He wrapped his arms around her waist as the young girl was about to leave.
His warm breath fell on her ear, "Don't be angry anymore, brother will tell you a secret, okay?"
"A secret?"
People are naturally gossipy.
As soon as she heard "secret".
The young girl immediately stopped, her eyes shining as she looked up at him, "What secret?"
Her tone softened.
Yu Wenli chuckled, and amidst the brilliant fireworks, he pressed his forehead against hers and said:
"I will still like you next year, and even more than this year."
...
Xing Jiahe was not good with words.
Even after searching his mind for a long time, he could only muster one sentence.
"Happy New Year."
Xu Kexin chuckled, "Happy New Year."
"Mm, happy," Xing Jiahe nodded blankly.
Then, the conversation died.
Fortunately, the fireworks above were still going off, and firecrackers in the distance were also being lit.
Crackling, it was quite lively.
"You..." Xing Jiahe racked his brains, finally coming up with a new topic.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Xu Kexin looked up, "Didn't you make a wish just now?"
"...My wish has already come true."
Xing Jiahe had a cool demeanor, but when he answered questions seriously, he always seemed particularly well-behaved.
He was very much like the good students in TV dramas.
Xu Kexin was charmed by this contrast, and nodded, asking, "What?"
"Seeing you," he said, completely earnest.
Unknowingly charming.
Xu Kexin smiled, her smile lingering.
"Besides that, don't you have any other wishes?"
Xing Jiahe thought seriously and shook his head, "My New Year's wish is you."
Xu Kexin felt a bit overwhelmed and turned her head away to calm down for a few seconds.
Then she turned back to him and said, "If there's nothing else, let's watch the fireworks together for a while."
"Okay," he replied with bright eyes, a few stray hairs blown up by the wind, looking both handsome and cute.
At the same time, at the Mu family's residence.
Qiao Xixi, wearing a red down jacket, counted down the seconds and appeared beneath Mu Chen's window.
"Quick!" she pressed the voice message, panting as she sent it to him.
"Quick, open the window, I'm downstairs..."
When Mu Chen received the urgent notification on his WeChat, he was arguing with his father about where to go for the New Year.
Neither of them would back down, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
His mother was worried they would fight.
Just as she was about to try and mediate, Mu Chen suddenly turned and left.
"Where are you going?!" Mu Chen's father roared, "I haven't finished speaking..."
The response was the loud slam of a door.
Mu Chen's father's face turned black with anger.
"Enough!"
Mu Chen's mother frowned in annoyance, "With your attitude, who could stand it?"
Mu Chen's father glared, "There's something wrong with my attitude?!
"Why don't you listen to his nonsense?
"If Miss Zhong wasn't interested in him, do you think anyone could go to the Zhong family to pay New Year's greetings?!
"And he's unwilling, what right does he have to be unwilling!"
Mu Chen's father grew more and more angry as he thought about it, and decided to follow him out.
He wanted to see what that brat was up to!
Worried something might happen, Mu Chen's mother adjusted her shawl and also went downstairs.
Qiao Xixi squatted by the wall, holding her phone, waiting for a reply.
But one minute, two minutes...
As the New Year was about to countdown, there was still no message from Mu Chen.
"Could it be that he didn't see my phone? Oh heavens."
Qiao Xixi looked up and prayed, "I just want to say Happy New Year to him face to face.
"Please grant my wish, I've done good deeds my whole life and never done anything against my conscience.
"Why do you insist on stopping us? There are so many lovers in the world.
"It doesn't matter if there's one more couple, right?"
As Qiao Xixi was murmuring to the sky, Mu Chen had already walked up to her.
Hearing her childish words, he couldn't help but smile.
This was the first smile of his day, and the first of the New Year.
"Happy New Year, Qiao Xixi," Mu Chen said right on time.
Qiao Xixi immediately turned around, jumped into his arms with surprise.
"Happy New Year! Happy New Year! Happy New Year!
"Important things need to be said three times to be effective!"
Her joy was palpable, and Mu Chen smiled along, "Mm, happy."
After laughing, Qiao Xixi realized, quickly jumped down, and blinked obediently.
"I don't mean to pester you, I just wanted to say Happy New Year.
"Don't block me, I'll leave immediately."
The young girl hunched her neck timidly, bending over to slip away.
Mu Chen's smile faded, and he instinctively wanted to keep her.
However, before he could speak, his father arrived, leaning on his cane.
"Stop!"
The sudden voice startled Qiao Xixi, and she instinctively stopped.
Mu Chen's father's legs were not good, especially in winter, he couldn't walk without a cane.
But his walking speed was still very fast.
In almost the blink of an eye, he was in front of them.
Mu Chen quickly pulled Qiao Xixi behind him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked displeasantly.
Mu Chen's father glanced at Qiao Xixi, "Are you the one who's been pestering him?"
Qiao Xixi pursed her lips, unsure how to answer.
Mu Chen sneered, "None of your business."
Mu Chen's father ignored him and continued to speak to Qiao Xixi:
"Child, you don't need to waste your time on him.
"The person he will marry in the future will definitely not be you.
"You deserve someone better, not someone like him who is destined for a business marriage as an heir."
"Business marriage?" Qiao Xixi looked up with a complex expression.
She seemed to be waiting for an answer from him.
Mu Chen was annoyed by her gaze.
It was as if as long as he nodded, she would completely let go.
Realizing this, Mu Chen felt a surge of rebellion again.
He looked up, his eyes cold as he looked at his father, and said word by word:
"I will not marry Miss Zhong, you'd best give up on that idea."
"What did you say?!"
Mu Chen's father's body exploded with rage, but he was still trying to suppress it.
"Say that again!"
Mu Chen was also completely provoked into defiance, his eyes bloodshot, "I said, marry whoever the hell you want, I'm not marrying anyone..."
"Ah!"
Mu Chen's father's cane was raised in an instant, and then fell in an instant.
Mu Chen couldn't react in time, and Qiao Xixi lunged in front of him, taking the blow for him.
Her thin shoulder blades felt rough even when he touched them.
How could she take that hit?
Mu Chen, with red eyes, pulled her into his arms.
No matter how many times his back was struck.
None of it mattered as much as his heartache at this moment.
Mu Chen's father was furious and wouldn't stop until he got his way.
Mu Chen protected Qiao Xixi, having no chance to resist.
It wasn't until Mu Chen's mother arrived that the domestic violence finally stopped.
Mu Chen had no interest in their argument and left alone, carrying Qiao Xixi.
"Bear with it for a while longer, I'll take you to the hospital."
He knew better than anyone how hard his father hit.
When he hit, he hit to kill.
Even he couldn't withstand it, let alone her, a young girl.
Qiao Xixi's lips were pale from the pain, but she still clutched his clothes and said:
"Mu Chen, let's go to my house for New Year's. My parents will definitely like you."
She never imagined that such a bright and pure young man would have such a growth environment behind him.
He would hit them just like that, and so harshly.
He didn't treat his son like a person at all!
Qiao Xixi was worried he would be beaten again if he went back.
Mu Chen looked down, met her concerned and worried gaze, his heart softened, and he nodded:
"Okay, hospital first, then home."
Qiao Xixi smiled, "It's settled then, no backing out."