Shen Yuan felt that Qiao Hailou was truly despicable—shamelessly so. He was always forcing Shen Yuan into corners, alternating between coaxing and pressure, striking the perfect balance so that Shen Yuan found it almost impossible to refuse.
Shen Yuan nearly agreed in a moment of hot-headed impulse. In the end, though, he still shook his head and gently placated Qiao Hailou. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll definitely be able to spend New Year’s Eve together. First thing on the morning of the first day of the new year, I’ll come see you right away, okay?”
Qiao Hailou pretended to be angry. Shen Yuan panicked a little, hurried after him, and tugged at the corner of his clothes. “Don’t be mad, Uncle Qiao. I really don’t have a choice. Y-you can’t be like this. If you act this way, I don’t even know what to do anymore.”
Qiao Hailou stopped helplessly. “I’m not angry. I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself. I’m mad that I’m so useless—pouring my heart out to you, foolishly hoping to climb up to become the most important person in your heart, only to still end up behind so many others. Every time there’s a conflict, I’m the one who makes the sacrifice.”
What he said made Shen Yuan feel deeply embarrassed and guilty, like he’d truly wronged Qiao Hailou. “Don’t say that. That’s not it. It’s not that you don’t matter to me… it’s just that you’re the only one in this world who’s willing to give way for me.”
Qiao Hailou pulled his hand away from his sleeve. “All right, stop worrying about an old, ungrateful bastard like me. You should head back. If you don’t go soon, your family will start asking questions, and if they find out, you’ll be put in an even harder position. I’m fine. I’m not some twenty-something kid who needs to be glued together all the time to feel satisfied. Go on.”
After returning to the Li house, Shen Yuan couldn’t stop thinking about Qiao Hailou and felt deeply unsettled.
On New Year’s Eve, Lin Zhihui also came to the Li house to stay up for the year with them as part of the family. Shen Yuan had never liked the New Year since he was young. Other kids had whole families reunited, but he had neither a father nor a mother by his side. Seeing how complete and happy other families were made him especially jealous, and the holidays were always painful for him. Later, after coming to the Li family, his uncle treated him very well and even gave him big red envelopes. Shen Yuan saved all the New Year’s money his uncle gave him every year, keeping even the red envelope wrappers neatly intact—but he still felt that something was missing.
He waited the entire day. Acting obedient, Shen Yuan sent Qiao Hailou several messages, but Qiao Hailou barely responded.
Shen Yuan agonized over it. This time it really wasn’t Qiao Hailou’s fault. It was their first New Year after getting married, and he was only thinking about himself, not staying with Qiao Hailou—what kind of thing was that? No matter how you looked at it, it didn’t make sense.
Seeing that he’d been distracted and unhappy all day during the holidays, Lin Zhihui was certain something was on his mind. She pulled him aside and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Yuan hesitated before saying softly, “I… I want to go see Qiao Hailou…”
Lin Zhihui immediately understood and nodded. “That makes sense. You just got married—of course you should spend it with him.”
Shen Yuan said uneasily, “But I’m afraid Xiao Lin will find out. Last time he found out I was with Qiao Hailou, he couldn’t handle the shock and his grades slipped. It took him a long time to pull himself together. If he finds out that I’m not only with Qiao Hailou but even married him, I’m afraid I’ll affect his college entrance exam. Uncle and Xiao Lin have both been so good to me—if I end up hurting them because of myself, I’d never forgive myself.”
Lin Zhihui said, “I really don’t understand why you take all the responsibility onto yourself. What if you wait until after the college entrance exam to tell Xiao Lin, and he still can’t accept it? What then? You can’t please everyone at once. Didn’t your uncle oppose you too, yet you still followed Qiao Hailou?”
Shen Yuan shook his head blankly. “That’s different. Xiao Lin is still a kid.”
Lin Zhihui comforted him. “Think it through carefully. Decide what you really want to do.”
Even so, Shen Yuan only grew more restless, his mind filled entirely with Qiao Hailou.
At the dinner table, he chatted with his family while anxiously sneaking glances at his phone, checking the messages he’d sent to Qiao Hailou:
“Uncle Qiao, happy New Year’s Eve.”
“Uncle Qiao, I’m making dumplings. What are you doing? What are you having for dinner?”
“Uncle Qiao, the Spring Festival Gala has started. Are you watching? This skit is so funny…”
Qiao Hailou didn’t reply to a single one. Shen Yuan began to worry that something might have happened to him.
By a little past ten, Shen Yuan couldn’t stand it anymore. He found an opening, went back to his room, locked the door, and called Qiao Hailou. This time, Qiao Hailou answered, lazily saying, “Hello?”
Hearing his voice, Shen Yuan finally relaxed and asked anxiously, “What are you doing? Why haven’t you replied to any of my messages?”
“Oh,” Qiao Hailou said. “Sorry. I drank a few bottles at noon, got drunk, and my head was hurting. I went to sleep and just woke up now. I didn’t see your messages.”
“You got drunk in broad daylight?” Shen Yuan asked.
Sounding drowsy, Qiao Hailou replied, “I was home alone with nothing to do, so I just drank a little.”
Shen Yuan was worried. “Aren’t you supposed to have a great tolerance? You drank enough to get yourself drunk—how much did you even drink?”
Qiao Hailou laughed. “Not much. It’s fine, don’t worry. How are things over there? I just saw your messages. You made dumplings tonight? They look great. Next year, when we spend the New Year together, I want to eat the dumplings you make too. Have you finished eating? Or when you sneak out to see me tomorrow, maybe you can bring me a box.”
The gentler Qiao Hailou sounded, the more Shen Yuan’s heart ached. “The dumplings I make don’t even taste that good. They’re just okay. With all the delicacies in the world, do you really need to be thinking about my dumplings?”
“It’s different when you make them,” Qiao Hailou said. “Uncle will get up now and keep you company watching the Spring Festival Gala, okay?”
Feeling awkward, Shen Yuan replied, “Don’t. Your head hurts, doesn’t it? Get some rest. I’m hanging up—go back to sleep.”
Qiao Hailou’s voice was slow and gentle, soft as silk winding around a finger. “Okay. Thanks, silly. Silly really does care about Uncle. See you tomorrow.”
Long after hanging up, Shen Yuan still felt as though Qiao Hailou’s voice lingered in his ears. He couldn’t settle down.
If Qiao Hailou had yelled at him, that would’ve been one thing. But Qiao Hailou didn’t blame him at all—he was so gentle, sounded so weak. Shen Yuan was instantly overwhelmed with guilt.
He wanted to see Qiao Hailou. Right now.
It wasn’t just Qiao Hailou who wanted to welcome the new year together on their first New Year’s Eve after getting married—Shen Yuan wanted it too. It might not seem like much, but years later, looking back, how regretful would it be?
Unable to suppress his urge any longer, Shen Yuan checked what Xiao Lin was doing. He was cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV.
Shen Yuan quietly went to find Lin Zhihui. “Aunt Hui, I want to go see Qiao Hailou.”
She didn’t seem surprised at all. “Then go. Who’s stopping you?”
He pleaded, “Can you help me keep it from Xiao Lin? Don’t let him find out. I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”
Lin Zhihui asked, “You’re planning to stay over at Qiao Hailou’s?”
Blushing, Shen Yuan nodded.
Lin Zhihui didn’t say much. “You’re already married. Living together is perfectly normal… Wait a bit—about ten minutes. Aunt Hui has a way to help you hide it from Xiao Lin.”
So Shen Yuan waited. He saw Aunt Hui go say something to Uncle, who frowned and glanced at him.
Shen Yuan’s face turned even redder. Was Aunt Hui asking Uncle to help too?
Li Chen looked conflicted. He glanced at Shen Yuan, then at Lin Zhihui. After she gave him a push, he stood up helplessly and suddenly said to Li Lin, “Don’t you think this year’s programs are kind of boring?”
Li Lin was confused. “Huh? Uh… they’re okay, I guess. Not especially interesting.”
“Do you want to play some video games?” Li Chen asked.
“Ah???” Li Lin was stunned.
His dad never really encouraged him to play games—at best, he tolerated it, as long as Li Lin finished his homework and his grades didn’t slip. Only then was he allowed to play a bit on weekends after coming home, and even that was thanks to his brother mediating in the past. For his dad to actively suggest gaming—was the sun rising in the west?
Putting on a brave face, Li Chen said, “I suddenly feel a bit interested too. I’m free today—why don’t you teach me how to play?”
Li Lin remembered that people in the professional esports scene he’d met online had once asked if he wanted to go pro. He’d said he was in his senior year of high school and wanted to focus on his studies for now. Hearing his dad say this, Li Lin’s heart stirred again. Maybe this was a chance to ask—perhaps after graduating, his dad would let him attend a professional training summer camp?
He immediately agreed. “Sure!”
And so the father and son went off to play games together.
Lin Zhihui went to take a look. Both of them had headphones on and were already gaming. She returned and waved at Shen Yuan. “Go on. Your uncle’s got Xiao Lin covered. He’ll keep playing until Xiao Lin passes out and sleeps until late morning. Don’t worry—go find Qiao Hailou.”
Shen Yuan beamed. “Thank you, Aunt Hui! I’m going!”
He turned and ran off, his steps light, like a little bird released from its cage. Watching him even lifted her mood.
Love really was beautiful.
Shen Yuan drove to Qiao Hailou’s house.
It was pitch-black—not a single light on. Shen Yuan called Qiao Hailou and insisted on waking him up, saying happily, “Uncle Qiao, look at the door—guess who’s here?”
First, the bedroom light came on. Then the lights in the second-floor hallway, the living room downstairs, and the entryway all lit up in sequence.
Qiao Hailou opened the door.
Shen Yuan stood there, smiling at him. “Uncle Qiao!”
Qiao Hailou had just crawled out of bed and rushed downstairs without caring about anything else. He’d thrown on a coat, his hair a mess. Seeing Shen Yuan, he couldn’t quite believe it. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”
Shen Yuan rushed into his arms and hugged him. “You’re not dreaming. I came to see you.”
Qiao Hailou felt as if a jar of honey had spilled inside his heart. He held Shen Yuan tightly, deeply moved.
Shen Yuan kissed him and laughed. “Uncle Qiao, you smell like alcohol. So stinky.”
The next day.
After clinging to Qiao Hailou for a long while, Shen Yuan didn’t return to the Li house until after ten in the morning. Xiao Lin had played games all night and was still sleeping soundly, completely unaware that Shen Yuan had been gone the night before.
On the third day of the new year,
using a visit to his uncle’s side of the family as an excuse, Shen Yuan boarded Qiao Hailou’s flight and flew to Country E. Qiao Hailou had already made a doctor’s appointment for him—he would likely need to undergo some examinations first, and then they would decide how to proceed with the surgical plan.