Lu Jin had always been a disciplined and solemn man who donned an iron mask in the army. It was extremely rare for him to get carried away like now. He was too excited.
He had admired Yan Zhenqing since young and studied his way of calligraphy. Yan Zhenqing wasn’t a prolific calligrapher, so every one of his work was considered a national treasure. Most of the ones that were found were stored in museums. It had always been Lu Jin’s dream to get his hands on an authentic piece of his work, but he never did despite the Lu Family’s authority.
And now he received one from Yan Huan as a New Year gift! He didn’t actually try to guess what it was, so it came as an absolute shock when he unwrapped it.
Ye Shuyun turned around, a set of jade jewelry glistening at her neck. The mellow light accentuated her pretty skin, and the jade earrings at her ears jingled softly as she moved. It bestowed Ye Shuyun an air of gentle beauty.
Ye Shuyun had taken good care of her looks, and despite her putting on a little weight in the years, she still had the aura of a matured beauty—something that couldn’t be found in younger girls.
“What are you staring at?” Ye Shuyun turned away shyly when she saw Lu Jin’s eyes. It was as though they had gone back in time, back to the first time Lu Jin laid eyes on her and gawked. After that encounter, he went through great lengths to seek her hand in marriage. Or rather, he carried her back.
Lu Jin put his hand to his lips and coughed softly. “I remembered the days when we were young. You were so beautiful then.”
There was a good mood between them, one that has been absent for a long time. Not much passion remain between old couples, but at this moment, he seemed to have found some remnants of it. A gentle beauty adorning soft jade, what else is there to ask for?
Their youthful days were gone, but at this moment they were back to the day they just met. The time when he was young and she was beautiful. The time when they fell in love at first sight.
Boom! A firework bloomed in the sky as the splendor painted the dark night sky in shades of a rainbow.
The sound of firecrackers has dwindled through the years, and so has the festive mood of New Year’s Day, but it’s still one of the most important festivals for Chinese.
There was the song that goes:
“You may be rich, and you may be poor, but when New Year comes, you’ll be home for sure.”
People work hard all year just for these few days of reunion.
“Dumpling’s ready!” said Yan Huan as she came out of the kitchen with two plates of dumplings. She set them on the table. The dumplings were filled with Lu Yi’s favorite prawn filling. Nothing beats dumplings on New Year’s Day after all. They weren’t very hungry, but that wouldn’t stop them from eating a plate of prawn dumplings.
Wielding chopsticks, Lu Yi picked up a piece and put it into his mouth. It was a little hot, but the taste was familiar and delicious.
He picked up another, cooled it with his breath, and held it to Yan Huan’s lips.
“Eat one.”
Yan Huan took a bite.
“Who made these tasty dumplings? What delicacy!”
“Shameless,” Lu Yi pinched her face. “Who brags like that?”
“You don’t think it’s tasty?” asked Yan Huan, finishing her half-bit dumpling. “Fine then, I’ll eat them all myself.” She tried to take one from Lu Yi’s plates, but Lu Yi’s chopsticks tapped her lightly on her left hand.
Lu Yi ate silently without offering Yan Huan any. He knew that she couldn’t even finish her own plate anyway.
He wasn’t wrong. Yan Huan was full after eating just a few and offered the rest to him.
Lu Yi happily accepted all of them.
“We are heading to our grandfather’s place tomorrow. Are you alright with that?” Lu Yi pulled Yan Huan closer, offering his legs as a seat, so that he could look right into her eyes.
Yan Huan pondered, then tapped her indexes together.
“The bride has to meet the parents-in-law eventually.”
“Aren’t you going to watch the movie you invested in?” asked Lu Yi, amused by her seriousness.
“It’s fine,” Yan Huan shook her head. “It definitely won’t lose us any money anyway.”
“You are that confident?” asked Lu Yi, a little surprised at where she got her confidence from. His little woman’s delicate features were warm and gentle, as opposed to the usual coolness and aloofness.
Yan Huan used to think of him as a dense log, but now she realized he was as warm and caring as a man can get.
Yan Huan rubbed her face against his neck like a kitten.
“Of course! I have clairvoyance. I know many other things too. Do you want to hear about them?”
Lu Yi pushed her medium-length hair behind her ears. “No, it’s better not to know.”
Destiny was a funny thing. He did not believe in supernatural forces, but he wouldn’t take any risks that might harm Yan Huan.
“Fine,” Yan Huan sniffed melodramatically. She actually wanted to tell him about the hidden dangers of the Lu Family. In her previous life, she got married to the Lu Family at the age of 23, and there she saw the shameless schemes of Lu Qin and his mother.
She had stayed away from Lu Qin this life, but she was still part of the Lu Family.
But she will protect Lu Yi and his parents. That she swore.
Lu Yi caressed her hair softly like she was a kitten. Another fireworks bloomed in the sky. Lu Yi looked up as the fireworks fading away in his eyes.
No one saw his sorrows.
No one saw the pain he had hid away.
No one saw the secret that brings him endless misery.
However, the gentle look never left his eyes when he looked at Yan Huan. In the earlier half of his life, he lived like a Sadhu monk.
But now, he had her.
Lu Yi was up at the crack of dawn, when Yan Huan was still sound asleep. Her pale face had the faint fragrance and whiteness of milk.
He sat down and put his large hands around her anemic-looking face. She’ll recover in time, though he wasn’t sure how long it would take.
He rose. Paying a New Year visit to Lu Sr. was the custom of the Lu Family, a custom that was upheld by all of them—including Lu Jin’s family and Lu Qin.
Lu Yi first drove home to fetch his parents. He was utterly surprised to see Ye Shuyun behind Lu Jin.
“I thought you said you weren’t coming along, Mom.”
