala, more than half an hour passed, yet the dishes on the table barely diminished.
Only Hei Dou had eaten quickly and was now lounging on the sofa, rubbing her full stomach contentedly.
A soft knock on the door made Ning Chu jump. She immediately got up to open it.
Sure enough, Wen Yang stood outside.
"You're so late. We’re almost done eating."
"Couldn’t help it. I had to work through New Year's Eve too. Originally, I thought I wouldn’t get off until eleven, but thankfully the boss did something decent for once."
All his exhaustion seemed to vanish the moment he saw Ning Chu. As he stepped inside and removed his shoes, Ning Chu rushed over to help him take off his coat.
"Hurry and eat, or Hei Dou will finish off all the meat."
Wen Yang glanced at the table and noticed the glasses of white liquor. Leaning close to Ning Chu, he whispered in her ear, "Don’t drink too much. After this, we’ll go to Flower Sea Park to watch the fireworks."
His warm breath tickled her sensitive ear, causing a blush to spread across her cheeks. She paused, then smiled. "Huh? That’s exactly what I was thinking~"
Their mother watched the couple’s tender interaction from the table, resting her chin in her hand and sighing. "Look at your sister acting like a little wife. She’s never been this eager when I come home."
Ning Yuan, observing Ning Chu, had a complicated expression on his face.
Just a few months ago, his brother had become a girl. Last week, she had grown even more beautiful and striking. Now, he finally understood why Ning Chu carried a mature, seductive air in her gaze...
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, his little brother had fully embraced this new feminine identity, leaving Ning Yuan with an indescribable, strange feeling.