The lipstick tubes were already broken and discarded on the ground, while the eyeliner and eyebrow pencils, still uncapped, lay soaking in the melted snow. Other makeup products were equally ruined, a truly pathetic sight.
"Mom, your things are no good. We can't even draw with them," Ye Siqi pouted, showing her disdain.
"Yeah! Mom, were you tricked? Let Dad go teach him a lesson," Ye Sizhe chimed in, nodding in agreement.
"He certainly deserves a lesson," Lin Anran's usual gentle expression had vanished.
She felt as if her heart were bleeding. This wasn't about the money to buy a new set; she regretted having sons in the first place.
Seeing Lin Anran's drastic change in expression, their ingrained survival instincts kicked in, sensing impending doom. The two boys scrambled behind Ye Jingchen for cover.
"Mom, Dad told us to do this."
Regardless of the reason, they were determined to drag their father down with them.
"Ye Jingchen!!" Lin Anran felt as though fire was about to spew from her eyes.
"You brats, what nonsense are you spouting? Anran, calm down, I'll buy you a new set tomorrow." Ye Jingchen felt like these two sons were beyond saving.
"If your sons ruined it, then you buy it!"
No sooner had he spoken than a large snowball slammed into him from above.
"Hahahaha!" The twins' laughter was particularly loud.
Ye Jingchen shook his head, flicked his collar, and then grabbed two handfuls of snow from the ground.
"You little rascals, still laughing at me? See how your old man deals with you!"
"Ah!"
Ye Siqi and Ye Sizhe shrieked and ran all over the place.
"Sister-in-law, please be calm. I'll testify that this has nothing to do with Big Brother. At most, he didn't stop them."
Ye Jingzhi, enjoying the spectacle, decided to put in a good word for his elder brother. As soon as he spoke, he was hit in the chest.
"Ye Jingzhi, you speak your piece, but why add that extra comment?" Ye Jingchen felt he was about to explode with anger.
"I'm merely speaking the truth. Sister-in-law, I'll help you vent your anger." Ye Jingzhi immediately rolled a larger snowball and retaliated.
"Ye Jingzhi, you've gotten brave!" Ye Jingchen hurriedly dodged.
"Dad, we can help you." The two little radishes started to counterattack.
"Big Brother, you're cheating, bringing in reinforcements." Ye Jingzhi, darting and weaving to dodge, looked for opportunities to strike back.
"Go, go! Uncle, go! Uncle Da Bo, go! Brothers, go!" Nuannuan, watching the chaos, cheered them on excitedly, waving her hands.
"Oh no~"
Nuannuan, caught up in the excitement, was suddenly knocked to the ground by a massive snowball, creating a small, human-shaped indentation in the snow.
"Nuannuan!" "Sister!" Several men, both big and small, rushed over.
"Awooo~" (Little cub, are you okay?)
"I'm fine~" Nuannuan climbed up from the ground, feeling a bit dizzy.
"Who threw that?" Ye Jinghuai asked sternly.
"Uh..."
The scene had been a little chaotic, and no one had really noticed.
Of course, the perpetrator knew clearly. Ye Jingzhi guiltily shuffled backward.
"It's alright, you're not getting away anyway." Ye Jinghuai began preparing his ammunition to avenge his daughter.
"Ah! Run!" Ye Siqi and Ye Sizhe were the first to react, darting away.
"Don't, don't, don't~ Second Brother, it wasn't me!"
"Jinghuai, let's talk this through calmly."
"After the fight." Ye Jinghuai had no intention of listening to their explanations.
"Heh~ Missed!" Ye Jingzhi nimbly dodged a snowball.
"If you have the guts, don't dodge!" Ye Jinghuai chased after him.
"Jinghuai, if that's how it is, then don't blame me for being impolite." Ye Jingchen also began to launch his attacks.
"Dad, we'll help you!"
"Don't bully Daddy! Daddy~ Nuannuan is here to save you!" Nuannuan grabbed a handful of snow and charged into the fray.
"Aow aow~" (Big bro, I'm here too!) Qiuqiu also joined in the mischief.
Lin Anran watched the scene unfold, feeling a bit bewildered. It seemed she had only come to start a snowball fight?
Ye Jingming had been eagerly anticipating returning home to play in the snow with Nuannuan. As soon as he finished his work, he rushed back. Upon reaching the doorway, he was immediately baptized by ice and snow.
"Hahaha! You can't hit me!"
Ye Jingzhi, with his back to the door, was gesticulating wildly at everyone. Noticing the sudden silence, he turned to look.
Ye Jingming reached up, adjusted his askew glasses, and wiped his face. His disheveled hair, damp and plastered to his forehead, was quickly brushed back, revealing his handsome forehead.
"Third Brother..." Ye Jingzhi felt a pang of guilt.
"It wasn't me, it was Second Brother. I was just dodging..." He had always been a little wary of his cunning third brother since childhood.
"It's alright, I just didn't expect everyone to be in such high spirits today." Ye Jingming smiled gently, showing no hint of anger.
However, the calmer he was, the more uneasy Ye Jingzhi felt.
"Third Uncle!" Nuannuan ran over and jumped onto him.
Ye Jingming quickly bent down to catch Nuannuan.
"Third Uncle, are you going to help Nuannuan? Nuannuan is very strong," Nuannuan said, shaking her head.
"Of course, how could Third Uncle not help Nuannuan?" With that, he put Nuannuan down and rolled up his sleeves.
"Go, Third Uncle!"
The situation immediately became even more chaotic.
The five brothers were acting as childishly as toddlers, constantly attacking each other. Lin Anran watched from the side, thoroughly enjoying herself. Aunt Wu and Uncle Li also came out to watch the fun, their faces filled with warmth.
"Ah! Anran, I'm sorry, I was trying to hit my son." Ye Jingchen's errant throw hit an audience member outside the battle zone.
Lin Anran hadn't expected to be injured just by observing.
"Ye Jingchen, you just wait!" Lin Anran abandoned all pretense of composure and grabbed a chunk of snow, throwing it back.
"It really wasn't my fault!" Ye Jingchen quickly dodged.
"Mom, we'll get revenge for you." The twins' faces were flushed red from their strenuous activity.
"You two are no good either! We haven't settled the score from earlier! Don't run!" Without a word, Lin Anran plunged into the battle.
"Help! Mom has transformed!"
In an instant, the villa's garden was filled with flying snow. Adults and children alike were locked in a chaotic mêlée. No one was aiming deliberately anymore; if they saw a shape, they threw snow at it.
Nuannuan, being small and a smaller target, took advantage of this to gain an edge.
"Ah! Nuannuan, why do you always bully me?" Ye Jingzhi complained.
"If that's the case, then Uncle won't feel sorry for you."
Ye Jingzhi rolled a small snowball and threw it.
"Uncle is a bad egg! Daddy, help Nuannuan get revenge!"
"I'm here!" Ye Jingxing, meanwhile, had a giant "cannonball" ready.
"Holy cow, Fourth Brother, that's cheating."
"Catch him!"
"Aow aow~" (I'm here!) Qiuqiu lunged forward and bit onto Ye Jingzhi's trouser leg.
The people behind quickly pinned Ye Jingzhi down.
"Hahahaha! Go, go, go!" Nuannuan clapped and cheered on the spot.
The plan to build a snowman had turned into a snowball fight, but everyone felt immensely satisfied.
How long had it been since they had played and laughed so uninhibitedly?
Finally, everyone sat in the snow, catching their breath. Ye Jingxing took out his phone and snapped a few pictures.
Ye Jingxing: How long has it been since we indulged so freely? [Image] [Image] [Image]
[Ahhhh! Brother, you finally remembered to post!]
[I missed out on being the first comment, darn it!]
[Are you having a snowball fight at home? You're so bored you're having snowball fights at home, why aren't you out working?]
[How long? Since I started working!]
[Since my studies got heavier and heavier.]
[Since I entered society.]
[Since the burdens on me grew heavier and heavier.]
Ye Jingxing had only casually posted on Weibo, never expecting it to spark such discussion online.
Before long, the trending topic had become: "How long has it been since you've indulged yourself without reservation?"