"Who? Could it be Zhou Rou?" Shasha wouldn’t say that about anyone else.
"Yes, yes, you’re amazing. You guessed it! She was dressed so well, even her brother was with her. I ignored her and acted like I didn’t see them!"
Li Si held back for a mont but couldn’t resist, "Shasha, next ti you see her, just ignore her too! I ran into her in Beijing once, guess what? She drugged Yin Xian—he almost got into big trouble!"
"Oh my goodness! This news is explosive! Why didn’t you tell earlier? If I’d known, I would’ve asked her face-to-face. What’s going on in her head? So embarrassing!"
Li Si moved the receiver slightly away from her ear—Shasha’s voice was way too piercing. "Anyway, just be careful around her from now on! Enough about her! Shasha, I’m getting engaged on February 14th!"
"Wow! Haha, a Valentine’s Day engagent! You guys are so romantic! I’m definitely coming! I’ve missed you—let’s catch up properly then!"
"I’ve missed you too! I’ll be waiting for you!"
The two kept exchanging feelings for a while before reluctantly hanging up the phone.
Just as Li Si put down the still-warm phone, it rang again—this ti, it was Leng Mochen.
"Ho already?" Li Si’s voice was soft and sweet, full of warmth.
"Mm. Not asleep yet? Who were you talking to?" Leng Mochen’s magnetic, low voice ca through.
"It was Shasha. We were chatting—Mochen, guess what? She ran into Zhou Rou by the riverside. Isn’t that such a coincidence?" Li Si explained, thinking how small the world truly seed.
"That’s not surprising, but this person has bad intentions. Tell her to be cautious when she sees Zhou Rou." Leng Mochen paused briefly before speaking.
"I’ve warned her! What are you up to?" Li Si sat on the bed, gazing at the fireworks lighting up the night sky.
"Thinking about you! I really wish I could be with you right now. Is it lonely spending the evening by yourself?" Leng Mochen genuinely wished he could stay and spend the New Year with her.
Li Si smiled sweetly and shook her head, then spoke into the phone since he couldn’t see her reaction. "Not at all! Just hang tight—a little over two weeks and we’ll be engaged. After that, we can spend every New Year together!"
"Alright..." Fireworks exploded downstairs, filling the air with the sound of popping and crackling. Li Si couldn’t make out anything he said after the word "Alright."
Once the noise subsided, she hurriedly asked, "What did you just say? There were fireworks here—I couldn’t hear anything!"
His low chuckle ca through. "If you didn’t hear it, that’s fine. Go to bed early—sweet dreams!"
"Fine, sweet dreams!" Li Si could sense his intent to be playful. Feeling a little disappointed, she ended the call. Her heart nagged at her—surely he’d said sothing important. Was it "I love you" or "I like you," perhaps a confession?
She sighed, headed off to shower, and went to bed pondering this question until sleep finally claid her.
On Lunar New Year’s Day, Li Si woke up in high spirits. A new year, a fresh start! She hoped the first day would be a good one.
She checked on Xiao Guai in her space, played with the little monkey for a while, then ca out of the space. Opening her fully-stocked fridge, she took out the celery-and-pork dumplings Mrs. Su had prepped before leaving, boiled so water, and cooked the dumplings.
Just as she was pouring vinegar into a bowl, her rarely-used phone rang again.
When she answered, Leng Ning’s excited voice ca through. "Sisi, are you up yet? I’m downstairs at your building!"
"Then hurry up here! Should I co down to get you?" Li Si urgently started changing her shoes to head downstairs.
"Haha, I’ll co up myself—be right there!" Leng Ning hung up before Li Si could say anything more.
Li Si chuckled and shook her head. Her future sister-in-law was truly too adorable.
As soon as Leng Ning stepped out of the elevator, she saw Li Si waiting for her at the door. Wearing simple pink loungewear and fluffy bunny slippers, she looked soft and charming.
"Co in! You’re up so early!" Li Si invited her in and dug through the shoe cabinet to find a pair of pink bear slippers.
Leng Ning sniffed the air, glancing toward the kitchen. "Slls amazing! I can sll dumplings and vinegar!"
"I was just about to eat—join ?" Li Si smiled as she gently nudged her toward the kitchen.
Playfully turning back, Leng Ning grinned. "Guess I’ll take you up on that! I finished New Year’s greetings early, got my lucky money, and ran over here. My grandpa called my brother for a talk; otherwise, he’d definitely be here too!"
"Here, try so!" Li Si didn’t inquire further. Knowing what he was up to was enough. She fetched a set of fresh utensils and placed them in front of Leng Ning. "Eat while it’s hot!"
Leng Ning squinted happily as she bit into a dumpling, her eyes lighting up. "Sisi, you’re amazing—these dumplings are delicious! Oh, I’m going to eat lots more!"
Li Si blushed slightly. Cooking was her weak spot—clearly, this was one skill she’d need to get better at in the future.
"I didn’t make them. One of the aunties helped wrap them. If you like them, eat as much as you want—I made plenty!"
"Okay, okay..." Leng Ning replied incomprehensibly through a mouthful of dumplings.
After their al, Leng Ning rubbed her now-round belly, tempted to let out a contented burp from eating so much.
Li Si cleaned up the plates and chopsticks, then poured a glass of juice for her, placing it on the coffee table.
Amused, Li Si asked, "What’s your plan for today?"
Leng Ning imdiately sat upright, making an earnest request. "Sisi, can you let stay here for a few days? My house is so noisy—tons of people visiting for New Year’s greetings. If I stay ho, I’ll have to sit there pretending to be ladylike and smiling fakely—it’s exhausting!"
"Sure! But aren’t you supposed to visit other people’s houses for New Year greetings?" Li Si rembered how Bai Shasha’s schedule was packed—spending the first day at her grandparents’ house, the second at her maternal grandparents’, followed by visits to various great-aunts and relatives. Did rich families not care much about social traditions?
Leng Ning blinked a few tis, as if she’d just had an epiphany. "You an visiting my grandma’s side of the family, right? My grandparents on that side passed away years ago. There’s only one uncle left, and he lives in the United States. So, we just spend New Year with my grandpa. All the people visiting us are my dad’s colleagues, students, and whatnot. It’s honestly so annoying!"
"Oh, I see! Stay as long as you want. I’ll get a guest room ready for you!" Li Si imdiately stood to prepare but was stopped by Leng Ning.
"No rush! Sisi, let’s go out and have so fun! I know a great place—you’ll love it. How about treasure hunting?" Leng Ning suggested enthusiastically.
"Treasure hunting?" Li Si couldn’t help guessing—it had to be sothing like Antique Street, right?
"Exactly! Sisi, you don’t know how amazing it is! There are tons of hidden gems there—it’s all about your skill and luck. So, what do you think?"
Li Si chuckled awkwardly. "Alright, let’s go then!" She figured a leisurely stroll wouldn’t hurt—and who knows, maybe she really would find sothing special.
Leng Ning eagerly grabbed Li Si’s arm, shouting joyfully, "You’re the best! But, should we wait for my brother?"
"Mm!" Li Si nodded, and the doorbell rang. The two exchanged knowing smiles—it was surely "speak of the devil," and he’d arrived.
Leng Mochen noticed how perfectly harmonious the two looked together and couldn’t help but smile. "What are you both plotting?"
"We’re planning to go treasure hunting! Brother, you’re here just in ti—let’s go together. Let’s see who finds the best!" Leng Ning was visibly thrilled, as if treasure hunting were the easiest thing in the world.
Li Si couldn’t help but pour cold water on her excitent, "It’s not that easy to find treasures. Let’s just browse and enjoy ourselves—it’s all in good fun." (To be continued. If you enjoyed this story, head to qidian to vote for recomndations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to read.)
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