Chapter 554

After the meal, Mo Yuan praised the fifteen classmates in the class who had taken part in the formation, and was not in a hurry to break up.

He walked straight to this table, sat down beside Xiao Yu, and casually asked several people about their recent course progress.

Xiao Yu answered each in turn, Mo Yuan nodded slightly, then turned to the side: "Ah Yu, any recent arrangements from Professor Lin? The college wants to invite him to give a lecture."

Mu Youyu spoke frankly: "He's recently preparing a creative project, time is tight, maybe we have to wait until after New Year's Day."

Mo Yuan's eyes flickered slightly: "Sure, I'll contact him directly later. Have you all eaten enough? Want to order more dishes?"

Mu Youyu shook her head: "No thanks, Professor Mo, we're already full."

Jiang Liangjin chimed in: "I'm full too."

Mo Yuan smiled, didn't linger, turned and went to greet the students at the other tables.

People in the private room gradually left in groups; someone came over to exchange a few polite words with Mu Youyu and Jiang Liangjin, then tactfully withdrew.

In short, after the meal, the two heard mostly these compliments.

Mu Youyu stood up and, as an afterthought, picked up the coat she had taken off while eating.

Jiang Liangjin followed behind her, holding her pink bag, and also took her coat in hand.

She glanced at it, but didn't reach out to take it, and the two just followed the crowd out.

Just as they reached the doorway, Qiao Xin hurried over, phone raised: "Goddess, goddess, can I take a photo with you? Please..."

"Sure." Mu Youyu stopped and leaned slightly toward her.

Qiao Xin held up her phone and took several shots in a row; lowering her head to look, her mouth almost split to her ears: "I can change my wallpaper now! My goddess looks like this—any random shot is a masterpiece."

Xiao Yu also came over, fully agreeing: "Exactly, exactly."

Upon hearing that, Mu Youyu recalled what she had said before: "The lock screen on our class computer is you." She had wondered who it was back then, never expecting it to be Qiao Xin herself.

Jiang Liangjin likewise remembered that time in class, when he had secretly observed many classmates' computer lock-screen wallpapers.

Mu Youyu waved at the two and said, "We're leaving first."

Qiao Xin just kept her head down, editing the photos, and replied twice without looking up.

Xiao Yu nodded: "Be careful on the road."

Upon reaching the parking lot, Mu Youyu stopped in her tracks, gazing at the figure standing beside the blue sports car.

That person wore a dark gray overcoat, with a flat cap pressed onto their head, and the side of their face was illuminated by a faint light, making the contours distinct.

Mu Youyu pulled Jiang Liangjin to quicken their steps toward him: "Second Brother? What are you doing here?"

"How so fast?" Mu Xi lifted her gaze: "I came to pick you up."

He walked past his sister, his gaze falling on Jiang Liangjin, who was holding his sister's bag and clothes behind her, and extended his hand expressionlessly: "Give me the bag."

Jiang Liangjin didn't stand on ceremony, handing it over directly: "Thanks, Second Brother."

Mu Xi took the bag, turned and walked toward the car, with Mu Youyu walking beside her: "Second Brother, when did you arrive? Why didn't you come inside to sit?"

Mu Xi opened the car door: "I just arrived; there are too many people inside, I can't be bothered to go in. Sweetheart, get in the car first."

Jiang Liangjin raised an eyebrow, first opened the car door and waited for Mu Youyu to sit, then got in himself, carefully fastening her seatbelt and draping her coat over her legs.

Mu Xi glanced in the rearview mirror, started the car: "Heading back to school?"

"Mm!" Mu Youyu replied, then turned her head to watch the street scenery fly backward outside the window, pulling out her phone to browse.

Jiang Liangjin leaned in: "What are you looking at?"

Mu Youyu shifted closer to him and handed over the phone.

It was the Mu and Song family group chat; most of the posts were health‑preserving articles from Grandma Song, news forwards from Grandpa Mu, and occasionally a few discussions from the uncles about New Year arrangements.

She scrolled up, saw nothing new, then opened the Jiang and Shen family group chats.

Inside, Jiang Su had sent a red packet, but no one claimed it.

Shen Ningmu posted several photos of the flowers she had taken that day; below, English: Jiang Ye Ye immediately replied: "Beautiful 【strong】."

Immediately afterward, English: Jiang Ye Ye forwarded a health‑preserving article titled: "Shocking! Doing This Before Bed Equals Slow Suicide."

……

Mu Youyu silently took Jiang Liangjin's phone, claimed the red packet, switched back to her own account to claim it as well, and politely said thank you.

By December, C City no longer fluctuated between cold and hot; it plunged straight down, overnight shifting from deep autumn to early winter.

Most of the trees by the road were bare, their branches looking especially desolate against the gray‑white sky, and the air carried a hint of moisture.

Mu Youyu swapped the thin coat in her wardrobe for a heavy overcoat, wrapped her scarf up to her chin, and tried to stay indoors as much as possible these days.

Jiang Liangjin knew that if he ever appeared to be wearing less than she did, she would feel cold for him.

And to keep his girlfriend from feeling cold, he naturally dressed just as warmly as she did.

Song Lujing was far more cold‑resistant than anyone else, still wandering outside in just a thin sweater; Song LuXiao nagged him repeatedly before he reluctantly added an outer layer.

Nuo Mi's new outfits were also bought in several sets, rotating through red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.

Except that every time it put on a new outfit, it had to roll around on the sofa twice.

Then it strode elegantly to the mirror, tilted its head to examine itself, and occasionally stretched out a paw to strike a cute pose.

Once, Song Huaixian saw it like that, clicked his tongue twice, and, putting on a voice, sang: "Magic mirror, magic mirror, tell me quick, who is the cutest little cat in the world~"

Nuo Mi, who understood human speech, gave him a sideways glance, let out an elegant meow a few times, then walked away to another mirror to continue admiring itself.

Mu Xi saw this and still mocked him for being rejected by the cat.

Song Huaixian paid no heed to those remarks, harshly scooping up Nuo Mi and showering it with food.

Jiang Liangjin drawled: "Nuo Mi has gotten fat—you share the blame."

Song Huaixian raised an eyebrow: "It's not winter anymore; being a bit plump is better so it can warm your sister's hands."

This month there wasn't anything particularly special.

Not until December 31st, New Year's Eve, did the four families truly begin to bustle with activity.

In C City's commercial district, the entrances of major malls had been decked out with New Year decorations since morning, and the LED screens were rolling previews of the New Year's Eve events.

Traffic on the road was much heavier than usual, with streams of headlights flowing toward the city center everywhere, a sea of red.

But the hustle and bustle outside had nothing to do with Mu Youyu, since the four major conglomerates, as usual, gathered together, the venue rotating each year, and this year it was held at the old residence of the Song Family.

Several families started heading over from the afternoon, and the living room quickly filled with people.

Apart from Mu Yichen, Mu Yichi, and Song Huaiyu, all important members of the four major families had arrived.

Even Mu Youyu's parents, who had been out playing, came back.

Mu Youyu changed into new clothes and walked downstairs, dazzled by the bustle before her; she held the stair railing and slowly scanned the crowd.

Jiang Liangjin was one step behind her; seeing this, she quickly stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.