She stretched out her fingers, and the icy snowflakes landed on her fingertips. It was this coolness that made her truly feel alive.
Just then, Chu Meibo suddenly heard Ye Cang's voice coming from Shen Huai's courtyard: "Sister Mei, what are you standing there for? Come in quickly!"
Chu Meibo snapped out of her daze, a smile appearing on her face, the dejection vanishing instantly: "You're here!"
As she stepped into the villa, she immediately felt warmth, which completely dispelled the chill she had felt earlier, and the loneliness she had felt during the New Year also vanished without a trace.
The television was playing a lively program. Ye Cang was setting out the bowls, chopsticks, and cups, while Shen Huai brought the already heated dishes to the table. The two occasionally bickered, which made the atmosphere even more intimate and relaxed.
Chu Meibo changed into slippers and went to help.
When it was time to start the meal, Shen Huai raised his glass: "The first glass is to you two, as a celebration of your first New Year since you returned to the world, and I wish you both all the best next year."
Ye Cang and Chu Meibo had very mixed feelings. This year was really significant for them.
The three men's wine glasses clinked together, and Ye Cang picked up the wine pot and filled all three glasses again.
"This second cup of wine is a toast to Ye Cang and Chu Chu from the past."
Ye Cang didn't say much, and the three of them solemnly poured the wine on the ground.
"The third toast is for you," Chu Meibo said. "Thank you, Shen Huai."
After drinking, Ye Cang's mood improved considerably. He quickly invited the two to eat and shared a few embarrassing stories from previous New Year celebrations to liven up the atmosphere.
Chu Meibo relaxed considerably and said with great interest, "I remember when I was little, my family was very strict. The only time I could relax was during the New Year. Every year, my mother would make me sugar dumplings. My siblings and I would sneak some when the adults weren't looking. But one year, I stole some of the syrup my mother had just made and burned my tongue. I couldn't speak for the entire New Year, and I was laughed at for a whole year..."
Ye Cang and Shen Huai never expected that someone as strong and composed as Sister Mei would have such an embarrassing childhood experience.
Just then, Shen Huai's expression suddenly changed, and he spat out a coin.
Seeing this, Chu Meibo laughed and said, "It seems that our agent will be the luckiest next year! Maybe we'll sign a few more strong 'newcomers'."
Ye Cang: "..." Hearing what Chu Meibo said, he suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
Shen Huai held the coin, somewhat helplessly: "Thank you for your kind words."
The three of them watched the Spring Festival Gala while laughing and joking as they ate their New Year's Eve dinner.
Considering that they would be staying up all night to welcome the New Year, Shen Huai prepared a lot of melon seeds and snacks, as well as a deck of cards.
The three of them sat down together and started playing Dou Dizhu (a card game). At first, everyone was very enthusiastic. As long as there were no exam papers, Sister Mei was the impeccable Sister Mei.
However, after 11 o'clock, Chu Meibo couldn't resist the drowsiness. In addition, she had drunk some alcohol earlier, so she simply leaned on the sofa with her cards and fell asleep.
Shen Huai had no choice but to take a quilt from the room and cover her with it.
When he finished his work and looked again, Ye Cang had already disappeared.
Shen Huai glanced in the direction of the yard, then took two bottles of beer from the refrigerator and went outside.
Ye Cang was indeed sitting in the courtyard. The snow had stopped by then, and a thin layer of snow covered the ground. The air was filled with a chilly smell, which made Ye Cang's figure look somewhat lonely.
Shen Huai had noticed Ye Cang's strange behavior some time ago, so he went over and handed Ye Cang a bottle of beer.
Ye Cang looked at him in surprise.
Shen Huai was already sitting next to him, continuing to offer him the wine, but he didn't look at him: "It's New Year's Day today, so you're allowed to indulge yourself for one night."
Seeing him pursing his lips, Ye Cang realized he was clearly concerned about him but was still making small talk, which was incredibly endearing. He took the beer, opened it, took a big gulp, and then said, "Refreshing!"
Shen Huai also opened a beer and took a small sip.
Ye Cang said, “When I was alive, I loved lively gatherings and had many friends. Every year during the Spring Festival, I would invite many friends to my home. The year I died, many friends came to see me. Although they couldn’t see me, I was still quite happy. But as the years went by, fewer and fewer people came. They all had new families and new friends, so they gradually stopped coming.”
Ye Cang chuckled, took another big gulp of wine, and said in a low voice.
"Ah Huai, if I hadn't met you, I might have disappeared from this world."
Shen Huai frowned, unsure how to comfort him, and simply nudged him with a beer bottle.
Suddenly, a bell rang in the night sky, followed by a burst of colorful fireworks.
The two were drawn by the sound and looked over.
Shen Huai then realized, "It's already midnight."
He was about to say something to Ye Cang when he saw Ye Cang turn his face, his eyes seemingly shining: "Ah Huai, I think it's so good to be alive because it's so good to have met you while I'm alive."
He leaned in and kissed Shen Huai's lips tenderly.
"Happy New Year, Ah Huai!"
Chapter 81
During the Chinese New Year holidays, the three of them kept receiving calls and greetings, and even more WeChat messages.
In the third year of junior high school, Cheng Mengjiao and her group of girls even came to Chu Meibo's house to wish him a Happy New Year.
Chu Meibo had a very pleasant few days during the Spring Festival. Although she couldn't indulge in food and drink to maintain her figure, Shen Huai didn't assign her too much homework, which barely calmed Chu Meibo's irritable mood.
School will reopen on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. After all, they are senior high school students, so their holiday time will definitely be much shorter.
In order to prepare for the college entrance examination, and also for the audition for "Red Actress", plus the recording of "Traveling with History" for Chu Meibo, Shen Huai did not take on any other work for her. Apart from the recording tasks, Chu Meibo had to stay at school and study.
In contrast, Ye Cang was extremely busy.
As a newly popular star, Ye Cang was given a rare ten-day vacation, but what followed was an overwhelming amount of work after the New Year.