Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Chinese New Year came the following day, but Shangguan Ning didn’t go home. She actually had no home to go back to.
Jing Yichen didn’t go back to Family Jing either. He spent the entire day with Shangguan Ning. They put up a couplet for good luck, hung up the “happiness” tag and pasted the red paper-cut patterns on the windows. Shangguan Ning had bought all this from the mall.
What had been the chances of both of them returning to China, this year? More so, because during the past few years, they spent Chinese New Year alone, away from home. This year was special because they were no longer alone at this time of the year. They had each other and a home, together.
Shangguan Ning didn’t know much about Family Jing, but the way his grandma spoke to him about marriage, had left a deep impression on her. She felt that the old lady cared a lot about her grandson.
She asked hesitantly, “Is it okay… if you don’t go home?”
Jing Yichen raised his eyes and said calmly, “This is my home.”
Seeing Shangguan Ning worried, he held her hands in his and reassured her. “Don’t worry. No one needs me except you. I haven’t celebrated Chinese New Year for a long time. Now I am celebrating it with you, please don’t push me away.”
Shangguan Ning suddenly felt an ache in her heart.
She wondered to herself, how come no one needed him except for her…
He was such a lovely person. He should be the pride of the family.
The Chinese normally celebrated the Chinese New Year together. It was the biggest and the most traditional festival in China. This was the time everyone spent with their families unless they were orphans or pitiful people like her, whose families were non-existent despite being present.
He was a man with a family, but he didn’t celebrate Chinese New Year either…
Shangguan Ning grinned. She took his hands of her own accord for the first time and said, “I am not pushing you away. What am I going to do if you leave? I haven’t celebrated Chinese New Year with anyone for many years either. Now that we are legally married, we must celebrate the New Year together.”
Jing Yichen smiled finally. The smile spread from his heart to his face and eyes, making him extremely satisfied.
Finally, he too had his own family.
He hugged Shangguan Ning and then pulled her to the kitchen, to make dumplings.
The chef and the servants were all off for the holiday, at Jing Yichen’s order. Even Tiger was on leave along with Lee Duo. They both went to spend time with friends.
The couple were the only two left at home.
The sound of firecrackers arose every now and then from outside. Some children were running about happily on the small square patch in the compound. The kids lit up firecrackers while their parents chided them, asking them to stay careful. The yearly Chinese New Year gala was on TV again, as usual, and the air of New Year was spreading across the room, filling up the entire apartment.
Shangguan Ning had a fleeting I-could-cry moment seeing Jing Yichen put the shrimp-filled dumplings into her bowl carefully, as she was eating them.
It was so nice to have him to celebrate the Chinese New Year with.
Jing Yichen’s feelings mirrored her own. He truly felt that the most impulsive thing he had ever done in this life, namely forcing Shangguan Ning into a marriage with him, was the best decision he had ever made.
He savoured the shapeless dumplings that Shangguan Ning had made and felt that they were the tastiest food ever.
After dinner, Shangguan Ning suddenly felt like joining the lively kids downstairs, and cajoled Jing Yichen to come with her.
The sound of firecrackers splattered everywhere. A kid pranked Shangguan Ning by throwing a small firecracker at her feet. It exploded, making Shangguan Ning scream in fright. Jing Yichen immediately took her into his arms and asked anxiously, “Ning, are you hurt?”
Shangguan Ning screamed only because she was caught off guard. She wasn’t scared of firecrackers. Besides, the firecrackers these children played with, were too tiny to hurt anyone.
Enjoying the warmth of Jing Yichen’s arms, she replied “I am okay. Don’t worry.”
Jing Yichen’s heart felt better hearing that she was fine. He turned towards the mischievous kid with a serious face.
That kid was also aware that he had made a mistake by frightening someone. He dashed off instantly seeing the serious-faced Jing Yichen, who was tall and strong.
But he was in such a hurry that he tripped.
Shangguan Ning got hold of Jing Yichen and spoke, feeling both amused and annoyed. “Don’t scare the kid. He is so little and I am fine. Don’t blame him for that.” She said, as she stretched out her arms to help the kid up. She brushed off the firecracker dust stuck to his body and asked smilingly, “What is your name?”
The kid thought that she asked for his name so that she could report it to his parents. He had run into trouble with such pranks, too many times before. Whenever he played a prank on someone, the victim would ask for his name and complain to his mother.
The kid didn’t speak for a minute but then stuttered “I… I will give half of my firecrackers to you, but please don’t tell my mom, alright?”
Shangguan Ning burst into laughter and nodded. “Okay, I won’t tell your mom, but you shouldn’t frighten others with firecrackers, alright?”
“Okay!” He agreed without hesitation.
“Tell me, what is your name?”
“I am Doudou!” The little boy said as he stuffed the entire box of firecrackers into Shangguan Ning’s hands. Then he ran away, laughing.
He stopped at a distance and shouted, “Aunt, you are so pretty!”
Shangguan Ning couldn’t help but laugh.
A reassuring feeling filled Jing Yichen’s heart as he watched Shangguan Ning getting along well with the kid. He loved how loving and gentle she was, around the child.
He went up and wrapped his hand around her waist as he whispered slowly in her ear. “You like kids?”
Shangguan Ning was already used to his touch, but she was still not used to hearing him seducing her like this. She blushed and turned her head around.
“Children have the purest heart. I like them very much. I had envisioned being a kindergarten teacher, when I was little. As I grew up, I realised that teachers at kindergarten are required to be capable of a lot of things, such as painting, singing, dancing, to name a few. Unfortunately, my only capability is playing tennis, thanks to my long legs. Unfortunately for me, children at kindergarten don’t play tennis.”
Jing Yichen chuckled in amusement. His eyes lit up as he said, “Then we can get several children and you can be their teacher.”
Shangguan Ning got startled by his words – several children? What did he think she was?
As for getting children…
She hadn’t thought about this before.
Although Jing Yichen feigned indifference most of the time and didn’t speak of these things , yet when she was with him, he couldn’t help but think about the future.. their future.. Together. He was always concerned about her. And this love and concern was genuine. He didn’t have to fake his actions and feelings just for the sake of showing off.
No one, except her mother and uncle, had treated her so nicely all her life. She looked up at this tall, noble man and suddenly felt that all this was unreal. Would she be able to live on in such happiness? Was God trying to compensate her for all her past grievances?
If that was the case, then all the pain and despair she had suffered earlier was worth the while.
With a bright smile on her face,she stretched out her hands to Jing Yichen. “Give me the lighter, I want to set fire to these crackers and celebrate the New Year.”
Only she knew that she was actually celebrating this new phase of life and the fact that she met him!
