Chapter 41: 041 The Grand Finale (Part 2)

Chapter 41: 041 The Grand Finale (Part 2)

Song Yang felt the atmosphere was off and quickly pulled his clothes back up, asking again, "So, do you two have any ideas?"

Although Shen Yi said she didn’t care, Song Yang wasn’t entirely convinced.

He had risked being hit by Shen Yi by telling them about this, so they better come up with something useful!

Wen Que suddenly had an idea and suggested, "I get it now. She feels guilty about you."

Song Yang looked puzzled.

Wen Que continued, "Your wound looks pretty bad. She’s a kind soul and feels bad for biting you, which is why she’s been so attentive lately."

It made perfect sense.

Song Yang instantly bought it, saying, "Oh, I see!"

However, Xu Qingzhe said, "Now that you’ve got it, let’s hit the books. Look at this problem."

Song Yang: "?"

"You’re joking, right? Study now?"

Xu Qingzhe handed him a pen, his tone leaving no room for argument, "This is what Shen Yi told me to do."

Wen Que added quietly, "It’s what we told you to do."

＊

After an hour of forced studying, Song Yang felt like his brain was stuffed with info, leaving him dazed and confused.

Just as Jiang Yue called, "Dinner’s ready!" Song Yang saw his chance and bolted out.

At the dinner table.

Shen Yi, as always, sat next to Song Yang, looking after him, sometimes putting food on his plate, and making sure he ate a balanced meal.

Jiang Jiabao looked up, puzzled, at the scene before him, thinking to himself, wasn’t this how he used to be treated?

Song Yang set down his chopsticks and cleared his throat.

Shen Yi: "?"

Knowing Song Yang, he was acting up and about to stir the pot.

But it didn’t matter.

Now she would pamper Song Yang ＾＾.

Song Yang looked straight at Shen Yi and pointed at the bowl of chicken soup not far away, "I want both chicken wings."

Back in the day, whenever there was chicken, Shen Yi always got at least one wing—it was the unwritten rule.

But Shen Yi seemed not to care at all. After a quick look to see if anyone else wanted the wings, she used clean serving chopsticks to pull both wings off and placed them in Song Yang’s bowl.

Song Yang still wasn’t satisfied, "There are bones in this. How am I supposed to eat it? Help me tear the meat off."

Shen Yi complied.

Song Yang still looked dissatisfied, blaming Shen Yi for tearing the chicken into too small pieces, finding fault with the smallest details, yet Shen Yi didn’t get angry, only saying she would pay attention next time.

Everyone was speechless.

Jiang Yue looked at Song Yang in confusion and whispered to her brother, "What is he doing?"

Shen Yu shook his head: "He might be losing it."

Xu Qingzhe was also surprised.

He wasn’t keen on talking to Wen Que, but besides Wen Que, there was only Jiang Jiabao around him, so he had no other option.

So Xu Qingzhe lowered his voice and said, "Is that really why?"

Wen Que chuckled: "I was just kidding."

That was the truth.

How could Wen Que know why Shen Yi seemed different? But he could be sure that Song Yang was overstepping, and Shen Yi’s patience was wearing thin.

If he told Song Yang this, Song Yang would definitely become more arrogant.

Then, it was only a matter of time before Shen Yi snapped.

But Wen Que didn’t expect—

Shen Yi couldn’t tolerate it anymore, and it happened tonight.

No matter how much Song Yang annoyed her, Shen Yi stayed patient and went along with it, until she started tutoring him in English.

Song Yang had been studying for a long time, and just looking at the books made his head spin. An hour passed, and he still didn’t get it.

When a very basic and simple multiple-choice question was explained eight times, and Song Yang still looked just as clueless, it felt like she was the only one who had gone through it eight times. Shen Yi was absolutely livid.

She grabbed Song Yang’s head and shook it hard: "What don’t you get? Is your brain just full of air?"

At the same time.

Shen Yi thought to herself: When Meng Zihan made Song Yang the way he is, she forgot the most crucial thing! That’s intelligence, intelligence!!!

With Song Yang’s lack of brains, how could Meng Zihan trust her safety to him? If something went wrong, they’d both be doomed!

Shen Yi just couldn’t understand.

But after enduring such torment, Song Yang’s previously sour expression vanished, replaced by a bright smile.

Song Yang eagerly grabbed her hands, pressing them more firmly against his cheeks, and stared into her eyes seriously: "Great, you’ve finally returned to normal. Please, keep teasing me like you used to."

Shen Yi: "?"

When was she not normal?

Oh, did he mean her attitude?

But is there something wrong with Song Yang?

She was nice to him, and he wasn’t happy about it?

And what does he mean by keep teasing him like before? When did she ever tease him?

Shen Yi really wanted to complain, but when the words reached her lips, she found herself momentarily speechless due to the intensely earnest look of the young man.

Well...

Their current posture was also a bit close, reminding Shen Yi of a romantic comic she had read, where the male protagonist decided to confess the moment the female protagonist cupped his cheeks.

Shen Yi awkwardly pulled her hands free from Song Yang's grasp and said, "Alright, complete this test for me and bring it to me tomorrow night. I'll pinch you for every mistake."

Although Song Yang had mentioned that he should go abroad for university, that was something for after high school. For now, he still had to be her well-rounded student excelling in morals, intelligence, and fitness!

Song Yang objected, "Why?"

Shen Yi's eyes smiled, "You said it yourself, to let me bully you."

She smiled so beautifully that Song Yang was taken aback, forgetting to retort.

...

The next night.

Same time, same place.

The room was filled with Song Yang's cries, one after another, without end.

Everyone was speechless.

Shen Yu was puzzled, "She just reviewed an English test with Song Yang, how did she change back?"

Jiang Yue slowly shook her head, "You don't understand the dread of tutoring someone."

Jiang Yue had been the same when she first started tutoring Jiang Jiabao.

Whenever Jiang Jiabao said that a bus station needed to travel 7.151515... stops to be fully loaded, that Xiao Mei's father was thirty years old this year, or that Xiao Ming's salary was negative 7200, Jiang Yue could empathize with Shen Yi.

After all...

Teaching is absolutely terrifying!

Shen Yu looked confused at the equally silent Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe and asked, "How do you guys endure it?"

Weren't these two supposed to be responsible for teaching Song Yang math? They seemed perfectly normal, completely unaffected by Song Yang.

Wen Que calmly replied, "We just teach him casually; he doesn’t get it anyway."

Xu Qingzhe's focus wasn't on Song Yang at all, "I found five solutions to last night's problem."

Wen Que chuckled lightly, "Sorry, I just edged you out this time with six."

Everyone was speechless.

So Song Yang is just a pawn in your genius rivalry?

He can’t even grasp the basics, and you’re throwing advanced problems at him?

Jiang Yue was intrigued, "What was the problem?"

Xu Qingzhe handed her the exercise book and draft paper.

Jiang Yue looked at it and quickly wrote out multiple solution methods on a blank sheet of draft paper, somewhat embarrassed, "I found seven, though the last one isn’t..."

"I'm pretty sure, could you guys check if it's correct?"

Wen Que: "?"

Xu Qingzhe: "?"

The two took turns looking at the draft paper, then exchanged glances.

Xu Qingzhe opened his backpack again and pulled out a new workbook.

Wen Que grabbed it directly from his hand, flipped to a page from memory, and handed it to Jiang Yue: "Take a look at this problem and see if you can find another solution."

Jiang Yue was a little puzzled, but in this situation, she naturally had to take it and started calculating seriously on the draft paper.

Inside the room.

Song Yang's wails continued unabated, accompanied by Shen Yi's roars.

Outside the room.

Three heads were huddled close together, Jiang Yue calculating on the draft paper, Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe closely watching her thought process.

Finally.

Jiang Yue put down her pen, feeling a bit down: "Sorry, the answer is wrong."

"Your method is correct."

After saying this, Wen Que casually tore a page from Xu Qingzhe's draft paper, took a pen, and started calculating beside it.

Xu Qingzhe grabbed a red pen, he didn't calculate, but circled a step Jiang Yue had written: "This part is wrong."

Catching Wen Que's slightly surprised look, his expression didn't change, seeming utterly indifferent, yet he said word by word: "Close call, but a win."

"Oh, I see!" Jiang Yue exclaimed and quickly corrected her mistake, then pulled out her own workbook, asking about a problem that had been bugging her for a while.

Shen Yu glanced inside the room and then outside: "...?"

What? What’s going on here! Are Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe really that close? Or is this some kind of study group? They're all crazy!

So, I have to wash all these dishes by myself?

What a bunch of jerks!

Shen Yu’s look turned resentful, finally settling on Jiang Jiabao, the only one still at the table, sneaking another bowl of soup.

Jiang Jiabao shivered, put down the bowl obediently, and flashed a flattering smile: "Brother, I'll help you wash the dishes."

Only then did Shen Yu feel content.

That’s better! At least someone’s got a conscience!

＊

These ordinary days continued, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the final exams, followed by the winter break Shen Yi had been eagerly anticipating.

She and Jiang Yue had agreed to work part-time at a dessert shop owned by a friend, to earn some pocket money.

As luck would have it, it was the same dessert shop where Shen Yi and Wen Que had broken up.

As soon as the boss saw Shen Yi, he recognized her: "Hey... aren’t you the one who was here last time..."

At that point, the boss hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Shen Yi didn’t expect the boss to remember her either and felt equally awkward: "Sorry for the trouble last time, and for knocking over the chair in your shop."

Shen Yi vaguely remembered knocking over a chair when she ran out, but she had been too upset at the time to pay attention to such details, only recalling it later.

"It’s nothing, just a minor thing."

The boss waved his hand dismissively and asked with a hint of curiosity: "So, did you patch things up with your boyfriend? After you left in tears, he looked pretty upset too."

Jiang Yue quickly stepped between them.

Though neither Shen Yi nor the boss said it outright, she could guess what had happened.

To save Shen Yi from further embarrassment, Jiang Yue quickly changed the subject: "Boss, what are our responsibilities, and how long’s the workday?"

The boss got the hint that Jiang Yue didn’t want him to pry further and smiled knowingly: "Follow me."

After two weeks at the coffee shop, Shen Yi followed Jiang Yue’s example every day, working diligently and earning her first paycheck from the part-time job before the New Year.

Each got six thousand yuan, plus a separate red envelope with eight hundred yuan.

Shen Yi’s eyes widened as she looked at Jiang Yue in disbelief.

This much?

This wasn’t what we agreed on.

Jiang Yue was also startled and asked: "Boss, did you make a mistake?"

The boss smiled warmly and waved them off: "It’s the New Year, after all. It’s only fair to give a little extra. Besides, you’ve done a great job. I know many students from your school come here because of you, and my business has been good. Come back anytime you need a part-time gig. Now, don’t hang around, get going."

Since the boss said so, the two exchanged glances and accepted the money without further refusal.

After they left.

The boss hummed a tune while mopping the floor, preparing to go home for a good New Year.

The door was pushed open from the outside.

A well-dressed woman in a black fur coat walked in and asked: "Did you take care of what I asked?"

"You're here!"

The boss quickly greeted her and reported: "I’ve already paid those two girls, and they didn’t suspect anything."

Ever since those two girls started working part-time at his shop, this woman had come to him, giving him a sum of money and instructing him to take good care of them and to pay them more.

The woman still frowned, her gentle and beautiful face filled with worry: "This little bit won’t cover their expenses, I’m really afraid they’ll suffer outside. I don’t understand why you stopped me."

The boss wiped the sweat of helplessness from his forehead: "It’s already double the market rate... Your daughters are sharp. If I gave them fifty thousand each as you suggested, they would definitely suspect something."

"Alright."

The woman was disappointed but accepted his reasoning, turning to leave but suddenly froze.

At the door.

Two heads poked out from either side, staring straight at her.

"Mom!"

Shen Yi was the first to shout in surprise.

"I knew it!"

Jiang Yue gave a knowing look, held out her hand to Shen Yi, and said proudly, "I win."

Shen Yi accepted her loss and handed Jiang Yue the red envelope with eight hundred yuan inside.

Shen Yi was about to leave, but Jiang Yue stopped her, looking serious. "Something’s not right," she said.

First, the money wasn’t right.

Jiang Yue had worked part-time for this boss before. Sure, he was kind and gave red envelopes during holidays, but doubling the pay was way too much.

Secondly.

The boss was lazy—he’d just sit around on his phone whenever he came to the shop. So why was he rushing them out before they even finished mopping? That had to mean there was something he didn’t want them to see.

So Jiang Yue dragged Shen Yi to hide behind a bush and made a bet. Sure enough, Shen’s mom showed up soon after.

Seeing she’d been caught, Shen’s mom sighed helplessly. "It’s all because of you two and Shen Yu. I tried to move you to a better place, but you said no. I wanted to hire a nanny for you, but you refused. I even tried to give you more money, but you wouldn’t take it. That’s why I had to do this."

Jiang Yue looked stern and said seriously, "Mom, we’ve got enough money."

Shen’s mom gently patted Jiang Yue’s head, knowing how responsible she was, then turned to Shen Yi. "What about you, Yi Yi? Do you have enough?"

"Of course!"

Shen Yi puffed out her chest proudly. "Honestly, there’s barely anything I need to spend money on."

Though she’d given up some of her old hobbies.

Like expensive makeup (that expired barely used), a full set of comics (still unopened in the bookcase), and designer clothes.

These things aren’t necessities. Sure, they’re nice to have, but you don’t really miss them when you’re with friends.

Besides, Shen Yi had heard from Song Yang’s mom that her mother was now running several companies on her own, which meant she needed the money.

Shen’s mom understood the kids were worried about her. "Even though money’s a bit tight right now, I can still afford to get you things you like."

Shen Yi piped up, "Then come have New Year’s Eve dinner with us, Mom!"

Shen’s mom looked a little uneasy.

Jiang Yue chimed in, "Yes! Come with us—Dad won’t mind!"

She meant Jiang’s dad, of course.

"Sorry."

Though she hated to disappoint them, Shen’s mom hugged her daughters. "This year, I want to spend New Year with Grandpa and Grandma. Next time, okay? At the latest, in three years, I’ll definitely be able to live with you."

＊

As the New Year approaches, the air grows colder.

On New Year's Eve.

Shen Yi, bundled up tightly, entered Shen Yu and Jiang Yue’s place with a few candied fruit skewers in hand, calling out, “Come grab some candied fruit skewers! Dad says dinner’s in an hour!”

Jiang Jiabao was there doing his winter vacation homework, and his eyes lit up the second he saw Shen Yi with the candied fruit skewers.

Shen Yi usually gave the smallest stick to Jiang Jiabao, but her gaze lingered on him for a moment, scrutinizing him carefully. He’s really... lost a lot of weight.

At this point, Jiang Jiabao wasn’t exactly thin, but no one would give him odd looks on the street anymore. He was just an ordinary slightly chubby kid, and it didn’t seem to affect his health much.

Let’s bend the rules this time.

Shen Yi finally handed over her large strawberry candied fruit skewer, saying, “Here, this is your reward for today.”

“Woohoo!”

Jiang Jiabao jumped up from the sofa in excitement, grabbing it, “Thank you, sister!”

He didn’t call her Shen Yi or even Sister Shen Yi.

Shen Yi was momentarily stunned, then reached out to pat his head, “No homework today, go play. You can pig out tonight, just this once.”

Jiang Jiabao was even more thrilled, directly hugging Shen Yi and cheering, “Hail Sister!”

“What?”

Jiang Yue walked in from the doorway, arms crossed, looking at Jiang Jiabao, “Dream on! You’re not going anywhere until you get this problem!”

Shen Yi looked somewhat awkwardly at Jiang Yue, trying to mediate, “It’s New Year’s Eve, let’s do it tomorrow.”

Jiang Jiabao nodded eagerly, hiding behind Shen Yi and repeating, “Tomorrow! Tomorrow!”

Jiang Yue raised a hand high, “I didn’t smack you yet, did I? Get over here!”

Jiang Jiabao burst into tears with a “wah,” clinging to Shen Yi’s waist, “You always hit me! You don’t love me... I don’t want you! I want Sister Shen Yi, wuwuwu...”

Shen Yi: “...”

Why does this feel familiar?

Jiang Yue scoffed, shouting, “You’re really asking for it,” as she pulled Jiang Jiabao off Shen Yi and pressed him back to the desk, “I’ll stay here with you today! If you don’t get this simple problem, no one’s eating tonight!”

Jiang Jiabao sat at the desk, looking up at Shen Yi with a pitiful, pleading face.

Seeing Jiang Yue’s anger, Shen Yi dared not intervene further and chose to sit down as well, comforting, “It’s fine, let me see the problem, I’ll help you.”

Ten minutes later.

Shen Yi’s lips quivered as she read the question and answer, “Xiao Zhang ate a piece of chocolate and needs to climb... nine thousand four hundred and twenty-six floors to burn off the calories?”

What the heck is this? How did they even get this answer?

Jiang Yue got up, dug through the drawers, found a chocolate, unwrapped it, and shoved it into Jiang Jiabao’s mouth, “Eat! After you finish, go climb nine thousand four hundred and twenty-six floors!!!”

Shen Yi completely ignored Jiang Jiabao’s pleading eyes, this time even she was at a loss for words.

This is just ridiculous.

Jiang Jiabao plopped down on the floor, bawling his eyes out, "I don't have a sister... I don't want a sister, not even one... You're so mean, boohoo—Brother! I want my brother!"

Just then.

Shen Yu, drawn by the crying, stood in the doorway. After catching the gist of it, he wiped Jiang Jiabao's tears and said, "Stop crying."

Jiang Jiabao sniffled, looking at Shen Yu with hopeful eyes, wishing he could save him from this hellish room.

Shen Yu patted his head and comforted him, "No biggie. I’ve got your back!"

Shen Yi: "..."

Jiang Yue: "?"

Is that really the point?

Jiang Jiabao: "!"

That just made things worse.

The next second.

Jiang Jiabao wailed at the top of his lungs, "I don’t want my brother either, boohoo... I don’t want anything, boohoo..."

Shen Yu was baffled by the tears and kept comforting him, saying, "Big boys don’t cry," and that as his brother, he would definitely accompany him all the way. Meanwhile, Jiang Yue yanked Jiang Jiabao by the collar and dragged him back to the desk, "You weren’t paying attention? Think you can get away with that again?"

The room was a cacophony of noise and chaos.

Shen Yi covered her ears to block out the noise, but a faint smile of happiness lingered on her face.

She loved the chaos of it all.

As long as she wasn’t the one getting yelled at.

After that, despite his loud sobs, Jiang Jiabao listened as Jiang Yue went over the key points and finally wrote the correct answer. They all headed over to the Jiangs’ place.

Jiang’s dad was in the kitchen, urging them to take a seat.

Jiang’s mom, as usual, wore a look of disapproval, especially when she saw her precious son's red eyes and cheeks. She immediately looked at Jiang Yue and accused, "What did you do to your brother?"

Shen Yi grabbed Jiang Yue’s hand and boldly took the blame, "I’m the one who hit him! Jiang Yue doesn’t have to babysit him! Why are you blaming her?"

Jiang’s mom frowned, hesitating, but in the end, she cradled her son’s face lovingly and brought out some snacks that others had sent as New Year’s gifts to comfort him.

Jiang Jiabao hesitated, clutching the snacks, and then, in front of his mother, ran over to Shen Yi and Jiang Yue, handing the snacks to them.

Shen Yi naturally took them, opened the candies, and shared them with everyone.

Jiang Yue just used one hand to pat Jiang Jiabao's head, blocking his view, and at the same time, she looked up, directly meeting Jiang’s mother's gaze.

Although they weren’t biological mother and daughter, after so many years of living together, they were as close as family.

Just like at this moment, they both could understand what the other was thinking.

Jiang Yue didn’t speak, just glanced at Jiang Jiabao and Shen Yi, then looked towards the kitchen, and finally gave her mother a faint smile.

Jiang Yue’s gaze was a silent warning.

Whether it was Jiang Jiabao, their father, or Shen Yi, they were all on the same side.

Mom.

Are you really going to keep this up until you’re at odds with everyone?

Over the years, she had tolerated it because she was accustomed to that way of life, not wanting to cause any more trouble, since it was pointless.

But now, things are different.

She now has someone she genuinely wants to protect.

She doesn’t want Shen Yi to have to bow her head and suffer in front of her mother, just like she used to.

Mother Jiang’s breathing quickened.

She grasped Jiang Yue’s meaning, which only fueled her frustration at her own helplessness. Finally, she could only respond with silence, turning around and walking into the kitchen, chiding Father Jiang for being too slow.

The New Year’s Eve dinner got underway.

Everyone sat at the table, except for Jiang Jiabao.

After a quick discussion, they decided to send him to fetch Xu Qingzhe from the Xu family.

After Xu Qingzhe arrived, soon another face appeared at the door, Song Yang, holding gifts in both hands: "I knew I’d find you here! Happy New Year!"

Shen Yi was surprised: "Shouldn’t you be at home right now?"

"My parents decided last minute to go abroad for a romantic New Year, and I didn’t want to be a third wheel, so I stayed back."

Song Yang looked at Father and Mother Jiang: "Uncle, Auntie, these are some gifts from my mom!"

The gift boxes in Song Yang’s hands looked quite expensive, and Father Jiang tried to refuse, but Shen Yi took them and set them aside: "Come on, don’t be so formal with him."

Then Shen Yi noticed Xu Qingzhe beside her, frowning slightly, with a hint of regret in his expression.

Shen Yi pretended not to see it and loudly added to her father: "Of course, someone who comes over for dinner on their own initiative shouldn’t come empty-handed."

The message was clear.

Xu Qingzhe wasn’t like him and didn’t need to feel bad for not bringing a gift.

Xu Qingzhe naturally knew that Shen Yi said this because of him. His eyes briefly met hers, and seeing her smile, he didn’t notice his own frown soften.

For some reason.

Mother Jiang’s look softened as she turned to Song Yang, and she even actively served him food.

Song Yang felt flattered and thanked her repeatedly.

Until—

She started asking about Song Yang’s family situation.

She had once again been reduced to a measure of worth.

Whether in a wealthy or poor family, this point was surprisingly the same.

Shen Yi lowered her eyes, a hint of sarcasm tugging at the corner of her lips.

She lost her appetite and stayed silent, not wanting to ruin the seemingly cheerful mood.

Until—

A warm hand covered hers.

Jiang Yue blinked at her and shook her head.

She silently mouthed: Don’t worry about it.

Ever.

Don’t let unworthy people or things ruin your mood.

As the New Year’s Eve dinner was winding down,

there was a knock at the door.

Shen Yi, sitting closest to the door, was the first to get up and open it. She was even more surprised to see who it was: “…Wen Que?”

Wen Que was dressed in a black wool coat with a light-colored scarf, his expression gentle: “Sorry to barge in.”

Before Shen Yi could ask what Wen Que was doing here, Song Yang popped out from the room and said, “I called Wen Que. We’re heading to the mountains later to watch the fireworks and spend the night. My car can’t fit everyone and all our stuff, so I asked Wen Que to help.”

Shen Yi gave Song Yang a surprised look.

From what she remembered, among their group… Song Yang and Wen Que had the worst relationship, right?

Shen Yu was a given; he and Wen Que were already friends. Jiang Yue and Xu Qingzhe could now talk to Wen Que about those competition questions. Only Song Yang had never clicked with Wen Que since they were kids. They’d barely exchanged a few words over the years.

Song Yang smiled as he placed a hand on Shen Yi’s shoulder, pulling her in closer. He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “My mom said his parents have been fighting a lot lately for some reason. I know you wouldn’t want him to be alone for New Year’s, so I figured I’d bring him along.”

With that,

Song Yang let go and turned to the group, “Everyone full? Let’s roll!”

Everyone: “?”

Now? Just like that? Song Yang hadn’t even talked to anyone about this!

Unless… he’d discussed it with Wen Que?

Under Shen Yi’s accusatory stare,

Song Yang scratched the back of his neck and laughed, “Did I not mention it earlier? Well, I forgot. Anyway, no big deal. Let’s go!”

Fortunately, Song Yang had already arranged everything in advance. They didn’t need to bring any essential daily necessities; just showing up was enough.

The group got into the Wen family’s car and headed to the location Song Yang had mentioned.

Shen Yi recognized the familiar scenery along the way, and upon arriving at the destination, she was even more certain—this was the mountain Song Yang had taken her to last time to comfort her.

Song Yang had already rented a small courtyard halfway up the mountain and began asking everyone, “There are five rooms in total. How should we divide them?”

Jiang Yue raised her hand, “Yi Yi and I will share a room!”

Even if there were enough rooms, she would still think this way.

Shen Yu also said, “Then I can sleep with Jiang Jiabao.”

He could also shoulder some responsibilities as an older brother.

"Alright, I’ll get you two bigger rooms."

Song Yang was cool with this setup and then looked to the other side: "As for Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe, the three of us can each take a room."

No one had any issues with this.

Song Yang continued, "They’re still getting things ready over there, so everyone can chill in their rooms for an hour. We’ll head up to the summit a bit later."

Since Song Yang had everything planned out, everyone went along with it, except for Shen Yi.

The moment Shen Yi dropped her bags, she caught Song Yang trying to sneak off and shouted, "Song Yang! Where are you going?"

Jumping at her shout, Song Yang turned around and tried to play it cool, "I’m just heading out for a walk!"

Shen Yi immediately hopped over to him, "Then I’ll go with you!"

Jiang Yue stayed back because it was too cold outside, and everyone else was probably taking a break. Shen Yi was bored just sitting in the room and thought it would be better to go out for a walk with Song Yang.

Song Yang looked conflicted for a moment and shouted, "Shen Yi! What do you want to do?"

Shen Yi was confused.

What’s his deal?

They were barely two meters apart, why was he yelling so loud?

She didn’t get it but decided to go along with it.

Shen Yi cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone too and shouted back, "I—SAID—! I want to go out for a walk with you—!!!"

"Bang—"

Three doors behind them flew open at the same time.

Shen Yi: "???"

What's going on?

Shen Yi turned to see Shen Yu, Wen Que, and Xu Qingzhe at their doors and asked, puzzled, "...Do you guys want to join us for a walk too?"

Xu Qingzhe had a complicated expression and didn’t say anything.

Wen Que wore a faint smile and said, "This place is quite big, we could indeed take a walk."

Shen Yu immediately chimed in, "Yeah! Come on! Let’s check out my room first!"

Shen Yi: "..."

Are they out of their minds?

Didn’t they already see the rooms when we were choosing them earlier?

Shen Yi waved her hand, indicating she had no interest in seeing the same rooms again, and turned back to look for Song Yang, only to find that he had disappeared.

Shen Yi asked, "Did you see where Song Yang went?"

Shen Yu immediately put on a fierce expression, "Why are you so concerned about that guy? Are you thinking about dating him? I absolutely won’t allow you to be with him!"

Shen Yi: "Huh?"

What’s the connection here? What is Shen Yu even talking about? Is he crazy?

Before Shen Yi knew what was happening, Shen Yu grabbed her shoulders and started leading her into the room, saying, "Come on, let’s have a real sibling chat! Wen Que! Close the door for me!"

Shen Yi was at a loss for words: "Shen Yu, I think you're really sick."

...

The door was kindly closed from the outside by Wen Que.

Shen Yi sat at the foot of the bed, glanced at Jiang Jiabao who was watching cartoons on the sofa, and also noticed Shen Yu standing guard at the door, clearly not letting her leave. She asked, "What's going on here?"

It was all so bizarre.

Shen Yu looked around, then quietly took a red envelope out of his pocket and stuffed it into Shen Yi's hand, whispering, "Take it."

Clearly.

He didn’t want Jiang Jiabao to see, and also feared being discovered by anyone outside.

Fortunately, Jiang Jiabao was completely absorbed in the cartoons, and the doors and windows were tightly shut, so no one could see.

Shen Yi looked at the red envelope in her hand with confusion, wondering what kind of "secret mission" this was. She opened it with suspicion, only to find it contained eight perfectly normal hundred-yuan bills. At the same time, Shen Yu whispered in her ear, "This is just for you, don’t tell anyone."

Shen Yi: "..."

She felt a bit touched, but also a bit conflicted.

But before Shen Yi could say anything, Shen Yu once again placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her out: "It’s all good, go have fun!"

"Bang—"

Shen Yi stood at the door, watching as it was closed from the inside this time.

Shen Yi tucked the red envelope into her pocket.

She glanced around and finally decided to squat down and play with yesterday’s snow.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough for her to play with, though not enough for a snowball fight or a snowman. She wished it would snow a lot more.

With this in mind, Shen Yi started gathering snow from the flower bed to make the biggest snowman she could.

But before she could really get started, her hands were already freezing. She rubbed her hands together and blew on them, trying to warm them up.

It’s pretty chilly today, huh?

Shen Yi sniffled and was about to tough it out and keep building when a steaming cup of water suddenly appeared in front of her.

Shen Yi looked up.

Wen Que stood behind her, his gaze as soft as always, saying, "Warm up a bit."

Shen Yi was a little stunned.

Even though she’d seen Wen Que a lot lately, the time they’d spent alone together could be counted on one hand.

She didn’t say no, stood up, and took the cup. Her cold hands immediately felt less numb from the heat, and she took a sip, feeling her body warm up slightly.

And then.

Wen Que’s scarf was gently draped around her neck. Shen Yi looked at Wen Que, about to say something, but he quickly wrapped it around her neck a few more times.

The scarf was warm.

It carried his faint scent.

Wen Que didn’t give Shen Yi a chance to refuse or give it back. This time, it was his turn to crouch by the flower bed, and without turning his head, he asked Shen Yi, "What should we make? A bunny or a duck?"

Shen Yi pursed her lips, "Just a plain snowman is fine."

Soon.

Seven tiny snowmen in a row appeared on the flower bed. One of them was purposely made shorter to represent Jiang Jiabao. Although this wasn’t exactly what Shen Yi had in mind, she had to admit it was better this way.

So, a smile appeared on Shen Yi’s face as she praised, "Wen Que, you’re so skilled."

Wen Que’s gaze searched around until he found a partly blackened leaf, which he tore off and rolled onto one of the snowmen’s heads. He then looked up and asked Shen Yi, "Does it look like Song Yang’s hat today?"

Shen Yi’s eyes curved into a smile, "It does."

Shen Yi got excited too.

She broke off two small branches and stuck them on either side of one of the snowmen, "Then this one is Shen Yu, looking exactly as he usually does, all flashy and dramatic."

The two of them looked at each other.

Both still smiling.

Wen Que then said, "Let’s finish the rest, so everyone’s here."

Shen Yi paused for a moment. She put down her cup and, together with Wen Que, gathered some "accessories" to give each snowman some of their own distinctive features.

As Wen Que lifted his phone to take a photo of her with the snowmen, Shen Yi suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Shen Yi then grabbed a big handful of snow from another corner and, squatting down despite the cold, carefully built a snowman towering over the others.

She carefully traced with her finger to draw a smiley face on the snowman’s face, then gently pressed her cheek against its body.

The snow was very, very cold.

So cold it made half her face go numb, but there was no other way. Only with such a strong stimulus could she hold back her tears when she suddenly thought of that person.

Wen Que looked at Shen Yi with concern.

He didn’t know why she was sad, but he could see the loneliness in her eyes and the effort she was making to keep herself from crying.

This must be really tough for her.

He didn’t press further but instead bent down and pulled the loosely tied scarf around Shen Yi’s neck up a bit, covering most of her face.

Shen Yi lowered her eyelashes.

A few tears rolled down her cheeks, but she raised the corners of her lips and then, facing Wen Que, flashed a simple peace sign, "Take a photo for me."

Now, everyone’s here.

She's doing really well.

I wonder what Meng Zihan is up to now, if she's also about to celebrate the New Year, and if she misses her too.

"Click—"

The camera captured the moment.

Her eyes were red, only her eyes visible, yet you could still feel the warmth of her smile.

Wen Que quickly sent the photo to himself, acting casual as he handed the phone back to Shen Yi.

Shen Yi really liked the photo and didn't want to stay out in the cold. She said to Wen Que, "Let's head inside and warm up. Catch you later."

Once they were inside, Shen Yi remembered the incident earlier and decided to share Shen Yu's red envelope with Jiang Yue.

Before Shen Yi could speak, Jiang Yue had already picked up a red envelope from the table and came over: "Yi Yi, this is from Shen Yu for you."

Shen Yi's hand moved faster than her brain, taking it and opening it—

Sure enough, it had four hundred yuan inside.

Shen Yi looked at Jiang Yue with a complex expression: "This isn't really from Shen Yu, is it?"

Sure enough.

A guilty look flashed across Jiang Yue's face, and she said, "Why do you ask?"

Shen Yi, at a loss for words, pulled out a red envelope from her pocket and said, "Because this is the one Shen Yu gave me, and he said it was just for me."

Jiang Yue: "..."

They exchanged a speechless look and both tucked away their red envelopes.

The next second, the door was abruptly pushed open from the outside.

Jiang Jiabao walked in, automatically shoving his red envelope into Jiang Yue's hand, then turned and walked out.

Suddenly, his steps halted.

Jiang Jiabao turned back, snatched his red envelope from Jiang Yue's hand, pulled out three bills, and handed them to Shen Yi, saying, "You two can split it."

Jiang Yue looked down at the remaining three hundred yuan bills in the red envelope, forcing a smile, she said, "Jiang Pangbao, stop."

Jiang Jiabao turned around, puzzled.

Jiang Yue reached out her hand: "And the other two hundred, give it to me."

Jiang Jiabao looked horrified.

How did his sister know he'd stashed away two hundred yuan?

Reluctantly, he reached into... uh, his sock, pulled out two hundred yuan, and handed it to Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue stepped back three paces in disgust.

Shen Yi quickly stepped in to save face: "Let’s let him keep some spending money."

Jiang Yue waved her hand to indicate she didn’t want it anymore, and Jiang Jiabao’s face lit up with a grin.

Shen Yi looked at Jiang Jiabao with some amusement and asked, "Didn’t your brother say this money was just for you? He even told you to keep it a secret, and you just brought it over and let us know?"

Jiang Jiabao’s face went white as a sheet.

There was such a thing... but he forgot about it after watching TV.

He couldn’t wrap his head around why Shen Yi knew about the secret conversation between Shen Yu and him.

Jiang Yue gave Jiang Jiabao a pat on the shoulder and smiled: "...Alright, go run along and play."

Shen Yi tsked, her face full of annoyance: "Why are you saying the same thing as Shen Yu?"

It made her feel like she was just as clueless as Jiang Jiabao.

Jiang Yue also belatedly realized that this was Shen Yu’s recent catchphrase and laughed: "It just slipped out."

Half an hour went by.

Then Song Yang called and told them to head out, and Shen Yi and Jiang Yue noticed that the yard was empty except for them, only the driver waiting in the car at the gate.

Jiang Yue asked curiously: "Where did they go?"

The driver replied: "The guys went on ahead."

Jiang Yue looked at Shen Yi.

Shen Yi patted the back of her hand and said, "Let’s see what they’re scheming."

Thinking about it, Song Yang’s reaction was pretty weird.

Not only did he not let her follow, but he was practically shouting at her, probably trying to hint for others to come out and stop her, but then Shen Yu was even more inexplicable, so she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Well, we’re already here.

Shen Yi thought so.

＊

There was still some distance to the observation deck, but from afar, it was already visible that it was covered with colorful lights, glowing like a theme park in the night.

The Song family’s car that came to get them also stopped some distance from the observation deck, and the driver reminded: "Miss Shen, Miss Jiang, this is your stop."

Shen Yi hopped out of the car first, ran a few steps forward, and started checking out the colorful lights on the trees by the roadside.

Sure enough—there it was.

Seeing her childhood full moon photo strung up and hung on a tree by the roadside, Shen Yi’s lips twitched in disbelief, wanting to give the event planner a piece of her mind.

She raised her head to look at the other side of the road.

Sure enough, there were also many photos hanging there, and Jiang Yue, like her, stood in front of one of them with clenched fists.

The others were more of the same.

As a baby, she crawled around the bed in diapers, and as she grew older, she learned to walk with the help of a nanny. The first time she wore her elementary school uniform, one after another, memorable photos were hung along the roadside.

As she walked and looked around, it was like seeing the traces of her own growth.

Her initial urge to mock and her speechless frustration were alleviated after seeing herself in the photos growing up and becoming more beautiful, no longer embarrassing.

Okay.

Even though it’s a little cheesy...

But it’s still kind of moving.

Thinking this, Shen Yi saw Jiang Yue on the other side had already stopped and turned her back, quietly wiping away her tears.

Shen Yi quickened her pace, and when she was only two photos away from the corner's end, she thought about it and turned around, running back to retrace Jiang Yue’s steps.

So this was what Jiang Yue looked like as a kid.

She was always thin, with a small face and a small head, standing out even in her graduation class photo.

She did learn to dance, looking stunning and radiant in her dance costume, like a white swan.

After Jiang Yue finished looking at all this, she also wanted to find Shen Yi, but when she turned her head, she found her standing right behind her, with a slightly helpless look.

When the two walked to the end together.

It was pretty much what they’d expected.

The ground was piled with various camping tables, chairs, and equipment, a bustling scene, everyone was busy, the air was filled with the smell of grilled meat, and in the center of the table were two very beautiful birthday cakes.

Seeing them arrive.

Song Yang, the mastermind behind the scenes, who thought he was a genius, immediately waved his hand, giving them a triumphant wink: "Happy birthday to you."

Because of that whole mess.

Neither of them had truly enjoyed their birthdays.

Song Yang always remembered this, remembered how pitiful Shen Yi had looked that night, and how she’d mentioned a while back that she hoped her birthday could be spent with him, Wen Que, and... uh, who else, Shen Yu? Probably.

Anyway, it was to spend it with them, not so lonely with only his company.

When Song Yang told Shen Yu about this idea, Shen Yu immediately clapped his hands in approval and suggested that Jiang Yue should also have a birthday celebration.

Although Jiang Yue had a birthday party after returning to the Shen family, he, as her brother, could tell she’d been on edge that day, and she did not have a happy time.

So the two of them secretly put this together, also informing Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe in advance to cooperate today.

Someone took the lead.

The candles were lit, everyone sang the birthday song, and Shen Yi and Jiang Yue were surrounded in the center.

The cakes were pink and blue.

Wishing her happiness and freedom.

Shen Yi clasped her hands together, a faint smile on her face.

Shen Yi didn’t actually make a wish.

Because the wish she made last time has already come true.

None of the bad things she feared came to pass.

No one dislikes her, no one distances themselves from her, she can still live openly, surrounded by their care and concern, whether she’s being playful or acting up, as long as it’s her, it seems natural that she would be favored.

＊

"A New Year’s wish? Let me think about it."

"I want to be with everyone forever, like, forever and ever, please… no, please, let the whole world always love me!!!"

"...Huh? What kind of narcissistic nonsense are you spouting?"

"I can’t take it, even I, your brother, can’t handle it, so narcissistic!"

"It’ll happen."

"...Yeah."

"Alright! The whole world should love our Yi Yi!"

Suddenly, it started snowing again.

Tiny snowflakes softly landed on Shen Yi’s brow.

As if in another world, someone was tenderly responding to her: "Of course, I love Yi Yi the most, more than anything."

—End of story

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