Chapter Summaries

On New Year’s Eve, Yan Heqing visited his parents’ graves and reassured them that he and Lin Fengzhi were doing well. As he returned to his dark apartment complex, Lu Lin arrived and called his name.

• The Lin family discussed inviting Yan Heqing for New Year’s Eve or the second day of the holiday, while Lin Fengzhi avoided explaining his feelings about him.
• Yan Heqing visited his father’s and mother’s graves, shared news about his life, and promised his mother he was doing well.
• At the Lu family gathering, Lu Muchi was told to stay and meet the Qi family’s daughter, while Lu Lin left after fulfilling his social obligations.
• Lu Lin stopped his car on the way out of the city, then later drove in a different direction.
• Yan Heqing returned to his apartment complex and saw Lu Lin approach through the headlights and call his name.

Yan Heqing accepted Lu Lin’s invitation to spend New Year’s Eve with him and his mother, Lu Ruchan, instead of taking a paid job to keep her company. He arrived at the mountain villa and gave Lu Ruchan four succulents, which delighted her.

• Lu Lin offered Yan Heqing a temporary job keeping his mother company, but Yan Heqing declined the job and asked to visit as a guest for New Year’s Eve.
• Lu Lin called Lu Ruchan and told her he was bringing a young friend who was eighteen.
• Yan Heqing brought his potted succulents and rode with Lu Lin to the mountain villa, where they spoke about Yan Heqing missing people and feeling down.
• Lu Ruchan greeted Yan Heqing at the villa, invited him inside, and praised his name.
• Yan Heqing gave Lu Ruchan four succulents, and she happily picked up the pink bluebird plant.

Yan Heqing joined Lu Lin and Lu Ruchan for New Year’s Eve dinner, where Lu Ruchan welcomed him warmly and Lu Lin remembered his food preferences. After Lu Ruchan went to rest, Lu Lin took Yan Heqing to the garden to watch the approaching fireworks.

• Lu Lin arrived home and joined Lu Ruchan and Yan Heqing for dinner.
• Lu Ruchan served Yan Heqing a homemade shrimp-stuffed fried dough dish and told him about her southern ancestral home.
• Lu Lin added the dish and pineapple to Yan Heqing’s plate, recalling that Yan Heqing disliked overly sweet food.
• Yan Heqing kept Lu Ruchan company with stories until nearly midnight, and she invited him to watch the fireworks from the garden.
• Lu Ruchan returned to her room, and Lu Lin led Yan Heqing outside to the snowy garden.
• Lu Lin asked whether Yan Heqing liked fireworks, and Yan Heqing said beautiful things were pleasing to the eye.

Lu Lin and Yan Heqing watched the New Year fireworks together, exchanged gifts, and began the year with a quiet moment of closeness. Yan Heqing spent the night at Lu Lin’s villa, while Lu Lin was left thinking about his smile and greeting.

• Yan Heqing told Lu Lin that life was brief only by human standards as they waited for midnight.
• At midnight, fireworks filled the sky, and Lin Fengzhi called Lu Lin, who answered briefly before hanging up and blocking the unfamiliar number.
• Yan Heqing gave Lu Lin a potted Haworthia cooperi and wished him a happy New Year.
• Lu Lin gave Yan Heqing a red envelope containing 888, which Yan Heqing accepted as the first red envelope he had ever received.
• Yan Heqing settled into the guest room and examined the new banknotes, while Lu Lin later remembered his smile and New Year greeting as he showered.

Yan Heqing woke on New Year's Day, received a red envelope from Lu Ruchan, and agreed to visit Lin Fengzhi's family for dinner. The chapter ended as Lu Lin joined them and asked about the flower Yan Heqing was looking at.

• Lu Muchi called Yan Heqing but got no answer, then hurried to the vacation villa after the butler said Lu Muchi's mother still refused to eat.
• Yan Heqing called Elder Fang to exchange New Year's greetings and then went downstairs.
• Yan Heqing heard Lu Ruchan singing pingtan in the garden and recalled his mother singing it to him.
• Lu Ruchan gave Yan Heqing a New Year's red envelope and invited him to come again next year.
• Lin Fengzhi invited Yan Heqing to dinner at his house the day after tomorrow, and Yan Heqing accepted.
• Lu Lin entered the garden and heard Yan Heqing ask whether a flower was Wei Purple.

Yan Heqing spent the morning with Lu Ruchan, then went home with Lu Lin and asked about his hometown. After Lu Lin returned to work and placed a haworthia beside his computer, Yan Heqing went fishing and called Lin Fengzhi early the next morning.

• Yan Heqing promised to make lipstick from peonies for Lu Ruchan when they bloomed, and she invited him to breakfast with Lu Lin.
• After breakfast, Lu Ruchan went to rest, and Lu Lin drove Yan Heqing home, telling him his maternal grandmother's hometown was Twenty Bridges.
• Yan Heqing returned home, picked up his fishing gear, and went to Tian Mountain Reservoir, where he poured fermented bait into the water and left the fish for another angler.
• Lu Lin worked at Lu Group headquarters until dark, then took out the haworthia from his paper bag and placed it beside his computer.
• At seven the next morning, Yan Heqing called Lin Fengzhi, who answered sleepily and complained about the early call.

Yan Heqing visited the Lin family, where he met Lin Fengxian, played chess with the family, and planted hydrangeas with Mrs. Lin. He learned that Mrs. Lin had originally chosen him to adopt but he disappeared, and Lin Fengzhi overheard the story and feared he had taken Yan Heqing’s place.

• Yan Heqing arrived at the Lin family villa with hydrangea seedlings and met Lin Fengxian, who gave him a fountain pen.
• Yan Heqing played chess with Lin Fengxian and Mr. Lin, then joined Mrs. Lin in planting the flowers.
• Lin Fengyi came downstairs, saw Yan Heqing, and went back to change.
• Lin Fengzhi woke and learned Yan Heqing was visiting, then hurried outside.
• Mrs. Lin told Yan Heqing she had first wanted to adopt him, but he disappeared before she later adopted Lin Fengzhi.
• Lin Fengzhi overheard Mrs. Lin’s story and wondered whether he had hidden and taken something that belonged to Yan Heqing.

Lin Fengzhi overheard Mother Lin and Yan Heqing recounting how Yan Heqing had once given up his chance to be adopted to protect him, and he ran away in distress. Back in the living room, Yan Heqing played Go with Lin Fengxian while Lin Fengyi watched, and Mother Lin wondered why Lin Fengzhi still had not come downstairs.

• Lin Fengzhi remembered a childhood promise between two brothers and realized Yan Heqing had likely chosen to give up adoption for his sake.
• Mother Lin recalled Lin Fengzhi falling ill after Yan Heqing failed to return, and described how Lin Fengyi eventually defended him from bullies.
• Lin Fengzhi heard Yan Heqing say he was lucky to have met Mother Lin, then ran off before anyone noticed him.
• Yan Heqing defeated Lin Fengxian at Go as Lin Fengyi watched and grew irritated that Yan Heqing ignored him.
• After the two men finished another game, Mother Lin wondered why Lin Fengzhi still had not gotten up.

Lin Fengzhi left the Lin family home after feeling overlooked and went looking for Lu Lin, only to learn he was away. While Lin Fengzhi ended up with Gu Xingye, Yan Heqing shared his history with the Lin family and was welcomed as one of them; Lin Fengxian then led him upstairs to play video games.

• After waiting outside the living room for forty-eight minutes, Lin Fengzhi switched off his phone and drove away, hurt that his family had not looked for him.
• Lin Fengzhi went to the Lu family residence to find Lu Lin, but a servant told him Lu Lin was not home, so he left again.
• Mother Lin called Gu Xingye and learned that Lin Fengzhi was with him, then told the Lin family that Gu Xingye had asked Fengzhi to come over.
• Yan Heqing told the Lin family that he had cut ties with his adoptive parents, and Mother Lin and Father Lin offered to treat him as family.
• After lunch, Lin Fengxian invited Yan Heqing to stay, then led him to the gaming room to play video games.

Yan Heqing joined Lin Fengxian and Lin Fengyi for a game of Death Forest, despite Lin Fengyi's warnings that it was difficult. Yan Heqing quickly learned the controls, but Lin Fengyi shot him first and then ambushed Lin Fengxian.

• Lin Fengxian asked Lin Fengyi to recommend an easy three-player game, but Yan Heqing chose Death Forest.
• Mrs. Lin brought snacks and vegetable juice, asked Yan Heqing what he wanted for dinner, and closed the curtains before leaving them to play.
• Lin Fengyi chose the faction with the most difficult controls and offered to let Yan Heqing and Lin Fengxian team up against him.
• Yan Heqing learned the controls and played for a few minutes before Lin Fengyi landed a headshot on him.
• Lin Fengxian encouraged Yan Heqing, then Lin Fengyi ambushed Lin Fengxian and shot him down.

Yan Heqing defeated Lin Fengyi in a four-hour gaming match after studying the map and exploiting Lin Fengyi’s impatience. After dinner, Yan Heqing prepared to leave, and Lin Fengyi volunteered to drive him home.

• Lin Fengyi repeatedly killed Yan Heqing in the game until Yan Heqing landed a headshot and won a round, shocking Lin Fengxian.
• Lin Fengyi demanded a rematch and played seriously as Yan Heqing used the map and Lin Fengyi’s impatience to defeat him again.
• The game ended after four hours, and Yan Heqing discovered thirty-two missed calls from Lu Muchi.
• Yan Heqing declined Mrs. Lin’s offer to stay, explaining that he needed to prepare for his department transfer and get his driver’s license.
• Lin Fengyi volunteered to drive Yan Heqing home, and Mrs. Lin reminded them to drive safely.

After Yan Heqing left Lin Fengyi’s car, he liked Lu Lin’s first Moments post, prompting Lu Lin to spend a sleepless night at his private lake before returning to Yan Heqing’s apartment. Seeing the guest room and its auspicious knots, Lu Lin chose sky lanterns for the amusement park’s Lantern Festival event.

• Mother Lin gave Yan Heqing a red envelope and watched him leave with Lin Fengyi.
• Yan Heqing asked Lin Fengyi to stop at an intersection, then got out and continued on foot.
• Yan Heqing liked Lu Lin’s first Moments post, and Lu Lin noticed the notification.
• Lu Lin spent the night fishing at his private lake, then returned to Yan Heqing’s apartment and found it unchanged.
• After seeing the auspicious knots on the guest-room curtains, Lu Lin told his assistant to plan a sky-lantern release for the Lantern Festival.

Yan Heqing planned to get a driver's license and buy a used car, then called Lin Fengzhi, who had avoided him, to ask for help choosing one. Meanwhile, Lu Lin arrived at Qikang Hospital, where Lu Changcheng was hospitalized and Lu Muchi and Lu Han were with him.

• Yan Heqing studied for his driving theory test and decided that a car would help him fish and eventually take Xu Qiaoyin away from Lu Muchi.
• Yan Heqing called Lin Fengzhi after learning that Lu Changcheng was hospitalized and suspecting Lin Fengzhi had returned Lu Muchi's belongings without meeting him.
• Gu Xingye brought breakfast to the sleepless Lin Fengzhi, who panicked when he heard Yan Heqing's name.
• Yan Heqing asked Lin Fengzhi to help him choose a used car, and Lin Fengzhi eagerly agreed to meet him.
• Lin Fengzhi asked Gu Xingye whether he would stay by his side if everyone abandoned him, and Gu Xingye said he would.
• Lu Lin reached Qikang Hospital and found Lu Changcheng being examined, Lu Muchi asleep on the sofa, and Lu Han beside the bed.

Lu Lin left his father’s hospital room after Lu Changcheng angrily rejected him, then spotted someone resembling Yan Heqing and admitted to Xie Yunjie that he had watched Yan Heqing at the bar. At a used car dealership, Lin Fengzhi struggled to park while meeting Yan Heqing, who offered to take over the driving.

• Lu Changcheng told Lu Lin to leave, and Lu Han tried to provoke a reconciliation before Lu Lin walked out.
• Lu Lin drove away from the hospital and, after spotting someone who looked like Yan Heqing, told Xie Yunjie he had been watching Yan Heqing at the bar.
• Lin Fengzhi arrived at the Five Lakes Used Car Dealership and noticed Yan Heqing waiting on the sidewalk.
• Yan Heqing directed Lin Fengzhi to a parking space, but Lin Fengzhi repeatedly failed to reverse into it.
• Yan Heqing offered to park the car himself, leaving Lin Fengzhi amazed that he had learned to drive so quickly.

Lin Fengzhi accompanied Yan Heqing to buy a used car, helped him choose a white electric car, and test-drove it while Yan Heqing cited his neck pain. After Yan Heqing signed the contract, Lin Fengzhi saw a new Moments post from Lu Muchi and remembered their painful falling-out.

• Yan Heqing drove them to the used-car dealership, where Lin Fengzhi felt awkward facing him and hurried to keep up.
• A salesman showed little interest in helping Yan Heqing shop within his budget, but Yan Heqing calmly continued looking at cars.
• Lin Fengzhi sent photos of the available cars to Lin Fengyi, who recommended the white one, and Yan Heqing agreed to test-drive it.
• Yan Heqing said his neck was bothering him again and asked Lin Fengzhi to test-drive the car; Lin Fengzhi found it ran adequately.
• Yan Heqing negotiated the price down to thirty-one thousand and signed the contract while Lin Fengzhi searched online for causes of cervical spondylosis.
• Lin Fengzhi noticed Lu Muchi's new Moments post and remembered that Lu Muchi had called him cheap.

Lin Fengzhi took Yan Heqing to Qikang Hospital for a neck examination, hoping to see Lu Lin while there. After the tests, Yan Heqing told the doctor about a past episode of dizziness and vomiting.

• Lin Fengzhi found Lu Muchi’s post showing a hospital corridor and identified the location as Qikang Hospital.
• Lin Fengzhi persuaded Yan Heqing to go to Qikang Hospital for a neck examination, and they drove there together.
• A nurse told Lin Fengzhi that Lu Changcheng was staying in room 777, and Lin Fengzhi decided to wait for Yan Heqing rather than visit immediately.
• Yan Heqing underwent an X-ray and an MRI, which Lin Fengzhi paid for.
• The doctor asked about Yan Heqing’s symptoms, and Yan Heqing described dizziness and vomiting before his college entrance exam.

After learning that Yan Heqing’s dizziness came from severe cervical strain, Lin Fengzhi accompanied him to visit Lu Changcheng and brought fruit baskets. Their visit left Lin Fengzhi disappointed when Lu Lin was absent, while Lu Muchi arrived and stopped in shock upon seeing Yan Heqing.

• A doctor diagnosed Yan Heqing with severe cervical strain and advised him to practice standing straight against a wall each day instead of taking medication.
• Lin Fengzhi bought fruit baskets for Lu Changcheng, and Yan Heqing teased him that the friend he was visiting must be important.
• Lin Fengzhi and Yan Heqing reached Lu Changcheng’s hospital ward, where they found Lu Han but neither Lu Lin nor Lu Muchi.
• Lu Changcheng asked Yan Heqing’s name and praised it, while Lin Fengzhi felt overlooked.
• Lu Muchi entered the ward while looking at his phone, saw Yan Heqing, and stopped in shock as Lin Fengzhi worried he would approach him in front of Lu Changcheng.

Yan Heqing unexpectedly encountered Lu Muchi at the hospital and learned that Lu Muchi had wanted to buy him, while Lin Fengzhi realized Lu Muchi had been lying about why he visited Yan Heqing. Later, Yan Heqing joined Lu Lin for a night-fishing trip, and they began talking more comfortably on the drive.

• Lu Muchi rushed past Lin Fengzhi to grab Yan Heqing, then called him a good friend in front of his family.
• Yan Heqing told Lin Fengzhi that he and Lu Muchi were twins and that Lu Muchi had wanted to pay to buy him.
• Yan Heqing met Lu Lin outside his building and asked to accompany him night fishing; Lu Lin agreed to wait while he got ready.
• Yan Heqing loaded his fishing gear into Lu Lin's car, recognized the thermos of ginger soup, and recalled being partly conscious after falling through the ice.
• Yan Heqing told Lu Lin he could call instead of making special trips, and asked how many fish he had caught with the bait from last time.

Yan Heqing rode with Lu Lin to a remote lakeside, where they prepared to fish and shared roasted sweet potatoes. Meanwhile, Lu Muchi tried to reach Yan Heqing and rushed out of the hospital, while Lu Changcheng questioned his bodyguard about Lu Muchi’s visits to Lin Fengzhi.

• Yan Heqing declined Lu Muchi’s call and switched off his phone during the drive with Lu Lin.
• Lu Muchi realized how much he missed Yan Heqing, then left the hospital after telling Lu Changcheng he wanted to go home and shower.
• Lu Changcheng questioned Lu Muchi’s bodyguard about whether Lu Muchi still visited Lin Fengzhi, then smashed his teacup when the bodyguard said yes.
• Lu Lin and Yan Heqing reached a dark lakeside, set out bait, and roasted sweet potatoes while they waited to fish.
• Lu Lin offered Yan Heqing a roasted sweet potato, and Yan Heqing peeled it and ate it.

After a rainy night fishing with Lu Lin, Yan Heqing saw Lin Fengzhi’s message asking whether he had accepted Lu Muchi and felt deep revulsion. He asked Lu Lin to rest before driving, and the chapter ended with Yan Heqing settling into the back seat to sleep.

• Rain fell while Yan Heqing and Lu Lin fished, and they shared sweet potatoes beneath an umbrella.
• Lu Muchi waited outside Yan Heqing’s home with a kitten, planning to explain that he had fallen for Yan Heqing.
• After the rain stopped, Yan Heqing saw Lin Fengzhi’s message asking, “Did you say yes to him?”
• Yan Heqing asked Lu Lin to sleep before driving, and Lu Lin told him to lie down in the back seat and remove his shoes.