Chapter 16

Chapter 16

*

His tone and expression were both light, carrying his usual smile, leaving Jin Mo completely unable to figure out whether he was making a casual joke or had ulterior motives.

This was also why, over all these years, she'd never dared to venture into the forbidden territory of their relationship.

The emotions he showed were always impossible for her to read, open to all kinds of interpretations. Read into it a little more, and it was flirty ambiguity; take it at face value, and it was just playful nonsense.

The line between joke and sincerity was too blurred and too difficult to define. She was a total novice when it came to matters of the heart, with no clue how to read between the lines—even though, for over twenty years, they should've been the two people in the world who knew each other best.

She could honestly say she knew everything about him, except when it came to how he felt about love.

She didn't dare overthink it. If she read too much into it and it turned out to be nothing but her own wishful thinking, the sibling-like bond they shared would shatter in an instant.

So she'd rather not think about it, rather not ask.

Because at least this way, she wouldn't lose him.

She didn't dare bring it up with her two best friends, Yan Qinxuan and Jin Yuan, either. Yan Qinxuan was proud and aloof, and had never thought Yin Jihong was good enough for her; Jin Yuan's own love life was already a mess, so she had no bandwidth for Jin Mo's—it'd be a blessing if she didn't drag Jin Mo down with her.

So at that moment, staring at his handsome face, she could only defuse the situation in the lightest, most harmless way she could think of: "Do I need to lock the door when I sleep at your place? Isn't it just like being at home?"

"Even at your own place, there's still a single guy living there besides you."

"Mo Mo, let me say this again." Yin Jihong gazed at her calmly, his smile faint. "I'm not some lady's confidant, and I'm not that little kid whose hair hadn't even grown in yet."

He paused, speaking each word frankly and directly: "The guy standing in front of you is a legit, in-his-prime, straight, single, normal young man."

"Bottom line: I've got urges, and I've got desires."

As he said this, a dark, deep gleam flickered in his gorgeous eyes.

The moment Jin Mo met his eyes, her heart pounded so hard it nearly jumped out of her chest. She hadn't expected him to not only refuse to let her drop the topic, but to insist on spelling it out even more.

How could that not make her mind run wild?

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Jin Mo's fingers curled at her sides without her meaning to, and her palms started to get clammy.

After a moment, she looked away, face burning, and mumbled in a low voice, "There are so many people downstairs. You really are bold."

He stepped closer, dropping his voice even lower: "Doesn't the old man always say there's nothing in this world I wouldn't dare do?"

The old man referred to Yin Cheng.

He was way too close now—she was afraid he could hear her heart thundering in her chest.

Jin Mo instinctively stepped back, but he followed, backing her all the way to the stairs, where she could clearly hear Deng Ying and the others laughing and chatting downstairs.

Her back against the railing, she forced a smile: "...Brother Ji, stop messing with me. Did you have too much to drink at lunch?"

The implication was clear: he'd crossed the line.

Yin Jihong saw she hadn't taken the bait and had chosen to retreat instead, and a flicker of disappointment quickly passed through his eyes.

He quickly slipped back into his usual demeanor, stepping back two paces to give her back the comfortable distance that put her at ease: "Alright, I'll stop messing with you. The old man was happy, so I had a few extra drinks with him. We'll probably keep going later."

"Let's head down."

He raised his hand to ruffle her hair like he always did, but when he caught the slightly tense look in her eyes, his hand froze mid-air and dropped silently to his side.

As they headed downstairs one after the other, Old Master Yin had already cranked the TV volume for the Spring Festival Gala up to deafening levels.

Deng Ying and the others had been snacking all through their afternoon mahjong game, so they weren't hungry yet. They were now bringing the dishes to the table, while Jin Ping and Jiang Ting were still stir-frying dishes in the kitchen.

Ever since coming downstairs, Jin Mo had deliberately kept her distance from Yin Jihong, chatting with the old master and Grandma Yin at the dining table. Whenever Yin Jihong got even a step closer, she'd immediately go quiet.

The old master didn't spare Yin Jihong any face at all, raising his cane and pointing it right at him: "You little rascal, did you just bully Mo Mo?"

Hearing the old master go straight for the jugular, Jin Mo panicked and quickly jumped to Yin Jihong's defense: "Grandpa, he didn't—"

"Yeah, you caught me." The culprit, however, casually draped an arm over the back of Jin Mo's chair, smirking. "Old ancestor, your eagle eyes could rival the Falcon Team."

"..."

Jin Mo was momentarily speechless. She'd been trying to avoid and cover up the whole thing, and he just went and put it right out in the open.

Luckily, Deng Ying and the others were all busy going back and forth between the kitchen and the living room, so no one heard what was going on. Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to explain to everyone the "bullying" he'd pulled upstairs.

The old master's cane immediately jabbed at his eyes: "You good-for-nothing! How exactly did you bully her? I'll give you a taste of your own medicine right now and get justice for her!"

Yin Jihong's gaze flicked to Jin Mo's red ears, then he said slowly to the old master, "Then you'd better not know. I've got no problem with you seeking justice for her, but I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to take it."

The old master was completely baffled: "...?"

Jin Mo couldn't take the torture anymore and got up to hide by the sofa to escape the heat.

The old master was about to call her back when Yin Jihong pressed him down into his chair: "I provoked her, so I'll be the one to make it right. Don't you go worrying yourself over it."

His infuriatingly smug demeanor made people want to grind their teeth. The old master had a belly full of anger with nowhere to vent, so he could only bitterly pour himself a glass of Maotai.

Jin Mo sat on the sofa, forcing herself to stare at the Spring Festival Gala. Before long, she felt the cushion beside her sink slightly.

Then, a red object was held out in front of her.

Jin Mo instinctively looked down and saw a pair of slender, elegant hands holding a red envelope.

"This year's New Year's money."

Yin Jihong looked at her, signaling for her to take it.

Jin Mo opened her mouth: "...From Grandpa?"

"It's from your Brother Ji." He drawled out the words. "Doesn't the old man always wait until after the New Year's Eve dinner to hand it out? This year, I'm determined to beat him to it."

It was a bit embarrassing to admit—she was already in her mid-twenties, but every year during the New Year, she would still receive red envelopes from the old master and Grandma Yin, just like when she was a child. Of course, she would also prepare gifts for the two elders, but every year, what they gave her was always more generous than she could have imagined—a thick stack, almost as thick as a book.

The old master would say, in the name of tradition, that since there was no fourth generation in the family yet, she was still the child they held in their hands and doted on. Giving her red envelopes made them happy.

With the old master setting the precedent, even Yin Cheng and Deng Ying would give her a big red envelope every year.

Jin Mo felt too embarrassed to accept them, and would push them back and forth, only to have the old master force them back into her hands, saying that if she didn't accept them, she was looking down on them.

And Yin Jihong, that rascal, had to join in on the fun too.

Ever since he started university, he insisted on giving her a red envelope every year as well. And his red envelopes were always unconventional—not containing actual money, but rather little trinkets that would strike a chord in her heart.

Just like the one he was holding in his hand right now—thin and flat, clearly not containing cash.

Even though the atmosphere between them had been a bit awkward just moments before, since he was the one taking the initiative to lower his head and offer an olive branch, she couldn't very well pretend not to see it.

She could only console herself that he must have had too much to drink just now, and was casually teasing her on a whim while the alcohol went to his head.

She gently suppressed the faint stirring of unease in her heart, deliberately refusing to dwell on it—how could a man as clear-headed and sharp as him truly act like a shameless flirt and, for no reason, use alcohol as an excuse to crack such a joke at her expense?

Jin Mo hesitated, holding back her hand: "I've been busy with work lately, and I forgot to prepare a gift for you this year. Let's just forget the red envelope this year."

Actually, ever since Yin Jihong had started giving her red envelopes, she would carefully pick out something for him every New Year. He had everything he needed, so picking something for him was actually pretty tough, but Jin Mo was observant and always noticed the little details.

For instance, she'd pick out a warm, stylish scarf for him, or a comfortable, classy polo shirt, along with low-key, practical little items like fountain pens and cufflinks.

This year, because she was in a huff with Jin Ping, she had genuinely let it slip her mind. Seeing him still being so thoughtful, she felt pretty bad about it.

"I can skip the red envelope, though I am a little hurt you didn't get me a gift." Yin Jihong said in a low, wistful tone. "But if you won't take my red envelope, that means you're looking down on me, and I'd be even more hurt."

The way he said that last line made Jin Mo instantly picture the old man.

She'd just opened her mouth when he spoke again, his tone so mournful it seemed he might burst into tears any second right there:

"I'll actually cry."

Jin Mo: "..."

She was in a bind, and in the end, she reached out and accepted the red envelope.

However, the moment her fingertips touched the opening of the envelope, Yin Jihong gently pinched it to stop her.

He gave her a smirk, a teasing glint in his eyes: "Let's not open it yet. Wait until after the New Year's Eve dinner."

"..." Jin Mo was truly defeated, lowering her voice in a huff. "...What on earth do you want?"

Yin Jihong simply snatched the red envelope from her hand, neatly tucking it into the inner pocket of his coat: "I'm afraid if you open it now, you'll be too excited to even enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner. Then the old man and the old lady would both give me a beating."

"Good things come to those who wait—the more you anticipate, the better it tastes."

With that, he ruffled her hair like he always did, then got up from the sofa. "Let's go, time for the New Year's Eve dinner."

After that little stunt he pulled, the awkward, tense atmosphere from upstairs had unknowingly slipped her mind, replaced by nothing but shooting him dirty looks and dying of curiosity about that mysterious red envelope.

For Chinese people, the Spring Festival is all about tradition, especially for an old-money Beijing family like the Yin household. On New Year's Eve, the whole family, young and old, must sit together in full attendance, eating the New Year's Eve dinner while watching the Spring Festival Gala—even if the sky fell, no one could be absent.

For as long as Jin Mo could remember, for over twenty years, her New Year's Eves had always been like this.

Old Master Yin raised his glass first, his graying brows radiating joy, his white beard bobbing as he spoke: "Happy New Year, everyone!"

Yin Jihong drawled from the side, deliberately echoing him: "Happyyy—!"

"Wishing everyone all the best!"

"All the best—!"

"Wishing everyone good health!"

"Good health—!"

...

After a couple of toasts, the old master finally sensed something off, slapped the table lightly, and glared at him: "You little rascal! Are you some eunuch by the emperor's side?"

"Even if I dared to be a eunuch, would you dare to be the emperor?" Yin Jihong shrugged. "Grandma's still sitting right here, and you're thinking of secretly building a harem of three thousand beauties? Wow, you've got more nerve than I do!"

Old Master Yin: "..."

Just as the old master was about to hurl his chopsticks at Yin Jihong, he immediately stood up, raised his glass, and led the toast: "Let's wish Grandpa and Grandma a long life, boundless blessings, and longevity as vast as the southern mountains—may they live to nine thousand years!"

The whole table burst into laughter, but he wasn't done yet. He turned to Yin Cheng and Deng Ying: "Wishing Mom and Dad good health, fewer headaches from me, and more time to enjoy life."

Yin Cheng rolled his eyes at him, while Deng Ying laughed helplessly: "So you know you're a headache?"

"Also wishing Uncle Jin and Aunt Jiang a healthy and peaceful new year, with everything going smoothly."

He raised his glass to Jin Ping and Jiang Ting, then slowly turned his head, his gaze finally landing on Jin Mo beside him. "Lastly, wishing our Momo that all her wishes come true."

When he looked at her, the playful edge from before faded significantly, replaced by a warm, genuine tenderness in his eyes.

Jin Mo looked up and met his bright, smiling eyes under the warm yellow light, and her heart inexplicably skipped a beat again.

Those five words were just a simple blessing, but coming from his lips, they seemed enchanted—weighty, as if they had the power to come true.

Everyone at the table was raising their glasses for a toast, so Jin Mo quickly suppressed the surging emotions in her heart and raised her glass to him with a composed expression: "And to you, may all your wishes come true."

"For my wishes to come true, I'll need your help." He slipped back into that cheeky demeanor. "For instance, right now, if you'd just give me a few less dirty looks, I'd be perfectly content."

The old master scolded with a laugh: "You've got some nerve! Think about why she's giving you dirty looks in the first place! You deserve it!"

The New Year's Eve table was laden with delicacies, and the family sat together, watching the Spring Festival Gala, chatting warmly, filled with the festive spirit.

Deng Ying's cooking was universally praised, but Yin Cheng's skills were a pleasant surprise. This old patriarch of the Yin family rarely set foot in the kitchen, but when he did, every dish he brought out was mouthwatering.

Jin Mo never even had the chance to reach for food herself—the old master and Yin Jihong, one on each side, were like a flurry of chopsticks piling food onto her plate. Before long, her white porcelain dish had become a small mountain.

Thanks to the grandfather-grandson duo, Jin Mo finished the New Year's Eve dinner with her little belly round and full.

After the meal, the elders took turns handing out red envelopes to Jin Mo.

From the old master and Grandma Yin, to Yin Cheng and Deng Ying, then Jin Ping and Jiang Ting—by the time the circle was complete, Jin Mo's hands were full of red envelopes, her arms nearly numb from receiving them. She felt both embarrassed and delighted, bowing repeatedly to thank the elders.

"Grandpa, Grandma." She handed the gift bags she'd fetched from home after dinner to the old master and Grandma Yin. "These are the sweaters and base layers I bought for you. I measured the sizes, so they should fit. Try them on—if they don't, I'll take them back and exchange them."

The old master and Grandma Yin beamed with joy and immediately started tearing open the packaging to try on the clothes. Jin Mo had chosen a steady, elegant gray for the old master and a festive, complexion-brightening dark red for Grandma Yin. Once they put them on, both looked spirited and full of cheer.

"Momo really knows how to shop!" Grandma Yin stroked the fine fabric of the sweater, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

The old master was even more smug, thumping his chest proudly: "Once I put this on, I'm never taking it off!"

Yin Jihong lounged bonelessly on the sofa nearby, his tone cool as he undercut him: "Then I won't dare come back—I don't want to be suffocated by your stench."

The old master grabbed the gift bag and hurled it at him: "You're just jealous because you didn't get a gift! I hope jealousy eats you alive!"

Aside from Yin Jihong, who had been accidentally forgotten this year, Jin Mo's thoughtfulness was as impeccable as ever—she'd prepared Spring Festival goods for all the elders months in advance. Yin Cheng received a precious set of four treasures of the study, Deng Ying and Jiang Ting each got the latest imported beauty devices, and Jin Ping received a brand-new set of expensive tea ware.

Though the elders all scolded her for spending too much, the joy in their eyes was impossible to hide.

Yin Jihong caught the gift bag mid-air with one hand and tossed it aside casually.

Then, rolling up the sleeve he'd kept pushed up all evening, he shoved his wrist in front of the old master, frantically showing off the red string bracelet he'd been dying to flaunt to everyone—even the dogs—his tone smug and insufferable: "No gift? Look at this on my wrist—who else has one? This is the peace charm Momo personally went to the temple to get for me!"

The old master scoffed, looking at him like he was an idiot: "That's just some little trinket Momo tossed your way to brush you off. Don't flatter yourself!"

Yin Jihong let out a derisive laugh: "Brush me off? Mine is far more precious and rare than any of your gifts!"

Watching these two, grandpa and grandson, about to go at it again, Jin Mo didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She hurried over and yanked Yin Jihong off the couch, pulling him out of the line of fire, while holding her hand out to him. "Okay, enough. Now hand over my red envelope, yeah?"

But the little shit refused to play along. He just clasped his hands behind his back, all calm and smug. "Go say bye to them first. We gotta head out and won't be back till after midnight."

Jin Mo blinked. "Where to?"

Yin Jihong got all mysterious, dragging it out on purpose. "Not telling you right now."

Jin Mo knew that getting pissed at this guy would just leave her stewing all day. She couldn't be bothered, so she turned and went to tell the elders they were heading out.

Everyone smiled and said to have fun. Only Jin Ping looked like he had something to say but held back. In the end, he just looked at her long and hard. "Don't be back too late."

She knew with the elders around, Jin Ping wouldn't make a fuss or stop her from going out with Yin Jihong, so she nodded obediently and took off.

By the time she'd thrown on her puffer jacket and made it to the entryway, Yin Jihong was already gone.

She was just silently bitching about him not waiting for her when she slipped on her shoes and stood up. And that's when she saw it—the red envelope he'd tried to give her earlier, just sitting there on the entryway cabinet.

Jin Mo picked it up and opened it.

Inside was just a card.

She stared at it for two seconds, completely stunned.

—It was the key card to his Rolls-Royce, no doubt about it.

Clutching the card, she pushed open the villa's front door, totally confused.

Out in the night, Yin Jihong was leaning against the car door, all casual, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his phone up to send voice messages. He looked lazy and flashy, and his tone was dripping with barely-hidden showing off.

"Shanmei, you see this? Momo got this safety bracelet specially for me from the temple. Nobody got one for you, huh? When people go to the temple, they're usually praying for your head to roll."

"Guozi, check it out—Momo got me this safety bracelet. Did your inflatable doll ever get you one?—Don't even need to think about it. Definitely not."

"Ke Qingteng, I don't care if you reply or not. This is the safety bracelet Momo got me. Just so you know."

...

Jin Mo stood there, practically able to picture how speechless those poor guys must be after listening to those voice messages. She was annoyed and amused at the same time, totally helpless against him. She knew he was childish and infuriating, but her lips curled up on their own, and she couldn't help but let out a little laugh.

Hearing her laugh, he looked up at her right away, a bright, dazzling smile lighting up his eyes. He put his phone away and waved her over. "Come here."

Jin Mo walked over to the car. The Rolls-Royce picked up the key card, and the headlights flashed on instantly.

Looking at the scene in front of her, she had a pretty good guess. "...Is my New Year's gift in your car?"

Yin Jihong didn't say anything, just smiled and hit the trunk release button.

The trunk slowly opened, and Jin Mo's eyes went wide.

In the middle of the trunk sat a big light-pink leather case that was clearly pricey.

And all around it were neat stacks of every kind of firework you could think of—sparklers, pinwheels, rising jellyfish—all the classic ones they used to play with as kids.

...Once again, he'd remembered something she'd said in passing and held onto it.

A while back, they'd been talking about New Year stuff. She'd said the older she got, the more the festive vibe of childhood faded. If it weren't for the elders insisting, even this last reunion dinner might've been canceled.

She'd also mentioned offhand that one of the biggest reasons she used to look forward to New Year as a kid was getting to set off fireworks in the courtyard.

Sparklers were one of the things that kept her girlish heart alive, and a guiding light for the days of her youth she still missed.

And now, he'd brought that guiding light of her memories right back to her, exactly as she'd described it.

"You can't set off fireworks in the city, so we gotta drive out past the restricted zone." He casually grabbed a bundle of sparklers and tossed it in his hand. "I found us a great spot."

Jin Mo looked at the insane amount of fireworks filling the trunk and asked quietly, "...Where'd you even get all these? When would we ever finish setting them all off?"

"You can blame Shu for that." Yin Jihong shifted the blame without even blinking. "I just said I wanted the most fun fireworks from when we were kids, and he went and got me this huge pile. Wasteful, that one. His future wife will definitely give him an earful."

Jin Mo laughed, half exasperated. "...Are you sure the wasteful one is Shu?"

Yin Jihong shrugged. "It looks like a lot, but they'll burn through fast. Anyway, we've got more time than anything, so we might as well keep going until dawn on New Year's Day."

Jin Mo nodded, then pointed at the light-pink case. "Is this for me too?"

He tilted his head, his smile deepening. "Open it and see."

Jin Mo undid the clasps and gently lifted the lid.

Inside the case were several items neatly arranged: on the right, a pink-plaid ski suit—its fabric, craftsmanship, and design so stunning it was impossible to look away; on the left, a set of twin-ski equipment, with a bulging backpack resting on top.

"This ski suit..." Jin Mo held it up, her heart skipping a beat. "Isn't this Bogner's global limited edition?"

Bogner was the pinnacle of luxury in the ski world—the Hermès of ski wear. The price was astronomical, but the performance was top-tier. The ski suit she currently wore was also luxurious, but still a step below Bogner.

And if she remembered correctly, the only time she'd ever seen this Bogner global limited edition ski suit was on skiing queen Ailing.

"Yeah." Yin Jihong gave a half-smile. "I stole it right out of Queen Ailing's closet."

——————————

Author's note:

Hehe, day two of the mega update is done! Hope everyone enjoyed it! Since I'm going on the recommendation list, I won't post tomorrow (Tuesday). Wednesday's update will be at 10 PM, still 10k words! Hehe! Pray I don't end up with nothing! I really went all out this time!

Red envelopes will continue to drop randomly! Please keep hitting me with your bookmarks, comments, and nutrient solutions~ Love you all! Also, bookmark my column! And feel free to check out my next new book, "The Crane," a Beijing circle story (might also switch to writing a Beijing circle ensemble piece). Either way, it's all mature men and women, very spicy, haha.

I seriously!!! The whole chapter!! While writing, I was dying from their back-and-forth!! Open your mouth!! Just kiss her already!! Pin her against the door and kiss her senseless, why don't you!! Be a proper wolfdog!! Then the next second I'm like, ahhh!!! Yin Puppy, you bastard, you're way too good at this!!! How are you so good at flirting!!! With all that charm, why isn't she yours yet??? (not really)

Yin Puppy: Shut up!! Shut up!!

Guozi: What's the point of showing off your safety bracelet to us? I can have a nightlife. Can you?

Shanmei and Ke: You shut up too! (At this point, the other two big shots are also still single...)

Please leave lots of comments!!! I love reading them!!!