Chapter 463: Happy New Year! Did You Miss Me?

As evening approached, everyone returned home.

Li Luo brought Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng to the second-floor living room.

The dining table was already piled high with various delicacies, fruits, and paper money offerings for ancestors, including silver ingot-shaped bills.

Two long, thick candles stood upright on the table, already lit.

Before the table lay a thick, soft straw mat; Li Guohong, seeing Li Luo return, waved him over.

Li Luo understood, nodded, stepped forward and bowed three times, then knelt on the mat and bowed three more times, rose again, and bowed three final times—thus concluding the ritual.

Yan Zhusheng watched from the side; this was her first time experiencing such a traditional rural New Year custom in China, and she assumed everyone had to perform it this way.

So after Li Luo rose and stepped away, she walked toward the mat.

Fortunately, Ying Chanxi quickly grabbed her arm, pulled her outside, and whispered in her ear: "Only family members need to do this—we don't."

Of course, you should probably do it in the future.

Ying Chanxi watched as the Li family members took turns making offerings, imagining future scenes, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Yan Zhusheng beside her was lost in thought.

After all the Li family had paid their respects, Li Guoru pulled out a large black pot and went to the balcony.

Li Guohong followed behind, bringing the paper money from the table; the two brothers worked together to burn the offerings on the balcony.

Others gathered around, hands clasped together.

The smoke drifted out the window, but the air on the balcony remained thick and choking.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng frowned slightly, finding it hard to bear, but Lin Xiuhong told them they could go inside to escape it—they stayed put, standing quietly behind Li Luo.

When the paper money finished burning, the ancestral offering before the New Year's Eve banquet ended.

Lin Xiuhong and the others began bustling again, collecting the candles, small wine cups, and chopsticks surrounding the table.

The dishes on the table, long grown cold, were carried back to the kitchen one by one to be reheated.

Watching the busy scene inside, Yan Zhusheng was pulled by Li Luo to sit on the sofa and rest.

"Did you get choked?" Li Luo asked, pouring two glasses of water and handing them to Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi. "Drink some water."

Yan Zhusheng accepted it obediently, sipping slowly to moisten her throat.

Soon after, the two large tables on the second floor were gradually filled with dishes.

Lin Xiuhong called out to Li Luo and the others on the sofa to come to the table; Li Luo led Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi to sit at the children's table.

For dining here, Yan Zhusheng was not unfamiliar—last year, she had come as a guest with Xu Youyu and stayed for many days.

Though the lively atmosphere of twenty people eating together in one room still made her slightly uncomfortable, she found herself liking it.

At least, compared to past New Years when only she and her mother were home, Yan Zhusheng preferred this atmosphere.

Thinking this, she silently wished that next year, her mother would appear on the Spring Festival Gala.

The Li family ate their New Year's Eve dinner at 6:30 p. m.; the meal lasted half an hour, and everyone was already full.

But the men at the neighboring table drank and boasted, so they certainly wouldn't finish in half an hour.

By the time Li Luo and the others finished eating, left their seats, and went to the sofa to turn on the TV and play cards, Li Guohong was still hugging Ying Zhicheng's neck, drinking.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng were dragged off by Lin Xiuhong to play mahjong; Li Luo had intended to fill the missing fourth seat, but Lin Xiuhong sent him to the kitchen to cut fruit.

When he returned, Aunt Li Xuexian was already sitting cheerfully in the empty seat, playing mahjong with them.

So Li Luo had to bring the freshly cut fruit to both side tables, feeding a bite to his mother, then a bite to Ying Chanxi, then a bite to Yan Zhusheng.

Li Xuexian across from them watched this and gave a look of utter disbelief: "Why don't you feed me a bite too?"

"Auntie, ask QiQi to feed you," Li Luo teased with a grin, then turned and shouted toward Chen Yuxi, who was being dragged into a card game by Chen Lu: "Brother! Mom wants you to come feed her fruit!"

Chen Yuxi, quiet as ever, glanced over, saw his mother roll her eyes, understood the situation, and went back to his cards without a word.

Li Xuexian chuckled: "I can't count on that boy—he's already so old and still hasn't brought home a girlfriend. How impressive is Li Luo? He brings back two at once."

"Cough… cough…" Li Luo quickly waved his hands, denying it: "Auntie, don't say things like that—Chanxi was already next door, and Zhusheng was invited by her—this has nothing to do with me."

"Oh, if it has nothing to do with you, then fine," Li Xuexian snorted; they were all sharp-eyed—how could they not see how Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng felt about Li Luo?

Just now, when she said Li Luo brought back two girlfriends, Ying Chanxi blushed slightly, Yan Zhusheng blinked, and neither denied it.

It was clear Li Luo had some real talent—why couldn't her own son develop even a fraction of that ability?

Outside of work, all his energy went into video games—he had zero social life, let alone a girlfriend; it made her want to scream.

Looking at Li Luo, then at Chen Yuxi, Li Xuexian didn't know what to say.

It was like one side was parched to death, the other drowned.

Look at Li Luo—he hasn't even finished high school, yet he's surrounded by beautiful girls; Lin Xiuhong looked like she was about to be dazzled.

When would she ever get such treatment?

Everyone says kids shouldn't date early, but if a kid is like Li Luo—excellent grades, earns money, and has girls around him who are all outstanding, without his studies suffering—

Then parents don't care if he dates or not.

If dating improved grades, parents would be the first to push their kids to start dating.

"It's eight o'clock—the Spring Festival Gala's started!" Chen Lu, playing cards on the sofa, glanced at the TV and the time, then shouted toward the mahjong table: "Zhusheng! Isn't your mom going on soon?"

"She should appear at nine," Yan Zhusheng recalled. "And there's another performance at eleven."

"Huh? Two performances?" Chen Lu asked in surprise.

Though none of them were in the entertainment industry and couldn't fully grasp the prestige of appearing twice on the Gala, just hearing it sounded impressive.

In past years, aside from a few skits, Li Luo and the others barely watched the Gala—they just let the TV play while they played mahjong or cards.

Li Guohong and the other men continued eating snacks and sipping wine at the dining table.

The Gala was more like background music for New Year's Eve, offering just a hint of holiday atmosphere.

But when the time neared nine p. m., the first skit of the night took the stage.

It told a simple family story: a daughter, fresh out of university and starting work, was set up on blind dates by her mother, leading to a series of absurd and amusing events.

Of course, they didn't forget to wrap a final batch of dumplings, all together in a circle.

But after this skit ended, the host announced the next act: "Mother and Daughter," performed by Yuan Wanqing and another actress under twenty.

When the skit began, Li Luo's family had already fixed their eyes on the television.

Once the skit ended, everyone had planned to return to their activities—some to mahjong, some to poker, some to drinking.

But then they heard Yuan Wanqing's name again, and all turned their heads back.

"Oh my, how fitting!" Lin Xiuhong clapped and laughed. "It pairs perfectly with the previous skit."

"This year's Spring Festival Gala director really knows how to sequence the acts," Li Luo remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Soon, Yuan Wanqing's voice began to sing.

Honestly.

Simply put, "Mother and Daughter" easily moved those with strong empathy, especially those sensitive to themes of motherhood and daughterhood—just hearing the song could bring tears.

The more sensitive ones, like Cui Suling before, could weep while listening.

This year's Gala director had deliberately placed a skit about mothers and daughters right before this song, its content perfectly echoing the lyrics.

As a result, Li Xuefeng and Li Xuemei, both mothers, found their eyes welling up the moment they heard the song after watching the skit.

After all, both were from single-parent households, having raised their daughters almost alone—their hardships, only they knew.

"This song was written by Li Luo, right?" Li Xuefeng asked softly.

"Yes," Chen Lu hugged her mother's arm; though she didn't cry, she was moved. "Li Luo wrote it."

"He wrote it beautifully."

If "Mother and Daughter" only struck hard at Li Xuefeng and the others,

then when "As You Wish" appeared—even without any preceding skit or setup—it was enough to move anyone.

Especially since this year's Gala director paired it with a silent dance troupe: performers in military uniforms braving gunfire, or in student uniforms, earnestly studying with books in hand.

Their movements echoed the song's lyrics.

When the song ended, the audience felt as if they had walked the nation's decades-long journey alongside the music and the dance.

Li Luo's grandparents and Ying's grandfather watched intently; they were already in their sixties and seventies.

When they were born, this country had just been born.

"As You Wish" sang of the motherland—and also of their own lives.

If before, Yuan Wanqing's appearance on the singing stage had made "As You Wish" and "Mother and Daughter" merely popular within entertainment circles,

then with this Spring Festival Gala performance, both songs and Yuan Wanqing herself had fully entered the broader public consciousness.

In simple terms:

Previously, she had only celebrity status within the entertainment industry.

Now, she had truly gained national recognition.

Li Luo watched Yuan Wanqing bow and slowly exit the stage, his eyes filled with reflection.

In his past life, Li Luo had barely heard Yuan Wanqing's name.

Even Li Guohong, who claimed to be her fan, had only listened to her music for a short time when she first emerged in the early 2000s.

Without the changes he brought, Li Luo could guess: in his past life, Yuan Wanqing likely failed to make a successful comeback.

She might even have dragged down Ying Zhicheng, who led Huayue Film and Television's corporate transformation.

Of course, even if they truly fell into obscurity, neither would ever lack money.

Ying Zhicheng owned several properties in Yuhang City alone.

With Ying Zhicheng's abilities, even if removed from general manager, he could still hold a senior position in the company.

But it certainly wouldn't be as glorious as now.

Yuan Wanqing's appearance on the Spring Festival Gala would make her a perpetual money tree, endlessly supplying resources.

Rumor had it she planned to hold a concert—no one knew when yet.

As Li Luo thought this, the Gala continued.

But everyone's attention was no longer on it.

They played mahjong until nearly midnight; Chen Lu, the second youngest among the younger generation after Chen Yongqi, immediately stood up and urged everyone to prepare before heading downstairs to set off fireworks.

Li Luo, carrying Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng, picked up the fireworks they had bought earlier and descended the stairs to the first-floor courtyard.

The second-floor windows were open; the sound of the Gala still drifted out.

Li Luo pulled out his phone, opened the camera, aimed it at the two girls holding glowing fairy wands, and took their pictures.

As minutes passed, the moment of New Year's Eve transition drew nearer.

Li Luo took a lighter from Li Guohong, listened to the countdown from the second-floor Gala, and lit the courtyard fireworks.

The next second.

Time reached midnight.

Fireworks shot into the sky, exploding with a boom—transforming into dazzling blossoms in the air.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng pressed into Li Luo's arms, leaning against him as they gazed up at the brilliant fireworks overhead.

One ear was muffled by his chest, the other covered by his hand.

Li Xiang, standing on the stairs gripping the railing to watch the fireworks, felt his neck ache; he looked down and saw this scene, leaving him in long, silent thought.

Beside him, Chen Lu clearly noticed too, and whispered to Li Xiang: "Will I really end up with two sisters-in-law?"

Li Xiang glanced at Chen Lu, then at his younger uncle and aunts, and sighed softly: "What if it's three?"

"Three?!" Chen Lu was startled, then suddenly remembered: "Oh right, last year another sister came by—what was her name again…"

"Xu Youyu."

"Yes, yes, that's it!" Chen Lu said, then frowned slightly. "Wait—so it really might be three? I was just joking. Why are you taking it more seriously than I am?"

"You definitely haven't read his novels."

"I just looked at the beginning."

"Then take another look—the answers are all in the book," Li Xiang said with great mystery.

The two people on the stairs whispered to each other.

In the courtyard, Li Luo received a call while watching fireworks.

After answering, Xu Youyu's voice came through.

"Li Luo! Happy New Year! Did you miss me?"