Meeting the Parents????

"Don't be afraid, Grandpa is a very nice person."

Seeing the girl beside him who was clearly nervous, Xia Yan couldn't help but speak up to comfort her.

Both of them were carrying some New Year's goods they had just bought from the mall. Although they weren't expensive gold or silver jewelry, or luxury gifts like Maotai or Zhonghua, they were just some ordinary fruits and New Year's goods.

As the year draws to a close, shopping malls everywhere tend to mark up prices. Although Hua Xin wanted to buy some more presentable items as a gift, Xia Yan firmly refused, saying it wasn't necessary.

This feeling of "a new son-in-law visiting the parents" inexplicably happened to the young girl. Although she was neither the son-in-law nor the blond-haired man who was about to meet his parents- Xia Yan -law and discuss the bride price, to be precise, she was now a girl, an innocent girl who had been lured home by this blond-haired man, Xia Yan.

Oh... I almost forgot.

She was the one who was taken home by someone, not the one who came to propose to Xia Yan... In that case, it seems that it's understandable that the things she brought when she came to visit were a little shabby, right?

What if you're deemed too poor and kicked out?

But I'm probably overthinking it. After all, it's incredibly lucky that a guy like Xia Yan could find such a perfect girlfriend.

Lost in thought, the tension that had been lingering in my mind since I got off the bus dissipated considerably.

For some reason, northern cities, despite having the same steel torrents and bustling traffic in the city center as Shanghai, still exude a unique sense of desolation.

Several days ago, before she had fully moved to Xia Yan's house Xia Yan had discussed and sought her opinion.

When the message, "Do you want to come and spend the New Year with me at Grandpa's this year?" appeared in the chat box and was sent over the network, Hua Xin was genuinely taken aback.

In her memory, the word "Chinese New Year" has never brought her any happy or joyful feelings. There were no lively family members, no mouthwatering New Year's Eve dinner, no cheerful chatter, and no couplets or new "Fu" characters that symbolize the new year.

There was only one couplet and the word "Fu" posted on the door of her house.

In the years that followed, it was never seen again. Whether it was someone else who had left, the glue naturally coming off over time, or they were so disgusted and ashamed when they saw the second line of the couplet "Harmony in the family brings prosperity" that they tore it up in anger.

Then, outside the gate, you could only vaguely see traces of couplets and the word "" that had appeared on the door, but what was left was just this trace that had long since disappeared.

Since everyone left, the term "New Year" has become more like a symbol of Hua Xin's transformation from her usual daily meals of rice mixed with Thirteen Spices and various vitamin pills to a life where she can eat instant noodles and meat.

Back then, Hua Xin had never even considered becoming a "live streamer" or "going out to work," things that were completely out of the question for her. Her only source of income came from tirelessly harassing people on various platforms or in games, asking questions like, "Do you need someone to help you grind?"

Most of the time, she would obviously be lost in the sea of people, but occasionally a few people would come to Hua Xin with a try-it-out mentality to help her grind a certain two-word game or other single-player games that only required repetitive grinding.

There are still many good people online, and most people will choose to keep their word. People like Mu Feng at the beginning, who only seek thrills by skipping out on their bills, are still a small minority.

But it was this small part that made Hua Xin witness the wickedness of people's hearts, and she often hid under the covers and cried loudly.

In this way, by offering large quantities at low prices, Hua Xin managed to stabilize the few thousand yuan that Auntie Li's husband had left her out of pity. Even so, she still dared not spend money recklessly, and the New Year became the only excuse for her to have a good meal.

But things changed when she got to know Xia Yan.

The New Year's Eve dinner, which hadn't changed in over a decade, the atmosphere, and even the scenes of "home" that she had always dreamed of—all of these were brought to life by Xia Yan.

There was delicious food. If she hadn't been forced to sleep because she was drunk, Hua Xin felt she could have eaten two more bowls of rice. But in the end, hunger couldn't withstand the effects of alcohol.

The atmosphere was just as she had imagined. She and Xia Yan were cooking together, even though she was only helping out and there were a few minor mishaps. But the feeling of having someone to do things with...

Is this happiness?

Perhaps I didn't realize at the time that this was happiness.

She thought she would never forget that New Year's Eve dinner. Although it was her first New Year with Xia Yan under the identity of "Gu Xin Hua," there would still be some regrets.

However, she did not forget that she woke up next to Xia Yan on the first day of junior high school.

Just like she never forgot the Hatsune figurine Xia Yan once gave her, the large rose that had turned to ashes but she still couldn't bear to throw away, the lipstick she hid in her drawer until she finally made up her mind to use it, and...

The bright red scarf I wore during the last Chinese New Year.

Thinking of this, Hua Xin's steps on the snow-covered road slowed down involuntarily. The two, who had been walking side by side, suddenly found themselves one in front of the other.

What should we eat tonight?

"I'll cook, Miss Hua Xin, please feel free to order."

Xia Yan slowly followed the girl's steps again, and keenly noticed that Hua Xin was preoccupied and absent-minded, so he brought up a topic to ease her tension.

He could understand Hua Xin's nervousness.

If it were his first time meeting his parents, he would probably be just as nervous.

But Xia Yan knew one thing.

Hua Xin's only "family" right now is him.

People say that two identical puzzle pieces can never be put together; they can only end up separated.

But they managed to transform two identical puzzle pieces into a puzzle that could be put together.

"Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, please."

"I just bought some pork ribs."

Hua Xin thought for a moment, then pulled up the bright red scarf around her neck and answered in a muffled voice, the warm wool making her cheeks feel much warmer.

The cold wind tinged Hua Xin's fair face with pink, and her eyebrows were covered with light snowflakes.

"Good."

Xia Yan's eyes were very gentle as he led Hua Xin through the slightly old-fashioned neighborhood and into the apartment building.

After the howling wind subsided, Hua Xin slowly relaxed and followed Xia Yan up the stairs with a slightly nervous expression.

Don't be too nervous.

"It's our grandfather."

"Um..."

Hua Xin quickly tidied her appearance and took a deep breath after confirming that there was nothing to disclose.

But seeing Xia Yan trying to suppress his laughter, the embarrassment welled up again. Now that things had come to this, she couldn't say anything and keep attacking Xia Yan, so she just rolled her eyes at him.

She wanted to make a good impression on her grandfather.

It's like...

The feeling of being able to entrust Xia Yan's future to her with peace of mind.