Christmas arrived, and the hospital was simply decorated. Staff brought a Christmas tree into the ward, adorned with colored lights, stuffed animals, stockings, and candy, creating a festive atmosphere.
Su Qingci stood by the window, speaking with Annelise on the phone. The art dealer in France reported on the progress of the exhibition, her voice brimming with excitement. She revealed that even before its official unveiling, the painting “Incense. Empty Dream” had already attracted a collector offering a staggering ten million yuan!
Su Qingci responded with a wry smile, “So eager to open a blind box?”
Annalise quipped back, “It may be a blind box, but anything bearing your name, Mr. Su, is guaranteed to be a masterpiece. Never a dud.”
“Is it because I’m terminally ill and won’t live long?” Su Qingci scoffed, reclining on the balcony lounge chair. “Artists really do become more valuable the sooner they die. Since the start of the year, how many times over have my paintings increased in value?”
Annalise sighed helplessly, “You really have no sense of taboo, talking about death all the time.”
“You don’t understand. It’s called fighting poison with poison,” Su Qingci said unconcernedly, then teased with a smile, “This final work will definitely set a historic peak. Annelise, have you decided where to buy a house yet?”
Annelise replied seriously, “Right across from yours. I’ll annoy you every day!”
Su Qingci chuckled softly. “Just remember to sleep early tonight. And don’t you dare peek through my window—I’d hate for you to get jealous.”
Annalise frowned, utterly confused. “What?”
Su Qingci beamed triumphantly. “Jealous that I have a devoted husband who’s always there for me.”
Annalise: “?”
Su Qingci grew slightly more serious, lowering his voice. “Jingchen and I are back together.”
Silence hung on the line for several seconds before Annalise’s excited voice broke through: “Really? When?”
Su Qingci gave a brief summary without elaborating. But Annelise’s gossip-hungry spirit flared up, and she fired off questions like beans spilling from a sack: Did he interrogate Pei Jingchen like she suggested? What were the results? Was Pei Jingchen mentally unstable? Was her sharp eye spot-on?
“What nonsense,” Su Qingci replied. “Pei Jingchen is perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with him at all.”
The phone fell silent again for another half minute—long enough for Su Qingci to think Annelise had hung up. Then, her laughter broke the quiet: “You two should lock yourselves up together. That way, you’ll both stay perfectly healthy.”
*
After ending the call with Annelise, Su Qingci lay half-asleep on the lounge chair. In his hazy state, he sensed someone entering—his gut told him it was Pei Jingchen returning.
He rolled over, and when his mind cleared enough to open his eyes, it was indeed Pei Jingchen.
Pei Jingchen sat down beside the lounge chair, leaned over to kiss Su Qingci’s forehead, and said softly, “Merry Christmas.”
Su Qingci cherished every holiday, whether traditional Chinese or Western celebrations. He used to celebrate them as excuses for romance with Pei Jingchen, but now they held deeper meaning—sharing these moments together felt precious. Thus, he embraced every occasion, East or West, ancient or modern.
Su Qingci also said to Pei Jingchen, “Merry Christmas.”
Pei Jingchen waved the item he was holding in front of Su Qingci. “A little gift.”
Su Qingci’s eyes lit up. He quickly sat up to unwrap it, savoring the festive surprise while eagerly asking, “What is it?”
Pei Jingchen gave him a heads-up first: “It’s definitely not food.”
Su Qingci thought to himself, I’m not a kid who only thinks about eating during holidays. After unwrapping it, he found a ceramic cup adorned with a lavender pattern, giving it a fresh and delicate look.
Pei Jingchen asked with a smile, “I made it. What do you think?”
Pei Jingchen had personally handled every step—shaping the clay, sun-drying the bisque, applying glaze and engraving patterns, then painting the design after firing. Each process was done by his own hands, resulting in this one-of-a-kind mug.
Though the lavender pattern was disproportionate and childish, like a kindergarten kid’s doodle, Pei Jingchen truly lacked artistic talent.
Su Qingci said sincerely, “It’s pretty.”
Pei Jingchen was quite self-aware: “It’s ugly, isn’t it?”
The more Su Qingci looked at the lavender, the funnier it seemed, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Not ugly at all! It’s so cute!”
After his evening shower, Su Qingci lounged on the sofa watching TV. Beside the coffee table sat the mug Pei Jingchen had crafted, filled with steaming hot water.
Pei Jingchen remarked, “Only six days left until New Year’s Eve. Any thoughts on where to celebrate?”
Su Qingci propped his head up with one hand, watching the male lead deliver cheesy lines in a fantasy drama while replying to Pei Jingchen, “Anywhere is fine. Do you have plans?”
Pei Jingchen peeled a segment of orange, tasted it himself, found it too sour, and set it aside. He peeled another orange, tasted it again, then fed a piece to Su Qingci.
Su Qingci watched the cheesy ancient romance flick without blinking, savoring the sweet, sweet orange.
The next morning, after breakfast, Pei Jingchen went to work. Su Qingci no longer needed IV drips. During rounds, the doctor said he was recovering well. If everything remained stable over the next few days, he could be discharged to recuperate at home.
At ten o’clock that morning, Su Qingci received a WeChat message from Pei Jingchen. It contained a file attachment, which he opened without much thought.
The title read: New Year’s Eve Plan Proposal.
Over eighty pages long, it contained text, images, and screenshots extracted from Dianping reviews. It featured a professional assessment that filtered out fake influencer accounts, analyzed the pros and cons of tourist spots, and compiled travel tips along with essential must-visit locations—a PowerPoint presentation crafted by the CEO of a publicly listed company!
Su Qingci: “…”
Pei Jingchen sent a WeChat: [For your approval.]
Su Qingci: [Thanks for your hard work.]
Pei Jingchen: [Kiss GIF.]
New Year’s Eve didn’t need to be that complicated. A simple stroll through the streets would suffice. After all, Su Qingci couldn’t go wild even if he wanted to. Riding a giant swing at an amusement park? He’d dare to get on, but the staff wouldn’t dare sell him a ticket!
When Pei Jingchen returned that evening, he peeled shrimp into Su Qingci’s bowl while asking, “Decided where we’re going?”
Su Qingci took a sip of water and replied, “Let’s go see the light show.”
Pei Jingchen paused, warmth spreading through him. “Sure.”
December 31st, the last day of the year.
Light snow fluttered through the air as Su Qingci strolled hand-in-hand with Pei Jingchen, their pace deliberately slow. The bustling commercial pedestrian street sparkled with lights, lined with numerous stalls selling handicrafts, small animals, sugar paintings, and candied hawthorn on sticks.
Large supermarkets played New Year-themed music. Su Qingci paused to listen, savoring the moment’s atmosphere, when his gaze was suddenly drawn to a massive display window nearby.
A dessert lover at heart, he couldn’t resist a bakery. By the time Su Qingci realized it, he was already standing outside the cake shop window, staring longingly.
Pei Jingchen, who had scanned the QR code to buy candied hawthorn, lost sight of him in an instant. Just as he was about to call out, he spotted Su Qingci staring unblinkingly at the little cakes—a sight so utterly adorable.
Perhaps she’d stared too long, because the shop assistant finally couldn’t bear it anymore. Stepping out, they subtly hinted, “It’s New Year’s Eve tonight! Everything in the store is 12% off!”
Su Qingci rolled his eyes inwardly. Was this really about money??? Oh, the misery! Not being able to afford it, but the agony of not being able to eat it—who understands? Who?!
Su Qingci’s eyes brimmed with reluctance. Fine, seeing it counts as eating it. If all else fails, I’ll sneak under the covers late at night to watch food videos.
Pei Jingchen pressed his hand on Su Qingci’s shoulder: “It’s a holiday. Have a bite.”
Su Qingci froze, then beamed with delight. “Really?”
He instantly transformed into a child who’d aced an exam and gotten KFC from his parents, skipping happily into the shop. “I’ll take this one, and this one too.”
Su Qingci took a bite of the chocolate-filled bread, then reached for Pei Jingchen’s hand to grab a piece of candied hawthorn.
The light show was spectacular, like an ancient painting shimmering with radiant hues.
The glow fell upon Su Qingci’s pupils, making his clear eyes sparkle with rippling light. White mist wafted through the air with each breath he took. Pei Jingchen couldn’t help but reach out, catching Su Qingci’s peripheral vision. When Su turned to look, Pei smiled gently and wiped the sugar crystals from the corner of his mouth.
Only then did Su realize what had happened. He rubbed his finger against the spot. “Any more?”
The smile in Pei Jingchen’s eyes deepened. He grabbed Su Qingci’s hand and, with lightning speed, gave his lips a light peck. “None left.”
Su Qingci froze. They were outside, in a bustling entertainment plaza.
“Sorry,” Pei Jingchen murmured an insincere apology, his face still alight with a radiant smile. “I just couldn’t help myself.”
Su Qingci thought to himself, Damn, he’s good at flirting! It’s not the smooth talk of a playboy you fear, but the sudden peacock display of a gentleman.
Su Qingci felt Pei Jingchen’s grip on his palm tighten. He looked up and found Pei Jingchen staring back at him, their eyes meeting once more.
Perhaps Pei Jingchen had been watching him all along. Precisely because his gaze had never left Su Qingci, every time Su Qingci looked at him, he found himself drawn into the depths of Pei Jingchen’s eyes, where he had been waiting all along.
“Happy New Year.”
As soon as Pei Jingchen finished speaking, distant bells began to toll, their echoes reverberating across the bustling square.
Simultaneously, with a whoosh, dazzling multicolored fireworks erupted across the night sky. One after another, they bloomed into a sea of vibrant hues.
The crowd erupted in cheers, arms linked, their voices thick with excitement as they welcomed the new year, heads tilted skyward in eager anticipation of its arrival.
“Xiao Ci, look at that.” Pei Jingchen pointed toward the sky, now a magnificent expanse of color. When he looked down at Su Qingci, he noticed his gaze was distant, his mind seemingly elsewhere.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Jingchen grew concerned. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Su Qingci snapped back to reality, pursing his lips in a smile as he shook his head.
Suddenly, he recalled something—the words he had spoken upon waking in the ICU.
The moment he regained consciousness, gazing at Pei Jingchen, he had blurted out without thinking: “Have you come to see me off?”
Pei Jingchen stood within arm’s reach, his warm palm resting on Su Qingci’s cheek as he replied, “I came to keep you here.”
Su Qingci lowered his gaze to the hands beside him—one connected to his own, the other to Pei Jingchen’s. Their fingers were intertwined, inseparable.
The warmth radiating from his palm remained unchanged. This hand—it had been extended for eighteen years, and now it would hold his for a lifetime.
Su Qingci rested his head against Pei Jingchen’s shoulder, hiding the tears at the corners of his eyes, and smiled serenely: “Chenchen, I love you.”
Pei Jingchen turned his face slightly, his lips leaving an indelible mark upon Su Qingci’s forehead.
“Xiao Ci, I love you.”
-The End-
Thank you for the update and translation of this story!! What a rollercoaster of emotions but so glad to finally see a happy ending for these two.
Wonder if we’ll get extra chapters translated as well? No rush of course, happy holidays~