Rebirth to Save Myself

Chapter 115 A new year

"Let's get started!" Chen Chunqi put away his phone with satisfaction and, after confirming that Su Xia had finished taking pictures, said.

"Great!" Chen Yuan quickly ran to the hairy crabs and grabbed one.

"Ahem, let me say a few words first." Chen Jianguo picked up his wine glass and glanced at Chen Yuan.

"Dad, do you know that you're like the least popular person in the company who says a few words to the boss? There's no need to do this at home. Can't we just eat happily and chat while we eat?" Chen Yuan angrily put down the hairy crab in her hand, still talking.

"You talk too much. If you say another word, I'll take away your New Year's money." Chen Jianguo glared at Chen Yuan before continuing slowly, "First of all, I want to welcome Lu Lu to celebrate the New Year with us. Your uncle and aunt are very easygoing, so you can relax too and not be shy."

"Thank you, uncle and aunt!"

"Secondly, Yuanyuan, you've been interning for half a year now. How's it going at work?"

"It's too hard, and I have to put up with all the bad luck!" Chen Yuan was furious at this point and slammed her hand on the table.

"So, do you want to quit your job and come work for the company?" Chen Jianguo asked directly.

"Um, I feel like I can hold on a bit longer, until Xiaxia graduates," Chen Yuan said with a smile as she sat back down.

"And another thing is that Xiaxia is taking the postgraduate entrance exam. If you pass, you can continue your studies. If you don't pass, you can come work for the company or find a job like Yuanyuan." Chen Jianguo looked at Su Xia with the eyes of an elder looking at a beloved junior.

"Let Yuanyuan inherit the company. I'll just assist her." Su Xia shook her head, indicating that she was not up to the task.

"We'll talk about inheriting the company later. Let's raise a glass to welcome Lu Lu to celebrate the New Year with us!"

"welcome!"

"welcome!"

"thank you all!"

"Without further ado, let's dig in!"

After dinner, everyone tidied up the table together, put the dishes and chopsticks in the dishwasher, and then sat on the sofa to wait for the Spring Festival Gala.

"It's the same thing every year, I'm so tired of it! Xiaxia, Lulu, let's go downstairs and set off fireworks." Chen Yuan put away her phone and said, pretending to be bored. Actually, Chen Wenwei had just texted her saying he was waiting for her at the entrance of the community and had a New Year's gift for her.

"Alright, make sure you wear warm clothes so you don't catch a cold!" Chen Chunqi knew that kids these days play on their phones too much and can't sit still at all.

"I transferred some money to you guys. Buy anything you want to eat or see later!" Chen Jianguo waved his hand. With the kids gone, he could finally enjoy some alone time with his wife.

"Thank you, Dad!" Chen Yuan excitedly greeted Su Xia and Lu Lu as they went out the door.

Su Xia, with an expression of complete understanding, put on a coat, grabbed some sparklers, and went out with them.

Before Chen Yuan could even speak in the elevator, Su Xia said, "If you don't come back in half an hour, I'll go upstairs and tell Dad."

"You're the best! I promise I'll be back within half an hour." Chen Yuan excitedly hugged Su Xia and kissed her. As soon as the elevator arrived, she rushed out without stopping.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the stench of love!" Su Xia shook her head, then dragged Lu Lu to the riverbank to set off fireworks.

Based on the message Chen Wenwei sent, Chen Yuan found him around the corner. She rushed over and hugged him, then asked, "Have you been waiting long?"

"Just arrived, not long ago. Why are you dressed so lightly? Aren't you cold?" Chen Wenwei took off his scarf and put it on Chen Yuan.

"Hehe, I'm so eager to see you!" Chen Yuan said in a simple and honest voice, her arm around Chen Wenwei's waist.

"Remember to dress properly before coming down next time. I don't mind waiting a little longer. It wouldn't be good if you caught a cold," Chen Wenwei said softly as he hugged Chen Yuan back.

"Okay, I understand." Chen Yuan nodded, then looked curiously at his other hand and asked, "Is that a gift for me?"

"Yes, open it and see if you like it." Chen Wenwei generously held it up, gesturing for her to take it out of the bag.

"Ah, isn't this the hidden model I've always wanted? Where did you get it?" Chen Yuan asked excitedly, jumping up and down.

“I had someone buy them, so you can have your complete set!” Chen Wenwei also loved seeing Chen Yuan happy; seeing that radiant smile seemed to dispel all his fatigue.

"You're so sweet!" Chen Yuan stood on tiptoe and kissed Chen Wenwei's cheek.

"Let's take a walk, we'll be going back soon." Chen Wenwei took Chen Yuan's hand and put it in his pocket to warm it.

"Hmm, Xiaxia gave me half an hour. I saw Lu Jingnian come back by then. I wonder if she'll be that self-disciplined. If she's being hypocritical, I'll report her to Dad." Chen Yuan's other hand...

"She's just concerned about you. Let's chat casually, and we can make another appointment after I come back from my hometown after the third day of the Lunar New Year. You wanted to see a movie during the Lunar New Year season, right? I've already bought the tickets."

Is this the one I want to watch?

"Ah."

"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back."

The two walked and stopped frequently. Chen Yuan saw that it was almost time, and it would be troublesome for Chen Wenwei to go back if they were late. So the two parted ways. Chen Yuan went back to meet up with Su Xia and the others, while Chen Wenwei took the subway home.

As soon as Chen Wenwei got home, Chen Meili teased him, "You've seen your girlfriend? Did you go to meet your mother-in-law?"

"No, I just dropped off a gift and came back," Chen Wenwei said, changing into his slippers and sitting down on the sofa.

"Who is your girlfriend? You've kept it a secret, and you don't even let your parents know. You're an adult now, why would we stop you from dating? When are you going to bring her home to meet us? If your parents think she's a good girl, we can get engaged sooner. What do you think?" Chen Meili asked tentatively.

"Wait a little longer, it's not the right time yet." Chen Wenwei shook his head, then stood up and said, "I'm going back to my room to rest first."

"What's there to hide from this child?" Chen Meili returned home dejectedly and continued watching the Spring Festival Gala with her husband.

Hearing his mother's words, Chen Wenwei shook his head helplessly. It wasn't that he was hiding it; it was that he wasn't ready to share it. Given the relationship between his mother and Chen Yuan's mother, Chen Chunqi, she would have known long ago if she had known, and there would be no need for her to probe her son for information here.

A year or two has passed since this incident, but Chen Jianguo still refuses to acknowledge Chen Wenwei as his boyfriend. Chen Wenwei feels that it's normal for Chen Jianguo, being a big boss, to look down on him, a poor guy. His family bought a house in the provincial capital thanks to Chen Jianguo's connections. That's why he wants to start his own business and earn Chen Jianguo's approval through his own efforts, so that he can openly bring Chen Yuan home.

Chen Yuan turned back to meet up with Su Xia, and the three of them set off fireworks for a while before going upstairs. It was getting late, and the riverbank was dark and deserted, so it was better to go home and spend time with her parents.

As soon as they arrived, they saw Chen Chunqi and Chen Jianguo sitting on the sofa watching the Spring Festival Gala. Upon seeing them return, they asked, "Back from your trip?"

"Yeah, I suddenly remembered that I haven't received my New Year's money yet. The New Year is in two hours!" Chen Yuan said, running up to them excitedly after changing into her slippers.

“How could it be too little? Here you go. This is yours, this is Xiaxia’s, and this is Lulu’s.” Chen Chunqi took out three red envelopes that looked rather thick and placed them in their hands one by one.

"Where's Dad?" Chen Yuan turned to look at Chen Jianguo.

"Here you go, one for each of you." Chen Jianguo also took out three large red envelopes from behind his back and distributed them to the three people.

Lu Lu didn't want to accept it at first, but Su Xia gestured for her to take it, and then pulled her and Chen Yuan together to say, "Thank you, Dad (Uncle) and Mom (Aunt), for the big red envelopes. I wish you good health, all the best, and a thriving business in the new year!"

"Alright, alright, stop joking around. Go to the kitchen and get some fruit to eat."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The five of them ate, drank, watched skits, and listened to songs. At 11:50, they took fireworks and firecrackers to the gate of the residential area. By then, many residents were already waiting in front of the gate, ready to set off firecrackers on New Year's Eve.

Chen Yuan muttered, "We only see this many people in our neighborhood around this time of year."

"Some people haven't even celebrated the New Year here yet." Su Xia smiled, "Some big shots might not even show up."

"Look, your in-laws are here!" Chen Yuan nudged Su Xia, gesturing for her to look towards the entrance of the residential complex.

Lu Zhongqing and Xie Yuezhi came downstairs with firecrackers and saw Chen Jianguo and the others, so they went over to greet them: "Happy New Year, Old Chen!"

"Wow, Xiaxia and Yuanyuan have both grown so beautiful!" Xie Yuezhi said with surprise, holding Su Xia's hand.

"Hello, Aunt Xie!" Chen Yuan and Su Xia greeted her obediently.

"It's so much better to have the kids around; it makes the New Year more lively." Xie Yuezhi couldn't help but feel sad when she thought of her son who was abroad. On this day of family reunion, it always felt a bit lonely without her son by her side.

"You'll be back in China soon, right? It'll be lively when Jingnian comes home." Chen Chunqi comforted Xie Yuezhi, as she, as a mother herself, could understand Xie Yuezhi's feelings.

"Yes, if he doesn't come back, I'll fly over and bring him back." Xie Yuezhi was comforted and wasn't so sad anymore. She looked at Su Xia and said, "Since Jingnian went abroad, you haven't come to visit. Is there nothing fun to do at Auntie's house?"

"No, Auntie. We usually study in other places and only come back for winter and summer vacations," Su Xia quickly denied, while patting Chen Yuan on the back.

"Yes, yes, I'm doing an internship now, and I'll be starting work in a few days," Chen Yuan echoed.

"I'm glad you don't mind my appearance. Come visit me sometime."

"it is good."

As soon as midnight struck, everyone lined up in an orderly fashion to set off firecrackers. Because there were so many residents, the property management specially set up two locations, and everyone set off firecrackers and fireworks at the same time, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

"Get up early tomorrow morning. No sleeping in on the first day of the new year, otherwise..."

“Otherwise, you’d be sleeping in for a whole year, right?” Chen Yuan interrupted Chen Chunqi before he could finish speaking.

"Okay, we'll get up early." Su Xia nodded, and everyone went back to their rooms.

"Really? My mom said she's coming to take me back?" Lu Jingnian asked curiously on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, he said he'd come and get you himself if you didn't come back." Su Xia smiled. Lu Jingnian called to wish her a Happy New Year as soon as she got back to her room.

"I don't need her to catch me. I've been counting down the days until I can go back," Lu Jingnian replied with a smile.

"Is Chinatown still the only lively place for you this year? What delicious food did you cook with your classmates and friends?"

"This year will be a little better, but after all, the Spring Festival is a Chinese holiday, and fewer people celebrate it abroad. This year I made a boiled fish dish, and Kevin was fanning the smoke like crazy next to me, almost taking it out into the street."

"Haha, I can already imagine the scene. We're also making boiled fish this year, with my dad as the head chef."

"I haven't tried my uncle's cooking yet. I'll have to try it properly when I get back to China."

"I saw online that international students are really missing Chinese food. Is there anything you particularly want to eat?"

"I want to eat braised food, multigrain pancakes, spicy strips, I really want to eat any food that comes back from China. I can't take it anymore, I'm drooling just talking about it. I regret not bringing more food with me when I went abroad."

"I'll send you some to satisfy your craving. It'll take a while, but it'll arrive eventually."

"Then send me a jar of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce. I can't eat without it."

"Okay, is there anything else you need?"

"Snacks, anything is fine. I'll hide them so Kevin and the others don't steal them."

"Hahaha, just like a little kid!"

"Kevin made pickled chicken feet today. He went to several Chinese supermarkets before he could buy pickled peppers, and they cost 100 RMB. This is really the most expensive pickled chicken feet I've ever eaten."

"Chicken feet are quite cheap abroad, and there's nothing we can do about the high price of pickled peppers; the transportation costs are there."

"Sometimes you can't buy them at the supermarket because foreigners rarely eat chicken feet, so they either have to be thrown away or they're bought up by Chinese restaurants."

"That's true. Didn't your Chinese restaurant say it changed owners last time? Has the food gotten any better?"

"It's alright, but it's expensive. We prefer to figure out how to cook ourselves. My mom knows I can cook, and she still teases me, saying that I can't cook at home, but I'll learn once I go abroad."

"When you go back to China, there won't be any restrictions on where you can cook a nice meal for your mom. She'll be so happy then."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"I've finished exporting my diagrams."

"Let's edit the photos tomorrow, shall we?"

"Okay, I'll transfer it to my computer first so I don't run out of memory for taking pictures tomorrow."

"Happy New Year, Su Xia," Lu Jingnian suddenly said in a very formal tone.

"Happy New Year, Lu Jingnian." Su Xia understood Lu Jingnian's words and replied to him.

"It's getting late, you should go and rest. Your mother wants you to get up early tomorrow, or she'll kick off the covers." Lu Jingnian glanced at the time and reminded Su Xia.

"Okay, goodnight." Su Xia nodded. It was indeed getting late, past one o'clock.

"Good night," Lu Jingnian said and hung up the phone.

After taking a shower and doing her skincare routine, Su Xia went to bed, setting an alarm so she wouldn't oversleep the next day. Now that she understood her own feelings, she wouldn't hesitate anymore. Although she and Lu Jingnian weren't officially in a relationship yet, they both knew that the other had feelings for them.