Si Mingjing had always felt, "Si Yuan, your family has protected you too well. That’s your fortune, but ultimately, many things in this world must be faced alone. Even if soone shields you from the wind and rain, you must possess the ability to face the storms yourself. Otherwise, if those around you can no longer be your support one day, your world will collapse. So, enduring so hardships now might not be a bad thing."
Ye Siyuan listened humbly, thinking her sister-in-law was right. For example, when Ye Siyuan had proposed to her while they watched a movie together. Even though she might never experience the horrors from the film in her lifeti, being able to hold her own in tis of danger, without dragging others down, and even fighting alongside Si Lisao—that was the kind of girl she aspired to be.
Ye Siyuan grinned playfully. "Sister-in-law, thank you for your counsel. I’m not as weak as you think; it’s just that my vigilance against danger isn’t as sharp as yours. I’ll be more careful in the future."
Song Tangtang, sitting beside them, reflected on her own shortcomings. " too! too!"
Si Mingjing smiled.
In the evening, Senior Brother Zhang Muguang personally delivered the carefully decocted herbal dicine. Si Mingjing invited him to stay for dinner. Zhang Muguang appeared hesitant, only nodding in agreent after Si Mingjing ntioned that Mo Yinhe was not around.
Si Mingjing took Senior Brother Zhang Muguang aside to speak privately, even having the butler take the children to their paternal grandparents’ place for dinner.
The two of them ate casually.
Si Mingjing said, "Yinhe doesn’t hold any hostility towards you. Thank you for going out of your way to deliver the dicine today."
Zhang Muguang, a refined young man, had his own concerns. He explained, "I know. I’m just afraid he might get the wrong idea. It seems every ti I see you, Junior Sister, your husband gets quite concerned. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position."
Even Senior Brother noticed? Si Mingjing inwardly cursed Mo Yinhe for a scoundrel. All because she had invited Senior Brother to a concert that one Christmas, that petty man Mo Yinhe had held a grudge to this day. Every ti they ate at their Master’s place, if Senior Brother happened to be there, Mo Yinhe would make a scene, making Senior Brother feel so awkward that he was no longer willing to share a table with Mo Yinhe.
Si Mingjing teased, "Senior Brother, you should hurry up and find a girlfriend. That would make Master happy too."
Zhang Muguang pressed his temples, a helpless smile on his face. "I always expected to be pressured about marriage during the New Year, but I never imagined you, Junior Sister, would be the first to bring it up."
Si Mingjing laughed as well. She was well aware of the recent social dia discussions where young people expressed their aversion to being pressured into marriage during the New Year; countless online posts highlighted how much they detested it.
She had apparently beco one of those annoying relatives, and the first one to broach the topic with him, at that.
Si Mingjing changed the subject. "Senior Brother, are you spending the New Year in Yecheng?"
"Yes, my parents arrive tomorrow. They want to spend the New Year in Yecheng with my maternal grandmother. Will you co to my grandmother’s for dinner tomorrow evening?" Zhang Muguang invited her to his family dinner.
Si Mingjing declined. "I might be quite busy for the next few days. After being away for two months, I have a lot of things to catch up on. I’ll visit Master’s ho to offer New Year greetings after the festival."
Zhang Muguang said no more. After dinner, he took his leave.
Mo Yinhe didn’t return ho all night. He was busy until late and slept directly at the Undersea Palace. He didn’t co ho the next day either, only returning to the palace on Lunar New Year’s Eve to have the reunion dinner with everyone.
Other families’ New Year’s Eve dinners involved everyone gathering together, followed by several tables of mahjong. At the Ye Family’s New Year’s Eve dinner, however, everyone dispersed to their respective duties after the al.
Si Mingjing entered a temporarily converted office. Assisted by a professional live broadcast team, she delivered a national address, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, offering New Year wishes, and announcing the Mu Continent’s national outlook for the coming year.
Ye Xinguang entered another temporarily established office. Also assisted by a professional live broadcast team, he delivered a national address, bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, offering New Year wishes, and announcing Atlantis’s national outlook for the coming year.
Only the children were at leisure. They ran out into the courtyard one after another to set off fireworks, chasing each other with sparklers in hand, creating a warm and festive scene under the streetlights.
Three minutes on stage takes ten years of practice offstage. Si Mingjing had a ten-minute speech to deliver. Even before it began, she had already recited the draft a full ten tis.
Mo Yinhe sat beside her, teasing, "Is it really that difficult?"
Si Mingjing tossed the speech manuscript in his face. "Of course, you don’t think it’s difficult! This is my first ti!"
Mo Yinhe deftly caught the manuscript and offered a solution. "Baby, surely you know about sothing called a teleprompter? Why go through the trouble of morizing it so painstakingly?"
"What’s a teleprompter?" Si Mingjing genuinely didn’t know; she had no experience in this area.
Mo Yinhe snapped his fingers, turned his phone, and enlarged the holographic virtual screen in the broadcast room to nearly 100 inches. He projected her speech onto the virtual screen and said with a laugh, "There, that should do it. Just read from it."
Si Mingjing, this "country bumpkin" from Prison Star who hadn’t seen much of the world, marveled at the ingenious idea! She laughed, then huffed, "Why didn’t you say so earlier? Was it amusing watching nervously morize this for an hour? You jerk!"
Mo Yinhe lounged on the armchair, his chin propped leisurely in his hand, indeed finding it amusing. He rarely saw his baby so nervous. He had found a new, wicked pleasure.
Si Mingjing, annoyed, kicked him lightly and then ignored him. She sat behind the prepared desk, a microphone placed before her. She tested the microphone; looking up, she could clearly see the content on the teleprompter and was very satisfied.
Mo Yinhe sat leisurely on the armchair with a book, keeping her company. His relaxed and comfortable deanor made Si Mingjing particularly envious.
Around eight o’clock in the evening, Si Mingjing delivered her national address. Due to the ti difference, it was 8:00 PM in Yecheng, but precisely midnight, the dawn of the New Year, on the Mu Continent.
While Si Mingjing was delivering her speech, Ye Jingzhe, Su Chaoyang, and Xi Lei appeared in the studio at so point. The three little boys were sharply dressed in miniature suits and trousers, looking spirited and every bit like young elites.
Mo Yinhe raised an eyebrow, put down his book, and beckoned the three little ones over. "What are you three up to?" he asked.
Su Chaoyang, ever the clever little treasure, piped up, "Daddy, I also want to wish everyone in the nation a Happy New Year!"
This was a golden opportunity to make an impression! The young Little Dragon heirs, all quietly vying for the position of successor, didn’t want to miss it. This was also what their respective uncles had personally called to instruct them about earlier that day: they absolutely had to make an appearance while their mother was delivering the national address to ensure the populace rembered them, to boost their favorability, and incidentally, to rally support!
So, after playing with fireworks outside for a while, the three little boys had hurried to change their clothes and ticulously groom themselves.
Mo Yinhe was unaware of the little sches brewing in the children’s minds, but he didn’t object. He reached out and ruffled Su Chaoyang’s hair. "Wait for Mommy to finish her speech, then you can go."
Reviews
All reviews (0)