Mo Ming hadn’t seen Han Shao Zhou again. The only news he got about him was through friends or the internet. It wasn’t until New Year’s Eve, at midnight, when Mo Ming was strolling along the riverbank, watching groups of people setting off fireworks, that someone handed him a lit sparkler.
Instinctively, Mo Ming turned his head and was met with a pair of familiar, dark eyes, filled with a gentle smile. A soft voice said, “Happy New Year.”
Mo Ming was stunned for a few seconds, his thick lashes trembling. Han Shao Zhou’s neck was wrapped in a red scarf, covering half of his fair face, but his exposed nose was red from the cold, making Han Shao Zhou’s heart ache. He took off his silver-gray earmuffs and gently placed them on Mo Ming’s head.
The soft surface of the earmuffs still carried warmth, spreading a surprising comfort to Mo Ming’s cold ears. He lowered his gaze slightly, the fine strands of his fringe hiding the emotions in his eyes.
“You shouldn’t have left your grandfather alone at home,” Mo Ming said quietly.
“What if I told you…” Han Shao Zhou smiled, “the old man encouraged me to come. Would you believe it?”
“…”
“Don’t worry about him; he always goes to bed at the same time, no matter what. He’s probably already asleep by now,” Han Shao Zhou said, looking at Mo Ming with a hint of a bitter smile. “Besides, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow and don’t know when I’ll have free time again. Just for tonight, please pity me and let me stay with you for a little while, okay?”
At that moment, the clock struck midnight. Fireworks erupted in the sky, their bright, dazzling light reflecting in Han Shao Zhou’s deep eyes, casting the figure before him in a surreal glow.
Mo Ming didn’t answer Han Shao Zhou’s question, but he calmly said, “Happy New Year, Han Shao Zhou…”
Han Shao Zhou’s chest warmed, and he felt an overwhelming urge to embrace the person in front of him, but he held back.
“Happy New Year…”
Happy New Year… my little one.
The square was bustling with activity as the two of them walked along the artificial lake. Han Shao Zhou’s right leg hadn’t fully recovered, and he walked with a limp. Worried about being seen as a burden, he seriously explained to Mo Ming, “In two or three months at most, I’ll be fully recovered. There won’t be any lasting effects.”
Mo Ming glanced at the lake and couldn’t help but laugh.
Encouraged, Han Shao Zhou tentatively touched Mo Ming’s pinky finger with his own. When Mo Ming didn’t pull away, he finally gathered the courage to hold Mo Ming’s entire hand.
The fireworks in the square continued for a long time…
After they parted, Mo Ming realized he had forgotten to return the earmuffs to Han Shao Zhou. The furry material covered both sides of his head, still keeping his ears warm.
After the New Year, Mo Ming officially started filming. The movie shoot lasted four uninterrupted months, just like the previous two months before the New Year. During this time, Han Shao Zhou was completely out of sight.
However, Mo Ming continued to receive text messages from Han Shao Zhou, often just a few short words.
“Take care of yourself,” or “I miss you.”
One night, during the wrap party for the film, Cheng Jing and the others planned to go singing and quickly booked a private room online. Mo Ming, feeling dizzy and tired from drinking too much, initially wanted to refuse. But since all the main actors from the cast were going, he felt it would be inappropriate not to join them, so he agreed.
During the party, Mo Ming received another message from Han Shao Zhou.
[Han Shao Zhou]: Are you busy right now?
[Mo Ming]: What’s up?
[Han Shao Zhou]: Nothing much, just got back to the hotel after a dinner meeting. I want to hear your voice. Can I call you?
[Mo Ming]: I’m at a wrap party with the crew, not convenient.
[Han Shao Zhou]: What about after the party?
[Mo Ming]: We’re going singing after.
[Han Shao Zhou]: Have you been drinking?
[Mo Ming]: Yes.
[Han Shao Zhou]: You get confused when you drink. You should go home and rest early.
[Mo Ming]: Everyone’s going; it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t go.
[Han Shao Zhou]: Want me to come rescue you? 😎
Mo Ming looked at the cool emoji wearing sunglasses and couldn’t help but chuckle.
[Mo Ming]: You’re still in Y Country, can you even rescue me?
[Han Shao Zhou]: So you’re keeping track of my schedule, even knowing I’m in Y Country. 😁
Mo Ming: “…”
After leaving the hotel, Cheng Jing offered Mo Ming a ride in his car. Just then, a black stretch Lincoln slowly pulled up in front of the hotel.
The stately and imposing car immediately drew everyone’s attention.
The window rolled down, and inside was Han Changzong, who turned his head and smiled at Mo Ming.
Mo Ming was genuinely surprised. “Chairman Han?”
Not just Mo Ming, but everyone else was also shocked. They never expected to see someone of Han Changzong’s stature.
Han Changzong, sitting in the back seat, was dressed in an impeccable deep gray Zhongshan suit. His usually stern and serious face softened with a smile as he looked at Mo Ming in the crowd. “Xiao Mo, are these your friends? Since we’re not among strangers, just call me Grandpa. ‘Chairman Han’ sounds too distant.”
Cheng Jing and the others were stunned, their disbelieving eyes darting between Han Changzong and Mo Ming.
What’s going on?
Han Changzong wants Mo Ming to call him Grandpa?
“Xiao Mo, Grandpa has something to discuss with you. Would you mind coming into the car?”
Mo Ming nodded dumbly, suddenly realizing that Han Shao Zhou might not have explained their relationship to his grandfather yet.
Is the old man still in the dark?
At that moment, Han Changzong’s gaze shifted slowly to the people around Mo Ming, his smile deepening. “Am I interrupting any plans?”
“No, not at all…” The group hastily shook their heads, one of them quickly adding, “Of course, Chairman Han’s matters are more important. We can hang out any time.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Mo Ming got into Han Changzong’s car.
As the car drove away, it took a while for Cheng Jing and the others to recover.
“My God, does Old Han treat Mo Ming like family? Could it be that Mo Ming and Young Master Han are together in private?”
“That’s the only explanation, right? Otherwise, why would he call him Grandpa?”
“And to think it was the old man himself who came to pick up Mo Ming. Who else could get this kind of treatment?”
“I’m so jealous! We haven’t seen any gossip about Mo Ming and Young Master Han for half a year now, and there hasn’t been any news of them meeting up. Turns out they’ve already met the family in secret.”
In the car, Mo Ming politely asked Han Changzong what the matter was.
Han Changzong chuckled. “There’s nothing much. I was just having dinner with some friends nearby when I got a call from Shao Zhou asking me to do him a favor, so here I am, coming to the rescue.”
“…”
Mo Ming’s face grew warm. He never expected Han Shao Zhou to have his grandfather come to bail him out.
And it was Han Changzong of all people…
“I’m sorry to trouble you,” Mo Ming said seriously. “I didn’t expect Han to contact you. It really wasn’t anything major.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Han Changzong smiled. “That ‘Grandpa’ wasn’t for nothing.”
Mo Ming fell silent for a moment before deciding to come clean. “Grandpa, I think I should be honest with you. Actually, Han and I…”
Han Changzong gently waved his hand, smiling as he interrupted, “Shao Zhou likes you, and as his elder, I can’t just stand by. But I also know that matters of the heart should follow their natural course. You’ve known Shao Zhou for years, and I’m sure you have a deep understanding of him. You probably have a clear idea of your feelings or where this is headed. So, Mo Ming, it doesn’t matter what I do. What matters is that you follow your heart. The past isn’t important; what matters is the present and the future.”
“…Mm.”
The summer thunderstorm lasted for days, and Mo Ming had just received the script for his new drama, where he was cast as the male lead in a series directed by Cai Zhao.
Before filming officially began, Mo Ming returned to the Dashang Theater Company, just in time for Xia Xiaotang and Qi Yue’s wedding.
Mo Ming was the best man and, as a close friend of many years, he gifted them a car.
Out of gratitude, Xia Xiaotang intentionally tossed the bouquet into Mo Ming’s arms.
“Mo Ming, happiness is now yours,” Xia Xiaotang said with a smile.
Holding the pink bouquet to his chest, the light scent of roses lingered in the air. Mo Ming looked down at the bouquet, a brief moment of surprise passing before a smile spread across his lips. He waved at Qi Yue and Xia Xiaotang and said with a smile, “Thank you. I’ve got it.”
Friends and family took photos all around, and someone uploaded one online.
The wedding wasn’t even over yet when Mo Ming, still seated at the table, received a message from Han Shao Zhou.
Han Shao Zhou had found the photo online and sent it to Mo Ming. It was a picture of Mo Ming standing in the crowd, holding a bouquet of pink roses.
[Han Shao Zhou]: Do you know what catching the bouquet means?
[Han Shao Zhou]: It means happiness is just around the corner for you.
Mo Ming looked at the message, the corners of his lips lifting.
[Mo Ming]: How close is “just around the corner”?
[Han Shao Zhou]: It could be this year.
[Mo Ming]: Oh.
[Han Shao Zhou]: What do you mean by “oh”?
[Mo Ming]: [Bored Cat Emoji]
Far away in Y Country, Han Shao Zhou stared at the cat emoji that had just popped up in the chat for a full ten seconds.
For a moment, it felt like he was back in the days when he was closest to Mo Ming.
Back then, Mo Ming loved sending those kinds of emojis, and he was just like a lazy little cat, soft and obedient only to him.
But then, suddenly, the cat emoji disappeared from the chat.
[Little One withdrew a message]
Han Shao Zhou narrowed his eyes slightly.
[Han Shao Zhou]: I saw that. 😏
[Han Shao Zhou]: [Jumping Dog Emoji]
Mo Ming: “…”
As the seasons changed, the first snowfall of winter fell just as Mo Ming finished filming his new drama, and at the same time, Temperature was released in theaters.
For several days, Mo Ming and the rest of the cast traveled across the country for the film’s promotion. Finally, when he had some downtime, Mo Ming bought himself a movie ticket and sat in the back row of the theater, waiting for the movie to start.
The man sitting next to Mo Ming was politely asked by a staff member to step out and claim a prize as that day’s lucky winner. After a while, the lights in the theater dimmed, and a tall figure took the seat next to Mo Ming, bringing with him a faint, clean scent of cedarwood. Mo Ming instinctively turned his head.
What started as a casual glance turned into stunned disbelief.
The dim light from the screen flickered across the man’s face, revealing sharp, clean-cut features. His hair was neatly slicked back, with a single strand falling over his forehead. His deep-set eyes and strong brows gave him a fierce look, yet the smile at the corners of his eyes softened his entire appearance, making him seem gentle and steady.
Mo Ming stared at the familiar face in front of him until the man leaned closer, his cheek almost touching Mo Ming’s.
“Long time no see…” Han Shao Zhou said with a smile.
Mo Ming finally snapped out of his daze, raised a hand to his forehead, and after a long moment, let out a soft laugh.
“Yeah, long time no see…”
