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The fireworks ended, and their kiss ended.
Wen Di’s tongue and lips ached.
The two of them stood outside for more than ten minutes, chilled to the bone by the cold wind.
Yan Heyu was worried about her going back. He knew her family played cards all night during the New Year. “Stay the night. I’ll watch TV shows with you all night.”
Wen Di didn’t believe he could actually stay up all night watching TV shows, but not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, she didn’t talk back.
She opened the trunk of her car. The dumplings she had brought for him were still inside.
This was the most secure and most satisfying New Year’s Eve Yan Heyu had spent in four years.
Yan Heyu boiled water to cook the dumplings. He hadn’t eaten enough during his solitary New Year’s Eve dinner, and the food had tasted bland.
Wen Di told him to cook a portion for himself. She didn’t want to eat, not because she wasn’t hungry, but because her mouth hurt and she didn’t want to chew anything.
She was actually hungrier than him, and the thought that he would have dumplings soon made her feel a little resentful, so she gave him a couple of kicks.
Yan Heyu let her kick him. “I’ll feed you.”
“No need. I don’t want to eat.”
The house was big and there were few people. It had no New Year’s atmosphere at all.
Wen Di turned on the TV and turned the volume up as high as it would go.
Yan Heyu said, “It won’t be like this again next New Year. We’ll go to your house or my house.”
Wen Di didn’t respond. She stood by the stove with him as he cooked the dumplings. He rolled up his sleeves and looked like he knew what he was doing as he added water to the pot.
They had been so caught up in kissing that they hadn’t had a moment to talk about the fireworks at midnight.
She bent her knee and nudged his leg. “Wasn’t that fireworks display sponsored by you for the park?”
“If you think so, I have no objections.”
“You’re not going to admit it?”
Yan Heyu added water to the pot a second time. There was no point in trying to hide it. “It was me.”
“What if we hadn’t gotten back together? Were you planning to do it every year?”
“I signed a twenty-year agreement. I don’t know if they’ll still be setting off fireworks in twenty years. Maybe by then, Jiangcheng will have banned them.”
There was a thin layer of steam on his watch face. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.
Before he could say anything, she spoke first. “Don’t you dare tell me to buy you an anti-fog watch.”
“...” Yan Heyu couldn’t help but laugh.
When the dumplings were cooked and served, Wen Di sat at the dining table with Yan Heyu.
“Who made these dumplings?”
“My grandpa and grandma. We don’t eat dumplings during the New Year here. They specifically made them for Jiang Chengyu, since he loves dumplings.”
Yan Heyu picked up a dumpling, dipped it directly into the vinegar, covering the entire dumpling.
He was literally “eating vinegar.”
Wen Di was utterly speechless. If you told him he was being childish, he would rather die than admit it.
“In the future, ask Grandpa and Grandma to make some for me too.”
“That depends on whether my grandpa and grandma are willing to.”
“I’m their grandson-in-law. Jiang Chengyu is just an imposter.”
“...”
Wen Di stood up, not wanting to talk anymore, but as soon as she stood up, he pulled her back.
Yan Heyu said, “I’m just kidding.”
Wen Di pushed his hand away. “I’ll pour you some water.” Pouring water was just an excuse. She grabbed the vinegar bottle and filled his vinegar dish to the brim.
Let him have his fill for once.
Yan Heyu didn’t dip his dumplings in vinegar anymore after that. Halfway through the meal, he took out his phone and snapped a few pictures to send to his family group chat.
He didn’t take a picture of Wen Di’s whole face, just her clothes.
[You don’t have to worry about me not having homemade dumplings to eat.]
Heyan was the first to reply: [Oh, look at you, so scheming.]
Ye Minqiong asked: [Did Wen Di make you dumplings?]
Yan Heyu: [She doesn’t know how to. They’re from Grandpa Wen and Grandma Wen.]
Yan Heyan: [Just eat. Don’t bother us. We’re watching TV.]
[Isn’t the gala over?]
[I’m watching Behind Desire with the whole family. It’s a conspiracy drama. So exciting, haha.]
[....]
Ye Minqiong @-ed Yan Heyu: [Don’t tell her. She’s drunk again. But that show is really good. We were discussing the plot and guessing the twists at our New Year’s Eve dinner.]
[Your maternal grandpa also thinks it’s great. He’s planning to start watching from the first episode tomorrow. He said when you bring Wen Di back, he’ll have something to talk about with her. He doesn’t want Wen Di to think he’s a serious, old-fashioned, and unapproachable old man.]
Yan Heyu: [Thank Grandpa for me.]
“The dumplings are cold,” Wen Di tapped the table.
Yan Heyu showed Wen Di the chat log. “My maternal grandpa rarely praises anyone. He’s willing to watch the show, so it’s definitely not to please someone.”
Wen Di didn’t know much about Yan Heyu’s maternal grandpa, but from Yan Heyu’s occasional words, she knew he was a decisive and dominant person.
“The theme and depth of this show are different from any of your previous ones. It should win an award.”
Wen Di had created many commercially successful works but had never won a Best Screenwriter award, only two nominations.
The cozy New Year’s Eve felt a little off-topic. Yan Heyu finished his dumplings, and it was almost 1 AM.
“It’s too late. Just leave in the morning,” Yan Heyu said, carrying her upstairs.
He found one of his shirts for her to wear as pajamas for the time being. “Do you want a bath or a shower? If you want a bath, I’ll draw the water for you. I have roses in the fridge.”
“No bath. I’m a little tired.”
Wen Di took a hot shower to wash away the worries of the past year.
She dried her hair and lay down in bed. It was almost 2 AM.
Yan Heyu turned off the light and held her in his arms. They had survived the seven-year itch. This eighth year was also their first year together again.
He put his hand into hers.
At first, Wen Di didn’t hold it, pushing him away several times, but he was persistent and put his fingers in her palm.
Wen Di finally held his hand, closing her eyes in his arms. “Good night.”
She thought she would have a good night’s sleep, but Yan Heyu kissed her on the corner of her mouth, called her “wife,” and things escalated from there.
While others played cards all night, they spent the night making up for lost time.
Before they fell asleep, Yan Heyu gave her a lozenge and made her drink another half a glass of water. She didn’t wake up with a sore throat the next morning.
They woke up late in the morning.
Yan Heyu opened his eyes. The person in his arms was already up, and he could hear the sound of her brushing her teeth in the bathroom. He also threw off the blanket and got out of bed.
Wen Di was wearing one of his shirts again.
“When did you get up?”
“Less than ten minutes ago.”
There was an extra glass on the sink, with two roses in it.
It seemed she was in a good mood.
Yan Heyu squeezed out toothpaste and brushed his teeth, watching her in the mirror the whole time.
Wen Di had just washed her face, and it was covered in water droplets.
After brushing his teeth, Yan Heyu turned to her. “What’s your New Year’s resolution this year? I forgot to ask you last night.”
Wen Di: “I hope my family stays healthy and safe.”
“My first wish is the same as yours.”
Wen Di sensed a trap ahead and didn’t take the bait.
Yan Heyu put his toothbrush cup away. Taking advantage of the first day of the new year and her good mood, he continued on his own. “My second wish depends on you to come true.”
He didn’t beat around the bush anymore. “A new year, a new start. Can I get a permanent status?”
“...”
Wen Di gave him a look. “Why aren’t you acting like your fireworks?”
The translation was: “Why aren’t you going up to heaven?”
Yan Heyu laughed. “Weren’t you very nice to me last night? You came to see me in the middle of the night.” And the two times after that were also very harmonious, a complete physical and mental union.
Wen Di: “I was nice to you at night. It’s daytime now.”
Yan Heyu pulled her into his arms, laughing and looking at her. “So you’re saying you’re a different person after you get out of bed in the daytime?”
Wen Di looked up at him with a provocative look. “Yes.”
Yan Heyu lowered his head and kissed her. “Then let’s pick a night to make my status permanent, and during the day, I’ll be on standby.”
This time, it was Wen Di who laughed. She pushed him away. “Alright, hurry up and get ready. I have to rush home for New Year’s greetings.”
Yan Heyu let her go and said, “I’ll take that as you agreeing.”
To make it public one night. That worked too.
________________________________________
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Yan Heyu went to the film set to visit. Qin Xing also came today.
Qin Xing was bored at home. His two best friends were both in Jiangcheng, so he felt he should come and join the fun.
“Brother Yan, when are you guys going back?”
“We’re going back on the sixth.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
Besides playing cards during the New Year, Qin Xing also found time to watch TV shows. He didn’t live in a drunken daze like in previous years, drinking until he could barely recognize his own father.
“I’ve calculated it. In five or six more episodes at most, we’ll know how Tan Moxing deals with the trap set for him by Gu Heng.”
In the show, Tan Moxing had already started expanding his production capacity and building new production lines.
Yan Heyu thought it would take more than ten episodes for the final mystery to be revealed.
The various traps in TV shows happen almost every day in reality, just in different forms.
The essence was the same.
Chairman Liu wasn’t idle during the New Year either, as there was no holiday in North America.
Qin Xing put out his cigarette. It was really cold outside. “Brother Yan, let’s go inside to warm up.”
There was one last scene to shoot today. They had to wait for it to get dark for the lights to come on in Mr. Huang’s small kitchen, creating a lively atmosphere in the courtyard.
“Why didn’t Wen Di come today?”
“She probably went shopping with Shen Tang.”
Qin Xing nodded. In the small group chat, he @-ed Wen Di: [If you come to the set, bring some Jiangcheng snacks.]
Wen Di didn’t see it. Her phone was on the sofa.
She hadn’t gone out today, playing hide-and-seek with Shen Tang’s twins. She would hide, and the two kids would look for her, and they had a great time.
They played until it was dark and dinner was served.
Grandma Wen called them to eat. “Little Jiang cooked a few dishes today. Come and try them quickly.”
At this moment, Wen Di’s phone kept vibrating. It was a call from Qin Xing.
“Brother Yan was injured on set.”
“What happened?”
Wen Di’s heart suddenly leaped into her throat.
“It’s hard to explain in one sentence. He didn’t want me to tell you. If you have time, come and see him.”
“Is it serious?”
“It’s okay.”
“...”
“I can’t talk anymore. Zhou Mingqian is calling me.”
Wen Di had no appetite for dinner. If the injury wasn’t serious, Qin Xing wouldn’t have called her. But it probably wasn’t a major injury, either, or he would have been sent to the hospital long ago.
“You guys eat. I’m going to the set.”
Wen Qizhen served her some rice. “Eat first. It won’t take more than half an hour.”
“It’s a little urgent. I have to go take care of it.”
They thought she meant the script needed to be changed. “Then hurry. We’ll save your food for you.”
Shen Tang wanted to go with her, but Wen Di wouldn’t let her. “You stay home with the kids.”
She drove to the set alone.
She wondered if he had been hit by a piece of equipment.
She was anxious the whole way there.
While waiting at a red light, she considered calling Yin Ziyu to ask what was going on, but then decided against it. Yin Ziyu might be in the middle of a scene.
Even if she asked, she might not get any information. He had probably told them not to say anything.
She had never felt the old city area was so far away before.
After parking, Wen Di took large strides toward the old house.
She pushed open the courtyard gate. The courtyard was lively; they had just finished shooting the last scene.
“Look who’s here.” Qin Xing told Yan Heyu to turn around.
Yan Heyu was talking to Zhou Mingqian and quickly turned around. Wen Di was rushing toward him.
“Where are you hurt?” Her breathing was unsteady from the hurried walk.
“I’m fine.” Yan Heyu glared at Qin Xing. “Did you exaggerate?”
Qin Xing laughed, feeling a little guilty. “I really didn’t. It’s all about personal interpretation. I really didn’t say much.”
Yan Heyu held out his hand for Wen Di to see. He had a scrape on his finger that was bleeding slightly. “During that last scene, the cabinet by the door was in the way, so we had to move it. I was afraid they would accidentally knock off the support leg underneath, so I lent a hand and wasn’t careful and scraped it against the wall.”
Wen Di slapped his palm hard. The prop team was busy; why was he getting in the way?
He was the one who had put the support legs on the cabinet himself. It was also because of that night that his relationship with Wen Di had noticeably improved. The cabinet meant more to him than just a movie prop.
Yan Heyu joked, “I finally get injured, and it’s not even serious enough for a bandage.”
Wen Di: “...”
She found a bandage in her bag and took it out for him.
Yan Heyu: “Can you put it on for me?”
Wen Di thought for a moment, then put the bandage back in her bag. “Never mind. It would be a waste.”
Yan Heyu smiled. It really didn’t need a bandage.
Qin Xing tried to claim credit. “Brother Yan, don’t you have to thank me? I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight.”
Yan Heyu: “Fine. I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight.”
He then looked at Wen Di. “Can you introduce me?” He took a half-step closer to her and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, “It’s dark now.”
Wen Di: “...”
Zhou Mingqian also chimed in. “Screenwriter Wen, aren’t you going to introduce him?”
Qin Xing also joined in. “You have to introduce him.”
Everyone looked at each other, enjoying the spectacle.
Wen Di didn’t brush it off as she had at the charity gala. She looked at Yan Heyu and said, “This is my boyfriend, Yan Heyu.”
The “on standby in the daytime” part, she left for Yan Heyu to figure out through her expression.
Yan Heyu felt a lump in his throat. He gave her a light hug.
In this small courtyard, they had taken the step they had wanted to take but had been hesitant about.
Qin Xing said, “I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight.”
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