Xia Xinyu's pajamas were made of pure cotton, full of elasticity. Plus, this kid only looked thin, but hugging him was quite meaty, so Chen Yuan slept soundly as if he was holding a small pillow...

Before the firecrackers stopped at night and Hexiang City returned to peace, the two of them fell asleep.

And then, they slept until dawn...

Ah no, Chen Yuan was woken up by the B alarm clock before dawn.

So, as soon as the phone started ringing, he immediately turned it off.

Xinyu was also awakened by the phone alarm. She was just about to sit up groggily when Chen Yuan pulled her back with a Q, then wrapped his arms around her waist and patted her butt. "Good girl, good girl, go back to sleep."

"...Mmm." Xia Xinyu was fine at first and was thinking about getting up, but after being coaxed like this, she felt inexplicably wronged. So, after humming, she snuggled into Chen Yuan's arms.

Then, they slept until dawn without an alarm clock...

Knock, knock, knock.

Xia Xinyu was woken up by the sound of knocking on the door.

At that moment, her mind cleared instantly.

That's not right, I set an alarm to go back to my room!

Then, she looked at her phone again.

9:04.

It's so late?!

"Chen Yuan, get up, don't sleep, wish your mother a Happy New Year."

It was Chen Yuan's father's voice outside.

Xia Xinyu panicked.

If Chen Yuan's parents found out that they both had rooms but still slept in the same room, her reputation would be ruined...

After all, who goes to someone else's house for the first time and sleeps in the same room as a boy?

What's more, she's still a high school student!

This would not only affect her reputation...

Xia Xinyu felt that the entire Jinan female community had been blackened by her.

I'm guilty, sob sob.

Because her father was still outside, Xia Xinyu quickly shook Chen Yuan awake.

"What's wrong, bae..."

Chen Yuan stretched, but before he could finish speaking, Xia Xinyu covered his mouth with her hand, pointed to the door, and mouthed, "Dad."

"..." After she said that, Chen Yuan tensed up and changed his words. "What's wrong, ba... What's wrong, Dad?"

"When did your accent become so heavy, kid? I thought I heard 'bae'?"

"I said, Dad, what are you doing?"

"Get up quickly and wish your mother a Happy New Year."

"Okay, okay, I'll be right there, don't rush me."

Then, Chen Yuan started to put on his clothes.

Xia Xinyu, in the meantime, sat cross-legged on Chen Yuan's bed and typed on her phone:

What do I do, what do I do?!

"I'll secretly open the door for you later and send you back," Chen Yuan whispered.

Then, Xia Xinyu typed again:

If I get up after nine o'clock, won't I become a lazy daughter-in-law?

What do I do, what do I do!

"It's okay, just say the firecrackers went off for too long last night and you couldn't sleep... Besides, what's lazy about getting up at nine?"

Chen Yuan had heard that many college students could sleep until eleven or twelve o'clock during the New Year before being woken up by their parents.

If this is called lazy, what about them?

Cao Gonggong would have them castrated.

Xia Xinyu covered her forehead, speechless:

I don't want to talk to you anymore.

Why did you turn off my alarm?

"You're blaming me?" Chen Yuan pointed at himself, very unconvinced.

Xia Xinyu continued to tap on her phone:

I'm blaming you!

"But, you were the one who crawled into my blanket, right?" Chen Yuan reminded her.

Biting her lip, Xia Xinyu held her breath for a moment, then secretly typed something.

Then, she showed the screen to Chen Yuan.

Then, he saw clearly, it was four words—Let's fight.

And at the moment he saw it clearly, Xia Xinyu straddled Chen Yuan in the C position.

After that, it was a paid program that couldn't be broadcast—Domestic Violence Man vs. Arrogant Woman.

………

Back in the bedroom, Yang Junlian asked directly, "Was the door locked?"

"Yes," Chen Jianye replied, then became a little curious, "How did you know?"

"How did I know?" Yang Junlian wanted to laugh, but she couldn't laugh right now.

Xinyu usually gets up very early and helps her after getting up. But today, she hasn't gotten up at this hour.

Why?

Overslept?

Maybe.

So she asked Chen Jianye to knock on Chen Yuan's door.

If it wasn't locked, then Xia Xinyu had overslept.

If it was locked, there was only one possibility—these two slept together and were entangled until very late, causing them to sleep in.

No, Chen Yuan, you're a little too fast!

Are you thinking of getting married early because she's pregnant?

"Then what does that prove?" Chen Jianye was puzzled, feeling that Yang Junlian was holding back something bad.

"It doesn't prove anything. We'll stay in the bedroom and not go anywhere," Yang Junlian said.

"Don't we make breakfast either?" Chen Jianye asked.

"Don't ask, just stay here."

Give them enough time to go back, and then pretend to act a little.

Yang Junlian knew that the key to family harmony was to turn a blind eye.

She would just pretend not to know.

But she was very curious, Xia Xinyu listened to her son so obediently, offering to warm the bed when asked?

Didn't she know that this was inappropriate?

That's not right.

Xia Xinyu was in her son's room.

Could it be that...

Yang Junlian thought of a particularly bold possibility, that she had always been thinking the opposite—it wasn't Chen Yuan flirting with Xia Xinyu, but!

The bold one had always been Xia Xinyu, this little girl.

Thinking of this, she was shocked...

What kind of magic did her son have to make this seemingly pure little girl so infatuated?

The girl didn't even want her reputation anymore.

She thought that not having a relationship before was because she was a little dull.

Was this child sharpening her sword for ten years?

………

Chen Yuan got up and put on his clothes.

Then, he went to the living room and, after finding no one there, went directly to Madam Yang Junlian's bedroom.

He knocked on the door.

Then, he opened the door and said enthusiastically, "Happy New Year, Mom. And, Dad."

"Your wording of 'And, Dad' isn't very polite," Chen Jianye raised his finger and corrected him.

"Isn't this expressing that I'm wishing both of you together?" Chen Yuan explained with a smile.

But after saying that, Chen Jianye reached into his pocket. Then, his eyes lit up. "Dad, Happy New..."

Halfway through the blessing, Chen Jianye took out a pistachio from his pajama pocket, peeled it, ate it, and then looked up at Chen Yuan with a blank look on his face, as if saying, "What's wrong with you?"

"..." Chen Yuan pursed his lips, speechless.

Go to hell.

"By the way, why don't you go sit in the living room? Why are you staying in the bedroom?"

Chen Yuan coaxed the two of them out of the bedroom and onto the sofa. Turning his head, he looked at the corridor and complained, "This Xinyu is still sleeping in on the first day of the New Year. I'll go wake her up."

"It's okay, let her sleep a little longer," Yang Junlian said with a smile.

"She probably didn't sleep well because the firecrackers were too loud, and then she got up late in the morning... That's right, I couldn't get up this morning either if my dad hadn't called me. Of course, she doesn't usually get up this early..."

"Son, I didn't say anything."

Sitting on the sofa, Yang Junlian looked at Chen Yuan 'naively'.

Chen Jianye, on the other hand, was sitting even more naively like a panda.

After being watched by Chen Yuan, he took out a pistachio from his pocket again, cracked it, and put it in his mouth.

So annoying, Chen Jianye! Can you stop cracking your broken pistachios!

Joke analysis: He's getting anxious.

"Ah, I'll go call her."

Chen Yuan squeezed out an awkward smile, then went over and knocked on the door. "Xinyu, wake up."

After a while, Xia Xinyu, fully dressed, came out of the room and stood in the living room, saying a little embarrassedly, "The firecrackers were too loud last night, and I didn't sleep well, so I only just..."

"It's okay, it's okay, it's rare to have a holiday, just sleep until you wake up naturally, don't be too restrained, just treat yourself... No, this is your own home," Yang Junlian said.

"Yeah. Uncle and Auntie, Happy New Year," Xia Xinyu greeted enthusiastically.

"Uncle and Auntie, Happy New Year," Chen Yuan made the same gesture.

Then, the two of them got up and gave red envelopes to the two of them.

And Chen Jianye took out the red envelopes from the pocket where he had the pistachios.

Hey, Jianye, if you have money, why didn't you say so earlier?

We even acted snobbish, it's all a mess.

"Thank you, Uncle and Auntie."

The other red envelopes were still being pushed away as a formality, but Xia Xinyu accepted these two very naturally and frankly, and was quite happy.

After all, the people giving them were different.

These were the people who went to her parent-teacher conference.

They were no longer the same as others.

"Okay, then we'll make breakfast, what do you want to eat?" Yang Junlian got up and took the initiative to say.

"Let's have some leftover New Year dishes and two bowls of noodles," Chen Yuan said.

"Leftover dishes? It's enough to eat leftovers usually, how can we eat leftovers during the New Year?" Dad said.

"Hey, I don't usually eat leftovers."

"Why?"

"Xinyu's cooking is so good that we can finish everything she makes every meal."

After Chen Yuan finished acting, his mother smiled, saying, "Humph, you kid really know how to coax people."

Xia Xinyu also tugged at his sleeve, reminding him a little shyly not to act too much.

Indeed, Xia Xinyu had surpassed the most virtuous woman in Jinan.

And so, Mom went to make noodles.

After a while, everyone appeared at the dining table, eating breakfast.

"What time will you arrive at night?" Chen Jianye asked.

"Probably around seven or eight o'clock," Chen Yuan said.

"Will someone pick you up from the station?"

"Xinyu originally wanted to ask her relatives to drive us, but I didn't think it was necessary, so I booked a ride with someone going back to their place in advance. It's very convenient," Chen Yuan said.

"Does Grandpa drink alcohol?" Chen Jianye asked Xia Xinyu.

"He occasionally drinks a little grain alcohol, but he doesn't drink it often," Xia Xinyu replied with a smile.

Then, Chen Jianye got up, went to the liquor cabinet, took out the two bottles of Mengzhilan that were on display, and put them in the packaging box in the cabinet...

"Grandpa can't drink such good alcohol, Uncle, you should keep it for yourself," Xia Xinyu quickly waved her hand.

Then, Chen Yuan gently pressed her hand and explained with a smile, "Xinyu, it's prepared for this moment."

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, Xia Xinyu was stunned for a moment before she understood...

If her parents hadn't passed away, the occasion for Chen Yuan to meet them would have been his first visit.

Or a proposal.

Although they were gone, Chen Yuan's family didn't want to be perfunctory with the etiquette.

"Yes, our etiquette has to be in place," Yang Junlian also said with a smile, "Then we'll trouble you two to bring more things when you get in the car later."

To this, Xia Xinyu nodded with a smile. "Yeah, okay."

………

The two of them got on the bullet train.

First to Xiahai, then transfer within the station to the high-speed train to Changsha.

Because Chen Yuan bought the tickets in advance, they also had two good seats.

Xia Xinyu, sitting by the window, watched the scenery outside the window change constantly.

Chen Yuan then took out his phone and opened the AutoNavi map, placing it in front of her.

She watched the distance between the two of them and their home get closer and closer.

Her heart also gradually became excited.

She was feeling homesick.

Anxious to cut.

At this time last year, she had already returned to Shao Township and had been at home for a long time.

But this year was different.

The scene she saw when she returned home was also different.

Leaning on Chen Yuan's shoulder, Xia Xinyu muttered to herself, "What would I do without you?"

"Silly Xinyu, how could there be no me?"

"If it had ended after you saved me..." Thinking of that possibility, she felt very confused.

"So you should be glad that you put aside your pride and sincerely pursued me."

"Okay, okay, I was the one who pursued you."

What do you mean, okay, I was the one who pursued you?

You don't believe it?

I have a video, and it's not Photoshopped.

Forget it, let's not take out this nuclear weapon yet.

Let's wait until Yu Zi's memory declines in a few years and then tamper with her memories.

"But you wouldn't be as happy as you are now without me," Xia Xinyu suddenly thought of something and turned on the little credit-claiming mode.

Yes.

If it wasn't you, it might be other Zhou Fus, Li Fus, Tang Fus, or An Fus.

But they were not Xia Xinyu.

Xia Xinyu was unique.

"Rest well, we're going home."

Chen Yuan put his arm around Xia Xinyu's shoulders, their heads touching.

The journey was hard, and the time was long.

The two of them even ate their first instant noodles of the year on the train.

It wasn't until the afternoon that they transferred again within the station. Then, a ride-hailing car.

Because Chen Yuan gave the other party an extra ten yuan, the person even kindly took them to their destination.

And so, the two of them, carrying some things in their hands and Xia Xinyu with a small bag on her back, returned to her home in Nanxi Village.

At this hour, it was basically dark.

But every household had their lights on.

Outside the door, there were children with fireworks in their hands, setting them off against the trees.

On the road, there were also a few men who had just finished drinking, walking in groups of three or five to the supermarket in the village, probably to play mahjong.

The streetlights were on.

The two of them stood under the light and looked at the door.

Only Xia Xinyu's house was dark.

The dim outdoor light shone out in a fan shape.

An old man was sitting on a bamboo chair at the door. He was hanging his head, as if waiting for someone, very quietly.

And above his head was a deep blue that Chen Yuan saw for the first time.

It was like the bottom of a deep abyss.

Chen Yuan saw that Xia Xinyu's mouth was pursed, and tears were about to fall quickly.

And so, he hugged her gently and comforted her, saying, "You go first."

"Yeah."

And so, Xia Xinyu walked over.

She went to the old man and said, "Grandpa."

The old man slowly raised his head and saw her.

His eyes lit up immediately.

From deep blue to deep red, it was only a moment.

After Xia Xinyu said something, the old man slowly turned his head and looked at Chen Yuan.

Then, it turned into the deep red that Chen Yuan had seen for the first time.

The old man was sitting at the door, and the door was open.

He was waiting for someone, possibly not a person.

But the so-called 'ghost'.

This ghost was also the person he missed day and night.

That's great, Yu Zi said her wish.

Otherwise, how long would this poor old man have to wait in despair in this cold winter?

Chen Yuan stepped forward, and then Xia Xinyu's grandfather also stood up and hurriedly came to greet him.

"Grandpa, Happy New Year," Chen Yuan said enthusiastically.

"Yes, good, good," Grandpa said, his eyes shining, looking at Chen Yuan, this man who was able to abandon his relatives to see this unrelated old man. His heart was suddenly filled with a sense of security.

Was he here for this old man?

He was here for Xinyu.

And so, he was especially grateful.

He would die sooner or later, and when he died, Xinyu would have no relatives left in this world.

Her aunt could help, and she also cared about her, but after all, she had her own family.

"Is Grandpa's health still good?" Chen Yuan asked with concern.

"This old man will try to live," Grandpa said jokingly with a smile, looking at Chen Yuan, somewhat hunched over. "Live until you two get married, then, die..."

Xia Xinyu held Grandpa's hand and shook her head with tears in her eyes. "Grandpa, you will live a long life. You will see us get married. You will see us have children. Then, you will take care of your great-grandchildren... You definitely will."

"Okay," Grandpa nodded, promising to the best of his ability. "Grandpa will keep living, keep seeing our Xinyu grow up and have her own babies."

Chen Yuan felt a little sad watching this scene.

Why did these pitiful things happen to his Xinyu?

He even hoped that even if the two of them didn't know each other and couldn't become lovers, he would exchange it for her family to be happy and her parents to be alive.

Gradually, his love for Xia Xinyu had become so deep.

Yes.

How could he not do his best to love such a girl.

"Haven't eaten yet? I'll make you something..."

Grandpa was about to go to the kitchen when Xia Xinyu stopped him. "Grandpa, wait in the main room for a while, I'll make it for him."

"Yeah, Grandpa, you go rest," Chen Yuan also sent Grandpa in.

Then, he put down the gifts for his first formal visit.

He went to the kitchen with Xia Xinyu.

As a result, as soon as he walked in, he rubbed a spider web on his head again.

Xia Xinyu covered her mouth and smiled, then stood on tiptoe and brushed the gray silk off his head. "What a familiar scene."

"Yes," Chen Yuan looked at Xinyu in front of him, and his memories were also pulled back to that time, the funeral.

"Grandpa probably hasn't eaten much either. I'll make a few more dishes, let's have New Year's Eve dinner together later," Xia Xinyu said.

"Okay, but do you have any dishes?" Chen Yuan asked.

Xia Xinyu walked to the refrigerator, opened it, and nodded. "The relatives have sent a lot. It's no problem to make five dishes."

"Okay."

"Then I'll go pick some vegetables and peppers."

Xia Xinyu directly picked up a small sickle and was about to go out the back door, but at the moment of opening the door, she suddenly thought of something, turned her head and looked at the confused Chen Yuan, "Brother, I'm afraid of the dark."

Hey, this is the right taste.

The so capable and brave Yu Zi felt unfamiliar.

What seventeen-year-old girl would go to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables at night?

Isn't this disrespecting her boyfriend!

And so, Chen Yuan, with Xia Xinyu, shone the flashlight on his phone, cut a cabbage, some mud moxa, and a few small red peppers in the vegetable garden, and then returned to the kitchen.

"The gas is still not filled," Xia Xinyu looked at the earthen stove, a little headache. "Then the cooking time will be a little long."

"It's okay, the longer you're hungry, the better it tastes," Chen Yuan didn't care, and took the initiative to help add firewood.

"Okay, then you'll have to be wronged a little," Xia Xinyu smiled, and the two of them began to cooperate, a loving kitchen.

Chen Yuan was responsible for preparing the dishes while cleaning the kitchen.

And Chef Xinyu turned these ingredients into the best delicacies.

The aroma of the dishes filled the entire kitchen.

It was really intoxicating.

Sure enough, the real delicacies are not in the food street, not in the restaurant, not in the banquet, but in this light of thousands of homes.

What? Is it in a five-star hotel?

I haven't eaten there, why are you asking me?

But maybe I will eat there in the future.

But none of them are as memorable as this meal.

After preparing all the dishes, Chen Yuan picked up the mop and was about to mop the floor.

At this time, Chen Yuan suddenly felt his back being poked.

When he turned his head, Grandpa, who was slowly walking over with a hunched body, opened his hand, then put down a roll, and shook his hand again.

Then, without saying anything, he turned around.

And walked away slowly with a hunched body again.

Then, Chen Yuan lowered his head.

It was a stack of money.

Wrinkled like bark.

Also wrinkled, no different from Grandpa's hand.

It should be a thousand yuan.

The thickness was more than five hundred.

The reason why Chen Yuan saw at a glance that it was a thousand yuan was because there were also two wrinkled fifty yuan notes inside.

At that moment, Chen Yuan's hands were shaking.

Then, a pair of hands hugged him from behind, buried her forehead in him, and said, "Accept it well, this is also our etiquette. It's a little insignificant... Please forgive us."

"No, thank you, Grandpa," Chen Yuan nodded and held the money.

Then, he yawned, "I'm a little sleepy..."

Then Xia Xinyu suddenly ran in front of him, looked at him, and said distressedly, "Bae is indeed sleepy, tears are coming out."

"...The pot is burning, Yu Zi."

Chen Yuan looked away.

Xia Xinyu smiled, sat down in front of the wood-burning stove, and while staring at the pot, looked at Chen Yuan again. "Sit next to me."

Chen Yuan moved a small stool and sat down next to her.

At this time, Xia Xinyu turned to look at him, fiddling with a piece of mud moxa in her hand, bending it back and forth, and said, "You will definitely be a very powerful person in the future, and your career will also develop very well, so this request of mine is a little selfish..."

"No, say it," Chen Yuan shook his head, denying it in advance.

Then, Xia Xinyu smiled, continued to play with the mud moxa, and said, "I can wait, but Grandpa is old. So, I hope you can agree to this unreasonable request."

Just as Chen Yuan showed a confused expression, Xia Xinyu handed him the mud moxa ring she had woven.

Then, she slowly extended her left hand.

Her ring finger was gently raised.

"If you agree, then I'll take the liberty."

Xia Xinyu smiled lightly, then put her ring finger into the mud moxa ring, gently put it on, and looked up at Chen Yuan. "I don't want anything, I just want you to marry me sooner."

Today I sent my parents on their way, and only started writing at nine o'clock, so it's only this six thousand words. Everyone, rest early after reading, respect.

(End of this chapter)