Chapter 151: Walking Down This Path Together (Main Story Concluded)

On New Year's Eve, everyone in the Gu Family was so busy they didn't have a moment to rest.

Yang Bing was in the kitchen directing the housekeepers in preparing the meal, while Gu Fanglin was at the entrance directing Zhong Bo to put up the spring couplets. Gu Lin was tasked with hanging lanterns; the ladder was wobbly, and he was squawking and yelling while up on it.

Gu Chen and Su Jin had also returned. Su Jin's belly was already quite prominent, and she sat on the sofa, held down by Gu Yan who wouldn't let her move. Gu Chen was by her side, serving tea and water, attending to her perfectly.

As for Shen Yanhui, he naturally wasn't idle either.

He stood at the base of the ladder, watching Gu Lin sway back and forth on it.

"Brother-in-law!" Gu Lin shouted from above, "Help me steady the ladder!"

Shen Yanhui didn't move.

"Brother-in-law!"

The ladder swayed again, and Gu Lin's voice cracked.

Shen Yanhui frowned, finally stepping over and pressing one hand against the ladder.

Gu Lin let out a sigh of relief and continued climbing up.

"Hurry up," Shen Yanhui said in a flat tone.

"Almost there, almost there... hey, why is this hook stuck..."

Gu Lin fussed around up there for a long time before finally getting the lantern hung. He climbed down from the ladder, clapped his hands, and looked smug.

"How is it? Did I hang it straight?"

Shen Yanhui took one look: "It's crooked."

Gu Lin: "..."

Just then, Gu Yan ran out from the house, holding two 'Fu' characters in her hands: "Shen Yanhui! Come over and stick these up!"

Gu Lin watched with his own eyes as his good brother-in-law changed his expression in a second, walking over with doting eyes to take the 'Fu' characters from his sister's hands.

Even his tone warmed up a few degrees, like melting ice: "Slow down, where should I stick them?"

Fine, he was just purely targeting him.

Gu Yan pulled Shen Yanhui's hand and ran toward the gate: "Stick them on the main gate, the one my dad put up is too crooked, you redo it!"

Gu Fanglin happened to be coming out of the door and his face darkened when he heard this.

"You call that crooked?"

Gu Yan immediately shrank behind Shen Yanhui, poking out half her head: "It wasn't me who said it, it was Gu Lin."

Gu Lin: "?"

How did this blame suddenly get shifted onto him?

"No... Dad, I didn't say that..." He hurriedly explained, but Gu Fanglin's palm had already swung over, and the culprit had already run off with her accomplice.

He was so wronged, more wronged than Dou E.

——

The New Year's Eve dinner was set across three tables, with the Gu Family members sitting at the main table.

Another table was for the Gu Family's servants; Zhong Bo sat with several housekeepers, chatting and laughing together. For once, Zhong Bo wasn't wearing his uniform, having changed into new clothes, and he looked several years younger.

Yang Bing specifically went over to toast them, saying they had worked hard this year; the housekeepers were flattered and waved their hands repeatedly.

There was one more table for the bodyguards and the driver that Shen Yanhui had brought back. Yang Bing insisted on treating everyone equally and couldn't let them stand outside.

With laughter and joy, the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Even Gu Fanglin picked up a piece of food and placed it in Shen Yanhui's bowl: "Try this, it's the housekeeper's specialty."

Shen Yanhui nodded slightly: "Thank you, Dad."

Gu Fanglin didn't speak, then picked up a piece for Gu Yan.

The young girl's eyes curved: "Thank you, Daddy~ Love you~"

Gu Fanglin huffed, but the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily: "You're the only one who knows how to act spoiled."

Gu Lin couldn't sit still and chimed in from the side: "What about me? What about me? Dad, I want some too."

"Do you not have hands of your own?" Gu Fanglin glanced at him sideways, but despite saying that, he still picked up a piece and put it in his bowl.

Gu Lin was finally happy.

Su Jin laughed out loud from the side, and Gu Chen ladled a bowl of soup for her: "Drink slowly."

She took it and smiled with pursed lips.

Yang Bing looked at the table full of people, her eyes filled with smiles: "This year, the New Year is truly lively."

Gu Fanglin didn't speak, his gaze resting on his children before turning to the son-in-law he had never been able to get used to.

His youngest daughter was placing a piece of spare rib into Shen Yanhui's bowl, saying something as she did so. Shen Yanhui lowered his head to listen, occasionally responding, gentle and patient.

He withdrew his gaze and took another sip of wine.

"Quite good."

After the meal, a "bang" sounded outside, and fireworks exploded in the sky, lighting up most of the night.

Gu Lin was the most excited, calling out in the courtyard: "Yanyan, come out and look!"

Gu Yan pulled Shen Yanhui out, and just as they stood still, another firework shot into the night sky.

"Bang——"

Golden sparks exploded in the night curtain, like a handful of crushed gold scattered about.

"Beautiful!" Gu Yan looked up, her eyes sparkling.

Shen Yanhui stood by her side, not looking at the fireworks, but only at her.

Immediately after, the next one rose. This time it exploded in red, like a mass of burning fire, with distinct petal shapes.

Gu Yan was just about to say something when she suddenly noticed that the firework seemed a bit different...

After the red faded away, a character was left in the night sky.

Yan.

She froze.

That character lingered for a few seconds before slowly dissipating, revealing "Love you" in the lingering warmth.

Gu Yan turned her head abruptly to look at Shen Yanhui. He stood by her side, noble and refined, yet his gaze was gentle.

"You..."

He lowered his head slightly, closing the distance between them: "Do you like it?"

She opened her mouth, unable to speak.

She liked it, she liked it to death.

Over there, Gu Lin had already exploded: "Damn! Brother-in-law, you're cheating! How can you even light up characters like this?"

Shen Yanhui ignored him, only looking at his little girl.

Gu Yan stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips lightly: "I like it, I love you too."

Gu Lin was so nauseated by the two of them that he turned his face away, just in time to see Gu Chen walking out of the house with a scarf.

He put it on Su Jin with great familiarity and pulled her into his arms.

Gu Lin: "..."

He felt deeply wounded, so he simply ran over to stand beside Gu Fanglin and Yang Bing. It was true he had no girlfriend or wife, but he had his dear mom and dad.

The fireworks were still continuing, and he shamefully discovered a fact.

Shen Yanhui had lit up characters for Gu Yan, Gu Chen had lit up characters for Su Jin, and even Gu Fanglin had lit up characters for Yang Bing.

Only he didn't have any.

"No, what is the meaning of this? Are you isolating me?" He pointed at the sky and shouted, unwilling to accept it.

"Yanyan! Is this how you treat your brother?"

Gu Yan blinked, and before she could speak, another firework rose into the sky.

It was golden, and after it burst, it formed a sentence:

"Stupid brother, Happy New Year."

Gu Lin's body stiffened, and he lost his voice. He looked up, watching these characters linger in the sky for a long time before slowly dissipating.

He turned his head and looked at Gu Yan.

The little girl was leaning against Shen Yanhui, smiling at him mischievously: "Satisfied?"

Gu Lin turned his face away proudly and muttered in a low voice: "... It's alright, I guess."

But the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed no matter how hard he tried.

The fireworks show lasted for a long time, and Gu Yan also snuggled in Shen Yanhui's arms and watched for a long time.

When the clock struck midnight, she suddenly raised her head and tugged at the tie of the man beside her.

Shen Yanhui lowered his head in cooperation: "What's wrong?"

The little girl's eyes were as bright as stars, even more dazzling than the fireworks in the night sky, and she said:

"Shen Yanhui, we must keep going like this, for many, many years."

"Okay."

Fireworks in the human world, ending here for the year.

——Main text finished——