#23: A New Year’s Eve Dinner Surprise

On the evening of December 31st, the world celebrated the arrival of the new year.

Luo Mingjing was putting the finishing touches on the gifts he had prepared for Shi Min’s parents—a pair of hand-knitted couple sweaters.

The couple sweaters were light blue, with intricate cursive letters embroidered in yarn across the chest. One sweater read “Ms. Zhang,” and the other “Little Brother Shi.” These affectionate nicknames were added after Luo Mingjing consulted Shi Min.

Ever since learning that he would be meeting Shi Min’s parents at the end of the month, Luo Mingjing had been anxious for half a month, particularly over the preparation of gifts. The stress kept him tossing and turning through sleepless nights.

“How about making a skirt for your mom?” Luo Mingjing suggested initially.

Shi Min quipped sarcastically, “Do you think you can size her up just by looking at her?”

Luo Mingjing didn’t dare respond. Later, under Shi Min’s curious and probing gaze, he cautiously replied, “...I also know your dad’s measurements.”

However, during his first meeting with her parents, Luo Mingjing had been feverish and in a daze.

Shi Min commented, “Your professional skills are still sharp.”

“There are things you can’t let rust, especially when they’re essential to your livelihood,” Luo Mingjing said. “Besides, I love my job, and I want to honor it and myself. The fundamentals are what support the entire dream—they can’t be abandoned.”

Whenever he spoke about his profession, he was always earnest. However, the idea of making a skirt for Shi Min’s mother was vetoed. “My parents should receive the same gift,” Shi Min said. “Let’s go with couple sweaters.”

“Will your parents even wear couple outfits?” Luo Mingjing asked.

Shi Min rested her chin on her hand and smiled wistfully. “It’d be nice if we removed the word ‘you’ from that statement.”

“Be serious,” Luo Mingjing said. “Alright, I’ll make couple sweaters. Do your parents have any love stories I could incorporate into the design?”

“Ms. Zhang and Little Brother Shi,” Shi Min replied. “Those are their nicknames for each other.”

“Your parents...” Luo Mingjing hesitated, unsure if he should pry further.

“They grew up together. My mom was the leader of the kids in our courtyard back then. In her era, being called ‘Ms.’ carried a lot of weight, so she gave herself the title Ms. Zhang. After they started working together, my dad still called her Ms. Zhang, and she introduced him to others as ‘my little brother Shi Feng.’ According to my mom, my dad’s marriage proposal was... ‘Forever following you, Ms. Zhang.’ And my mom’s response? ‘Forever protecting you, Little Brother Shi.’”

“...So it was an older sister-younger brother romance?”

“A completely serious one,” Shi Min nodded. “Guess how big the age gap is.”

“...If you’re asking like that, it’s probably more than two or three years.” Luo Mingjing guessed, “Five years?”

“Eight years.”

Luo Mingjing silently clicked his tongue in surprise.

Shi Min continued, “When my mom was working, my dad was still in middle school. According to her, among the group of kids who followed her around back then, my dad was the youngest. When she played war games with the other kids, my dad was her designated mascot, always clinging to the edge of her clothes, trailing behind her.”

Luo Mingjing carefully remarked, “That’s not exactly childhood sweethearts.”

“Exactly,” Shi Min agreed. “More like a high schooler babysitting a preschooler.”

“When your dad came last time...” Luo Mingjing recalled, “He seemed very serious.”

“Are you scared of him?” Shi Min chuckled. “We’re just having dinner tonight, and after that, you won’t feel intimidated anymore. Let’s go—I’ve already arranged everything.”

On the evening of the 31st, Shi Min brought Luo Mingjing home.

The table was already laden with dishes, and Ms. Zhang greeted them warmly.

Mr. Shi and his son sat quietly at the dining table, watching the New Year’s Eve gala on Entertainment Channel Three. They occasionally commented on the show but mostly remained silent.

Luo Mingjing presented the handmade couple sweaters. Ms. Zhang beamed. “One son does makeup, and this young man brings clothes—both thoughtful gestures. Have a seat.”

Shi Chu glanced at Luo Mingjing and nodded approvingly. The hairstyle he had styled months ago had finally grown out perfectly.

Luo Mingjing had tied his hair back halfway, softening his features and reducing the sharpness of his facial structure.

When dinner began, there wasn’t much awkwardness. Though the Shis (except for Ms. Zhang) rarely spoke, the atmosphere remained pleasant.

Before long, Ms. Zhang seemed to grasp Luo Mingjing’s personality—he was obliging, answering questions and engaging in conversation. She found him perfect company and couldn’t stop talking.

On the way over, Shi Min had prepped Luo Mingjing. “Mom has a strong desire to perform and often uses her hands when speaking. If you want to chat, just respond; if not, ignore her. Don’t worry—it won’t get awkward. She knows how to pivot.”

This year’s New Year’s Eve special on Channel Three had a nostalgic theme, featuring many veteran artists and beloved old shows.

When this segment aired, Ms. Zhang remarked, “Little He actually invited me to participate, but I declined because I was abroad and didn’t want to deal with the hassle. Oh well. If I had accepted, many now-grown children would’ve been thrilled.”

Luo Mingjing suddenly froze. He had always found Ms. Zhang familiar, but hadn’t thought much of it. Now, hearing her words and seeing several former children’s show hosts take the stage, he hesitantly asked, “...Sister Xiao Dong?”

“Haha! Smart kid!” Ms. Zhang tilted her head and laughed. “Children, hello! Welcome to Kite Express ! I’m your friend, Sister Xiao Dong. Kite Express—”

Both men in the Shi family simultaneously raised their hands and chimed in, “Whoo-whoo spinning!”

Ms. Zhang twirled her hands dramatically and spread them wide, smiling. “Exciting programs—”

Luo Mingjing exclaimed excitedly, “Are about to begin!”

At the dining table, only Shi Min remained calm and continued eating, while the other three men were overjoyed.

“You’re Sister Xiao Dong!”

Years ago, Channel Three aired a beloved children’s cartoon program called Kite Express , which aired during the prime post-school dinner hour before the national news. Its first host was Sister Xiao Dong.

Luo Mingjing was ecstatic. “I even wrote you a letter in first grade! I didn’t know how to use envelopes or stamps back then, so I drew pictures and made my own envelope. I slipped it into the mailbox outside the post office on my way to school.”

“Haha! My little fan!” Ms. Zhang grinned, pointing to Mr. Shi beside her. “He and my son were both loyal viewers.”

Shi Chu proudly declared, “When Mom was hosting, I was at my peak glory. I wanted to stand under the flagpole and shout to the entire school, ‘The Sister Xiao Dong you all love is my mom!’”

Mr. Shi smiled faintly, nostalgia in his eyes.

“Haha, kids,” Ms. Zhang said. “When I married your dad, he said the same thing—he wanted to run into the streets and shout, ‘I married Sister Xiao Dong!’”

“So proud,” Mr. Shi nodded. “Just so proud.”

Ms. Zhang smiled warmly at Luo Mingjing. “This young man seems happy too—are you surprised?”

“Super!” Luo Mingjing’s voice trembled slightly. “You don’t know how important you were to me. Every day after school, I looked forward to your show... Sorry I didn’t recognize you right away.”

“Oh, this young man,” Ms. Zhang pretended to sigh. “I’m old now—many kids don’t recognize me anymore.”

“No...” Luo Mingjing shook his head. “Maybe it’s because I was so young back then, and my memories are hazy... I remember your voice clearly, but I didn’t connect it immediately.”

After dinner, the Channel Three gala reached its climax, transitioning into the main song-and-dance segment. Following the highly anticipated Phoenix Dance Spring Festival performance, Shi Chu remarked, “Jiang Lang exhausted his talent.”

His comment referred to the lead dancer’s costume, sponsored by Huan Yu Studio.

Mr. Shi said, “It’s rare for someone to reach their peak once in a lifetime. Don’t be too demanding.”

Shi Chu turned to Shi Min. “Kevin approached Yang He recently.”

Ms. Zhang coughed and rolled her eyes. “Don’t mention her.”

Shi Chu laughed. “There’s still business between them—it’s unavoidable. I helped arrange a connection, and she agreed.”

Shi Min peeled an orange while asking Shi Chu, “Huan Yu wanted her as their spokesperson?”

“She rejected them,” Shi Chu said. “I heard Kevin was furious.”

“If it were the Chinese Crane series, I think she might’ve been interested,” Shi Min mused. “But recent designs... let’s not talk about it. Yang He’s sense of fashion is reliable. At Kevin Wang’s current level, it’s understandable if she looks down on him.”

Luo Mingjing remained silent, wanting to say something but clenching his fists tightly. Eventually, he decided against it.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious. It wasn’t the time to bring up certain topics. “I’ll find the right moment to tell Shi Min what I want to say,” Luo Mingjing thought. “She trusts me, doesn’t she?”

“Once a year, here’s a gift for you,” Shi Chu said after dessert. He patted Shi Min’s shoulder and went upstairs.

Shi Min followed him up. Shi Chu said, “Close the door. I have something to show you.”

Without needing to ask, Shi Min guessed, “You investigated Luo Mingjing.”

“Yes,” Shi Chu confirmed. “I noticed you’re serious about him, so I looked into his background. I haven’t told Mom and Dad yet—I wanted you to see it first.”

Shi Chu continued, “Two files.”

He unlocked a drawer and retrieved a folder. “Take a look at this.”

Shi Min opened the file and pulled out a medical record.

“The date is from four years ago—PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder treatment.”

Shi Min’s expression darkened. “No specifics?”

“Even if I know his attending physician, they have professional ethics,” Shi Chu explained. “This is private patient information—it won’t be disclosed.”

“And another file...” Shi Chu produced a second document. “He couldn’t obtain a certificate of no criminal record, so I focused on this.”

Shi Min glanced at it, and the siblings exchanged a long, silent look.

The room fell quiet for a while. Finally, Shi Chu sighed, “What a terrible New Year’s gift I’ve given you. I’m such a jerk.”

“I’ll handle the investigation—you don’t need to interfere,” Shi Min said firmly. “Don’t tell Mom and Dad for now.”

Shi Chu nodded. “Be careful.”

“Mm,” Shi Min said. “I trust him, so I’ll get to the bottom of this.”