"Come on, son." Shen Donghai raised his glass and nudged Shen Moyu on the shoulder.
Xia Wei also raised her wine glass, and for once, she smiled in front of Shen Donghai.
Shen Moyu sighed and had no choice but to raise his glass. The meal seemed like a harmonious family gathering, but in reality, it was already fragmented and pieced together.
Before even taking a sip, Shen Donghai's spirits were already high: "I wish my son and Xingqi all academic success in the new year, and that I can hand over the company to Moyu with peace of mind."
Upon hearing his last sentence, Shen Moyu's mood plummeted to its lowest point. He lowered his eyes and downed the glass of red wine in one gulp.
"I also hope everyone stays safe and sound." Shen Donghai looked at Xia Wei, then quickly looked away.
The New Year was certainly lively, but there was a sense of constraint about it. Shen Moyu felt uncomfortable, and it wasn't just him; after Shen Donghai finished toasting, the atmosphere in the room fell into a deathly silence. The Spring Festival Gala was playing comedy sketches that were supposed to make people laugh, but no one laughed; everyone just kept their heads down and ate their rice.
He finally understood why Xia Wei had turned on the Spring Festival Gala.
Just then, the phone on the table suddenly rang. He opened it and glanced at it; it was Su Jinning.
Ning: This skit is hilarious! Hahahaha
Shen Moyu glanced at the TV subconsciously and replied: "Yeah, this year's Spring Festival Gala is pretty good."
It's not good-looking at all; he didn't even look at it.
Ning: Are you eating? My dad made a huge feast, look.
He posted two photos: one of the table laden with a dazzling array of dishes, and the other of Su Yi wearing an apron and sitting at the table making a peace sign.
Ning: My dad stole the spotlight.
Ning: But this old man is quite cute.
Shen Moyu suddenly laughed, feeling much more relaxed.
He never expected that he could actually laugh during this depressing New Year's Eve dinner.
Shen Donghai turned to look at him, seemingly surprised: "Why are you smiling so happily?"
Shen Moyu reflexively turned off her phone, her expression returning to calm: "It's nothing."
"Here, eat more." She said, putting more food into his bowl.
"No need, I'm almost full." Shen Moyu put the bowl back a little, then buried her head and wolfed down the half bowl of rice. "I'm finished, you guys eat slowly."
"Mo Yu, you're not eating enough, have some more," Xia Wei tried to persuade him to stay.
Su Jinning kept sending messages, but Shen Moyu put his phone in his pocket and said, "No need, I really can't eat."
Ning: My dad said he wants you to come to my house for dinner tomorrow, and he'll make you scallion fish.
Ning: But he definitely didn't do as well as I did.
Shen Moyu chuckled. Su Jinning's humor really came from his father, and the way the father and son got along was really comfortable. He had envied them more than once.
"You don't even spend time talking to everyone during the New Year, you're just chatting on your phone all the time, is it Su Jinning again?" Shen Donghai's cold voice came from behind, full of reproach.
Shen Moyu turned around, trying to reason with him, "I've already left the table. Is it really that bad to be playing on your phone?"
"Smash." Shen Donghai slammed down his chopsticks. "I told you to break up with him a long time ago. You think I can't control you because you've been running around all these days and I haven't gotten angry?"
"Dad, stop talking," Zhou Xingqi said in a low voice.
"Don't argue during the New Year, Mo Yu, go upstairs." Xia Wei lost her appetite and held her forehead with both hands.
"If you hate me, I won't come back next time I go out." Shen Moyu put away his phone and was about to go upstairs.
He really wasn't in the mood to argue anymore. It's Chinese New Year today, so he should try to keep things quiet as much as possible.
Shen Donghai picked up his chopsticks again and put a piece of fish in his mouth: "Starting tomorrow, you are not allowed to go out without my permission."
Shen Moyu froze, turning around to stare intently at Shen Donghai's retreating figure. "What did you say?"
Xia Wei stood up, unable to bear it any longer. "Shen Donghai, don't go too far!"
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Author's Note:
I'll be updating daily starting tomorrow, but I recommend waiting until the story is finished before reading it all at once for the best experience.
Chapter 91 New Year's Eve (2)
"Auntie, please don't be angry!" Zhou Xingqi stood up to comfort Xia Wei, but then Shen Donghai stood up and slammed his hand on the table: "If I don't care about him, am I supposed to just let him fool around with other men? He's the one who's not breaking up, so I'll force him to break up."
Xia Wei gritted her teeth and said, "You have no right to interfere with who he likes. This is not your business!"
For a moment, Shen Moyu couldn't breathe. He stood in the darkest spot at the top of the stairs, staring at the halo of light in the living room until his vision blurred: "Stop making noise."
He was surprisingly calm, as if he had long expected this day to come, because he never thought his father would stop so soon.
"You're not letting me go out starting tomorrow, right?" He suddenly felt a little wronged, but he didn't know why. Maybe he was too angry, or maybe he felt that he hadn't done anything wrong, but he still had to face all of this suddenly.
"Then I'll go out today and come back after you leave."
Amidst the shocked gazes of the three, he strode to the coffee table, picked up his charger, stuffed it into his pocket, and prepared to leave.
"Stop right there!" Shen Donghai grabbed his shoulder, as if he wanted to break his collarbone.
"Let me go!" Shen Moyu struggled.
Zhou Xingqi was unsure who to help, while Xia Wei, leaning on her crutches, walked to Shen Moyu's side and tried to pull Shen Donghai away, but he pushed her away in a fit of anger and she fell heavily to the ground.
"Mom!" Shen Moyu stared wide-eyed at Xia Wei, hurriedly bending down to help her up. "Mom, are you alright?"