Lin Feng's skills were naturally no match for Zhang Yuxi's. After just a few hands, he had lost over two thousand yuan. In the end, even after factoring in Zhang Yuxi's winnings, they had only netted a little over three thousand.

The alcohol on the table was mostly gone, and the plates of peanuts and sunflower seeds were nearly empty.

Wang Lu had originally intended to take a taxi home by herself. But since she was pregnant, it wasn't safe for her to travel alone. She decided to make do on the sofa for a while, planning to go home with Lin Jiajun later. Just a moment ago, she had woken up from a short nap.

"What time is it?" she asked.

Lin Jiajun wanted to keep playing and wasn't keen on taking his wife home. A spark of inspiration hit him, and he whipped out his phone to call Lin Daan.

"Hello? Dad, are you guys done over there?"

"You are? Great. Could you swing by and pick up Wang Lu on your way back? We want to play a bit longer."

Coming out of the restroom, Lin Jiajun sat down next to Wang Lu. "Dad's group is finished and heading back. I asked him to pick you up on his way."

Wang Lu's expression turned cold. "Don't mess around, you hear me?"

"Don't worry," Lin Jiajun earnestly promised. "I swear I won't!"

Before long, Lin Daan and the others arrived. Lin Dahu's eyes swept across the room as he bellowed, "Well now! Enjoying such a luxurious private room behind our backs! You didn't even invite us old folks to have some fun. That's going too far!"

His gaze fell on the alcohol on the table. "Good grief, this stuff isn't cheap! And you didn't even give us a heads-up."

Lin Daan followed him in and sat down. "We're old folks. We can't be expected to mingle with you young people. It's perfectly normal that you didn't call us!"

"How could we have forgotten about you?" Lin Rui protested his innocence. "We were just about to call when you walked in!"

Lin Dahu wasn't buying it. "Don't give me that nonsense!" He popped open several bottle caps with his teeth, then declared, "Come on, everyone! Let's have another round."

Lin Daan picked up a bottle. "I suppose I'll see what the young people are drinking these days."

The others found seats and sat down as well.

Lin Dahu smacked his lips. "Tastes a little strange, but it's not bad!"

Beside him, his wife, the second aunt, cautioned him, "Stop drinking. Don't you care about your health?"

"Enough with the nagging!" he shot back. "It's the New Year! What's the harm in having a few drinks?"

Lin Dahu had a notoriously short fuse. His roar instantly silenced his wife.

Lin Daan gave him a nudge. "She's just concerned about you. Why are you shouting? Go on, get up on stage and sing something."

"Sing? Fine by me!" Lin Dahu stood up. "Let me tell you, my singing is no joke…" He fumbled with the karaoke machine for a while. "How do you work this thing? I can't figure out all this high-tech stuff."

Sun Rou went over and helped him search for a song. They were all old classics.

Lin Dahu grabbed the microphone and began to sing, his voice strong and full of confidence. The atmosphere in the room immediately became lively again.

Lin Feng leaned over and whispered to Zhang Yuxi, "Are you tired?"

Zhang Yuxi shook her head. "Not at all. I actually think this is really interesting."

"Oh?"

"All of our Zhang family relatives are either overseas or live far away," she explained. "We don't really get together much. Just sending well wishes during the holidays is usually enough."

Back when it was just her and An Lan, she never thought the New Year felt lonely. Only now did she realize this was what a true festive celebration felt like. The thought made her miss her family dearly.

Suddenly, Lin Feng suggested, "Why don't we ask your parents to come here for the New Year?"

"Huh?" Zhang Yuxi was startled. "Is that really okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be? I'll look for flights right now. You should give them a call and ask."

It was already two in the morning. Zhang Yuxi hesitated. "Maybe we should wait and call them in the morning."

Lin Feng was already checking the airline schedules. "There's a direct flight at six this morning. After that, there's nothing for the next two days."

Zhang Yuxi pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll go make the call."

***

Zhang Fuyong and Zhao Lizhen were wide awake. They had originally planned to travel to Yangcheng to spend the New Year with their daughter and son-in-law. But before they could even bring it up, the young couple had announced they were returning to Meicheng, which was only a few hours' drive away. The older couple could only comfort themselves, thinking that if it didn't work out this time, there would always be a next time. There were still many years ahead.

Yet, their hearts felt hollow, as if something important was missing. With New Year's Eve just hours away, neither of them felt a shred of joy. Zhang Fuyong had been staring at the same page of his book for what felt like an eternity.

How could Zhao Lizhen not know what was on his mind? She sighed. "Let's just go to sleep. It's getting so late."

"You go ahead," Zhang Fuyong grumbled. "I'm going to read a little longer."

Zhao Lizhen saw right through him. "Read what? Stop pretending and go to bed!"

"What am I pretending about?" he stubbornly denied.

And he says he's not pretending?

Just as she was about to retort, her phone rang. "Who could be calling in the middle of the night…?" Her eyes widened in the next second. "It's Zhang Yuxi!"

Zhang Fuyong instantly sat bolt upright, suddenly full of energy. "Answer it! Quick! Is something wrong?" He quickly added, "Put it on speaker!"

Zhao Lizhen answered the call and switched on the speakerphone. "Yu Xi, why are you still up so late?" She could hear a lot of noise in the background. "Where are you? Are you at a bar?"

Hearing the alertness in her mother's voice, Zhang Yuxi asked, "Mom, you're still awake?"

The couple exchanged a rapid glance. "Oh, we were just getting ready for bed. What about you? What are you up to?"

"Mom, do you and Dad have any plans for the New Year?" Zhang Yuxi asked.

Zhao Lizhen was taken aback. "The usual. Nothing special planned."

"In that case, there's a flight to Meicheng this morning. Why don't you and Dad come?"

Zhao Lizhen's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at Zhang Fuyong, who silently mouthed the word: Go!

She smiled into the phone. "Alright then! I'll go buy the tickets. What are you doing now?"

"I'm at a KTV, singing with Lin Feng's cousins!"

Hearing how happy she sounded, Zhao Lizhen chuckled. "Okay, you all have fun."

"I will," Zhang Yuxi said. "Let me know once you've booked the tickets…"

Just then, Zhang Fuyong held out his phone screen for Zhao Lizhen to see. She looked down and then spoke into the phone, her voice bright. "Yu Xi, your dad already bought them."

Zhang Yuxi was overjoyed. "Great! I'll have Lin Feng pick you up from the airport tomorrow."

"Okay, okay!"

After hanging up, the couple was even less sleepy than before. Zhao Lizhen got up and started to pack. Thankfully, she had already gotten their luggage ready once before, so it only needed a little rearranging.

Zhang Fuyong grabbed his electric shaver and headed for the bathroom. "I'm going to go shave."

***

When Zhang Yuxi returned to the room, she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. "I called them, and they were still awake. The second I mentioned it, Dad booked the tickets." Their eagerness to come was impossible to hide.

Lin Feng understood the loneliness his in-laws must have been feeling. "I'll ask Dad to pick them up tomorrow."

Zhang Yuxi frowned slightly. "But where will they stay?"

"I'll discuss it with Dad," Lin Feng replied thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, the party was winding down. Lin Dahu had drunk quite a bit and was starting to feel the effects. "Alright, this old man can't keep up with you youngsters anymore. Let's go, let's go! Time to head home and sleep!"

Lin Daan also got ready to leave with his daughter-in-law, Wang Lu. "You all can play as long as you want, but we need to get some sleep."

Yu Zheng stood up as well. "We're leaving too. Is anyone else staying?"

Lin Rui glanced at the time. "It's already three in the morning! No more, no more. Let's all go home!"

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