As the end of the year approached, things only got busier.
Father Ye had to finish the liaison with the French academic exchange group before the year’s end. The school’s research team often had online meetings, and his graduate students frequently brought their laptops over to the house for help.
Mother Ye’s flower shop was even busier. With the high perishability of fresh flowers, the volume and schedule of purchases from suppliers before the holiday had to be planned out carefully.
Ye Wenyu had to help out on both ends. He also had to accompany his boyfriend and still make time to catch up with friends. It really did feel like his feet hadn’t touched the ground.
This pace continued until a few days before New Year’s Eve.
Finally, everything that needed to be done was done, and everything that needed to be arranged had been arranged. Everyone could finally take a breath, and it was finally time to go shopping for New Year goods.
Every year, Ye Wenyu accompanied Mother Ye on the New Year’s shopping trip. Every year, he had no idea what to buy, so he and his father’s job was to just follow behind and push the gradually heavier shopping cart.
Supermarkets are extremely busy around the New Year, not just because of the large number of people, but also because of the red lanterns hanging from ceilings, festive New Year’s songs playing over the speakers, and the atmosphere thick with the scent of the holiday.
While Mother Ye was picking out tangerines, Ye Wenyu took a wide shot of the supermarket and sent it to his boyfriend. The reply he got was a photo too, taken through a huge floor-to-ceiling window showing a courtyard, with a few lanterns sparsely hanging on a tree.
It wasn’t the house near the school. This yard looked much larger, and the windows too. It seemed Yan Chen had already gone home.
It was just… maybe because there weren’t any people in the frame, the picture felt a little lonely.
Ye Wenyu guessed at the photo’s angle of view: [Are you watching TV?]
Yan Chen: [Lying flat on the sofa like a corpse.]
Yan Chen: [Rabbit-lies-flat.jpg]
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Ever since being found out that day, someone had completely let go and had even migrated all the QQ Pukou sticker packs to WeChat.
Ye Wenyu: [So you’re home alone right now?]
Yan Chen: [Rabbit-mhm-mhm.jpg]
Ye Wenyu: [Did you already buy your New Year goods at home?]
Yan Chen: [Auntie is going today.]
Ye Wenyu: [Auntie?]
Yan Chen: [Mhm, my parents are too busy with work, they don’t have time to deal with this kind of stuff.]
Yan Chen: [Rabbit-crying.jpg]
While chatting with Yan Chen, the family group chat was also blowing up. He had a lot of younger cousins, all different ages but equally chaotic.
A few young elders with domineering attitudes had started handing out red packets in the group early in the morning. The juniors scrambled for them like their lives depended on it, messages flying non-stop. If you didn’t check for a while, the unread count would reach 99+, and scrolling up to catch up felt exhausting.
And if nothing unexpected happens, the whole army would probably start arriving at his house tonight at the earliest, or by tomorrow morning at the latest.
Ye Wenyu: [No younger siblings or cousins are coming over to your place?]
Yan Chen: [No.]
Yan Chen: [They all live far away, some abroad, some in other cities, and everyone is busy with their own things. We haven’t had the habit of gathering for New Year’s dinner in a long time.]
Yan Chen: [Rabbit-sigh.jpg]
So it wasn’t just that the place looked lonely…it really was lonely.
Living far apart, too lazy to even plan a once-a-year get-together, not even having a lively dinner for New Year’s Eve… how boring was that?
Ye Wenyu felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
Yan Chen: [Are you shopping for New Year’s goods now?]
Ye Wenyu: [Yeah, there are many people at the supermarket.]
Yan Chen: [What did you buy?]
Yan Chen: [Let me see,let me see.jpg]
Ye Wenyu glanced at the shopping cart. There were too many things, it would take a long time to list them out, so he just took a photo and sent it.
Ye Wenyu: [Right now we’re buying tangerines.]
Ye Wenyu: [I don’t know how to shop for New Year’s goods, so I can only work as a laborer for my mother with my father.]
Yan Chen: [Isn’t it just buying whatever you see?]
Yan Chen: [Rabbit-confused.jpg]
Ye Wenyu: [Not really, I think there’s a method… I’m not sure either.]
Ye Wenyu: [Rabbit-lies-flat.jpg]
After those two messages, Yan Chen didn’t reply for a long time.
Did he fall asleep while lying down?
“Wenyu,” Mother Ye called him, “Come pick some red envelopes. We’ll need to fill them for your cousins when we get home.”
The red envelopes sold at the supermarket came in packs and singles, all piled in wire bins like shopping carts. Looking over, it was a sea of red with gold lettering, printed with all sorts of funny blessing slogans.
“Your older and younger girl cousins all love cats and dogs. This one with both cats and dogs is perfect for them.”
“Your elder cousins can get this one..
‘Persimmons for good luck’. The younger ones are still in school, so this ‘not tall enough, make up with grades’ one is perfect…”
Once the envelopes were chosen, Mother Ye headed off to the next aisle for another round.
Ye Wenyu’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He finally got a reply from his boyfriend:
Yan Chen: [I was changing clothes.]
Yan Chen: [I’ll go to the supermarket with Auntie later and see how New Year shopping is done.]
Yan Chen: [? (? ? ?ω? ? ?) ？]
Ye Wenyu: [So curious?]
Yan Chen: [It can’t be helped. One of us has to know how to do this. Otherwise, what do we do in the future?]
Yan Chen: [Rabbit-shrug.jpg]
Ye Wenyu couldn’t help the smile on his lips. He looked back at his parents walking side by side.
It might actually be kind of fun if he could go shopping for New Year goods with Yan Chen next year.
Ye Wenyu: [Thanks for the hard work, Classmate Yan. Study well.]
“Wenyu, you are still on your phone? Come pick what filling you want for the tangyuan.”
“Coming!”
Ye Wenyu put away his phone. Just before leaving, he suddenly remembered something, picked out another red envelope from the pile, and cautiously placed it at the very bottom of the shopping cart.
This one couldn’t be discovered. He had to pay for it himself.
On New Year’s Eve, even before night fell, the house was already so lively it was nearly turned upside down.
Those older than Ye Wenyu were all working already, lined up and getting their ears tugged by the elders urging them to get married. Those younger than him hadn’t even reached high school yet, some weren’t even ten years old. Sandwiched right in the middle, the job of looking after the young ones naturally fell on Ye Wenyu.
That’s how it is with a lot of children around, whatever they want to play, they play. Everything is fresh and everything is fun.
Running up and down the stairs, riding the elevator again and again, wanting to eat this one moment, wanting to watch that the next…Ye Wenyu had to tag along the whole time, and he felt more exhausted than writing a paper in a week.
Yan Chen asked what he was doing, and he finally managed to reply during a free moment: [Experiencing what it’s like to be a spinning top for a day / rabbit crying hard jpg]
Yan Chen: [What?]
Ye Wenyu sent over a photo of three or four children squatting in the greenery, digging in the dirt.
Yan Chen understood: [Babysitting?]
Ye Wenyu: [Yeah.]
Yan Chen: [Is babysitting that tiring?]
Ye Wenyu: […What do you think, Classmate Yan?]
To be honest, Classmate Yan didn’t think it was tiring.
He had babysat a few times before, either the neighbors’ kids or children of his parents’ colleagues, but they weren’t the kind like Ye Wenyu’s younger cousins, who could entertain themselves without adult supervision. They were the troublesome hyperactive type around three or four years old.
Of course, “troublesome” was how others described them. With him, he just had to get them to sit quietly on the sofa to watch TV, or sit down somewhere and do their homework. If they refused, one glance from him was enough to get even the naughtiest to behave.
Although none of them ever wanted to come back afterward, it didn’t matter. He didn’t like children anyway.
But judging from his boyfriend’s current situation, there was no way he could say that out loud.
Yan Chen: [I’ll send myself over in a package and help you babysit.]
Ye Wenyu: [It would be great if it were really possible.]
Ye Wenyu: [Do you like babysitting?]
Yan Chen: [Does it count if I only like babysitting my own kid?]
Ye Wenyu: [Your cousin?]
Yan Chen: [He doesn’t count.]
‘Then who else is there in his family?’ Ye Wenyu was just about to ask when his trousers leg was tugged. Looking down, he met his little cousin’s blinking eyes: “Cousin, I want grilled gluten and grilled squid.”
Little cousin sister: “And I want takoyaki!”
Little girl cousin: “Ice jelly, ice jelly, gege ice jelly!”
Ye Wenyu: “…”
Ye Wenyu: [The spinning top has to work again. Talk later.]
After spinning like crazy all day, by the time dinner came, the children had finally burned through their energy and they sat at the table eating quietly.
The Spring Festival Gala played on TV. The hosts were reciting blessings in standard Mandarin, but the volume was low, so it was constantly drowned out by bursts of adults toasting each other.
Ye Wenyu didn’t smoke or drink and didn’t need to make small talk. He quickly finished eating, took his phone, and slipped out to the balcony.
His home was on a high floor. From the balcony, the view was so good he could see the entire TV tower. Its lights were flashing brightly. If nothing unexpected happens, there would even be an electronic fireworks show on the tower at midnight.
Ye Wenyu took a photo and sent it to his boyfriend far away in Xuan City. In this rare moment of peace, he finally had time to properly say:
[Happy New Year, Classmate Xiao Ya !]
After a long time, a reply came:
[Happy New Year, Classmate Xiao Ye. Have you finished babysitting?]
Ye Wenyu: [Yes yes, finally.]
Ye Wenyu: [What are you doing? Eating?]
Yan Chen: [I just finished and sent my parents off.]
Ye Wenyu: [They’re going out even on New Year’s Eve?]
Yan Chen: [They both have work in Europe, so it’s convenient to go together.]
Ye Wenyu frowned slightly. Having dinner and then leaving on New Year’s Eve? What about the rest of the holiday?
Ye Wenyu: [Will they come back?]
Yan Chen: [Yes.]
Ye Wenyu let out a breath of relief.
Yan Chen: [One next week, the other in March.]
Ye Wenyu: […]
He was about to switch apps and check plane tickets again.
But someone seemed to be one step ahead.
Yan Chen: [My head’s suddenly a bit itchy.]
Ye Wenyu: [Huh? What happened?]
Yan Chen: [I might be growing a love-brain.]
Ye Wenyu was stunned: [Huh?]
Yan Chen: [I want to go spend New Year’s with my boyfriend. Do you think that’s okay?]
*
Ye Wenyu had, of course, thought about asking Yan Chen to come to his place for New Year’s. After all, the more the merrier, and the people who needed to be met would have to be met sooner or later.
But putting himself in the other party’s shoes, he wasn’t ready to meet Yan Chen’s parents, so maybe Yan Chen wasn’t ready to meet his either.
He hadn’t expected Yan Chen to bring it up himself.
That night, once the relatives had left, he and his father immediately started cleaning up the kitchen. When his mother returned from taking out the trash, he took the initiative to bring it up.
Of course, he held back and didn’t directly say it was his boyfriend and just called him his roommate. He wanted his parents to meet Yan Chen first, then confess later.
The flight on New Year’s Day was set for 8 a.m., expected to land at Wucheng Airport around 10:30.
Originally, Father Ye was supposed to drive to pick him up. But some of his students had unexpectedly shown up. They were locals from Wucheng. They said they’d be too busy to visit later, so they took the chance to come and wish their teacher a happy New Year.
Their family didn’t have the custom of not receiving guests on the first day of the New Year. Since they came, they were welcomed, but unfortunately, a lot of things happened all at once.
Father Ye had to go back to school to pick up some exchange materials, make copies, and sign return slips. That round trip would take at least an hour. Mother Ye had gone to the flower shop, so Ye Wenyu had to stay behind and help entertain the guests.
With both parents tied up, Classmate Yan, who had traveled all this way, could only take a taxi himself.
Young people didn’t drink tea, so Ye Wenyu brought out drinks, fruits, and snacks for everyone, but his mind was elsewhere while entertaining the guests.
His father’s students were around the same age as him, maybe just a year or two older or younger. They were quite curious about their teacher’s son, and during small talk, they would occasionally pull him into the conversation.
Especially one of the girls with short hair and a cheerful personality. While whispering to the shy long-haired girl beside her, she casually chatted with Ye Wenyu, fishing for information.
“Xuan University is really hard to get into. Even when the cut-off score dropped the year I took the college entrance exam, I still couldn’t reach it. You’re so amazing.”
“You’re in the Department of Foreign Languages, right? I heard it’s mostly girls there. Wenyu, there are a lot of girls in your class, right?”
“Xuan University is very beautiful. I’ve seen the promotional video. The lake is huge and so clear. Just looking at it screams “dating spot for young couples”. Wenyu, do you go there often for walks?”
Ye Wenyu politely answered their questions, occasionally lowering his head to glance at his phone, sending a few messages. It was obvious his mind wasn’t on the conversation.
The short-haired girl noticed. She exchanged a glance with the long-haired girl and was just about to say something when she saw Ye Wenyu’s eyes suddenly light up. He then stood up, turned around, and strode toward the door.
Their eyes followed him. Through the frosted glass partition, they could only vaguely make out the moment Ye Wenyu opened the door. The cold, distant demeanor he had when facing them was completely gone, and he pounced forward in a hug without hesitation.
…Something was off.
Everyone in the living room fell in a tacit silence and turned to look in the same direction. Soon, a tall, dark figure followed Ye Wenyu through the door.
It wasn’t quite what they imagined. Why did “she” have short hair? And “she” looked even taller than Ye Wenyu?
Only after the figure stepped out from behind the blurred partition did they finally see the truth.
It was not a girl. It was a boy. With deep-set eyes and superior features. He was very handsome, but his eyes were cold. When expressionless, he even looked a bit fierce.
The group of people who were unsure whether to greet them or not instantly shut their mouths when they saw the two hold hands tightly, and silently watched them head into the bedroom like quiet little chickens.
The moment the door shut, the short-haired girl turned to the stunned long-haired girl and patted her shoulder with a sigh.
I knew it. How could such a good cabbage not be taken away by someone after three years on campus?
The moment they got inside, Ye Wenyu was pulled into Yan Chen’s arms and kissed thoroughly.
Fortunately, reason reminded him there were guests outside. Ye Wenyu stopped just in time and touched his face. “Are you cold?”
“No, not cold.” Yan Chen tilted his head and kissed his palm. “Your classmates?”
“If they were, I wouldn’t have brought you in. They’re my dad’s students. They came to pay him a New Year visit as they have other things to do and will leave before lunch.”
Yan Chen hummed in acknowledgment but still didn’t let go, lazily planting kisses on his neck one after another.
Ye Wenyu was afraid that if this continued, he wouldn’t be able to leave: “It’s not good to leave guests hanging in the living room. You got up early so go catch some more sleep. I’ll go keep them company.”
He pried off the hands wrapped around his waist and quickly pulled something from his coat pocket, stuffing it into Yan Chen’s hands: “Happy New Year, Boyfriend!”
His arms were suddenly empty, and then the room was empty.
Yan Chen clicked his tongue faintly at the air and lifted his hand. A red envelope lay in his palm.
He flipped it over and, upon seeing the words written on it, all his depression melted away and he smiled.
The square red envelope had a cartoon rabbit with its hands on its hips printed on it, and underneath were a few words in big round characters:
The red envelope belongs to you, and you belong to me!
